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Pros: Implementing UltiPro has allowed us to streamline many functions that were performed manually with paper documents. Internal staff transfers, promotions, salary changes, etc. are now handled within the UltiPro system (including approvals) where prior to that, paper forms had to be manually signed off by multiple managers before submitting them to HR for processing.
Our benefit enrollment process has moved from an Excel enrollment form to an online enrollment that feeds directly into the payroll system once approved.
A goal tracking system for employees has been created in UltiPro that allows employees/managers to create goals, rate them, track them with comments, and then show completion dates.
Employees may now access their personnel record in UltiPro and make updates to home address, marital status, dependent/contact info, tax withholding as well as immediate access to W-2 forms and ACA forms.
In addition, UltiPro offers an online PTO tracking system where employees can request time off and managers can immediately approve electronically.
And, of course, what I like most is the amazing reporting capabilities that UltiPro offers. Besides the hundreds of standard reports already created, I can either edit/modify current reports or create my own report.
Cons: This is rather minor, but there are functions I would like to create in UltiPro that I don't have access to do as an Administrator. I must submit them to UltiPro Support Team and some of the functions require an additional cost. It's not a lot, but it's just the principal.
Overall: We have had a favorable overall experience with UltiPro since going live in October 2016. The support team we have now is incredibly responsive to our requests and the functions in UltiPro have improved the quality of our internal processes. When there have been issues with support, etc. UltiPro has been very quick to resolve the issue. They take client feedback very seriously.
Comments: We launched with UltiPro a year and a half ago. The implementation team was very knowledgeable of the product and services offered. They were able to come to the house on many occasions for hands-on training prior to the launch. We also traveled to an On-Site Class near us. These were great to be able to talk back and forth through issues you had been experiencing. I recommend taking notes for questions you may have before going. In the Learning Center Online, there is an abundance of course and previously recorded webcasts for you to learn from. The levels range from the beginner to more complex detailed positions. The Security-Based features are wonderful for companies with multiple subsidiaries. The reporting has many standard reports built for you. It also has the ability for you as a customer to build unique reports to fit your companies' needs. Onboarding has been a way for us to eliminate a lot of paperwork and scanning of policies and documents. It has taken a while to get in groove with so many locations hiring all our seasonal employees at the same time. However, in the end this is saving enormous amounts of time.
Pros: Security-based roles are great for top down management. Payroll processing is a lot faster. We have completely moved away from paper checks. The Community Groups and Knowledge Hours are a great tool to have to continually learn from other customers on how they are using the same programs in their company. Many customers are very quick to respond to simple or complex questions. UltiPro has an extensive collection of resource materials that are searchable to help quickly. In the beginning, the Quick Tour videos were a life saver. You learn so much information at once that you don't retain it all. These videos are brief and to the point. they are housed on each screen that it pertains to which is wonderful. Also, every screen has a "Things" I can do here. Another good tool when learning where to locate all of the information.
Cons: For departments housing only human resource and payroll employees, the reporting is a very slow process to learn. While there are many courses offered, majority of which are online which is more difficult during the initial transition. The Rapid Response is not so rapid. You call in to log a case and wait for someone to call you back. Unless you are completely locked out of production, you could be waiting a long time for a return call. Logging a case on the website is not much faster. However there you are able to fully describe your issue and attach any documents needed to be examined.
Recommendations to other buyers: If you are considering using the service of UltiPro I would definitely recommend you to pay to have your essential reports be custom built for you before launching. This will give you time to study those, take classes and participate in discussions in order to better learn how to locate what you need for your reports. It will require an individual with a report writing background. Most all of your reports work off of building expressions. Prior to the launch, I would highly recommend an in-house launch team that is the most proficient with UltiPro and able to help others internally.
Comments: We began with UltiPro at the end of this summer, going from an antiquated HRIS system to what we (correctly) thought would be a significant upgrade. And while the cost does reflect that; and it is an upgrade; it has been an extremely rough road getting there. Technical issues, the amount of data required (most of it being a manual entry, in part to our antiquated system we were on before) and the level of depth you will go into building this system is outrageous. Each "silo" was assigned a technical SME who helped us build the program. Everything is incredibly customizable and easy to change once it is set up.
Pros: Assigned help along the way, so you knew who your person was. You can build a system to your liking. Makes some functionalities very easy, like building out an "opportunity" or requisition. The system has some great possibilities and can support a lot of different functions through customizable reports. A lot of integrations into external vendor systems that make background checks, job posting, benefits, 401K very easy. Once it is BUILT, I can see how easy it will be to use.
Cons: Each "silo" of the UltiPro function is usually created by that department - recruiting builds out recruiting and onboarding, payroll builds payroll, TD builds performance, etc. Problem is that WE, the builders, don't usually know how the other team will build their system so often times they don't talk well. You build it over a series of meetings with your SME, with can make it disjointed to build. There is a different SME for each function, so if I want to build a report that pulls from my onboarding module, I have to talk to a different SME because the onboarding SME doesn't know Business Intelligence SME. Building it is a second full-time job for your team. We had to build out own training for our employees on how to use the system because each system is so customizable, you won't have a packaged training you can plop in front of your employees.
Recommendations to other buyers: Get help during the build phase. You will have so many homework assignments to complete, we pulled in two contractors and I don't know how we cold have done it without them. Have team meetings with your own internal team to discuss how you are building your module. Get a strong Project Manager to divide out the duties you will have, like the classes you will have to take and the time you will invest into building the modules. It is intense.
Pros: Been using this site now for our clocking in and out at work for 5+ years.
Very easy to use. Site has never been down, always up and works.
The site is speedy to navigate.
Allows me to easily and quickly log in and out.
Allows me to pick easily pick my insurance every year and has all the information I need on the site.
Allows me to quickly get a brief overview how many sick/personal/vacation days I have and will earn.
Can hop in and request days off very easily and then view a yearly calendar to see what I have already added in the future and the past.
We also use this for our performance reviews. Not a fan of those but the site makes it work OK.
Site times out at 30 minutes and it gives you a countdown before it gets there, so it makes it easy for me to see when to clock back in for lunch.
I can also view my paycheck stubs here.
It is very nice to have access to all of this in one location.
I also hear it integrates with AD credentials but we have not implemented that.
I have used other HR websites such as Kronos and this one is so much easier to use.
Cons: Honestly I cannot think of anything negative to say about the website. I have never had a problem with it.
Overall: Allows me to view all my HR information all in one location.
Hi Jamie, thank you so much for sharing with us. We're thrilled to hear you are enjoying your experience. We hope you have a wonderful day!
UltiPro - Everyone Should Use It!
Pros: UltiPro by far has the best customer service and training I've experienced (I've used ADP, Ceridian and SilkRoad products in the past). The system is user friendly and intuitive and customizable to meet our needs. In addition, the company truly cares about customer feedback - and works to implement solutions quickly. It's an all around solid HR system, with many modules that integrate to give you some great functionality and workflow.
Cons: I hate to truly list a "con" here as I know Ulti is constantly working to improve their products. I would say though that the Recruiting tool needs continuous ramping up to become a true competitive ATS system. It's working for us now, but we need more from it. The GREAT thing is that every month Ulti is rolling out new features and updates to this module. I'm confident they will continue to enhance this product and make it a great tool for us.
Overall: UltiPro has helped us integrate our 2000+ decentralized workforce into one HR system. We have a lot of HR users in our locations that are resistant to change, but we have been able to prove to them what Ulti can do for them and the time it can save. We use Ulti for HR, Payroll, Benefits, Open Enrollment/Life Events, Recruiting, Onboarding, Performance Management and Time and Attendance. It's great to have all of this in one system, with easily reportable data. As a decentralized workforce, we have many customizations. Ulti can handle all of them with ease. I truly can't say enough good things about the product, and the company.
UltiPro is the primary UI that I use to access all my personal work information.
Pros: UltiPro is an easy to use Software that provides me with easy access to all work related information. The mobile application is great when I am on the go and need to get access to a quick piece of information. It allows me to view all my tax information as well as insurance information. It allows me to export W2 and W4 information when doing my taxes and does so in an easy way.
Cons: I would say the biggest Con for the software is the mobile app does have some missing features of that compared to the PC software. On the mobile app I am not able to access some features that normally I would be able to. Other than that I do not have many Cons for this software if anymore at all.
Overall: I am able to keep track of my personal work information in one convenient software and mobile app. It allows me to view my payment history, my PTO statuses and many other things. I like being able to view all this information in one easy to use software.
Hi Nathan, thank you for your feedback. We're thrilled to hear you are enjoying our Mobile App! I cannot wait to share your insights with the Mobile App team - they will be thrilled! If you don't mind, would you be willing to share your mobile experience on the Mobile App Store of your choice? Further, I did see you your request for more Mobile-specific features. I just wanted to let you know that Mobile App features are determined by an organization's HR department. It's possible there are features available that you may not have access to. If there are any specific features of interest, feel free to let your HR team know! Thanks for taking the time to leave us feedback. We value your insights and hope to continue providing you with a great experience. Have a wonderful day!
Pros: I like the fact that we are able to customize and build the software package to our needs. The software has some amazing functionality that work well for our business. I like the vendor because the value of the company being "people first" shows in the way they care for their employees. I think that filters down to the customers.
Cons: I would like Ultimate to finish things that need to be corrected that are known system flaws before they move on to new technology. It would be comforting to know as the system administrator that the system processed right from beginning to end before all the other "cool" features come out. Also, I wish the project focus was for system users first and then the employee user. Example, they listened to customers when we asked for the ability to change labels. That is great and the employee users are happy about that. But then they stopped the project without thinking what the system user would need. It is simple when you think about it. Everything that goes into Ulti - we have to report on. So that label project should have included those label changes in BI. Now the reports and the system will not match. Can you imagine having your payroll staff turn over and then trying to run a report based on names you don't have in system because the staff before you used the label edit feature? Nightmare.
Recommendations to other buyers: Ask about skill level of staffing needed to run this software and also needed for implementation. The ability to customize is great, but someone has to be able to support it.
Pros: Ultipro has the type of versatility and customization features needed for small and large companies alike. It's highly customizable so that you can use it for all of your HRIS needs. What I like most about Ultipro is the integration across multiple facets. Your employees' files are stored electronically and the permissions you give the employees allow you to use the system to track and approve changes to position, title, pay, benefits and employees can change their address and names, all electronically.
Cons: Ultipro's customer service is probably the worst feature as getting anything changed or having to troubleshoot issues can take more time than you have, especially within a large corporation.
Hi there, thank you for your feedback. We're thrilled to hear you enjoy our unified HCM. I do see you have some concerns and just wanted to let you know I have shared them with the team to help us improve. If you have any additional insights you would like to provide, feel free to reach out to [email protected]. I hope you have a wonderful day!
So much capability, so hard to navigate!
Pros: Ultipro has a ton of options of what is available to you; I've seen it now in two different companies. In both scenarios, the capabilities of the software were not utilized to their fullest extent. It looks as if Ultipro can do far more than either used it for. The load times and menus for initially finding information are fast to navigate. Information on different pages is presented clear as well. PDFs and other files generated by the system load fast.
Cons: The presentation of the material, menus, hotlinks, etc. is unwieldy and jumbled. It is hard to sort through all of the pages past initial launch ones. Drop down menus, if you move your mouse off of them, disappear; in 2019 that doesn't make sense. The ease of use is definitely missing. As mentioned, too, I've seen it in two scenarios, one with a company of 2000+ and one with around 200 employees. All of the features are not used and yet you can still open up menus and pages that do not have relevant information; if thats the system, it needs to be fixed, if its the user/moderator of the business, they need to be encouraged to get rid of it from the systems administrator from Ultipro. Just not an easy and clean tool to use.
The Time Clock tool as an employee is very difficult to use, too; multiple pages/clicks to get to basic information is overkill. Even then, it has a very mid-range power user feel to it... if you don't know what you're doing you may break it!
Overall: Overall, if you are only looking for basic information as an employee its easy; find paychecks, find personal info, etc. As a long-term solution, unless you do a great job of training and modifying the tools and menus, its easy to get lost; both because of the interface is not clean and it has too many options.
Pros: It is very easy to navigate when you're searching for some info on your health benefits, and looking for other higher up employees if you have issues you need to report such as conflicts with other employees. It list everyone above you without having to ask your manager for email addresses from say the person who handles HR issues.
Cons: Nothing I have always found it easy to navigate and if you can't figure something out say for instance logging into some of our companies intranet websites for training and other purposes it has a step by step solution for anything you can think of company related.
Overall: My experience with UltiPro has always been great for the 4 1/2 years I've been with PSAV (Presentation Services Audio Visual). The old way we used to ask off for days from work was writing it on paper and then submitting to your Director of Operations. Now you just log in to UltiPro and go to scheduling, and then click on time off request and submit. It is so much easier than how we had to do it 4 years ago before they introduced UltiPro to our intranet websites.
Pros: It's nice to be able to view an employee's information via a report. I recognize that you won't be able to gather all the info but having a consolidated PDF generated makes some of my duties a bit easier to begin with.
I also really like the modules that accompanies UltiPro. We've used the main modules such as Payroll and Attendance, but it's nice to have things like Recruitment and Workforce Analytics as well.
As an aside, I think that UltiPro has pretty strong online customer support. I've almost always found a resolution within a business day or so.
Cons: It can seem a bit... redundant at time. I feel like some features that I have to go through should have already been expressed to another person, and I shouldn't have to input them again. For example, the time-sheet feature feels like it can be incorporated to add minute schedule changes and unexpected TO off a bit better. Also, some of my team says it's a bit tricky for them to find pay-stubs or that it might be delayed in showing up, but I've personally never had that happen.
Overall: I've been on both the end user and HR setup sides of UltiPro, so I have multiple opinions on it. For the most part, I can see how HR and management likes it. UltiPro cuts down on a lot of manual lookup and integrates many tools and features into one package. And if you're an employee who really only uses it for time&attendance, then it's not really a big change. For the most part, I like using UltiPro and it's a solid HR MS that helps me manage my team in a more concise manner.
Ultimate Software has allowed us to leverage their technology to enhance and improve our internal HR/PR functions to not only handle the day to day, but also be strategic in what we do for our internal and external clients.
Comments: Ultimate has been a good business partner. They listen to our feedback and truly partner with us in our business initiatives; even if the answer is no they work with us to find other alternatives to help us achieve our business goal.
Pros: We most like the Business Intelligence reporting and ease of navigation throughout the product. We like the ability to configure fields and screens to meet our specific needs. We are very pleased with the ability to have a paperless onboarding experience for our new hires and also configure the onboarding process to meet our business needs. We also appreciate the ability to provide feedback on product enhancements and see that Ultimate listens and responds to that feedback.
Cons: We would like the enhancements requested to come a little quicker to market, but understand some of these enhancements do take time. We would like to see a more consistent response time in Customer Service.
Pros: The delivered product has loads of functionality that is immediately ready to use. The portal is very easy for employees to navigate and very little training is needed to get started. Ultimate Software also provides all of their training free of charge with the subscription, this is a huge help in developing your support team and super users. Ultimate takes customer feedback seriously & puts significant releases in place twice a year. There are normally around 100 user suggestions implemented each year in the releases.
Cons: The Benefits module is not very robust and electronic open enrollment works well, but the confirmation statements are very clunky. Also while the support from every Ultimate team is always very friendly, they can be very slow and it is not uncommon for you to have to escalate requests in order to get programmers to respond to emails.
Pros: I like the various functions that Ultipro is capable of. From payroll, Time clock and time off control, keeping a database of employees positions, salaries, name, address, email address, PTO and Personal Day bank and actual time clock. There is an applicant tracking system but we don't use it at this point.
Cons: There is a lack of support from the Ultimate software team. Any requests for service take an inordinate length of time. (months). The service is then not done correctly. We had file feeds giving our 3rd party providers wrong dates of employment, number of hours worked incorrectly. So we had to manually update this provider with the correct information. This delayed our employees getting approved for Family Medical Leave Act and Short Term Disability. When contactly Ultimate, they were not accommodating in getting the file feeds corrected, even though it was their fault. The initial launch of Ultipro was rough as well. Wrong data and mistakes in the files with Ultimate Software Team unaccommodating.
Pros: As a user - The categories are pretty easy to find - and labeled well so that you know what you're going to find under each category. You can add Favorites - so places that you go frequently, so that you don't have to drill into the categories to get to them. I'm also an administrator of certain data - so being able to take care of things for other staff is also easy and manageable as well. You can even get notifications that what you do is taken care of as a user and as an administrator.
Cons: There is one limitation to the product that I notice and deal with - it is for me the limitation of field length (amount of characters per field). You have to be creative when you're setting up items in dropdown lists for staff to be able to choose from and still be able to push across what they're choosing.
I love the UltiPro experience.
Pros: The UltiPro user interface is intuitive,easily customizable ,easy to navigate and i have been impressed with how UltiPro has continuously improved over the years ,with new features being added regularly. UltiPro has been superb for my team as a tool for time keeping.
Cognos analytic is a stand out tool on UltiPro , and simplifies the process of reporting on our payroll. I like the standardized report ,and the freedom to edit the names and modify them to fit our business need is priceless.
Cons: Ultipro's workflows are very limited . I will like the user interface remodeled in a way that we are able to view the "compensation-history" from one page , for every staff in the organization.
Hi Yeni, thank you so much for the kind words. We're thrilled to hear you enjoy our business analytics features. Have a great day!
Pros: There are so many modules to Ultimate that we haven't even had the opportunity or time to fully implement yet! We keep hearing about something we haven't learned about yet and are excited to ask questions and find out where we can put that module in our roll out schedule!
Cons: I was excited (and very relieved) to hear about the structure changes that recently occurred within the Ultimate staff. When we have a problem, we don't necessarily have time to wait for our request to be "kicked up" to second tier or third tier. Especially when we're "in the weeds" processing a payroll. Putting thru a case doesn't necessarily mean we're going to hear from someone soon enough to get our payroll run completed on time. Having a "no tier" system is a much better way to handle these issues.
Recommendations to other buyers: My biggest recommendation is to be ready to be overwhelmed with all the available modules Ultimate has in their suite. Also - be fully cognizant this is a system YOU will be setting up ... in it's entirety ... and you will need to have staff members knowledgeable on the various components you wish to implement. EX: If you have a very complex taxation situation (multi-tax employees), you will want to have a tax specialist on your team. A good third party company to help you implement AND continue on in a consulting environment would be the next best thing.
Pros: The visual layout of Ultipro makes managing time, payments, and benefits simple and easy to understand. The layout menu that shows all your options is an additional reminder to pay attention to important dates and to keep track of hours logged. I receive emails from Ultipro about managing time and paydates which I find extremely useful. Complicated documents are easy to pull up - I never feel like I'm forgetting to do something important with Ultipro.
Cons: Although Ultipro provides many options for managing time, pay, and career goals, it's hard to work outside the guidelines put down for it. This has only come up a few times, when I've wanted to request unpaid time off but the layout only suggests that I can take paid time off. However, Ultipro provides so many options that this is not a common problem.
Overall: Ultipro has worked very well with managing time from both desktop and mobile devices and provides many options to work with. It is a good fit for someone who does not want to spend too much time setting up a time/payment program and would like a lot of options already loaded. Using Ultipro has made time and pay management easy and understandable for me.
I am very happy with UltiPro and all that it has to offer, including the robust reporting tool, Business Intelligence.
Comments: The support staff at Ultimate Software are very friendly, great to work with and knowledgeable about the product.
Pros: I like the updates to the program because it enhances the work that we do. One of the more recent updates was the Smart Tax Search. It is a feature that returns tax codes when an employee enters their address. Really cool feature for payroll! I also like the reporting tool, Business Intelligence. Reporting is one of the key functions of my role and we use the reports for upper management as well as to process payroll.
Cons: We switched to UltiPro from ADP in 2010 and it was difficult to make that transition. I believe that Ultimate Software could have provided detailed written instructions as well as live personnel to assist with the switch. It may be different now.
Ultipro meets all our needs.
Comments: Ultipro meets all our needs and then some. The customer service we experience from this company cannot be compared. Our CSR is an amazing person and if she cannot fix something, she finds someone who can. Timely. With a great attitude. I have never found that kind of support with any other company I worked with. If a payroll problem crops up, they have a dedicated line for that, realizing payroll is very deadline driven.
Pros: Ease of use, tons of virtual training available, top notch customer service, customization available. Ease of use for employees. Import and Export integration. Reports readily available both in Ultipro Web and Cognos. Report writing ability available. Dashboards available. SSO configurable. Integrated Tax Setup.
Cons: We are a large enterprise, some of the modules are for smaller customers. Tax recon can be a bit cumbersome, but manageable.
Comments: Overall UltiPro is a superb product that has many different modules to meet the demands of growing companies. From payroll, time and attendance, and benefit administration, UltiPro can help lead the way to drive efficiency and promote a better experience for administrators and employees.
Pros: The ease of which one can use UltiPro is second to none! The user experience is easy to navigate and they are constantly adding new features. The extensive modules that are available under the Human Capital Management umbrella like benefits, applicant tracking, time and attendance, compensation management, and more! Excellent customer service 24/7.
Cons: The mobile app integration and functionality needs some work, mainly with push notifications. The ability to make global or batch changes on groups of employees is very difficult, if not impossible. It can be difficult to understand the reporting features, you must build your own as the provided template reports just don't cut it.
Comments: The UltiPro product that Ultimate Software has provided us is great. Our HR department is able to provide numerous departments real-time and historic reports in minutes. We can schedule reports as well so that everyone has what they need every moment of the day. The product has grown with us as we have grown as a Firm.
Pros: Reporting; All in one solution including Payroll, Performance Management, Recruiting, Onboarding, Benefits; UltiPro listens to customers for changes to the software and puts it into its quarterly updates; cloud based; Customer service availability and response; mobile application; ease of use for administrators and end users; training is free.
Cons: There is nothing that I can really think of at this time. UltiPro has so many positive attributes and there just not any negative.
Comments: Overall, Ultipro is a pretty solid software and it is an extremely vital tool that adds great value to companies looking for payroll and other Human resources solutions.
Pros: Ultipro does a great job to not only provide solutions for a company's payroll but is an extremely helpful and intuitive tool for managing employee benefits and showing pay history, PTO balances, tax forms all in one place.
Cons: One of the downsides of Ultipro is that it sometimes the way it is configured in such that the information it is providing is not real time and is contingent on when the time sheets are actually posted to the accounting system. An employee does not have the ability to check real time pay history or tax information unless that period is completely processed.
Pros: We didn't have an HRIS system at all and had over 1,000 employees. Getting a system is better than nothing. We are paperless in the onboarding of new employees which has saved me a lot of tracking down of I9s like we used to have to do. The onboarding has been a great asset for new hires - they can complete all policy forms before starting as well as complete direct deposit, I9, W4 info. That has been very beneficial and new hires say that impressed them!
Pros: We converted to this system in January 2016 and were 100% paper. Two years later and we are almost 100% paperless. This system has a number of resources that allow you to structure your organization.
Cons: The overall conversion process was confusing because we were coming into a system that was already setup. The integration team assumed that we knew everything about the system and several functions were setup incorrectly. However, after they were found it was fairly simple to fix.
Overall: UltiPro has completely changed to the way we as a company perform. Everything is more streamlined and allows us to track the progress electronically versus attempting to reach out via phone. The system has allowed us a company to move forward with a paperless movement.
Comments: I have found the customer service to be very good. I appreciate that I can activate a case online, describing my need/issue in detail, so that when a customer service rep responds to the case, they have the background needed to research and call with an answer versus tons of questions. I find the response time to be good, typically same day or next day response.
Pros: Thorough, integrated, and fairly easy to use system with a very powerful reporting tool. System is very powerful and Ultimate offers online learning opportunities but it still takes a time commitment to learn the system.
Cons: This is a payroll system first, HCM second so the focus is on employees paid through payroll. No ability to track positions (vacancies) unless you are actively recruiting. The online learning modules are easy but not quite as thorough as needed to connect the dots between modules so it's a good thing they have good customer service.
Pros: 1. I find Ultipro to be very user friendly for both admins and our employees. 2. The ability to import one time earnings into the payroll gateway saves a ton of time. 3. By having Ulitpro file our taxes for us, we are able to save time. 4. Their customer service is amazing. When something is urgent, I get it resolved within an hour, at most.
If you are considering transitioning to UltiPro, be extremely cautious.
Pros: Please ignore the "Pros" and "Cons" headers. This review was written as a whole. My company transferred from PayChex to UltiPro in mid-2018. To be fair to UltiPro, the undersigned was not present for any kind of sales pitch, and is not familiar with any of the promises that were made by the UltiPro reps to our company executives. The decision to make the transition was executed without the knowledge or input of the undersigned, who handles approximately 220 employees in a fast-paced, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, high-turnover retail operation. Most of our employees are hourly entry-level retail staff. The transition was extremely painful, and we received very poor support from the UltiPro transition team, all the while trying to run the regular, already-demanding day-to-day business of our 24/7 organization. Their "support" consisted of providing us with a number of empty spreadsheets, and expecting us to extract an excruciating amount of employee data from PayChex and enter it into their spreadsheet in their alien format. Again, the undersigned was not present for any sales pitch. I would strongly advise any company considering a transition of this kind to insist that UltiPro shoulder the burden of the transition i.e. give them full and complete access to any information retained by your previous payroll/HR provider, and insist that they and their team transfer the data. Confidentiality of information, while always a concern, should not be an issue - UltiPro is going to have the same information retained by your current payroll provider regardless of who transfers the data. Even in a perfect world, where UltiPro shouldered the burden as described above, some additional work is bound to fall upon your shoulders. In my case, a perfect example was the implementation of a more automated paid-time-off (PTO) accrual system and accompanying PTO request/tracking system. Our company had always done this manually, meaning that the undersigned would have to calculate each qualifying employee's vacation and/or sick leave time and submit it to UltiPro. Calculation and submission of this information to UltiPro through their spreadsheet was a considerable but gladly-accepted chore, given the expected benefit of an automated PTO system. A spreadsheet was completed and submitted to UltiPro for implementation into their system. Several months later, while preparing to go "live", UltiPro informed the undersigned that they would need updated PTO totals. I always love to spend hour upon hour repeating tedious, mind-numbing work. But we're not done yet: After going live & receiving numerous calls from frustrated employees complaining that they were receiving errors whenever they attempted to request vacation time, the undersigned discovered that most of the PTO balances submitted to the UltiPro transition team in the spreadsheets had not accurately transferred into the UltiPro "TIME" module. Almost all of my employees had a balance of zero. The UltiPro transition team's assurance that they would manually compare the spreadsheet with the balances and make the appropriate corrections went unfulfilled, whether due to technical or human error, and one of the undersigned's co-workers was tasked with checking each of the balances one-by-one.
Cons: Another major disappointment with UltiPro is the number of different modules. There is the UltiPro CORE module. There is the UltiPro TIME module. There is the UltiPro TIME OFF AND ALLOWANCE module. There is the UltiPro BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Module. There is the UltiPro CUSTOMER SUCCESS PORTAL, which not only requires a separate login and password, but UltiPro recommends you use the Internet Explorer browser when utilizing it, while recommending the Google Chrome browser for the others. The separate modules leave plenty to be desired in the transfer of information between them i.e. a change to any one piece of employee data may be require multiple entries - one for each module. Multiple modules also mean multiple different departments you may need to contact if you have an urgent issue you need resolved. If you are hoping (as I was) that UltiPro would mean only one phone number or one representative that could handle any of your customer service issues, forget it. Another major disappointment: with the transition from PayChex to UltiPro, we went from having a payroll processing deadline of 4pm for next-day delivery to a payroll processing deadline of 12pm for second-day delivery of hard-copy paychecks. To be fair, every time the undersigned has failed to meet this infeasible deadline (to wit: every single payroll), UltiPro has been able to get the checks to us on the 2nd day following completion. But if a holiday falls between completion of your payroll and your company payday, your employees will not see their hard-copy paychecks until the 3rd day following completion. Another: their inability to customize the interface for our company's needs vs. the needs of all their other clients. Example: while entering newly-hired employee data into their system, there are (as would be reasonably expected) a multitude of data fields to complete: i.e. name, SSN, address, hourly rate, etc. etc. One of the necessary fields UltiPro requires for every employee is TIME ZONE. Our company only operates in the U.S. central time zone. Can the system be set up so that this field automatically defaults to U.S. Central Standard Time? Nope. Why not? Because other UltiPro clients operate in other time zones, or in multiple time zones. Repeat this "because our other clients" answer for a substantial number of other required data fields. It's simply more chances for things to be entered incorrectly; more invitations for other complications and issues. Another: as issues, difficulties or complications arise, UltiPro expects you reduce the problem you are having to writing for entry into their separate CUSTOMER SUCCESS PORTAL, where you receive a claim number, and hopefully a response of some kind within 24 hours. Describing an issue in writing is often challenging & time-consuming, depending upon the complexity of the issue, even for someone with exceptional writing skills. If you're lucky, your problem might have an easy solution. If not, you might engage in a friendly little game of phone tag over the course of the next few days. I'm sure UltiPro loves this complaint system, as it most likely serves to discourage complaints or service requests from being made at all. To be fair, there is an UltiPro Rapid Response phone number, but they ask that you use this line only for urgent matters affecting a payroll with a payday within 72 hours of your call. I have yet to experience the standard end-of-year duties and chores with our new UltiPro system. I'm sure it will be an absolute delight, all things considered. I'm afraid. Very afraid. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, and if you are considering making this transition, BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us with feedback. We¿re really sorry to hear about your experience with us. It seems like there are many things to address, and I would love to assist in improving your experience. If you're interested in working with me on this, please email me at [email protected]. I hope you have a wonderful day and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Pros: UltiPro has helped our company transition from a mainframe and many paper processes seamlessly. We can now offer employee self service (and transparency), quick report building and generating, process improvement for performance management, a candidate friendly experience and endless possibilities for enabling future functionality (mobile, LMS, etc).
Cons: We are not crazy about the salary planning feature. It is a little clunky for our organization and we wish it was as easy as it is to distribute reviews. This can certainly be improved upon and Ultimate Software listens to their customers, so I think it will be in the future.
Pros: UltiPro is very user friendly. The implementation process is very thorough and the specialists make sure you know how to do what you need to do before they let you go on your own. There are always tutorials and trainings to take if things are unclear or if you forget how to do something. They are very supportive. There are many modules/packages to fit every company's needs. The staff are great and it goes all the way up to upper management/CEO.
Cons: It can get very pricey but they work with you to fill your needs the best they can. Certain things that might sound simple may be a custom, which does cost extra.
I really loved this HRIS system. It was innovative and kind of a one stop shop.
Pros: I loved being able to keep payroll and other human resource information in the same system. I also loved being able to post jobs and gather applications from this resource.
Cons: The worst part about this system was the changeover and start up. The customer service was not great and it seemed like the turnover for that company during our transition was really high and a lot of communication was lost.
Overall: I loved the experience of launching a different HRIS system and I really appreciated having so much information all in one system.
Hi Angie, thank you for your feedback! We're happy to hear you are enjoying our unified HRIS! I'm sorry to hear that implementation was tedious. We actually have been working on a new process to help improve this for new customers. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have shared your comments with the team to help us improve. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Pros: I used Ultipro at my most recent job and I loved having quick online access to my pay stubs, benefits, etc. I was able to enroll in benefits very easily and I received my W-2 much faster by opting in for an electronic document. Having this platform even helped me during a busy time in my life where I had to find a new apartment and purchase a car within the same week (job moved). Having proof of income on hand at all times is one of the best benefits of having Ultipro. I can get whatever I need without adding anything to HR or Accounting's workload.
Cons: The worst part about having Ultipro had shown itself around review time. The platform was absolutely not intuitive and the entire company had a hard time submitting reviews. The way the questions were worded was so odd and the instructions were so vague and unclear. We eventually had to move the due date for reviews and give all of the managers an additional 30 days to complete reviews because no one knew what to do. It was ridiculous.
Hi Brittney, thank you for your feedback. We value your insights and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Have a wonderful day!
Pros: Ultipro best trait is the ability to customize the settings or features in a way to mold it on how the business works.This is a very intuitive tool, that even our non tech people can manage and control their own data and find everything they need on UltiPro. The cloud provides a real-time information including reports and dashboards that has the ability for employees to be able to navigate seamlessly and manage their information is made an impact. Very easy to use.
Cons: Very limited on the workflow process in web based. Some features are slower than other, not sure if its because the data is too much. This are small bumps compared to the benefits that this tool offers, so overall it doesn't have too many flaws.
Overall: It help us speed the payroll process by 45% more fast.
Pros: We use UltiPro for our payroll and benefits administration. As an employee, I've found this software to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. The web-based portal provides step by step instructions for me to update my benefits and payroll deductions and also provides detailed guidance for annual benefit elections. I also really appreciate that I can go into my Ultipro account and manually update my direct deposit instructions if there's ever a time when I want to split part of my paycheck between multiple financial institutions. Within Ultipro I can select either a fixed dollar amount or even a percentage of my paycheck to be split between accounts.
Cons: As with any payroll software, there are some limitations. I have found that Ultipro does not process payroll information quite as quickly as I would like, specifically, they issue the end of year W-2 data much later than other payroll systems that I have used.
Pros: Intuitive look and feel for Core and some of the other modules. I don't think UTM's layout / screens are intuitive to the end-user, Requesting PTO, etc.
Cons: UTM - as mentioned above. Performance Management in terms of when employees transfer from one manager to another during the process. Webinars/documentation in the learning center sometimes don't tell you everything you need to know. We have learned the hard way many times. Maybe have a "Tips"/ "Things to consider" or Keep in Mind" documents. I find that I create my own UltiPro functionality document containing this information because it wasn't mentioned in any webinar or documentation. And, again, it's because I/managers/employees learned the hard way. We would much rather be prepared before we roll out a process or module rather than always reacting to it after the fact.
Recommendations to other buyers: Continue to ask the questions that don't get discussed in the webinars. Like, what are the best practices, how are other companies solving these issues, what is the impact of....., what limitations are there, what can I expect if...., what else do I need to know?
Pros: There is a million things you can do on Ulti Pro. There are plenty of canned reports that I find useful as well as the ability to create your own reports based on your specific company needs. Customer service is excellent.
Cons: At times, it can be difficult to navigate through. There is so much information and tools that it can be hard to sort through. I will say although the customer service is great, the ulti pro university training page is hard to know what you want to sign up for and when. There are tours or actually online courses you can take but it is not very clear what you are signing up for.
Pros: The ability to add many different HR items on 1 site.
Cons: Sometimes the software runs a little slow but it usually doesn't last long.
Overall: I can't say enough good things about Ultipro. This system is by far the easiest HR system I have ever used. As an end user - I find it EXTREMELY helpful to have the ability to log into 1 site for all my HR related needs. From obtaining yearly W-2s, viewing weekly pay stubs., or updating direct deposit or benefit options is user friendly and not much training required at all.
Recommendations to other buyers: I would keep doing what they are doing! Great product thanks!
Hi Jaqui, thank you for providing us with feedback. We're thrilled to hear you are enjoying your experience with us. Have a great day!
Company that CARES about its users!
Pros: I like that UltiPro asks for and implements features that its users ask for. They are constantly finding ways to improve the system and make it more relevant and user-friendly. Most HRIS/Payroll systems don't ask for feedback and even more rare is when they actually implement it. Our company had 3 suggestions implemented within the first year of being with them. I love UltiPro and have been a customer for over 7 years with multiple companies.
Cons: No system is perfect, but for the price and the caring that they provide it more than outweighs the minor irritations that all systems have.
Easy to use, great customer support. Company is always looking at ways to improve and update.
Pros: All of your HRIS info in one spot. Easy to locate and add documentation. Graphs, reports and so much more. In the process of implementing onboarding to make the experience easier for new hires.
Cons: Would like to use other features and programs. The cost is a little high. Have not been able to get upper management onboard yet. Will keep trying.
Overall: Being able to put all of our employee information into one system is fantastic. We are able to run reports, input training as well as confidential paperwork. Paperless is so much easier than keeping track or loosing the info. The programmer's are always looking at ways to improve the system and add more features.
Comments: I think this product has a lot of bells and whistles. Like most software products, we are not utilizing all the great features. Sometimes it is frustrating to get a correct answer when calling in for specific questions. I like the product - I think it is easy to use.
Cons: That sometimes the added modules do not work seamlessly with the Core product. That everything has to go through a 'case' when simple questions can be answered quickly.
Recommendations to other buyers: Make sure you define your needs and set up a plan to implement new functions in stages. Make sure you get your structure defined from the beginning and think of future growth and needs and what you will need for reporting.
Cons: same complaint I have with all solutions of this kind: too many unnecessary steps. Ultipro (like all others) could be simplified and streamlined.
Overall: Having used several competitors in this space, Ultipro provided a clear advantage in terms of simplicity, functionality & overall value. I (hopefully) will never have to use another.
Hi Travis, Thank you for providing us with feedback. We're happy to hear you are enjoying your experience with us. We appreciate the kind words you shared. Have a great day!
Pros: I like that it's easy to use and I can favorite certain items to keep on my dashboard for easy clicking.
Cons: Submitting Paid Time Off requests was a nightmare. It often times messed up what I was trying to do, and it almost always gave some sort of error.
Overall: I used it every day for four years and I got used to it. Despite how used to it I was, it still gave me issues with small things like PTO requests. That being said, they also made some helpful updates that made life easier. Before the updates, it would allow me to clock on or off twice by mistake, but after the updates it gave a warning saying "you've already clocked on" if you tried to clock on again. Nifty.
Comments: A lot of features you will be sold and shown at a demo will make you think it's amazing, but in the end they will UltiMately not work as they take a lot of maintenance and training to utilize...meaning they won't be used or liked. Basic reports are missing, and the number of errors are terrible. Changing a person's title and who they report to failed all the time. My own title did not change in 2 years in UltiPro even after I had 2 promotions. Why? UltiPro couldn't get it to. My employee had a vacation request from 2013 that UltiPro could not delete....the biggest problem with that is he didn't work there in 2013 and UltiPro wasn't installed till 2014. That request is still on his account after multiple support tickets.
Pros: The interface is clean and friendly looking, menus look intuitive, but once you think you are where you need to be, you have to go to a different menu to actually access what you need. Easy to approve request and approve vacation from employees. Approving time was simple as well.
Pros: I like the easy to use menu option, the punch in time card is easy to access. Although we use a different software for my benefits, I can still access the link through this software application. It is very clean and easy to read, visually appealing. It also has a "most recently used" drop down menu which is very nice because I usually just use about 3 different tabs within that menu daily and then the rest of the tabs I use maybe once a month.
Cons: The accruals section is a bit confusing to navigate as a user. The customer service works on a case system which is usually always a slow response time.
Overall: Benefits is that it allows us to become an electronic and we can focus on improving and streamlining processes into the system for tracking/reporting.
Pros: I like that the product is extremely adaptable to the many changes HR often has to make in order to comply with laws and regulations. Our vendor keeps up-to-date with the changes and is proactive in adapting the software to accommodate the changes.
Cons: Sometimes the cost factor for entering data is a bit pricy for our organization. I least like that some of the data (that we chose to enter ourselves) can be tedious to enter (e.g., college information). However, I am sure if we wanted to pay the cost, we could have the vendor enter the data.
Recommendations to other buyers: I recommend that when others are evaluating software, it is very important to find out how adaptable the software is to changing laws and regulations. I know that when the regulations for healthcare was instituted, I knew many organizations that were trying to adjust their HRIS software and found it difficult. Most ended up purchasing new software. Whereas, with Ultipro, they were so proactive in updating their software to comply with the regulations, that when the time came for our organization to comply, all I had to do was "push a button". I had no stress!!!
Comments: UltiPro is a single source cloud-based software that meets all of our needs. In addition to significantly reducing the paper trail on HR, Payroll and Benefit functions, the business intelligence reporting capabilities provides unlimited access to data stored in UltiPro. The software is user friendly for both administrators and employees. Our employees appreciate having quick access to their payroll records, W-2s, benefit elections and personnel data via the web and the personal UltiPro app.
Cons: We're a small company so the use of vendor feeds to manage our benefit enrollments and changes were not helpful to us.
Pros: I love the ability to see your timesheet and paystub in one program. I love being able to go into your timesheet and adjust your hours in the event you forgot to clock in.
Cons: I wish there was a way to see all the PTO requests for my team members. Often times, if I knew that my team members already have a certain day off or have put in requests for a certain week I would know to look for alternate days off.
Overall: This makes tracking my PTO and work hours so easy! I don't have to try and track my hours on a spreadsheet...I can see all of my previous timesheets and current weeks hours in Ultipro.
Comments: I really like the product and wish I had more time to learn and test the system. I am the only person on my team, from conversion left with the organization. That creates it's own challenges as I am the primary payroll processer and report writer.
Cons: I don't like that we have to pay for some add on features per user. I understand that this is a software company but sometimes the development is really cool and would be a great add on, but organizationally we are not able to pay for this feature.
Pros: Has provided time savings related to payroll; good to have all data in one place - benefits, HR, payroll; we have both US and Canadian employees and were looking for a software that would provide services for both and UltiPro has served us well in this regard. Appreciate the high level of security standards. Account Manager is responsive. I've sent staff to Connections and have heard very positive reports.
Cons: e-Recruit has been problematic for us and though a new platform is being released this year it was slow to come. It's also been very frustrating when we've wanted any modifications that these were always "customs" and we were charged an hourly rate to make these modifications. We also experienced delays in receiving these "custom" fixes, at times the work being scheduled months down the road. This aspect was far from clear when we entered into the contract.
Recommendations to other buyers: Ask to speak with companies/organizations similar to yourself and ask specific questions about what has worked well or not so well. | 2019-04-19T21:35:30Z | https://www.capterra.com/p/480/UltiPro/ |
When men are built up and encouraged to live for Christ, everyone wins. Brian Doyle talks about the need for men to mentor and build into other men, as his ministry, Iron Sharpens Iron, seeks to do.
Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, June 12th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife®, Dennis Rainey, and I’m Bob Lepine. Brian Doyle joins us today to talk about how churches can do a better job of equipping men to be the leaders God has called them to be. Stay tuned.
And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us. I’m just trying to think back. What was your very first Promise Keepers event that you spoke at? Do you remember?
Dennis: Oh, how could I forget?! It was at Cowboy Stadium in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Dennis: Sixty-one thousand men. That’s a good question—maybe ’94, ’95—somewhere in there. I’m not sure; but all I know is I didn’t know whether I’d faint, pass out, or have to run to the bathroom in the middle of my message. I mean, that’s a lot of folks!
Bob: And I think a lot of us have kind of forgotten the legacy of Promise Keepers; but in the ’90’s, Promise Keepers was singularly calling men to what you’ve been calling guys to over the last five years—to step up and to be the men God’s called them to be.
Bob: —was a little worried.
Dennis: They had to nearly pass out.
Dennis: In fact, let me introduce our guest because he worked for Promise Keepers for a number of years. Brian Doyle joins us on FamilyLife Today. Brian, welcome to the broadcast.
Brian: Delighted to be here. Dennis, love you. Love you, Bob—great to be here.
Dennis: Brian has been married to his wife Barbara since 1987. They have five children. He is the founder and President of Iron Sharpens Iron—also, the host of the Man2 Man Express daily radio program, up in New England.
Bob: And we should say—for our listeners who don’t know what Iron Sharpens Iron is—that’s a ministry that is doing conferences for men, all across the country. Tens of thousands of guys are getting together, on weekends, to understand God’s design for manhood.
Bob: And at that point—.
Dennis: —in applause. And of course, I took away what the press would have loved to have had a line—to have completely lined us all up and shot us, in the papers, the next day—but it ended up being a great time. God used Promise Keepers. In fact, is still using Promise Keepers, I believe, through guys like you.
Brian: —we are a result of what God did—what I would call the phenomenon of Promise Keepers. There is no logical explanation of how that whole thing happened. It was really a God-sized phenomenon. And yet, a ministry like ours is a result of what God did. It just—now, you have these outgrowths. Really, at last count, I had 43 different ministries that had sprouted out of the Promise Keeper movement.
Bob: And PK is still going today, too?
Brian: Yes. They are still there. It is a different thing. It’s downsized and not like it was. It’s not that big gorilla; but really, the big gorilla part of Promise Keepers is the 43 ministries that came out of it.
Dennis: Yes, I would agree with you. Explain to our listeners what the—really, the goal of Iron Sharpens Iron is.
Brian: Yes, very clear—Iron Sharpens Iron—our goal is to help the church. Now, from a customer stand point, our customer is the church. We want to help the church train men for spiritual leadership—starting in the home, then in the church, and then the community. So, although the most visible thing we do is a platform of a conference. Really, that’s just the platform.
What we want to do is we want to help local churches succeed in reaching and engaging men and really discipling men, with others in mind—not just the healthy men—not just so that Dennis Rainey can walk with God for a lifetime—but for Barbara Rainey, for your children, and for you grandchildren.
See, our vision is very clear. Really, one of the biggest challenges we have, as a ministry, is casting this vision and trusting God that it would land with church leaders—that when you build into men, everybody wins.
Dennis: Yes. What really gripped you, originally, about the men’s movement? Why did you—why have you given your—really, your adult life to this?
Brian: You know, there were a couple things that happened. I worked through the Navigators a few years—came to Christ through the Navigators, worked for them—was on a submarine base, in the early ‘80’s, working with enlisted guys and saw the camaraderie of mission-minded men in the name of Christ—just incredible the commitment level that came with these enlisted sailors who were going to take the world for Jesus. Literally, many of them went to different parts of the world.
Later, got married, got in the workplace again. Barbara and I would actually volunteer for Weekend to Remember® and FamilyLife. We’d keep doing stuff, and we realized that—I realized that the women really wanted this stuff. The men were kind of, “Eh, I’m doing okay.” We even would do the HomeBuilders® things. I would see guys who were somewhat disengaged and women who were engaged. It was frustrating to me. It was a little bit perplexing.
When I began to get involved with PK, it was with the idea that if you build into men, it’s really—there are others who are going to benefit. Well, my passion is not just healthy men. My passion is really family. See, if we build into men, with others in mind—that means—you know, God has opened the hearts of men for the people that a man loves the most. You know—whether it’s you, or Bob, or me—there are people that we love more than others. It starts with the people that we live with.
Dennis: One of the privileges of kind of revisiting those moments, back with Promise Keepers, was that there were a number of messages given throughout the day.
Dennis: —because they allowed me to speak on marriage and family and how a man can apply the Bible, immediately, in their relationship with their wives.
Bob: Yes. There—as I remember, there were seven promises. Marriage and family was one of the seven.
Bob: —their ears perked up.
Dennis: This goes back to the days when we had pay phones—but after the message or during the message, in those stadiums, there were lines of men—remember this?
Brian: Oh, definitely remember it!
Brian: They were acting on it, immediately.
Dennis: —to their marriages and families.
Brian: For me—as a Navigator, as a Promise Keeper—we put together this thing called Iron Sharpens Iron—which is taking some of the best stuff that we’re talking about from the Promise Keeper era—this exhortation, this male context—then, we take a little bit of my background and my passion, which is training and discipling. We craft it together and put together something so that we begin and end a day—you guys have been there—with an exhortative calling men out. Men need to be called out. This is part of masculine context. But, you can’t call men out and not help them execute what you’re calling them out to do.
Brian: So, a big part of what we do, at our conferences, is training. We have 16 different training seminars—where every single man who comes—whether you’re 13 or whether you’re an experienced grandfather—we want to have something that’s tangible for you. We want to have something so that you know how to connect the dots between good intention and good execution.
Bob: I think I saw—am I right?—40-plus events. Or is it more than that?
Brian: Yes, it’s 65 this year.
Bob: Wow! Sixty-five events—and these will range in size from maybe a couple hundred guys getting together to a couple of thousand guys; right?
Brian: Yes. You are going to find nowadays—of course, we started in the northeast, where the thousands are. Believe it or not, in the northeast, there are thousands.
Brian: But now, it’s happening in different parts of the country. Yes. What we need is critical mass. See, this is, again, part of the Promise Keeper lesson. You need men together. You need to fill whatever you have—whether it’s a sanctuary, an arena, or a stadium—you need to fill it so there is this critical mass.
Bob: About men singing, yes.
Dennis: —2,000 men, 3,000 men—takes me back to the days at Dallas Theological Seminary in Chapel—when you had men singing those great hymns of the faith, knocking it out, on their feet.
Brian: Well, you know, what we’ve found is that for the most part—and this is a hard thing to be a worship leader in a church on Sunday morning—old and young, men and women, different maturities. But when we come together at a men’s conference, it is much easier. You pick songs. We’ve got 30 songs we give worship leaders, “You pick of these songs you want,”—30 songs that work for men, at a certain octave—songs of war—songs like A Mighty Fortress is our God.
Brian: Holy, Holy, Holy—sing to the Lord, sing to the King. So, they’re songs that resonate with a man’s spirit because it’s important that a man’s emotions get engaged when he worships.
Brian: You’re saying the head. It’s head versus heart. When you get guys worshiping Almighty God, their heart begins to get engaged. They begin—that’s part of the Lordship of Christ—being under the Lordship of Christ means that you’re surrendering.
I’m at conferences, and guys are surrendering. Guys are doing things with their hands, and their body, and their posture that they would never get the opportunity to do.
Brian: So, we’ve got to create a safe place where men can get connected to Almighty God.
Dennis: It’s not either/or. It’s both/ and.
Dennis: —not just pastors, but laymen who are in businesses, and neighborhoods, in churches, in communities—who can make a statement to their community.
I’m about to go speak in a smaller town in Alabama—a number of churches that have joined together—but it’s all been done by laymen. They’ve pulled it together because they have a passion for their community. Talk about what you’ve seen and how God has used Stepping Up—the video series—to impact men.
Brian: Well, it does really resonate with the head/heart thing because when you think about all the different aspects of discipleship—you think about what we do in a church or even out of church—whether it is the workplace or other places—a man is—the people that he loves most, he wants to succeed. He wants this significance that comes from that legacy. He knows that he has primary responsibility for building into his family. Yet, he is completely ill-equipped for this job.
The idea of men in the 21st century is that we live in a professional environment, where we write checks to people. I call it a general-contractor mentality. Most likely, you’ve got people helping you in church life, people helping you in the schools, people helping you with music with your kids, coaches. You’re delegating, delegating, delegating. You’re in charge, but you’re delegating.
Bob: A lot of sub-contractors there, yes.
Brian: A lot of sub-contractors. You’re technically in charge because you are overseeing the whole operation.
Dennis: And a man doesn’t want to look unprofessional.
Dennis: So, many times, he shrinks back when we call him to step up, and step out, and lead a group of men.
Brian: “What you’re asking me to do, I’m not trained in. I’ve not got schooled in it. No one has built into me. I don’t know how to get there.” But this is what’s exciting about church life—is that we’re helping churches to purposely build into men, with others in mind.
Brian: —but to begin to also build into that man—whether he is a father, grandfather, or husband—so that he can be a portal toward growth in Christ for his wife and kids.
My greatest fear is that this would be an isolated event. So, here’s what we’re going to do today. This is an equipping conference. It’s got three components. Number one, it’s got exhortation. We’re going to have an exhortative, calling you out time. We’re going to have training in equipping. We’re going to have 16 different seminars where you can pick what you want to go to.
It’s not going to be about being a spouse—it’s about being a husband. It’s not going to be about being a parent—it’s about being a dad. It’s not about general struggles—it’s about the struggles that are specific to men—whatever it might be.
Finally, we have resources because today you’ve got to get the tools that will move you from intention to execution. You’re going to get tools today to help you grow in Christ, as a man—as an individual—Bible study resources, whatever it might be.
We’re going to give you tools that help you grow in your relationship with your wife—to pray with your wife, to build into her. We’re going to give you resources, as a dad, and as a granddad. We’re going to give you resources to be a man, who is a leader in the church and the community. But you’ve got to get these resources or else this event will stop at 4:55, and it will not produce the fruit that God intended.
Brian: —Voddie Baucham, which, of course, is one of your friends. My job is to find guys that aren’t just wonderful, articulate communicators, who love God and love God’s Word, but who have a deep burden, that God has placed on their life, to build into men—not to fix men—that’s not what we’re looking for. I’m looking for guys who see through you and see your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren—a Psalm 78-type of guy who knows, “When I build into you, the adjustments that a man makes can be felt for generations to come.” That’s who we want on the platform at our conference.
Dennis: —to the next generation because we are in a generational relay race.
Dennis: And those stories get passed down.
Brian: Oh, those stories—I mean—whether through journal, or photography, or whether it’s verbal—that’s a big part of our life—is to make sure we’re passing on those stories to the next generation. Again, that’s Psalm 78.
Dennis: Well, I want to encourage the men who are listening—and for that matter, the wives and the women who, perhaps, are dating some single guys—to get your man to one of these Iron Sharpens Iron events because they really are transformative. When you send your husband, or your boyfriend, or your son to this event, you’re not just sending them to experience a rah-rah cheerleader-type of thing. Now, there is some real meat passed on and some serious challenges; but most importantly, they’re given some marching orders, from a generational standpoint.
Bob: And the guys don’t have to wait to be sent; do they? I mean, they can do this on their own initiative. They can take responsibility for themselves.
Dennis: I’m all about initiative.
Bob: —they can go to FamilyLifeToday.com. They can click the link there to find out more about Iron Sharpens Iron—where it’s being held in cities, all across the country—and get some other guys to go with you and spend a day getting pointed in the right direction. Then, use that day as a springboard to go deeper, as a guy.
Dennis: —somehow, someway. For your group—ideally—now, you might bring some guys who aren’t followers of Christ today—maybe, on the fringes and just in need of some encouragement. But if possible, try to come connected, on the front end, to your local church because when you go back, that’s going to make all the difference in the world.
Brian: You know, it’s not just about content. If it was about content, I would just send guys CD’s and books.
Brian: It’s about processing that content with one another. Have you noticed what we call this ministry? Guys call me, “So, what’s the theme?” “Well, the theme is Iron Sharpens Iron.” “Yes, but that was the theme last year. What’s the theme this year?” “Well, the theme is Iron Sharpens Iron because we’re building, and affirming, and encouraging one another.” It’s not just about content. It’s about processing life and the Scriptures together.
Brian: self-sufficient, self-reliant, stand on our own two feet—“I’m okay; you’re okay, I’m fine; you’re fine.” So, we’ve got to be more intentional in processing life together. The men’s conference is just an opportunity to do that.
Dennis: I do, too. I do, too. I believe in this ministry, though, and am excited about men going to it.
Bob: Well, and again, if you go to FamilyLifeToday.com, there is a link there that will get you more information about Iron Sharpens Iron—where events are being held, all across the country, in the months ahead. Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com, click on the link for “Iron Sharpens Iron”.
Get more information about the Stepping Up video series that FamilyLife has created, as well. We’ve designed this to build into the lives of men—help strengthen and equip them to be the men that God has called them to be. A lot of guys have started going through this either with their men’s group from church or on your own. In fact, you could get the kit and get a group of guys together—this summer—meet once a week, and knock this thing out, and have a great time building some relationships and understand your assignment, as a man, even better. Or this is also something your church could go through, starting in the fall. If you need more information about the Stepping Up video series or the one-day Stepping Up video event, again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information.
Let me also mention that we are making available, this week, copies of Dennis Rainey’s book, Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood. We’re sending it out to you free. All we’re asking is that you cover the cost of postage and handling. We’ll send you the book; and we will include, along with it, a sampler DVD that has Session One from the Stepping Up video series and the first half of Session One from the Stepping Up video event. That gives you an idea of what is included in this series and the quality of the video.
So, again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com and ask for a copy of Dennis’s book, Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood. The book and the DVD sampler—we’ll send them out to you, free, if you’ll cover the cost of postage and handling. You can also order by calling 1-800-FL-TODAY, 1-800-358-6329, 1-800- “F” as in family, “L” as in life, and then, the word, “TODAY”.
Now, I also want to say a quick word of thanks to those of you who make this program possible. That would be those of you who are regular contributors to FamilyLife Today—Legacy Partners, those of you who contribute monthly. We appreciate you. And we also are grateful for those of you who, from time to time, will check in with us and make a contribution. Oftentimes, we hear from folks who are just affirming that God is using this ministry in some way in their lives; and they call to make a donation. We appreciate your support of FamilyLife Today.
This month, we’d like to say, “Thank you for your donation,” by sending you a copy of a message from Dennis Rainey—a message delivered, a few years back, to a group of guys—all about how a dad can be a protector for his children as he connects with them, heart to heart. When you make a donation, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com, click the button that says, “I CARE”. We’ll send out a copy of the CD from Dennis. Or call 1-800-FL-TODAY, make your donation over the phone, and ask for the CD from Dennis Rainey. Again, we’re happy to send it to you. We’re grateful for you, as well.
And be sure to be back with us again tomorrow. We’re going to hear some challenges from Dennis on husbands stepping up to be the husbands that God has called us to be. We’ll hear a powerful message from Dennis Rainey tomorrow. Hope you can join us for that.
I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I’m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.
Copyright © 2013 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.
Brian has thirty years experience laboring for Christ throughout the New England Region. He has served with The Navigators on campuses, military bases, and in the professional communities of five of the six New England states. In 1995, as part of a strategic alliance of Promise Keepers and The Navigators, Brian joined the staff of Promise Keepers as their New England Area Manager. He served in this capacity until 2000, when PK centralized all staff to Denver. Brian was then invited by Vision New England to initiate and direct their new Men’s Ministries focus. The goal of this ministry was to equip local churches to train men for spiritual leadership in their homes, churches and communities. In 2007 this ministry became IRON SHARPENS IRON. | 2019-04-19T03:26:47Z | https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-today/iron-sharpens-iron/ |
The paper discribes a process of resettlement and the development by cossacks of new territories in the Kuban region on the basis of Ekaterina II decrees and letters patents.
Expansion of the military – cossack colonization on the Caucasian line from the 1790s to the 1860s.
The paper describes a process of expansion of the military – Cossack colonization on the Caucasian line from the 1790s to the 1860s. The author emphasizes that the natives from the Southern Russian one-yard settle-ments played the dominant role in formation of the Ku-ban linear cossacks. The accent is made on urgency of the Caucasian linear army updating, creation of Labinsk bor-der lines and on increasing interrelationship of Russian, Ukrainian and Adyghe ethnographic groups within the framework of the many-sided integration of peoples of the Caucasus in structure of the Russian State.
The formation of a network of edu-cational institutions in the pre-revolutionary Kuban re-gion.
The organization of national education is notable for multiregularity of characteristics. In addition to a parame-ter of general cultural conditions of the region, it is the witness of some existing social parameters, namely a level of the state attitude to the citizens, the activity of the local public etc. Characteristics of national education in the Kuban area, the Black Sea province and as a whole appear from time to time in a scientific press. In this paper the author presents new materials which expand a view of the important side of life of the past.
The paper discusses the monetary circulation in Rus-sia during the First World War.
The paper describes the monetary circulation in Rus-sia at the Provisional Government.
The paper discusses the problems of organization of the white voluntary army.
In the paper the authors disclose the reasons of defeat of white movement in the South of Russia.
In the paper, basing on the published sources, the au-thor analyses the phenomenon of patriotism of rural youth and the Komsomol organizations in the Northwest Cau-casus during the Great Patriotic War.
Provision of educational process with the teaching personnel in higher schools of Bulgaria and Poland (1944-1989).
The paper gives an analysis of quantitative indicators of personnel policy in systems of higher education in two countries of the Central and Southeast Europe. The provi-sion of higher schools with the teaching personnel in qualifying and territorial planes is examined in the dy-namics of historical development of the socialist epoch.
The paper is devoted to the analysis of a role of the English theologian – reformer John Wycliffe in struggle for reform of the Catholic church in England of the 14th century and to definition of his place in the European Reformation of the 16th century.
Cultural wealth of the senior generation as the factor of social unity and the consent.
The paper gives an analysis of the empirical material revealing the contents of values of the older generation (the Adygheya Republic was taken as an example).
The paper is devoted to multilevel identity character-istic of a multi-ethnic region and to the analysis of a place and a role of the Russian identity in the specified hierar-chy. As the official type, the Russian civil identity bears in itself the big integration potential.
Multicultural education in a context of global experience.
The paper is devoted to research of historical and socio-cultural factors promoting the origin and develop-ment of multicultural education. In this study an attempt is made to analyze the most widespread approaches in global pedagogy to understanding of the essence of multi-cultural education.
The paper discusses the place of a system of ex-change-distributive relations among participants of the in-tegrated agroindustrial formations and approaches to its organization. The authors offer a structure of the eco-nomic mechanism of exchange-distributive relations, me-thodical recommendations for perfection of such elements as the normative cost price, the order of distribution of re-ceipts from realization of end production between part-ners in integration.
In the paper the authors consider the mechanisms of additional financing higher educational institutions, the effective and mutually profitable ways of complex inter-action of higher school and the enterprises and the forma-tion of educational-industrial groups.
The paper examines the spheres of the small busi-ness having limited access to bank credit resources. In these conditions it is necessary to intensify other compo-nents directed to adaptation of conditions of creation and development of small financial structures in the develop-ing market environment, not excepting the State support in the form of the national project “Development of Agrarian and Industrial Complex”.
In the paper the author considers the formation of market relations in the sphere of labour, presence of for-mally existing preconditions forming marketability of a labour force, freedom of hiring and dismissal, independ-ence of a choice of a sphere of the labour and activity ap-plication.
Presently insufficient attention is given to questions of the account of the property on the basis of the concept of the enterprise value. In Russia the analysis of the enter-prise based on an estimation of its cost is not used as a rule. Break in a technique and methodology of book keeping and financial disciplines in practice results in de-creasing relevance of the information formed in the regis-tration system of the enterprise. Merges and connections are most frequently used tools of the corporate strategy basing on the following concepts: management of a portfolio of actives, transfer of knowledge to other area and distribution of actives. These reorganization procedures assume increase of the property and possible increase in efficiency of its use as a result of occurrence of synergy. In market economy accounting aspects of merges and connections are extremely important. Simultaneously of importance are legal and accounting registration of the given processes, definition of their expediency from the point of view of carried out strategy and forecasting of prospects of development of the new legal person on the basis of the registration information.
The paper discusses a new scientific direction, logis-tics. The use of logistic systems in economy is connected with the reception of 20-30% of a total national product in leading market states. Introduction of logistic forms and methods of management allows one to liquidate or con-siderably reduce all kinds of stocks of material resources in spheres of manufacturing and manipulating the produc-tion, as well as to lower the cost price.
A strategic planning is the tool to form the target sys-tem of functioning of an industrial system and to unite ef-forts for its achievement. Strategic planning the industrial system indices is the important factor to increase effi-ciency of its functioning. A lot of calculated indices can be used to show reliability of economic activities of the industrial system. These indices should have specific sense reflecting the basic sides of system serviceability and its functional appropriate condition. These indices should be expressed in relative values from 0 to 1.
The influence of quantity of individual fronts of works per number of executors and stream duration is considered.
In this work interrelations between stream parame-ters are considered.
The paper examines the influence of the character of breakdown of front of works on individual works and reveals interrelations between stream parameters.
The paper is devoted to one of the aspects of legisla-tion widely used in many countries of the world. Dele-gated legislation is the transfer by parliament of the right of the edition of laws to the government on certain ques-tions, for concrete term and under the control of parlia-ment. Due to this the flexibility facilitating modification of the current legislation and economy of parliamentary time are provided.
The paper is devoted to the analysis of the concept “the territorial public self-administration” which is offered in legislative acts of modern Russia and in works of some researchers lawyers.
Using an analogy method in a criminal – procedural right, a lawyer understands whether the investigated act is criminal, provides correct realization of justice in criminal cases and protection of subjective rights and interests of participants of the process. Interpretation of any norm of a criminal – procedural right is the necessary precondition of its application and the necessary property of the proc-ess of right application. The analogy-based method is the original form of introduction of the law of judicial proce-dure in practice, giving by means of interpretation an op-portunity of full, comprehensive investigation of actual circumstances of the investigated affair and search for similar essential attributes of similar actual circumstances examined before.
An attempt is undertaken to comprehend the difficult period in a history of the country, which has become not only a basis in protection of the Fatherland in fight with the most powerful military machine of the West but also the base of transformation of the USSR in superpower which has then failed.
The paper discusses methodological mistakes revealed during studying and the analysis of numerous pub-lications (scientific papers, methodical recommendations, teaching-methodical manuals, monographs) and theses. The types of mistakes, their analysis and examples illus-trating these mistakes are given. Besides, a number of recommendations and algorithms for avoiding these mistakes are offered.
The author describes the adaptive methodical system as a system-forming component in the modern conditions of teaching.
The paper discusses experience in using modern technologies of teaching a special course “Modern Pedagogical Technologies” in educational process at the Fac-ulty of Natural Sciences and the influence of modern technologies on the decision of problems of the future chemistry teacher professional training.
The paper generalizes experience in realizing the technology of development of content and process com-ponents of the discipline “General Biology” on the basis of the acmeologic approach, with the use of elements of adaptive system of teaching. This allows pupils to pass a stage of adaptation to higher school education more effec-tively.
The pedagogy makes the active attempts to solve a problem of the objective control and an estimation of knowledge but faces with a number of complexities, in-cluding organizational and psychological. Teachers ac-cept reluctantly innovations in the control of the results of teaching because an effort to understand new systems and time for their mastering and application are required. The reason is that the Russian higher school is now in mar-ginal position relative to the automated pedagogical tech-nologies (АPТ).
The paper is devoted to the analysis of works of Adyghe teacher-educator, humanist Chishmay Takhovich Pshunelov in terms of definition of educational potential of his pedagogical heritage.
The paper is devoted to a pressing question of a technique of the teaching of mathematics in an elemen-tary school, namely: level differentiation of the training younger pupils to solve text mathematical tasks. With the level differentiation, various requirements to mastering school material are put before the pupils studying in one class and under one textbook. The basic level of training set by the standard of mathematical education is defined and on its basis higher levels of mastering the material are formed.
The paper is devoted to the analysis of some per-sonal characteristics of the subject of creative activity, namely: creative activity, motivation of creativity, emotional conditions of the creator, the subjective creative world with its space and time, creative uniqueness and psychological barriers in creativity.
In the paper the author discusses psychological features of higher form pupils the account of which allows them to cope with complicated problems of a rapid dialogical context and to form the statements distinguished by independence of judgements.
The paper examines the role of Russian literary emigration in England in the 1920s-1930s, its contribution to a history of the Russian literature, as well as creativity of D. Svyatopolk-Mirsky and A. Tyrkova-Williams in the specified period.
The paper is devoted to research of the features of occasional words functioning in the text of science-fiction works. The author considers the various points of view on the reasons of occurrence of occasional words and reveals lexico-semantic features of new word-formations in sci-ence fiction.
For a long time the sports terminology is used on a newspaper type page not only in basic, terminological, but also in figurative meaning. The special place is occu-pied by the chess terminology actively used by journalists in materials on various political and social themes. In the paper characteristic changes of chess term meanings in unspecialized contexts are analyzed.
On research activity of the Bilinguism Centre at the Adyghe State University (from 2002 to 2006).
The paper is devoted to generalization of experience of the Bilinguism Centre at the Adyghe State University for five years, since January 2002 to 2006. The Centre began the work from the development of the plan of re-search and carrying out of the Round Table on a theme “Bilinguism is a sociocultural problem”. Thus the Centre has concentrated attention of all inhabitants of the Ady-gheya Republic on importance of two languages. Accord-ing to the plan, seminar – assemblies were held annually at which problems of bilinguism and ways of their deci-sion were discussed. Within five years monographs and collections were issued on the basis of a material of the researches carried out at schools of the Republic, in prepa-ration of which teachers of schools have also taken part. The published monographs, collections, papers, manuals will be a support and a base for the further development of both unilateral and bilateral bilinguism, for improve-ment of quality of pupils education.
The problem of lexicographical description of the derivative nouns of the Russian language is discussed in the paper. Comparing materials of the defining dictionar-ies of the Russian language one can notice the connection of that problem with theory and practice of differentiation of polycemia and homonymy.
In the paper the author examines specificity of translation of the belles-lettres texts from positions of an existential cycle of a literary work in space of autochthonous and allophonic culture. The author treats the translated belles-lettres work as an allophonic and different cultural modus of the original, with the tasks of transmitting art values in the intercultural communication.
The purpose of this work is research of the influence of folklore on the development and setting up of a poem – fairy tale in the Adyghe literature. Poems – fairy tales of the well-known Adyghe poets I. Mashbash, A. Evtykh, A. Gadagatl, I. Tsey, A. Khatkov, N. Kuek and other au-thors are examined.
In the paper the author considers a reflection of Reformation in burgher culture of the 15th-16th centuries. Using a material of Hans Sachs (1494-1576) diverse creativity, the largest poet of the German burghers, the author shows the influence of the Reformation and humanistic ideas on the development of the burgher literature reflect-ing the democratic ideas of a German society.
The author examines didactic opportunities of appli-cation of proverbs and sayings in teaching foreign and na-tive languages. The technology of work with proverbs and sayings offered by the author promotes realization of the training, developing and educational purposes, allows students to develop skills of speaking and writing activi-ties, raising thus motivational potential of educational process.
The author describes an algorithm of an estimation of safety of the region on a basis of the NeuroNet model which is presented by a multilayered network. Such a model has a number of advantages in comparison to clas-sical models.
In the paper the authors describe the hardware-software complex “SMS-Library” made by them on the basis of the use of SMS-technologies of mobile communication. Realizing a system of the removed access to electronic catalogues of libraries, this complex provides some base kinds of the automated information service to their readers in a remote mode.
An attempt is undertaken to make the analysis of tasks and stages of projecting an expert system of professional stratification.
The work presents a description of the bison, its habitus, behaviour, and quantity in Adygheya, its diet, the way of life, reproduction and wintering. The direct and indirect impact on the number of the bison is examined.
The paper contains prescriptions from an oats grain and an oats plant. Success is shown in selection of winter oats with increasing oil-content.
Presently, as earlier, actual are the problems of fodder with the high contents of albumen, the high cost price of received production, universal decrease of fertility of soils and environmental contamination. To decide all these questions an introduction and an intensification of biological nitrogen fixation is needed. This process is directly related to the leguminous plants, especially to new high-albumen cultures, as well as to application of bacte-rial preparations that will considerably reduce the charge of nitric fertilizers, increasing accumulation of nitrogen in a crop and ground.
The paper discusses the results of soil researches in the area of the Belorechensk chemical plant carried out with the purpose of an establishment of a degree of influence of anthropogenic factors on a soil cover and health of the population. Qualitative and quantitative definitions of ions of the basic salt structure (Cl-, SO42-, CO32- and others), heavy metals (Zn2+, Рb2+ and Fe3+), as well as bioindication researches will allow to obtain data on the total loading of waste products of the manufacture on an environment and health of the population in this region.
The paper discusses the results of researches of parasitic fauna in fish. The reasons of infection of food fish from weed fish have been revealed. Tape worms, which can cause an epizootic situation in reservoirs, have been registered. Practical recommendations in struggle against parasites are offered.
The mathematic-statistic indices of a heart rhythm are indispensable in applied physiology as an indicator of the state of various levels of function control. The mathematical analysis of a heart rhythm is one of the most effective methodological approaches for studying processes of adaptation to various loadings since it allows carrying out a quantitative – qualitative assess-ment of the state of regulator systems of the organism, in particular, the systems participating in regulation of blood circulation.
A biovariety of the mid-mountain deciduous woods in the Maikop region of the Adygheya Republic was estimated. Three zones of recreation were established in the vicinity of the base camp “The Mountain Legend” and the tourist paths to the Rufabgo falls. The analyses were made of the parameters of the general biovariety of vege-tative communities and the age spectrum of wood plants. Researches have revealed a decrease of a biovariety in recreational zones by 25-30% in comparison with the sites of a wood with the least loading and an infringement of an age spectrum of high-cost populations of the basic wood-forming species. It has been established that under the influence of recreational loadings and other anthropo-genic factors there is a replacement of competitive species (an oak and a beech) by tolerant and jet species (a horn-beam and an ash-tree).
On the basis of long-term researches of fauna and flora the borders of the distribution of the Adygheya ground ecosystems were distinguished, taking into ac-count the altitude-zone structure of mountain landscapes. The comparative analysis of the basic types of ecosystems in various areas of the Republic has shown that the natural vegetation is extremely impoverished in the 50% of its area and kept in 25%. The population density of mammal has decreased by 50%.
The information on deposits and displays of radioactive elements in Russia began to appear in press rather recently. This paper gives the published data on uraniferous objects of Adygheya for the first time. The information is important to ecologists, tourists, associates of reserves and also to geologists – miners.
In the paper the conditions of the formation of the maximum runoff are disclosed. The high-altitude and longitudinal zoning of spatial distribution of the maxi-mum runoff of rain high waters in the rivers of the Northwest Caucasus has been revealed.
The paper discusses the results of empirical research on the dynamics of uneasiness in sportsmen – weight-lifters in the pre-competitive, competitive and post-competitive periods. The team of weight-lifters from the Institute of Physical Training and Judo acts as the base for the empirical research.
The paper gives the results of an experimental research concerning the dynamics of the objective parameters describing a level of the general and special physical capacity for work, as well as sports productivity of athletes – runners, depending on their individual chronotype and phase structure of an individual physical biorhythm.
Among the various factors influencing the formation of health of rising generation is the huge academic load which results in disharmonious physical development of children and in decrease of functional parameters in the systems of an organism. In order to accept health-preserving administrative decisions, knowledge of the state of student health and the level of their conditional physical opportunities. This necessity was the precondition for creation of the Educational-Research Centre “Health” in the Adyghe State University to create a republican databank on the physical state and a state of health of children, teenagers and youth.
A review to the manual of S.P. Markova, Professor of the Faculty of General History, Adyghe State University, “England in the Epoch of Middle Ages and Early Time” – Maikop, 2005, 258 pp.
A review to the manual of S.P. Markova, Professor of the Faculty of Gen-eral History, Adyghe State University, “England in the Epoch of Middle Ages and Early Time” – Maikop, 2005, 258 pp. | 2019-04-19T16:26:42Z | http://vestnik.adygnet.ru/?2006.2:254 |
Scholarly iQ are delighted to continue support for the SSP Annual Meetings as a Silver Sponsor for a fellowship grant for the 2018 conference to be held May 30 – June 1, 2018 at the Sheraton Grand, Chicago, Illinois.
COUNTER (www.projectcounter.org) have now published the upcoming Release 5 Code of Practice.
Contributions to the development of this latest release have come from COUNTER’s library, vendor and content provider members including Scholarly iQ. Release 5 is designed to be internally consistent, unambiguous, and flexible, so that it will be easier for publishers to be compliant and so that the Code of Practice can be adapted and extended as digital publishing continues to change.
To support the implementation of R5, COUNTER have also produced two guides: The Friendly Guide for Providers and Technical Notes. Library guides will follow early next year.
Scholarly iQ are already working on making the change to Release 5 as smooth as possible including establishing new data schemas and new reporting interfaces. COUNTER has set 1 January 2019 as the deadline for transition.
We recommend these highly useful materials for publishers and librarians to get to know Release 5, and welcome any questions or enquiries about these upcoming changes to [email protected].
Scholarly iQ will be back in Frankfurt this October, attending both the STM Conference 10th October and the Frankfurt Book Fair 11-12th October. If you are also attending either even it would be great to meet up.
Please get in touch to find a good time to get together, whether it’s a brief catch up or a full, formal meeting.
Contact us now at 210-507-5770 or [email protected] - we look forward to seeing you there!
Accessible Archives (www.accessible-archives.com) is hosting a webinar for librarian customers to introduce COUNTER (www.projectcounter.org) and provide an update on the upcoming COUNTER Release 5 standard.
Scholarly iQ who provide Accessible Archives subscribers with access to their COUNTER reports through an intuitive web portal as well as a SUSHI web service for harvesting reports from multiple discovery services are delighted to support this webinar with Stuart Maxwell, VP Business Development, Scholarly iQ presenting alongside Bob Lester, Product Development & Strategy Consultant, Unlimited Priorities, LLC and Lorraine Estelle, COUNTER Project Director.
As we enter our 14th year of providing usage reporting and analytics to academic and scientific publishers Scholarly iQ are delighted to confirm our continued support and sponsorship for the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s annual conference for the 4th year running.
In addition to being a Fellowship Sponsor, Scholarly iQ will be presenting at the event held at Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC, June 1-3, 2016.
On June 2nd Mark Cassar will be showcasing Scholarly iQ’s latest developments in working with usage data to model Account and Topic Health Monitors providing reporting of rate of change of article usage by accounts and topics. Mark has been modelling these reports to provide advanced insight on increasing or decreasing usage trends by account and article topics to uncover opportunities and flag up usage risks to publishers.
On June 3rd Stuart Maxwell will be taking part in the Standards and Recommended Practices to Support Adoption of Altmetrics discussion with Todd Carpenter, NISO, Greg Tananbaum, ScholarNext Consulting and Tracey DePellegrin, Genetics Society of America. The session will discuss the latest developments from the National Information Standard Organization (NISO) Altmetrics Initiative which is now in its final stages, with several community-crafted documents ready for publication. Stuart has been an active working group participants and liaison with the NISO Business Information Topic Committee, and will detail perspectives and considerations that have provided input for the published documents, which are NISO Recommended Practices intended for consumption and use across the industry by any user or entity wishing to further explore and exploit the area of alternative metrics.
SiQ’s attendance at SSP in Vancouver, BC, June 1-3, 2016. continues our goal of open communication with academic publishers and librarians in order to innovate and provide effective and valuable services to the community.
Contact us now at 210-507-5770 and arrange to meet us at the event - we look forward to seeing you there!
Scholarly iQ are delighted to be participating in a free UKSG Webinar - ‘COUNTER for publishers’ is taking place on Tuesday 3 May 2016 at 1400 BST.
The session will last 45 minutes, including questions and answers (up to 60 minutes maximum if there is sufficient demand for an extended Q&A), and is recorded, so those unable to make the live webinar should register and a link to the recording will be sent as soon as it is available. UKSG webinars are open to members and non-members of UKSG alike.
SiQ’s participation in the Webinar continues our goal of providing support to and open communication with academic publishers and librarians in order to innovate and provide effective and valuable services to the community.
Scholarly iQ will again be attending the Frankfurt Book Fair 14-16 October and look forward to meeting many colleagues and friends there. Please get in touch to find a good time to get together, whether it’s a brief catch up or a full, formal meeting.
Contact us now at 210-507-5770 or [email protected] we look forward to seeing you there!
Scholarly iQ are delighted to confirm we will be sponsoring and attending the 37th SSP Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA at the Marriott Crystal Gateway from May 27-29 2015.
The theme this year is "The New Big Picture: Connecting Diverse Perspectives” and we’d be delighted to take the time to meet with you to discuss your challenges and opportunities in connecting your data together to enrich your analytical perspective.
Our attendance at SSP in Arlington, VA continues our goal of open communication with academic publishers and librarians in order to innovate and provide effective and valuable services to the community.
San Antonio, TX (April 16, 2015) – Scholarly iQ is delighted to have completed and today launched the new COUNTER reporting services for Accessible Archives Inc, a publisher of electronic full-text searchable historical databases with immediate positive feedback and appreciation from librarian end users.
Malvern, PA (January 20, 2015) -- Accessible Archives, Inc., a publisher of electronic full-text searchable historical databases, has announced that usage statistics for its collections will become available April 1, 2015 using the new COUNTER Release 4 (R4) standards. Scholarly iQ, a provider of eBusiness solutions to the academic publishing market, is the new vendor providing the reporting and data management services. This upgraded capability provides an extra benefit for Accessible Archives’ customers, utilizing the latest version of the agreed international set of standards and protocols governing the recording and exchange of such online usage data to ensure independent reporting of publishers’ usage statistics. This agreement was coordinated through Unlimited Priorities LLC, a firm specializing in support for small and medium-size companies in the information and publishing industries.
New York, October 28, 2014—ThinkLoud and Scholarly iQ today announced that usage statistics for ACM Computing Reviews are now available using the new COUNTER Release 4 (R4) standards. These standards are the latest version of the agreed international set of standards and protocols governing the recording and exchange of such online usage data, which are used to ensure independent reporting of publishers’ usage statistics to libraries. Scholarly iQ provides reporting and data management services for ThinkLoud.
Alphen aan den Rijn, August 2014— Wolters Kluwer Law & Business and Scholarly iQ today announced that Wolters Kluwer Law & Business’s usage statistics for its portfolio of Kluwer Law products including Kluwer Arbitration, Kluwer IP Law, Kluwer Competition Law and Kluwer Law Online are now available using the new COUNTER Release 4 (R4) standards. These standards are the latest version of the agreed international set of standards and protocols governing the recording and exchange of such online usage data, which are used to ensure independent reporting of publishers’ usage statistics to libraries. Scholarly iQ provides reporting and data management services for Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.
Scholarly iQ are delighted to confirm we will be sponsoring, attending and presenting at the 36th SSP Annual Meeting in Boston, MA at the Westin Boston Waterfront from May 28-30 2014.
The theme this year is "Looking Outward at the Future of Scholarly Publishing" and Scholarly iQ will be supporting the event by moderating and presenting on the panel "The 21st Century Data-Driven Digital Publisher" on the morning of May 30.
Joining our panel will be Sami Hero, VP Global Customer Experience & Engagement at Wolters Kluwer Health and Ben Spiegel, Sr. Partner, Managing Director - Strategy at GroupM. It promises to be a fascinating session so please do join us if you are attending.
Scholarly iQ are delighted to confirm we will be sponsoring and attending the 37th UKSG Annual Conference in Harrogate, UK at the Harrogate International Centre.from 14-16 April 2014.
Scholarly iQ are sponsoring the event’s USB memory sticks so watch out for them in your delegate packs.
Our attendance at UKSG in Harrogate, UK continues our goal of open communication with academic publishers and librarians in order to innovate and provide effective and valuable services to the community.
Contact us now at +44 7580 723230 and arrange to meet us at the event - we look forward to seeing you there!
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2013—The Optical Society (OSA) and Scholarly iQ today announced that OSA’s usage statistics for its portfolio of peer-reviewed journals have been upgraded and are now available using the new COUNTER Release 4 (R4) standards. These new standards, like the ones already in place, have been accepted by the scientific publishing industry worldwide and govern the recording and exchange of online usage data. The new COUNTER 4 reports are the latest set of usage reports that can be used by librarians to ensure the independent and accurate reporting of publishers’ usage statistics.
Scholarly iQ is pleased to announce Academic Charts Online, the new database of popular music chart data, as the latest client to sign up for COUNTER and SUSHI reporting, and online business analytics from Scholarly iQ.
Scholarly iQ, the leader in trusted, independent reporting, analytics and data management services for the academic publishing industry is delighted to be working with Academic Charts Online. This is the new database of International Popular Music charts, powerful analytics, sound samples and innovative functionality launched worldwide in 2012 and gaining traction at major customers including Stanford, Columbia, Princeton and many more.
Scholarly iQ was chosen by Elsevier to provide trusted, independent consultancy services to support development and delivery of Elsevier’s customer behavioural analytics requirements.
Scholarly iQ, the leader in trusted, independent reporting, analytics and data management services for the academic publishing industry, today announced that Elsevier, the world’s leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, has engaged Scholarly iQ to provide continued support and consultancy services for the development and delivery of Elsevier’s customer behavioural analytics requirements.
Scholarly iQ’s Director of Business Development, Stuart Maxwell, presented and moderated a panel discussion on “What’s the Use of Social Media?” to a packed audience at the recent Society for Scholarly Publishing 2012 Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia. A recording of this presentation is now available to view and listen to at www.siattend.com.
Stuart’s presentation is focused on understanding social media in the context of your business as a publisher and explores four practical use cases encompassing brand awareness, customer communication, SEO, and traffic to site.
Scholarly iQ hopes this presentation will provide a better perspective on social media and its potential value to your business. In addition, the link to the animation on an anthropological view of social media can be found on YouTube.
For further information on this presentation, how to understand social media in terms of your business, or any other related enquiries please contact us at 210-507-5770 or [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Scholarly iQ are delighted to confirm we will be attending and presenting at the 34th SSP Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA at the Marriott Crystal Gateway from May 30 – June 1 2012.
The theme this year is "Social, Mobile, Agile, Global: Are You Ready?" and Scholarly iQ will be supporting the event by moderating and presenting on the panel "Whats the Use of Social Media?" on the morning of May 31.
Join us at SSP for this fascinating debate and get involved early by tweeting your thoughts, questions, and comments to #SSPsocialmetrics.
Information Standards Quarterly, Fall 2011 reports featured case study on Scholarly iQ's approach to set up SUSHI protocols and share the benefits of this experience with the publishing community.
In an effort to assist librarians with the sign-up and implementation of the latest SUSHI protocol, Scholarly iQ has developed and launched a new automated process that allows librarians to easily sign-up and begin harvesting usage statistics in a matter of only a few minutes.
"Over the past year we have seen a significant increase in requests from librarians wanting to to harvest usage statistics using our SUSHI web services. To address this rise in demand we created a simple method for a librarian to register for these services along with clear documentation to help them get started." - Gary Van Overborg, CEO and founder.
"NISO announces Scholarly iQ as the newest NISO voting member. Headquartered in Texas, Scholarly iQ provides web analytics and usage reporting for publishers and librarians. They have been supplying COUNTER-compliant reports since 2002 and are Release 3 compliant. Their CEO and founder, Gary Van Overborg, was recently elected to serve on COUNTER's International Advisory board. Scholarly iQ has also fully implemented support for the SUSHI protocol (ANSI/NISO Z39.93) that automates retrieval of COUNTER data for libraries, and they are active participants in the SUSHI developers group. For publishers, their services go well beyond the COUNTER data. Using state-of-the-art data integration, web analytics, and data visualization tools, Scholarly iQ is able to provide publishers with a full picture of their products' usage, incorporating both online and offline data. Gary Van Overborg, is the primary representative to NISO. John Milligan, Director of Application Development, is the secondary representative."
"As part of its commitment to improving services for its institutional customers, Mark Allen Group has launched a new usage statistics portal, in partnership with Texas-based firm Scholarly iQ.
The portal, at http://www.magreports.com, provides institutional customers with monthly reports on their usage of Mark Allen Group's electronic resources in both Education and Healthcare. Reports are regularly audited and conform to the latest COUNTER standard, Release 3.
In addition to the standard COUNTER reports, the site also offers customers several other useful reports, including titles of the articles downloaded, the IP addresses from which users access the resources, and resource subscription status."
"ACM (the Association for Computing Machinery) announced today that it is providing its corporate and academic library customers with an enhanced Web analytics platform to measure the usage of the ACM Digital Library (DL) full-text and bibliographic database. The new platform, provided by Scholarly iQ, enables librarians to access past and current usage statistics and receive timely, accurate COUNTER usage reports that comply with the industry standard for measuring online usage of scholarly journals. The platform, to be introduced in July, also includes an automated request and response model known as SUSHI, which utilizes a Web services framework to increase the flexibility of library access to ACM’s electronic resource usage data.
"This next generation platform is a major advance for ACM Digital Library users who rely on its vast information resources to support their research and educational programs,” said Scott Delman, ACM Group Publisher. “Librarians will be able to log in to a leading-edge self-service platform through an intuitive Web portal, create custom reports that comply with COUNTER Release 3 standards, and automate the downloading and delivery of this information to stakeholders within the library system."
Scholarly iQ CEO and founder Gary Van Overborg said, “We are pleased to play a role in ACM’s ongoing investment in the content, features, performance, and worldwide reach of its DL with Web analytics technology that improves the quality of online usage reporting for publishers and librarians”.
Scholarly iQ will have representatives available at the 2009 Special Libraries Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC at the Washington Walter E. Washington Convention Center from June 14- 17 2009.
Our attendance at SLA in Washington DC continues our goal of open communication with librarians in order to provide effective and valuable services to the community. In addition, Scholarly iQ will be presenting the new NextGen platform which allows for an affordable modular and tailored COUNTER reporting engine for publishers.
Scholarly iQ is pleased to announce the release of our SUSHI web service for COUNTER Release 3. This new service will provide librarians using electronic resource management (ERM) systems (or other systems) an automated means of retrieving COUNTER usage data from the various content providers supported by Scholarly iQ's NextGen platform. To ensure the highest degree of compatibility, Scholarly iQ has validated their service with the leading consolidators already supporting SUSHI 1.6 (Z39.93) and are currently working with others who are planning to adopt the latest SUSHI protocol. For consulting on how to use SUSHI, recommendations on ERM systems that will integrate this usage data into a librarian’s overall management of e-resources, or general questions in regards to our new service, please send an email to [email protected] or visit our website at www.ScholarlyiQ.com.
Scholarly iQ has reached another significant milestone in regards to their eBusiness services for publishers and librarians. Development of their NextGen platform has been completed and is now being offered. The latest platform takes publisher stats to a new level that has never before been available. Now publishers can leverage the latest technologies to gain robust next day web analytics that encompass all avenues of their business. From interactive action ready reports that relate to key business objectives to multi-dimensional data analysis capabilities based on offline data to COUNTER Release 3 Compliant reporting - the NextGen platform delivers.
But aside from the expansive feature list and nearly overwhelming capabilities, this latest platform allows for a reduction in costs because it is modular based. This means publishers can pick and choose which components fits their business needs for a tailored solution that also aligns with their budget. "We realize that every publisher has a unique set of needs and different budgets to work with. So when we developed our latest platform we made sure to keep this in mind. So no matter the publisher's size or budget, we can now provide a superior solution that can grow with the publisher at the most competitive rate possible." - Gary Van Overborg, CEO and founder.
"Due to tremendous growth and in order to better serve their client base, Scholarly iQ has opened new offices in two major cities - New York and London.
When asked why they chose these particular cities for their new offices, CEO and Founder Gary Van Overborg replied, "We decided upon these cities mainly based on the locations of our existing clients so we can better serve them as well as increase our presence in these key markets. Sam Hailstone is managing our London office in the UK and for many years now has been providing publishing services centered on COUNTER usage statistics. Our New York office is spearheaded by a group of individuals who have decades of combined experience working in the publishing and web analytics industries." | 2019-04-25T14:11:28Z | http://scholarlyiq.com/news.aspx |
This chapter positions the current research problem on the existing literature of strategic management in the police force. With much of the focus in this study being to explore how the adoption of specialised strategy in the ADP has impacted on its performance, literature drawn from different databases would be reviewed to explore the concept of strategy and strategic management, which will be linked to operations in the police force. Emergence of innovations through specialised strategies in the police departments would be reviewed. Along with these, the key theories that can be used to explain the need for specialised strategy in the police force and the subsequent effect on the performance in the police department. One of the outstanding approaches of specialised strategy in the police force is through specialised training, which would also be highlighted in this review. Moreover, the key performance indicators and parameters that are mostly adopted in the police force are also brought into focus in this chapter. In addition, they empirical researches conducted across the world with regard to specialised strategy and performance in the police department. Throughout the review, potential gaps in literature are pointed out, which will guide the researcher in the development of conceptual framework adopted in this study in order to answer the research questions.
Freedman (2015) defines strategy as “being about maintaining a balance between ends, ways, and means; about identifying objectives, and about the resources and methods available for meeting such objectives” (p. ix). The concept of strategy is one of the management concepts that have attracted massive attention among scholars and practitioners over the recent years (Seidl & Whittington, 2014). In broader terms, some researchers consider strategy as a plan, pattern, and a perspective that people adopt as a means towards realising their vision (Langley & Tsoukas, 2016). Strategy in practice is this related to how managers adopt the strategies based on their specific organisational needs. Initial works on strategy in practice can be traced in Mintzberg’s (1973) research that investigated how managers develop and implement strategies based on the changes in their environment and the internal competencies and capabilities in their organizations. From the findings, Mintzberg found that managers follow different routines and hence adopt unique strategies. Although there has not been standard definition of strategy agreed by researchers and scholars, Bynum (2001) pointed out that the concept of strategy development and implementation is largely guided by the identification of resource and capability gaps in the organizations in respect to the vision and mission of the organizations. On this basis, therefore, the process of strategy development and implementation is guided by the need to not only achieve a competitive advantage, but also enable an organization to be in a better position to achieve its goals.
Researchers agree that strategies that fail to integrate human capital may not be sustainable because through effective human capital strategy, organizations are able to achieve sustainable competitive edge. As such, one of the fundamental strategies that Al Darmaki (2015) considers to be critical for the success in any organisation is the identification of the necessary skill requirements in an organisation and invests accordingly to human capital requirement. This is because researchers have evidenced that human capital is a central element for any successful organisation, even for capital intensive organisations (Lynch, 2015; Rao, 2016). As such, human capital development should be given a priority in strategy development in any organisation, since without the necessary skills and expertise, attaining organisational goals may not be actualised. Human capital refers to the stock of human resources and skills available in an organisation that helps it to achieve its strategic objectives (Grunig & Kuhn, 2015).
In the currently knowledge based global economy, researchers agree that human capital is a central resource in any organisation, since its effectiveness contributes massively towards successful implementation of the capital investment strategy (Wood & Watson, 2016). Considering the way environment is becoming highly dynamic as a result of globalisation, developing human capital has become an inevitable human resource management function. Among the key human capital development practices that most organisations employ include staff training through workshops and organisational learning practices, and acquisition of more skilled and experienced employees. As such, it has been agreeable by researchers that strategy development is largely centred on human capital development alongside leveraging of other strategic resources that would enable an organization to be in a position to achieve competitive advantage in performing its activities more efficiently.
Over the recent years, strategic management and planning practices have gained popularity in the public institutions, as governments seek to foster service delivery to the public. According to Hill et al. (2016), strategic planning enables organisations to establish a strategic match between their internal competencies and resources, and the external environment. What is evident in the exiting literature is that, strategic management and planning activities are largely informed by the internal environment of an organisation, and the opportunities and risks in the external environment. Researchers agree that, majority of the success organisations across the world use strategic management and planning as a tool that enables them to optimise their operations and achieve maximum productivity in their resources (Grunig & Kuhn, 2015). However, Seidl & Whittington (2014) pointed out that since organisations operate in different environments and also have unique and different internal competencies, various strategies work differently in different organisations. This implies that, there is no single strategy that suits all organisations, since one strategy may work in one organisation, but fail to yield positive results in another. As such, it has become increasingly important for organisations to analyse their organisational needs and align their strategies on their vision. From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that strategic management and planning ought to be customised in each organisation based on its capabilities and external context in order to foster a strategic fit between the organisation’s internal and external environments.
In the spheres of management, researchers and practitioners are recognising part of successful strategic management is effective implementation practices. Although researchers acknowledge that the implementation process of strategies is the proving to be the most challenging (Pfeeffer, 1996), a study conducted by Ansoff (1999) revealed that successful implementation of strategies is mostly associated with the aligning of the strategic resources in the organisation with the organisational vision. Nonetheless, researchers agree that effective integration of the implementation strategy components including effective communication, adoption, interpretation, and action play an important role towards ensuring a successful implementation of strategies. Barney (2001) observed that, despite most practitioners knowing the importance of effective strategy implementation, more emphasis is often put on strategy formulation but when it comes to actual implementation, many of them end up failing. Although strategy implementation is very critical success factor, most of the literature seems to be dominated by focus on long-term planning and strategy ‘framework’ with scanty or very little research on the actual implementation of strategies (Alexander, 1995; Beer & Eisenstat, 2000).
Among the major reasons put forward for this noticeable scarcity of research efforts is that the aspect of strategy implementation is perceived to be less enchanting, which makes researchers face a lot of difficulties when investigating such topics. However, Mintzberg (1998) pointed out that most organisations may adopt different implementation strategies because of their differences in structures. Since the structure of an organisation largely influences the flow of information, and the nature and context of interpersonal relations in the organisation, the way strategies are implemented in a particular organisation may largely vary from the other. This can be the main reason why many scholars have yet not established a standard implementation framework for organisations, since it varies from not only one organisation to another, but also is influenced by quite a number of contextual factors (Hitt, 2013).
However, researchers agree that the basic requirement for successful implementation is to address the aspects of coordination and cooperation within organisational key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the strategy (Beer, & Eisenstat, 2000). This is because with poor coordination, it may be difficult to track down the actual process of strategy implementation in order to be in a position to monitor the actualisation of the deliverables (Grant, 2002). Nonetheless, the leadership styles in organisations play a central role towards the achievement of success in the implementation of strategies (Barney, 2001). This is because leadership that offers support, guide, and is keen on ensuring that organisations achieve its planned strategies through leading in the implementation of the project.
More importantly, research has shown that one of the emerging issues in strategic management is the role played by the board of management in not only formulating strategies, but also defining the key implementation actions (Al Darmaki, 2015). This is because strategy formulation without a clear implementation framework is bound to fail, as suggested by Freedman (2015) who argues that clear implementation actions determine largely the success of organisational strategy implementation. Nonetheless, a review of how the field of strategic planning has been evolving over the recent years is necessary. This is because unlike in the past where strategy implementation was solely a responsibility of the organisational managers, in the recent days researchers point out the emergent of multi-level teams in the implementation of strategies (Grunig, & Kuhn, 2015). For example, the emergent of project management office (PMO) in many organisations makes it easier for organisations in the planning and execution of strategic projects because it involves setting aside a team of experts to advise, control, and monitor the implementation of strategic projects in the organisations (Hill et al., 2016). This means that, modern day project implementation is faced with complexities associated with the changes in stakeholder expectations, advances in technology, and highly turbulent environment that necessitates a highly control project execution practices.
Moreover, resource allocations decision making have become proxies for the role played by managers in the implementation of strategies. As a result, researchers agree that strategy implementation has been faced by the challenges of improper understanding of the strategy by some of the players in the implementation of the strategy (Langley & Tsoukas, 2016). Considering that lack of understanding and inability to connect with the strategy makes it difficult for strategy implementers to achieve the expected deliverables, the importance of prior communication of new changes based on the proposed strategy is critical as it enables organisations to be in a position to achieve a cohesive team towards the implementation of the project. Nonetheless, the inability to establish congruence between the organisational structure and the strategy are critical in the sense that it leads to lack of strategic fit between the organisational internal environment and the strategy, and this leads to eminent failure of the organisation to successfully implement the strategy (Lynch, 2015). On this basis, failure to address the structural design in the organisational design with respect to structure of the existing organisational structure plays a central role towards determining the overall success of the project.
In the past several decades, we have witnessed advancement in technology which has largely impacted on the police organisations. Besides posing new threats to the security systems, advancement in technology has largely revolutionised the way operations in the police departments are executed. As a result, practitioners and scholars have largely engaged into the research on how the new technology and the changes in the environment have impacted on the operations of the police force. At the bottom line, researchers agree that the police forces have become more innovative by deigning more specialised strategies aimed at making their work more effective in controlling crime, especially in the wake of the advancing technology in the 21st century. As a result, institutional changes in the police force have been necessitated in the bid for organisations to be in a position to achieve their performance targets (Hitt, 2013). By restructuring their conventional ways of operations, the police department have been able to achieve strategic competitive advantages that enable them to be in a position to curb the modern day face of crimes which seems to be quite different from the traditional ones.
According to a study conducted by Grant (2002), strategic innovations that are emerging in the police departments can be attributed to advancements in technology and the changes in the environment leading resulting into new challenges. For instance, since the September 11, 2001 attack in the United States, a study conducted by White (2004) revealed that there has been a renewed interest in crime and intelligence alertness in the functions of the security agencies. In the study, White particularly pointed out that the attack of September 11 motivated the adoption of several strategic changes in the Ohio police department. However, what seems to be unclear in the field of research is whether the changes in the police field are reactive or proactive. And if they are reactive or proactive, what circumstances leads to the adoption of strategies in the police force?
It is evident from research that in the policing department have institutionalised strategic analytical functions which initiate changes and aligning of strategic resources in the departments to enable them to be in a position to respond more effectively to crimes (Miller, Wilson, & Hickson, 2004). What is apparent in the security agencies in the modern world is that, more sophisticated tactical approaches seem to be adopted, as the police departments gear up towards fighting more advanced crimes. Nonetheless, the motivations for the tactical approaches remains scantly explored in the world scholarly research, with much of research being focused on police benchmarking by the development countries’ police departments on the developed world countries (Hill, Schilling, & Jones, 2016). Nonetheless, Islam (2016) suggested the importance of crime analysis as an important approach in the police department aimed at fostering increased crime intelligence, effectiveness, and confidence from the public.
According to Ratcliffe (2008) defined out that analytical function as the process through which data is transformed into knowledge and intelligence with an aim of taking more informed decisions. Analysis involves the application of scientific methods in solving a problem by first understanding its cause-effect relationship. In the security systems, data can be described as any observation or measurement regarding to crime, disorder, and other challenges associated with fighting of crime (Genet, & Hayward, 2017; Grunig, & Kuhn, 2015). When the data is analysed, presented, and interpreted, the security agencies are more informed on the areas to focus on or improve based on their current competencies and capabilities.
The production of intelligence is discussed by Carter (2009) where he pointed out that the process analytical function in the security agencies is largely associated with collection of data, collating it, analysing, and disseminating actionable intelligence information. Although some studies (e.g. Hill et al., 2016; Lynch, 2015) argue that the analytical function in the police department is often useful in both short-term and long-term security operational planning, research on the key factors that inform the specific strategic decisions adopted by the police remains scanty. This has left too much confusion in the police agencies regarding the analytical function, given the many departments in the police force with each having its specific role and function. While in the developed countries like the United States a study conducted by Miles-Johnson, Mazerolle, Pickering & Smith (2016) revealed a high level of policing coordination between the intelligence and the criminal investigation department; very little research is available on the agencies involved in the analytical functions in the police departments in the developing countries. Lack of understanding of the analytical function of the police and the stakeholders involved in the complex chain of the analytical function in the police department especially in the developing countries creates a knowledge and practical gap. Much of the confusion is further enhanced by the dualistic nature of the police in controlling crime, and enforcing law and order.
It is also important to also note that, there are various types of analytical policing which include intelligence analysis, criminal investigation analysis, tactical crime analysis, strategic crime analysis, and administrative crime analysis. Peterson (1994) defines intelligence analysis as the analytical function concerned with the identification of networks of offenders and criminal activities in order to help in the apprehension of the perpetrators. It involves the establishment of networks aimed at tracking down activities related to organised criminal groups so as to be in a position to gather sufficient evidence to prosecute them before a court of law. As a result, based on the technology has been on the rise, it has necessitated the police force to up their systems as well in order to be able to gather sufficient and foolproof evidence against criminals and organised gang groups (Barton et al., 2016). However, although there is some research (e.g. Miles-Johnson et al., 2016) that shows most of the developed countries have specialised police departments, it has not been clear in the available literature on whether the police department have a generalised system of conducting intelligence analysis in the developing countries like UAE.
Further, criminal investigative analysis involves the construction of offender profiles for serious crimes so as to use the information to infer the characteristics of the offenders like based on their social habits, personalities, or work habits in order to be in a position to develop proactive measures against deterring such crimes in the future (Boba, 2001). Tactical crime therefore involves the characteristic profiles of offenders to establish if there is a link between crime perpetrators and certain characteristics. Unlike criminal investigative analysis, tactical crime involves the study of recent criminal incidents so as to be in a position to establish criminal behaviours and certain identity patterns and identify the ways through which the crimes can be solved (Boba, 2001). Strategic crime analysis on the other hand entails the analysis of the crime related problems in order to be in a position to identify long-term solutions for certain criminal behaviours. Further, Boba (2001) described administrative crime analysis as being related to legal, political, and practical areas of concern so as to be able to inform the public on what is expected of them. While there is sufficient research on the types of analytical functions in the police department, there is often a lot of confusion that comes as a result of semantic differences, especially when it comes to international security systems. Moreover, researchers have established that in most cases special security enforcement units hardly use analytics for intelligence functions, and rarely share information with other security units.
Strategic changes in the police department institutions necessitate the redefinition of the policing goals and align them with the changes in the environment. According to Mitrović et al. (2016), the need for innovative approaches through specialised strategies is emerging out to be one of the key areas that contemporary researchers and practitioners in the security agencies consider to be critical. However, research remains unclear on whether benchmarking in security design succeeds everywhere, since the nature of crimes vary from one country/region to another (Wood, & Watson, 2016). Nonetheless, it is important to note the changing face of technology has largely influenced global crimes, since the free movement of people from one country to another, and interconnectedness through the internet and technology presents new frontiers for criminal perpetration. From this point of view, therefore, it has emerged that benchmarking of policing operations helps to curb most of these internationally perpetrated crimes. This implies that, although researchers have not clearly pointed out the specific benchmarking practices in the police force that contribute towards improved security and performance in the disciplined forces, there is a potential link between effective benchmarking and improved security in a country; which this study seeks to explore.
A growing body of literature seems to be establishing a strategic link between specialised innovations in the police force and strategic analytic functions. Whether with the issue of the implementation of problem-oriented policing strategies, intelligence-oriented strategy, of internal security policing strategy, research confirms the importance of analytical functions. However, in the absence of strategic crime analysis team, policing departments adopt rule-driven bureaucracies with incident-driven decision making approach (Wu, Chen, & Yeh, 2010).
Although in most cases bureaucracies adopt specialisation in addressing changes and execute missions, the currently increasing uncertainties in the environment poses challenges to bureaucratic security agencies. This is because specialised units are often difficult to coordinate, resources are wasted, and in most cases they are reactive as pointed out by Gottschalk & Gudmundsen (2009). Institutionalising strategic analytical functions allows the policing agencies to be in a position to culturally and structurally transit to a mission-driven organisation that adopts problem-driven decision making. Although many organisations have been able implement innovative strategies, there is scanty evidence on how strategic decisions are implemented. Moreover, research is not clear whether one-size-fits all with regards to security strategies that can guarantee successful security systems exist. Therefore, there is need for up-to-date research on whether specialised strategies work in some of the developing countries like the UAE.
According to Harvey (2005), open systems theory is a modern-based approach in strategic management aimed at designing and creating healthy, innovative, and resilient organisations in the highly changing and turbulent world. According to Harvey, this theory is based on the influence of external environment on the strategies adopted by organisations in the sense that, it is the changes in the external environment that dictates certain changes. Nonetheless, it is important to note that, as organisations conduct their operations, they also impact or change the environment they are operating, and hence the changes in organisations are not only influenced by the external environment, but also the organisation has some impact on the environment as well. Open systems is based on the assumption that enterprises/institutions and the society are open systems, that change and influence each other over time (Alexander, 1995). This implies that, institutional strategies are not only influenced by the changes in the environment, but also the societal expectations from them as well.
According to Pfeffer & Salancik (2003), an organisation adopting open system should be active in adapting to the relationship with its external environment. This explains why most organisational strategies are informed by external factors like social changes, socio-demographic factors, economic factors, political/legal systems, and environmental changes. By focusing on the external environment, organisations are able to align their strategic resources and capabilities with the opportunities and threats in the external environment. Based on this theory, strategic management in the policy department can be considered to be largely influenced by the changes in the external environment, so as to establish a strategic fit between its strategies and the expectations of the society (Grant, 2002). This implies for sustainable relationship between the police force and its ability to effectively curb crime it means that it should remain open to receive and disseminate information to the public effectively. Through adopting an open system, it becomes easier for the police force to even respond more proactively rather than mainly being reactive.
The resource based view theory is based on the conception that organisations adopt strategic decisions based on their available resources or with an aim of making their resources more efficient and valuable (Barney, 2001). Researchers agree that each organization has its own unique resources and capabilities which enable it to be able to sustain its operations in line with its vision and mission (Barney, 2001). According to Hitt (2013), resource based is based on the concept of competitive advantage in an organisation based on its capabilities and strategic resources. For a resource to be considered to be useful to the organisation, it must be valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and non-substitutable. This implies that, for resources and capabilities to be useful for an organisation, they should be able to add value to the organisation’s operations. According to Miller et al. (2004), strategies are developed based on the organisation’s capabilities and resources, since there should be a balance between the internal and external environment in an organisation so as to be able to foster competitive advantage. However, researchers agree that even if a resource or capability is valuable and potentially rare, without the aspect of inimitability that resource or capability may not be sustainable.
In most cases, resource based view is based on the assumption that organisational success is mainly determined by their resources and capabilities, and hence when these resources and competencies are developed to make them less vulnerable to imitations, rarity, and value to the organisational core activities contributes largely towards the success of the organisation. Although researchers acknowledge that there is now one-size-fits-all with regards to resources and capabilities in organisations (Boba, 2001); the most important factor to consider how the available resources and competencies in an organisation contributes towards the achievement of the organisation’s vision and mission. From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that each organisation seeks to develop its own resources and capabilities that enable it to be in a position to achieve a competitive edge.
Institutional is related to deep and more resilient aspects of an organisational social structure which includes the processes through which schemes, structures, norms, and rules are established as authoritative parameters for social behaviours (Scott, 2004). Various components of the institutional theory include how behaviours and strategies are created, diffused, adopted, and adapted over space and time. The institutional theory is largely established on social relations within an organisation which has direct impact on how strategies are developed and implemented within the organisation. For example, if an organisation is characterised by highly bureaucratic culture and centralised structure, planned strategies may be faced with challenges at the implementation stage because highly bureaucratic organisations face the challenge of open communication and sharing of information, and thus it may be difficult to implement some strategies.
Moreover, the social behaviours expected of the players in the organisation plays a central role in determining how effective some strategies may be successful than others. The institutional theory assumes that organisations survive because they have a certain set of values and norms that all the stakeholders are expected to operate within in order to enable the organisation to continue enjoying their competitive advantage. Although this theory has received massive acknowledgment in academic and practical realms, it fails to define more clearly how strategic practices are related to behaviours in the organisation. This relationship is not well developed which leaves systemic gaps with regard to how institutional values and norms relate to effective strategy implementation and success.
A number of models have been established to illustrate training needs analysis in organisations. Organisation-task-person (OTP) models emphasise on training for perfection, whereas performance analysis models emphasise on performance, as they link training needs more unequivocally with the desired work behaviours (Smith-Jentsch & Sierra, 2016). Though performance analysis models have been considered to be more attractive to practitioners than OTP models, they fail to distinguish work behaviour and relevant organisational results, alongside failing to consider continual knowledge improvement among the staff members. On the other hand, OTP models integrate micro and macro analysis of the need for training in order to allow the identification of the needs of the organisation in relation to the external environment (Philips & Philips, 2016). Nonetheless, researchers acknowledge that both OTP and performance analysis models play a central role in explaining the importance and processes of training need analysis in organisations.
One of the training needs analysis models is the McGehee and Thayer’s Framework which was established by McGehee and Thayer in 1961. This model stresses the examination of the training needs in three key levels, which include the organisation, tasks, and the individuals (Philips & Philips, 2016). Based on this model, designing a training program should be guided by the organisational, operational, and individual characteristics. At organisational level, emphasis should be made on the specific requirements for the organisation to achieve its strategic goals and objectives; while at individual level emphasis is made on the identification of how employees perform their job, alongside developing their career goals (Smith-Jentsch & Sierra, 2016). On the other hand, task or operational analysis entails the identification of the nature of the tasks that need to be performed on the job and the skills, knowledge, and abilities required (Cekada, 2010). By adopting a holistic approach in training needs analysis through focusing on the organisation, operations, and staff members, it becomes easier for the organisation to achieve success.
The second model is the Content-Level Approach established by Ostroff and Ford as an extension of McGhee and Thayer (1961) framework. This model combines a dual perspective the three perspectives of training content (organisation, task, and person) and levels individual, organisational, and sub-unit. As a result, this model presents a nine cell matrix that is used to present a more detailed analysis of the training needs in an organisation than its former version presented by McGhee and Thayer. However, this model has often been criticised because of its complexity (McManus et al., 2016). Although the author succeeded in clearly defining how effective training should be guided by organisation, task, and person strategic fit, it fails to establish clear and simplified framework on how the three aspects are interrelated. Nonetheless, the theory forms a suitable starting point for determining the key elements to consider when designing a staff training and development framework where the organisational values, nature of work, and the personality of individual staff members are integrated. This model therefore has been found to be fairly useful in strategy development with regard to staff training and development, since researchers agree that at the centre of every strategy there must be a critical consideration of human resources and the type of work or activities required.
The third model is the Lutham’s Model, which represented an expended McGhee and Thayer’s (1961) model where Latham (1988) added a fourth macro-type level where he linked person analysis to demographic analysis. The demographic analysis identifies the specific needs of various worker populations in organisations. Such demographic groups in an organisation may be based on gender, age, or experience in order to identify the specific training needs in each demographic group. However, this model has received massive criticism from scholars because it fails to recognise the different abilities, expertise, or roles of individuals in the same demographic group in an organisation (McManus et al., 2016). Although researchers tend to link this theory so closely with Ostroff and Ford model, the aspect of team demographics seems to stand out in this theory; and the authors seem to recognise the importance team dynamics as an important factor that determines the success of the entire organisation. On this basis, this theory suggests rather designing training programs for individuals, much of the focus is given on the team skills requirements in order to ensure cohesive implementation of activities and projects, since when some of the team members are not fully equipped with the required skills and knowledge to execute the project, it is possible that they would derail success in the implementation of the projects. This implies that, although the complexity found in Ostroff and Ford’s theory is still apparent in Lutham’s Model, its ability to bring in the concept of demographic dynamics of staff members in various teams is an important consideration that contributes largely towards the success of strategies in organisation.
Another model is the Hierarchy of Needs Assessment Approaches, which was proposed by Gupta (2007). This model suggests that strategic needs assessment is guided by existing performance gaps, competency-based gaps, job and task analysis gaps, and skills and knowledge assessment gaps (Grunig & Kuhn, 2015). Managers are thus required to implement training programs based on priorities place in each of the needs identified. While this model has widely been supported for its practicability, critics argue that some of these needs in an organisation are inter-linked, and hence implementing one without the other may not solve the performance gaps in the organisation. It is therefore important that organisations also determine the inter-related resources and systems in an organisation in order to provide a holistic training approach. While this theory considers the importance of performance and skills gaps in organisations, managers find it easier to design training and staff development programs when they conduct skills analysis and audit among its workers in order to be able to identify the areas of focus.
Researchers agree that the police force plays a central role in responding to and preventing crime in the society (Genet & Hayward, 2017). However, because of the wide scope of crimes in the society which include technology-based crimes, domestic violence-based, traffic law offenders, and corporate-based crimes among others, it has become increasingly important for the adoption of specialised training in the police force in order to foster their effectiveness in curbing crime. Research has shown that, specialised police units are more efficient in conducting investigations and collection of evidence, coordination of operations, and providing practical solutions to the society with regard to particular types of crimes (Wood & Watson, 2016). From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that specialised training in the police force is not only a strategic approach towards improving security in their areas of jurisdiction, but also contributes towards improved proactive responses on crime (Kumar & Kumar, 2015). As such, it has become increasingly critical for specialised officer training in the police force as a way of improving their effectiveness and performance in their work.
Researchers agree that, although sophistication in technology plays a central role towards the success of operations in the police department, the role played by human resources is considered to be the most important (Friedmann, & Cannon, 2007). As such, focusing on developing the skills and knowledge on the police officers helps them to be in a position to secure the society better against criminals and perpetrators of illegal activities. Police training is therefore considered to be an effective way through which police officers can be prepared to improve the efficiency in their work. Although researchers agree that there is no standard definition of training, since it has been evolving due to changes in the environment (Coleman, 2008); Crutchfield (2000) considered it as the process through which knowledge and skills are gained with an aim of improving the performance of individuals. In most cases, training helps to facilitate upward job mobility within the organisation, as it equips both junior and senior employees with more skills and knowledge which increases their competencies to serve in higher ranks.
However, specialised training in the police force most of the times is meant mainly to prepare them better to serve in their job, especially in the wake of highly turbulent environment. Nonetheless, researchers agree that one of the most important strategies when planning to develop the skills of police officers to conduct training needs analysis so as to be in a position to determine any gaps in the skills requirement in the organisation, and identify the training methods required (Gottschalk, & Gudmundsen, 2010). A critical focus on the concept of training needs analysis is therefore necessary in order to be in a position to understand in details what it entails.
Training need analysis is defined by McManus, O’Driscoll, Coleman & Wiles (2016) as the process of assessing the skills gap in an organisation in order to identify the specific set of skills that need to be instilled into the staff members. On this basis, training need analysis is mainly meant to identify the training needs in an organisation in order to bridge an identified skills gap due in the organisation. Training need analysis is therefore a critical strategic management tool that enables managers and organisational leaders to plan and implement training programs. According to Altschuld & Lepicki (2010), training needs analysis entails measuring the current state of skills among the staff members, and the desired state (what should be) (p. 772). The identified skills gaps informs the managers on the nature of training required on the staff members, so as to be in a position to achieve a desired state of skills in the organisation. Through an effective training need analysis, organisations are able to solve the problems of skills shortage, by identifying new and relevant skills that are necessary for the staff members in order to achieve the organisational goals and objectives more efficiently.
Existing research on training needs analysis indicates that most of the practices involving the identification of skills gaps are often conducted in the developed countries like the United States, and some Far East countries like Japan (Pickering, & Klinger, 2016). Although some few studies of training in the police department have been conducted in UEA (e.g. Barton, Ramahi & Tansley, 2016), it is yet not clear whether training needs analysis is practiced or not. This shows that there is knowledge gap with regards to the practice of training needs analysis in the police department of Abu Dhabi, and this necessitates up-to-date research to identify the key training needs analysis practices involved in the department.
The first step that Smith-Jentsch & Sierra (2016) considers to be critical in training needs analysis is the evaluation of the job and task analysis in order to identifying the special skills and knowledge required to execute the job more effectively. By conducting job and task analysis, the organisation benefits by enabling the establishing a clearer picture of what the jobs in the organisation entails, and establish performance criteria for the employees. By first understanding the nature of job and tasks required in the organisation, employees find it easier to work towards achieving their performance expectations (Ansoff, 1999). As a result, buy-in interests are stimulated among the employees, especially when they are involved in the definition of what their jobs entail. Moreover, by analysing job and task requirements in the organisation, leaders in organisations are able to guide their staff members during on-the-job training practices. Nonetheless, when the nature tasks and job requirements are clearly determined, the human resource management department is able to identify more accurately the required skills and abilities required in the organisation, it becomes easier to deign more relevant and effective training programs that equip the staff members with skills and knowledge required to complete their job more efficiently.
Further, Hitt (2013) pointed out that job and task analysis acts as benchmark to determine what knowledge, skills, and abilities are required so as to be in a position to determine the category of people to be trained or moved across/upwards within the organisation. Through conducting job and task analysis within the organisation, the management is also in a position to be able to establish the profile of their specific job positions and tasks which would help it to be able to outline the key personalities, skills, and knowledge levels for their current and future employees. Although conducting job and task analysis does not take into consideration the external environmental factors and how they can affect job performance, researchers agree that it is a basic practice that enables organisations to be in a position to determine the skills gaps in their organisation, and thus enabling them to make more informed decisions with respect to the training programs for their staff members.
Organisational analysis is also suggested by McGehee and Thayer (1961) who argues that it is important to determine when a training program is needed based on the organisational culture and changes in the external environment. Information about where and when training is required is the bottom-line of this model, as it involves an exploration of organisational wide needs. Although research is not clear whether the needs of an organisation are integrals of both internal and external environment or both; some researchers agree that organisation-wide practices are largely informed by the changes in the environment (Boba, & Crank, 2008). However, what many researchers agree is that the way many organisations operate is largely influenced by the external environment. It is therefore critical to consider how the external environment influences the way organisations operate.
Among the key environmental factors pointed out by Atkinson (2006) include political/legal environment, economic factors, socio-cultural factors, technological development, competition, and physical environment factors. Although all the factors do not have the same effect on organisations, it is important for organisations to conduct due diligence on these factors to determine their effect on their operations. This may form a basis for developing training programs in the organisations with an aim of aligning the changes in the external environment with their internal resources and competencies. In the police department, changes in law, increases in crime, advances in technology, and changes in other environmental factors largely determines the need to develop specialised program for them (Bynum, 2001). This is because given the sensitive nature of the policing functions in any country, equipping the officers with sufficient skills is not only important, but also necessary in order to foster security in the country.
Benchmarking is one of the training strategies aimed at setting standards based on an existing practice with an aim of improving performance and productivity (Coleman, 2008). Benchmarking from the best internal police practices is considered by Lynch (2015) as one of the evolving paradigm in the police force from the developing countries. It is important to note that, although the nature of crimes in various countries are influenced by contextual factors, a study conducted by Islam (2016) revealed since the psychology of crime is common across the world, training police through benchmarking from the best known police forces has been attributed to improved performance in many police departments across the world. Considering that apprehending criminals is the central rationale for the establishment of the police all over the world, learning on specific methods and tactics to curb some of the common crimes like fraud and traffic offenses are quite common all over the world; and thus the need to established specialised training programs to curb some of these crimes via benchmarking.
Although benchmarking may involve the adoption of machinery and equipments used in curbing crime, Lynch (2015) pointed out that benchmarking training of human resource on tactics and methods used to curb crime is a critical factor that determine the success of many police departments. This is because when they benchmark on human practices that are necessary to achieve sustainable crime curbing, it becomes easier for organisations to be able to not only achieve sustainable competitive advantage, but also revamp their productivity through improved staff performance. When police forces from less developed countries learn new tactics from their counterparts from the developed countries, it becomes easier even to curb global crimes because of the expertise in the police force is distributed across the world. Through benchmarking practices, therefore, police officers from developing countries are able to learn new specialised strategies that enable them to be in a position to improve on their performance. Considering that specialised training in the police force entails deeper dissemination of skills associated with a particular function, police officers that undergo specialised training are able to curb even more complicated crimes (Miles-Johnson et al., 2016).
Although some studies (e.g. Mitrović, Janković, Dopsaj, Vučković, Milojević, Pantelić, Nurkić, 2016) argue that specialised police forces are difficult to coordinate, Pickering, & Klinger (2016) suggested a framework of ensuring that police officers in various functions are not only given specialised training on their core areas of work, but also are equipped with skills and knowledge to be in a position to coordinate with other specialised forces as well. Through this strategy, it becomes easier for the police departments to respond in a coordinated manner on cases on insecurity in their country. With specialised training and development of a well coordinated security systems communication system, it becomes easier for specialised forces to share intelligence with other specialised team of police officers to act on the crimes. On this basis, adopting specialised training in the police force enables for effectiveness in dealing with crimes in a country and this contributes largely towards increased performance in the police force.
Empirical studies have established a critical link between human capital development and organisational performance (Aristovnik et al., 2014). Staff training has been pointed out by practitioners and scholars as the main staff development tool that many organisations have found useful in their strategies. Alkinani (2013) defined training as “an organised process concerned with the acquisition of capability or the maintenance of existing capability” (p. 48). As such, training aims at not only maintaining the existing skills among the staff members, but also create an opportunity to acquisition of new skills and expertise through learning experiences. In the context of this study, therefore, the need for specialised training in the police force is critical in order to enable them to be in a position to effectively manage the changing face of crime as a result of the advancing globalisation, technology, and social behaviours.
Measuring performance in the police force has attracted massive attention among scholars and practitioners in the field. While researchers agree that performance in the police force is relative, and hence there are no standard parameters of determining performance (Wu, Chen & Yeh, 2010), a study conducted by Aristovnik, Seljak, & Mencinger (2014) revealed that performance management in the police department largely relies on benchmarking from well performing police service providers. This brings in some of the key performance indicators that are used to determine performance in the police force in many countries. However, most of the developing countries have reportedly been benchmarking from the developed countries, and hence most of the KPIs in the police force are largely attributed to the police department in most developed countries.
According to Genet & Hayward (2017), some of the most common performance indicators in the police force include the number of crimes committed and reported, the number of crimes detected before being executed, complaints against the police officers, and the number of emergencies responded to and the time taken to respond to such emergencies. In the UAE, the police force heavily benchmarks from the Western countries, although there are some systemic strategies that mainly apply to the UAE context. Although each police force faces different challenges within the regions they service (area of jurisdiction), and hence one-size-fits-all approach usually does not work (Barton et al., 2016), most of the performance indicators outlined above often apply in most areas. As such, based on a study conducted by Islam (2016), the police must be accountable for their functions based on the performance indicators in order to create public confidence, which largely fosters a favourable business environment both for locals and international investors.
Although police performance has been an interesting area of research over the last few decades, research on the impact of specialised strategy in the police force in the UAE and other developing countries remains scanty. Although a study conducted by Al Darmaki (2015) revealed ADP has over the last ten years been adopting specialised strategy in its police officers, unfortunately very little research is available on the impact of the specialised strategy on the performance of the police department. Researchers agree that when individuals are specially trained on a particular function, they become more effective in their job and this contributes massively towards their improved performance in their job (Alkinani, 2013). The same applies to the police department where Andersen et al., (2015) argues that when police officers are specialised, their skills, knowledge, and abilities to curb crime are improved and thus making them more effective in their work.
On this basis, therefore, although adopting specialised strategy is pointed out by some researchers (e.g. Aristovnik, Seljak, & Mencinger, 2014) to be a recipe for uncoordinated operations in the police force, available research confirms that adopting specialised strategy in the police department would largely impact on the performance of the police officers, since it contributes towards improved skills and knowledge among the police officers to execute their job more effectively. This implies that, adopting specialised strategy in the police force can be more advantageous, as it avails special skills and tactics among the police forces, which largely enables the police officers to be more effective in their job, leading to the general improvement in performance of the entire police department (Kumar & Kumar, 2015). Nonetheless, while research points out that some parameters used to measure police performance are common, there are no standard policing practices, and hence performance measurement in the police department in various parts of the world cannot be standardised.
However, the most important consideration when measuring performance is the evaluation of the achievement of goals, targets, and working in line with the vision of the police organisation (McManus, O’Driscoll, Coleman, & Wiles, 2016). As earlier pointed out, training planning involves the identification of skills requirements in the organisation, so as to be in a position to align the training content with these skills requirement. This means that, every police department has its own unique training needs, based on its vision and operational guidelines. With very limited research of police performance measurement in the ADP, there is need for up-to-date research to determine whether the specialised strategy that has been adopted in the department over the last decade has impacted in any way on the general performance of the police department. With some researches indicating that when police officers are exposed to specialised training, they often find it easier to not only detect crimes, but also act on those crimes more diligently (Pickering & Klinger, 2016). However, the most important consideration when designing a specialised strategy is to ensure that the planned training content is well aligned with the performance expectations in the organisation in order to be able to facilitate improved performance in the police force.
A number of empirical studies have been conducted across the world to determine the impact of specialised training in the police force on their performance. Although research on specialised strategy in the police department is not widely covered, much of the available research seems to be largely based in the Western context. Specifically, scanty empirical research is available on the impact of specialised strategy in the police department in UAE. One of such studies was conducted by Ghufli (2009) on a case study of Abu Dhabi Police where much of the focus was to establish a training need analysis in the police department. With a sample of 29 police officers from the department, Ghufli’s survey found that training need analysis is scantly developed in the ADP. The researcher found out that despite the benefits of training needs analysis in the police department, training needs were scantly developed in the ADP. Nonetheless, the researcher adopted a very small sample, which to a great extent compromised the external validity and generalisability of the research findings. In addition to this weakness, the researcher’s methodology is scantly developed and it is not clear how the participants were selected. However, this study provides springboard for further investigation on specialised strategy in the ADP and the overall performance of the police department.
Further, from a research conducted by Andersen, Konstantinos, Kiskelainen, Nyman, Gustafsberg, & Arnetz (2015), special training in the special weapons and tactics (SWAT) police increased their resilience and improved their capabilities in responding to critical situations. With a research sample of 18 police from SWAT, the researchers found out that specialised training promoted their resilience, and hence improving their capabilities to work and respond to stressful situations. Similarly, an empirical research conducted by Miles-Johnson, Mazerolle, Pickering & Smith (2016), police training on the awareness of prejudice improves their effectiveness in assessing prejudiced motivated crimes. Using a sample of 1,609 from police recruits and protective service officers in the United States, the researchers found that specialised training on prejudice training among the police officers improved their ability to assess positively prejudiced motivated crime by 61%. This reflects a positive effect of specialised training among the police force on their performance.
Another study conducted by Andersen et al. (2015) in the United States to analyse post-academy training needs for a selected police school district in Texas was also analysed in this study. The research mainly focused on the identification of the internal and external factors influencing operations and training needs of staff officers already employed after the initial training. This study adopted a sample of 37 Independent School Department of police training with 425 participants in the survey. The findings obtained in the research revealed that majority of the police officers who return back for further training are brought for specialised training, which the police departments share their training needs with the school to ensure conformity with the police department expectations. What remains outstandingly convincing for this study is the way the researcher presented a comprehensive analysis of the findings from a diverse sample.
Another study conducted by Kumar & Kumar (2015) on the impact of modernisation in terms of equipments and training had any effect on the performance of the Indian police. Using output function as the analytical tool and estimating it using stochastic frontier analysis model, the researchers established a positive relationship between modernisation and police performance. However, the empirical research revealed that modern training alone is not sufficient to guarantee improved performance, since the need for modern equipments in applying the modern tactics was equally important. This implies that it is important that policy makers in the police department to consider updating both skills and equipments in the police force in order to achieve holistic increase in the performance on the police force. Moreover, in a study conducted by Pickering & Klinger (2016) on the impact of specialised safety culture training among the police on their effectiveness in the reduction on the use of force against citizens was also pointed out. This means that, adopting specialised strategy in the police contributes towards improving their moral and ethical duties on their job.
The importance of specialised physical training on the morphological characteristics and motor abilities of police trainees was explored by Mitrovic et al. (2016) in the empirical research with a sample of 137 police recruits in Brazil. The research findings revealed a significantly decreased favourable morphological characteristics and motor abilities after the students were left for 8 months without specialised training. Since morphological characteristics and their motor abilities are critical in the performance of the police force (Aristovnik et al., 2014); the findings by Mitrovic and his colleagues reveals a positive relationship between specialised police training and their performance. However, a study conducted by Landman, Nieuwenhuys & Oudejans (2015) revealed that although professional experience and specialised training had significant impact on the performance of police officer’s shooting performance under pressure, personality traits plays significant impact on the performance of the police officers. From the researcher’s findings, police officer’s performance is a function of both personality traits and professional experience and specialised training.
Further, a study conducted by Abdulla (2009) on the determinants of job satisfaction among the police staff members on Dubai revealed the importance of specialised training and availability of specialised equipments and tools to enable them do their work effectively as one of the major factors that determined staff satisfaction. With a sample of 1075 respondents and mixed research approach where data was collected using interviews and questionnaires, this study revealed that the need for achievement among the police officers was critical, and hence the need for specialised approach aimed at enabling the police officers to execute their job more effectively. Although the researcher did not explain the various training practices and specialised strategies adopted in the Dubai police department, it was clearly from the findings obtained that adopting specialised training and availing specialised equipments contributed largely towards the satisfaction of the employees, which subsequently contributed towards improved performances among the police officers.
Moreover, based on a study conducted by Al-Muhairi (2008) on the corruption and strategies to prevent it in the ADP, it was revealed that majority of the police officers engaged in corrupt deals due to lack of specialised training to enable them to be in a position to not only curb crime, but also develop strong moral and ethical connections with their job. With the research revealing that unacceptable behaviours in the police department was about 64%, and thus based on the recommendations provided specialised training and equipping the police officers with modern equipments to work with were critical determinant factors for improved service delivery in the police service. However, what was not clear from the research was on whether lack of training alone was the main contributing factor for corrupt deals in the police force. Nonetheless, it was evident that adopting specialised strategy in the police force was a recipe for improved staff performance.
Further, another study conducted by Peters & Cohen (2017) in the Canadian policing agencies with regard to specialised training provided an insight on how specialised training and performance in the police are inter-related. With data collected from RCMP and CRU in examining how officers articulated specific tasks established in their mandates, the researchers found that specialised training in the police had direct impact on the police officers’ conformity with task requirements and expectations of their job. However, the researcher pointed out the importance of coordination and communication in the police department in order to foster successful operations in prevention of crimes, as well as response to criminal activities. However, the researcher did not indicate whether benchmarking was part of the specialised training strategies in the Canadian police force or not.
Moreover, an empirical study conducted by Gottschalk & Gudsmundsen (2010) on intelligence strategy implementation using systemic literature review revealed that failure to implement new strategies in the police force can adversely affect its performance in the police force because the environment is changing very fast. As a result, organisational that fail to develop specialised strategies to deal with the changing face of technology and environmental dynamics were found by Gottschalk & Gudsmundsen to be having weak intelligence system.
Further, a study conducted by Storey & Hart (2011) to determine how the police respond to stalking with focus on risk management strategies and tactics used in ant-stalking law enforcement revealed that specialised police training is an important factor that contributes largely towards the improved performance of the police forces as reflected in the achievement of their strategic goals and objectives. However, the researchers revealed some specialised strategies were more effective than others; although they did not give the reasons for the superiority of some strategies than others.
Table 2.1 below shows a summary of the key empirical studies explored in this study, with respect to the methodologies adopted, and the main findings that each researcher presented.
Ghufli (2009) To establish a training need analysis in the police department in Abu Dhabi Police Department Survey with sample of 29 police officers from the department The findings revealed that training need analysis is scantly developed in the ADP. The researcher found out that despite the benefits of training needs analysis in the police department, training needs were scantly developed in the ADP.
Miles-Johnson, Mazerolle, Pickering & Smith (2016) To determine whether police training has any impact on the effectiveness of their assessment of prejudiced motivated crimes. A survey with a sample of 1609 police officers in the United States The researchers found that specialised training on prejudice training among the police officers improved their ability to assess positively prejudiced motivated crime by 61%.
Pickering & Klinger (2016) This study explored the impact of specialised safety culture training among the police on their effectiveness in the reduction on the use of force against citizens This study adopted systematic literature review In their research, the authors found that adopting specialised strategy in the police contributes towards improving their moral and ethical duties on their job.
Al-Muhairi (2008) To find out the extent of corruption in ADP, and the possible reasons for the levels of corruption revealed. Survey was conducted with undisclosed sample of participants from the ADP. The research findings revealed that majority of the police officers engaged in corrupt deals due to lack of specialised training to enable them to be in a position to not only curb crime, but also develop strong moral and ethical connections with their job.
Peters & Cohen (2017) The aim of this study was to explore how specialised training impacted on the performance in the police Primary data was collected data from RCMP and CRU by examining how officers articulated specific tasks established in their mandates. The researchers found that specialised training in the police had direct impact on the police officers’ conformity with task requirements and expectations of their job.
From the key literature materials reviewed, it is evident that the strategy of specialised training in the police force plays an important role towards improving their performance based on key performance indicators. However, the review of literature pointed out the important training need analysis, where the stakeholders in the police department identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities gap in their police force departments in order to develop specialised training programs aimed at revamping the performance of the police force. As such, environmental factors (and changes) are expected to play an important role in the development the specialised training programs. In most cases, due to the advancing globalisation, it is expected that the Abu Dhabi Police would benchmark their specialised training programs from the Western countries. Figure 1 below presents the conceptual framework that would guide the researcher when conducting the study.
The literature reviewed in this study revealed that strategy development and implementation are critical for success in any organisation. With the focus in this study being in the police department, analysis of the specialised strategy implementation in the police force was conducted. Researchers agree that since the role of the police is to enforce law and order in the society in order to reduce crime, there are set of universal key performance indicators in the police force. As such, these findings reveal the importance of specialised training in the police departments, which ought to be necessitated by the specific organisational needs or changes in the external and internal environments. The importance of training needs analysis based on the nature tasks and job related aspects was emphasised by researchers in this study; which informs the nature specialised training strategy to adopt. However, the usefulness of benchmarking was found to be critical for developing countries like UAE. In the next chapter, the research methodology adopted in this study is presented.
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Compare and contrast two experiences of gender from the textual selection Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins) and Girl (Jamaica Kincaid). What are the main topics the author finds relevant to the experience of gender? How are they represented? | 2019-04-24T08:08:30Z | https://www.allacademicanswers.com/2018/06/12/literature-review/ |
Sexual and asexual reproduction and associated population dynamics were investigated in the colonial ascidian Didemnum rodriguesi Rocha & Monniot, 1993 (Didemnidae) in southern Brazil. Investment in sexual (production of new individuals) and asexual (colony growth) reproduction was compared between seasons. Permanently marked quadrats were repeatedly photographed to measure changes in colonies. Eggs and larvae were counted monthly in collected colonies. This species alternates seasonally between sexual (summer) and asexual (winter) reproduction. In summer, colonies were smaller, brooded eggs and larvae and recruitment rates were greater, while in winter, colony size was larger and eggs and larvae were absent. There is a relationship between fecundity and colony area. Fragmentation and fusion of colonies were similar in summer and winter, as well as mortality. In conclusion, D. rodriguesi has a lifecycle usual for high latitude ascidians with a limited time length for sexual reproduction and alternate investment in sexual and asexual reproduction along the year.
Keywords: Reproductive investment, sexual reproduction, fragmentation, tunicates.
Reprodução sexuada e assexuada, mortalidade e a dinâmica de fusões e fissões de colônias de Didemnum rodriguesi Rocha & Monniot, 1993 foram investigados e comparados no sul do Brasil, no inverno e verão. Tais eventos foram analisados por fotografias de áreas permanentemente demarcadas e coletas mensais de colônias. Os resultados indicam que esta espécie alterna sazonalmente a reprodução sexuada (verão) e assexuada (inverno). Durante o verão as colônias são mais abundantes e menores, com ovos e larvas incubados e taxas de recrutamento maiores. No inverno há um menor número de colônias, porém de maior tamanho e inférteis. Existe uma relação entre fecundidade e tamanho da colônia. Não foram encontradas diferenças estatísticas no número de eventos de fragmentação e fusão entre o verão e inverno, bem como para mortalidade. Conclui-se que esta espécie tem um ciclo de vida típico de espécies de maiores latitudes, com tempo limitado para a reprodução sexuada e alternância no investimento entre reprodução sexuada e assexuada.
Palavras-chave: Investimento reprodutivo, reprodução sexuada, fragmentação, tunicados.
Reproductive strategies are important components of species life-history strategies and also influence persistence and geographical distribution. The production of gametes, especially eggs, is energetically expensive, and therefore strongly sensitive to selective pressures. The different ways by which energy is allocated to growth and reproduction in order to maximize fitness forms the basis of the differing life-history strategies that developed in marine invertebrates (LLODRA, 2002; TARJUELO & TURON, 2004).
Modular organisms usually have indeterminate growth and are morphologically very plastic (KIM & LASKER, 1998). Hence, their size and shape may vary throughout life and may change due to varying environmental conditions, as well as to biological interactions. Thus, size and modular organization varies between colonies and within colonies over time (PINEDA-KRCH & POORE, 2004).
Ascidians comprise marine invertebrate chordates with a wide variety of reproductive and life-history strategies (reviewed by BATES , 2005). Although hermaphroditic, many species are unable to fertilize their own eggs (LAMBERT, 2005). Sexual reproduction in colonial ascidians is through the production of male and female gametes, with internal fertilization that follows the release of sperm to the environment that is subsequently taken in by other individuals. In the Didemnidae, embryos are brooded within the tunic and as larvae are released to the sea. Larvae swim briefly until attachment to a suitable substrate when a new colony is initiated (MILLAR, 1971).
Asexual reproduction in colonial forms occurs in many ways: a colony may divide into smaller units (fragmentation or fission) or zooids may replicate within a colony through budding (colony growth). In a broad definition, there are three types of buds within ascidians: for colony growth (production of new zooids); to make new colonies; and to survive adverse environmental conditions (BATES, 2005). Colony growth has been studied in a number of ascidians, revealing complex patterns of growth and fission (BAK et al., 1981), influence of neighbors (STOCKER & UNDERWOOD, 1991), or a strong seasonal component coupled with alternating sexual and asexual reproduction (GROSBERG, 1988; TURON & BECERRO, 1992; TURON, 2005). These patterns suggest that demographic parameters of modular organisms may be a function of organism size rather than age (LINACRE & KEOUGH, 2003).
Some ascidian species fission very often with many small colonies being more or less continuously generated (BAK et al., 1981; RYLAND et al., 1984; STONER, 1989; STOCKER, 1991; TURON, 2005). Fragmentation is also common in many other marine organisms, such as algae (WALTERSA et al., 2002) and marine invertebrates (zoanthids, KARLSON, 1988; gorgonacean corals, LASKER, 1990; bryozoans, COCITO et al., 2001; HUGHES et al., 2004) and is often important for recolonization after extreme environmental stress. In such circumstances, colony fragmentation enables the rapid growth and recovery of a genotype (OKA & USUI, 1944; RYLAND et al., 1984). In marine environments this process may be fundamental in the life history of an organism, in which it is a strategy of the species for reproduction (endogenous) or is a response to predation or other perturbations (exogenous), or both. Colony fragmentation may also be a dispersal mechanism, especially important for invasive species such as Didemnum sp.A (BULLARD et al., 2007; VALENTINE et al., 2007a).
Fusion of colonies is also an important life-cycle trait for species that have aggregate recruitment with near proximity of siblings (Botryllus schlosseri Pallas, 1766 - GROSBERG & QUINN, 1986; GROSBERG, 1987; Trididemnum solidum (Van Name, 1902) - DUYL et al., 1981). A possible explanation for the evolutionary maintenance of chimeras (mixed genotypes) is the enhancement of physiological tolerance (GROSBERG & QUINN, 1986) or the promotion of heterozygozity by the resorption of the more homozygous partner (RINKEVICH & WEISSMAN, 1992).
Modular growth, fragmentation and fission of colonies are part of the life-cycle of the encrusting ascidian Didemnum rodriguesi Rocha & Monniot, 1993 which is relatively common in sublitoral rocky substrates of southeastern (ROCHA & BONNET, 2009) and southern Brazil (ROCHA et al., 2005). Here we studied reproductive strategies of D. rodriguesi in terms of investment in sexual and asexual reproduction and their associations with mortality and fusion rates to test for the relative importance and consequences of each mode of reproduction. Specifically, we examined egg and larvae production and recruitment (sexual reproduction), colony size, growth and fragmentation (asexual reproduction), and their interactions and seasonality to better understand population dynamics of modular marine organisms.
Arvoredo Island (27º17'44''S, 48º21'59''W) in the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil is a marine reserve at the confluence of the Brazilian current (warm water) and the Malvinas current (cold water). This study was carried out in Vital Bay on the island, where the D. rodriguesi, was studied at 6 - 8 m depth.
To measure sexual reproduction, 10 randomly selected colonies that varied in size were collected from different rocks each month from July 2003 to May 2004. Colonies were preserved in formalin 4%. Spicules within the colonies were decalcified with HCl 3% to allow the observation and counting of eggs, incubated larvae and zooids, using a stereo dissecting microscope.
To measure colony dynamics (asexual reproduction) and recruitment (sexual reproduction), photographs were taken repeatedly of permanent quadrats (12 x 18 cm, n = 11 in summer, 9 in winter). Dynamics here were changes in size and abundance of colonies, as well as events of fusion or fission. Quadrats were permanently marked to insure photographs were taken of the same locations. Photographs were taken with a macro lens for Sea and Sea Motor Marine 35 MX-10 under water camera. Time interval between photographs varied from 7-18 days. Dates of photographs (all in the year 2004) were 29 January, 9 February, 14 February, 3 March, 13 March (summer) and 11 June, 19 June, 26 June (winter). Sample size was unequal due to inclement weather.
Sexual reproduction (as recruitment), asexual reproduction (colony fragmentation and growth), and other demographic events (attrition rates, mortality and colony fusions) were measured, counted or estimated from photographs. To analyze these processes over time, we followed approximately 10 easily recognizable colonies in each photograph. The number of recruits and mortalities were summed in each photograph by date of collection. Each new colony that appeared in a picture in a previously empty space was counted as a recruit. Mortality was counted when a colony disappeared from a picture. If a colony appeared in one picture, but was absent from the subsequent picture, it was counted as both a recruit and a death each on the appropriate date. Mortality rates were calculated as the number of events divided by the number of colonies and the time interval. Fusions and divisions (fragmentation) events were easily counted because of the shape change from one photograph to the next. Fusion and division rates were also estimated.
Growth of D. rodriguesi is complex because colonies may increase or decrease in area and fuse or fragment. Therefore, change in area may be positive (growth) or negative (attrition). Since density of zooids is relatively constant, growth implies the addition of zooids while attrition implies the loss of zooids. To estimate change in area (for both, growth and attrition) we used only clearly identifiable colonies that did not fragment or fuse during the time interval from one photograph to the next. Colony area was measured using Sigma Scan Pro 2.0, and change in area was estimated as the difference in area from one photograph to the next - growth was when the difference was positive, attrition when the difference was negative.
Statistical Analysis. Student's t - tests were used to compare colony size, egg and larvae production and mortality between seasons. Number of divisions, fusions and deaths of colonies were compared between seasons after controlling for the number of colonies and the time interval between observations by means of regression analysis. Data were tested to meet the assumptions of each analysis and when necessary the appropriate transformations were applied (see Results). All tests were considered significant when p < 0.05.
Sexual reproduction. Reproduction (eggs and larvae) only occurred between November and May (June was not measured). Similarly, many more recruits were counted during summer (n = 230, or a mean of 0.48 recruits per colony counted) than winter (n = 17, or a mean of 0.04 recruits per colony counted, t = 4.81, df = 15, p < 0.05, Figs. 1, 2).
For analysis of colony area and fecundity, colonies were divided into four groups: with neither eggs nor larvae, with eggs but without larvae, with larvae but without eggs and with both, eggs and larvae. This comparison only included months in which eggs or larvae were found. Colonies increased in size with increasing investment in reproduction: non-sexually reproductive colonies were smallest, colonies with both eggs and larvae were largest, and reproductive status explained nearly 20% of the variation in colony size (F3, 126= 10.7, r2 = 0.18, p < 0.05, Fig. 3). Due to few colonies with larvae only (n = 7), this treatment was not different from the others, all of which were different from each other: colonies with eggs and larvae (mean = 80.0 mm2, se = 1.15, n = 34), eggs only (mean = 50.4 mm2, se = 1.10, n = 22) and non reproductive colonies (mean = 32.4 mm2, se = 1.10, n = 67, Tukey p < 0.05, Fig. 3) colonies. Similarly, both the number of eggs and the number of larvae and, consequently, the sum of the two, were positively correlated with colony area (Spearman's rho > 0.45, all p < 0.05). Thus, there is a relationship between fecundity and colony area. Area of the smallest colony with eggs was 26 mm2.
Asexual reproduction. Colonies were larger in winter (mean = 55.2 mm2, se = 1.09; summer mean = 14.7 mm2, se = 1.08, t = 11.3, df = 276, p < 0.05). Due to unequal sample size, a random sample of 139 of the summer measurements was taken for this comparison.
Comparisons of growth and attrition rates between summer and winter required that we controlled for time interval between photos as well as original area of the colony. This was accomplished through multiple regression from which residuals were taken to compare growth rates between seasons. Thus, the growth rate (area of growth per day per original colony area) was greater in winter (0.029 mm2 day-1 mm-2) than summer (0.021 mm2 day-1 mm-2, t = 3.03, df = 463, p < 0.05). Attrition rates were similar between summer and winter (t = 0.56, df = 302, p > 0.20). In summer, attrition rates (0.027 mm2 day-1 mm-2) were greater than growth rates (0.021 mm2 day-1 mm-2, t for unequal variances = 2.49, df = 571, p < 0.05). In winter growth and attrition rates were similar (0.024 mm2 day-1 mm-2, t = 0.92, df = 194, p > 0.2).
Zooid density was independent of colony area (r = -0.13, df = 74, p > 0.2) and therefore more or less constant. Hence, the number of zooids was correlated with colony area (r = 0.89, df = 74, p < 0.05). Zooid density was also independent of season (t = 0.13, df = 77, p > 0.02). The number of fusions, divisions and colony death were independent of season (all p > 0.10).
Didemnum rodriguesi alternates seasonally between mostly asexual reproduction in winter and sexual reproduction in summer. Fewer and larger colonies are found in the winter. Growth rate is somewhat greater and is combined with larger colony size in winter, for greater absolute colony growth during this period. There is a positive correlation between the total number of zooids and colony area and this means that the increase in colony size includes zooid replication (asexual reproduction). Further, from July 2003 until October 2003 (winter and spring) neither eggs nor larvae were found within colonies and very few recruits were seen in the marked quadrats.
Other species of colonial ascidians also alternate sexual and asexual reproduction (GOTELLI, 1987; DAVIS, 1989a; DURANTE & SEBENS, 1994) and this tendency of the lifecycle is frequently associated with the geographic distribution of the colonies. Temperature is one of the most important physical factors controlling the life cycle of marine organisms (BHAUD et al.,1995) and apparently determines whether sexual reproduction occurs year round or only in warmer months (MILLAR, 1971). Changes in water temperatures have been shown to affect gametogenesis and embryonic development. For example, there is a positive correlation between water temperature and larval release for the colonial ascidian Podoclavella moluccensis Sluiter, 1904 (DAVIS, 1989b; BINGHAM, 1997). A trend of increased asexual growth in colder temperatures was also found for five species of colonial ascidians from the northwestern Mediterranean (TURON & BECERRO, 1992). Also, the invasive Didemnum sp. subjected to experimental changes in temperature showed a weak but significant negative correlation between temperature and growth rate (MCCARTHY et al., 2007).
While growth was greater during winter, attrition is similar between seasons. Zooid regression and subsequent decrease in colony size is common in ascidians, especially in didemnids. Polysyncraton lacazei Giard, 1872, for instance, ceases to feed when it resorbs the branchial portion of the zooids and during zooid budding. This process is interpreted as rejuvenation that may extend the life span of the zooids (TURON, 1992). Degeneration also occurs spontaneously in colonies of Trididemnum solidum, when parts of the colony become covered with a mucus layer and subsequently disintegrate (BAK et al., 1981).
Attrition was greater than growth rate during the summer, but approximately equal to growth rate in winter, when growth rate was also greatest. These suggest that there may be a cost to sexual reproduction that occurs primarily during the summer. If so, this implies that both replication and survival of zooids decline while colonies are involved in sexual reproduction. The exact mechanism of this process merits further study.
Another form of asexual reproduction, colony fragmentation, was similar in summer and winter in D. rodriguesi. Fragmentation is a common reproductive strategy in cnidarians and up to 94% of some populations of plexaurid gorgonacea develop after fragmentation (LASKER, 1990). Fragmentation of colonial organisms may be a mechanism to increase genotype growth rates (KARLSON, 1988; STONER, 1989). Perhaps colonies that arise through fragmentation temporarily avoid the stages of sexual reproduction during which attrition rates are greater and thereby increase life span of each resulting fragment. In another congeneric didemnid, ability to fragment contributes to its competitiveness and its potential as a threat to benthic marine habitats and aquaculture in the northwestern Atlantic (VALENTINE et al., 2007b). Also, when an individual colony dies after fragmentation, its potentially immortal genotype may survive in other colonies (BAK et al., 1981). Predation may be an important cause of fragmentation. Fish, especially Diplodus argentus Valencienes, 1830 (Sparidae) were frequently observed foraging on the substrates that also supported D. rodriguesi. While observing fish actually consuming ascidians is difficult, colonies were seen drifting near the substrate while fish foraged. Also predation is probably often incomplete and parts of the colony may remain in the original location. Thus, colonies that survive partial predation may then grow and continue to reproduce both sexually and asexually.
The aggregate distribution pattern of D. rodriguesi may result from larvae limited dispersal (GROSBERG, 1987) or from extensive fragmentation in which fragments remain in place. Both mechanisms result in genetically related neighboring colonies and consequently fusion is more likely. The maintenance of fusion in the life history of didemnid and botryllid ascidians suggests that benefits accrue and surpass the costs of cell parasitism or zooid resorption associated with fusion (RINKEVICH & WEISMANN, 1992). Fusions of colonies of D. rodriguesi were constant throughout the year. Fusion results in rapid changes in colony size. Fusion of genetically identical colonies of Trididemum solidum rapidly produced large colonies (DUYL et al., 1981), which may permit more rapid reproduction if a minimum colony size is necessary to initiate reproduction. Fusion may also reduce the probability of predation. For example, larger zoantid colonies have greater survival rates, competitive ability and reproductive success (KARLSON, 1988, but see RINKEVICH & WEISSMAN, 1992). An inverse correlation between colony size and predation occurs in at least two species of colonial ascidians (TURON & BECERRO, 1992). Finally, fusion may increase the possibility of outcrossing during sexual reproduction.
Apparently, a minimum size for sexual reproduction occurs in D. rodriguesi. While smaller colonies were counted and followed, ~25 mm2 was the smallest colony with eggs and larvae. Many organisms show a positive correlation between fecundity and body size, such as the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri (HARVELL & GROSBERG, 1988). As shown here, colony size increases with sexual reproduction. Therefore, two possibilities exist to explain small reproductive colonies. Either small sexually reproductive colonies are in good conditions for growth, or they are fragments of larger, already reproductive, colonies. Regardless, the minimum size at sexual reproduction suggests that there is a trade off between growth and reproduction and below some size, growth is most important. To test these hypotheses will require finer resolution of colony dynamics on the time scale of days instead of weeks.
In conclusion, the life cycle of D. rodriguesi alternates between sexual reproduction in the summer and growth and survival in the winter. Other forms of asexual reproduction (colony division, zooid budding) may occur throughout the year. This complex of growth, survival, sexual and asexual reproduction, fragmentation and fusion generates complex population dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is fundamental to understand patterns of abundance and distribution as well as current concerns of invasive potential of colonial species. We recommend further study at two scales. First, fine-tuned resolution of the process of survival, fragmentation, fusion and reproduction will require more frequent observations, since these processes may occur very rapidly. Second, genetic studies, such as phylogeographical studies on local and regional scales will help illuminate the consequences for population dynamics of these complex processes.
Acknowledgements. We thank Seadivers Dive Center for the logistical support with dive operations. CAPES foundation gave a research grant to NR and CNPq to RMR. This is contribution 1713 of the Zoology Department, UFPR.
Recebido em outubro de 2007.
Aceito em julho de 2008. | 2019-04-19T07:48:42Z | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212009000100015 |
The present invention relates to a connection device for attaching a catheter to an implantable pump, or port.
Use of implantable pumps for treating chronic pain conditions has become widely accepted practice when more conservative means of relieving pain have failed. Implantable pump technology can be divided into two primary categories, namely constant flow and programmable. Both technologies incorporate an indwelling catheter to establish a fluid path from a pump disposed subcutaneously to a desired anatomical site, including but not limited to, arterial or venous locations, the epidural space and the intrathecal space of the spine. Some of the reported complications with implanted pumps deal with the connection between the pump and the catheter, including leaks, disconnect and reduced flow. Other reported complications involve the catheter itself, which include but are not limited to, kinking, occlusion, disconnect, malposition, migration and reduced flow. Thus, the success of an implanted pump system is dependent in large part on a successful and dependable connection between the pump and the catheter as well as the design of the catheter and the introduction techniques utilized.
Prior art implantable pumps employ relatively tedious and often complicated means for attaching the catheter to the pump, which also may promote problems for the entire pump and catheter system. For example, screw driven clamping connections are both complicated and unreliable as the required clamping action on the outer diameter of an unsupported catheter increases the risk of collapsing the inner lumen of the catheter. Stent based designs that do utilize internal support solve the problem of internal collapse, but require the additional step of attachment involving multiple sutures around the connection area. The suturing process, as well as the sutures themselves, can lead to broken or severed catheters at the suture site where the suture cuts through the catheter or surrounding support members. Also, variability in suture tying and force applied by the user leads to variability in attachment. Thus, a prior art approach to attaching the catheter to the pump has been to utilize a barbed stem connector. The pump is fit with a barbed or flared outer stem for the catheter to be placed therearound. The problem with these designs, which are common in subcutaneous access ports, is a connection that is relatively unsecured and potential damage to the catheter caused by the barbed section. Another related problem is that it is often difficult to ascertain whether a positive connection between the pump and catheter has been established. This can lead to catheter and/or pump damage as undue force is placed on the attachment system in order to get verification of the connection.
In addition to these drawbacks of the prior art systems, one of the primary concerns to overcome in developing a successful and reliable attachment system is that the catheters are generally very small in diameter while the pumps to which they are connected are relatively large. Thus, it is often physically difficult to make the connection between the pump and the catheter.
US-A-6,113,572 discloses a catheter connection system which is defined by a rigid, tubular stem attached at a proximal end thereof to a medical device. The stem has a plurality of engagement barbs encircling and radially, outwardly extending on an exterior surface of the stem. The engagement barbs can be configured having a variety of different sizes and positions. A locking barb also encircles and radially, outwardly extends on the surface of the stem between the medical device and the engagement barbs. A variety of fastening assemblies are provided for inwardly compressing a portion of a body wall of a selected catheter against the engagement barbs on the stem, when the stem is received in the lumen of the selected catheter. The fastening assemblies create a mechanical join and liquid-tight seal between the selected catheter and the stem. The selected catheter can be chosen from one of three or more catheters each having a combination of size and material composition distinct from the other of the catheters.
It is an object of the present invention, in a system involving an implantable pump and catheter, to provide a connection for a catheter system for use with implantable pumps and other known catheter-based systems that will maintain the effectiveness and longevity of the connection and system following implantation thereof.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a connection between the catheter and the pump which eliminates the need for suturing around the catheter, avoids potential collapse of the catheter or other attendant damage thereto.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connection system for an implantable pump and catheter that overcomes the difficulty arising from the size difference between the catheter and pump.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible interface between the catheter and pump body to facilitate attachment of the catheter and minimize strains on the connection.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a connection system for an implantable pump and catheter, which is very easy and quick to implement.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a connection system for an implantable pump and catheter that conforms a secure connection.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connection system for an implantable pump and catheter that is reliable and long-lasting.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description and drawings.
What is claimed is a connection device for attaching a catheter to an implantable port or pump, according to claim 1. In use, the catheter is in fluid communication with said port or pump, wherein a locking connection is established therebetween.
Fig 1 is a perspective view of an implantable pump with attached boot and stem of the connector device according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the boot and stem of the connector device according to the present invention.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the stem in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the stem of the connector device according to the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a subassembly according to the present invention, including the stem of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a boot of the connector device according to the present invention, including the subassembly of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a catheter lock of the connector device according to the present invention.
Fig. 8 is an end view of the catheter lock in Fig. 4.
Fig. 9 is a side view of a catheter and flushing hub useful with the connection device of the present invention.
Fig. 10 is a side view of a hub and stylet of Fig 9.
Fig. 11 is perspective view of the hub, stylet and catheter of Figs. 9 and 10.
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the hub and stylet of Fig. 10.
Fig. 13 is a cut away view of a distal end of a catheter useful with the connection device of the present invention.
The present invention is directed to a novel attachment device for securely connecting a catheter to a pump, which can be used in a variety of applications to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
One example of a suitable pump for use with the present invention can be seen in Fig. 1 as implantable pump 10. Implantable pump 10 could be any medical device that is implanted subcutaneously to deliver a steady stream of drugs or other fluids to the body. Generally, the implanted medical device will contain a septum through which an inner chamber to hold and dispense the drug or fluid can be accessed via a needle. The medical device will also have some type of mechanism to release the drug or fluid at predetermined intervals or in a steady stream at a given flow rate. This timed interval or flow rate can be regulated via mechanism within the medical device or outside of the body using other known means.
Examples of implantable medical devices that would be suitable for use in conjunction with the present invention can be found in U.S. Application Serial No. 09/481,298, filed January 11, 2000 , entitled "Implantable refillable infusion device and septum replacement kit" and in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,287,293 , entitled "Method and apparatus for locating the injection point of an implanted medical device;" 6,213,973 , entitled "Vascular access port with elongated septum;" 6,086,555 , entitled "Dual reservoir vascular access port with two-piece housing and compound septum;" 5,833,654 , entitled "Longitudinally aligned dual reservoir access port;" 5,049,141 , entitled "Programmable valve pump;" and 4,838,887 , entitled "Programmable valve pump".
The implantable pump 10 is shown in Fig. 1 with boot 20 containing a stem 30 according to a connector of the present invention, which is shown in more detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The boot 20 has an arm 24 that is curved to conform to the outside of the pump 10 so that the overall profile thereof is minimized to facilitate implantation and compatibility within the body. While the boot 20 is shown as curved to conform to the shape of the pump 10, in an alternate embodiment a boot would take on any shape of the outer contour of a port or pump to realize the advantages mentioned above. The boot 20 attaches to the implantable pump 10 via connector tube 22, which has a lumen 26 that fluidly connects the inner chambers of the implantable pump 10 (not shown) with the stem outlet 38. Of course, the boot 20 can be adapted further to connect to various shapes and sizes of pumps other than implantable pump 10. For instance, in the case of a conventional port with a straight stem, the boot 20 could be fashioned to replace the straight stem to reduce port profile, or in the case of a dual port system, the boot could likewise be fashioned to accommodate the shape of the housing to reduce the overall space occupied by the port or pump.
Among the many advantages of the conformal shape of the boot are less tissue trauma and reduced force on the catheter and catheter interface with the port or pump (i.e. a stem). Also, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the boot is made of a flexible material (such as silicone or a compliant polymer) so that it can be pulled away from the port or pump to which it is attached. This is important because in many applications, the catheters are extremely small, meaning that a physician or medical technician can often find it very difficult to push the catheter onto a stem extending from the port or pump. By providing a flexible boot, the physician or medical technician can pull the boot away from the port or pump, thereby facilitating attachment of the catheter to the stem. After the catheter is sufficiently attached and the boot is released, it will snap back into place, conforming once again to the shape of the port or pump.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stem 30 contains a base portion 32 and a tip portion 34 and is made of titanium. As shown in more detail in Fig. 3, the base portion 32 includes a forward portion 36 and an engaging lock portion 33. The engaging lock portion 33 is shown as a larger diameter in a wing configuration near a connecting portion 35 that attaches to the arm 24 of the boot 20. The engaging lock portion 33 is configured to communicate with the geometry of a locking mechanism (see Fig. 4) to secure the catheter 120 to the boot 20. Of course, the engaging lock portion 33 can take on various shapes and sizes and is not confined to the embodiment shown. Indeed, other types of engaging devices could be employed that would certainly be within the scope of the present invention, including twist locks, spring locks, etc.
The tip 34 is configured to receive the catheter 120 such that the lumen 122 of the catheter 120 fits over the tip 34 and is expanded by a tip end 39. Depending on the size of the catheter 120, the size of the tip 34 can vary, but generally, the diameter of a main body 37 of the tip 34 will be slightly larger than the lumen of the catheter so that a tight friction fit between the two is realized. In addition to the friction fit between the main body 37 of the tip 34 and the catheter 120, tip end 39 has a conical shape with a base portion attached to the main body 37 to further ensure a tight fit between the catheter 120 and the tip 34. The diameter of the base portion of the tip end 39 is larger than the diameter of the main body 37 to make disengagement difficult, but not so large that undue stress and resultant damage occurs to the catheter 120 as a result of compression to the wall thereof. The tip end 39 can also take on different forms other than the conical shape shown that will permit the catheter 120 to slide onto the stem 34, while ensuring that sliding off of the stem is unlikely.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a subassembly comprising a sleeve and a collar is attached onto a rear of the stem. Fig. 4 shows a stem 230 prior to attachment of a subassembly. Stem 230 has a rear portion 240 with a barbed end 242 that extends from a base portion 232. Stem 230 also contains a lumen therethrough, having three different sections. The first and largest diameter lumen section 222 is at barbed end 242, which is connected to a second diameter lumen section 224 by transition region 223, which in turn is connected to a third diameter lumen section 226 by transition region 225. As is apparent from Fig. 4, the lumen sections decrease in diameter from the first to the third section. However, as should be appreciated, other possibilities exist which would be equally within the scope of the present invention (e.g., the sections increase in size, the sections remain constant in size, or the sections have varying diameters).
Fig. 5 illustrates subassembly 250 in cross-section, including the stem 230, a sleeve 260 and a collar 270. In this embodiment, the sleeve 260 is made of silicone or like material, while the collar 270 is made of stainless steel. Certainly, however, other materials are possible and would be equally within the scope of the present invention. The sleeve 260 has a length 262, which in one embodiment is in the range of approximately 1.27cm to 2.54cm (0.5 in to 1.0 in). Of course, a length shorter than 1.27cm (0.5 in) and longer than 2.54cm (1.0 in) would also be within the scope of the present invention. The subassembly is constructed by sliding the sleeve 260 over the rear portion 240 of the stem 230 until a proximal end of the sleeve 260 abuts a flange 234 of the base portion 232. The collar 270 is then crimped into place around the sleeve 260 between the barb 242 and the flange 234 to secure the sleeve 260 to the stem 230. The length of the collar 270 in this embodiment should be long enough to tightly secure the sleeve 260 to the stem 230 to prevent relative movement, but short enough to lie in its crimped state between the barb 242 and the flange 234. It should be appreciated, however, that the length of the collar 270 can vary depending on the application and materials involved. It should also be appreciated that sleeve 260 could be secured to stem 230 in other ways, such as through the use of adhesives, etc.
Referring to Fig. 6, a boot 280 is illustrated in cross-section, including the subassembly 250. In this embodiment, the subassembly 250 is overmolded to form the boot 280, using a molding process as is well-known and understood in the art (although other means of forming a boot around subassembly 250 are also possible). While certainly many different materials are possible for the boot 280, in this embodiment, the boot 280 is made of silicone. It is important to note that by utilizing a silicone or like material, a silicone to silicone bond is formed along a majority of the overmolded segment, providing a superior mechanical bond in which stem 230 is secured within boot 280. Such a construction prevents the possibility of delamination of the stem 230 from the boot 280 and leaks associated therewith.
Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, a catheter lock 40 is shown. Fig. 7 illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the catheter lock 40, which in the preferred embodiment is made of a hard shell construction (for example, polyacetal resin, polycarbonate or polysulfones) to positively fit over the catheter 120 to secure in place and provide an audible and tactile lock and to provide added security against inadvertent needle sticks. Fig. 8 shows an end view of the catheter lock 40 from the locking end thereof, which is the end that engages with the base portion 32 of the stem 30. Not shown in either view is an optional radiopaque feature, which can be a metal ring, ink or other material on the distal end of the catheter lock 40, providing easy visualization under x-ray or fluoroscopy to verify lock engagement and position. Of course, a radiopaque section could be added to many different portions of the catheter lock 40 for accomplishing the same objective. The catheter lock of the present invention provides an easy, one-step connection mechanism to secure a catheter to an extension of a port or pump, eliminating the need for cumbersome suturing, which may cause damage to the catheter and/or the connection. While a preferred embodiment of the catheter lock is described herein, it should be appreciated that many configurations are possible that would certainly be within the scope of the present invention.
Referring again to Figs. 7 and 8, the catheter lock 40 has five distinct diameter portions each having a particular function with respect to the locking of the catheter 120 to the stem 30. A middle portion 42 of the catheter lock 40 contains the smallest diameter d1, which is sized slightly larger than the outside diameter of the catheter 120 so that the catheter lock 40 can slide freely along the length thereof. A distal portion 44 of the catheter lock 40 has a slightly larger diameter d2 to allow the catheter 120 to move freely after the catheter lock 40 is secured to the boot 20. The front portion of the catheter lock has three diameter portions 46, 48 and 49, having respective diameters d3 d4 and d5, designed to mate with the base portion 32 of the stem 30, and thereby providing a secondary tactile locking mechanism as will be explained in more detail below. Also positioned in the front portion of the catheter lock 40 are slits 50 positioned on opposite sides thereof to facilitate the movement of the diameter portion 49 of the catheter lock 40 over the engaging portion 33 of the stem 30 and the subsequent locking action therebetween.
The advantage of the catheter boot and locking system as described herein is the ease of connection in combination with the difficult disengagement of the catheter after assembly is complete (will not disengage at clinical loads/extensions). With reference to Figs. 3 and 7, a catheter connection in a preferred embodiment will be described. After the catheter 120 has been established within the body, for example having an end established in the spine as described above, and is tunneled or otherwise delivered to the location of the pump or port, the catheter connection thereto takes place. As mentioned, the catheter lock 40 is configured to slide freely along the catheter 120 and therefore can be threaded onto the end of the catheter 120 quite easily just prior to connection to the boot 20.
The lumen 122 of the catheter 120 is first slid onto the tip portion 34 of the stem 30 until the catheter 120 is midway along the section 37. The catheter lock 40 is then slid onto the stem 30 and pressed in a direction toward the boot 20 until an audible clicking sound is heard and a positive connection is felt. The slits 50 enable the catheter lock 40 to flex outward slightly when pressed over the engaging portion 33 to facilitate the connection. After connection has been established between the catheter lock 40 and the stem 30, the forward portion 36, having a diameter substantially equal to d3 is within portion 46 and the engaging portion 33, having its largest diameter substantially equal to d4 is within portion 48. Because portion 49 has a diameter d5 slightly smaller than that of the largest diameter of the engaging portion 33, once a connection has been established, the catheter lock cannot be pulled off of the stem 30. Portion 42, having diameter d1, is superimposed over the catheter on section 37 of the stem 30, preventing movement of the catheter within the lock due to the compression applied thereon and providing a primary obstacle for removal of the catheter 120 from the stem 30. In addition, this arrangement acts to seal the connection against fluid leakages between the various interfaces. Portion 49 with diameter d5 provides a secondary obstacle by preventing movement of the catheter lock in a direction away from the boot.
The inventive catheter lock can be used in conjunction with various pumps and ports as mentioned, as well as with a host of different catheters and catheter systems. Examples of intended uses for the catheter system described herein is to deliver pain medicating drug(s) to a patient at locations in the body including the intrathecal space, the epidural space, arterial and venous areas and directly into tissue. A preferred embodiment of the catheter system of the present invention can be seen in Figs. 9-13.
Referring to Fig. 9, a catheter system 110 useful with the present invention has a flushing hub 140 for flushing a catheter 120 during placement thereof in a patient's body, including a main hub body 154. At a proximal end of the flushing hub 140, an opening 158 provides access to an inner lumen 152 (see Fig. 12). At a distal end of the flushing hub 140, a cannula 156 extends therefrom and is in communication with the inner lumen 152. The cannula 156 surrounds a stylet 160, which can be seen in phantom within the catheter 120, and which is attached to the main hub body 154. The relation between the stylet 160 and the cannula 156 and main hub body 154 can be better seen in Figs. 10 and 11.
Fig. 11 shows the flushing hub 140 and stylet 160 along the length of the catheter 120. The flushing hub 140 allows catheter flushing without removal of the stylet 160 as well as the withdrawal of bodily fluid to confirm catheter location. The stylet 160 provides internal rigidity to the catheter 120 and allows for maneuverability via torque transmission down the stylet 160 from the proximal end of the catheter system 100 to facilitate precise placement of the tip. In the preferred embodiment, the stylet 160 is coated with a hydrophillic coating for ease of removal from the catheter 120. The coating reduces catheter bunching that can compromise the physical properties of the catheter 120 by leading to destructive forces on the catheter 120. The coating further reduces traction internal to the catheter 120 during stylet withdrawal and reduces the potential of tip and/or catheter malposition.
The catheter 120 is closely fitted over the cannula 156 to provide a continuous pathway from the inner lumen 152 of the flushing hub 140 into the lumen 122 of the catheter 120, thereby allowing for the flushing of fluid from the cannula 156 through the lumen of the catheter 120 around the stylet 160 to wet the stylet surface before exiting from the holes 126 at the distal end of the catheter 120 (see Fig. 13).
Fig. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the flushing hub 140. From this view, the inner lumen 152 of the main hub body 154 can be seen, with opening 158 at the proximal end thereof. In this particular embodiment, the stylet 160 is shown affixed to the body 154 and extends through the inner lumen 152, leaving a channel 153 on either side of the stylet 160 for fluid flow. Of course, the stylet 160 could be affixed in other locations not directly within the center of the inner lumen 152 of the main hub body 154. Also, the inner lumen 152 could be differently configured, depending on the features desired in a given catheter system.
Turning now to Fig. 13, a cut-away view of a distal end of the catheter 120 is shown. In a preferred arrangement, catheter 120 has a lumen 122 and walls 124 made of high durometer silicone for kink resistance and its beneficial properties with regard to biocompatibility and biodurability, though other materials are certainly possible that would similarly afford the advantages of the preferred material, such as polyethylene and polyurethane. The walls 124 in the preferred arrangement are relatively thick to further the goal of kink resistance, together comprising approximately half of the external diameter of the catheter (i.e., if the catheter 120 had an outside diameter of nominally 0.14cm (0.055 inches), each wall 124 in cross-section would have a thickness of at least 0.036cm (0.014 inches)). At the distal end of the catheter 120, a tip 130 is rounded in the form of a bullet and made of a highly radiopaque material to provide a dual advantage of a geometry that is less traumatic to bodily tissues and anatomical structures and an enhanced visibility, which facilitates location determination during and after introduction to the patient's body. The radiopaque material utilized for the tip 130 in a preferred embodiment is a combination of cured liquid silicone and tungsten powder in approximately 50% by weight of each component.
In the walls 124 of the catheter 120, a set of side holes 126 are provided to allow passage of fluid to and from the lumen 122. The side holes are drilled perpendicular to the surface thereof to limit surface area anomolies that may result in tissue trauma and/or catheter damage upon placement. A catheter segment 128 between the tip 130 and a side hole 126 is filled with similar material as the tip 130 to form plug 132. This feature, combined with the closed-ended geometry of the catheter 120 eliminates dead space that can host proteinaceous material and the like, which, if present within a catheter lumen, can propogate into an occlusion thereof.
As mentioned, one application of the connection device of the present invention is for use along with an implantable pump to deliver medication to the intrathecal space in a patient's spine. An indwelling catheter, such as catheter 120, is utilized to establish a fluid path from a subcutaneous pump through the dura membrane. The procedure generally consists first of embedding the catheter in the spine (5 to 10 cm). A drop of the spinal fluid is then allowed to form at the proximal end of the catheter 120 to confirm catheter location, after which the catheter is clamped. A tunnel is formed from the spine to the area of the abdomen, where the pump will be implanted, and the catheter is pulled through and cut to length. The catheter is then attached to the pump as described above through the use of an inventive boot and catheter lock. The pump is placed in a previously created pocket in the area of the abdomen and the pocket is closed. Implantation of the described system is relatively quick and easy and provides for prolonged delivery of drugs or medication to the spine.
The present invention has been described above in terms of a presently preferred embodiment so that an understanding of the present invention can be conveyed. However, there are many alternative arrangements for a connection device not specifically described herein but with which the present invention is applicable. For example, there are many different applications and configurations for a catheter locking system that would be within the scope of the present invention and similarly, there are many applications for a catheter and flushing system other than those specifically described. Although specific features have been given, the catheter system for locking a catheter to an implantable pump and for effectively flushing a catheter after implantation within a body of the present invention would equally be embodied by other configurations not specifically recited herein. The scope of the present invention should therefore not be limited by the embodiments illustrated, but rather it should be understood that the present invention has wide applicability with respect to catheter systems generally. All modifications, variations, or equivalent elements and implementations that are within the scope of the appended claims should therefore be considered within the scope of the invention.
a fourth diameter portion (49) adjacent the third diameter portion (48) that is approximately equivalent to the largest diameter of the engaging portion.
The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the locking device (40) further comprises a fifth diameter portion adjacent the fourth diameter portion (48), wherein the diameter of the fifth diameter portion is less than the diameter of the fourth diameter portion (48).
IT223227Z2 (en) 1991-07-17 1995-06-13 Saiag Ind Spa Clamping device to seal a flexible tube fitted in for-zamento on a tubular arrangement. | 2019-04-20T15:37:41Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1534364B1/en |
In Fabry disease (α-galactosidase A deficiency) accumulation of Globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) leads to progressive organ failure and premature death. The introduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was the beginning of a new era in this disorder, and has prompted a broad range of research activities. This review aims to summarize recent developments and progress with high impact for Fabry disease.
A Pubmed analysis was performed using the search terms "Fabry disease", "Anderson-Fabry disease", "alpha-galactosidase A" and "Gb3". Of the given publications by 31st January 2009 only original articles recently published in peer reviewed journals were included for this review. Case reports were included only when they comprised a new aspect. In addition we included relevant conference abstracts when the results had not already been published as original articles.
Apart from Gb3-accumulation cellular and organ specific damages may be related also to inflammatory and immunological consequences. It will be interesting whether this may lead to new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of Fabry disease. Since newborn screening is still difficult in Fabry disease, detection of patients in populations at risk is of great importance. Undiagnosed patients with Fabry disease may still be found in cohorts of subjects with renal diseases, cardiomyopathy and TIA or stroke. Efforts should be undertaken to identify these individuals and initialise ERT in order to hault disease progression. It has also been demonstrated that Gb3-accumulation leads to pre-clinical damages and it is believed that early treatment may be the only possibility so far to prevent irreversible organ damage.
The introduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Fabry disease in 2001 was the beginning of a new era for this lysosomal storage disorder. More than 2000 patients have been treated with either one of the two available formulations of genetically engineered α-galactosidase A. In general, safety and efficacy of both, Agalsidase alfa (Replagal, Shire Human Genetic Therapies) and Agalsidase beta (Fabrazyme, Genzyme Corp.), have been demonstrated [1, 2]. The introduction of these drugs was not only the desired hope for patients. It broke also new ground in research including a better understanding of pathology, natural course of the disease, treatment and outcome. Before the introduction of ERT for Fabry disease it had already been known that the basis of this disorder is the X-linked deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase A . The accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) had been regarded as the key link between pathology and clinical symptoms. Typical manifestations had been described as angiokeratoma, sweating disturbances, neuropathic pain, and hearing impairment. In addition, affection of the heart, the kidney and the central nervous system had been seen [4, 5].
To keep up with newest research in such a developing field is important, but may also be difficult. This review aims to summarize recent developments in the understanding of pathology, symptomatology, diagnosis, and treatment effects in Fabry disease. A particular focus is brought on publications appeared in 2008 as some of them are of outstanding importance and high impact.
A Pubmed-research was undertaken by the end of January 2009 for publications covering all aspects of Fabry disease. Search terms were 'Fabry disease', 'Anderson-Fabry-disease', 'alpha-galactosidase A', 'enzyme replacement therapy', 'globotriaosylceramide', 'Gb3' and 'lysosomal storage disease'. For this review, only recently published original articles have been considered. Case reports were included only if they described new findings. In addition to this, we included available abstracts from international conferences if the corresponding publications have not yet been appeared in peer reviewed journals.
Overall, 37 publications from different peer reviewed journals and 9 conference abstracts were appraised for this review. We classified these publications into eight categories focussing on (1) pathology, (2) heart, (3) neurology, (4) kidney, (5) children with Fabry disease, (6) diagnosis, (7) treatment, and (8) monitoring in Fabry disease.
The absence of infantile manifestations of Fabry disease despite deficient α-galactosidase A and Gb3-accumulation supports the hypothesis that Gb3 is not solely responsible for disease manifestation. However, Valbuena et al. hypothesized that the overloading of lysosomes with Gb3 may simply lead to the rupture of cytoplasma and in consequence to cell death .
Secondary effects of Gb3 accumulation which might be responsible for disease pathology include also inflammatory processes . Recently, Gb3 has been shown to be identical with membranous CD77 which is supposed to play an important role in apoptosis and necrosis . In addition, Rozenfeld and co-workers reported perturbed leukocyte function in Fabry disease compared to healthy controls and abnormal numbers of different immune cells, including lymphocytes, monocytes, CD8+ cells, B cells and dendritic cells . Noteworthy, in another study no correlation was found between CRP-levels as a global inflammatory marker and the Mainz-Severity-Score-Index (MSSI) as a marker for disease severity .
Other authors reported on auto-immunological reactions in α-galactosidase A deficiency. Moore et al. found higher expressions of neuronal apoptosis inhibiting protein as a key anti-apoptotic mediator in children with Fabry disease compared to healthy controls . Noteworthy, this upregulation did not change after institution of ERT, whereas apoptosis inducing factor appears to be upregulated under ERT. The authors were not able to explain their observations, but further research has to be directed on this topic.
Finally, Gb3-accumulation has been reported to induce oxidative stress and/or the formation reactive oxygen species (ROS) . Lipids and proteins may be oxidised and may be unable to function. Of note, ERT increased the generation of ROS in vitro, and up-regulated the intracellular adhesion molecule ICAM 1. The authors hypothesized that ERT may enhance endothelial damage, allowing to understand continuously occurring strokes in patients on treatment.
Another gateway into alteration of endothelial function may be given by the Nitric-Oxide-Synthase-3-genotypes. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide is a key regulator of vessel wall function and cardiovascular homeostasis. A genetic variant of the Nitric-Oxide-Synthase-3-gene is suspected to disturb this homeostasis and has been found to be associated with a decreased thickness of the posterior wall of the left ventricle . This observation may in part explain the large variability of cardiac phenotypes in Fabry disease.
A so far unknown observation of Gb3-accumulation has been made by Wang and colleagues who described Gb3 storage in pulmonary smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelium of a female patient with Fabry disease . This finding offers an explanation for dyspnoea in the context of Fabry disease apart from cardiac involvement. Four years of ERT in the 51-years old woman led to significant clinical improvement of pulmonary symptoms and in part improved lung function. However, CT-scans continuously showed fibrotic alterations.
Despite the high frequency of cardiomyopathy in Fabry disease , only little is known on the mechanisms leading to functional impairment and on the early cardiac affection.
To identify early cardiac abnormalities Toro and colleagues performed Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI)-studies in 59 adult patients and compared these results with that of 24 healthy controls . The authors demonstrated significant abnormalities of systolic and diastolic ventricular function with TDI even in patients with normal conventional echocardiography. In addition, isovolumetric contraction time was found to be the most sensitive parameter for detecting these functional changes.
Consistent with this, Kampmann et al. reported on cardiac manifestations of Fabry disease in 20 children below the age of 18 years prior to ERT . Thirty-five percent of the children already had left ventricular hypertrophy, and the remainder subjects had a LVM-index above the 75th percentile of healthy controls. During the 26-months follow-up period the LVM-index increased in more than 85% of the patients, while the remainder patients entered the echocardiographic criteria for LVH. Noteworthy, the increase in LVM was not followed by abnormalities in either systolic or diastolic function, and in general there were no signs of LVH seen in ECG. Another warranting observation of this study was the demonstration of reduced heart rate variability (HRV) in boys with Fabry disease suggestive of an impaired autonomic control of the heart which may be responsible for the increased cardiac morbidity. Palecek et al. demonstrated that also affection of the right ventricle is a common finding in both, males and females with Fabry disease . Impaired diastolic function was observed in about 50% of the patients, and the authors speculated that involvement of both ventricles may reflect the progressive character of the disease.
Weidemann et al. stressed the involvement of the heart valves in particular in patients with advanced cardiomyopathy, where insufficiencies of the mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve were found . It is likely that the altered myocardial morphology in advanced cardiomyopathy maybe together with fibrosis of cardiomyocytes may indirectly lead to heart valve regurgitation.
Apart from fibrosis of the myocytes, disturbances of the myofilamental structure has been observed in isolated cardiomyocytes of male patients with Fabry disease and LVH . A high percentage of Gb3 was found widely distributed over the cells, and it is not unlikely that the storage material directly impairs ventricle function (e.g. by impaired relaxation or stiffening of cardiomyocytes). The authors hypothesised that such changes may be responsible for diastolic dysfunction in Fabry disease. On a more functional level, Chimenti and co-workers found that the maximal isometric tension of a single cardiomyocyte was reduced . This reduction correlated with the decreased systolic velocities from TDI and with the degree of myofibrillolysis. In addition, myofibrillolysis was associated with degradation of myofilamental proteins suggesting that cardiomyocyte impairment may in part be explained by proteolysis. Progression of Fabry disease cardiomyopathy may be related to fibrosis of endomyocardial tissue, but was not correlated with TDI measurements of systolic or diastolic LV function in this study.
Cardiac involvement in Fabry disease is one of the major causes for premature death in Fabry disease . However, it is generally accepted that classic myocardial infarction as a result of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease is rare. Coronary angiographic properties were determined by intravascular ultrasound in nine patients and ten atherosclerotic controls . Atherosclerotic plaques in Fabry disease were suspected to have a larger number of lipid cores, and the pattern of the lesions was more echogenic. The authors speculated that Gb3 and disease-specific trophic alterations may explain the differences to regular atherosclerotic formations.
In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study sixteen adults were followed over a period of six months before 10 of them entered a two years extension study. The authors found a mean decrease in myocardial Gb3-content of ~20% in the treated group whereas the placebo-group showed a mean increase in Gb3 of ~10% . Though reduction of myocardial Gb3-content did not reach significance, LVM as measured by cardiac MRI and echocardiography was significantly decreased in the patients treated with Agalsidase alfa compared to an increase in the placebo group. After two years of treatment these results were confirmed by repeated cardiac MRI. Ejection fraction as a measure of cardiac function remained normal or hypernormal in the entire cohort. Shortening of QRS-duration confirmed previous reports on normalized conduction . The authors indicated that the significant reduction in LVM may be clinically relevant since LVM has been demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for premature mortality in other conditions.
From an observational study it has been reported that ERT with Agalsidase beta may reduce LVM and interventricular septum thickness . In contrast to this Koskenvuo et al. reported only minimal effects of Agalsidase beta on cardiac symptoms of nine patients with Fabry disease who were enrolled in an open-lable study . Only resting heart rate was significantly decreased over a follow-up period of 2 years, but no improvement in echocardiographic measures, ECG or exercise capacity was observed. Improvements seen in stroke volume on cardiac MRI after 12 months ERT were not retained after two years, and no other parameter reached significance.
Echocardiographic follow-up over more than three years in 29 males and females with Fabry disease under ERT with either of the available Agalsidase formulations failed to prove a decrease in left ventricular wall thickness, or left atrial size though improvement of diastolic function was observed . However, it has to be noted that the age of the study population was relatively young (37 ± 12 years) and that no further progression of the disease was observed in respect to cardiac manifestations under ERT. This observation is supported by a study from Kampmann et al. on the natural course of cardiomyopathy in male and female patients with Fabry disease . Repeated echocardiography was performed over an average time of 4.5 years in 76 patients. There, left ventricular mass index increased with age in both, males and females, respectively. Median time of onset of left ventricular hypertrophy was 44 years in males and 55 years in females. As expected, LVH was more frequently found in male patients and was also related to age. No functional measure was related to left ventricular mass index or left ventricular hypertrophy. Of note, left ventricular mass index increased by some 4 g/m2.7*year in men and slightly more than 2 g/m2.7*year in women. Following the authors, this difference may be explained by the mosaic-like distribution of Gb3 in female cardiomyocytes compared to male patients. In summary, these studies recommend initiation of ERT at an early stage of the disease since at least some of the cardiac manifestations may be irreversible [26, 27].
Recent data showed that left ventricular wall thickness showed significant improvement over a period of eight years in patients under ERT with Agalsidase alfa .
Apart from morphologic improvement of LVH and cardiac mass, Lobo and co-workers tried to evaluate a clinical effect of ERT on cardiac function by performing a 6-minute-walk-test and bicycle stress testing . However, the authors mixed male and female patients despite the different clinical affection. Moreover, females were on ERT only one third of the time males were treated with one of the enzyme formulations. In addition, both tests used may be significantly biased, e.g. by motivation, neuropathic pain in feet or aggravation of pain under physical exercise.
Probably the most debilitating symptom in Fabry disease is neuropathic pain. Though often labelled as "acroparaesthesia", it is well known today that virtually the whole body can become place of painful experiences .
The typical neurophysiologic pattern of pain in Fabry disease allows discrimination from other sensory neuropathies. Standardized quantitative sensory testing demonstrated severe impairment of thermal discrimination compared to patients with sensory neuropathies of large nerve fibres and to patients with other small fibre neuropathies .
Apart from the peripheral nervous system, the central nervous system is also known to be affected in Fabry disease, too. Cerebrovascular events significantly contribute to the pre-term mortality of Fabry disease with a median cumulative survival time of 50 years . Based on clinical-neurological and MRI evaluation Buechner et al. reported on a prevalence for CNS-involvement in up to 72% of patients with Fabry disease . Cerebrovascular disease occurred at a mean age of 42 ± 11 years in males and approximately 10 years later in females. In contrast to other reports, the authors found a nearly equal distribution of cerebrovascular involvement between vertebrobasilar and carotid districts.
Alari et al. observed changes in cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFV) in patients with Fabry disease who were treated with ERT . At baseline, there was a tendency towards higher CBFV in patients with Fabry disease compared to age-matched healthy controls. After 30 months ERT CBFV decreased significantly, which is in good agreement with previous observations over a shorter period of time .
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Fabry disease were evaluated by Schermuly et al. together with MRI and diffusion tensor imaging . Patients with Fabry disease were significantly more depressed and showed a lower cognitive performance than healthy controls. Interestingly, pain interference was significantly correlated to white matter lesions supporting previous observations by Cole et al. .
Close examination and laboratory analyzes is important to detect also pre-clinical affection of the kidney in Fabry disease. Tøndel et al. performed kidney biopsies in nine children, including two boys under ERT. Accumulation of Gb3 was found irregardless of clinical nephropathy, and structural changes of the kidney were observed in nearly 80% of the patients including glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis already in these young patients. Moreover, changes were seen in the glomerulum, the tubulo-interstitial space and small renal vessels. Noteworthy, the two boys receiving ERT developed de novo albuminuria despite treatment. The authors suggested kidney biopsies in all children and adolescents with Fabry disease and albuminuria in order to evaluate the extent of renal damage.
Erroneously, for decades females with Fabry disease were considered as carriers only. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that they are in fact patients who may develop the whole spectrum of the disease [5, 38].
A cross-sectional analyzes of the Fabry Registry focussing on kidney involvement in females revealed that renal impairment occurs in all classes of the chronic kidney disease classification including end-stage renal disease . Consistent with this other authors found proteinuria in one third of the female and nearly two third of the male patients, increasing with age in both genders. The latter finding is in contrast to a previous report by Deegan et al. , but was confirmed by other authors . Kidney affection was clearly evident by Gb3-accumulation in every glomerular cell type, and accumulation in peritubular capillaries was grossly related to the severity of nephropathy. These changes were observed in an early stage of the disease, and the authors speculated on its value as an indicator for ERT efficacy. In addition, non-specific glomerular and tubulo-interstitial lesions of degenerative origin were also seen. The authors concluded that kidney involvement in females with Fabry disease is not different from findings in male patients.
Rather seeking for morphologic but functional alterations in patients with Fabry disease, Vylet'al and co-workers reported on quantitative and qualitative changes in the excretion of uromodelin (UMOD) . Attenuated UMOD-expression was suspected to be directly linked to lysosomal storage processes as both, UMOD and accumulated Gb3 meet in the Henle-Loop of the kidney. Deficient UMOD-expression has been reported in association with impaired tubular function, in particular with impaired urine-concentration. Hence, the reported observations may explain the changes in tubular function seen in Fabry disease, and in particular the phenomenon of hyperfiltration reported in some patients.
Treatment effects have been analyzed based on data from 165 patients with Fabry disease enrolled in the Fabry Outcome Survey . Feriozzi et al. demonstrated that ERT with Agalsidase alfa may slow the decline in renal function of male and female patients. Moreover, this effect was also seen in patients with advanced renal failure (eGFR ≤ 59 ml/min*1.73 m2), and it was sustained over a period of three years.
Both, diagnosis and monitoring of kidney involvement in Fabry disease is hindered by the repeated discrepancies between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), 24-hour urine creatinin clearance (Cr) and isotopic GFR measurement.
An observational study on children enrolled in the Fabry Registry characterized disease manifestation in 352 children (194 boys, 158 girls) before the institution of ERT . In this cohort reported age at onset of symptoms was 6 years in boys and 9 years in girls, respectively. The most frequent symptom was neuropathic pain which was reported in about 60% of the boys and some 40% of the girls. Gastrointestinal symptoms were frequently reported with more than 1/4 of patients affected also on follow-up (baseline definition not clear). The frequency of abnormal skin findings (i.e. Angiokeratoma) in this group of patients was about 25% for abnormal sweating, and slightly more for abnormal heat tolerance. Abnormal cold intolerance was documented in 10-18% of patients (females vs. males). Cardiac involvement included mainly cardiac valve dysfunction (~19% of patients) and arrhythmias (~5% of patients). In addition, conduction disturbances were also seen. Renal insufficiency was reported in 3/144 patients with information on eGFR. The increased frequency of hyperfiltration may be due to an overestimation of eGFR in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, it is also not unlikely that hyperfiltration is an early sign of kidney affection in the context of Fabry disease. Of note, the information regarding quality of life and pain assessment in this study have to be taken with caution since both questionnaires (SF-36 and Brief Pain Inventory) are validated for adults, but not for children.
Several studies on the natural history of Fabry disease as well as analyses of the two available patient registries have shown that diagnosis often is carried out more than a decade after onset of first symptoms [44, 45]. Indeed, there are patients with a diagnosis not before irreversible organ damage has taken place. Several authors suggested early institution of ERT in order to prevent irreversible organ damage.
Projects are ongoing to evaluate the feasibility of newborn screening for Fabry disease, and pilot studies have been taken place in several countries [46, 47]. Males may be easily detected by determination of α-galactosidase A from dried blood spots, but there are still difficulties in detecting females with this method. Determination of residual enzyme activity in females may deliver erroneously normal activities in up to 40% of females with Fabry disease despite significant clinical disease .
However, newborn screening for Fabry disease may once be incorporated into already existing screening programs using tandem-mass-spectrometry. Such an implementation would not only allow early diagnosis of Fabry disease, but may also provide valid information on the real prevalence of Fabry disease.
This may be even more important since the pilot studies in newborn screening as well as secondary screening of populations at risk suggested a much higher prevalence than previously reported [1, 49]. In Austria screening of male kidney transplant recipients revealed an incidence of 1:262 in this population , which is markedly higher than previous studies on a similar cohort [51, 52], but less than reported by Nakao et al. several years earlier in patients undergoing haemodialysis . Porsch et al. detected two patients with deficient α-galactosidase A activity out of 577 male patients with unknown reason for renal failure and haemodialysis . The authors agreed that Fabry disease is still under-diagnosed also among patients on dialysis, and they emphasized the importance of proper medical work-up in patients with end-stage renal disease or renal failure.
Providing the missing enzyme to patients with Fabry disease sounds easy and in fact is simple to perform. Confirming previous reports, Keslová-Veselíková et al. reported that intravenously administered enzyme reaches the lysosome via Mannose-6-phosphate-receptor mediated uptake . The uptake of Agalsidase beta into the cells was higher than in Agalsidase alfa, a fact attributed to the enrichment with mannose moieties in Agalsidase beta. In both enzymes a total clearance of the fibroblastic lysosomes from Gb3 was observed after 24 h, and total quantitative analyzes of this clearance revealed a dose-dependency. However, the consumption of Agalsidase beta within the fibroblasts was much faster compared to Agalsidase alfa. The different pattern of enzyme consumption in different cell types and tissues support the idea of early treatment in Fabry disease in order to prevent functional organ damage. Noteworthy, uptake of Agalsidase into endothelial cells was better compared to uptake e.g. into cardiocytes and perineural cells. Hence, for some tissues it may be more effective to prevent Gb3 accumulation rather than cleave the storage material after years. Such a preventive effect may be needed in particular in cells after mitosis and cells with low potential for regeneration, e.g. myocardial cells. However, clinical studies on these effects are lacking.
Though several authors suggested early treatment of patients with Fabry disease using ERT, no randomized double-blind placebo-controlled studies have been performed in children, and most information in the paediatric age group results from observations based on the two clinical surveillance programmes. Anyhow, Ries et al. have evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile of Agalsidase alfa and have shown that this is comparable with that in adult patients . Moreover, Wraith et al. evaluated safety and efficacy of Agalsidase beta in children aging 8-15 years in an open-label study . There, ERT resulted in a decrease of Gb3-accumulation in skin biopsies and improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms after 24 weeks treatment. Interestingly, the authors did not find renal or cardiac symptoms at baseline, and stabilisation was reported under ERT. Forty percent of the patients experienced infusion associated reactions, and nearly 70% of patients developed IgG-antibodies.
Vedder et al. found that α-galactosidase-A-antibodies in adults occurred in about every third patient, but twice as often in Agalsidase beta compared to Agalsidase alfa . Confirming previous observations and in agreement with current understanding of pathology in females, no female patient developed antibodies. Of the patients with neutralizing antibodies more than 75% were treated with Agalsidase beta, and the authors found a correlation between antibody formation and dosage, but no correlation between antibodies and residual enzyme activity/GLA-mutation. In contrast to previous reports [2, 59] and independent from the administered enzyme, no decline of antibody levels was observed after 24 months. Clinical parameters such as renal function did not change over a follow-up period of 12 months in any of the treatment groups, and were not related to antibody formation. A decrease in LVM was reported only for 1.0 mg/kg Agalsidase beta, however, the combination of patients who received 0.2 mg/kg Agalsidase beta with those receiving 0.2 mg/kg Agalsidase alfa may be unfortunate as both drugs are different from each other . The authors concluded that high dose treatment may be more effective in reducing Gb3-levels, however, following treatment failure seven patients in this cohort received increased dosages of Agalsidase during the study, and five of them developed worsening of ischemic lesions in the CNS. Hence, a higher dosage may overcome antibody formation, but may not necessarily lead to clinical improvement. In addition, the authors stated that a translation to clinical efficacy is difficult to make as there are no reports available on the clinical outcome of patients with Fabry disease receiving enzyme replacement therapy in relation to antibody formation.
Apart from ERT there is another treatment strategy currently under investigation that is chaperone therapy. Chaperones are able to increase the residual activity in affected individuals, and as they are small molecules they are supposed to cross the blood brain barrier. Shin et al. reported on an association between genotype and response to chaperone therapy , a fact that may not surprise. The effect of chaperone therapy is, e.g. to correct the structure of misfolded proteins which in their faulty configuration may not be effective. Hence, only those patients with misfolded enzyme products as a consequence of GLA- mutations may benefit from chaperone treatment.
Both, the pattern of clinical symptoms as well as the response to ERT is heterogeneous and not foreseeable. A biomarker that is uniformly found throughout male and female patients representing the total load of Gb3-storage throughout the body would be very helpful. Ideally, such a biomarker should allow also diagnosing patients independent of their gender.
In this context, Aerts and co-workers reported on the occurrence of lyso-Gb3 in plasma of patients with Fabry disease . Lyso-Gb3 is structurally similar to Gb3 which could not be identified in plasma from control individuals. In hemizygotes a strong correlation between plasma Gb3 and lyso-Gb3 was found, but there was no correlation observed between lyso-Gb3 and the Mainz-Severity-Score-Index as a clinical index for disease severity in male patients. The latter finding may not necessarily limit the impact of lyso-Gb3 but may be related to methodological concerns regarding the MSSI as a cross-sectionally used severity score. However, the MSSI has recently been shown to correlate in a more longitudinal setting with changes under ERT . Lyso-Gb3 in females correlated with the MSSI and with left ventricular mass. In a cell culture, lyso-Gb3 promoted proliferation of smooth muscle cells when given in concentrations similar to those found in plasma of symptomatic patients with Fabry disease. In contrast to Gb3, lyso-Gb3 influenced vascular remodelling in vivo, and ERT with either form of Agalsidase lead to decreased concentrations of lyso-Gb3 over a period of one year, but not to complete absence of the compound. In summary, lyso-Gb3 cannot be used as a biomarker.
Another approach for a biomarker was presented by Thomaidis and co-workers, who suggested membranous CD77, the membranous form of Gb3 . The amount of membranous CD77 shall mirror the tissue load of Gb3, and it has been shown to decrease under ERT with Agalsidase alfa in a kidney cell model. Since CD77 may play an important role in apoptosis and necrosis , there may be a link to kidney failure in patients with Fabry disease and accumulation of Gb3.
Important progress has been made regarding the understanding of disease pathology, diagnosis and treatment effects in Fabry disease. Obviously, Gb3-accumulation alone is not responsible for the cellular and organ specific consequences. In fact, inflammation and immunological aspects have to be considered in the development of Fabry disease, too. It remains open whether or not these findings may lead to future treatment options.
Selective screening of populations at risk have clearly shown that there are still undiagnosed patients with Fabry disease, and efforts should be undertaken to identify these individuals, e.g. in cohorts of patients with cardiomyopathy, unexplained renal disease and/or populations with stroke. This is even more important since there is good evidence that ERT may at least halt progression of Fabry disease. Moreover, the publications reviewed here demonstrate pre-clinical damages of heart, kidney and CNS. If there is, however, the possibility that ERT in Fabry disease may prevent irreversible organ damage as it is suggested by some authors and believed by experts in this field, treatment has to be started in young age.
Dr. Hoffmann received travel grants and honoraria for lectures from Genzyme Corp. Germany, from Shire Human Genetic Therapies Germany and Biomarin Germany. There are no conflicts of interest to be declared. | 2019-04-24T14:30:34Z | https://ojrd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1750-1172-4-21 |
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A smoke detector system that includes an airflow barrier installed between a detector base unit and a mounting surface to ensure there is separation between the detector base unit and the mounting surface. The barrier isolates and seals the smoke detector to prevent the formation of condensation in or around the smoke detector. The barrier further includes a cavity that can collect condensation if condensation does occur. The condensation is then directed to a channel that extends around the periphery of the airflow barrier. Additionally, the channel includes weep holes so that condensation has a means to exit the detector.
20010011945 DYNAMIC VIRTUAL PAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS August, 2001 Gilliland et al.
20040143381 Switching a turn signal indicator on or off July, 2004 Regensburger et al.
20020163421 Personal fingerprint authentication method of bank card and credit card November, 2002 Wang et al.
20070279525 Audience detection for increasing component longevity December, 2007 Wu et al.
1. A detector system comprising: a smoke detection engine for detecting smoke; a detector base unit for mounting the smoke detection engine to a mounting surface; and an airflow barrier between the mounting surface and the detector base unit, which includes a gasket through which wiring passes.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the airflow barrier includes one or more weep holes to drain fluids.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the airflow barrier is comprised of a ring barrier and the gasket that is seated in a center portion of the ring barrier.
4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the gasket includes pass through locations to allow installation hardware and/or wires to puncture the gasket while forming a seal around the installation hardware and/or wires to prevent the fluids from entering the detector base unit.
5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the gasket is fabricated from rubber, silicone, or plastic.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detector base unit includes contact points to interface with the smoke detection engine.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detector base unit is connected to a relay that controls a fire door.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the airflow barrier creates a cavity between the mounting surface and the airflow barrier to collect fluids.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein a center portion of the airflow barrier is recessed to create the cavity.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the airflow barrier is dome shaped to direct the fluids toward a periphery of the airflow barrier.
11. A method for implementing a detector system, the method comprising: providing a smoke detection engine for detecting smoke; mounting the smoke detection engine to a detector base unit, which is installed mounted to a mounting surface; installing an airflow barrier between the mounting surface and the detector base unit; and passing wiring through a gasket of the airflow barrier.
12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing one or more weep holes in the airflow barrier to drain fluids.
13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising connecting the detector base unit to a relay that controls a fire door.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the airflow barrier creates a cavity between the mounting surface and the airflow barrier to collect fluids.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a center portion of the airflow barrier is recessed to create the cavity.
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the airflow barrier is dome shaped to direct the fluids toward the channel on the periphery of the airflow barrier.
17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising passing installation hardware through the gasket.
18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising puncturing the gasket with the installation hardware.
19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising puncturing the gasket with wiring.
This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/047,938, filed on Oct. 7, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Smoke detectors are often used for monitoring areas inside of buildings such as houses, office buildings, warehouses, or casinos, to list a few examples. The detectors are typically installed on mounting surfaces (e.g., walls or ceilings) of the buildings and typically connect to power sources. The smoke detectors monitor the surrounding air for smoke or other indicators of fire and generate an alarm if smoke and/or other indicators of fire are detected. The alarm may be an audible tone, a visual warning (e.g., flashing lights), and/or a signal sent to a fire control panel, which may then be directed to a fire department and other building alarm systems. In some cases, the smoke detectors further include a relay for closing a nearby fire door, for example.
One problem with smoke detectors that are installed on mounting surfaces is that the temperature and moisture content of air behind the mounting surfaces are often different than the temperature and moisture content of air surrounding the smoke detectors. For example, in an office building it common for heating and/or cooling ducts to be routed through the walls or above a suspended ceiling, but rooms within the office building will be climate controlled. The space above the suspected ceiling may not even be climate controlled to any significant degree. Associated problems can be magnified when an electrical box, to which the detector is mounted, is not flush with the wall or additional knockouts have been removed from the electrical box. This facilitates airflow around the smoke detector and the unconditioned space behind the mounting surface.
When air at different temperatures meet, condensation can form. In the case of the air meeting around smoke detectors, the condensation can form on or within the detectors. This condensation can cause corrosion or damage to electrical wiring and electronic components of the detectors. In many cases, the damage will require the detectors to be serviced or replaced.
One previous solution to solve the condensation problem used a flat piece of rubber to act as a barrier between the mounting surface and the detector. This solution, however, did not always ensure that detectors would sit flat against the mounting surface. Additionally, this previous solution could trap moisture around the detector if condensation did occur.
The present system is directed to an airflow barrier, which is comprised of a ring barrier and gasket, to ensure that there is a separation between a detector base unit and a mounting surface. Additionally, this airflow barrier creates a cavity and/or channel between mounting surface and the gasket of the airflow barrier to collect condensation (if condensation occurs) and then drain it to a channel, which preferably extends around the perimeter of the barrier. The channel includes weep holes so that the condensation has a means to exit.
In general, according to one aspect, the invention includes a detector system comprising a smoke detection engine for detecting smoke and a base unit for mounting the smoke detection engine to a mounting surface. The detector system further includes an airflow barrier connected to the base unit that creates a cavity and/or channel between the airflow barrier and the mounting surface when the airflow barrier is installed against the mounting surface. Additionally, the airflow barrier includes a channel on a periphery of the airflow barrier that receives fluids from the cavity.
In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a method for implementing a detector system. The method includes providing a detector base unit, which includes a smoke detection engine. The method further includes installing an airflow barrier between a mounting surface and the detector base unit. The airflow barrier creates a cavity and/or channel between the airflow barrier and the mounting surface. Additionally, the airflow barrier includes a channel on a periphery of the airflow barrier that receives fluids from the cavity.
The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a smoke detector installed on a mounting surface of a room.
FIG. 2 is a cross section of the smoke detector and illustrates a detector head unit, a detector base unit, and an airflow barrier.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view further illustrating a back side of the airflow barrier and a channel.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a front side of the airflow barrier and a gasket installed in the airflow barrier.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a front side of the detection base unit, which includes contact points to interface with the detection head unit.
The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the singular forms of the articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms: includes, comprises, including and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Further, it will be understood that when an element, including component or subsystem, is referred to and/or shown as being connected or coupled to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an inventive smoke detector 100 installed on a mounting surface (e.g., a wall or ceiling) 112 of a room 50. Typically, the room 50 is within an office, a government building, a school or university, a warehouse, a hospital, a casino, or a house, to list a few examples.
In general, the housing of the smoke detector 100 is comprised of three main components: an airflow barrier 102, a detector base unit 106, and a detector head unit 108.
The airflow barrier 102 provides separation between the detector base unit 106 and the mounting surface 112, such as a ceiling tile of a suspended ceiling. The separation helps isolate the detector base unit 106 from the mounting surface and prevent the formation of condensation in or around the smoke detector 100. In some scenarios, however, the formation of condensation is unavoidable. In the event that condensation does form, the airflow barrier 102 seals the detector base unit 106 from the mounting surface 112 to prevent condensation from seeping into the detector base unit 106 (and detector head unit 108).
Typically, the airflow barrier 102 is molded to be compatible with the detector base unit 106. Shaping the airflow barrier 102 to the detector base unit 106 minimizes the possibility of gaps between the detector base unit 106 and the airflow barrier 102, which reduces the possibility of leaks between the airflow barrier 102 and the detector base unit 106. Additionally, it also prevents outside contaminants such as dirt and dust from entering the detector base unit 106.
The detector base unit 106 is installed below the airflow flow barrier 102. In the illustrated example, the detector base unit 106 includes a notification light 107 such as a light emitting diode (LED), which provides a visual indicator that the smoke detector 100 is powered and operating correctly. During an alarm, the notification light 107 may flash repeatedly to provide a visual warning.
The detector head unit 108 is attached to the detector base unit 106. Air (shown as arrows with dashed lines) enters vents 110 of a detector head unit 108 and is analyzed for indicators of fire. The smoke detector will generate an audio or visual alarm if indicators of fire are detected.
The detector head unit 108 and detector base unit 106 receive power from and communicate via a power source/data network 121. Power and data are carried via electrical wiring 123, which is routed through an electrical box (or junction box) 116. Typically, the electrical box 116 is a metal or plastic box installed in or behind the mounting surface 112.
In the illustrated example, the smoke detector 100 is connected to a relay 130 that controls a fire door 126. Upon detection of smoke, the smoke detector 100 sends a signal to the relay 130 to close the fire door 126. Alternatively, the smoke detector 100 could be connected to other devices such as a fire control panel or sprinkler system.
FIG. 2 is a cross section of the smoke detector 100 that further illustrates the detector head unit 108, the detector base unit 106, and the airflow barrier 102.
In a preferred embodiment, the airflow barrier 102 is comprised of a ring barrier 101 and a gasket 103, which is seated within a center portion of the ring barrier 101. The ring barrier 101 is fabricated from non-rigid materials such as plastic, rubber, or silicone, to list a few examples. This enables the ring barrier 101 to provide a stable surface on which the detector base 106 is mounted, but also enables the ring barrier 101 to flex and be mounted flush against uneven surfaces.
The gasket 103 is fabricated from a non-permeable material such as rubber, silicone, or plastic to prevent condensation from seeping into the detection base unit 106. The gasket 103 further includes pass through locations 124, which allow wires 118 to puncture the gasket 103 while forming a seal around the wires 118. This prevents condensation or other containments from seeping into the detector base unit 106.
The gasket 103 also includes areas to allow installation hardware 117 to puncture the gasket 103 and fasten the detector base unit 106 to an electrical outlet box 116 while forming a seal around the installation hardware to prevent fluids from seeping into the detection base unit 106.
In the current embodiment, the gasket 103 is slightly recessed compared to the ring barrier 101. The gasket 103 is slightly recessed to create a cavity 105 between the ring barrier 101 and the mounting surface 112. The cavity 105 collects condensation, which overflows into or is directed to the ring barrier 101 and the weep holes 114. Additionally, the existence of the cavity enables the ring barrier 101 to mount flush against uneven surfaces. In other examples, no cavity is present. Instead only channel(s) or dome shaped structure(s) are provided to direct fluids (water) away from any wires and toward ring barrier and the weep holes.
A channel 104 is on a periphery of the ring barrier 101 and is connected to the cavity 105 to receive fluids from cavity 105. In a typical implementation, the channel 104 includes the weep holes 114, which provide a means for the fluids to drain from the channel 104.
The detector base unit 106 includes installation hardware 117 to secure the detector base unit 106 to the electrical box 116. The electrical box 116 includes screw holes 128 for receiving screws, fasteners, or other installation hardware. In a typical implementation, the installation hardware 117 of the detector base unit 106 secures the airflow barrier 102 in place against the mounting surface 112.
A circuit board 120 of the detector base unit 106 includes data network interface chips and address information for the detector 100, which enables the determination of the location where the smoke detector 100 is installed because building or large rooms often include several smoke detectors. This address information helps pinpoint where a fire is located.
Power and/or data are carried from the power source/data network 121 to the smoke detector 100 via wiring 123, which is routed to the electrical box 116. The wiring 123 is separated into the individual lines and connected to terminating screws 119 on the circuit board 120. In a typical implementation, the electrical wiring 118 is comprised of four separate lines: a positive wire and a negative wire “arriving” from a fire alarm control panel or detector and a positive wire and a negative wire “leaving” for a next detector. This configuration allows multiple smoke detectors within a building or room to be interconnected and/or communicate with the fire alarm control panel.
The detector base unit 106 further includes contact points 402 to interface with the detector head unit 108.
The detector head unit 108 includes a smoke detection engine 111 that analyzes the surrounding air for indicators of fire. Examples of smoke detector engines include optical detectors, ionization detectors, or air-sampling detectors, to list a few examples. If indicators of fire or specifically smoke are detected, then an alarm is generated. While not shown in the illustrated example, the detector head unit 108 also includes speakers and/or strobe lights to generate warnings when an alarm is generated, in some embodiments.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view further illustrating a back side of the airflow barrier 102 and the channel 104.
The illustrated example shows how the channel 104 extends about the periphery of the ring barrier 101. Additionally, the illustrated example further shows the weep holes 114. While the illustrated embodiment only shows two weep holes, additional weep holes or only a single hole may be implemented in alternative embodiments.
The illustrated example further shows the gasket 103 and the pass-through locations 124. In the illustrated example, the gasket 103 further includes secondary pass through locations 206, which enable the smoke detector to connect to other devices for additional functionality. In one example, the secondary pass through locations 206 are utilized to connect the smoke detector 100 to the relay that closes the fire door.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a front side of the airflow barrier 102 and the gasket 102 installed in the ring barrier 101.
The illustrated example provides a front view of the gasket 103, pass-through locations 124, and secondary pass-through locations 206.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a front side of the detection base unit 106 of the smoke detector 100, which includes contact points 402 to interface with the detection head unit 108.
When the detector head unit 108 is attached to the detector base unit 106, contact points 402 of the detector base unit 106 interface with connections of the detection head 108 (not shown in the figures). Typically the location of the contact points 402 in the detector base unit 106 is standardized to enable detector head units from (that are the same make and model) to be interchangeable.
While the present system is directed to an example of a smoke detector 100, other devices such as carbon monoxide/dioxide detectors, motion sensors, and light fixtures could implement features of the present system.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. | 2019-04-18T16:16:32Z | http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2015/0254954.html |
Here are my Fall/Winter Offerings in Soulwork: Small group and individual sessions using simple art processes and writing prompts to OPEN TO MYSTERY, EXPLORE LIFE’S DEPTH DIMENSIONS, and DEEPEN OUR FREEDOM.
Much thinking, contemplation, scholarship, and love have gone into the planning, and I consider it an honor to be able to do my life’s work, and welcome you to join me. Also, if there is anyone you know who you think might be interested in these sorts of circles, please forward this email to them. Due to my health challenges, I really don’t have extra energy to get the word out so rely on word of mouth to find the people who would love this work. Please contact me with any questions.
STORY CIRCLES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER: What is a Story Circle? After the listings below I explain the intentions and format of this work. Keep scrolling!
A Poet’s Words: Falling in love with poetry. We will each choose a poet or a selection of poetry we love and each have an evening to share them with the others, along with 3 or 4 writing prompts to help us more deeply appreciate the poetry. Second Wednesdays of the month, Sept. 12 to June 12, 7-9:30 p.m. $150 or PWYC (pay what you can or barter).
Making Meaning, Making Soul: Depth Dimension (i.e., spiritual) Practices of Word, Image, Dream (Narrative), and Silence to embrace independent thinking and spiritual deepening. Last Wednesdays of the month, September 26 to June 26, 7-9:30 p.m. $200 or PWYC.
Untie the Strong Woman: Exploring the archetype of unconditional love in this book by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D. She tells her personal stories of encountering Holy Mother in the most unlikely of life situations, inviting us to identify moments of illumination in our own lives. First Fridays of the month, September 7 to June 7, 1:30-4 p.m. $200 or PWYC.
Wonderings about Dreams: Exploring our night dreams and/or our daydreams for meaning, insight, and guidance. We don’t pronounce on what our dreams are “telling us to do”, but invite intuition and creativity through an “If this were my dream. . . “ approach using modified Jungian and shamanic methods. Third Wednesdays of the month, Sept. 19 to June 19, 7-9:30 p.m. $150 or PWYC.
The D&R (Deep and Real) Life: Apprenticing to the Sacred Exploring our ways of knowing the Sacred through examining some of the Christian Mystics and laying our lives down alongside this wisdom. From “the dark night of the soul” through “after the ecstacy, the laundry”. First Sundays of the month, Oct. 7 to July 7, 1:30-4:30 p.m. $300 or PWYC.
Open Studio: Simple Art Explorations Various accessible projects in artistic expression, journalling, or card/book making. No previous art experience needed. You are welcome to join in the projects, simply play with the art supplies available, or just join in conversation and tea. Last Saturdays of the month, Sept. 29 to June 29, 1:30 to 4:30. Come when you can; no commitment to the full year. By donation.
What is a Story Circle? We are a small group of 4 to 8 who meet monthly (usually September through June) for 2 ½ to 3 hours in order to delve deeply into a particular topic or practice, sharing insights and personal applications. I facilitate as sensitively as possible, creating an environment of hospitality and depth where we can articulate what we didn’t know that we knew, as well as to learn new ways to bring soul into our everyday lives. There are usually assigned readings (though optional), and I prepare writing or simple art prompts that help us reflect on and incorporate different aspects of the Story Circle’s topic. The goal is to lay our lives down alongside the life stories of others (both those of the authors we’re reading as well as each others’) in order to find and/or create meaning, understanding and richness in our inner lives. This richness radiates out into whatever we do in the world to bring wholeness and positive change whether in our families or our organizations. No one is encouraged to share more than they are comfortable with, and the meetings are designed so that each participant has several choice points regarding how much they want to share. After we respond to the prompts in writing or with image or color, we share what we wish in our “go-arounds”. Each of us having a written record of our topics, prompts, and responses adds layers of life documentation and reminders of new areas to explore. I come from an interspiritual stance where spiritual wisdom from all traditions is respected and encouraged, while also appreciating the legacy of my Catholic Christian history. I stand for personal sovereignty, critical and independent thinking, and building authentic community. The groups are educational, not therapy, though participants have found them helpful in examining and healing their suffering. I have trained in counselling and crisis intervention, especially regarding sexual violence, but am not a licensed therapist.
I also offer individual sessions for counsel/planning, intentional creativity, and simple ceremony to mark life transitions. Between 1.5 – 2 hours, by appointment.
About me: I am a contemplative educator, counsellor, and artist, helping women and men navigate the Depth Dimensions of their lives through image, word, silence, and dream. I believe that the most important work each of us can do is to live out our gifted selves fully, creatively, and freely, to make a home for all of us, in a world which too often wounds our bodies and souls and colonizes our minds with distractions, commercialization, and other people’s agenda.
I live in the liminal places, between the worlds where spiritual reality meets ordinary life, where word (poetry, prose) meets image (paintings, journals), where wild adventure meets chronic pain, and where prairie meets mountains in western Canada.
A student of the wisdom traditions of the world, I have a Masters in Education, 4 years’ graduate study and a B.A. in Theology, plus more than 30 years’ experience in service and education, including as counsellor and Executive Director of a sexual assault center. Trained in post-trauma counselling and a certified Intentional Creativity Teacher and Coach, I have taught in university, high school, professional development, and privately. I stand on the shoulders of my beloved teacher Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of more than 30 works including the bestselling Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. I have studied with her for the past 8 summers in 11 week-long intensives.. I work out of my home studio in traditional Blackfoot territory in Lethbridge, Alberta, and on the internet through video calls. A 60 page chapbook of my paintings and poetry entitled Open to Mystery is now available.
Prayer, and turning towards the Light — Solstice!
Prayer is good thought, focused. In this painting I wanted to show how our ideas (hair, here in small spirals) go out into the world (the unravelled spirals, enlarging in the background around the woman) to influence for good or ill. The red triangles are the thoughts focused, prayer. The ideas and the focused thought can help organize the matter and the spirit of our often chaotic lives.
I’m just back from attending a week-long intensive with Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her series “Heart of the Wounded Healer”, held at Sunrise Ranch outside of Denver, Colorado.
I’m so grateful to have been able to go, to learn so much from her and my fellow participants about psychological and spiritual healing, which of course influences our bodies’ experience of wholeness and health, and to have the chance to work through whatever is left in my own life to resolve and heal, as well. Travelling is very difficult for me, and I’m still so tired out that I’m saying I’m the best looking zombie in Lethbridge right now!
So a short post today to share my painting, and to offer perhaps a new way to think about praying —- and how it may be effective.
May you use your good ideas and your powers of focus to bring Light, love, and decency into our needful world.
Happy New Moon! What new ideas, projects, or adventures are growing in your life these days?
The poetry reading on the 28th went very well. I’m so appreciative that so many of “my people” came to hear and support me, and I had a really good time. I also took along three of my paintings that go along with some of my poetry. A real blessing that came out of the experience is that it did a lot for the “imposter syndrome” that so many of us struggle with: I feel more confident in claiming that yes, I am a poet and artist.
It’s been a helluva spring, this year.
Yet the white blanket sparkling in the sunshine IS pretty. . .
The deer have visited in the night!
Hungry, they’re cleaning up the last of the crabapples.
to get to my house.
blessing my neighborhood of little boxes all in a row.
Wildness has visited, anointing my front yard.
Holy people would wear headdresses of deer antlers.
become a tree of life to ascent to the spirits.
The antlers reach out to pick up new ideas on the wind.
creating paths to food and survival.
and to leave paths for others to find their way, too.
come find us in our little boxes, all in a row.
right in front of our noses.
Thank you for reading my work!
The Jester’s Court is a series of evenings of readings and concerts organized by Jeff Godin, who used to be part of the Most Vocal Poets group here in Lethbridge.
It would be wonderful to see you there!
Also, because of this event, I am CANCELLING the OPEN STUDIO for April. I plan to resume the OPEN STUDIOS on the last Saturday in May.
Welcome to my world this April! I’ve just finished two university classes that I’ve been auditing this semester at the University of Lethbridge: God on Trial, a philosophy course that dealt with theodicy — the question of how to reconcile a good God with the presence of evil and suffering, and Comparative Mysticism, a religious studies course. Both were great, but together, just about killed me off —- I reluctantly have to admit that going out every day (or 4 days a week) is just not sustainable for me, health and energy wise. I had thought that since I was very excited about the courses and that the logistics were manageable, that I would be able to add them to my days. But no, getting to the courses took almost all my energy, and other projects suffered.
It was really delightful, though, to relate to the profs and other students in lively intellectual discussions, something I’ve missed for many years. I’m a life-long learner, and am always taking courses on-line or in person, but the intellectual banter of the academic courses was stimulating and fun.
The words in the background are “feel, think, remember”. They are cues for associating to images from dreams or stories: “When I think of x , what do I think, feel, or remember about this image?” Associating to personal images, especially in dreams or in experiences of synchronicity, is one of my prime ways of accessing inner knowledge, and in this painting I was pouring a whole set of my current concerns. A new medication I’m trying suppresses the remembering of my dreams, and that’s a big issue for me! I’m re-teaching myself all my tricks to remember dreams, and appreciating the fragments and stray images that still manage to come through.
The cauldron is reminiscent of Ceridwen’s cauldron with the magical elixer — where even just three drops are enough to grant full wisdom and knowledge. The decorations on the cauldron are two intertwined snakes, visually associated both with healing (the caduseus) and with the shape of our DNA molecules, a tripartite intertwined shape reminding us of the movement in groupings of threes (thesis, antithesis, synthesis; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Maiden, Mother, Crone; the phases of the moon; etc.), and a row of frogs. The frogs are imaged in the shape of a woman giving birth. For me, frogs are symbols of irrepressible energy and new possibility. In a dream I had many years ago, I was carrying a bucket that was lidded, but it was filled with a few frogs that kept leaping out of the bucket no matter how I tried to tighten the lid. The rose is a symbol of so many ideas for me, also associated with so much mythology, especially the European mythology of my ancestors. Here, the rose reminds me of the unfolding mystery of life, which never fails to pull me in.
My intention for this New Moon is to develop a new habit: I will check email and the internet no more than three times daily. I don’t have a problem with internet addiction, but I’m certainly not immune to the dopamine hits of an email here, a FB message there. And I want more of my time to be invested in exploring the mysteries that call to me, rather than finding that I’ve unintentionally spent an hour, for the 3rd or 4th time today, lost on the internet highways. So! We’ll see how it goes. If only three drops of the magical elixer are enough for all wisdom and knowledge, then I figure that three check-in’s per day on the internet is enough for what I might need, too.
Thank you for reading this far, and thank you for the many wonderful comments so many of you share with me about my artwork and blog. May your Spring blossom beautifully!
Happy Spring! Celebrate with a snowstorm!
Just a few days before the Spring Equinox, just before today’s New Moon, after a wonderful thaw that was melting the mountains of shovelled snow —– we got a snowstorm! It looked just like my photo above!
We got our car stuck in the snowy alley. Then dear spouse went to his sister’s home here in town to use their car (the sister is in sunny, warm Mexico at the moment!). He got IT stuck, though fortunately it’s stuck in front of their house out of traffic. Lots of activity has ensued, involving shovels and frustration. Both cars are still stuck.
in moving forward without flipping.
I was wakened at 7:30 am by a third tow truck driver who said he was coming over. I told him what happened to the other two trucks, but he said he was coming anyway. So I went out, and dug for awhile. Somewhere in there while I was going in and out of he house he took a look at the situation and called Liberty, who told me, and I called the tow truck driver back. He said I should call the city and ask them to plow the alley before he went in. I called the city. The woman said “We don’t do alleys.” I said “How is the garbage truck going to get down the alley with my car blocking it?” The woman said “I don’t know” and hung up. I went in the house to get breakfast, planning to catch the bus over to Joan and Wolf’s to take care of the cats. While I was having breakfast the fourth tow truck driver called. “I have a four wheel drive” he said. “This truck is like a mountain goat. I’ll get you out.” So the fourth truck showed up. With a lot of manouvering we got my car unstuck, and I drove down the alley to the corner, but got stuck again. So we did a lot more manouvering, and he got stuck too. After about an hour of innovating in some very strange ways – putting a metal plate under the hoist, and using the hoist to push the tow truck along – kind of like a dog on ice propelling himself forward by sticking his tail in a hole in the ice and forcing himself forward a few inches instead of using his legs – the fourth tow truck got unstuck, and then got me unstuck too. So by noon I got to Joan and Wolf’s.
Before this is all over, the CAA/AMA will know us by first name. . . .
And too many of my friends are wearing casts as a result of the ice hidden under the snow!
p.s. Our car in the back alley became unstuck an hour or so ago, with the energies of three strong adult men. Now we just can’t let dear spouse try to park in the alley when there’s this much snow. . . . .
Ever notice how people around the world celebrate the New Year on different dates? Lots of ways to proclaim something new. Day One.
I’ve taken on a gentle practice of noting and doing simple ceremony on each month’s new and full moons. Noticing the moon, feeling the passage of time, feeling the circle moving round again yet one more time, extends my mindfulness outside of my own psyche. It’s a challenge to be aware of what is outside of and around myself without also getting caught up in the daily new cycles, overwhelmed by the same old same old of “if it bleeds, it leads”. There is plenty of bleeding.
Yet this, too, is true: as our earth moves through space, we each day can see a different face of the moon. Things change, and things return, again and again. There are rhythmic points of newness (first sliver of moonlight after the dark of the moon) every month, and any of us can call any day our “new year”. Day One.
What new cycle are you moving into? What kinds of rhythms are you paying attention to these days?
This painting, acrylic on watercolor paper, is one I did two weeks ago on the Full Moon. I was thinking of fire and passions (not necessarily romantic), of the difference between bonfires and hot coals. Fire contained and directed can cook up the next alchemical transformation. . .
What’s being cooked up in your life? Something new? Something tried and true?
For this first New Moon in January, here is my latest piece of artwork, a collage for the new year, incorporating my word (phrase) of the year, “Driven? or Drawn?”. It’s to remind myself that what I LOVE, what I’m drawn to, is what I “ought” to do and to be.
For too much of my life I’ve done what I’ve thought I ought to do. Which on its face is actually a very good plan. Yet, as a good Catholic girl I was thoroughly indoctrinated that the very best thing that one could do is to “offer up” what you love most, to God, for the good of . . . whatever/whoever. That is, to give up and to deny ourselves what we most want is the greatest sacrifice of all. You know: if you aren’t dead yet, you haven’t given enough.
I could write a book or three deconstructing that terrible, false, limiting belief. Actually, it’s social/religious brainwashing. Where were the ideas that we “ought” to do exactly the good that we are inspired to do? That we are uniquely gifted with attributes where we can joyfully offer who we truly are for the betterment of ourselves AND the world as well?
Yet old ideas, especially when inculcated young, and when they have to do with being good, or are about survival, or pleasing “God”, sometimes are rooted so deeply that it seems they’ve become part of our DNA. These are old beliefs that have harassed me for a long time. In early December I constructed a simple ceremony, with intention, the elements, using all the senses, and also including image and writing. It has really helped to release these final remnants. This collage is another way to reinforce this release.
On the collage, you can just barely see a man whipping a figure (me) to “do more, do more” — it’s on the left, on top of the honeycomb, where the upside down “U” is the curled whip. Then there’s the present figure of me (just above my photo) walking arms out toward what I love, represented by the golden sun. The owl and the antlered (shaman) woman are the companions I choose to help me with this, based on their ancient symbolisms. And the quote is from Rumi, the 13th century Islamic mystic who radiated love and joy.
Creating these types of simple ceremonies is also part of the work I do with others. Feel free to contact me for more information.
May you move into the year with joy, spaciousness, and “enough”.
Happy New Moon, in this week of light revealing itself after such darkness —- literally in the new moon appearing, in the Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), in the lights of Christmas, and metaphorically in the sunflower of my painting as light at the center of my being, in perseverance in the darkness of depression, in hope that justice and compassion will prevail in the conflicts of our world.
Both sunflowers and roses have deep meanings for me. Both unfold petals, and seeds in the sunflowers, in beautiful patterns of universal growth: Fibonacci sequences of beauty and practicality, “sacred geometry”. Sunflowers are such happy flowers. I love how they move throughout the day, following the light of the sun. They model for me how I want to be in the world: to be of use, as sunflowers give nourishment through their abundance of seeds, and to be of beauty and encouragement. They live and offer themselves wherever they are, whether in a backyard, a florist’s shop or a roadside ditch. I want to be like the sunflower —- beautiful, among so many others who are beautiful; special, among so many other special individuals; ordinary, among so many other ordinary beings.
Roses speak to me of the Great Mystery of life —- mystery not as something that can never be known, that we just have to accept, but rather mystery like a rose that continually unfolds, revealing more and more complexity, and beauty, as the mystery unfolds in our hearts and lives.
And it’s the Mystery of life that is the “Beloved” of my poem below. I don’t know what “God” is, if God “is”. So much I don’t know. (Ask me 35 years ago and I would have had lots to say. Now, not so much.) But I do know there is Love, and the possibility of Love, within ourselves, able to be offered and received.
So in this season, be of good cheer, be as well as possible. Don’t lose hope in love.
I raise my eyes to you, my Beloved.
Let me attend to you, my Love, my Life.
your geometries of Beauty, Love.
are known wherever we step.
seeing You, I see all.
Can you hear the angels singing. . . when you’re online?
Bus 22. (c) Cat Charissage, 2015 a.r.r.
I had an image today: I saw myself as an old woman in the middle of a noisy open market, like a farmer’s market. I felt a lot of affection for everyone there, but I also couldn’t hear myself think. So I lovingly turned, walked away, and walked into the forest where I had a tiny cottage a la Baba Yaga. I looked forward to getting back to the quiet, to listen to the angels singing.
I’m spending more time offline theses days, and REALLY appreciating that. I didn’t realise how much I needed it until I’ve been listening to the silence. Of course I’m still on the computer more than I’d like, but am slowly overcoming my FOMO (fear of missing out). Actually, fear of missing out is only a small part of it for me — I’m interesting in a lot of things, and want to learn a lot more about those things. And, of course, there is so much to be found of people’s writings and blogs and online courses. . .
What does tempt me is all the googling of my interests, finding the serendipitous articles that keep me clicking on the next article or video. Following authors’ blogs is a strong temptation. Two or four is reasonable, but not 28. Shall I even mention Pinterest? (No, I do not go there!!) I can keep instagram down to a dull roar, even though I’m deeply interested in images. Yet I’m mostly interested in how people come up with their symbolism and how they make meaning in their art, so instagram often doesn’t have enough for me.
As a result of these questions, I’m realising that at least for right now, I know what I want and need to know for what I want to learn and to do next.
May you find peace and balance in your relationship with all that clamors around you. May you hear the angels (as well as the mermaids) singing. Happy new moon! | 2019-04-18T15:20:43Z | https://catcharissage.com/category/uncategorized/page/2/ |
UPDATE: 2/3/16. Unfortunately, according to people within the organization, what happened to Claire could happen again today — nothing has changed to prevent it. Those same sources believe that nothing will change until a new board exists and that board is able to look at this issue with fresh eyes. This is despite a fairly simple fix: In the existing employee handbook’s description of employee discipline, substitute the word “and” for the word “or” in between their written options.
It is because CGW does incredible work and has a great many quality people involved in that work that we remain hopeful that the organization will improve its way of communicating with its employees at some point in the future. We fear that anything less will gradually degrade the organization and its ability to effectively do their good work in our community.
Historical details follow for those who are interested.
Thanks for answering the call and signing the petition we posted back in May. At that time we were all struggling to understand why Claire Strader had been removed from her job as Community GroundWorks (CGW) Farm Director and it seemed to us that something was wrong at Troy Gardens.
From what we’ve learned, we believe Claire was dismissed due to personality conflicts rather than job performance issues, which is, of course, deeply troubling. Along with other evidence, Claire’s sparkling performance evaluation from Spring, 2012, supports our conclusion.
From what we’ve learned, we believe the personality conflicts which led to Claire’s forced resignation were never addressed in any systematic, documented way, and this lack of professional support for Claire preceding her forced resignation is also deeply troubling to us. None of the steps listed in the employee handbook seem to have been followed after Claire was formally advised that there were problems.
Members of the CGW Executive Committee (EC) did not respond truthfully to some of our questions at the May 20th meeting and committed what we see as ethical breaches in attempting to limit community input and counter our assertions regarding Claire’s departure. We feel these behaviors are completely unacceptable and that the EC should either resign or be removed by the remainder of the Board. However, we don’t believe the EC feels they have done anything wrong and we believe the remaining board members generally support the EC and believe what they have been told by the EC with regard to Claire’s dismissal. Thus, there is little chance that the EC will resign or be removed.
The farm generated 45% of all CGW revenue last year ($191,000 out of $423,000). For comparison’s sake, farm revenue makes up only about 10% of Milwaukee-based Growing Power’s income; the vast majority of their revenue comes from grants and donations. A sophisticated analysis of revenue streams and functional expenses would likely show that the farm is, in fact, carrying Community GroundWorks. This just adds another irrational aspect to firing Claire. She was dismissed for (unknown to us and un-perceived to her) personal conflicts with board members and (supposedly) EDs, while her work helped ensure the organization’s solvency. Despite the Farm’s importance to the organization’s revenue stream, the farm hardly figures into the Board’s discussions based on what the board talked about at their June 17th meeting.
2) Volunteer to serve on the board. One of our group’s members, Maury Smith, submitted his application to join the board at the June 17th meeting and another member of our group is considering doing the same. The board currently has 11 vacancies, and several sitting members will see their terms expire later this year. If any of you have an interest in serving on the CGW Board, we would welcome your service! That’s by far the best way to get involved and make a difference.
3) Continue to act as organizational watchdogs and advocates for CGW staff. Now that we know as many of the facts as possible, it is time to re-share the revised petition page with others so they can indicate their support for these issues. This will also allow us to provide a more effective watchdog role.
4) While apparently not required by its by-lays, we hope the CGW board takes steps to ensure that the CSA Farm Representative position on the Board is actually elected by CSA members. As far as we can tell, no CSA members, except for Gerianne Holzman, had any input regarding Claire Strader’s performance and her dismissal as Farm Director.
Here you’ll find the five questions we asked at the May 20th meeting, the EC’s answers to those questions, our reply to those answers, and a timeline record of events that we have pieced together relevant to Claire’s forced resignation.
If you have any questions or if you’re interested in more details we can supply you with what feels to us like an infinite amount of additional information. We have learned so much about how the EC handled the events leading up to Claire’s forced resignation, but we’ll refrain from burdening readers with that kind of overload.
We’re happy to announce that Claire has accepted a position in Des Moines where she started work in July. She’ll live in Iowa during the week and Madison on the weekends. We would also like to invite you to a celebration on Saturday, August 24th (invitation here), in honor of Claire’s 12 years of dedication to the Troy Gardens CSA farm.
Again, thanks for your attention and support, please consider serving on the CGW Board, and let us know if you have questions. We hope to see you August 24th at Claire’s celebration!
If you have not already signed this petition, do so now.
Something is Still Wrong at Community GroundWorks! Dear Friends, Thanks for answering the call and signing the petition we posted back in May. At that time we were all struggling to understand why Claire Strader had been removed from her job as Community GroundWorks (CGW) Farm Director and it seemed to us that something was wrong at Troy Gardens. Since then our group has gathered information from CGW Board members and others close to the organization, we have attended a charged CGW Board meeting on May 20 at which we asked the board to respond to five important questions, we have received answers to those questions and we have met to discuss the board’s answers. After all of that, it still seems to us that something’s wrong at Community GroundWorks. Here’s why we feel that way: From what we’ve learned, we believe Claire was dismissed due to personality conflicts rather than job performance issues, which is, of course, deeply troubling. Along with other evidence, Claire’s sparkling performance evaluation from Spring, 2012, supports our conclusion. From what we’ve learned, we believe the personality conflicts which led to Claire’s forced resignation were never addressed in any systematic, documented way, and this lack of professional support for Claire preceding her forced resignation is also deeply troubling to us. None of the steps listed in the employee handbook seem to have been followed after Claire was formally advised that there were problems. Members of the CGW Executive Committee (EC) did not respond truthfully to some of our questions at the May 20th meeting and committed what we see as ethical breaches in attempting to limit community input and counter our assertions regarding Claire’s departure. We feel these behaviors are completely unacceptable and that the EC should either resign or be removed by the remainder of the Board. However, we don’t believe the EC feels they have done anything wrong and we believe the remaining board members generally support the EC and believe what they have been told by the EC with regard to Claire’s dismissal. Thus, there is little chance that the EC will resign or be removed. The farm generated 45% of all CGW revenue last year ($191,000 out of $423,000). For comparison's sake, farm revenue makes up only about 10% of Milwaukee-based Growing Power's income; the vast majority of their revenue comes from grants and donations. A sophisticated analysis of revenue streams and functional expenses would likely show that the farm is, in fact, carrying Community GroundWorks. This just adds another irrational aspect to firing Claire. She was dismissed for (unknown to us and un-perceived to her) personal conflicts with board members and (supposedly) EDs, while her work helped ensure the organization's solvency. Despite the Farm’s importance to the organization’s revenue stream, the farm hardly figures into the Board’s discussions based on what the board talked about at their June 17th meeting. Because it’s now clear that Claire will never be rehired at Troy Farm and that the EC will remain in office, we feel our group’s goals should be to: 1) Work with the CGW Board to establish a committee to improve communications between staff, community and the board. We salute the board for its willingness to form this committee; 2) Volunteer to serve on the board. One of our group’s members, Maury Smith, submitted his application to join the board at the June 17th meeting and another member of our group is considering doing the same. The board currently has 11 vacancies, and several sitting members will see their terms expire later this year. If any of you have an interest in serving on the CGW Board, we would welcome your service! That’s by far the best way to get involved and make a difference. 3) Continue to act as organizational watchdogs and advocates for CGW staff. Now that we know as many of the facts as possible, it is time to re-share the revised petition page with others so they can indicate their support for these issues. This will also allow us to provide a more effective watchdog role. 4) While apparently not required by its by-lays, we hope the CGW board takes steps to ensure that the CSA Farm Representative position on the Board is actually elected by CSA members. As far as we can tell, no CSA members, except for Gerianne Holzman, had any input regarding Claire Strader’s performance and her dismissal as Farm Director. Here you’ll find the five questions we asked at the May 20th meeting, the EC’s answers to those questions, our reply to those answers, and a timeline record of events that we have pieced together relevant to Claire's forced resignation. If you have any questions or if you’re interested in more details we can supply you with what feels to us like an infinite amount of additional information. We have learned so much about how the EC handled the events leading up to Claire’s forced resignation, but we’ll refrain from burdening readers with that kind of overload. We’re happy to announce that Claire has accepted a position in Des Moines where she started work in July. She’ll live in Iowa during the week and Madison on the weekends. We would also like to invite you to a celebration on Saturday, August 24th (invitation here), in honor of Claire’s 12 years of dedication to the Troy Gardens CSA farm. Again, thanks for your attention and support, please consider serving on the CGW Board, and let us know if you have questions. We hope to see you August 24th at Claire’s celebration! Sarah Luetzow, Lily Hoyer-Winfield, Todd Cambio, Marcia Yapp, Jim Powell, Maria Powell, Donal MacCoon, Emily Sanford ------ [Original version] Something is Wrong at Community GroundWorks! In a head-scratching move, the Community GroundWorks (CGW) Executive Committee made our CSA farmer Claire Strader leave at the beginning of the farming season and won’t let anyone talk about it, including Claire. To get rid of our award-winning, founding, CSA “White House Farmer” at the beginning of a new season is bizarre and does not bode well for the CSA. But to do it without transparency is even worse…and does not bode well for CGW. What happened to CGW’s mission & values? (1) The Executive Committee has dishonored our community by refusing to answer calls for open and transparent communication under the guise of protecting Claire, a claim that is not credible for those who know her (2) The Executive Committee has dishonored core values of CGW “We are committed to collaborative decision-making. We partner with and support the efforts of others who share in the work of building enduring communities.” (CGW Mission & Values, as of 5/5/13) (3) The Executive Committee is not holding itself accountable to community members and staff I have signed this petition to urge the current CGW board to return to transparent communication and the values of CGW.
Don’t forget to share your stories, support, and testimonials with Claire for 12 years of amazing dedication and hard work (do this by adding a comment below). Also, please note, you can add a comment in support of Claire without signing the petition. That is, adding a comment does not necessarily imply that you are in support of the petition.
6/16/13 UPDATE: We received answers to our 5 questions on 6/4/13 and met tonight to discuss them. We are currently working on a response.
5/21/13 UPDATE: About 20 friends of Community GroundWorks met with the board on May 20th. The original authors of the petition (see below) submitted five requests in writing to the board. The board agreed to respond in writing within 2 weeks (by June 3). We are waiting for this response. In the meantime, keep signing and commenting.
Something is Wrong at Community GroundWorks!
In a head-scratching move, the Community GroundWorks (CGW) Executive Committee made our CSA farmer Claire Strader leave at the beginning of the farming season and won’t let anyone talk about it, including Claire.
To get rid of our award-winning, founding, CSA “White House Farmer” at the beginning of a new season is bizarre and does not bode well for the CSA. But to do it without transparency is even worse…and does not bode well for CGW.
What happened to CGW’s mission & values?
(1) The Executive Committee has dishonored our community by refusing to answer calls for open and transparent communication under the guise of protecting Claire, a claim that is not credible for those who know her.
Action: What You Can Do?
When the farm was struggling to decide whether (and how much) to spray their tomatoes, Claire always kept us CSA members in the loop, communicating the farm’s entire process. This is just one of the many positive memories I have of Claire and her transparent, open, communication.
Claire has taken farming and educating – two of the most challenging jobs out there – and blended them into a highly successful urban farm and internship that serve as a model for others around the country. Always passionate, humble, dedicated, and honest, she has been an inspiration to me and many others who have been lucky enough to work with her.
I understand confidentiality agreements, but I think some disclosure is necessary. We are left to speculate. It is not fair to any of the parties involved.
When I would pick up my vegetables Claire would always greet me with a smile, and recognize my presence. I know farming is hard work, but the rest of the folks at the stand looked so grim and barely even made eye contact as I filled my bag. Not sure what that was about.
These are intern comments (including my own) taken directly from the CGW website. I believe I speak for the intern class of 2012 in stating that Claire is a magnificent farmer, teacher, and mentor.
I live across the street from the garden and am very proud of my address.
I am not a gardener but I am a vegetable eater.
I spent the summer of 2012 as an intern at Troy working for Claire. I came into the experience with very little hands-on experience in farming. Claire, Jake and Julie have dealt with those like me before; they don’t seem to have any problem taking things back to brass tacks, starting from the basics, and building up foundational knowledge from day one. This is one of the things that I think is unique about Troy; everyone understands that with a bit more time spent on the front end educating everyone about the importance of each task, the work gets done better and more efficiently, hopefully in the end making up for the time lost in training.
In these ways, learning both by doing and by observing, I learned an extraordinary amount during the course of the year, but my eyes were also opened to all that I had yet to learn, and to the great complexity of organic CSA farming. It is a humbling experience, but exciting, like learning your first song on the piano, understanding that perfecting this skill will be a lifelong endeavor.
Learning at the farm was at its best when there was sufficient time with of the farm managers doing the task with the interns that there was ample time to fully discuss and understand why a particular task was important to the success of the crop or the farm. This wasn’t always possible, but it was much more common than it would be in most typical farm work settings. Without this understanding, it is easy for some tasks to lose their luster and feel like a waste of effort. Claire was excellent at communicating with interns about why we did what we did.
The other element of pedagogy that was very successful was the increasing responsibility given to the interns as the year progressed. The additional responsibility was very motivational; the possibility that we might lead a crew in performing a particular task was a big motivator in ensuring that we fully understood what we were working on. Claire does a great job striking a balance between giving too much instruction and too much responsibility.
I am starting a small farm, and the planning tools and general farming knowledge that I picked up from Claire have been extremely helpful to my efforts. Being an intern with her was both empowering and humbling, and has caused me to be more cautious and methodical about starting out on my own. I am extremely grateful Claire and the other managers at Troy for being so open and honest with us interns, and for being such good teachers and motivators. I really valued my time at the farm, and will always remember both the lessons that I learned, and the friends that I made.
Claire is such a gift to this community. I was shocked to hear that she would would be leaving the farm. As others have said she was a farmer and a teacher and an incredible manager. She knew what needed to be planted and tended when and she was able to oversee large groups of volunteers and workers to make sure the jobs were done. So many of us have worked with Claire and eaten the fantastic produce that she has helped grow. Thank you Claire for all you have given and all you have meant in our lives.
I was thoroughly excited to accept a second year internship offer from the Troy Farm director at the time, Claire Strader, for this current 2013 season. I wanted to share a couple of the reasons why I applied for the second year internship in the first place.
First and most importantly, I wanted to spend another year learning from Claire. Community GroundWorks and Troy Community Farm were very lucky to have such a hardworking, dedicated and locally engaged farm director. She has so much experience and knowledge with organic farming practices to share, and was more than willing to share this with aspiring farmers through the internship program. Since the end of the 2012 season and completion of my first year internship, I have been anxiously awaiting to get back out on the field with Claire, because I felt like I had so much more to learn from her.
Another reason why I applied for the second year internship was to have another year of experience with Troy Community Farm in order to familiarize myself more with the Community GroundWorks organization and the employment opportunities within it. Claire always spoke highly of the projects different departments were working on and the direction the non-profit organization was heading in. I noticed Claire was consistently looking forward with projects to benefit both the farm and the organization as a whole, and this was very inspiring to see.
Upon hearing the news of Claire’s departure, I couldn’t have been more confused with the situation. I know Claire would not leave Jake, Julie and the farm voluntarily at such an inopportune time. There is not a day that goes by on the farm that I don’t think about and miss Claire.
This is such an unusual way for this to be handled. It is just so strange. People should be able to talk about and understand such a significant event in our community.
I have been a member at Troy Gardens CSA since, I believe, 2009. It has been a great experience. I have always found Claire’s newsletters to be informative–they have given me a lot of insight and appreciation for what goes into the whole process of farm-to table. The produce has been very high quality and also very clean. When I’ve had questions, Claire has answered them promptly and has always made me feel that as an individual member, my thoughts and opinions are important.
I would not be the farmer I am today if it weren’t for Claire. I came to Troy in 2009 with no farming experience whatsoever. Claire’s hands-on, facilitative approach to farming education gave me a solid foundation in the principles of organic farming. Now, I’m in my fifth season as a farmer, working at Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua. I continue to reference every aspect of what she taught me in my three seasons there. She was always very fair and positive with all the interns. I can’t really imagine Troy Farm without her. | 2019-04-23T04:49:43Z | http://oneplanetthriving.com/something-wrong-at-community-groundworks/ |
Is Fluoride the Hidden Cause of Your Acne?
What do you do when you’ve tried everything to get rid of stubborn–even cystic–acne? You’ve nailed your topical regimen, you get regular facials, you’ve done the elimination diet and the detox, you take the supplements, you drink enough water, get enough sleep, exercise regularly…but your skin is still breaking out? Fluoride could be to blame.
Sometimes the root cause of acne, and other skin and health conditions, is environmental rather than topical or nutritional. Sometimes the answer might be in the most obvious of places–your water. Not just the water you drink, but also the water you cook with and wash with.
Today, we share with you an exceptional interview with NAA President, Rachael Pontillo, and author and activist, Melissa Gallico. Melissa is not someone with a background in skincare or environmental health. She is, in fact, a former military intelligence officer, Fulbright scholar, and intelligence specialist at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and has instructed classes for FBI analysts at Quantico. Like many, she began researching acne and its many causes out of necessity–to heal her own cystic acne, while already working with an aesthetician and taking other integrative measures.
Rachael: Hi, Melissa. Thank you so much for joining me today. I’m so excited to speak with you and share your message with our audience.
Melissa: Thanks so much for having me, Rachael.
Rachael: Melissa and I had the opportunity to participate in a town hall meeting that was hosted by JJ Virgin but was a discussion between Dr. Mark Hyman and Congressman Tim Ryan, of Ohio. The conversation was generally around food safety and the food system and food politics and all of that and what the problem is and what this Congressman wants to do. At the end we had the opportunity to go to the microphone and ask questions. Melissa was one of those people who took the mic. It was like a mic drop, jaw drop moment where she was prepared. Melissa, why don’t you just give an overview of what you said and then we’ll go into what we’re talking about today, if you would?
Melissa: Sure. Well, I did a little bit of research beforehand just to see what his mission is on my issue, which is public water fluoridation. I just Googled some of the history and I saw that he had signed a resolution back in 2015, which a lot of congressmen signed and congresswomen, declaring that the artificial fluoridation program is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century. I discovered that fluoride isn’t so great for me. It really gives me a pretty immediate skin reaction of cystic acne whenever I consume foods or beverages that are high in fluoride.
I knew that Dr. Hyman, who was sitting right there hosting the discussion, also speaks out about the dangers of fluoride and how it’s not completely safe for everyone. Government dentists will say it’s completely safe for everyone no matter how much you consume. Certain people like me and a lot of others, are hyper-sensitive to it. I told him about my experience and how I figured out that my acne was caused by fluoride, and told him about some other people that I had spoken to like just the day before at the airport. At the layover on my way to San Diego I talked to a woman on the phone whose son is autistic, and he’s very sensitive to chemicals and he can’t even shower in fluoridated water without having pain. He gets headaches. His heart starts racing. He turns red. It’s really traumatic. If he eats it in food–there are certain food items that are really high in fluoride because it’s a common pesticide–he’ll have the same reaction.
When I told Congressman Ryan about that he said, “I had no idea. I didn’t know.” I said, “I don’t blame you for voting for this resolution because all the information that you’re getting from the official agencies is that fluoride is great. It’s completely safe.” It’s really been amazing at reducing cavities and everybody is happy with it but there is a very important other side of the story I wanted to get across. He had a great answer when I asked, “What will it take to change your mind?” He said, “You’re already doing it right now. This is how things change, by sharing our stories.” He asked me to get with his staff and put together an overview and he would start looking into it. I was really encouraged by that.
Rachael: You’ve started doing that, which is fantastic. I am so excited for what you did there. That was, to me, one of the standout moments of the entire summit that we attended. Thank you for standing up and for being so passionate, but also for coming prepared. You really were impactful.
Rachael: The overall message was we have to do more than vote when we care about something. We do have to speak up. We do have to get involved, but when we do so coming from a position of education and having some sort of evidence and a prepared position is so much more effective.
We are not just here to talk about that event today. We are here to talk about your book and also this work that you’re doing on the connection between fluoride and acne and just fluoride in general. You have two books. Your newer book is The Hidden Cause of Acne: How Toxic Water is Affecting Your Health and What You Can Do About It. Then you have another book called F is For Fluoride: A Feasible Fairytale for Free Thinkers 15 and Up.
I really want to just go back to the beginning here and ask you how did you even come to this? You struggled with acne as you mentioned. You eventually came to the conclusion that for you the main root cause was fluoride. What was it that really shed light on that for you in your own experience?
Certain water supplies just felt uncomfortable on my skin. I felt like it left a sheen on my face after I washed it. I wasn’t getting clean. I was aggravating my skin by washing it. Very early on, I started using bottled water to wash my face. It didn’t completely fix the problem but it felt better. I didn’t even think until a decade later in my mid-thirties when I was still struggling with cystic acne, that it could be fluoride. I originally thought maybe lead, maybe copper. I knew topical applications of fluoride could cause acne like in your toothpaste, and things like that. I switched to a non-fluoridated toothpaste. Then I had the idea, “What about drinking it? It’s in the water. Is it somehow affecting my skin just by drinking fluoride?” I cut it out of my water and right away I saw a really big difference. It didn’t completely go away but it was so much better.
I felt major improvement when I started drinking non-fluoridated water. Then I would get a few flare-ups and I would look at the literature on fluoride and see, “Oh, chicken bones are a really high source of fluoride” because, just like with us, it accumulates in their bones. Then we make soup out of it or we make chicken nuggets and little scraps of bone get into the finished product, and it’s really high in fluoride. I cut that out of my diet and it just kept getting better and better until I was able to live in the United States and not have cystic acne. I was so happy. I had started blogging about it a little bit when I was trying to figure it out. People would help me like, “Oh, look into this” or, “This food has fluoride.” That really helped me figure it out.
I had first written a free PDF and just put it on there like, “Here’s how I healed my acne by avoiding fluoride.” This woman wrote to me and said, “Your book saved my life.” That’s where the book came from. When I looked at the literature on acne I was just shocked at how few studies dealt with diet. I think John’s Hopkins University did a study around the turn of the century and they looked at the last 50 years of acne research. They found that in over 99% of the cases they didn’t even mention diet, let alone actually study diet. It’s gotten a little bit better since then. There’s more studies on dairy. There’s more studies on sugar with the Paleo movement. No one is looking at fluoride. There are some allergists who have published about it, fluoride and acne, but there’s not a lot in the literature.
I wrote the book putting my whole theory out there. I haven’t done clinical research but as an analyst I put together my theory, my intelligence assessment, and put it out there and I’m really excited to connect with other people.
Rachael: It’s amazing. Okay. We talked about skin and we talked about how a lot of people are just really sensitive to fluoride but they might not realize that’s what they’re sensitive to. What are some of the other signs besides skin that somebody might be experiencing in an intolerance or sensitivity to fluoride?
Melissa: It is really hard to know because we’re just inundated with it from so many different sources. Unless you had that experience that I had–people will notice when they travel their skin changes in the new environment–a lot of times that’s because of the varying fluoride levels. When I was in Del Ray Beach, Florida the fluoride level was over one-part per million, which is very high. It’s more than they recommend. My skin was really bad. Whereas when I lived in Virginia it was .6 so it was half of that. I still had acne but it wasn’t nearly as bad. If you notice changes in your skin when you travel it’s a really good sign that it could be fluoride.
Dental fluorosis is another sign. It’s like a slight discoloring of your tooth enamel. It could be bright white spots or an opaqueness around the edge of your teeth. If you have dental fluorosis, your dentist can tell you if you’re not sure. That’s a good indicator that you’re sensitive to fluoride, because when your teeth were forming you were exposed to too much fluoride and it accumulated in your body. The rates of dental fluorosis have skyrocketed. In the ’80s, a survey showed that more than 20% of adolescents had dental fluorosis. They redid it 20 years later, and it was over 40% of adolescents.
I go into a few more signs in the book, but things like thyroid issues are correlated with fluoride toxicity so if you’ve ever been diagnosed with hypothyroidism that could have been caused by fluoride. Depression is another sign that your acne could be systemic, because fluoride is a depressant.
Rachael: That’s remarkable. I can say from my perspective and I’m sure our listeners will agree that acne is always systemic. It really truly is.
Rachael: You know, thyroid disease is on the rise. Mental health issues are on the rise. Acne in general is on the rise. We’re seeing it not just in populations that typically would have acne, like with teenagers and then, again, you might see it in pregnancy and then sometimes you see it again later with menopause. We are just seeing it across all populations at an increased level where it “doesn’t make sense”. When we have something like that, when there’s a condition that we feel like we’re doing everything we’re supposed to be doing, it’s really important to think of these things that you might not normally think of, which is why I’m so glad you’re spreading awareness about this.
This is just not what’s focused on in the research because it’s something that currently the government is pushing in general. They want fluoride in the water. Pediatricians, dentists, they’re all pushing the fluoride. It’s not something pharmaceutical that is really something that can be profited from. It’s not saying that there’s something insidious going on. It’s just that it’s not a priority.
When there are people who are struggling it’s just important to look at all of these different things. This is a change that is something that you can make and it’s something within your control, which is good.
Rachael: What are some other sources of fluoride that people should be aware of? We talked about certain foods. You mentioned pesticides I believe. Let’s talk about where else people could find fluoride and avoid it or eliminate it.
Melissa: Right. Okay. Well, obviously check your dental products. That’s the first thing. Switching to a fluoride-free toothpaste. It could be in your mouthwash when you go to the dentist. Those are super high concentrations of fluoride. Check your water supply. I usually tell people if they can look for their water quality report from their local provider that will tell you exactly how much fluoride is in your water. Ideally, you want it under .1%. The mean fluoride content of just regular fresh water is .05%. You can filter it with reverse osmosis filters. Some spring waters have fluoride in them naturally, so you want to just double check those as well. Once you get your water cleaned up, then it’s really just a matter of figuring out those few high fluoride food sources. Anything made with fluoridated water will contain fluoride, such as pre-made beverages, or even things like mashed potatoes or pasta cooked at a restaurant.
The pesticides are a little bit tricky. There are two main fluoride-based pesticides, and they’re not used on everything so don’t go crazy about it. The big sources are chicken products, like I mentioned, and it’s because the fluoride-based pesticides are used on their feed. The other big thing to look out with pesticides is grape products from this one valley in California where they happen to grow half of the world’s raisin supplies.
Melissa: Because of some weird government rules after World War II, we just ended up overproducing raisins in this one area outside of Fresno. It’s just like a giant mono-crop of raisins. Every year they dump millions of pounds of fluoride-containing pesticides on these crops, and they have been found to be very high in fluoride. I have a pretty long section in my book about it, because I was very curious about raisin toxicity in dogs–if it could be fluoride poisoning because of the fluoride so I did an analysis there. If a box of raisins can kill a 100 pound Labrador retriever, just be very careful if you’re giving non-organic raisins to your children. Definitely be careful with raisins, table grapes from California, and wine.
Then, the other really popular ones are tea, and that’s not a pesticide thing. It’s just because tea happens to uptake fluoride directly from the soil in significant amounts. It can be really high in fluoride. Black tea, green tea, white tea to a lesser extent, will contain fluoride. If you have a tea habit and you’re drinking tea every day it can actually accumulate in your bones. The fluoride content has to do with the age of the leaves, and how long you steep it for. Also, Teflon is a problem because is made of a fluoridated chemical. If there are scratches in your Teflon pans, it can leech fluoride into your foods.
Rachael: Okay. We’re talking a lot about conventional foods. Does that mean that we’re safe from this if we are eating organic foods all the time? I know it’s not possible always to eat organic all the time if we’re traveling or if we’re out at a restaurant. What about buying organic foods and cooking at home and all of that?
Rachael: With all of this stuff I just want to encourage people to do the very best you can. We’re not able to protect ourselves from every single toxicant that is in our environment, in our air, in our water. When you know about something, then it really becomes important to look at what you’re doing in your daily life, what you’re doing in your place of business. What are things that you can start taking action on to change now just in your own lives? Then taking it beyond that. If this is a matter that you care about, Melissa, what can people do? How can people start spreading awareness and end the practice of artificial water fluoridation in their communities?
Melissa: There have been a lot of successes at the local level at having fluoride removed because it’s very expensive. Your local township is spending a lot of money to add this to the water. If they hear that you don’t want it they’ll actually save money. It’s a lot easier than getting them to spend money on something. You’ve got that in your corner. Where towns have organized and had an organized effort to remove fluoridation there have been a lot of successes. You can always just start at your local level, talk to your local city councils and tell them what you think. I’ve heard from so many people thanked me because they were under this misconception that everybody loved fluoride, and that it was completely safe for everyone, and they just haven’t heard the other side of the story. We can just talk at the local level.
At the national level, I started a petition at Change.org. The more that we have this local support, the more support we’ll have to end it at the federal level, and I think that’s what really has to happen is the federal government needs to just stop recommending it. Once they stop recommending it local towns won’t want to add it as much.
Rachael: Excellent. We have a whole list of links that we’re going to put in the show notes and in the blog post for you guys so that you can check out that petition but also check out Melissa’s website and the books. I want you to get the books, especially if you have a child with acne. Sometimes kids don’t always listen to mom or dad so handing them a book written by an expert who has done really cool research sometimes can be a little bit more convincing. Or show them this video.
If there’s someone you know who is a really staunch fluoride supporter show them this video. Share this with them. Share this with your colleagues because this is a message that I really want to get out, especially to people who are struggling with acne. As I said earlier, that’s more and more people really than ever before.
Melissa, thank you so much, first of all, for being here with us today. Thank you for doing the work that you do and for really standing up and being prepared and doing the work and spreading awareness. It’s so important.
Melissa: Thank you. I was really excited to have the opportunity to speak to aestheticians because they were the ones that really helped me and encouraged me to look for a deeper answer. I’d go to the doctor and they’d say, “Here’s a pill” or, “Take a multivitamin.” The aestheticians were the ones that were like, “What are you eating? What are you drinking?” They were very encouraging on the whole journey. I love them and I am really excited that more of them will know about the fluoride connection and be able to suggest it to their clients.
Buy The Hidden Cause of Acne HERE, and buy F is for Fluoride HERE.
Have you ever noticed a connection between fluoride and acne?
Please share your experience in the comments below! Also, PLEASE share this post with your clients, colleagues, friends and family. It’s such important information! | 2019-04-19T18:37:31Z | https://www.nutritionalaesthetics.com/is-fluoride-the-hidden-cause-of-acne/ |
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It hasn’t yet lasted “months or even years,” but the country is now experiencing the longest continuous partial shutdown of the federal government on record. President Donald Trump wants Democrats—the majority party in the House and a big enough minority to filibuster successfully in the Senate—to fund his proposed border wall. So far, they are not budging.
Trump famously said on camera in a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was “proud” to assume the “mantle” of a shutdown that had resulted from Democratic border intransigence. That, combined with the fact that Republicans could conceivably have had this fight when they controlled both houses, is why polls show the public blaming the GOP for the current impasse. But Democrats could also easily reopen the government by agreeing to fund a couple billion dollars’ worth of fencing and other border security measures they already support and letting Trump call it another “down payment” on the wall.
Which raises the question of what brought us to this point. Immigration is among the core issues that powered Trump’s presidential campaign. Unlike his predecessors in both parties, he has given genuine restrictionists a place at the table when Congress has discussed policy changes. Yet the biggest immigration-related fight of the Trump administration has been over the kind of border barriers Democrats until recently backed as a selling point for “comprehensive immigration reform.” That means amnesty plus increased legal immigration alongside more money for Border Patrol agents, fences, virtual wall technology, and other security measures.
Deterring illegal border crossings has taken on new importance, as the unauthorized entries have gone from being predominantly adult males, who could be sent home relatively quickly, to mostly families and unaccompanied children. Many in the latter group must go through a lengthy asylum application process. In 2017, only 20 percent of these claims were granted. Physical barriers preventing crossings, along with more judges to speed up asylum adjudication, could help.
Still, under Trump, border security has gone from a sideshow to the main event. The Republicans most closely aligned with Trump on immigration never bought into amnesty in exchange for border barriers. And Democrats lost some of their interest in border security once amnesty was no longer in play.
Even if there is partisan hypocrisy all around, Democrats have kept their eyes on the ball concerning immigration. They have gradually moved left on the issue. They increasingly regard enforcement as something to be done to those also guilty of other serious crimes, like catching Al Capone on tax charges. They would like a more lenient attitude toward the undocumented in general, and higher levels of immigration overall.
Republicans know they want immigration to be legal, but are divided on other important questions. How many immigrants should the United States admit annually? What kind of skills should they possess? How important is their economic mobility and cultural integration?
If you believe that admitting fewer immigrants with higher skills will promote assimilation and lead to more successful immigration, you probably voted for Trump. But Republicans as a whole are not sure, beyond the usual rule-of-law arguments against illegal immigration. Trump himself has been inconsistent here. Even the public safety concerns (crime, terrorism) that the president emphasizes are really more a product of non-assimilation than infiltration due to lax border security.
Many believe the Trump administration erred by not trading Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a targeted amnesty for young illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors, for the wall. Politically, that may be true. Substantively, there was a case for pairing DACA—which would have covered 1 million or so people—with offsetting immigration cuts elsewhere and disincentives for parents to bring their children illegally in anticipation of a future DACA.
The White House may have overreached by asking for immigration reductions for which Washington, and perhaps the country, was not prepared. They nevertheless made the first semi-serious attempt to exchange a meaningfully limited amnesty not just for border security money but also real concessions to those who want more moderate levels of immigration.
Now Trump is risking it all over the wall. It has become a symbol of both his presidency and the cause of immigration control, though even if built its contributions to both would be limited. That’s why Democrats hate it. It’s why the wall has taken on outsized importance with the portion of Trump’s base that expected him to be a different kind of Republican.
Until non-Trump voters share that sense of urgency, Democrats have every incentive to ensure that Trump’s most visible campaign promise goes unfulfilled—and immigration remains unreformed.
49 Responses to Are Republicans Picking the Right Immigration Fight?
1) There is aggresive enforcement of inmigration with a lot of deportations.
I support that position but I didn’t vote for Trump. I did some research into all of the lawsuits pending against him, and realized most of them were former employees or contractors alleging that he didn’t pay them per their contracts. I decided that someone who habitually breaches contracts to avoid paying his employees cannot be trusted to fulfill his campaign promises. So I didn’t vote for him and I haven’t been remotely surprised by the character (or lack thereof) he’s displayed in the White House.
I still don’t understand why so many people took Trump at face value.
What I find is that no matter what expedient is chosen to try to stem immigration, it “won’t work”, it’s “a discredited idea”, “America doesn’t do things like that”, “there is no ‘crisis’ anyway”, etc, etc, etc.
The goal is obviously to prevent anything from being done until it’s too late.
There are already over 20 million illegals alone. Even more immigrants have come in “legally”. It must be stopped.
Trump wants immigration reform. That’s a job for the congress where D’s and R’s both want cheap labor lobby money. What Trump wants and what “Republicans” want are often two very different things.
All Trump can do is enforce existing laws. And liberal judges will not allow even that.
Many non-Trump voters have a sense of urgency over immigration, they just don’t think a wall will make a difference. Trump just needs to add comprehensive use of E-Verify and increased enforcement and penalties on employers who hire illegals and you’ll have a winner.
The real barrier to immigration reform including boarder security, like the shutdown, is Trump’s inability to stick to a deal. Sheila has it right: A man who thinks ‘winning’ includes breaking his word when it suits him can’t be trusted to negotiate in good faith. I don’t blame Democrats for holding firm when they know any concessions will just move the goalposts and won’t be reciprocated. That won’t change until either Trump is gone or both parties in Congress stand up to him. I’m not holding my breath.
The only reason to decrease legal immigration is to preserve a white majority. The only reason to emphasize “skills” (read: European) and “economic mobility and cultural integration” (read: white looking) legal immigrants is to preserve a white majority. The only reason to emphasize “integration” (read: western countries) is so you don’t have to lose your white majority. You conservatives are sick, wanting to CONSERVE something as stupid as skin color.
You false prophets claim your actual concern is a way to reduce welfare/save money/decrease public expenditure, but you just brought the national debt to its highest level in history – all under trilateral Republican leadership. Therefore, you are lying. You only want to preserve a white majority at the expense of anyone else. Disgusting.
1) Most Americans want increased border control but do not question why their contractor hired help only speaks Spanish.
2) The Wall is ineffective and want more E-Verify but also they want to avoid large government fines on employers of illegal immigrants.
3) They are comfortable with DACA protection and future citizenship but don’t want increased family immigration.
4) Even as open border side, it really does seem the need to process these family immigrants faster. Unlike past illegal immigration (1950 – 2000), we are not seeing as many continuous border crossings of seasonal workers in which the goal was to work 3 – 6 months and then return back to Mexico. Today, we increasingly seeing more families wanting long term immigration.
These arguments aren’t being conducted honestly. We are having all these discussions about something completely unrelated to the true heart of the matter. I will give you the honest take right here from the other side.
There is no point in providing charts and grafts about the efficacy of the wall. If a wall works or not is totally besides the point and isn’t going to convince a single democrat to support Trump or his boarder wall.
At the heart of the matter, Trump is a racist and the boarder wall functions as a reverse Statue of Liberty, a monument to racism no different than confederate statues at this point. This is why Pelosi refered to the wall as a moral issue.
their constituencies to cave to Trump, in fact anyone giving in will be primaries next time around.
Republicans got smashed in the midterms losing the house popular vote by 8.5 points. Democrats weren’t elected to help Trump to pass his agenda but to block it.
The wall is a central plank of the Trump administration. Blocking the wall is a great way to depress deplorable turnout during the next election and cripple Trump’s presidency for the rest of this term. The vast majority of the population rightly blames Trump for the shutdown so there’s no pressure at all on democrats.
Lastly, we want to see his presidency fail. I feel absolutely no qualms in stating that. My life as a black man will be enhanced by a failed GOP presidency. Elections have consequences. I’m totally content with throwing sand in the gears of the Trump admin I’m not expecting anything positive out of this admin. Don’t waste your time trying to shame me or anything because that would require me to care what reactionary right wingers think about me.
The GOP will get the same cooperation they gave Obama during his presidency.
Hmmmmm and let me see, oh, certainly reinforced border, and a wall . . .
i beg your pardon, oh, of course a wall north and south built by US citizens.
For desert . . .
gps tagged passports and visa cards.
None of the “emotional” toppings.
Legal immigration needs to be ended unless it’s on merit and the other issues of birthright citizenship and e-verify are arguably more important than a wall.
(1)What are these people fleeing from in the first place?
(2)What can be done to ameliorate the conditions which led to (1) and thus reduce the incentive to emigrate in the first place?
We know the answer to (1)–no need to rehash the obvious–so the question becomes whether there is an answer to (2)? And the answer—is “nothing.” Which means we are left with having to treat symptoms because we are either unwilling or, more likely, unable, to attack the disease itself.
If you believe that events have a dynamic of their own, then what we are seeing may be beyond our control.
There will be no end to this, the “wall” notwithstanding.
I guess I’m peculiar but I voted for Trump based more on other issues.
We do need enhanced border security & barriers are appropriate in certain locations but it’s going to be an ecological disaster to try & extend that “wall” across the entire US/Mexican border. Even if it was physically possible to do so.
As well he should. The Wall is necessary. But what can Trump do if the shutout drags on and on? What he can do is torture the Democrats by loudly and firmly calling on Congress–especially the Democrats–to reinstate Glass-Steagall, and once again separate commercial and investment banking.
This will force the Democrats to actually negotiate in sincerity with the White House, or risk being submerged by left-populism in future elections–especially if another financial crisis occurs before then. Independents will see that Trump is doing the unquestionably right thing, since who, except the big banks, opposes the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall?
In military parlance, it’s called “the strategy of indirection.” It will force weak-kneed Republicans in Congress to pipe down about any mere government shutdown if they are unwilling to stand up to the far more momentous soul-sapping of Wall Street’s commingling of commercial and investment banking.
I understand your point completely, and agree 100%.
I politely request everybody watch at least 5 minutes of the linked video. It contains highlights of commentary from Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and the Fox News crew. Anybody that can get through 5 minutes of this without understanding why Faux News, and Republicans in general, are viewed so poorly by so many has my sincere condolences.
I happen to agree with a lot of the President’s (note I use the term respectfully) positions in general. Especially on immigration, trade, war, and infrastructure spending. Unfortunately I think he is just way off on his solutions. I don’t believe he is malevolent in his intentions. But I don’t think he has been wise enough to surround himself with thoughtful supporters.
I voted 3rd party just to send a message to both parties that they need to shape up. Not that they’re listening.
The GOP is deeply divided on immigration. Their voter base is virulently anti-immigrant, but their donor base favors immigration. Part of that donor base depends on and profits from hiring illegal immigrants. If we really wanted to curtail illegal immigration, we’d crack down on those who hire them, but that won’t happen.
The wall is a brilliant solution, from the point of Republican political strategy. It’s a powerful emotional symbol, big juicy red meat for their voter base. However, because it will have little actual effect on the supply of illegals to hire, it won’t offend their donor base. In fact it’ll help them, because it’ll divert political attention away from measures that would actually curtail illegal immigration.
So yes, the Republicans are picking the right immigration fight from the perspective of their political strategy. That strategy is based on stoking up white nationalist fear and resentment, while actually pursuing the interests of corporations and 1-percenters. Those two facets are often in tension, but the wall is a win-win.
“What he can do is torture the Democrats by loudly and firmly calling on Congress–especially the Democrats–to reinstate Glass-Steagall, and once again separate commercial and investment banking.
Actually, Ken, The Democrats would love for Glass Steagall to be made law again.
What he can do is torture the Democrats by loudly and firmly calling on Congress–especially the Democrats–to reinstate Glass-Steagall, and once again separate commercial and investment banking.
I’d be all over that and would be along the left pushing Dems to get the wall up and get back something as big as that.
The problem is that Dems went to Trump to look for a compromise earlier in the presidency. They went away with an agreement that they thought Trump was happy with. A few days later, Trump it’s throwing away the deal and back to demanding the farm. We also saw him do the same with Republicans, screaming at them to support that ACA repeal in the house, then the second they did going to the Senate to bash the deal as horrible and mean.
I can see Democrats supporting such a deal, if only by force. I can see Republicans supporting it though I’ve never seen it since at least the Bush era.
I trust nothing from Trump that isn’t in writing.
I wouldn’t trust him on the wall either. He wants it because that’s the line that got him his primary and it’s as popular as “you’re fired” to his fans. The second he can get more publicity elsewhere he’ll ditch that wall, just like he did the first two years of his presidency.
Not saying compromise is impossible. But this is where we are right now and we have a long way to go to get there.
Sidenote, I’d support a focus on attacking illegal immigration via employment. We’ve seen that the less cheese that is on the floor the less mice come to eat. No need to compromise on that.
But this wall is stupid and chances are this is the only big thing that will be done if it goes in. But if you really want it just for moral points, honey works better than vinegar.
Republicans who are so wont to mock government waste, ineptitude, and inefficiency suddenly believe that a 5bn steel wall will be purchased without any of the above ills?
Look, you can manage people far more efficiently if you set your mind and disrupting code to it. Look at how China manages the Uighurs with the Shenzhen Valley tech Bros.
What Trump’s bluster is set to prove isnt a need for inmigration reform. No one really belives that the wall will be built. It’s so beautiful because it will always be the perfect fantasy. What Trump’s wall proves is that the GOP doesn’t have the fortitude to believe in real policies, that they can’t confront real inmigration control outside of letting Silicon Valley engineer their own elixir.
It also will prove that Trump is more than happy to hold 800,000 Americans financially hostage as long as they work for the government. Is that ethical? It surely is if you believe they are swamp people.
I thought I had these already, but they sound great. i will have those with the wall as well.
Today, about 75 million, or one-quarter of the U.S. population, consists of immigrants or the children of immigrants (Pew Research Center, 2015).
Nothing has done more to diminish the quality of life for the United States middle class through higher housing (land) costs, greater competition for jobs, lower wages, higher taxes to pay for greater poverty, mortgage fraud, medicare fraud, tax fraud, other crime, higher taxes to pay for indigent healthcare (hospital closings), higher taxes for cost of public schools, price of college, degradation of the military, depletion of resources, burden on the taxpayer and overall congestion than the INCREASE of and change in the nature (more poor, more criminals, e pluribus multum) of the POPULATION since 1965, driven almost entirely by late 20th century and more recent entry of migrants (immigrants, illegals, h1b visa holders, visa overstays, refugees, etc) their families and descendants.
Why do we need more people?
I don’t know for certain what answer you have in mind, but let me guess: a living hell of corruption and violence due to drug cartels.
due to this program alone.
I just drove across the US, coast to coast. We have nothing but space.
So I call BS on your rant.
I think immigration – and so many issues like that – is just something that stirs up emotions and serves as a tool for one group to dominate the other. I watched Ann Coulter to talk the other day, it is clear as day.
Hypocrisy on immigration starts with those brown guys cutting your front yard for less than you’d pay the neighbor kid, if he weren’t too busy playing online games. It also leaks upward, to advocates across the political spectrum who want highly skilled – and relatively cheap – foreign labor to displace Americans while they play ‘Budget Hawk’ with state education funding. The same cohort are happy to welcome foreign ‘business owners’ to the US via the short-cut to the front of the immigration line they are granted for investing $500k + to establish businesses here, because the suitcases of cash they use to pay for houses here strengthen the real estate market. That they are bringing in $ made on the backs of sweatshop labor back where they started from is of no interest or importance, nor is the fact that most Americans are priced-out of places they used to inhabit affordably, such as suburban California, NYC, Boston, etc. We need to restrict all immigration to a pure lottery system while making it possible for low-wage fruit pickers to come and help keep food costs low after ag subsidies are done away with by the upright advocates of wise money management in our political circles finally do what needs to be done.
We don’t. And we definitely don’t need more foreigners. The government must fix it. 23 million illegals comes down to a simple fact: massive, repeated government failure.
Take the trillions we’re currently blowing on pointless Middle East wars and the tens of billions on foreign aid and put it into border security for America.
And yes, by all means throw employers and other enablers (including these phony “sanctuary” predators) in prison.
Unless you are an American Indian, we are all immigrants or children of immigrants. Every one of us.
We do have a lot of that, though I wish we’d pay more attention to conserving prime farmland.
I understand that we need to have commonsense immigration laws but immigration’s such a valuable way of stirring up political interest(and usually the wrong kind) that we’re unlikely to make real immigration reforms any time soon.
This is a no-lose issue for Team D. Or at least an issue that they can only lose if they cave.
Start here – Very few people outside Trump’s base want The Wall. At least they don’t want it so badly that they are willing to shut the government down to get it.
So the shutdown isn’t going to gain Trump many new voters, or people who would not already have voted for Trump. But it will cost him some voters, not to mention turn off the few remaining people who are on the fence about Trump. Those who already don’t like Trump will be even more motivated to vote against him.
At the same time, if Trump and not Team D caves, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter will be the least of Trump’s worries. He will be publicly humiliated, his promises shown to be shams, his negotiation skills a joke, and the target on his back will grow ever larger along with his impotence.
What utter nonsense. Are all those Asian H1-B skilled workers white now? When did this happen?
You ask absolutely essential questions, Connecticut Farmer – questions that demand answers – because much of the solution to the problem lies in those countries from which millions are motivated to migrate.
“Unless you are an American Indian, we are all immigrants or children of immigrants. Every one of us”.
Save your commie logic. American Indians came from Asia, which we were also pushed from by Turks and Arabs into Western Europe: an area that is also under onslaught by mass immigration.
In the absence of any refuge, your specious argument does not provide justification to relinquish all of our lands to the rest of the world and become integrated with them or otherwise stateless.
In short: your logic is mere words. It is utterly meaningless against our survival.
“I just drove across the US, coast to coast. We have nothing but space.
So I call BS on your rant”.
Not habitable space. Half of the nation is a desert and largely incapable of supporting any significant population in terms of water and infrastructure, let alone economy. Look at a google satellite map and kindly get educated on the ecosystems of this nation. The parts that aren’t desert are a combination of over-crowded and economically without need for more competitors. You are the one producing the excrement here.
Their base definitely wants it, but maybe not their big donors–Democrats have loved neoliberal economics since Bill Clinton. But even if they all want it, the fact is (as Nancy Pelosi might say) that when Obama was president, the Democrats did nothing despite having congressional majorities. As Trump would not hesitate to remind everyone. The real point, though, is that Trump can use Glass-Steagall to change the politics of the shutdown.
On the one hand, Trump absolutely must have the wall. Trump’s base wants the wall, he repeatedly promised a wall during his campaign, and the base will be extraordinarily displeased if no wall is forthcoming. Given these realities, what can Trump do to tighten the screws on the Democrats?
That’s where Glass-Steagall comes in. The shutdown impasse narratively conflicts with any Trump-Democrat alliance, much less one as welcome to sensible citizens as breaking up commercial and investment banking . Such an alliance will cause Americans to wonder why Democrats are so strongly opposed to a mere $5.7 billion for a southern border wall that they refuse to engage in the politics of compromise.
Not only will a bill to reinstate Glass-Steagall make Americans wonder about the Democrats’ immigration intransigence, but it will also remove any pressure on Trump to offer, or accept, a DACA-for-wall deal, since the grand compromise will be in the Glass-Steagall bill itself, and in Trump’s promise to sign it.
Trump can change the whole political narrative–and pressure Democrats to end the shutdown–by pushing Glass-Steagall in exchange for Democrats agreeing to fund the wall.
It’s very true that populations have moved about historically & prehistorically, but generally when we think of immigrants to North America we think of the last 400 years, not the pre-Columbian era. But good point. We all got here from somewhere else.
That would seem commonsense but it doesn’t seem to have affected development in So CA or the Southwest much. They manage to divert water there as communities grow.
““I just drove across the US, coast to coast. We have nothing but space.
This immigration discussion is a political discussion, not a geographical discussion. People are packed into those states because they want to live there.
Unfortunately (by constitutional design – a feature, not a bug), all that desolate space, and the relatively few people that live their, are represented with the same number of senators (but not equally from a per-capita perspective) in the Senate, as the most densely populated states. That gives those ‘Red’ (typically) states disproportionate political power.
Unfortunately, I think the only real remedy for a lot of our political problems is, for The Democrats, to absolutely crush those states financially once the Democrats have the political power to do so. And I do not say that lightly, since the residents of those states are Americans.
I don’t know how this would be done. It might be a long process and ugly process.
When The Democrats have the political power maybe they should close every federal facility possible in those states so that the employees have to liquidate their houses at rock bottom prices and move to places they hate.
Maybe strip every subsidy possible from the federal budget that dis-proportionally benefits those states so that the residents must move.
Maybe stop federal investments in infrastructure (roads, airports, etc) in those states.
Maybe zero out farm subsidies in those state.
This is bare knuckled, raw political power exercised as punishment. Maybe that’s what it takes to break the current political logjam.
Maybe such a threat, perceived as real, would force Red states to be more receptive to Blue state political desires.
As the article linked clearly shows, ‘Red’ states are, in general, significantly more dependent on federal largess than ‘Blue’ states.
Top 10 states dependent on federal dollars: New Mexico, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, S. Carolina, Arizona, Alaska, Montana, Louisiana.
Enforcement of immigration laws need to be sensibly enforced. This means controlling and the rate of illegal border crossings according to the cost of enforcement and the harm that recent immigrants can occasion until they are fully assimilated. It is easy to get this wrong if we overestimate the harm. Of course overtime we need to change the focus from keeping out harmful immigrants toward attracting the worlds best and brightest.
I support admitting fewer foreign nationals with higher skills into the U.S., and I did not and do not support Trump. The Wall is an empty gesture because most illegal immigration into the U.S. occurs elsewhere. Until Trump and the Republicans enforce e-verify against U.S. employers, neither is serious about solving illegal immigration. Until then, it’s just noise and theatrical gestures.
“Commie logic.” Wow. Now there is proof, as if we still needed it, that humans are capable of rationalizing and excusing virtually anything in defense of their worldview. That one belongs in a social psychology textbook.
The last time I heard reasoning that tortured, it was a sweet little old lady and total bigot in Atlanta, explaining that we were entitled to take over North America because the Indians had had it for thousands of years and hadn’t done anything with it.
Jay, when the people who would become the American Indians came across the Bering Strait land bridge and spread across the Americas, they weren’t immigrants. There were no people already here. When Europeans came here, there were people here already. They had governments, social structures, societies. The Europeans were immigrants. Do you see the difference? Of course not, because you don’t want to.
The Trump cult’s views on immigration can be summed up neatly in one of the most poignant videos I’ve ever seen on YouTube. A group of armed (open carry) Trumpkins are screaming at a New Mexico state legislator, demanding his “papers,” demanding to know if he’s in the US legally.
Are you accusing MrsCracker of commie logic?
… well, my bruder, I can vouch for her, she has no love for the communist manifesto, trust me on that one.
Oh Jay,… at first glance I thought you were saying “excitement”. Well, thank you for this Trump-country gem.
You know what they say? It makes the desert bloom.
If you believe that admitting fewer immigrants with higher skills will promote assimilation and lead to more successful immigration, you probably voted for Trump.
Really? How often did he reach that level of policy articulation in the campaign? (Even if he did, he wouldn’t have gotten my vote.) It was all Wall, all the time. Of course E-Verify, exit visa controls and all the other remedial measures are more effective than a wall; but Trump has decided it’s a hill worth dying for. Living in AZ, I wouldn’t mind a wall; but I think Trump and his base will ultimately be disappointed.
True, but it’s kind of novel to be mistaken for a Communist.
One of my children thinks I’m somewhere to the right of the Taliban so it’s good to hear from the other side once in a while.
Democrats could also easily reopen the government by agreeing to fund a couple billion dollars’ worth of fencing and other border security measures they already support and letting Trump call it another “down payment” on the wall.
Or, to turn this around the other way, Trump could also easily reopen the government by agreeing to the Democrats’ offer of a couple billion dollars’ worth of fencing and other border security measures that already passed both houses of Congress AND that Trump had agreed to sign before Coulter challenged his manhood and he went into full temper tantrum meltdown.
I consider the matter closed given that today the president’s batting eye lids (blinking) flirting with democrats.
He has more than blinked. Whether they accept the offer or not. | 2019-04-25T16:14:35Z | https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/are-republicans-picking-the-right-immigration-fight/ |
Welcome to the tutorials on Linux.
[this] is first of the 18 part video series Helping you become a linux pro.
[so] [what] is an operating system? Every time you switch on your computer you see a screen where you can perform different Activities like write browse the internet or watch a video What is it that makes a computer hardware work like that? How does the processor on your computer know that you are asking it to run an MP3 file? Well, it is the operating system or the Kernel which does this work a Kernel is the program at the heart of any operating system that takes care of fundamental stuff like letting hardware communicate with software So to work on your [computer] you need an operating system in fact.
We are using one as you read this on your computer now You may have used popular operating systems like windows Apple os x but here we will learn what linux is and what benefits it offers over other os choices So what is linux and who created it? Linux is an operating system or a kernel which Germinated as an idea in the mind of young and bright [cleanest] or valves and [he] was a computer science student Used to work on the Unix operating system And thought that it needed Improvements however When his suggestions were rejected by the designers of Unix he thought of launching an os which will be receptive to the changes modifications Suggested by its users Selina's divides the colonel named Linux in 1991 though he would need programs like file manager document editors [Audio-video] programs to run on it Something as you have a cone, but no ice cream on the [top] as time passed by he collaborated with other programmers in places like mit and applications for Linux started to appear So around 1991 a working linux operating system with some applications was officially launched And this was the start of one of the most left and open source os options available today the earlier versions of Linux were not so user-friendly as they were in use by computer programmers and Leanest or [valves] never had it in mind to commercialize his product [it] is definitely curved Linux is popularity as other commercially oriented operating system windows got famous Nonetheless the open Source aspect of the Linux operating system made it more robust But now linux has got its new attention The main Advantage of Linux was that programmers were able [to] use the Linux Kernel in order to design their [own] custom operating systems This has now made linux one of the most popular and widely used Kernel and it is the Backbone of popular operating systems like Debian ubuntu and Fedora the list doesn't end here as there are thousands of operating systems based on Linux which offer a variety of functions to [the] users, so [what] are the benefits of using Linux? Linux now enjoys popularity at its prime, and it's famous among programmers as well as regular computer users around the world Its main benefit is that it offers a free operating system? You do not have to shell hundreds of dollars to get the operating system like windows But the benefits are being [open-source] anyone with programming knowledge can modify it The Linux operating systems now offer millions of programs and applications to choose from most of them free Once you have linux installed you no longer need an anti-virus Linux is a highly secure system more so there is a global development community constantly looking at ways to enhance its Security with each upgrade the operating system becomes more secure and robust linux is the operating [system] of choice for server? environments user stability and reliability [mega] companies like Amazon Facebook and Google use linux for their servers a linux based server could run non-stop Without a reboot for years on end So is it for you? users who are new to Linux usually shun it by falsely considering it as a difficult and technical operating system to operate But to state the truth in the last few years the next operating systems have become a lot more [user-friendly] Than their counterparts [bank] [windows] so trying them is the best way to know whether linux suits you or not [I'm] asked to learn Unix and why Linux Unix is the mother of the operating systems which laid out the foundation to Linux? Unix is designed mainly for mainframes and used in enterprises and Universities while Linux is fast becoming a household name for computer users Developers and server environment you may have to pay for a Unix kernel while in Linux it is free But the commands used on both the operating systems are usually the same there is not much difference between Unix and Linux Though they might seem different at core They are essentially the same since linux is a clone of Unix so learning is same as [learning] another This was a short introduction to Linux.
Thank you for watching I will [see] you the next tutorial Welcome to the video tutorial on selecting a linux distribution and types of installation now that we know what clinic says it is time We learn how we should install it on the computer and choose which distribution.
We should use Let's start by understanding, what a linux distribution is Well now as you know that your next is an open source free to use kernel.
It is used by programmers organizations profit and nonprofit companies around the world in order to create operating systems to suit their individual requirements these versions types the kinds of Linux operating systems are all distributions or in the stores, so [how] many distributions are out there there are hundreds of Unix operating systems or distributions available these days? Many of them are designed with a specific purpose in mind for example To run a web server or to run network switches like routers or Modems the latest example of one of the most popular smartphone based [Unix] distribution is Android so let us learn about some popular Linux distros Starting with arch Linux this Linux Distro is popular amongst developers [it] is an independently developed system.
It is designed for users who go for a do with [yourself'] approach The next is the Center Force it is one of the most used Linux distribution For enterprises and web servers it is a free enterprise class operating system And is based heavily on Red Hat Enterprise Distro The next is gen it is [a] source based [distribution] which means you need to configure the code on your system before you can install it it is not for Linux beginners But it sure is fun for experienced users Linux mint, it is one of the most popular desktop distributions available out there It launched in 2006 and is now considered with a fourth most used operating system in the computing world Next is ubuntu This is the third most popular desktop operating system after Microsoft windows and Apple mac os it is based on Debian Linux distribution and it is known for its desktop and Violent so which one is the best linux distribution? Well each linux distribution is built for a [specific] purpose to meet the demands of its target users Most of the distributions are available for free at their respective websites You might want to try them one by one till you get to know which distribution you [like] the most each one of them offers its unique design Applications and secure it We will be using ubuntu for our learning purpose as it's easy for a beginner to understand Now let us look at the various methods.
We can use to install Linux The first type of installation is from the USB stick This is one of the easiest methods of installing ubuntu or any other linux distribution on your computer So let's start with the uSB stick Installation for this you are going to need the ubuntu iso, or os files? You can download them by visiting ubuntu.
Com forward slash download [or] slash than stop let's visit this page as You can see here there are two versions of ubuntu available free for download Let us go ahead and download it will do 1210 The second software that you are going to need is a program which will install the ubuntu iso files on the uSB stick So for this you can install the universal usB installer Available for free a pendrive linux comm so let [us] go ahead and download it So once you have the [given] to iso files and the universal usB installer Downloaded on your computer It's time to run the universal usB installer The first step is about selecting a linux Distro The drop-down menu here shows the list of different distributions and their versions We will choose ubuntu 1210 next you need to click on browse and Here we have that would do 12 10 iso files on the desktop So go ahead and click on it Now you need to choose the uSb flash drive.
[so] let us go ahead and click on this drop down menu here It shows that we have a uSb stake mounted on the drive.
I so let's select it Now if you want to format the usb flash drive before it installs ubuntu you can click on Format the drive then click [on] create You would get a pop-up message informing you that the universal usB installer Will work on the following actions click on yes? Then the universal usB installer program will start moving the ubuntu iso files to the uSB stick Once done you have the uSB stick ready with ubuntu to install it on your system So let us go ahead and click on close [now] your uSB [stick] is an installation media with the window on it Now you can boot your computer Through this uSB stick and you will be able to run [move] [into] without installation The second method of installation is by Live CD This is another effective [way] of installing linux on your system for this you again need to visit ubuntu.
Com forward slash download forward slash desktop in order to download the iso files Once you are done with the download and you have open to installation files on your computer Burn them to a CD and then you need to boot your computer Through the optical drive and follow the instructions as they come the next and the most popular method to install a linux operating system is virtual installation it offers you the Freedom of running Linux on an existing operating system already installed on your computer This means if you have windows or mac os running then you can just run linux with a click of a button Virtual Machine Software like Oracle VM Can install ubuntu in easy steps let us look at them again? You first need to download the ubuntu iso files on your computer Then you need to download the installation files for oracle VM virtualbox [as] we are running on windows right now.
We will go ahead and download these files So let us download and install oracle VM on the computer Once done, you need to click on the virtual box icon on your desktop, and this is the screen that will open then you need to configure the virtual operating system by clicking on new Which will create a new virtual machine? You can have multiple os installations in your virtual machine at the same time then click on next Type in a name for your virtual machine and then choose the operating system and the version that you would like to install Click next and Define the memory size for the virtual machine Right now the memory allocated for the virtual machine is 512 and B You can always increase the base memory size for the virtual machine then click on next Create a new hard disk this does not create a new drive like c.
D or [e] in your machine Instead it creates a vDI.
Which is a virtual disk image This virtual disk will contain your os installation Click on next and you will find that there are many options to create a virtual disk choose vDI.
Which is virtualbox disk image select between dynamically allocated or fixed size virtual disk storage a Dynamically allocated [virtual] disk file with only you space on your physical hard disk which is used by your VM installation While fixed size will use the entire allocated space in your physical hard drive click on next Define the location for virtual this file on your physical hard drive And the file size the recommended file size is 10 GB click on next you are then shown a summary screen click on create and this is the virtual machine that we created so [let's] go ahead and power the virtual machine This will boot forward to on virtualbox now let's go ahead and install ubuntu If you want to download updates while installing you can check this thick box let's click on continue So if you want to go ahead And install [ubuntu] directly you can choose this option here It will not affect the hard drive instead with only [arrays] the virtual disk that you have created Otherwise if you want to work on the partitions, you can choose something else Let's go ahead with [arrays'] disk and install ubuntu right now and click on continue We can type in the city you live in here, and then you need to click on continue Then choose the language that you would want to work [with] and click on Continue now.
This is an important step and it will define your rights on the linux system so put in your name here and Then choose a computer name you will leave it like this Then you can put in a username of your choice and after that put in a password Then you can choose any of these two options here and click on continue Now this would install ubuntu on your system Those who want to test the distribution before installing it on a computer and replacing the existing operating system would be surprised to know that you can easily run it from the uSB [stick] or a Cd in the trial mode as you can see here.
We have a try ubuntu option available [if] we go with it Ubuntu would start in the trial mode and you can easily check out the interface This way you can learn whether you like the [distribution] or not and can either install or move on to another one You can even install linux [side-by-side] with Windows or any other os which is called dual booting let us quickly summarize what we [learned] today an Operating system based on the Linux Kernel is called the distribution or Distro.
There are hundreds of distributions available Some of which are designed to accomplish a sole purpose like running servers act as network switches Etc Naming the best linux distribution is difficult as they are made for different needs Linux can be installed in your system while [the] below mentioned methods The first one is the USB stick the second one is the live CD and the third one is virtual installation Thank you for watching I will see you in the next tutorial Welcome to the video tutorial on the big switch to Linux now [that] you have installed linux.
It is time to make the big switch from your windows or the Mac operating system [Mac] always uses a Unix call your switch from Mac os to Linux will be relatively smooth It's the windows users who will need some adjusting in This tutorial we will introduce the linux operating system and compare it with windows Starting with file system in Microsoft Windows files are stored in Folders under different data drives like Cd.
E Button Linux files are ordered in a tree structure starting with the root directory This root directory can be considered as [the] start of the file system, and it further branches out various other sub directories the root is denoted with the forward slash a General Tree file system on your linux system may look like this Moving on to the types of files in Linux and Unix everything is a file Directories are files files are files and the devices like printer mouse keyboard ETC are all files the first type [of] files are general files also called ordinary files they can contain image video program or simply text it can be a sky or a binary Format These are the most commonly used files by Linux users next are the directory files These files are a warehouse for other file types We can have a directory file with them a directory you can take them as folders found in windows operating system here the difference between Linux and windows becomes Significant in Windows system and program files are usually saved in the drive [sea] But in linux you would find the system and program files and different directories under the file System same is the case with CD-Rom while we see it as a drive in windows It is a directory named as CD-Rom and Linux Removable Media files are also shown as a drive in windows Whereas in Linux, they are a directory Common programs and [windows] are stored in the program files and linux you would find them under the bin directory The last type is the device files in Microsoft Windows devices like printers CD-Rom and hard drives are represented as drive letters like the e g h and Linux they are represented as files for example if the first sata drive had three primary partitions They will be named as the [file] systems that you can see on the screen It is important to note here that all the device files reside in the [def] directory all Of these file types including the devices have permissions which allow a user to read Edit or execute them This is a powerful Linux or Unix feature access Restrictions can be applied [for] different kinds of [users] by changing permissions let us discuss user accounts and Linux the first type is a regular user a regular user account is created for you when you install ubuntu on your system, or Your files and folders are stored in home guru 99 Which is your home directory as a regular user you do not have access to directories of other users other Than regular user another user account called runed is created at the time of installation The root account can access the structured files install software and has [administrator] It is also called the super user Whenever you want to perform any administrative tasks on Linux.
You need to log in as a root user The third type is the service user Linux is widely used as a server operating system Services such as apache Squared have their own individual service accounts Having services accounts increases security of your computer it is important to note here that You will not see service accounts in a bin to desktop version, but only in the open to server edition Regular accounts are also called standard accounts in windows desktop Let Us move on to file name convention In windows you cannot have two files with the same name in the same folder With the second file with the same name is created you would get an error While in Linux you can have two files with the same name in the same directory provided they use different cases for [every] user in Linux a directory is created under the home directory Now consider a regular user [through] [nine] [nine] He can store his personal files and directories in the directory home below nine nine But he cannot save files outside his user directory and does not have access to directories of other users as well The concept is similar to the user's folder found in windows for every user in Linux A Directory is created as home the user name when you put the linux operating system [a] user directory home Guru nine Nine is the default working directory hence the directory home rule [ninety] [nine] is also called the home directory Which is a misnomer? The working directory can be changed using some commands which we will learn later.
Let's summarize Unix or Linux uses a hierarchical file system.
There are no drives and Linux unlike windows [files] like hard drives CD-rom printers are also considered files, Unix or Linux There are three types of user counts the first one being regular? Second one root and the third one is service account root user is the super user and has all the administrative Privileges when x file naming convention is case-sensitive Thus sample and sample are two different files in Linux or Unix operating System for every user home user [named] directory is created.
Which is called his home directory Thank you for watching this tutorial.
[I] hope to see you in the next ones Welcome to the video tutorial on terminal [Vs.
File manager Have [you] wondered what is the most frequent [tasks] let you perform on your computer is it playing games? Listening to Music or browsing the internet This may be surprising [to] some but the most frequent tasks performed by an average user on a computer is browsing creating moving and deleting files So what are the ways to manage files efficiently there are two main ways? The first one is the Cli or command-line interface like the terminal in a bunton The second one is the graphical user interface or Gui Which is like the file manager on any operating system Most of the beginners as [well] as the experience to users prefer to use the Gui but Cli has its own Advantages which we will discuss in this tutorial So why learn the command-line interface? First the command-line interface is highly flexible and offers options which are not available in the Gui mode Second some configurations in Gui are up to four screens deep while in the CLi It's just a single command for example Creating a new account can take forward different steps through the graphical user Interface Whereas the same can be done with a single terminal command third If you are thinking of moving hundreds of files it can take hours using the Gui mode Whereas using regular expressions on Cli you can do the same within seconds Forth Cui loads fast and does not consume ram compared to Gui so it does not affect system performance at all This is important [in] crunch situations when a server is down But Gui has its importance to and especially useful while viewing performance graphs editing images and videos Creating sketches and trying out other graphic intensive tasks the look Feel an Operation of Gui based file manager is similar across major operating systems like windows Mac operating system and Linux It's the command-line interface which people find challenging to use and it will be the focus of our Tutorials So starting with how to launch the command-line interface on the ubuntu operating system You can try the same with the following two methods first click on – and type terminal Then you would be able to see a thumbnail with Seis terminal go ahead and click on it This way the terminal window would pop open Or you can simply press the CTRL alt? And t keys on [benet] ssin to launch the same window Once you have launched the Cli you would find some information already populated on the screen Let us learn what it is about The first part of this line is the name of the user which can be Bob Tom ubuntu Home or Guru 99 The second part is the computer name or the host name the host name helps identify a computer over the network in a server environment host name becomes important [the] Colon is a simple separator The teal sign shows that the user is [working] in the home directory If you change the directory the sign will vanish Later we will learn how [to] move between different directories, and you would see that the sign would not display the Dollar Sign Suggests that you are working as a regular user in Linux while working as a root or the master user The hash sign is displayed now in order to work on your files You need to know which directory you are in on the terminal this brings us to what as a present working directory The directory that you are currently browsing is called the present working directory We log on to the home [directory] by default when you boot your computer otherwise you can use the Pwd command For knowing which directory you are working on let's try the same on terminal here by using the PWd command We got to know that we are in the home guru nine-nine Directory which also happens to be the home directory for this computer Pwd stands for print working directory Moving on to changing directories.
You can do so by [using] a CD Well it is not the actual CD, but the command Let us look at how it works Here by using the CD.
Command you would move from the home directory to the tMP directory Then again using the same command we would move on to the bin directory Trying the same we would then move back to the tMP directory if you want to navigate to the home directory, [then] you need to type CD or Cd space team in case you want to move to the root directory you would have to type CD space forward Slash It should be noted here that the root of filesystem and [Linux] is denoted by a forward slash Which is the same as c.
: backward slash [in] windows? The apparent difference is in windows.
Where you use a backward slash while in Unix or Linux A forward slash is used Let us try the same on terminal So by using the CD.
Space field command we would move to [the] home directory Then if you want to move to the root directory we would use CD.
Space forward Slash Do not forget the space between CD and forward slash to avoid error So how do we navigate through multiple directories you can navigate through multiple directories at the same time? by Specifying its complete path So if you want to move to the cPU directory under dev you do not need to break this operation [into] parts Let us look at it on terminal here by using a single command we would move from the home directory to the cPU directory under DEv in Case you want to move up one directory you can easily do [so] by trying CD.
Space dot dot By using the CD Space dot dot command we would move from the cPU directory to the [DEV] directory Then again using the same command we would move from DEv directory to the root directory It is important [to] understand What is path in computing and what are its types? Just like a path can make you reach your home a path in computing is the address of a file or folder so the C documents and settings user downloads in Windows and home user downloads Path and Linux would take you to the downloads folder There are two kinds of parts absolute and relative let's start with the first one Let's say you have to browse [the] images stored in the pictures directory of the home folder Guru [nine] [nine] The absolute [filepath] of pictures directory is then home go nine nine pictures So to navigate to this directory [you] would have to use the command CD home Guru nine nine pictures and This way you would [read] the pictures directory This is called absolute path as you are specifying the full path to reach the file of the directory Relative path comes in handy when you have to browse another subdirectory Within a given directory it saves you from the effort to type complete parts all the time Suppose you are already in your home directory, and you want to navigate to the pictures directory for this you do not need to type the absolute path with the command as You're already in the home guru [9:9] directory.
You can simply type CD space The name of the directory and you would reach it This way you do not have to specify the complete path to read a specific location within the same directory in the file system So to summarize what we have learned today To manage your files you can use either the Gui or the Cli and linux You can launch the terminal from the dashboard or using the Shortcut Key CTRL alt and t the PWd commands gives the present working directory You can use the CD command to change directories Absolute path is complete address of a file or directory Relative path is relative location of a file or directory with respect to the current directory Relative Path Helps avoid typing complete paths all the time Let us also refresh our memory on the Cli commands learnt in this tutorial Use CD.
Space directory named command to navigate to a [particular] directory Use Cd or CD space field command to move to the home directory? Use CD.
Space forward Slash command to navigate to the root directory use CD space dot dot Command to move one level up in the directory structure Thank you for watching I will see you in the next tutorial Bienvenido al video tutorial sobre importantes comandos de Linux en El último tutorial, aprendimos la importancia de usar la interfaz de línea de comando continuemos y aprendamos los debe saber los comandos de Linux Para verificar una lista de archivos en su sistema Unix o Linux, puede usar el comando "LS" Muestra los archivos o los directorios en su directorio actual.
Vamos a ver esto en la terminal Al escribir el comando "LS", podemos ver todos los archivos y el directorio en el directorio de inicio Es importante observar aquí, que los directorios se denotan en color azul y los archivos se denotan en blanco Encontrará esquemas de colores similares y diferentes distribuciones de Linux.
El comando:LS "muestra los archivos solo en el directorio actual Supongamos que desea verificar la presencia de un archivo MP3 en su carpeta de música que se encuentra bajo el subdirectorio English y el subdirector Hardrock para listar este archivo MP3, puede usar el comando "LS-R" Mostrará todos los archivos y las carpetas no solo en los directorios, sino también en los subdirectorios Aquí, podemos ver todos los directorios, los subdirectorios y los archivos Presentes en ellos para obtener información muy detallada relacionada con los archivos y directorios puede escribir el comando "LS" de guión de espacio "-al" Una vez que escribe el comando Se le presentan muchos detalles en la pantalla.
Vamos a aprender cuáles son, la primera columna aquí muestra el tipo de archivo y los permisos de acceso la segunda columna muestra los bloques de memoria ocupados por el archivo o el directorio La tercera columna aquí muestra el propietario o el creador del archivo.
la cuarta columna muestra el grupo de usuarios del propietario.
la quinta columna muestra el tamaño del archivo y los bytes.
La sexta columna aquí muestra la fecha y la hora de la creación del archivo o el directorio.
La séptima y la última columna aquí muestra el directorio o el nombre del archivo.
Los elementos ocultos en Unix o Linux comienzan con el símbolo de punto al comienzo del archivo o directorio.
Cualquier directorio que comience con el período no se verá a menos que usted lo solicite.
Para ver los archivos ocultos usa el comando Espacio "LS" Hyphen "-a" al escribir este comando en la terminal, podemos ver todos los archivos ocultos que comienzan con un símbolo de punto.
Cuando se trata de crear y visualizar archivos, es hora de traer al gato El comando "cat" el comando "cat" se usa para mostrar archivos de texto.
También se puede usar para copiar, combinar y crear nuevos archivos de texto.
veamos cómo funciona en la Terminal para crear un nuevo archivo.
Debe escribir el siguiente comando en la terminal.
Archiva uno aquí siendo el fuego que crearemos.
Una vez que haya ingresado al comando, la terminal le solicitará que agregue el contenido.
agreguemos el contenido de este archivo.
Una vez que haya terminado de agregar el contenido del archivo Debes presionar "CTRL + D" en tu teclado para regresar al comando Indicar Así es como crearemos un nuevo archivo usando el comando "cat" Para ver el mismo archivo, puede escribir en el espacio "cat" el nombre del archivo.
Vamos a crear otro archivo usando el mismo método Ahora tenemos dos archivos aquí, "archivo1" y "Archivo2" Permítanos tratar de combinarlos juntos la sintaxis para combinar dos archivos es "gato" espacio "Nombre de archivo 1" Espacio "Nombre de archivo 2" que luego sería enviado a un nuevo archivo.
Tan pronto como inserte este comando y presione enter, los archivos estarán Concatenados.
pero no ve un resultado.
Esto se debe a que el shell bash o el terminal son de tipo silencioso.
Nunca le dará un mensaje de confirmación como "ok" o se ha invocado un comando.
Solo mostrará un mensaje cuando algo vaya mal o cuando haya ocurrido un error para ver el archivo nuevo archivo combinado, usemos el mismo comando "cat" Tenga en cuenta que solo los archivos de texto pueden mostrarse y combinarse con el comando "cat" pasar a borrar archivos Usaremos el comando "RM" Space filename para eliminar los archivos que no necesitamos.
Veámoslo en la terminal Aquí tenemos un archivo con un nombre "prueba" que nos gustaría eliminar el comando "RM" elimina archivos del sistema sin confirmación Para eliminar este archivo, debe escribir "RM" en el espacio "test" Esto eliminaría el archivo y la próxima vez que enumeremos los archivos en el directorio de inicio, no veríamos el archivo de prueba.
para mover archivos a una nueva ubicación que necesita usar "" MV "" espacio "nombre de archivo" espacio "Nueva ubicación de archivo" comando Supongamos que queremos mover el archivo de prueba a una nueva ubicación, archivos home Guru99 Para esto tenemos que ejecutar este comando Al ejecutarlo, moverá el archivo.
pero ¿por qué dice permiso denegado? Bueno, el comando move necesita permiso de superusuario.
Actualmente estamos ejecutando el comando como un usuario estándar y no tenemos los permisos correctos para el directorio de archivos.
Por lo tanto, obtenemos el error anterior.
para superar el error use el comando "SUDO".
El programa "SUDO" permite a los usuarios habituales ejecutar programas con los privilegios de seguridad de Superusuario o raíz.
El comando "SUDO" solicitará la autenticación con contraseña.
No necesita saber la contraseña de root para esto y puede ingresar su propia contraseña después de la autenticación, el sistema invocará el comando solicitado.
"SUDO" mantiene un registro de cada comando, los administradores del sistema de ejecución pueden rastrear a la persona responsable para cambios indeseables en el sistema.
Cabe señalar aquí que de forma predeterminada La contraseña que ingresó para "SUDO" se conserva durante 15 minutos por terminal.
Esto elimina la necesidad de ingresar la contraseña una y otra vez.
para cambiar el nombre de los archivos, utilice "" MV "" espacio "nombre de archivo" espacio "nuevo nombre de archivo" Vamos a cambiar el nombre del archivo de prueba a uno nuevo.
para esto, tenemos que escribir "" MV "" prueba de espacio y un nombre de archivo que sería, test1 en este caso Una vez hecho esto, podemos enumerar los archivos y veríamos que el nombre del archivo para la prueba se cambiaría para probar uno.
Se trataba de hacer cambios en los archivos.
ahora aprendamos un poco sobre la manipulación de directorios.
comenzando con la creación de directorios, este comando creará un subdirectorio en su actual directorio de trabajo.
Que es, generalmente su directorio de inicio.
Veamos cómo funciona en la terminal escribiendo el comando "mkdir" con el nombre del directorio Podríamos crear un nuevo directorio.
Aquí, crearemos un nuevo directorio llamado Songs.
Así es como crearemos un nuevo directorio en el directorio de inicio.
si desea crear un nuevo directorio en una ubicación diferente a la del directorio de inicio, debe usar el siguiente comando por ejemplo, escribir el siguiente comando crearía un nuevo directorio de música en el directorio "TMP".
como podemos ver aquí Tenemos un nuevo directorio de música creado bajo Tmp.
También puede crear más de un directorio a la vez.
vamos a ejecutar este comando en la terminal y mirar los resultados.
Para crear múltiples directorios, debe escribir el comando "mkdir" Seguido por los nuevos directorios que le gustaría crear Aquí creamos tres nuevos directorios como los siguientes Ejecutar el comando "LS" mostraría que estos tres nuevos directorios se han creado en el directorio de inicio.
para eliminar un directorio Use el comando "rmDir" nombre de directorio espacial ahora, queremos eliminar el directorio "direc" usando el comando "RMDir" Para esto, debe escribir lo siguiente Pero asegúrese de que no haya ningún archivo en nuestro subdirectorio bajo el directorio que desea eliminar.
Borre los archivos y los subdirectorios antes de eliminar el directorio principal.
Al ejecutar el comando list veríamos que el directorio "dirEc" ha sido eliminado para cambiar el nombre de los directorios, use el comando "MV" que cubrimos anteriormente.
ahora nos gustaría cambiar el nombre de "Direct2" a Directorio a uno nuevo.
para esto necesitamos ejecutar el comando "MV".
Así es como lo haríamos.
al ejecutar el comando "LS" veríamos que el "direct2" a "directorio" ha sido renombrado como directo para.
pasando al comando "hombre", "Hombre" significa manual que es un libro de referencia de un sistema operativo Linux.
es similar al archivo de ayuda que se encuentra en el software popular.
Para obtener ayuda sobre cualquier comando que no comprenda, puede escribir "man" space Comando el terminal abriría la página de manual para ese comando Por ejemplo, si escribimos el comando "man" space "LS" y presionamos Enter la terminal nos daría información sobre el comando list directory contents El siguiente es el comando "historial" El comando "historial" muestra todos los comandos que ha usado en el pasado para la sesión actual de la Terminal.
esto puede ayudarlo a consultar los comandos anteriores, los ha ingresado y reutilizarlos nuevamente en sus operaciones.
En la terminal, este comando nos daría la siguiente salida También puede presionar la tecla de flecha hacia arriba en su teclado y seguir el comando que ha ejecutado antes De esta forma, puedes ejecutarlos nuevamente.
El siguiente es el comando "borrar".
Este comando declara todo el desorden en el terminal y le da una ventana limpia para trabajar.
Al igual que cuando inicias la terminal.
veamos cómo funciona este comando.
Aquí, tenemos una ventana de terminal con muchos comandos y su salida.
ahora si quieres limpiar todo esto Simplemente podemos ejecutar el comando "borrar" y todos los comandos y su salida serán limpiados.
Muchas veces tendrías que escribir comandos largos en la terminal, a veces puede ser molesto y si quieres evitar tal situación luego copiar pegando los comandos puede venir a rescatar Para copiar el texto de la fuente, puede usar "CTRL + C" Pero para pegarlo en el terminal, debe usar la combinación de teclas "CTRL + shift + V" también puedes probar "shift + insert" Ahora vamos a resumir rápidamente todos los comandos aprendidos hoy El comando "LS" enumera todos los archivos y directorios en el directorio de trabajo actual El comando "ls-R" enumera archivos y subdirectorios.
el comando "Ls-a" enumera los archivos ocultos El comando "ls-la" enumera los archivos y el directorio con información detallada como permisos, tamaño, propietario, ETC.
el comando de nombre de archivo "cat" crea un nuevo archivo el nombre del archivo "gato" muestra el contenido del archivo, con este comando puede unir dos archivos y Almacenar la salida en un nuevo archivo "MV" File new, file Path moverá un archivo a su nueva ubicación el siguiente es El siguiente es el nombre del archivo "MV" nuevo comando de nombre de archivo que cambiaría el nombre del archivo a un nuevo nombre de archivo.
"SUDO" es un comando importante Y permite a los usuarios habituales ejecutar programas con los privilegios de seguridad del superusuario o raíz el comando RM borra un archivo El comando "mKDir" seguido del nombre del directorio crearía una nueva victoria en el directorio de trabajo actual.
Usando el mismo comando seguido por el camino y el nombre del directorio crearía un nuevo directorio en la ruta especificada.
"rmdir" eliminaría un directorio del sistema.
El nombre "MV" nuevo, el nombre le daría a un directorio un nuevo nombre El comando "hombre" nos da información de ayuda sobre un comando.
Este comando da una lista de todos los comandos pasados escritos en la sesión de terminal actual.
El último es el comando "borrar" que borra la terminal.
gracias por ver que te veré en el próximo tutorial.
Welcome to the video tutorial on setting file permissions on Linux Security [is] a big concern [for] Linux.
Which is a clone of Unix the multi-user operating system as Linux is used in mainframes and servers it is vital to keep it safe from a maligned user who can corrupt change or remove crucial data This is why for effective Security Linux divides? authorization into two levels ownership and permission The concept of permissions and ownership is crucial and Linux Here we will discuss both of them.
Let's start with ownership and the next files Every file in directory in your Unix or linux system is assigned three types of owner The first one among them is User a user is the owner of the file by default [the] person who created a file becomes its owner Hence a user is also sometimes called an owner the next one is a group a User group can contain multiple users all users belonging to a group will have the same access permissions to the file So you can add many users to a group and assign group permission to a file So [that] only the group members can read or modify them Furthers other who is any other user who has access to a file? This person has neither created the file nor does he belong to a user group which owns the file Practically it means everybody else Hence when you set the permission for others it is also referred as set permissions for world Now the big question arises, how does Linux? distinguishes between these three user types so that a user a Cannot affect [a] file which contains some other user B's vital information or data It is like you do not want your colleague who works on your linux computer to view your personal images This is where permissions set in and they define user behavior let us understand the permission system on Linux every File in directory and your Unix or linux system has three permissions read write and execute Define for all the three users that we discussed earlier This permission gives you the authority to open and read a file read permission on a directory gives you the ability to list its content the Write permission gives you the authority to [modify] the contents of the file The write permission on a directory gives you the authority to add remove and rename files stored the directory In windows an executable program usually has an extension Exe which you can easily run in Unix or Linux.
You cannot run a program unless the execute [permission] is set for example in The sample File here the user does [not] have the permission to execute it hence we would get an error message If we try to open it Therefore if the execute permission is not set you will not be able to run the file Let us learn more about Linux security by examples running the LS L command on terminal gives us the following result by picking the Details for the first file we get to know that the file types and access permissions are displayed by [this] Weird-lookin code let us learn what it is [about]? Let's first learn about the characters R stands for read permission W is for Write Permission x is? execute permission and the – stage no permission Here the first – Implies that we have selected a file else if it were a directory d would have been shown The next part of the code is our w – and it tells us the permissions for the [Amna] This suggests that the owner can read the file write or edit the file But he cannot execute the file since the execute bit is set to – which is no permission The next part is our [w] – it is for the user group which is going and the group members can read the file and Write or edit the file by design many Linux distributions like Fedora sent us Ubuntu ETc, we'll add users to a group of the same group name as the [username] Thus a user Tom is added to a group named Tom The third part is for the world which means any user it says are – – this means that the user can only read [the] file Moving on let's say you do not want [your] colleague to see your personal images You can easily do so by changing file permissions We can use the chmod command which stands for change mode Using the command we can set permissions Is that read write and execute on a file or directory for the owner group and the world? There are two ways to use the command The first one is the absolute mode and the second one is the symbolic mode starting with the first one in this mode file permissions are not represented as characters, but a three-digit Octal number the table shows numbers for all the permission types For [example] the number 0 states no permission and the symbol for it is three hyphens? successively, the number 1 would be 4 execute and the symbol for the same is – – x Let us understand this by an example Here we have a file with the main test We will change the permissions for this file using the absolute mode of chmod command Here we use the seven six for absolute code and now the permissions for test file would change Let's examine the changes to the permissions Seven six for absolute code says the Following read write and execute for the user or the owner Read and write for the user group and read only for other users So this is how we can change the permissions using the absolute mode of the chmod command? Moving on to the next way in the absolute mode we change permissions for all three owners But on the symbolic mode you can modify permissions of a specific owner as well.
It makes use of mathematical symbols to modify the file permissions So the plus sign would mean adding a permission to a file or [directory] – would suggest removing the permission and equal to we'll set the permission and override the permissions set earlier the various owners are represented as u g o and a Let us learn it with some examples Again, we would use the same test file and change its permissions using the symbolic mode By using oh is equal to r.
Wx we have changed permissions for the other users? Let us check what the new permissions are as you can see here the other users have the read write and execute permission for this test file with g + x we have added execute permission to the group Now if you will check the test file it will show the read write and execute permission for the Crew by Running [u-] [R] we will remove the read permission for the user or the owner of the file let us see how [it] looks [now] as We can see the permissions for test file.
Do not show any read permission for the owner This is how we can use the two methods for Chmod command and change permissions? for changing the ownership of a file or directory You can use this command in case you want to change the user as well as group for a file or directory You need to use this command that is try them on terminal Let us change the file ownership for the file command Right now it shows that the owner of the file is guru 99 By running the town command with sudo we would be able to change the owner of this file to [root] As you can see the new owner for the file commands is root Now let's try changing the user group and group ownership of the same file Right now the owner of the file is root and the user group of the file is also root We will change it to guru 99 for this we would need to run the command sudo shower on the owner name then the group name and then the name [of] the file let us see the changes in the user and group ownership as You can see here the commands file is now owned by [Guru] 99 and it also belongs to the same user group in Case you want to change only the group owner of a file you will need to run the following command Here we will again change the group owner of the file commands to root the Chgrp Command Stands for change group now let us go through some important tips on user groups the file [ETC'] group contains all the groups defined in the system In order to reach this file.
You need to go to the file system click on EDC directory and then search for the group file Upon opening this file.
You would be able to see all the groups present on your [linux] system You can use the command groups to find all the groups you are [a] member of So it shows here that the guru user is a member of the following groups You can use the command new grp to work as a member of a new group other than your default group Let's see how it works.
Let us now change the user group for the user guru 99 to cD-Rom Let's create a new file as test Upon checking the detailed information for this file you will find That they use a group for the test file is CD-rom instead of the default guru 99 The next step says that you cannot have two groups owning the same file The one group can be [a] subgroup of another which can own a file Let's now quickly summarize.
What we have learnt the [next] being a multi-user system uses permissions and ownerships for security They are free user types on a linux system user group and other Linux divides the file permissions [in] to read write and execute denoted by are w and x the Permissions on a file can be changed by [ch] Mod command which can be further divided into absolute and symbolic mode? The ch o w and command can change the ownership of a file or a directory? Use the following command [for] changing the user or the user and the user group at the same time the chgrp command Can change the group ownership the command is Chgrp? group and the file name Thank you for watching I will [see] you in the next tutorial welcome to the video tutorial on print email and install software on [Linux] as We already [know] now that commands clear vital [road] and performing different Processes on Linux easily let us learn some more of them for performing Day-To-day tasks For printing in Linux you need to use the Pr command This command helps in formatting the file for printing on [the] terminal But more your original file does not get affected at all by the formatting that you do There are many options available with this command which help in making desired format changes on the file for example using the option – x will divide the Data into x Columns if you want to assign a header value to the text file you can use the [hyphen] h? Space the header name option with the Pr Command let us learn some of them by examples tools is a file We would like to print, but we want to divide its content and three columns for this we will use the command Pr Space – space the file name 3 being the number of Columns that we would divide the data of this file and dip Upon entering the command we would see the file contents have been divided into three columns If you want to assign a header to the file print you can do so with the help of this command Home tools would be the title or [the] header of the file tools And running the command we would see that the file tools has a header now For denoting all lions with numbers you can try this command This command Denotes all the lines in the file with numbers Once you're done with the formatting and it is time for you to get a hard copy of the file you need to use The Following command [it] can be LP filename, or LPR [filename] in case you want to bring multiple copies of the same file you can use the number Modifier [M] and the commands will change to LV Space [Hyphen] N The number of copies then the file name or the other one displayed on the screen If you have multiple printers installed on your system Then you can specify them using these commands the first one says LP space – d the name of the printer and then the name of the file that you would like to print in Windows the Installation of a program is done by running the setup dot exe file The installation file contains the program as well as various dependent components required to run [the] program correctly in Linux or Unix installation files are distributed as Packages, but the package contains only the program itself Any dependent component will have to be installed separately which are usually available as packages themselves? You can use the apt commands to install or remove a package You need to run this command with sudo let us use it to install Vlc media player on the system On running this command sudo would ask us for the password Upon entering the password System would start installing the VLC media player The easy and popular way to install programs on ubuntu is by using the software center Most of the software packages are available on it, and it is far more secure than the files downloaded from the internet So if you want to install the VLc media player you can either click on This thumbnail or you can search [for] it on the search bar Clicking on it will give you the option installed this way, you can install the software easily moving on to sending emails You will need to install the package mail [x] for it on terminal this can be done by using the sudo apt-get, install command Terminal will prompt if you want to continue or not press y to that once you hit the enter key The Postfix configuration screen would open and it will ask you to select the mail server configuration type Choose the one that you want and hit ok this will install the mail x package on your linux system Once done, you can then use the following syntax for sending an email Going by the Syntax that we saw in the slide We would have to type in mail x followed by the email address that we want to send the email to Once you hit the enter key the prompt would ask you to enter the subject To enter the body of the message [you] would have to hit the enter key again, and then you can type in The message that you want to Convey Once you reach the end of the message press control-D and your email would be sent Let us quickly recap [what] we have learnt in this tutorial Using the Pr Command you can format and print the file directly from the terminal the formatting you do on the files does not affect the file contents In Unix and Linux software is installed in form of packages a package contains the program itself [any] dependent component needs to be downloaded separately You can also send emails from the terminal using the mail x command Let us go through the commands as well pr x divides the file into x Columns Pr each command Assigns a header to the file pr n.
Is used to denote the file with line numbers LpN C file name and Lpr C file name and C copies of a file and Pd printer name and L Pp printer name followed by the file name Helping specify the name of a printer ab get is a command used to install and update Packages e-mail acts followed by the address followed [by] the body is the command to send email.
Thanks for watching this tutorial Welcome to the video tutorial on redirection in Linux most of the commands we have learned so far [take] an input and give an output the standard input device is the keyboard and The standard output device is the screen Linux is a very flexible operating system And you can change the standard input and output devices that is learn how this redirection works starting with output redirection The more than symbol is used for output or std out redirection let us try this on terminal Using the Ls.
L command we can see the detail information of the files and directories in our home directory Now we can redirect the output of the command and is al to a new file listings instead of the screen this is how we would do it on Viewing the contents of the file listings we would see [that] the output of the command LS [L] has been stored in this file This is how we can redirect the output of a command It is important to note here that you should use the right file name while free Direction If there is an existing file with the same name [it] will be overwritten so if we redirect this statement to the same file listings We would find that the contents of this file have been overwritten So if you do not want the file to [be] overwritten, but want to add more content to an existing file You should use the more than more than or creative.
This is how we would try it Now if we run the cat command for the same file, [we] would see that it has not been overwritten Instead the new content has been added [to] it Moving on to input redirection The less than symbol is used for input or stdin redirection an Example of this is the mail program in [Linux] which can help you send emails from the terminal? You can type the contents of the email using the standard device keyboard But if you want to attach a file to email you can use the input redirection operator Let Us move on to some advanced redirection techniques Which make use of file descriptors, but before this we must know that in Linux or Unix Everything is a file be it a regular file directories or even devices all of them are files moving on to descriptors every file has an associated [number] called file descriptor or Fd your screen also has a file descriptor When a program is executed the output is sent to file descriptor of the screen and you see program output on your monitor So whenever you execute a program or a command at the terminal 3 files are always open They are the standard input the Standard output and the Standard error by default error Stream is displayed on the screen and Error redirection is routing the errors to a file Other than the screen these files are always present whenever a program is run as explained before a file descriptor is Associated with each of these files.
So why error redirection error redirection is one of the very popular features of Unix or Linux? Frequent Unix users will reckon that many commands give you massive amounts of errors for instance while searching [for] files One typically gets permission denied errors these errors usually do [not] help the person searching for a particular file While executing shell scripts you often do not want error messages cluttering up the normal program output The solution is to redirect the error messages to a file.
Let's learn our interaction with some examples The first one is for redirecting an error log to a file here we are executing a program called Telnet and Running it gives us the following error the file descriptor for the Standard error S2 So by using [two] with the [mode] [in] sign really direct the error output to a file named error File thus the program output is not cluttered with errors and if we want to see the error file we can do It this way Let us go through another example which uses the fine statement using the find statement We are searching the current directory for a file with main starting with mine On running the command it finds a file with the name my texts But it also shows an error for the directory files which cannot be accessed Now using the output redirection.
We will now redirect the error message to a file named error lock Now we can see the error in the file contents Let's see a more complex example server administrators frequently list directories and store both error and The standard output into a file which can be [processed] later they use this command Here the more then ampersand writes the output from one file to the [input] of [another] file Error output is then redirected to standard output which in turn is redirected to the file dir List has both the output is written to file the [ir] list [let's] try it on terminal Let us first is the contents of the directories documents and Abc The command says that the directory ABc was not found and it lists the contents of the documents directory Now we add the output redirection to a file named dir list, but we would see that the error still shows To correct this we now redirect the error output to standard output by using to more than sign Ampersand and one Hence both standard and error output are written to the file dir list This is how we can use output redirection [let] us now go through the key points of this tutorial Each file in Linux has a corresponding file descriptor associated with that The keyboard is the standard input device while your screen is the standard output device The more then is the output redirection operator More than more than appends output to an existing file less than is the input redirection operator More than 10 percent redirects output of one file to another you can redirect error using its corresponding file descriptor [-] Thank you for watching I'll see you in the next tutorial Welcome to the video tutorial on Linux Pipes gre [p] and Sort command If you are new to linux you might wonder what role do pipes play and running the operating system While they are not the real pipes that you have in mind the symBol pipe Denotes a pipe and Linux If you want to use two or more commands at the same time and run them consecutively you can use pipes Pipes, enable Unix or Linux users to create powerful commands which can perform complex tasks in a Jiffy? Let us understand this with an example when you use the cat command to view a file Like the file fruits here which has a lot of pages the Prompt quickly jumps to the last page of the file And you do not see the content in the middle to avoid this you can pipe the output of the cat command To less which will show you only once call lengths of content at a time This way you can scroll the file content using the arrow keys and Once you reach the end of the file has cue to exit instead of less you can also use the PG and more commands and You can view the file in Digestible bits and scroll down by simply hitting the enter key once You reach the end of the file you can again hit the enter key And you would see the command prompt this was about reading the file So what if you have to search a file for text or a piece of information? For this we need to use the gre key command Using this command you can scan a document and reverse you can also customize the search results the way you want The syntax for this command is gre p space the search strength let us see it in action These are the contents of the file fruits Now we will [use] the gre P command to look for avocado The syntax for this would be cat space the file name space the pipe Then the gre P command followed by the string that we [want] to search which would be avocado in this case Hitting enter would search the file fruits for the string avocado Let's also use the same command to search for Melon This is how the command search for the desired strength in a file? You can [use] the following options with the Gi Ep command So if you want to display the lines that do not match the searched Strength you can use the option – V with the Gi Ep command Let us try some of them on terminal here.
We will try the option I with the gr.
Ep command The I option filters the string which is a from all the lines in the fire.
This is why we would get this result The Sort command comes in handy when [you] are trying to list the contents of a file alphabetically the syntax for this command is sort space filename let Us say we want to sort the content of the same file fruits? Alphabetically right now.
We see that the name of fruits are all jumbled up Using the Sort command we will easily be able to do it in a jiffy You can use the following extensions for the sort command and get different results so if you want to reverse the sorting of the Contents of a file you can use the option hyphen r.
Let us try it and see how it works out Using reverse sorting we have changed the alphabetical order of the contents of the fruit file It is now understand.
What our filters? Filter is the output from the first command which becomes the input for the second one When you pipe [to] commands the filtered output of the first command is given to the next one? Let us understand this with the help of an example.
We will again use the same file for this example now We want to highlight only the lines that do not contain the character a in lowercase You will do it this way This is how we can filter the output of the first command and use it as the input for the second one Now [what] [if] we want this result in the reverse order? We will need to run this command or the same Here the cat command will display the contents of the file fruit the result would be outputted to the gre [P] command which will not search for strengths which contain the character a The output of this command would be then worked on by the Sort command To display the result in the reverse order This is how we can use filters And summarize what we have [learned] today pipes help combine two or more commands a Filter in a pipe is an output of one command which serves as the input to the next The gre P command can be used to find strengths and values in a text document Sort command Sorts out the content of a file Alphabetically less PG and more commands are used for dividing a long file into readable bits Thank you for watching I will see you in the next tutorial Welcome to the video tutorial on regular expressions in Linux.
So what are regular expressions? Well, they are special characters.
No not these Yes Which help search Data and match Complex patterns regular expressions are shortened as reg exp or reg x Some of the commonly used commands with regular expressions are tr Sed Vi and gr.
E p these are some of the basic [projects] Let us learn their practical use Let's consider the sample file Now we will use the gre p command to look for lines containing the letter a let's use a regular expression now Using the cat symbol we will search [for] the content let's start with the character a the caret matches the start of a string This is why only lines that start with the character a are filtered lines which do not contain the character a at the start? arek note Let us look into another example Here we will look for the character t in the same file sample Now let us select only those lines which end with the character t for this we will need to use this regular expression Which matches the end of the string this [is] how we can use regular expressions moving on to the interval regular expressions? They tell us about the number of occurrences of a character or string.
They are So if we use the first expression it will match the preceding character appearing and times exactly Let us try it on terminal Let us filter out all the lines that contain the character p Now if we want to check the character p appearing exactly two times in a string one after the other for [this] the syntax would be which will give us this result it should be noted here that you need to add – Capital E with these regular expressions the next is the extended regular expressions these contain combinations of more than one expressions some of them are So if we use the backward slash with [a] plus sign [it] will match one or more occurrence of the previous character Let us learn their practical use Here we have searched for the character t Suppose we want to filter out lines where character a precedes character t.
We would have to use the command like sense Running this command would give us this result this is how we can use the extended regular expressions the syntax for base expansion is either a sequence or A comma separated [list] of items inside curly braces the starting and end of items in a sequence are Separated by two periods let us go through some of the examples here [we] would use the echo command to create strings using the brace expansion another example of the same would be This would create a string from a to z one more example would be this an advanced example of the breast expansion is this This is how we can create strings using the bass expansion? To recap what we have learned regular expressions are a set of characters used to check patterns and strengths They're also called read Exp and regex it is important to learn regular expressions for writing scripts some basic regular expressions are the [period] Symbol replaces any character the caret matches the start of the string the dollar sign? matches the end of a string some extended regular expressions are Here the backslash used with the plus sign matches one or more occurrence of the previous character the backslash used with a question mark Matches [zero] or One occurrence of the previous character some interval regular expressions are Here the N in the curly braces matches the preceding character appearing N Times exactly in the second expression the N And m and the curly braces Match preceding character Appearing n times but not more than m and the last regular expression displayed here matches the preceding character Only when it appears and times or more the brace expansion is used to generate strings It helps in creating multiple strings out of form thanks for watching this tutorial.
[I] hope to see you in the next one Welcome to the video tutorial on environment variables.
So what is a computing environment it is the platform? Constituting an operating system with a processor where a user can run programs The Springs [are] [stored] [as] a variable in Computer science [a] variable is a location for storing of value which can be a file name Text number or Any other Data It is usually referred to with its symbolic name which is given to it while creation the value the stowed can be displayed deleted edited and resaved variables play an important role in computer programming because they enable programmers to write flexible programs as They are related to the operating systems that we work on it is important to know some of them and how we can influence them So what are environment variables? Well, they are the dynamic values which affect the processes or programs on a computer? They exist in every operating systems and their types may Vary They can be created edited saved and deleted They also give information about the system behavior and they change the way software or programs behave for example the lan g environment variable shows the value of the language that the user understands this values read by an application Such that a Chinese user is shown a Mandarin interface while an American user is shown an English interface These are some of the common environment variables will go through them once we know how to access variables in order to Determine the value of a variable You need to use this command it [is] echo space the dollar sign then the variable name Now we'll use some common environment variables starting with echo Path variable This variable contains a colon separated list of directories in which your system looks for executable files When you enter a command on terminal the shell looks for the command in different directories? [mention] in the path variable [if] the command is found it executes otherwise it returns with an error command if not found Variables are case sensitive Make sure that you type the variable name in the right letter case otherwise you may not get the desired results So if we type in the path variable this way, we will not receive a result Moving on to another environment variable the user environment variable gives us the name of the user trying out the home environment variable Would give us the default path to the [user's] home directory the ENV command displays all the environment variables You can create your own user-defined variable with Syntax Variable name is equal to the variable value Again bear in mind that variables are case sensitive and usually they are created in the upper case So let us make a new variable with this value Now for checking the value of the newly created variable you would have to type in this command make sure you do not leave space between the variable name and the equal to sign otherwise you will get an error and Do not miss out on the dollar sign when you are checking the value of a variable if you press the enter key Without the dollar sign the echo command would take the variable name as a string instead of a variable Moving on to deleting variables the following syntax can be used to remove a variable from the system It says unset space the variable name that is try it on terminal so now if you want to remove the new Variable and its value that we created earlier.
We would have to type in [less] on the terminal now [if] we run the echo command followed [by] the new variable We would not get a result the unset command removes the value of a variable permanently Let us do a quick recap environment variables govern behavior of programs in your operating system? Let us also go through the commands that we have learned the echo variable command is used to display value of a variable The ENV command displays all environment Variables the variable name is equal to variable value command creates a new variable unset followed by the variable name removes a variable from the system export Variable is [equal] to value is used to set value of an environment variable Thank you for watching this tutorial.
[I] hope to see you in the next one Welcome to the video tutorial on Communication in Linux While working on a linux operating system you may need to communicate with other devices for this you can use some basic utilities which will help you communicate with Networks are the linux systems and remote users So let us learn them one by one starting with pain This utility is commonly used to check whether your connection to the server is healthy or not This command is also used in analyzing network and [host] connections Tracking Network performance and managing it testing hardware and software issues The Ping Command is [peng] space IP address or the [host] name let's try some of its examples on terminal on running ping space the IP address system sends 64 bytes of Data to the IP address if Even one of the data packets does not return or is lost it would suggest an error in the connection you can press the cTRL C key combination to exit from the pain loop Similarly we can use peng space the hostname, we will try WWL comm here and check the connection to the server? This is how you can use the ping command? Moving on to FTP it stands for file Transfer protocol And it is the most preferred protocol for Data transfer Amongst computers you can use FTP for logging and establishing a connection with the remote host uploading and downloading files navigating through directories and Browsing contents of the directories the syntax to establish an FTP connection with the remote host is FTP space IP address or the host name let us check this on terminal when you have entered the command it will ask you for authentication wire username and password Go ahead and enter the username and then the password Once connection is established and you are logged in you may use these commands to perform different actions So let us run some [of] these commands on terminal so if you want to display the files in the current directory Of the remote computer you need to type in the dir command if you get an error While running commands then you can turn on the passive mode this mode ignores Firewalls and Data port errors, so let us go [ahead] and run the dir command again With the help of the put command we will upload a file with the name local file Press [enter] and the file will be uploaded on the remote computer Now if you want to check the presence of this file, you can again run the dir command And you will be able to see the local file on the remote computer Now let us go ahead and download a file from the remote computer Here we have a file Which we would like to download the command to download a file from the remote computer is get Space the file name which is remote file in our case, so let us go ahead and run this command FTP says that the file was successfully transferred The quit command would log us out from FTP This is how you can use FTP for Data transfer amongst computers the next utility is telnet It helps connect to a remote linux computer [then] programs remotely and conduct Administration this utility is similar to the remote desktop feature found in Windows machine The syntax for this utility is telnet space IP address or hostname For demonstration purpose here we have connected to our own computer or the local host using telnet Once you have put in your username and pass good And you are authenticated you can execute commands just like you have been doing so far using the terminal The only difference is if you are connected to a remote host the commands will [be] Executed on the remote machine and not your local computer Talat has become obsolete over the years as more secure protocols to connect to remote computers have come up This is why we move on to the next utility which is ssh It stands for secure shell and is used to securely connect to a remote computer Compared to ten net ssh [is] secure We're inclined server connection is authenticated using a digital certificate and passwords are encrypted Hence it is widely used by system administrators to control remote linux servers the Syntax to login to ssh is Ssh, space username at IP address or the host name let us try it on terminal So let us login to ssh using the command and so sage space username, and IP address or hostname Once you enter the login command the terminal would ask you for the password upon entering the password Ssh, would be logged in now You can go ahead and run commands on it like the way you do on terminal the difference Is that the command would be executed on the remote computer? So let us try one more command dir this would list all the directory contents in the home directory So let us find out.
What [is] the present working directory? [so] right now.
We are working on home.
Similarly on typing an exit You [would] be logged out off as as age Let us go through the key points of this tutorial communication between Linux or Unix and other different computers networks and remote users is Possible the ping command checks whether the connection with a host name or the IP address is working or not? Run Ping IP address or hostname on the terminal FTP is preferred protocol for sending and receiving large files you can establish an FTP connection with the remote host and then use commands for uploading downloading files Checking file and browsing them telnet utility helps you to connect to a remote linux computer and work on it Ssh, is a replacement for telnet, and it is used by system administrators To control remote linux servers.
I would see you [in] the next one Welcome to the Video tutorial on managing Processes in Linux so what is the Process an? Instance of a program Is called the Process in Simple Terms Any Command That You give To your linux Machine Starts A [new] Process [for] example When you launch offers to Write an Article it creates This Process and it's Possible to have Multiple Processes Aka Instances for the Same Program There are Two types of processes The First one Are the Foreground processes They run On the Screen and need input from the user [an] Example of them are the office Programs The Second One are the Background processes There are in The Background and Usually do not need user input Them an Example of them is the Antivirus That You use you Can start A foreground Process either from the Dashboard or you Can run it from the Terminal so if You want to run the [Badge] your Media Player you can go to – Type in Banshee and You Can run the Media Player this way Otherwise you Can go to terminal and Type in Banshee and Execute The Command When using the terminal you will have to wait until the Foreground Process runs If You start a foreground Process Or a Program From the terminal then you cannot Work on the terminal Till the Program is Up and Running to avoid such A? Situation [You] Can Run the Program and send it to the Background so [that] the terminal Remains available to you, let's learn how To do This for Running a Process on the Background you need to start the Program by typing in the Command Main Once Execute The Program you need to present CTRl + Z then Type Bg to send Process to the Background so if We try the same on terminal? We need to put in the Command Name for the Process or the Program and When it Starts Running, We need to Press in CTrl + z which will stop the Process Then We need to type in Bg to send the Process Into the Background This way you Can send the Process to the Background and Keep the terminal free you can use the Command Fg to Continue a Program Which is Stopped and bring it to the Foreground The Simple Syntax for This Utility, Is Fg.
Space the Job Name an Example for this [S].
We will launch the banshee Media Player stop the Process and Then? We will type in Fg to Continue the Process on the Foreground? Let's Look at some other Important Commands to Manage processes starting With Top this Utility Tells The user about all the running Processes on the linux Machine the Syntax for this Utility is talked so when We run This [Utility] on the terminal you Would find A lot of Fields With Different Abbreviations Which we'll learn now one by one? So starting with the Pid it is the Process Id of each Task You Can See here that it Differs for each task or a process The user is A user Name of the task, owner so it Can vary from root to as, Many user Accounts that you have on your linux System The Pr.
Is the Priority It can Be 20 which Would be highest or Minus 20 Which Would be lowest and? I is a nice value of a task the vi rt That you Read on [the] Screen is the Virtual Memory used it Shows Memory in Kilobytes The re S is the Physical Memory used and it also Shows in Kilobytes As [h] [R] is a Shared Memory used and it also Shows in Kilobytes The S.
Is the Status There are five Types of the same the first one Is d which Says Uninterruptible Sleep [Our] is Running? S is Sleeping T is traced or stopped and the last one Z is for Zombie the Cpu Percentage that you See is the Percentage of [Cpu] Time The Percentage of Memory Is the Physical Memory Used Time Plus Tells Us about the total Cpu Time and the Command Is the Command Name We will Discuss Some of These Fields in This Tutorial? The next One is the Ps Utility This Utility Stands for Process Status It is similar to the task Manager that Pops Up in A windows machine When, We use CTRl + alt + Delete? This Command Is similar to the top Command but the Information Displayed is Different You Can use These in Texas with the ps Command That Is try Them so to Check all the processes Running under A user you need to use this Command It will Give Us all the Information On Processes and Programs Running under Guru 99 you can Also Check the Process Status of a single Process by using the Syntax Ps Space Pid but First, We need to find the Pid of a Process which, we can do by typing in Pid of Space the Process Name here We'll type in Banshee and Check its Pid So it Says Two seven eight Three So let's go Ahead and Check the Process Status of This single Process This is how you can get Information on the Status of A single Process This Command Terminate Running Processes on A linux System The Syntax for The kill Command Is kin Space Pid In order to use this Utility again you need to [know] the Pid of the Process that you want to kill Let us Try it With an example let's Say We have the mozilla Firefox Program Running on our System and We want to kill it using the terminal? for This you need to find out the Pid of the Program Firefox So now We know the Pid of the Program Firefox Let's go Ahead and kill it? If The terminal Does not return With an error It implies that the Program was Terminated Successfully Linux Can Run A lot of processes at a time Which Can slow Down the Speed of some HiGh-Priority Processes and Result in Poor Performance to [avoid] [this] you Can tell your machine to Prioritize processes as per your Requirements This Priority Is Called Niceness and Linux and it has A value between Minus 20 to 19 the lower the Niceness Index the higher Would be the Priority given to that task The default Value of all the processes IS To start a Process With an Iceless Value other Than the default value you need to use the Following Syntax It Says Nice Space – N Then The nice Value then the Process Name if There's some Process Already Running on the System then you can Realize its Value using the Syntax Let Us Understand this by an Example so let [us] launch the banshee Media Player with A Nice Value other Than The default value Which is [Zero] so here We have chosen 19 as a nice Value for this? Program Now Let Us run it Now after Cleaning the terminal With [the] clear command, We will now run the Top Utility and Check the Niceness Value of the Program Banshee So here We have the banshee Media Player and its Niceness value Shows 19 Now for realizing The value of an Already running Process We need to know it Pid and as it Shows Here The Pid for The Banshee Media Player Is 3 8 4 4 So let us go Ahead and Realize its Value From 19 to Minus 20 for this We need to type in Sudo [Realize] then the New Nice value Which Would be 20 here Then – P Then The Pid Which was Three eight Four four Once We execute This Command? Sudo Would ask for the Password Upon Entering the Password Terminal Would Tell Us that the nice Value of the Process Id [Three] [eight] [Four] [Four] has Been Changed from 19 to Minus 20 This Is how you Can Prioritize the processes Running on your linux System and Make it more efficient Moving on to df Utility it Suppose the free Disk Space on all the file System the Syntax Says Df Upon Running This Utility, We will See all The file Systems on our? Computer With The used and The available Disk [Space] If You want the above Information in A readable format [then] you can use the df Utility With this Option Now you can See the total Size the used and The available Disk Space on [your] Computer This Command Shows The Free and The [used] Memory on the linux System you can use the arguments free Space – M to Display Output in Megabytes Or you can go with free Space – gene to Display the Output in Gigabytes Let's try, Them so if We type in free Space – Enemy, We will See that the total Memory on the System is One Thousand Two megabytes and out of it? 860 megabytes Have Been Used this is how you Can Check the free and The used Ram on your linux System Let us Summarize Quickly Any [Learning] Program or a command given to a linux System is called a process A Process Could Run in Foreground or Background The Priority Index of a Process is called Nice and Linux Its default Value Is 0 and it Can vary Between 20 to Minus 19 The lower The Niceness Index the higher Would be the Priority given to that task Let Us go, Through the Utilities as well The Bg Command Sends a Process to the Background the [Fg] Command Runs a stopped Process in Foreground Use Top to get Details on all active processes Ps Gives The Status of Processes Running for End-User Ps Space Pid Would Give The Status of A particular Process Pid Off Space Process Name Gives the Process Id of the Process or Program kill Space Pid Terminates a Process or a program Nice Starts a Program with A given Priority Green Eyes Changes The Priority of an Already Running Process df Would Give You the free hard, Disk Space Information on your System and free Because the free Ram Details on your system Thank you for Watching this tutorial [I] hope to see you in the next one you Welcome to the video tutorial on [VI] editor There are many ways to edit files on a linux operating system.
You can either use the Gui or work on the terminal For those who like to go with the terminal the VI editor is the most popular and classic text editor in the Linux family Some reasons which make it a widely used editor are first.
It is available in almost all the Linux distributions it works the same across different platforms and Distributions it is user friendly hence millions of [gen] [x] users.
Love it and use it for the editing needs Nowadays they advanced versions of the VI editor available and the most popular one among them is well Which is VI improved? Some of the other ones are alvis and Vi [Nano] and While It is wise to learn VI because it is feature-rich and it offers endless possibilities to edit a file in order to work on VI Editor You need to understand its operation modes they can be divided into two main parts and the first part is the command mode The VI Editor opens in this mode and it only understands [commands] In this mode you can move the cursor and cut copy paste the text This mode also saves the [changes] you have made to the file Commands are case sensitive, [so] [make] [sure] you use the right [Linton] case The second part is then surd mode This mode is for inserting text in the file You can switch [to] the insert mode from the command mode by pressing I on the keyboard Once you are in the insert mode any key would be taken as an input for the file on which you are currently working To return to the command mode and save the changes you have made you need to press the escape key So moving on to starting the VI editor You need to open the terminal and type Vi is paste a new file name or VI space an existing file name You can create a new file or edit an existing one This is how we will create a new file in VI editor and it would open in the command mold On the launch screen, we see a lot of team decides on the left.
They denote unused Lines For this the file length that you have created shows at the bottom now in order to add content to this file We need to press the I key on the keyboard and only then you would be able to type in something Now let's learn some of the VI editing command It should be noted here that you need to be in the command mode to execute these commands Also, Vi Editor is case sensitive.
So make sure you type the commands in the right letter case so let us go ahead and try [some] of the VI editing commands on terminal as Mentioned [earlier] when you enter the VI mode it is on the command mode by a default In order to add content you need to press the I key on the keyboard and only then you would be able to write something Otherwise if I go ahead and type in hi right now, I would get the error buzz on the system Vi Editor does not display any change on the screen when you jump from the command mode to the insert mode or vice versa This is an important point to keep in mind while you are editing or creating files on the VI editor So let's press I and add some content Once you are done writing the content and you want to save the file You cannot do so in the insert mode you need to jump back to the command mode to do so and in order to move From the insert mode to the command mode you need to press the escape key on the keyboard Once you have done it You will no longer be [able] to write or edit the file So let's say I want to open a [new] lion when I am in the command mode I need to press the old letter on the keyboard and the VI editor would open a new line for me and then insert [mode] [I] can go ahead and type in more content and here if I want to undo all the changes to the entire line I need [to] go back to the command mode by pressing the Escape [Key] and Then press the letter U in the upper case this way all the changes made to the entire line would be Reverted now let's say if I want to write off the cursor I can press the letter a in the small case when I'm in the command mode once I do it I Can go ahead and write the content again? Make sure that you press the right command otherwise you will end up [making] undesirable changes to the file These are some more of the commands that you [can] use in the command mode Let us now learn how to move within a file You need to be in the command mode in order to navigate in a file the default keys for Navigation are k g h and L R you can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard Let us try some of them Right now I'm in the command mode now.
I can always [use] the arrow keys to navigate within a file Otherwise you can use the L key on the keyboard to [move] right? the h key to move left The k key to move up and the key J to move down This is how you can navigate in a file that you are editing When it comes to saving and closing the file.
You should be again in the command with mode the keystrokes are So if you want to save the file and quit you can either use the shift + z set key combination or you can use the : WQ if you want to save the file But keep it open then you can use the : w or if you want to quit without saving : q is the key combination So let us go ahead and save this file that we have created in Order to do so we will press the escape key to enter the command mode once done We will then press the shift + z z key combination and we would return to the terminal the other method to save and exit the file is by typing in : Wq when you are in the command mode? Once you have typed it in press enter and you would return to the command prompt Now in order to view the file that we [created] We need to type in cat space file [neal] and here is the file that we made This is how you can use the VI editor to create [a] new file or edit existing one let us quickly recap What we [learned] in this tutorial the VI editor is the most popular and commonly used linux text editor It is usually available in all linux distributions It works in two modes command and insert command mode takes the user commands and the insert mode is for editing text you should [know] the commands in order to work on your file easily learning to use this editor can benefit you in creating scripts and Editing files.
[thank] you for watching this tutorial [I'll] see you in the next one Welcome to the video tutorial on Shell scripting Operating systems are made of many components, but there are two prime components [are] kernel and shell The Kernel is at the nucleus of a computer it makes the communication between the software and the hardware possible while the Kernel is the innermost part of an operating system a shell is the outermost one a Shell in a linux operating system takes input from you in form of commands processes them and then gives an output It is the interface [through] which a user works on the program's Commands and scripts a shell is accessed by terminal which runs it When you run the terminal the shell issues a command prompt Which is usually the dollar sign wherein you can type your input, which is then executed when you hit the enter key? [so] if we type in the Pwd command [and] hit the enter key the output or the result is thereafter displayed on the terminal? The shell wraps around the delegate interior of an operating system protecting it from accidental damage [hence] the name shell There are two main shells and neelix the first one is the bourne shell The prompt for this shell is [a] dollar sign and its derivatives Are the Posix Shell known as as h? The conch shell also known as as h and the bourne-again shell also known as bash, which is the most popular [of] them all? Second one is the C shell The prompt for this shell is a percentage sign, and it's subcategories are [sea] [Shell] also known as Cs.
H Tops Sea Shell also known as TCs.
H Will discuss bash shell base shell scripting in this tutorial? So what is shell scripting and why do I need it? Writing a series of command for the shell to execute is called Shell scripting it can combine lengthy and repetitive sequences of commands into a single and simple script Which can be stored and execute it anytime? This reduces the effort required by the [end-user] Let us understand the steps in creating a Shell script First create a file using a vI editor or any other text editor second nameless curve filed with an extension dot as h Side the script with the hash sign followed by Shriek followed by the been sh Path write some code save the script file as file name dot as h For executing the script type bash followed by file name dot as h Here the hash sign followed by Shriek is an operator [Khalsa] Bank which directs the scripts to the [interpretation] Location let's create a small script using the VI editor Will start with typing VI followed by the file name? Do not forget to enter the sh extension By pressing the I key on the keyboard will enter the insert mode of the VI Editor.
Let's start with the script You need to start your script with Shebang sign followed by the bin sh.
Path every time you create a shell script Let's type in the command and quickly go ahead and save this file now [in] order to run the script we need to type in bash followed by the script name Again do not forget to type in the sh extension Upon hitting the enter key we will see that the command LS is executed Commenting is important in any program in Shell the syntax to add a comment as the hash sign followed by the comment that is understand this with an example So let us create another Sample script Now [you'd] again start with the bank sign followed by the bin as age path Let us execute the command Pwd Now here.
We would like [to] add a comment.
Which will tell us that the PWd command stands for present working directory Let us quickly go ahead and save the script now upon Running script 1.
8, we will find that the PWd command was [executed], but the comment present working directory was ignored Moving on to what I shall variables has discussed earlier variable stored Data in form of characters and numbers Similarly shell variables are used to store information, and they can be read by the shell only For example this piece of script creates a shell variable and then prints end This is a small script which will create and it will use variables so let us start with creating the script we start the script as usual with the Shebang followed by the bend as h path Now let us start with writing the script As we have completed writing the script let us go ahead and save it now let us go ahead and run the script file for this we need to type in bash followed by The Script name which is easy script dot s h in our case once we hit the enter key The Script starts executing and it asks us, what is your name? We will type in the name Guru nine nine Upon hitting the enter again The Script now tells us.
How do you do and it echoes our name? Let us put in good as You can see here the script repeats the remark that we have entered.
This is how we can create script based on bash shell Now this is a simple script you can develop advanced scripts which contain conditional statements loops and functions Shell Scripting will make your life easy and linux administration a breeze Let us quickly recap what we learnt in this tutorial Kernel is the nucleus of the operating systems and it communicates between hardware and software Shell is a program which interprets user commands through Cli like terminal The bourne Shell and the [C].
Shell are the most used shells in Linux Shell Scripting is writing a series [of] commands for the shell to execute Shell variables store the value of a strength or a number for the shell to read? Shell scripting can help you create complex programs containing conditional statements loops and functions Thank you for watching this tutorial out.
See you in the next one Welcome to the video tutorial on perl programming Perl is a programming language [specially] designed for text editing it is now widely used for a variety of purposes including Linux system administration Network Programming web development ETC.
Well is of great importance in a linux operating system where it can be used to create programs Handle databases and emails graphical user interface Development and Networking and system administration Even though shell scripting is available to programmers.
They prefer pearl because Programming on perl doesn't cause portability issues.
Which is common when using different shells in Shell scripting Error handling is very easy on [firm] you can write long and complex programs on Perl easily due to its vastness This is in contrast with shell that does not support Namespaces or use objects Inheritance ETc Shell has fewer reusable libraries available Nothing compared to pearls [sipan] Shell is less secure it calls external functions for example Commands Like MV or Cp on the contrary holders useful work while using internal functions Let's learn how to create a perl script [you] should always start your script with [sabacc] User [Bill] heard the directs the execution [to] perl interpreter on your system now Let's learn how to add a variable and input or output it on perl so if you want to define a variable value You need to use the syntax variable is equal to value and this way you can store the values to a variable in form of strength and number when it comes to displaying a string or value on the screen you need to use the print command it would output the string of value and if you want to assign input to a variable in perl you to use the Stdin operator, so the syntaxes variable is equal to as dDim now Let us go through some important points add a comment on Pearl with [the] hash symbol Remember that every statement in perl ends with a semi Column [pearl] is case sensitive make sure you use the right case You can use any text editor to write your perl scripts You should then save the script file [in] dot [Pn] extension which will make it recognizable Make sure you do not use places when you are naming the perl script file Now let us understand the steps in creating a perl script Create a file using Vi or any other text editor named skip file with extension dot Pl Start the script with the shebang sign followed by user bin [perl] path write some code Save the Script file as file name dot Vl for executing the script type bash space filename Vl Let's write a perl script which will take input from the user [and] display it back through the script so let us go ahead [and] create a new pearl script file on VI editor as Discussed earlier [you] need to start your script with the shebang sign followed by user then pearl path Once done hit enter and write the script that [you] want to execute Now here is the script that we want to run? Now as we are done writing the script let us go ahead and save it Now is the time to run the script? For running the script you need to type in Fern followed by the script name Once you hit the enter key the file would ask you for an input So it says we are take your name please [let] us write our name guru Once you had enter the file returns the input value by displaying our name So this is how you can create perl scripts Let us quickly recap what we learned in this tutorial.
Well is a general-purpose programming language originally developed for text manipulation Now it is used for [a] wide range of tasks including system administration web development Network Programming Gui development and more whole files have dot Pl extension There are three types of variables in perl scalar lists and hashes.
Thank you for watching this tutorial See you in the next one Welcome to the video tutorial on virtual terminals Linux is a multi-user system which allows Many users to work on it simultaneously [so] what if different users need to work on the same system at a time? How do you do that? This is where we need the virtual terminals So let [us] learn about them virtual terminals are similar to the terminal that we have been using so [far] They are used for executing commands and offering input The only difference is that we cannot use the mouse with the virtual terminals Therefore you need to know the keyboard shortcuts they are one of the most distinguished features of Linux as Virtual terminals enable a number of users [to] work on different programs at the same time on the same computer so let us learn how to launch a virtual terminal the steps to launch a virtual terminal are press the CTRL + alt + F1 Key Combination on your keyboard Enter the user Id and password and you will be good to go Let's try it on a bun do So let us go ahead and press the cTRL + alt + F1 key combination as soon as we do it We see the login screen for the virtual terminal so let us put in the user name Upon entering the password We would be able to [login] to the virtual terminal 1 as Usually there are six virtual terminals on a linux operating system And you can log into them as different users to conduct different tasks You can navigate between the six virtual terminals using the following command it says CTRL + alt + F1 to F6 Key F1 being the first while F6 being the last virtual terminal you [can] work on all of them at the same [time] in Order to know which virtual terminal you are working on note the tty given at the top so right now We are working on the first virtual terminal so if you want to switch to the second virtual terminal you can press the CTRL + alt + F2 key combination to Navigate pressing CTRL + Alt + F3 Key Combination will take you to the third virtual terminal Tty is a teletype number which you can also know by typing the command tty on the terminal So right now We are working on tty it is important to note here that you need to log in to each Virtual terminal to be able to [work] on them The [7th] terminal is the one which we have been using so [far] in the Linux Tutorials it can be accessed by using the key [combination] CTRL + alt + F7 so let us try it on the operating system, so pressing the CTRL + alt + F7 key Combination would take you to the terminal window on the screen These are some of the shortcuts that you should be aware of while working on the virtual terminals So using the home or cTRl + a key combination would move the cursor to [the] start of the current line Preset would reset the virtual terminal history would list the commands executed by the user the [arrow] up shortcut would scroll up in history and You need to enter to execute a command cTRL [+] d would lock you out from the virtual terminal and using CTRL + alt + delete Key combination would reboot the system now.
Let's try some of them on a virtual terminal Let's start with the history command [ensuring] this command would give us all the commands executed by the user in the past Now if you want to clean the virtual terminal window you need to type in Reset in order to run the commands from the history you can press the arrow up key And you would be [able] to see all the commands used in the past You can then hit the enter key and the command would be? executed Let's say we want to use the echo command with this strength But here we have misspelled the word echo as we cannot use the mouse with virtual terminals We need to use the left and right arrow keys to navigate Or I can simply [press] the home key and it would take me to the start of the current command line Pressing end would take me to the end of it.
[so] [let's] say if I want to remove this letter [I] can take the cursor to the letter And then I need to press the [delete] key and it would clear out their own letter If you want to auto complete the command you can press the tab key So if I type Ec and press the tab key the command would be auto completed to echo This is how we can use the virtual terminal shortcuts? So let us press the cTRl + d key combination and logout from the virtual terminal Let us do a quick recap virtual terminals RCL eyes which executes the user commands There are six virtual terminals which can be launched using the shortcut keys They offer multi-user environment and up to six users can work on them at the same time unlike terminals You [cannot] use the [mount] with virtual terminals to launch a virtual terminal press CTRL + alt + F12 six key combination on the keyboard and use the same command to navigate To return to the home screen of the linux system use CTRL + alt + F7 and it will take you to the terminal Thank you for watching this tutorial.
[I'll] see you in the next one Welcome to the video [tutorial] on Unix administration as Linux is a multi-user operating system There is a high need of an administrator Who can manage user [accounts] their rights and the overall system security? You should know the basics of Linux admin so that you can handle the user accounts and user groups [in] Linux every user is assigned an individual account which contain all the files information and data of the user you [can] create multiple users in a linux operating System so let [us] learn the different ways to do so right now We [only] have one account under this linux operating system now We'll go ahead and add some more accounts to it Let's start with terminal now in order to add a new user account using terminal you need to type in this command It would be sudo space add user space the new user name that you would like to add Once you enter the terminal would ask you to enter the password for the new account let us enter the password it Will then ask to Retype the New Unix password? Once done.
It will ask you for the full name of the user We will use sap space 99 in our case now.
Let us put in 101 The work phone you can put in any number [of] your choice Put in the home contact number then other you can leave it if you want press the y key on the keyboard If the ever given information is correct and hit enter once you see the command prompt on the terminal It means that the user account has been created [so] let us check it on the system in order to check the user accounts present orion system.
You need to go to system settings Then you need to click on user accounts, and you would be able to see all the accounts present on computer so now here It shows your nine-nine as the administrator and [Sap] 99 as the standard user The other way to create a user account is by using the Gui In order to do so you need to click the unlock button here and then put in the password to authenticate Once authenticated [you] need to then click on the plus sign here to create a new user Now as you can see a new window has popped up here And it would ask us to fill in the information for the new account the account type offers two choices Standard and administrator if you want the new user to have administrative access to the computer select administrator as the account type Administrators can do things like add and delete users install software and drivers and change the data and time otherwise choose Standard let us now go ahead and fill in the full name as Java 99 if you want the username to be different as your full name you can do that, too So let us put in Java 1 0 0 here and click on create The new Account would show, but it would be disabled by default To activate it click [the] password option and add a new password Then retype the same password and click on change This way the new account would be enabled Let us now learn how to delete or disable an account So let's say we want to remove the Sap 99 user account from the system in order to do so using the terminal we need to first remove the password information For the account this is the command that we would use to do so now let us run it on the terminal On hitting enter the terminal would ask you for the password on entering the password terminal would say that the password expiry information was changed now all you have to do is delete the account and we will use this command to do so So let [us] go ahead and delete the user account Sap 99 So if you check the user accounts window you would see that the Sap 99 account has been removed In order to do so using the Gui you need to go to the user accounts window again and click on the unlock button Again put in the password for authentication, and then highlight the account that you want to delete right now We want to delete the Java 99 account once highlighted you need to click on the minus sign here Which will delete the selected user click on it? And then the system would ask whether you would like to delete the temporary Home directory and [Mail's] [Bui] files or keep them right now We do not need the files so we'll click on delete once done You would see that the Java 99 account has been deleted Now to add a user to a group you need to use the following syntax which says sudo space usermod space – a space hyphen capital g then the group name then the user name You can view the existing groups on your linux operating system by entering the following command It says group mod, then press the tab key twice Now let us go ahead and add the user group.
Main to [their] user account guru [nine] [nine] and Two the password authentication and the user group would be added to your user account You can check whether the user is in a group by using the command cat space Etz space group, and you would find that the user account Guru 99 has been added to the user group mail For removing a user from the user group you need to use the following sentence It says sudo space del user space the user name then the group name, so let us try it on terminal Now for removing the user account guru [9:9] from the user group mail We need to type in sudo space then user space the username which would be guru 99 then the user group which was male and As you can see here that the user guru 99 was removed from the group mail successfully if you do Not want to run commands on the terminal for managing users and groups then you can install a Gui ad on the command for the same as So let us go ahead and install it on the system Once you had enter Thumbnail would start installing the Gui add-on and it would ask you whether [you] would like to continue the installation press y, and hit enter This would install the Gui add-on on the operating system Once the installation is complete [you] need to go to [dash] and type in user then click on users and groups Here you would be able to find out all the user accounts and you can click on manage groups to manage the groups that they [are] a part of Moving on to the finger command it is used to procure information of the users on a linux machine [you] can use it on both local and remote machines Thus index finger gives it out all the logged users on the remote and local machine Thus Index finger space the user name Specifies the information of a specific user so let us quickly recap what we have [learnt] in this tutorial You can use both Gui or terminal for user administration you can create Disable and remove user accounts, you can add or delete a user to a user group Let us go through the commands as well sudo space Adduser space the user name as a user Sudo space pa ss.
WD space – L space the user name disables a user PSeudo userdel space – our username delete sir user Sudo space usermod space – a space – G in capital letter Followed by group name and then the [username] adds a user to a group you need to use sudo space Del user Space user than the group name to remove a user from the user group the finger command gives information on all logged Users the finger space username gives information of a particular user.
Thank you for watching this tutorial [I] would see you in the next one. | 2019-04-25T11:50:03Z | http://www.mydbapool.com/linux-tutorial-for-beginners-introduction-to-linux-operating-system/ |
To handle the persistent HIV epidemic in america prevention initiatives are concentrating on public determinants linked to HIV risk by targeting systems AG-120 and buildings such as for example organizational and institutional procedures practices and applications and legislative and regulatory methods to modify top features of the surroundings that impact HIV risk. equipment presented here can offer a releasing pad for various other coalitions wanting to build an HIV avoidance agenda as well as for practitioners wanting to incorporate structural adjustments for community wellness promotion. the precise problem is happening: Using regional data coalition partner understanding and a real cause evaluation approach examine problems linked to partner concurrency amount of companions intimate risk network coinfection occurrence viral fill and condom/clean needle make use AG-120 of. Determine involvement(s) may appear (i.e. areas buildings and systems to focus on). Identify can donate to determining specific solutions inside the buildings and systems and has the capacity to facilitate modification or maneuver assets. Determine specifically can be carried out (i.e. develop a Wise structural modification objective). Body 1 Structural Modification Development Tool Techie Assistance C2P coordinators distributed structural adjustments Mouse monoclonal to HSP70. Heat shock proteins ,HSPs) or stress response proteins ,SRPs) are synthesized in variety of environmental and pathophysiological stressful conditions. Many HSPs are involved in processes such as protein denaturationrenaturation, foldingunfolding, transporttranslocation, activationinactivation, and secretion. HSP70 is found to be associated with steroid receptors, actin, p53, polyoma T antigen, nucleotides, and other unknown proteins. Also, HSP70 has been shown to be involved in protective roles against thermal stress, cytotoxic drugs, and other damaging conditions. produced by the coalitions using the Country wide Coordinating Middle for verbal and created feedback linked to if the objective (1) fulfilled the study’s structural modification description and (2) was created using the Wise format. The responses process developed as time passes to help form AG-120 the coalitions’ concepts. Coalitions had been asked to think about the function (energetic or unaggressive) that the populace of AG-120 focus needed to believe for the modification to be turned on. Passive adjustments require no incredible action for the populace of focus to get take advantage of the modification; quite simply simply transferring through the transformed environment leads to personal advantage (e.g. fluoridated drinking water; immunizations; Williams 1982 Dynamic adjustments need engagement in components of the modification by the populace to receive advantage (e.g. taking part in a workshop; Williams 1982 Coalitions had been asked to think about the duration of the change-that is certainly was it designed being a regular event (e.g. workshop) or was the target ongoing and often around once executed (e.g. adjustments to insurance eligibility AG-120 requirements). Scope from the modification (i.e. the entity geared to bring about the brand new plan or practice) was also a account. For instance coalitions had been encouraged to focus on funding firms (e.g. the Section of Wellness [DOH] United Method) to need offer stipulations (e.g. personnel training ethnic competency requirements greatest practice standards) instead of concentrating on individual agencies. The assessment factors (i.e. reach range duration function of the populace of concentrate and prospect of sustainability) became a go with to the look steps by giving some prompting queries to assess structural adjustments (see Body 2). Body 2 Structural Modification Assessment Early concepts generated with the coalitions frequently focused on concentrating on youngsters to develop abilities understanding behaviors and behaviour regarding sexual health insurance and HIV risk (e.g. providing workshops marketing condom distribution and distributing brochures). Responses was conveyed towards the coalitions through reviews glide presentations and capacity-building exercises AG-120 to aid the coalitions in shaping their suggestions to promote concentrating on systems and buildings that modification the environment instead of counting on the youngsters to create behavior adjustments. Furthermore the coalitions had been encouraged to think about structural adjustments that might be “packed” to make a go with of practice or plan adjustments concentrating on a particular cause a strategy that could eventually increase the odds of having a direct effect on health final results (Frieden 2010 Structural Modification Objective Examples Desk 1 presents types of coalitions’ structural adjustments organized by cultural/structural determinant targeted technique employed as well as the youngsters population the modification was designed to eventually influence. To help expand organize the illustrations we utilized the Institutes of Medication risk types of (i.e. all youngsters) (i.e. the subpopulation of youngsters prioritized with the coalitions) and (i.e. within this whole case people that constitute a subpopulation that have a very particular risk aspect; Springer & Phillips 2007 Desk.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) with donor lymphocyte infusion may be the mainstay of treatment for most varieties of hematological malignancies however the therapeutic effect and prevention of relapse is certainly difficult by donor T-cell recognition and assault of host cells in an activity referred to as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). and perpetuation of GvHD. Right here we review the procedures of cellular reaction to damage and cell loss of life which are relevant pursuing Allo-HSCT and present the existing evidence to get a causative part of a number of endogenous innate immune system activators within the mediation of sterile swelling pursuing Allo-HSCT. Finally we discuss the restorative strategies that focus on the endogenous pathways of innate immune system activation to diminish the occurrence and intensity of GvHD pursuing Allo-HSCT. predicated on their content material of unmethylated CpG motifs (64). CpG ODNs are identified by TLR9 resulting in MyD88 activation and either an interferon (IFN) regulatory element 3 (IRF3)- and IRF7-reliant type-1 IFN response or an NF-κB (nuclear element kappa-light-chain-enhancer of triggered B cells)-initiated inflammatory response based on if they localize towards the endosomal or lysosomal area respectively (65-68). Furthermore mtDNA contains a higher percentage of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHG) residues that produce mtDNA resistant to DNAses and boost their inflammatory potential (48 69 70 The high content material of 8-OHG may be the consequence of leaky oxidative equipment having less efficient DNA restoration mechanisms as well as the absence of protecting histones. The administration of CpG ODNs during Allo-HSCT accelerates GvHD in a bunch APC-TLR9-dependent way and a bunch IFN-γ-dependent way but 3rd party of sponsor IL-6 IL-12 or organic killer (NK) cells (71). Oddly enough CpG administration also improved bone tissue marrow rejection in a way reliant on donor APC-TLR9 activation. Within an MHC-mismatch murine style of HSCT using TLR9?/? receiver mice the GvHD medical rating of TLR9?/? mice was considerably less than that of wild-type mice while no significant variations were noticed when weight reduction was considered only (72). Another GvHD research examining the part of MyD88 TRIF TLR2/4 and TLR9 discovered that while insufficiency in every these molecules reduced the intestinal immunopathology of GvHD just TLR9 insufficiency improved success (73). Zero MyD88 and TLR9 also decreased the amount of Foretinib (GSK1363089, XL880) apoptotic cells within the gut within the same style of intestinal GvHD. To get these results the administration of the inhibitory ODN that Mouse monoclonal to THAP11 blocks TLR9 activation was proven to lower intensity of intestinal GvHD assessed by decrease in caspase-3 staining and reduced apoptotic cell matters (73). These outcomes suggest a job of TLR9 activation by unmethylated CpG including DNA an endogenous way to obtain that is mtDNA within the inflammatory pathology of GvHD. Mitochondrial-encoded protein are initiated with to avoid CpG related mortality in mice (111). Using these polymers during either irradiation- or chemotherapy-based fitness for Allo-HSCT or in the starting point of GvHD gets the potential to dampen the GvHD-immune response but hasn’t yet been examined. Chemotherapy irradiation Foretinib (GSK1363089, XL880) and GvHD bring about tissue damage that may also result in the degradation of Foretinib (GSK1363089, XL880) ECM as well as the launch of inflammatory glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as for example hyaluronate and heparan sulfate. GAGs could be released straight by glycolytic enzymes (e.g. heparanase) or from the Foretinib Foretinib (GSK1363089, XL880) (GSK1363089, XL880) proteolysis of extracellular or membrane certain proteoglycans to that they are attached. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) can be an abundant serum serine protease inhibitor crucial for preventing neutrophil elastase-induced lung damage within the establishing of chronic swelling (112). The overall immunosuppressive properties of A1AT have already been observed in preventing severe myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage (113) and ischemia-reperfusion-induced lung damage (114). A1AT in addition has been proven to prolong islet allograft success in mice (115 116 We among others show that administration of human being A1AT reduces GvHD in murine types of Allo-HSCT (90 117 118 and it has been proven to keep and improve the NK-mediated GvT impact (119). A1AT happens to be being researched in clinical tests for the treating steroid refractory GvHD (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01700036 and NCT01523821). The receptor for alternatively.
INTRODUCTION Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is involved with every part of tumor cell development and metastasis [3 13 41 FAK acts while a scaffold to direct numerous Rabbit Polyclonal to CLCN4. signaling pathways to accomplish a multitude of cellular results such as for example cell proliferation motility invasion angiogenesis and success [22 42 The site structures of FAK promotes it is role like a scaffolding proteins where the capability from the N-terminal FERM and C-terminal Body fat domains of FAK to connect to a number of binding companions continues to be clearly buy 54952-43-1 demonstrated and these relationships with FAK work in concert to exacerbate tumor aggressiveness [1 11 23 So that they can focus on and inhibit FAK activity numerous techniques such as for example RNA disturbance knockdown antisense oligonucleotides and kinase inhibition [17 38 have got successfully decreased tumor cell success. these relationships with FAK work in concert to exacerbate tumor aggressiveness [1 11 23 So that they can focus on and inhibit FAK activity several approaches such as RNA interference knockdown antisense oligonucleotides and kinase inhibition [17 38 have successfully decreased cancer cell survival. FAK kinase inhibitors PF-562-271 PF-04554878 and GSK2256098 are being currently evaluated in clinical trials . However destabilizing the FAK scaffold might prove to be an advantageous approach to developing FAK targeted therapeutics than solely focusing on inhibiting the kinase function of FAK [4 26 In the pursuit of developing FAK scaffold inhibitors we previously discovered that VEGFR3 binds to the C-terminal FAT domain of FAK to promote cancer cell survival . We recently developed a novel FAK scaffold inhibitor C10 (previously compound 29) that disrupted the FAK-VEGFR3 interaction and showed a dramatic increase in potency and binding affinity to the FAT domain of FAK attributed mainly due to its proximity to the tyrosine 925 site in the FAT domain of FAK . FAK-Y925 can be phosphorylated by Src which in turn creates a docking site for the SH2 domain containing adaptor protein Grb2 that further activates the Ras/ MAPK pathway . Activation of FAK-Y925 has also been implicated in promoting VEGF induced tumor angiogenesis influencing FAK/ paxillin interactions and tumor metastasis [6 19 FAK is a target in pancreatic adenocarcinoma where a large subset of patient pancreatic tumors display increased levels of FAK where expression significantly correlates with invasive potential metastatic disease and poor prognosis [8 31 A significant correlation between FAK expression and tumor size in pancreatic cancer patients has also been reported . An increase in copy number of chromosome 8q24 where FAK localizes has been linked to pancreatic cancer disease [10 24 Furthermore increased expression of VEGFR3 and its ligand VEGF-C have been implicated in pancreatic cancer development . These results concur that the FAK pathway can be operative buy 54952-43-1 in pancreatic tumor and therefore disrupting the C-terminal FAK-VEGFR3 scaffold could decrease pancreatic tumor burden. With this research we examined buy 54952-43-1 the effectiveness of C10 inside a pancreatic tumor model program and discovered that C10 focuses on the FAK C-terminal buy 54952-43-1 scaffold by inhibiting FAK-Y925 and FAK mediated downstream signaling and induced powerful anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic results in FAK-Y925 and VEGFR3 positive pancreatic tumor cells. 2 Components AND Strategies 2.1 Chemical substance synthesis Substance C10 (previously chemical substance 29) was synthesized and its own purity was examined as previously referred to . 2.2 Cell tradition MiaPaCa-2-luc and Panc-1-luc human being pancreatic tumor cell lines had been transfected with buy 54952-43-1 retroviral manifestation vector pMSCV-LucSh (supplied by Dr. Andrew M. Davidoff St. Jude Children’s Study Hospital) which has a luciferase and zeocin level of resistance fusion gene was utilized to generate cell lines stably expressing luciferase. The BxPC3 human pancreatic cancer cell range was supplied by Dr kindly. Elizabeth Repasky Roswell Recreation area Cancers Institute Buffalo NY. The MCF7 cell range was bought from American Type Tradition Collection (ATCC Rockville MD USA). The cell lines had been taken care of in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and incubated at 37°C in 5% CO2. The MCF7-VEGFR3 cell range continues to be developed and characterized . 2.3 Reagents The next antibodies were utilized: FAK mouse monoclonal antibody (clone 4.47). VEGFR3 rabbit polyclonal antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc Santa Cruz CA). Phosphorylated VEGFR3 rabbit polyclonal antibody (Cell Applications Inc. CA). Phosphorylated Akt (Ser 473) Erk (Thr 202/ Tyr 204) FAK (Tyr 925) paxillin (Tyr 118) Total Akt Total Erk Total Grb2 and Total paxillin rabbit polyclonal antibodies (Cell Signaling Technology Inc. Danvers MA). Grb2 (Y209) (Abgent NORTH PARK CA). FAK (Tyr 861) and GAPDH (Invitrogen Grand Isle.
In these research we developed and tested a robust EMT gene expression signature capable of assessing the degree to which NSCLC cells have undergone EMT status of NSCLC cells and tumors from patients. the Axl inhibitor SGI-7079. Moreover Axl inhibition reversed erlotinib resistance in a subset of mesenchymal cell lines and in a mesenchymal xenograft model of NSCLC combine blockade of Axl and EGFR was more effective at controlling tumor growth than inhibition of either single target. A common limitation of gene expression signatures is their platform-dependence resulting from the derivation of the signature on a specific microarray platform. One particular strength of the study presented here was the use of microarray data from two independent mRNA profiling platforms Affymetrix and Illumina for the initial development of the personal in working out cell lines. This plan allowed us to recognize the most solid probe Bazedoxifene acetate manufacture arranged for four EMT markers (CDH1 VIM CDH2 and FN1) that have been then utilized to derive the 76-gene personal. The purpose of choosing the right cross-platform probe models was to improve the likelihood how the signature could possibly be applied to examples profiled on various kinds of LCK antibody mRNA arrays along with growing technologies such as for example RNA seq. The achievement of that strategy was demonstrated within the 3rd party testing sets including cell lines profiled on Illumina v2 and v3 arrays and affected person tumors profiled on Affymetrix Human being ST 1.0 arrays. We think that the usage of cross-validated solid probe models to derive the EMT personal also resulted in a personal enriched for genes with natural relevance in EMT. Oddly enough the EMT first primary element correlated better with E-cadherin protein level than do even the very best CDH1 RNA probe arranged. That observation helps our hypothesis a personal incorporating many relevant markers may very well be more advanced than any solitary marker for evaluating complex biological procedures such as for example EMT. Furthermore higher manifestation of two of the personal genes Rab25 in epithelial lines and Axl in mesenchymal lines was verified in the protein level. Those two genes are founded EMT markers in additional cancers types (32-34). Nevertheless to our understanding this is actually the first time they are proven markers of EMT in NSCLC. This finding has potential restorative implications especially for mesenchymal NSCLC provided the fast predevelopment of this several Axl inhibitors are in advancement or clinical tests. Furthermore the commonalities we noticed between our EMT personal and EMT markers in additional tumor types shows that our EMT personal can also be appropriate in additional epithelial tumors such as for example breast digestive tract or mind and throat. Another important consequence of this research Bazedoxifene acetate manufacture was that the EMT rating predicted erlotinib level of sensitivity both in EGFR-mutant and EGFR-wild type NSCLC. Even though personal was produced in cell lines it had been validated in medical examples where it successfully identified EGFR-wild type patients who benefitted from treatment with EGFR TKIs. Currently activating mutations of EGFR are the only validated biomarkers of response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NSCLC. However such mutations occur in only a minority of patients with NSCLC and cannot account for the subset of EGFR-wild type patients who have shown benefit from EGFR TKIs in several clinical trials (8-10). Therefore our demonstration of greater clinical benefit from erlotinib in EGFR-wild type patients with tumors demonstrating an epithelial phenotype from the BATTLE study suggests that EMT may be a clinically relevant predictive marker for patients lacking mutations known to be associated with drug sensitivity (EGFR mutation) or resistance (KRAS mutation) meriting further investigation. Consistent with these findings we observed significantly greater EGFR pathway activation in epithelial cell lines (both EGFR mutant and wild type) relative to mesenchymal lines in our protein analysis. Although the mechanism of activation in EGFR-wild type patients is not yet known the greater frequency of EGFR pathway activation in epithelial-like NSCLC probably accounts for the trend towards greater sensitivity to erlotinib in the epithelial.
The histone lysine demethylase KDM4 subfamily comprised of four members (A B C and D) play critical roles in controlling transcription chromatin architecture and cellular differentiation. recurrent copy number alterations gene expression and breast cancer subtypes. We demonstrated that KDM4A and D are also significantly overexpressed in basal-like breasts cancers whereas KDM4B overexpression can be more dominating in estrogen-receptor-positive luminal breasts cancer. Up coming we looked into the restorative potential of the book histone demethylase inhibitor NCDM-32B in breasts cancer. The treating basal breasts cancers cell lines with NCDM-32B led to the loss of cell viability AP24534 (Ponatinib) and anchorage 3rd party growth in smooth agar. Furthermore we discovered that NCDM-32B impaired several critical pathways that travel cellular change and proliferation in breasts cancers. Our results demonstrate genetic overexpression and amplification from the KDM4 demethylases in various subtypes of breasts cancers. Histone methylation is reversible and KDM4 demethylases are druggable focuses on furthermore. Therefore KDM4 inhibitors might serve mainly because a novel therapeutic approach to get a subset of aggressive breasts cancers. gene originally termed (gene amplified in squamous cell carcinoma 1) was determined and cloned through the 9p24 amplified area of esophageal tumor cell lines . Previously we proven that KDM4C can be considerably amplified and overexpressed in intense basal-like breast cancers . KDM4C serves as a transforming oncogene: stable KDM4C overexpression in human non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial MCF10A cells induces transformative phenotypes whereas KDM4C knockdown in breast cancer cells inhibits proliferation and [18 20 Furthermore KDM4A and B are co-activators of the estrogen receptor (ER) and stimulate the transcriptional potential of the ER in breast cancer [22-24]. Recent evidence has suggested that alteration of the KDM4 demethylases is associated with breast cancer. However our current knowledge of the specificity of KDM4 demethylases in different types of breast cancer is still incomplete. Fur-thermore targeting epigenetic proteins such as KDMs is currently a highly active frontier of anti-cancer drug development. Here we conducted a meta-analysis of KDM4A B C and D in breast cancer and identified associations among recurrent copy number alterations gene expression and breasts cancers subtypes. We examined a book inhibitor from the KDM4 demethylases little molecule NCDM-32B because of its capability to attenuate breasts cancer cell development. We looked into the downstream pathways which are modified by NCDM-32B in basal breasts cancer. Our research show different patterns of DNA duplicate quantity mRNA and proteins manifestation degrees of the four KDM4 subfamily people over the subtypes of breasts cancer. Furthermore KDM4 inhibitors might serve as a novel therapeutic approach to get a subset of aggressive breasts cancers. Materials and strategies Cell tradition The ethnicities for the Amount series of breasts cancers cell lines and an immortalized non-transformed human being mammary epithelial MCF10A cell range have AP24534 (Ponatinib) been referred to at length previously [25 26 The Colo824 cell range was from DSMZ (Braunschweig Germany) and HCC70 HCC1937 HCC1428 HCC1954 MDB-MA-468 T47D and ZR-75-1 cell lines were obtained from ATCC (Manassas VA USA). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data for breast cancer The DNA copy number mutation and RNA sequencing datasets of 976 AP24534 (Ponatinib) breast cancer samples used in this research were obtained from AP24534 (Ponatinib) the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal [13 27 The copy number of each KDM was generated from the Cdh5 AP24534 (Ponatinib) copy number analysis algorithms GISTIC (Genomic Identification of Significant Targets in Cancer) and categorized as copy number level per gene: “-2” is a deep loss (possibly a homozygous deletion) “-1” is a heterozygous deletion “0” is usually diploid “1” indicates a low-level gain and “2” is a AP24534 (Ponatinib) high-level amplification. For mRNA expression data the relative expression of an individual gene and the gene expression distribution in a reference population were analyzed. The reference population was either all tumors that are diploid for the gene in question or when available normal adjacent tissue. The returned value indicates the amount of regular deviations from the suggest of appearance in the guide inhabitants (Z-score). Somatic mutation data had been extracted from exome sequencing [13 27 The breasts cancer subtype details was from a prior.
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is really a persistent inflammatory SP600125 autoimmune skin condition. total of 2 g/kg/month for three months and the topics had been SP600125 monitored for extra six months off any medication for the feasible relapse. The cumulative outcomes revealed a standard improvement as evinced by way of a loss of both objective and subjective methods of disease activity. Probably the most delicate and particular objective and subjective equipment for assessment from the therapeutic aftereffect of IVIg had been CLASI-A (Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Region and Intensity Index) calculating disease activity and Skindex-29 ratings respectively. The SP600125 CLASI-A rating fell down from the original value used as 100% and remained in the range of approximately 70% until the last check out. Three individuals (18.8%) had a short term flare of CLE symptoms but recovered within a month from your relapse. No severe side effects and adverse reactions occurred. Therefore IVIg monotherapy in CLE allowed to accomplish: i) quick and persistent decreased in disease activity; ii) constant improvement of individuals’ quality of life assessed by Skindex-29; iii) low relapse SP600125 rate; and iv) slight nature and short period of relapses. Since healing was managed for weeks after IVIg treatment it is possible the IVIgtriggered molecular events mediating the restorative action of IVIg that continued Rabbit Polyclonal to CIB2. to unfold after the end of therapy. Key terms: cutaneous lupus erythematosus IVIg case-series CLASI Skindex-29 Intro Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune skin disease that may trigger permanent scarring. Discoid lupus erythematosus subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus lupus lupus and panniculitis erythematosus tumidus all belong to the group of CLE. Encounter and head are most suffering from scarring within the discoid type of CLE commonly. The pathogenesis and etiology of CLE are multifactorial with genetic and environmental factors playing a job. Photosensitivity polymorphisms from the main histocompatibility complex resulting in increased immune reaction to self-antigens deficiencies of supplement elements gender and autoantibodies are thought to are likely involved. Anti-Ro anti-La anti-dsDNA and antinucleosome antibodies are believed to are likely involved in skin condition by increased epidermis cell apoptosis. Dysregulation of T cells might are likely involved within the pathogenesis of CLE also.1 2 Evidence-based therapy for CLE is lacking. Administration of systemic immunosuppressive SP600125 and anti-inflammatory realtors such as for example corticosteroids hydroxychloroquine mepacrine methotrexate mycophenolate mofetil cyclophosphamide and azathioprine oftentimes results in remission. Many individuals have problems with resistant cutaneous lesions despite therapy nevertheless. Choice systemic (dapsone thalidomide retinoids cyclosporine) and topical ointment realtors (thalidomide intralesional steroids retinoids tacrolimus ointment) in addition to laser beam therapy phototherapy photopheresis and cryotherapy are useful for resistant cutaneous lesions but a confident outcome isn’t assured.3-5 Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is really a fractioned blood product comprising pooled polyvalent IgG antibody extracted in the plasma of over 10 0 blood donors per batch. Historically it had been used to take care of primary and supplementary immune deficiencies nevertheless its use provides expanded tremendously within the last several years. Today it really is getting increasingly used as off-label therapy for a number of autoimmune and inflammatory circumstances specifically in dermatology. IVIg displays several effects with well described getting: i) supplement blockade and degradation; ii) neonatal Fc receptor saturation; iii) induction of immunomodulatory Fc receptors; iv) inhibition of B cells; and v) altering T cell function cytokine creation and migration.6 The increasing usage of IVIg continues to be connected with further knowledge of its systems of action clinical manipulation and associated unwanted effects along with the introduction of improved or new sorts of IVIg items. Ongoing research is constantly on the elaborate and recognize novel systems. One area where IVIg is carrying on to create dramatic improvements may be the ability to deal with derangements of immunity in immune-mediated illnesses.7 Even though usefulness of IVIg in CLE isn’t more developed IVIg continues to be utilized to successfully treat CLE either as monotherapy.
and tumor cells are killed on contact by cytotoxic lymphocytes (CLs) which trigger intrinsic cell death programs by using either one of two systems. caspases follows leading to the degradation of a variety of nuclear and cytoplasmic substrates and the characteristic biochemical and morphological changes associated with apoptosis (reviewed in reference 24). Like other activated lymphocytes CLs die in response to a variety of apoptotic stimuli including Fas receptor ligation which is used to remove redundant CLs from the immune system postinfection to preserve long-term tissue homeostasis (analyzed in guide 24). Ahead of deletion working CLs will tend to be subjected to multiple cytotoxins because they sequentially employ and destroy focus on cells however they apparently usually do not commit fratricide or go through autolysis (13 17 25 To forestall early loss of life CLs must as a result have the ability to control misdirected granzyme B and also have some method of stopping caspase activation in response to Fas ligand. Research of viral inhibitors of apoptosis recommend several techniques Fas-induced death could be controlled. For instance herpesvirus and molluscipox pathogen make v-FLIPs which stop early occasions in Fas-mediated apoptosis buy Hoechst 33342 by avoiding the recruitment and activation of caspase-8 on the receptor organic (52) and mobile homologs from the v-FLIPs have already been defined (15). Among these is created early in T-cell activation Rat monoclonal to CD4.The 4AM15 monoclonal reacts with the mouse CD4 molecule, a 55 kDa cell surface receptor. It is a member of the lg superfamily,primarily expressed on most thymocytes, a subset of T cells, and weakly on macrophages and dendritic cells. It acts as a coreceptor with the TCR during T cell activation and thymic differentiation by binding MHC classII and associating with the protein tyrosine kinase, lck. but disappears because the sensitivity from the cells to Fas-induced apoptosis boosts making it a solid candidate being buy Hoechst 33342 a repressor of Fas-mediated apoptosis in T cells. Various other viruses generate caspase inhibitors like the baculovirus p35 proteins (4) as well as the orthopoxvirus cytokine response modifier A (CrmA) (33). CrmA potently inhibits turned on caspase-8 and it is considered to prevent both Fas- and tumor necrosis aspect (TNF)-induced apoptosis (40 49 63 It is one of the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) superfamily both in structure and setting of actions but is recognized from various other serpins by its capability to inhibit caspases. CrmA can be a moderately effective inhibitor of granzyme B that could prevent granzyme B-induced apoptosis under specific circumstances (21 32 51 Caspases and granzyme B would rather cleave substrates after Asp (29 53 which is reflected within the reactive middle loop of CrmA which includes an Asp buy Hoechst 33342 at the key P1 placement (33). Up to now a mobile homolog of CrmA using a P1 Asp is not discovered even though capability of buy Hoechst 33342 CrmA to inhibit Fas-mediated and (probably) granule-mediated apoptosis shows that endogenous serpins may regulate the apoptotic proteinases. We’ve recently defined a individual intracellular serpin proteinase inhibitor 9 (PI-9) that effectively buy Hoechst 33342 inhibits granzyme B in vitro and it is portrayed at high amounts within the cytoplasm of CLs (45). PI-9 is quite much like CrmA but has Glu instead of Asp on the P1 position surprisingly. Here we present that PI-9 protects transfected cells against granzyme B-induced however not Fas-induced apoptosis and that the P1 Glu confers specificity for granzyme B rather than buy Hoechst 33342 the caspases. We suggest that PI-9 protects CLs (as well as perhaps bystander cells) against early death set off by miscompartmentalized or misdirected granzyme B but will not hinder the deletion of cells in the disease fighting capability via the Fas pathway. Components AND Strategies Site-directed mutagenesis and plasmid constructions. Hexahistidine-tagged CrmA was produced by PCR amplification from a plasmid template (kindly provided by D. Pickup) with the primers (5′-TCTGCCATCATGCATCATCATCATCATCATGATATCTTCAGGGAAATC-3′ and 5′-TTAATTAGTTGTTGGAGAGC-3′. The PCR used 20 pmol of each primer and 1 ng of template in Vent polymerase reaction buffer (New Britain Biolabs) formulated with 200 μM deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and 1 U of Vent polymerase (New Britain Biolabs). Thirty cycles of 95°C for 90 s 57 for 45 s and 72°C for 60 s had been performed. Amplified fragments had been separated by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis purified in the gels and cloned into pCRII (Invitrogen) for series evaluation. A clone with an in-frame fusion from the His label no second-site mutations was selected for the next steps..
and Function of TFPI Tissue aspect pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is really a 276 amino acid (~43 kDa) proteins with an acidic N-terminal region accompanied by three tandem Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitory domains and a simple C-terminal region. If TF-fVIIa may be the major initiator of bloodstream clotting in vivo and in addition is a powerful activator of fX indie of fVIII or fIX after that why perform hemophiliacs bleed? The discovery and characterization of TFPI activity has answered this relevant question.3 The fast inhibition of fXa and TF-fVIIa as well as the extrinsic pathway by TFPI makes the necessity for propagation of coagulation through fVIIIa and fIXa from the intrinsic pathway. In vitro research have confirmed that reduced amount of the inhibitory aftereffect of TFPI is a viable strategy for prevention of bleeding in patients with hemophilia.4;5 In vivo Bufotalin supplier animal studies have exhibited that anti-TFPI antibody shortens the bleeding time in rabbits with antibody induced hemophilia A.6 In the context of patients with hemophilia the success of recombinant fVIIa therapy of patients with acquired inhibitors of fVIII or fIX has demonstrated the tissue factor pathway as an important target for treatment and suggests that therapeutic modulation of TFPI activity could be an attractive therapeutic target for the development of new therapies to prevent bleeding in patients with hemophilia. Thrombosis Associated With Use of Oral Contraceptives The plasma TFPI concentration decreases about 25% in women using dental contraceptives. The reduction in TFPI mediated anticoagulant activity in these females may towards the elevated Bufotalin supplier risk (2- to 6-fold) of thrombosis from the use of dental contraceptives.7-11 The physiological basis for the reduction in plasma TFPI isn’t known. Heritable thrombophilias are recognized to boost a woman’s risk for thrombosis when Bufotalin supplier working with estrogen therapies. Of the the aspect V Leiden (FVL) mutation an changed type of FV resistant to degradation by turned on protein C creates the most important risk. In dental contraceptive users with FVL the chance of thrombosis is approximately 5 moments that of either risk element in isolation.12;13 Pet models possess demonstrated that decreased TFPI in the current presence of FVL offers a essential “second strike” that makes a severe thrombotic condition. Mice with heterozygous scarcity of TFPI (TFPI+/?) develop nor have problems with spontaneous thrombosis normally.14 Mice genetically altered to create the FVL mutation possess a mild prothrombotic phenotype exhibiting occasional spontaneous thrombosis.15 once the FVL mutation is bred into TFPI+/ However? mice the mice have problems with severe disseminated thrombosis and full perinatal Bufotalin supplier mortality nearly.16 These research in genetically altered mice support the idea that reduced TFPI plays a part in increased risk for thrombosis connected with oral contraceptive make use of. Thrombosis Connected with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) Sufferers with PNH possess a pronounced predisposition to intravascular thrombosis. PNH can be an obtained clonal disease seen as a insufficient glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins appearance. The thromboses take place in an organ specific pattern. Most occur in the portal circulation (hepatic vein occlusion also called the Budd-Chaiari Syndrome occurs in 30% of patients) or in venous circulation of the brain.17 As GRK6 described below TFPI is a GPI-anchored protein. Defective expression of TFPI in patients with PNH and may contribute to the organ specific thrombosis observed in this disease.18 Association of TFPI Deficiency with Arterial and Venous Thrombosis TFPI null humans have not been identified suggesting that TFPI is required for human birth. However low plasma levels of TFPI are weakly linked to disease in humans. Several studies have suggested that Bufotalin supplier plasma TFPI levels may demonstrate a “threshold effect” where patients with free (non-lipoprotein bound) plasma TFPI concentration less than 10% of the normal mean value are at increased risk (~2-fold) for both deep venous thrombosis and myocardial infarction.19-22 In these studies there is no difference in the mean free plasma TFPI level between the disease and control groups. In other published studies there is a considerable amount of conflicting data about the contribution of plasma Bufotalin supplier TFPI levels and polymorphisms to the development of thrombosis.23-26 This is likely a result of the wide normal range for plasma TFPI 27 the various options for measurement of plasma TFPI28 and the indegent correlation between your soluble plasma TFPI focus and the quantity of cell surface area associated endothelial and/or platelet.
ESCRT-III mediated membrane invagination and scission is a critical step in MVB sorting of ubiquitinated membrane receptors and generally thought to be required for degradation of these receptors in lysosomes. with ubiquitinated EGFR through the ALIX V domain name and increases ALIX association with membrane-bound CHMP4 through the ALIX Bro1 domain name. Under both continuous and pulse-chase EGF activation conditions inhibition of ALIX conversation with membrane-bound CHMP4 inhibition of ALIX dimerization through the V domain name or ALIX knockdown dramatically inhibits MVB sorting of activated EGFR and promotes sustained activation of ERK1/2. Under the continuous EGF activation conditions these cell treatments also retard degradation of activated EGFR. These findings show that ALIX is usually critically involved in MVB sorting of ubiquitinated membrane receptors in mammalian cells. for 10 min at 4°C. To prepare membrane p85-ALPHA solubilized cell lysates for immunoprecipitation pelleted cells were extracted by sonication in 50-100 μl of cell lysis buffer that omits 0.1% SDS and includes 10 mM N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM) (Sigma) whenever indicated. Cell lysates were cleared by centrifugation at 16 0 for 10 min at 4°C and diluted 10 fold before immunoprecipitation. Immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation were performed according to our standard protocols . Relative signals on immunoblots were quantified by analyzing scanned images with NIH ImageJ 1.41o. Antibodies used in immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation are summarized in Table S4. GST pull-down GST and GST tagged proteins were produced and purified using our standard procedures and immobilized onto Glutathione beads (GenScript). Isolation of membrane-associated proteins was performed as previously explained with minor modifications. Briefly mock-treated and EGF-stimulated HEK293 cells were lysed by sonication in chilly TBS which was supplemented with 10 mM NEM 100 μM sodium orthavanadium 100 μM sodium fluoride 100 μM sodium pyrophosphate 1 mM DTT and proteinase inhibitor cocktail and cell lysates were centrifuged at 130 0 for 30 min. After supernatants were discarded and Cilostazol pellets were washed with TBS membrane-associated proteins in the pellets were extracted with TBS supplemented with 0.1% TX and 1 mM NEM. The extracts were cleared by centrifugation Cilostazol at 130 0 for 30 min. Immobilized GST and GST tagged proteins were incubated with dissolved membrane proteins at 4°C overnight and then washed with 0.1% TX in TBS five occasions. Proteins remaining around the beads were eluted with SDS-PAGE sample buffer and subject to immunoblotting. Membrane flotation centrifugation Preparation and membrane flotation centrifugation of the post-nuclear supernatant (PNS) of cell lysates through a step sucrose gradient was performed according to published protocols [43 44 with minor modifications as explained previously . In brief HEK293 cells collected from one 60-mm dish were pelleted and resuspended in 100 μl of 10% (w/v) sucrose in TE buffer (TBS plus 1 mM EDTA) supplemented with proteinase inhibitor cocktail. After cells were lysed by sonication cell lysates were centrifuged at 1800 for 5 min at 4°C and the PNS was recovered. From each PNS 0.1 ml aliquot was taken and mixed with 0.4 ml of 85.5% (w/v) sucrose in TE buffer to give a final concentration of 73% (w/v) sucrose. The combination was then placed at the bottom of a 4-ml ultracentrifuge tube above which 2.3 ml of 65% (w/v) sucrose and 1.2 ml of 10% (w/v) sucrose in TE buffer were Cilostazol sequentially overlaid. The created step sucrose gradients were ultracentrifuged at 100 0 for 18 h at 4°C in a Beckman SW55-Ti rotor. Cilostazol After centrifugation ten 0.4-ml fractions were manually collected by pipetting and comparative aliquots were taken from collected fractions for immunoblotting. In a typical execution of this protocol fractions 3 and 4 contained membrane vesicles floating to the boundary of the 10% (w/v) and 65% (w/v) sucrose layers whereas fractions 9 and 10 contained soluble proteins unable to float up. Proteinase K protection assay Proteinase K protection assay was performed as explained in previous studies [23 46 47 In brief mock treated or EGF stimulated cells were collected and pelleted by centrifugation at 1 800 for 5 min. Pelleted cells were resuspended in 10 volumes of 6.5 μg/mL digitonin (Sigma) in PBS followed by incubation first at room temperature for 5 min and then on.
Purpose. Results. Overall the imply PCT improved from 63.9 μm ± 18.1 at 0 to 250 μm to 170.3 μm ± 56.7 at 1500 to 2000 μm from BMO. Individuals of AD had a greater mean PCT than those of ED whatsoever distances from BMO (< 0.05 at each distance) and in each quadrant (< 0.05 in each quadrant). Results from multivariate regression show that ED subjects had significantly lower PCT compared to AD overall and in all quadrants and distances from BMO. Increasing age was also significantly associated with a lower PCT in both ED and AD participants. Conclusions. Peripapillary choroidal thickness varies with race and age as individuals of AD have a thicker peripapillary choroid than those of ED. (ClinicalTrials.gov quantity NCT00221923.) = 108; ADAGES) or 12 (= 60; ALSTAR). All other characteristics of the imaging protocols were identical in each study. In order to enhance NCT-501 the visibility of the deeper cells all B-scans from all SDOCT quantities were postprocessed using a customized adaptive payment algorithm with contrast and threshold exponents of 2.16 23 24 Two eyes were eliminated due to inadequate visualization of the anterior sclera (AS) following compensation. Adaptive payment allowed an enhanced visualization and a more reliable delineation of characteristic structures such as Bruch’s membrane (BM) and the AS. Radial SDOCT scan quantities were loaded and aligned in custom software (based Ik3-2 antibody on the Visualization Toolkit [VTK]; Kitware Inc. Clifton Park NY) that was developed for three-dimensional delineation of histologic and OCT data as explained in prior publications.25 26 Two trained observers masked to subject characteristics manually delineated 24 equally spaced radial sections of each eye. Reliability screening was performed by having each of the two observers delineate four different eyes (two AD eyes two ED eyes) on three independent occasions. Intraclass correlations (ICC) were used to evaluate the within- and between-person variance of the manual delineation of scans by the two observers.27 The ICCs for mean PCT were very high overall (>0.75 excellent reliability) indicating that the measurements at a given location from BMO were very similar between observers. Additionally ICCs were calculated based on race (AD eyes: 0.95 excellent reliability; ED eyes: 0.68 good reliability). Principal surfaces delineated included BM BMO and AS (Fig. 1a). A imply of 490 points (range 303 for BM and 505 points (range 457 for AS were sampled (Fig. 1b). The methods for defining BMO have been published elsewhere. 16 Peripapillary choroidal thickness is a measurement of the distance between BM and AS. Indeed this measurement can be made at numerous offsets from BMO (Fig. 2a). Suppose that we want to compute PCT at an offset of μm from BMO. On each BM half-section μm along the section away from the BMO to NCT-501 a point of the BM solid a ray along of the AS and compute NCT-501 the sectional PCT of at μm to be the distance between and (Fig. 2b). Under these assumptions PCT at μm is the mean of all sectional PCTs at μm. (Since the BM can show local irregularities yet is almost linear we regarded as two NCT-501 alternatives for and the normal to a linear approximation of range of 0 to 1000 μm and a range of 1000 to 2000 NCT-501 μm. The mean PCT was also compared between race (AD and ED) in four quadrants of the ONH (substandard nasal superior and temporal). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to evaluate the association between race with PCT in each quadrant and at different distances away from BMO. Generalized estimating equations allow the model to account for the within-subject correlation among fellow eyes from your same individual. An exchangeable operating correlation matrix was specified because it minimized the difference in variance estimations between the empirical and model-based standard errors. Models were modified for the potentially confounding effects of age axial size and BMO area (a surrogate for optic disc size). An connection term was added to the models to evaluate whether the effect of age on PCT assorted by race. Age axial size and BMO area were continuous variables in the modified. | 2019-04-25T06:41:04Z | http://www.researchatlanta.org/page/267/ |
Lagasse, Roberta L was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10765 Eudora CIR, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6996557.
Lagasse, Sheila Sue was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12136 First ST, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5874424.
Lagasse, Tyler Alexander was born in 1995 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1707 Abeyta CT, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600948109.
Lagasse, Tyler David was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 608 Homestead ST, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 600056614.
Lagasse Anderson, Ashley Blythe was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 801 W Douglas RD, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1426897.
Lagator, Calvin Christopher was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 435 Marine ST, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 200368868.
Lagatta, Andrew Aaron was born in 1990 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1602 Grant AVE, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 200169775.
Lagatta, Carol C was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1909 Bristlecone DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 491228.
Lagatta, Paul Douglas was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1909 Bristlecone DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 492659.
Lagattuta, Christopher Allen was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 475 W 12Th AVE APT 12G, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601877520.
La Gattuta, Michael Charles was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 300 W 11Th AVE UNIT 19B, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600668575.
Lagattuta, Valerie Nichole was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 772 23 1/2 RD, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2285637.
Lagda, Adrielle was born in 2000 and registered to vote, giving the address as 9401 Cheyenne Arapaho Hall, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. Lagda voter ID number is 601947475.
Lage, Ally Janae was born in 1998 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1680 Peregrine CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600947020.
Lage, Austin Reed was born in 1997 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1680 Peregrine CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 601226938.
Lage, Brita Lee was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10450 Holly Springs PL, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200039717.
Lage, Caridad was born in 1958 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9797 Terrain RD, FOUNTAIN, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601650132.
Lage, Dakota Walter was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1868 Ralphs Ridge, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601530378.
Lage, Daniel R was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 334 Basswood AVE, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6312488.
Lage, Daniel Thomas was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 20448 Nolina CT, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6396301.
Lage, Ethan Thomas was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 20448 Nolina CT, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 600160192.
Lage, Gregg L was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1680 Peregrine CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 3919699.
Lage, Jason Cole was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 313 North Fork AVE, PAONIA, Delta County, CO. His voter ID number is 600174765.
Lage, Jennifer Sue was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11143 Navajo ST, NORTHGLENN, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600192324.
Lage, Jesse David was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11143 Navajo ST, NORTHGLENN, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600192364.
Lage, Jordan J was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6334 Casual DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600150770.
Lage, Keith Gerard was born in 1965 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1605 Cornice CT, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Routt County, CO. His voter ID number is 601756568.
Lage, Kyle Robert was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10450 Holly Springs PL, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 245632.
Lage, Lazaro Eduardo was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9797 Terrain RD, FOUNTAIN, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601631759.
Lage, Lynn Denise was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1735 White AVE, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2307513.
Lage, Lynn R was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6820 Tobin RD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 192447.
Lage, Maelin Ann was born in 2000 and registered to vote, giving the address as 222 Park ST, PALMER LAKE, El Paso County, CO. Lage voter ID number is 601879781.
Lage, Melissa Dawn was born in 1978 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1865 Woodmoor DR, MONUMENT, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 77250.
Lage, Michael Lee Jr was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 742 Cedar AVE, AKRON, Washington County, CO. His voter ID number is 7138364.
Lage, Michael Penteado Barros was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6129 Wolff ST, ARVADA, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 601590955.
Lage, Michelle Ann was born in 1972 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1605 Cornice CT, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Routt County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601749781.
Lage, Nancy C was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 20448 Nolina CT, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6396302.
Lage, Patricia Marie was born in 1980 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 334 Basswood AVE, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6312792.
Lage, Rachelle Jogette was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 742 Cedar AVE, AKRON, Washington County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600260277.
Lage, Roger James was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6820 Tobin RD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 192810.
Lage, Sharon Ann was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1680 Peregrine CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3919858.
Lage, Victoria Anne was born in 1993 and registered to vote, giving the address as 1358 N Ogden ST APT 9, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Lage voter ID number is 601937015.
Lage, William Howard was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2357 E RD, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 600499782.
Lagedrost, Christopher was born in 1989 and registered to vote, giving the address as 476 Murphy Creek DR, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. Lagedrost voter ID number is 601937238.
Lagedrost, Sarah Catherine was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 476 Murphy Creek DR, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600197078.
Lage Lopez, Diana Carolina was born in 1985 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9797 Terrain RD, FOUNTAIN, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601634067.
Lageman, Oreada Susan was born in 1959 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2615 Meadowlark LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600247515.
Lageman, Robert Wayne was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7415 White Ash PL, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5729851.
Lageman, William D was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2615 Meadowlark LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 289211.
Lagemann, Abby Elyse was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1024 Adams CIR APT F-212, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200365521.
Lagemann, Andrew Lee was born in 1961 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9785 Jellison WAY, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601071645.
Lagemann, Lucy A was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 806 Robin CV, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 8159668.
Lagendyk, Adam Alexander was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10375 Zuni ST APT L106, FEDERAL HGTS, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600647451.
Lagenese, Ross Allen was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3857 Fig Tree ST, WELLINGTON, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1411729.
Lager, Andrew E was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15943 Wildhaven LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600403688.
Lager, Barbara Ann was born in 1940 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5077 W Geddes CIR, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 819766.
Lager, Barbara Johnston was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4804 Sleepy Cat DR, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4097993.
Lager, Benjamin K was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1434 S Gaylord ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2734310.
Lager, Bertil James was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3090 Carter CIR, DENVER, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 841161.
Lager, Christenza Maurine was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 18013 E Atlantic DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600554729.
Lager, Christopher Whitney was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1340 Kline ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 2909466.
Lager, Dorothy M was born in 1942 and registered to vote, giving the address as 3090 Carter CIR, DENVER, Arapahoe County, CO. Lager voter ID number is 841160.
Lager, Edward Charles was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 18628 E Grand CIR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 709433.
Lager, Eve Michal was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2217 N Eliot ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600905530.
Lager, Gary George was born in 1943 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2575 Rossmere ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 531414.
Lager, Janet Thoene was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 18013 E Atlantic DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 698501.
Lager, John C was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3553 N Wyandot ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2423309.
Lager, John R was born in 1940 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5077 W Geddes CIR, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 819574.
Lager, Katherine Mallory was born in 1999 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15943 Wildhaven LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601871894.
Lager, Kenneth E was born in 1934 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4232 S Biscay CIR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 713338.
Lager, Laurence Robert was born in 1929 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1050 S Monaco PKWY APT 145, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2706903.
Lager, Linda Beth was born in 1945 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2575 Rossmere ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 531413.
Lager, Marilyn Ann was born in 1942 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1140 S Gray ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2501946.
Lager, Marjorie Maurine was born in 1922 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 39455 County Road Z, AKRON, Washington County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600658606.
Lager, Mary Katherine was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15943 Wildhaven LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600180789.
Lager, Meridith Kay was born in 1978 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1340 Kline ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2920194.
Lager, Michele Marjorie was born in 1942 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 19673 E Hollow Creek DR, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5851176.
Lager, Natalie Katherine was born in 1993 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 555 E 19Th AVE APT 3420, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600519333.
Lager, Penny Gale was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 18628 E Grand CIR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 709432.
Lager, Raymond E was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3434 Foxridge DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 374207.
Lager, Rebecca Elyse was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5821 S Netherland CIR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 936733.
Lager, Stephen Grant was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 18013 E Atlantic DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600593886.
Lager, Terence Michael was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1255 N Galapago ST APT 301, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 4637467.
Lager, Trevor was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 18013 E Atlantic DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600614479.
Lager, Valerie F was born in 1934 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4232 S Biscay CIR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 713337.
Lagerberg, Eddie Kent was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 857 S Van Gordon CT # F-108, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 3967530.
Lagerberg, Greg J was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4220 Iris ST, WHEAT RIDGE, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4027729.
Lagerberg, Jennifer Anne was born in 1972 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 799 S Cole CT, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3963835.
Lagerberg, Joy B was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4220 Iris ST, WHEAT RIDGE, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4028946.
Lagerberg, Joy E was born in 1932 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11693 W 28Th AVE, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4016142.
Lagerberg, Kyle Austin was born in 1997 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4220 Iris ST, WHEAT RIDGE, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601355770.
Lagerberg, Larry Scott was born in 1966 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 799 S Cole CT, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 3963282.
Lagerberg, Spencer James was born in 1998 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 799 S Cole CT, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601482361.
Lagerblade, Brett Russell was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3223 N Newton ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2904251.
Lagerblade, Eric Paul was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 634 E 8Th AVE UNIT 17, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. His voter ID number is 601553909.
Lagerborg, Alexander Vincent was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7916 S Pierce WAY, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4104545.
Lagerborg, Andrew Alexander was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7629 S Cove CIR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 200008680.
Lagerborg, Daniel Ryan was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6840 S Windermere ST, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 816713.
Lagerborg, David A was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 766 S Glencoe ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2532805.
Lagerborg, Deborah C was born in 1958 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 766 S Glencoe ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2540245.
Lagerborg, Deborah Rose was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7459 S Alkire ST # 304, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6360928.
Lagerborg, Mary E was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7916 S Pierce WAY, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4105375.
Lagerborg, Michael was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2 N Adams ST APT 610, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600584321.
Lagerborg, Rebecca Johns was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2344 W Parkhill AVE, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600140869.
Lagerborg, Stephanie Lea was born in 1980 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6840 S Windermere ST, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 816741.
Lagerborg, Timothy David was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2344 W Parkhill AVE, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 4104342.
Lagergren, Barbara Jean was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 316 W Song Sparrow DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6937570.
Lagergren, Charles F was born in 1940 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1821 N 5Th ST APT 314, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 5958017.
Lagergren, Deborah L was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7730 Fall Brook CT, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 202353.
Lagergren, Eric Miles was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1021 Garfield AVE, LA JUNTA, Otero County, CO. His voter ID number is 3166618.
Lagergren, Eric William was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7730 Fall Brook CT, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600742023.
Lagergren, Kathleen Marie was born in 1980 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1021 Garfield AVE, LA JUNTA, Otero County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3163142.
Lagergren, Lisa Yvette was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8879 Yukon ST, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4063057.
Lagergren, Steven Charles was born in 1955 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 316 W Song Sparrow DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 7164782.
Lagergren, Virginia M was born in 1946 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1601 Cimarron AVE, LA JUNTA, Otero County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3160380.
Lagergren, William E was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7730 Fall Brook CT, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 202352.
Lagerholm, Jeffery John was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8445 W 59Th AVE, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 2673126.
Lagerholm, Steven Andrew was born in 1993 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2601 Davidson DR # B1, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601756836.
Lagerholm Sepin, Amy Lynn was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1668 Highway 52, ERIE, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6421430.
Lager-Levi, Cheryl Ann was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2093 County Road 228, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600485900.
Lagerlof, Danielle Beatrice was born in 1988 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1149 Parsons AVE, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2962922.
Lagerlof, Erik John was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1149 Parsons AVE, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 600834121.
Lagerman, Kathleen Mary was born in 1948 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 502 Ashford DR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 8159674.
Lagerman, Peter Michael was born in 1948 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 502 Ashford DR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 8159787.
Lagerman, Ronald Carl was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1003 Colorado DR, TRINIDAD, Las Animas County, CO. His voter ID number is 600175862.
Lagerman, Shelby Lynn was born in 1993 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7840 S Coolidge WAY, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601793491.
Lagerman, Tammy Marie was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1003 Colorado DR, TRINIDAD, Las Animas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3844017.
Lagermann, Steven Michael was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7777 E 23Rd AVE UNIT 1003, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200337553.
Lagerquist, Amy Joanne was born in 1934 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1005 W 44Th ST, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601346681.
Lagerquist, Clayton Ross was born in 1933 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1005 W 44Th ST, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600991424.
Lagerquist, Leslie Lance Jr was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 208 W Cleveland ST, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 600808117.
Lagers, James Andrew was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5540 S Elati ST # 207, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601199500.
Lagerstrom, Carly Jesse was born in 1993 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4095 Westmeadow DR APT 2317, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601347856.
Lagerstrom, Christina Marie was born in 1985 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 801 Mulberry CT, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4177465.
Lagerstrom, Darren Craig was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9951 Willowstone PL, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5782019.
Lagerstrom, Darrin William was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5101 S Rio Grande ST # 9-306, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600721878.
Lagerstrom, Evelyn Ruthel was born in 1934 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6164 W 83Rd WAY, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4060781.
Lagerstrom, Guy Dwayne was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6164 W 83Rd WAY, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4523502.
Lagerstrom, Kyle Brandon was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 801 Mulberry CT, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 4177809.
Lagerstrom, Larry W was born in 1939 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5003 Waddell AVE, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 230319.
Lagerstrom, Linda was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 427 Cheyenne AVE, EATON, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6326558.
Lagerstrom, Michelle Lynne was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9951 Willowstone PL, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5765067.
Lagerstrom, Myrna Lorraine was born in 1938 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1414 N Santa Fe AVE APT 6A, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3047803.
Lagerstrom, Paula Roe was born in 1945 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5003 Waddell AVE, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 230413.
Lagerwey, Andrew William was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7381 W Kentucky DR # B, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601934813.
Lageschulte, James Alan was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9599 E 147Th AVE, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 7131938.
Lageschulte, Martha Caroline was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9599 E 147Th AVE, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6868558.
Lagesse, Brittney D was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2800 Kalmia AVE APT A203, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601292782.
Lagesse, Jacques Luc was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15 S Clarkson ST APT 301, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200315874.
Lagesse, Jenny Heather was born in 1977 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 828 N Broadway ST APT 601, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4206348.
Lagesse, Joseph David was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1755 E Noble PL, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 831202.
Lagesse, Kimberly Sue was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3856 S Lowell BLVD, DENVER, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200274736.
Lagesse, Logan Joseph was born in 1995 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1755 E Noble PL, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600920093.
Lagesse, Mary Jo was born in 1959 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1755 E Noble PL, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 831843.
La-Gest-Bailey, Elexis was born in 2000 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2809 Apricot AVE, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601893042.
Lageyre, Andre was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7700 W 120Th AVE, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 601075928.
Laggan, Babette E was born in 1940 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6302 S Killarney ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 759345.
Laggan, Michael James was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 656 N Madison ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2919646.
Laggart, John B was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 420 N Iowa ST APT 305, GUNNISON, Gunnison County, CO. His voter ID number is 2925279.
Laggart, Richard Ambrose was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2280 Mesa RD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 504391.
Lagge, David Wade Edwin was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 17590 Sweet RD, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600242476.
Lagge, Donald Delmer was born in 1937 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15860 W 66Th PL, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600087437.
Lagge, Heather Joy was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3666 S Depew ST # 305, DENVER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600137921.
Lagge, Jessica Nicole was born in 1998 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15860 W 66Th PL, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601148571.
Lagge, Joshua Ryan was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3666 S Depew ST # 305, DENVER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601016930.
Lagge, Kimberly I was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 17590 Sweet RD, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600576220.
Lagge, Samuel Scott was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15860 W 66Th PL, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 200308821.
Lagger, Dorothy Edith was born in 1924 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2520 S Jackson ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2760712.
Laggett, Nicholas Richard was born in 1991 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5614 Kipling PKWY # 05-304, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601702941.
Laggis, Christopher S was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 129 Alpine CT, CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison County, CO. His voter ID number is 5965767.
Laggis, Jennie K was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 129 Alpine CT, CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601770816.
Laggis, Joanna Lee was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12315 Oregon Wagon TRL, ELBERT, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601187251.
Laggis, Matt S was born in 1965 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2600 Roaring Judy RD, ALMONT, Gunnison County, CO. His voter ID number is 5965712.
Laggy, Louis Ralph Iii was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 14 Lincoln PL, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 600428792.
Laggy, Pamela Walter was born in 1946 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 14 Lincoln PL, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600939040.
Lagi, Marta Yohannes was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1010 S Oneida ST APT C208, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601482561.
Lagier, Robert Clifford was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2049 Navajo TRL, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 8159795.
Lagier Mecham, Diane Marie was born in 1953 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 618 Boxwood DR, WINDSOR, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1467447.
Lagiglia, Dominic Louis was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1623 S Leyden ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2638300.
Lagiglia, Donnalyne was born in 1959 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4002 County Rd 115, GLENWOOD SPGS, Garfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5525366.
Lagiglia, Hanica Rose was born in 1998 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4002 County Rd 115, GLENWOOD SPGS, Garfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601470208.
Lagiglia, Jill Marie was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 447 S 4Th ST, MONTROSE, Montrose County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5022965.
Lagiglia, Kirk Michael was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 447 S 4Th ST, MONTROSE, Montrose County, CO. His voter ID number is 5022966.
Lagiglia, Louis Michael was born in 1942 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 629 River Frontage RD # 14, SILT, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 5526436.
Lagiglia, Nathan Louis was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1068 E 17Th ST, RIFLE, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 600270413.
Lagimoniere, Courtny Lorraine was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3324 E 1/4 RD, CLIFTON, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601168377.
Laginess, James Edward was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5314 S Genoa WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 755070.
Laginess, Justin Scott was born in 1997 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5314 S Genoa WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601153033.
Laginess, Kelli Lynn was born in 2000 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5314 S Genoa WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601602777.
Laginess, Shari Leigh was born in 1969 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5314 S Genoa WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 755069.
Laging, Alexander Sebastian was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1010 S Oneida ST UNIT C304, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600908275.
Laging, Brian William was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1825 Dover ST, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 663142.
Laging, Darren Edward was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1255 N Forest ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2723489.
Laging, Lora Kim was born in 1966 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 111 Bluegrass CT, MONTROSE, Montrose County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601962651.
Laging, Michelle Anne was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1255 N Forest ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2748677.
Laging, Paulette E was born in 1947 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6 Cedar CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3922363.
Laging, William H was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6 Cedar CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 3922354.
Lagioia, Frank Rocco was born in 1939 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 47 Palm CT, PAGOSA SPRINGS, Archuleta County, CO. His voter ID number is 4758741.
Lagioia, Nicole Mariani was born in 1967 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 47 Palm CT, PAGOSA SPRINGS, Archuleta County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4757530.
Lagios, Peter George was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1323 W Plum ST # 404, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601833288.
Lagisetty, Kalyani was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6393 S Salida ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601796485.
Lagle, Christine Paige was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6508 Windom Peak BLVD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200262154.
Lagle, Cynthia K was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1565 Luna Vista ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 475097.
Lagle, Debra K was born in 1965 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6508 Windom Peak BLVD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600215764.
Lagle, Floyd Kevin was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3206 Mesa AVE APT A, CLIFTON, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 601451617.
Lagle, Richard Michael was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1565 Luna Vista ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 200029637.
Lagle, Ronald Joe was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6508 Windom Peak BLVD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600026084.
Lagman, Eileen Anne was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1650 Wewatta ST APT 1616, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601147949.
Lagman, Orench was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1122 W 10Th AVE, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601453612.
Lagneaux, Noel Spencer was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 445 S Worchester WAY, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600657744.
Lago, Adrian Stuart was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11922 W 77Th DR, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601127011.
Lago, Albert A was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1636 S Jellison ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 3962452.
Lago, Angel Jesus was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 55732 E Us Highway 50, BOONE, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 601185396.
Lago, Brittany Renae was born in 1995 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2624 S Miller DR # 203, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601545193.
Lago, Brooke Nicole was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2630 S Moore DR # 202, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601411582.
Lago, Debra Diane was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4102 E 106Th CT, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6899380.
Lago, Erica Shae was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 395 W Burgundy ST # 1827, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601487712.
Lago, Gabriela Thereza was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1530 Lone Pine CIR UNIT 7208, DILLON, Summit County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601190406.
Lago, Jennifer Lynn was born in 1972 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2630 S Moore DR # 202, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4277382.
Lago, Joseph Anthony was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10566 Bald Eagle CIR # 275, FIRESTONE, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 601125478.
Lago, Joseph L Jr was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4102 E 106Th CT, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 6970115.
Lago, Joy Dejong was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1904 Mohawk ST, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600680756.
Lago, Kevin Scott was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6070 W 28Th ST, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 601740495.
Lago, Louis J was born in 1977 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 46630 Silver Fir ST, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. His voter ID number is 895538.
Lago, Marjorie Frances was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 55732 E Us Highway 50, BOONE, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600782510.
Lago, Melissa Danielle was born in 1985 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 46630 Silver Fir ST, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200249412.
Lago, Paul Luis was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6178 S Madison DR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 2696393.
Lago, Rafael Antonio was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1042 E 25Th ST, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6372311.
Lago, Stacy Lynn was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6070 W 28Th ST, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601827036.
Lago, Timothy James was born in 1977 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1904 Mohawk ST, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600607728.
Lago, Trayvon Joseph was born in 1991 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4102 E 106Th CT, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 200321497.
Lagoda, Jessica Lauren was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8791 Pierce WAY # 104, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601961108.
Lagodna, Martin Michael was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4302 Northridge PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601144571.
Lagodny, Andrea Ruth was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12846 Cook CIR, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7105357.
Lagodny, Michael Andrew Jr was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12846 Cook CIR, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 200099192.
Lagodny, Sandra M was born in 1946 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12846 Cook CIR, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6912221.
Lagodny, Susan Marie was born in 1955 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7961 Grove ST, WESTMINSTER, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7077472.
Lago Eckley, Henrietta M was born in 1944 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1636 S Jellison ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4200208.
Lagomarsino, Colleen Sue was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7933 S Humboldt ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 834095.
Lagomarsino, Jennah Montag was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1486 Cherry PL, ERIE, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600023837.
Lagomarsino, Luis Alberto was born in 1987 and registered to vote, giving the address as 9705 Canberra DR, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Lagomarsino voter ID number is 601605620.
Lagomarsino, Peter J was born in 1954 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7933 S Humboldt ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 834091.
Lagomarsino, Scott Charles was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1486 Cherry PL, ERIE, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 834090.
Lagomarsino, Sheri Treadwell was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 431 S Vine ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601009641.
Lagomarsino, Thomas Hugh was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 431 S Vine ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601006446.
Lagomarsino Rodriguez, Amanda Irene was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9705 Canberra DR, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6407132.
Lagomasino, Gail Gaudini was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1677 Prairie Owl RD, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600452185.
Lagomasino, Hector was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1677 Prairie Owl RD, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. His voter ID number is 200169471.
Lagomasino, Kelly Rose was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4672 W 20Th Street RD UNIT 2425, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600460541.
Lagon, Martin Robert was born in 1964 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6630 S Locust WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 785203.
Lagoni, Casey Stetson was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7550 S Blackhawk ST # 8-208, ENGLEWOOD, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 772914.
Lagoni, Kaia Rose was born in 1993 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2135 Scarecrow RD, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601331045.
Lagoni, Laurel Studt was born in 1953 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5324 Paradise LN, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1544807.
Lagoni, Linda Karen was born in 1952 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 42511 London DR, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. Her voter ID number is 580030.
Lagoni, Nicholas Brandon was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5515 N Lewiston ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 8159805.
Lagoni, Peter Alfred was born in 1954 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5324 Paradise LN, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1550139.
Lagoo, David Wayne was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3516 Terry Lake RD, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600596315.
Lagoo, Elena S was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 525 Fox Glove CT, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1487864.
Lagoo, Jeremy Michael was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2525 Wewatta WAY APT 543, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 6585467.
Lagoo, Karen Ann was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3516 Terry Lake RD, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600584614.
Lagor, Samuel William was born in 1990 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 209 N 19Th ST, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 601797524.
Lagorce, Joshua Mathew was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7240 E 38Th AVE, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601275394.
Lagore, Kimber Danielle was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1665 N Logan ST APT 744, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601832357.
Lagorin, Kip Matthew was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1460 Karlann DR, BLACK HAWK, Gilpin County, CO. His voter ID number is 610209.
Lagorin, Luke Eric was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2322 Alpine DR, ERIE, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6377016.
Lagorio, Anthony Christopher was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12267 St Annes RD, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600969879.
Lagorio, Sean Lee was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 25103 E Archer PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601850268.
Lagory, William Joseph was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3853 Boulder DR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600598661.
Lagos, Alba Maria was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10636 Braselton ST, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600740972.
Lagos, Amanda Jean was born in 1985 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 333 E 16Th AVE APT 612, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601757979.
Lagos, Ana Ruth was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1160 Piros DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601025492.
Lagos, Ashlie Nicole was born in 2000 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1319 6Th ST APT A, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601892362.
Lagos, Axel Ajax was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 16420 Fairway DR, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600679721.
Lagos, James Joseph was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 254 S Meade ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600544482.
Lagos, Joan was born in 1924 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5261 S Jellison ST, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4281707.
Lagos, Kara June was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1440 Gold Hill Mesa DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600719854.
Lagos, Konstantinos V was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5261 S Jellison ST, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4281651.
Lagos, Maria Gabriela was born in 1965 and registered to vote, giving the address as 806 Kestrel CT, BASALT, Pitkin County, CO. Lagos voter ID number is 601761624.
Lagos, Maria Graciela was born in 1943 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 583 Silver Oak GRV, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600357807.
Lagos, Martha Georgina was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9746 Nucla ST, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600166423.
Lagos, Mary Elizabeth was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 786 N Leyden ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600941286.
Lagos, Michael Thomas was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5139 S Malta WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600908631.
Lagos, Miguel Orval was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1160 Piros DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600766489.
Lagos, Nancy A was born in 1953 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5261 S Jellison ST, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4151381.
Lagos, Tom was born in 1955 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1112 Ridgeview CIR, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 3924553.
Lagos, Walter was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10636 Braselton ST, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 600766228.
Lagos, William C was born in 1922 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 550 E 12Th AVE APT 804, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2428189.
Lagos Hernandez, Dunia Etelbina was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4926 W 2Nd ST, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601648538.
Lagos Jiron, Brian was born in 1990 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 14355 E Pensacola DR, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200175266.
Lagoutte, Pascal Rene was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6911 E Baker PL, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200176224.
Lagow, Alan D was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1140 Atlantis AVE, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 8159814.
Lagow, Clark H was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 559 Columbine RD, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. His voter ID number is 4958718.
Lagow, Dale Eugene was born in 1944 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2049 Hardscrabble DR, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 8159815.
Lagow, Ellen Wehde was born in 1948 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2049 Hardscrabble DR, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 8159816.
Lagow, Jeanne M was born in 1925 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1010 S Edison RD, YODER, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600413967.
Lagow, John Michael was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 118 W Sterling AVE # 10, BUENA VISTA, Chaffee County, CO. His voter ID number is 601516800.
Lagow, Samantha was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 702 E Ryus AVE # B, LA VETA, Huerfano County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4742911.
Lagowski, Robert Theodore was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1509 3Rd AVE APT 4, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6348784.
Lagoze, Lucy Cedarholm was born in 1993 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 815 E 18Th AVE APT 7, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601876460.
Lagradilla, Gloria Jean was born in 1947 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3160 Birmingham DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1422565.
Lagradilla, Susie Marie was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3160 Birmingham DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1416960.
Lagraff, Jennifer Ryan Louise was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1546 N Filbert CT, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2801925.
Lagraff, John Eric was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 999 Fortino BLVD LOT 155, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 600895823.
Lagraff, Kristopher J was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1546 N Filbert CT, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2934741.
La Grand, Denise Michele was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 13760 County Road 261, NATHROP, Chaffee County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601057400.
Lagrande, Alec Ronnie was born in 1999 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5920 S Rock Creek DR, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 601774288.
Lagrande, Christi Lynn was born in 1975 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5920 S Rock Creek DR, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5798765.
Lagrande, David Lynn was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 505 W Burgundy ST # 834, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 951601.
Lagrande, Douglas Patrick was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5920 S Rock Creek DR, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 200064594.
Lagrander, J M was born in 1947 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1906 Kaylix AVE APT 101, LOUISVILLE, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 8159817.
La Grander, Nitra Layne was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3256 Alexander WAY, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601651066.
Lagrand-Quintana, Deborah E was born in 1965 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3281 S Quintero ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 725230.
Lagrange, Adam John was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3711 Anemone CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 240652.
La Grange, Andre James was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 13073 S Stuart WAY, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 601745809.
Lagrange, Andrew Thomas was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 918 Rampart Range RD, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. His voter ID number is 600838291.
Lagrange, Annie Fairbanks was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 404 Coraline ST, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601463945.
Lagrange, Bill Lewis was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10921 Newland ST, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4181860.
Lagrange, Brenda Jean was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10921 Newland ST, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4181933.
Lagrange, Cora L was born in 1943 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 44 Estancia LN, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5958365.
Lagrange, Dale Frederick was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 33 Sawmill RD, EVERGREEN, Clear Creek County, CO. His voter ID number is 5012491.
Lagrange, David Bernard was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 113 Mill Loft UNIT C214, EDWARDS, Eagle County, CO. His voter ID number is 6694897.
Lagrange, David Paul was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10364 Arapahoe RD APT E2B, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601296018.
Lagrange, Diann F was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 19573 E Ithaca PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 708807.
Lagrange, Drew Edward was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 404 Coraline ST, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. His voter ID number is 601463882.
Lagrange, Elizabeth Marie was born in 1999 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 40 Stacy DR, WALSENBURG, Huerfano County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601580452.
Lagrange, Gaven Michael was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6494 S Malaya ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600780415.
Lagrange, Harold Daniel was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 19573 E Ithaca PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 710282.
Lagrange, Jason John was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6584 S Quantock CT, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 738506.
Lagrange, Jeffery A was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11054 Pastel PT, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5741078.
Lagrange, Jeffrey Eugene was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1345 Overhill RD, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601888482.
Lagrange, Jeremy Jules was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2700 W 103Rd AVE APT 113, FEDERAL HGTS, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600377984.
Lagrange, Joanna was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10895 W Hialeah PL, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4274097.
Lagrange, Joseph Roland was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 381 S 9Th ST, RIFLE, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 5533293.
Lagrange, Karen Lee was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 17820 Pioneer Crossing, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601782632.
Lagrange, Larry Wayne was born in 1944 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 29040 Golf WAY, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4163762.
Lagrange, Linda Marie was born in 1944 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 29040 Golf WAY, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4163911.
Lagrange, Lois Anne was born in 1952 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 33 Sawmill RD, EVERGREEN, Clear Creek County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5012492.
Lagrange, Mark Dean Iv was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5716 Holman WAY, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4196575.
Lagrange, Martina Eva was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5716 Holman WAY, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4196573.
Lagrange, Paul Kirk was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 17820 Pioneer Crossing, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601800528.
Lagrange, Peter Christian was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 107 N Harris ST UNIT 204, BRECKENRIDGE, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 200045861.
Lagrange, Rae Ashlee was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 918 Rampart Range RD, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601369917.
Lagrange, Robert Wayne Ii was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 659 Country CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 5517508.
Lagrange, Samantha Leilani was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 659 Country CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600627191.
Lagrange, Sarah Christine was born in 1977 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11054 Pastel PT, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5877080.
Lagrange, Shane W was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10895 W Hialeah PL, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4273983.
Lagrange, Stephanie Marie was born in 1988 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2608 Kansas DR # I156, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600484443.
Lagrange, Stephen William was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1060 S Parker RD APT 25, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601104977.
Lagrange, Tonya Marie was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 30153 Arena DR, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4166409.
Lagrange, Virginia Mary was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 135 Ouray AVE, PONCHA SPRINGS, Chaffee County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4163426.
Lagrange, William P was born in 1944 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 44 Estancia LN, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. His voter ID number is 5959913.
La Grassa, Luke was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 935 Broadway APT 106, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601433226.
Lagrassa, Thomas Anthony Jr was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8405 Tarnwood PATH, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 492771.
Lagrasta, Amy Michelle was born in 1977 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6507 Westbourn CIR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200269477.
La Grasta, Martin Jeffrey was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 43311 Pearson Ranch LOOP, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. His voter ID number is 601125337.
Lagrave, Catalina Jean was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6138 S Killarney DR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601260660.
Lagrave, Charlotte Louise was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6138 S Killarney DR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 753748.
Lagrave, Dean K was born in 1961 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6138 S Killarney DR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 753579.
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Lagray, Frances Anne was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2933 W Bryant CIR, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600792079.
Lagreca, Adina Gabrielle was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3167 S Halifax ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600055877.
Lagreca, Albert Christopher was born in 1925 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8710 Franklin ST, DENVER, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 7015478.
Lagreca, Amy Lynn was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 800 Snowmass Creek RD, SNOWMASS, Pitkin County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1431722.
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Lagreca, Billie M was born in 1931 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8710 Franklin ST, DENVER, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7112673.
La Greca, Charles Thomas Angelo was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1000 N Speer BLVD UNIT 604, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600707789.
Lagreca, Cindy S was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8601 Snowbrush LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5854580.
Lagreca, Daniel Ryan was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9563 Devonshire PL, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 600271914.
La Greca, David Kenneth was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 800 Snowmass Creek RD, SNOWMASS, Pitkin County, CO. His voter ID number is 8160083.
Lagreca, Erin Elizabeth was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9563 Devonshire PL, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601336926.
Lagreca, Gail Ann was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12172 Mt Powell, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4121066.
Lagreca, Jaren Christopher was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2128 Grove CIR W, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 200090365.
Lagreca, Jeffrey Joseph was born in 1964 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1105 S Cherry ST APT 1304, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601182485.
Lagreca, Joseph Anthony was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2736 S Sedalia ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 913067.
Lagreca, Kay Marlynn was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1002 Aspen DR, EVERGREEN, Clear Creek County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5011293.
Lagreca, Kenneth William was born in 1956 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1002 Aspen DR, EVERGREEN, Clear Creek County, CO. His voter ID number is 5011294.
La Greca, Michael John Stanley was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3167 S Halifax ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 918127.
Lagreca, Nicholas Joseph was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 800 Mohawk DR UNIT 208, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601038274.
Lagreca, Pauline Adeline was born in 1926 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8968 Greenspointe LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 634509.
Lagreca, Philip D was born in 1958 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12172 Mt Powell, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4121065.
Lagreca, Robert John was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8601 Snowbrush LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5722044.
Lagreca, Ryan Joseph was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12172 Mt Powell, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600667550.
Lagreca, Stephen William was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1002 Aspen DR, EVERGREEN, Clear Creek County, CO. His voter ID number is 5020197.
Lagreca, Timothy Alan was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3749 Mckinley AVE, WELLINGTON, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1593551.
Lagreca, William Michael was born in 1991 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12172 Mt Powell, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600682868.
Lagreco, Ann Louise was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1030 Wintergreen CT, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600265704.
Lagreco, Todd Anthony was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1030 Wintergreen CT, WOODLAND PARK, Teller County, CO. His voter ID number is 600265701.
Lagree, Aleta Louise was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 19151 E Scott PL, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2734586.
Lagree, Amanda Lynn was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 22600 Silver Peak TRL, BUENA VISTA, Chaffee County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6908637.
Lagree, Brenda L was born in 1965 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1020 Sherman AVE, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3671841.
Lagree, Carl was born in 1942 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3108 W Monica DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 370120.
Lagree, Cheyanne B was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 310 Crestone LN APT 25, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601378884.
Lagree, Debra Lynn was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 646 Brooks CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2257183.
Lagree, Derek James was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 530 Ingalls ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601453876.
Lagree, Jeanne Marie was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 130 County Rd 173, WESTCLIFFE, Custer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3732189.
Lagree, Jeremy Matthew was born in 1993 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 685 Polk CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 601042960.
Lagree, Jordan Lynn was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7301/2 N Valley DR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600250287. | 2019-04-20T04:34:05Z | http://coloradovoters.info/by_name/pages/l10016.html |
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage from stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia.
Today's stage is a 201 kilometer dash from Ferrara to Asolo. In between the start and finish the riders will face a relatively flat first 120K before the road begins to rise, before the start of Monte Grappa. There are no fewer than nine different approaches to this summit that has been used three times in Giro history - 1968, 1974 and 1982. As you would expect from the Giro, the race tackles it from Semonzo, which presents a difficult route for riders. The road averages a tad under eight per cent for its 18km with ramps of 14 per cent, then drops steeply back to the plains before a short kick up to the finish in Asolo.
At the start this morning we have sunny, clear skies. We're predicting sun all day with highs of 25 c, and a slight wind from the east. Right now the Cyclingnews blimp is hovering over the start line as riders begin to roll off. We're ready, are you? We've got a musette stuffed with energy bars with us, sun cream and of course a rain jacket should the weather turn. As for the music in the blimp today, we'll we're going to begin with a bit of Vivaldi.
Towards the climb the riders will ride across hallowed ground, through a cemetery. They will ascend the Strada Giardino, just one of nine routes to the summit - another unusual and intriguing aspect of this fascinating mountain.
It's a long climb, as are all the climbs up Grappa: almost 19km, with 21 tornanti (switchbacks). And it's a steep climb, as are all the climbs up Grappa, with an average gradient of eight percent, a 2.3km section at 10.8 percent, and ramps of up to 15 percent.
On the first part of the climb, the road is lined with stately cypresses and other vegetation which offers a little shade, but the second, harder, part is all in the open, exposed to scorching sun. It's one of the hardest routes up a mountain where, on a scale of one to five, all the routes are rated 4-5+ in difficulty.
Read this excellent feature about the climb here, written by April Pedersen Santinon. Thank you, April.
There are no non-starters this morning but yesterday we had a number of riders quit the race. DNFs for Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox, Morris Possoni (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team , Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale, David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions, while Jack Bobridge (Aus) Garmin - Transitions did not start.
After nearly two weeks of racing the GC looks a bit like this (see below). There are a number of questions. How tired is Porte? Remember it's his first Grand Tour and there are reports that he's sick. Secondly, who from Arroyo, Kiserlovski, Tondo, Agnoli, Efimkin and Gerdermann is the biggest threat? Thirdly, have the race's original favourites of Vino, Basso, Nibali and Evans given them too much time? They've certainly let Carlos Sastre back into the race after the Spaniard had a truly atrocious first week. Needless to say, some but not all of these questions will be answered on today's stage.
Vladimir Karpets was a big winner yesterday, moving up from 19th place and gaining time on the likes of Evans and co.
Information is a bit sluggish right now but the riders have covered roughly 20 kilometers already and Liquigas are currently on the front of the bunch controlling affairs.
Apologies that last update was incorrect. Twenty kilometers, covered, not remaining.
Want to know how hard the climb is? Here's Scarponi's take on it. "The Grappa's really tough and long. That said, the descent is so long that a lot of riders who have been dropped will regain touch before the valley. I know Asolo well because my wife's from just up the road. I can see a small group going away early and staying clear, then 30 or 40 approaching Asolo together and breaking up on the last hill."
He has a point about the long descent, it's a perfect opportunity for some of the weaker climbers to get back on but if you're a GC contender and you're dropped on the climb by some of your competitors it's going to hurt you. Perhaps not just physically, but mentally too. But back to the race and we've got a break forming at the front. There were a few attacks but this one looks to have settled. Names to come.
So our break consists of Markus Eibegger (Footon), Damien Monier (Cofidis), Steve Cummings (Sky), Alessandro Bisolti (Colnago), William Bonnet (Bbox), and Filippo Pozzato (KAT).
Pippo was the last rider to join the break and they've currently got a lead of around 15 seconds. This could work.
Pozzato is the highest placed rider on GC. He's currently 37:38 back on Porte.
Of course the world of cycling has been turned on its head in the last few days with allegations made by Landis and then counters from Armstrong, all relating to Landis' confession that he doped during his time at Postal, as well as his implication of several other riders and team staff. While the Giro is going on thousands of miles away I only think that it's fair to mention this subject as it could have implications on the sport's future.
Here is a link to the very latest developments while here's a link to the emails Radioshack published yesterday. Whether they're the complete trial is unknown but they do make interesting reading. Whatever the conclusion(s) let's just hope that the governing bodies investigate all of these claims. Whether someone 'talks to themselves in the peloton' is irrelevant. Everyone deserves to be heard.
And the gap is now up to 2:35 so it's safe to say that the pattern for today's stage is well and truly set.
In fact the break is now speeding along at close to 40 mph. The gap increasing rapidly.
The break has now reached Monselice and their lead is 4:50 on the bunch.
Filippo Pozzato has of course won a stage in the Giro - stage 12 to be precise - and his confidence will already be high. Not that he needs confidence of course. Cummings has won a stage but he has been aggressive in the race already. He's got a new lease of life after his time at Barloworld.
The average speed after the first hour of racing is a whopping 51kph and the lead has gone out to 8:38.
Saxo Bank are starting to timidly put some bodies on the front now. With Porte in their team and the young Aussie leading the race it's their duty to keep things under control. At least until the start of the climb .
Of course the race heads to the Veneto region, not far from Pozzato home town of Sandrigo near Vicenza. The stage actually passes through Castelfranco Veneto, the home town of Alessandro Ballan.
Damien Monier, 27, has been with Cofidis since 2004. His biggest successes have been on the track, as he was first in the individual pursuit in the French national championships in 2003 and 2005. This is his second Giro, having ridden it previously in 2008, and fourth Grand Tour, as he has also ridden the Vuelta a Espana in 1007 and 2009. This season he has brought in top ten finishes at the Classic Loire Atlantique and in two stages of the Vuelta Asturias. In this his seventh year with the French team, he is still looking for his first professional victory.
Could Pozzato win his second stage of this year's Giro? It would certainly make up for his poor Spring that was hampered by illness.
130 kilometers to race and the break is stable at around 8 minutes now so Saxo are doing their job in keeping things together. In the main field the favourites are all close together. The aim of the exercise is for them to keep as much energy as possible and not to waste any time in the wind. Their teams will be trying to keep Evans, Basso and co as fresh as possible for the big climb of the day.
The road is gently starting to rise in sections now and the chase behind is starting to work. The gap now under 8 minutes.
Ciao Cunego. The Lampre team leader has sent his men to the front as well. He's coming into form at just the right time after having a difficult first week. He was second behind Evans on the epic stage 7 and lead the favourites over the line a day later. The gap is now under 7 minutes.
Cadel Evans admitted to Gazzetta dello Sport that all the overall leaders are tired after two weeks of hard, aggressive racing, but pointed out the decisive stages begin today.
"Were racing as if we haven't looked at the profile of the last week," Evans said. "We're always flat out and so it's inevitable that we're tired. If Vinokourov wasn't tired he would have raced differently at L'Aquila."
"My GC position isn't great but my days have arrived and that makes me optimistic. It'll be crazy on the Grappa climb but I'm especially looking to the mountain top finishes. Did you see what happened at Montalcino? If I've got the legs, I'm going to attack. If my legs are good, every occasion is good to pull back time."
Evans only has four BMC teammates to help in the final week and his rivals know it. But he knows it too and is ready to take on any attacks the other favourites might be planning.
"I'm ready for anything and everything. Near Porto Recanati the other day, the sprinters' teams worked all day and then didn't close the gap. That seemed foolish to me. Scarponi and Vinokourov played games too. They said 'Lets go steady' then attacked.."
Asked about perhaps forming an alliance with another team, Evans said: "Have you not realised we're all racing against each other?"
Seems Cunego's actions have set the tone and now Acqua e Sapone have come to the front to signal their intent for Garzelli. Two trains now on the front of the bunch, both leaders nicely tucked in from the wind. Cunego, his small frame tucked over his bike has he quickly surveys those around him, while Garzelli looks straight ahead.
The result from the work on the front is that the gap is continuing to come down. Perhaps they've started chasing a little bit too early but we'll see.
Exactly 100 kilometers left to race now and the peloton are starting to mobilize more domestiques at the front now. They've raced so hard in the last two weeks but there's no rest. The first hour was raced at over 51 kpm.
The Italian favourites at the Giro all expected some early attacks on the Monte Grappa climb.
"Waiting for the final kilometres doesn't make sense. We've got to blow open the race in the first five kilometres of the climb," Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Doimo) is not worried that some riders might get back on after the Grappa climb, during the flat finale to Asolo, or that he could get dropped. Asolo is 41km from the summit of Monte Grappa but 24km is a technical descent, Basso least favourite terrain.
"It's all about what you've got in your legs. We've got to try," he said.
"It's one thing going down the Poggio after a short climb, and something after a hard race and a 20km climb. I'm not afraid."
Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) is a great on descents but predicted that the race will explode on the climb.
"Someone will go on the descent but first there will be a battle on the climb. We've got to make as hard as possible, force a selection and then see who has anything left."
That means we've got around 50K until the leaders reach the bottom of the day's climb.
The leaders have a gap of 6:20 to the peloton.
We have an intermediate sprint coming up in a few kilometers for our leaders to contest. With the lead now down to just over 6 minutes.
The leaders have crossed the finish line for the first time. Just around 80-odd kilometers to go and the Monte Grappa.
Lampre are still doing most of the work to cut the lead group, but BMC are also there too.
A slight rise for the leaders now and Pippo takes a turn at the front now. Back in the peloton and Basso's Liquigas boys move to the front to help the chase.
Scott Sunderland has left team Sky.
So Lampre at the front followed by Liquigas. Basso and Nibali have a lot of pressure on them today. They've talked a good game in the press saying they'll attack.
The leaders are looking a little ragged at the moment as we glide by Monier who jerks around in the saddle.
Pippo sips his energy drink and the Colnago rider sees him, looks down and reaches for his own drink.
So what's going to happen today? There's a long downhill section after the climb but we'll see fireworks on the slopes, with some riders looking to pull back as much time as possible. The ideal situation for Basso, Evans and co would be for them to slash Porte's lead but for the Australian to stay in yellow.
Evans doesn't have a strong team, he's only got five riders left so he won't want to take too much responsibility at this stage in the race as the third week is very hard.
The leaders are just around 8 kilometers from the base of the climb.
How will Porte handle today? It's a huge test for the young man.
Our six leaders all out of the saddle as they sprint through some twisting corners. The Katusha car comes forward and Pippo picks up another bottle.
Pippo picks a pink bottle. Alliteration there.
Liquigas are now firmly on the front of the peloton. They'll be hoping to set a furious pace on the lowers slopes. That's where the climb is at its steepest. The gap continues to come down.
The leaders are on the lower slopes. Just 19K for them to go. And then they'll descend.
Alessandro Bisolti (Colnago) is the first rider to attack and he's clear. Cummings next on the road.
Alessandro Bisolti takes it in turns to get out of the saddle, looks back at the Sky rider and then carries on.
Cummings doesnt have the same acceleration so he's just riding at his own pace. And now there are two leaders.
Liquigas now on the lower slopes too and the pace is fast. Very fast and riders are being dropped every where.
Agnoli and then Szmyd. Nibali and Basso just behind and up front Cummings is dropped again. The rest of the lead break is all over the road and they'll be caught soon.
Bisolti doesn't look to bad actually but the pace from Liquigas is furious and unrelenting. Simoni is dropped and has to pick his way through the field. Porte is still with the main group and looks good.
Basso we can see, with Cunego, Evans and Wiggins. This group is around to thirty riders and Porte is slipping to the back of the group.
Matt Lloyd dangling off the back now. Porte is also at the back.
The Liquigas train are catching remnants of the early break. Porte is on Sorenson's wheel and he's going to lose a lot of time today. Can he stay in pink? Wiggins too is suffering. There's no doubt that Liquigas are the strongest team in the race.
Garzelli has also been dropped.
And Wiggins has attacked. Liquigas looked around in shock but he just flew by.
Out of the saddle and he's gone off the front.
Wiggins catches Bonnet and goes right by him. In the saddle, he's moving smoothly has he goes around a hair pin and catch Pippo. Ciao Pippo. And perfect Sky tactics with Cummings easing for Wiggins and doing some work for him.
Cummings grits his teeth. Wiggins sits behind him. There is a gap but it's not huge as Liquigas continue to set the pace behind.
Sky versus Liquigas. Two Sky riders against three from the Italian team.
Around another hair pin bend and the Sky riders are giving this everything.
Pinotti is hanging onto the Liguigas group but there's still a long way to go on the climb. Cars are passing Porte now, who is riding well but simply can't match the leaders.
Riders we need to watch are Tondo, Arroyo and Kiserlovski. I think they're all in the Liquigas group. Wiggins goes alone now. He's left Cummings.
Sastre is with the Basso group too.
Kiserlovski has been dropped. We can't confirm it yet but we can't see him with the leaders. Wiggins still looking smooth and strong.
Bisolti still on his own at the front of the race but he looks to be struggling now.
Wiggins looks back and sees that the gap isn't getting bigger and he's sitting up.
And Wiggins is caught. Liquigas still controlling the pace on the front of the bunch, or what's left of it. There are perhaps 15 riders. Evans, Cunego, Scarponi, Sastre, Basso, Nibali, Vino, Garzelli is back there too. Tondo is there too.
Porte is still hanging in there and limiting his losses.
Cioni is also in the front group too. Arroya as well I think. Evans looks down, his body tight over the bars as he powers up the climb.
Chris Sorensen is doing a great job of pacing Porte up the climb. And Bisolti makes it over a false flat but he' still got more climbing to do.
Garzelli has off the back again and has teammate with him. He'll struggle to get back on now.
So Bisolti still has around 5 or 6 K to go until the top. Will the favourites start to attack each other? What do they have left? Will they be too worried about the 40K between the top of the climb and the finish.
Sastre hands a bottle to Tondo but Liquigas still on the front doing all the work.
Gaps are starting to appear now but Nibali is dragged back by Scarponi and it's all over for Bisolti. Great ride from him. Arroyo is starting to suffer and Scarponi goes with Nibali and Evans is chasing with Basso with him. it's all kicking off. Vino, Tondo, Sastre all dropped.
Vino churning a big gear but it's not enough. Cervelo has been blown out of the back too. So we now have four leaders. Basso, Nibali, Evans and Scarponi.
Tondo and Sastre are trying to come back.
Vino is just head of the Cervelo pair but Sastre is leaving Tondo and catching Vino. It's all over for Tondo he really is struggling now.
Vino is coming back. The leaders have eased up and Sastre is almost there too.
Basso is setting the pace now. Vino about 60 meters back.
Tondo is joined by the Cioni and Wiggins.
Basso gritting his teeth, Scarponi looking fine and Nibali is sitting in with Evans just at the back.
Scarponi and Evans now in a Liquigas sandwich. Vino is still on is own but Sastre is coming to him.
Another false flat and Nibali now set the pace as Sastre and Vino join forces.
Cunego sits on the back of the Sky group.
Nibali still on the front and Evans gets out of the saddle at almost every opportunity.
Scarponi comes to the front for the first time now. Back with Porte and he's still with Sorensen.
The question now is where is Arroyo as he is best placed to take the lead.
Basso back to the front now. He looks back to check that Nibali is still with him but they're looking to distance Vino and Sastre as much as possible. They were 27 seconds back but that gap looks bigger now.
Vino leads Sastre. Basso leads the race and has Nibali with him. This is great work from Basso, you have to say.
The leaders hit a steeper section as fans line both sides of the road. We're now looking at Karpets who was dropped long ago. The pink and white jersey are both together.
It looks like a bit of rain has hit the race but nothing serious. Scarponi moves back to the front. Evans still sitting at the back and using the others to bring himself back into contention. Watch Nibali on the descent. He's one of the best int he world and he could make a huge difference. Remember how good he was last year when working with Armstrong in the Tour on the day Frank Schleck won>?
And if it's wet the riders will have to be uber careful on the descent. The leaders are close to the top of the climb now.
Sastre and Vino 40 seconds down and is Evans cracking?
They go over the top and there's a small gap. He should get back on fairly quickly but that does tell us that Evans was under pressure.
Vino leads Sastre, they're close to the summit and the gap is around a minute.
Now this is not an easy descent. There are a lot of tricky corners.
Porte is still climbing by the way, glued to Sorensen's wheel. Basso is leading the charge as Vino moves away from Sastre.
The rain is coming down a lot more now.
While it's a long descent there's still 12K or flat as well. The gaps we saw at the top of the climb could easily double.
Vino doesn't half take some risk.
I'm talking about going down hill fast of course. Scarponi and Evans together, Basso just behind. Nibali off the front.
CN's very own Les Clarke has actually ridden this very descent. "A couple of years ago I rode the descent they're on now - it's so long and fast. Fantastic."
With Nibali off the front Basso will just sit in and makes Evans do the work. That might mean Vino has an easier time chasing.
Nibali looks strong. He's on a small climb before the road dips down again.
Back in the back and Tondo and Sastre and some of the other favourities have joined up. Arroya is with them and further back we have a Porte group. Vino is some where on his own between the Sastre and Evans group.
Nibali tucks down his chin almost on the floor as he takes one corner. That was incredible.
He has had is hands off the bars for a second there and still managed to keep things together. This is a masterclass in descending as he drops the motorbikes as well. After the stage go to Youtube and look this up. Seriously impressive.
Less than 20K for Nibali who takes a gel from the car. The next group are around 40 seconds back now, while the Sastre, Cunego is getting a lot bigger.
Sastre and Tondo are now at the front of their group. Vino tucking in and takes a perfect line around a corner. Nibali now with 15K to go. He's going flat out still and the road is starting to level out.
Nibali is an entire kilometer ahead of the chasers now. Vino still stuck in between the Sastre group. Evans, Basso and Scarponi still all together.
Basso just needs to sit in here. He's being the perfect teammate but he'll know that in doing so he's gifting NIbali the leadership of the team.
Scarponi and Evans are working well together as they try and claw Nibali back. Scarponi lifts his elbow, calling Evans through to work.
42 seconds between Nibali and the chasers. That should be enough for the stage win and a big bump up the GC.
Not far for Nibali now. He'll take the stage but Riche Porte will remain in pink for another day. He'll lose a big chunk of time but it's still a very impressive ride for the first year professional . There are time bonuses at the end of the stage today, so dont be surprised if Basso makes a move or goes for it int the sprint.
5K to go for for Vino who should also finish ahead of the Wiggins, Arroyo group.
Wiggins will lose a bit of time today as well as Nibali, Evans and Basso move above him. Vino also losing some time.
Under 1K for Nibali as he heads for the stage win. The car comes level with him, shouting at him to drive more.
Scarponi leads the chase with Evans on his wheel.
And here comes Vino. Out of the saddle, sprinting for every second. he comes over the line 1:33 back.
Driving for the line are the Sastre group and they finish at 2:26. Now we wait for Porte.
Sorensen is leading him. That's purely amazing effort from Sorenen who has worked all day for Porte in order to keep him in contention. The clock is still ticking. This is going to be close because Arroyo could be in pink as he's crossed the line.
Porte comes over the line at 4:44. Get your calculator out.
David Arroyo is the new leader of the Giro and will wear pink tomorrow. He leads Porte by 39 seconds.
Thanks for joining us today. Tune it later today for live coverage from the Amgen Tour of California and of course for tomorrow's Giro stage. It promises to be another cracker. | 2019-04-22T06:40:32Z | http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2010/stage-14/live-report/ |
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ED note: The best way to read this is to download the PDF (above) as there are many illustrations that are not included here in the text.
Whitesell, whose book is one of the most definitive scholarly works in print on Mitchell's music, supports his view of what may or may not be classified as "cyclic" using Ruth Bingham's definition of a song cycle, which, for him, seems most applicable to Mitchell's work: "In Bingham's description of the cycle, she emphasizes that coherence is not necessarily achieved through musical means, and in fact when Mitchell constructs cycles she works primarily with textual connections, concepts, or frames. Musical connections are supportive of a guiding textual rationale - in some cases perhaps accidentally so" (Whitesell 2008, 196). [More recent scholarship suggests that text may not have been the sole determinant in the conception of nineteenth-century song cycles. For example, David Ferris (2010, 398) noted that scholars are "further than ever from a definitive answer" to the question of what actually defines the quintessential song cycle, suggesting the issue is still under debate.] Using this viewpoint as a governing principle for his assessment and analysis of Mitchell's catalogue, he identifies ten of her releases as concept albums: six produced between 1968 and 1980 (Song to a Seagull, Blue, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Hejira, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, and Mingus) and four retrospective compilations produced since 1990 (Both Sides Now, Travelogue, The Beginning of Survival, and Songs of a Prairie Girl). However, he allows that "some listeners may wish to present arguments in favour of others as well" (199).
This study is written in response to this invitation, offering evidence that Court and Spark (1974) is a song cycle and should therefore be added to the list of "inarguable concept albums" in Mitchell's catalogue. In this album Mitchell appears to have done the exact opposite of what Whitesell identified as her "usual" practice for achieving coherence. Although underlying textual themes unify the album's content to a certain extent, the musical elements play a more central role in forming the conceptual nucleus around which this album coalesces. These elements include motivic cross-referencing and return, segues between songs, pattern completion at key middle or background structural moments to define formal boundaries, and perhaps most surprisingly, a logical and symbolic progression of key or pitch centres that are directly related to the album's opening gesture. The presence and frequency with which these elements appear points to an overall musical structure that is much more than happenstance. Far from being an incidental aural vehicle for conveying Mitchell's poetry, the music on this album appears instead to be the result of a carefully planned compositional scheme in which the lyrics are only one active component. Since Mitchell's intent is always to create "art," all parts - text, music, and in some instances, album covers - are part of a whole. Therefore, an examination of all the unifying elements in this album - both text and music - only deepens the listener's understanding, enabling Mitchell to achieve her stated artistic purpose: that the listener see himself or herself in the work, for "at the point that they see themselves in it, the communication is complete" (Ghomeshi 2013).
Concept albums and Mitchell's concept of "art music"
As early as 1971, music critics observed unique features in Mitchell's compositional style that lay in a nebulous area between popular and classical music. In his review of Blue, New York Times critic Dan Heckman called Mitchell's evolving style "art song," warning that this direction would not necessarily lead to the commercial success she had enjoyed as a "folksinger": "I suspect [Blue] will be the most disliked of Miss Mitchell's recordings, despite the fact that it attempts more and makes greater demands on her talent than any of the others. The audience for art songs is far smaller than for folk ballads, and Joni Mitchell is on the verge of having to make a decision between the two" (Heckman 1971). The "art song" terminology apparently resonated with Mitchell; in 1979 she told journalist Cameron Crowe that she preferred this description of her work over the catch-all "singer-songwriter" categorization, adding that she always knew what she meant by the word art, as cited at the beginning of this study (Crowe 1979, 48 - 9).
Alice Echols quoted Mitchell as having said her music was not meant to have the short life that popular songs typically enjoy: "My music is not designed to grab instantly. It's designed to wear for a lifetime, to hold up like a fine cloth" (Echols 2002, 208). She told U.S. National Public Radio reporter Liane Hansen, "None of my songs on my records are folk songs ... They're more like German Lieder ... more classical than folk" (Whitesell 2008, 233). [National Public Radio is a non-profit news and information network jointly funded by the United States government and contributing listeners. Many NPR-affiliated stations are located on college and university campuses throughout the United States.] This was evident to critics; New York Times critic John Rockwell's review of Mitchell's Hejira (1976) called Mitchell "the artist best able to link folk-rock with the older Western tradition of the art song" (Rockwell 1976). Mitchell expanded on this view in 2013, during an interview conducted by Jian Ghomeshi of the CBC. Speaking of her first album, Song to a Seagull (1968), she said, "[The] first album is semi-classical. It's almost like Schubert, you know. It isn't folk music. It was kind of mislabelled from the beginning. Folksingers went out, bought it, put it on their turntables and went, 'What?' ... It's more like classical arrangements on the guitar. Like it's kind of classical guitar more than folk-style guitar" (Ghomeshi 2013).
The connection between Song to a Seagull and lieder tradition extends beyond Mitchell's almost Schubertian approach to song accompaniment on the guitar. Each of the album's two sides is given a specific title ("Part 1: I Came to the City" and "Part 2: Out of the City and down to the Seaside"), each of which is based on differing key relationship schemes (Whitesell 2008, 199 - 200). Like a song cycle, the album is built on dramatic storytelling elements such as strong subsidiary textual motifs and a logical dramatic progression in song order from which a story can be inferred. Mitchell also did the artwork for the album cover (suggesting the album might be considered a "total work of art"). This artwork incorporates pictorial references to song lyrics; among other things, one finds a pen-and-ink drawing of a ship on a calm sea at sunset (presumably the Dawn Treader of the second song on Side 2), and a saguaro cactus on the back cover (referring to "Cactus Tree," the album's final song).
Court and Spark is perhaps more textually preoccupied with themes native to nineteenth-century vocal art music than is Song to a Seagull . In a filmed interview Mitchell called it "a discourse on romantic love against the backdrop of its time" (Lacy and Bennett 2003). Like nineteenth-century song cycles such as Schubert's Winterreise or Schumann's Dichterliebe, the story implied in the album's song order follows the familiar, even epic, arc of a romantic relationship from its beginning to its end and aftermath. As occurs in both the Schubert and Schumann song cycles, the listener is allowed an intimate view of the effect that the relationship's demise exerts on the cycle's protagonist. Since textual preoccupation alone does not give a work cyclic properties, the question is whether Mitchell employs further poetic techniques that lend unity to the album. This possibility will be explored below.
Crosby's hands-off approach made it possible for Mitchell to act as her own producer in subsequent recordings - a rare occurrence during this era. This ensured that she would have complete creative control over her work, including the supervision of song arrangements, instrumentation, and selection of the order in which songs would appear on any given album.
That Mitchell has acted as her own producer for most of her career is a significant point when considering artistic intent and a musical style that evolved over more than thirty years and through a number of discernable style periods. The progression of her musical style over her first creative period (1968 - 72) can be observed in the five albums released prior to Court and Spark, which marks the beginning of her second style period. [Mitchell's first six albums are, in the order of their release: Song to a Seagull (1968), Clouds (1969), Ladies of the Canyon (1970), Blue (1971), For the Roses (1972), and Court and Spark (1974).] Three of her first four albums (Song to a Seagull, Clouds, and Blue) consistently maintain the folk-related style characteristic of her first creative period. A gradual influx of rock- and jazz-related idioms commences in her third album (Ladies of the Canyon, 1970) and continues through For the Roses (1972), her fifth release. This includes an expanding variety of guitar effects, Mitchell playing piano rather than guitar on many tracks, and the incorporation of backup vocals (most often done by Mitchell herself) and ensembles of varying sizes and instrumentations. Jazz musicians comprise these ensembles more often than do rock musicians and include woodwind players such as Paul Horn (the improvised clarinet solo at the end of "For Free" on Ladies of the Canyon) and Tom Scott (four of the tracks on For the Roses, 1972), whose L.A. Express serves as the backup band on Court and Spark .
Court and Spark was a deliberate stylistic departure from her earlier work.
[When] I realized how popular I was becoming was [sic] right before Blue, and I went, "Oh my God, a lot of people are listening to me. Well then, they better find out who they're worshipping. Let's see if they can take it. Let's get real." So I wrote Blue, which horrified a lot of people ... [What] had happened is they're looking at me, and all I've done is reveal human traits. They haven't seen themselves in it. At the point that they see themselves in it, the communication is complete.
Court and Spark was, by Mitchell's assessment, also the beginning of a six- year period (1973 - 9) during which she experimented with the boundaries of what she defined as a "song" (Garabini 2000, 115 - 16). Her music became even more infused with jazz elements, almost completely eclipsing the folk idiom on which her reputation had been built. Court and Spark is also the first of her albums to feature a backup band on every track, beginning a trend that would continue for the remainder of her career. The albums that immediately follow Court and Spark become more jazz-infused, gradually adding notable sidemen such as bassist Jaco Pastorius, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and pianist Herbie Hancock. Her second style period culminates in 1979 with the release of Mingus, which began as a collaboration with avant-garde jazz bassist Charles Mingus. This avant-garde jazz album is one of the most experimental of Mitchell's catalogue.
Song to a Seagull is clearly a cycle or concept album unified by recurring textual themes, particularly the idea of geographic location. Six years later, when Court and Spark was created, Mitchell was at the beginning of a stylistic evolution that affected her music, her poetry, and the way the two interacted with one another. While the music takes on a greater organizational role, it is also more subtly interwoven with Mitchell's poetry, allowing for more varied textual unification. This section will address the more significant textual features that argue in favour of the cyclic nature of Court and Spark, particularly song order and recurring textual themes.
When speaking specifically of Court and Spark later in this same interview, Mitchell said she is always "very protective of [her] structure," being careful that the musicians of the L.A. Express "wouldn't just scribble all over the architecture of [her] music" (14). If the artwork (either song or album) is the authority in Mitchell's eyes, and she intended this album to be a "discourse on romantic love," it seems reasonable to deduce that the song order here was deliberate. She would no doubt have seen it as a significant part of the "architecture" she took such care to protect.
In this light, the song order on Court and Spark takes on more significance than it has perhaps been given credit. Mitchell's vision of the album as a discourse speaks more in favour of a logical, integrated textual progression that is more cyclic than random ordering. Moreover, a closer examination of the lyrics reveals recurring textual motifs that run through most of the songs on the album, the most pervasive of which are freedom versus commitment and sanity versus madness. Both motifs are intensified at key moments with religious imagery, which infuses the protagonist's struggle to maintain her freedom and sanity with bitter irony.
The madness motif is introduced almost immediately in the album's first track, "Court and Spark" (see table 1). Here the female protagonist describes her new love interest as having "a madman's soul," who "dances up a river in the dark." "Help Me" describes the initial euphoria of new love as a "crazy feeling" that the woman knows will mean trouble for her. In the fourth and fifth songs ("People's Parties" and "The Same Situation") she says, "I told you when I met you / I was crazy" and describes herself as being "tethered to a ringing telephone / In a room full of mirrors." Later in "Just Like This Train," each verse ends with some version of the sentiment: "Jealous lovin'll make you crazy." These implications prefigure the subject matter of the final two songs. "Trouble Child" describes the painful inner world of the protagonist's mental breakdown, while "Twisted" expands upon that theme, bringing the madness motif to full fruition, as occurs in a piece built upon cumulative form techniques. We don't understand that everything on the album points toward the final two songs until we arrive, perhaps almost as surprised by the outcome they depict as the protagonist herself.
The song order on the album follows the familiar Mitchell arc of a romantic relationship, this time with greater focus on its aftermath for both parties (Klein 2000, 2). This arc may be less apparent because, as is usual to her songwriting approach, Mitchell plays the role of storyteller (Ghomeshi 2013; Whitesell 2008, 41 - 77). As narrator, she takes on the persona of each character, frequently offering their points of view in first person, creating a "she said, he said" or a "she did, he did" scenario. Although most of the songs are told from the woman's perspective, "Free Man in Paris" and "Raised on Robbery" are either about the male love interest or are presented from his viewpoint, providing a glimpse of who he is - or who the storyteller thinks he is.
Who's strong, and somewhat sincere."
"Car on a Hill" (the sixth song) implies that the relationship ends unexpectedly in a poignant, almost cruel way. The protagonist waits for her boyfriend to come home one evening. However, the repeating fade-out ending, which consists of repeating chords built on suspensions, suggests that he never comes. "Down to You," which is the musical high point of the cycle, is an ironic "breakup song" that portrays the protagonist's emotional devastation as she realizes the relationship has ended.
The album's final four songs provide glimpses of the aftermath of the breakup. The woman first waxes prosaic about the fickle nature of romantic relationships in "Just Like This Train." "Raised on Robbery" then portrays the man as unready for even a casual sexual encounter: he spurns a prostitute who tries to pick him up in a bar. The final two songs make it clear that the woman's "jealous lovin'" really did drive her crazy. "Trouble Child" depicts the melancholy, frightening inner world of the protagonist's mental breakdown, while "Twisted," written by Annie Ross and Wardell Gray, adds a more sardonic coda to the cycle, portraying the outer manifestations of the protagonist's madness. Mitchell called "Twisted" an "encore piece," explaining that she had always loved it, and it seemed to fit here. Further, because she had recently undergone psychotherapy, she felt she had earned the right to sing it (Marom 2000, 70). In the context of the implied plot, the presence of a cover version of a song written by someone else suggests that through her mental breakdown the protagonist has lost not only her love, but also the freedom she so cherished. With the loss of freedom, she has lost her individual voice as well and can no longer speak for herself.
The switch from outward to inward focus at the beginning of the textual frame is reiterated in reverse order (inward to outward) in the final two songs. "Trouble Child" presents the inner world of the protagonist's mental breakdown, whereas "Twisted" reflects her outward behaviour. With the exception of "Free Man in Paris" and "Raised on Robbery," the alternating inside-to-outside narrative perspectives continue throughout the album. Both "People's Parties" and "The Same Situation" present the female protagonist's inner state, but they are linked by a musical transition that suggests Mitchell might have conceived them as the two halves of a single song. "Car on a Hill" is again presented in a narrative style similar to the title track, making it another of the female protagonist's outward expressions.
The text of "Down to You" is written in the third person and is therefore more cryptic. Whether the storyteller is speaking directly to, about, or as the female protagonist (using "you" in the more colloquial sense) is never quite clear. Following the reasoning that a single popular song can contain a "multiplicity of voices," and that "the author 'inside the text' may inscribe the author 'outside the text,'" this song could actually present the thoughts of both the female protagonist and the narrator (Brackett 2000, 16). Either way, the text is clearly more descriptive of the woman's inner state, perhaps told in the third person because her inner self is so detached from reality that she sees her actions from the perspective of an observer.
"Just Like This Train" then reverts to the protagonist's outside world. The narrative tone is once again more objective, as one relating thoughts or feelings to an associate. It is self-analytical: the protagonist compares her life to a train that's never "on time" and has "count[ed] lovers like railroad cars." The biting humour in this song, in lines such as "I can't find my goodness / I lost my heart / Oh sour grapes" further suggests an outward focus. The self-deprecating "Oh sour grapes" line suggests that she is outwardly putting the best face she can on her broken heart.
These two songs do not follow the previously discussed outside-to-inside or inside-to-outside narrative pattern. Instead, their placement, as third song from either the front or back end of the album, defines the boundaries of the romantic relationship itself. The female protagonist is alone at both the beginning and end of the relationship - whether alone with her thoughts in the relationship's giddy early days, or alone with her neuroses after its demise.
Because the lyrics are created to fit the music rather than the other way around, analysis of the music takes on greater significance. If, for Mitchell, the communication is complete only when the listener sees himself or herself in the song, understanding the music in conjunction with the lyrics only deepens the comprehension of the whole.
The album's opening gesture: "Chords of Inquiry"
Court and Spark begins with a three-measure passage, played alone by Mitchell on the piano, which consists of a simple three-chord pattern (E - D - E - G), followed by a transitional phrase centred on G (see example 1). Although this passage seems harmonically innocuous, the gesture is completely unrelated to the remainder of the song. Indeed, Mitchell plays the F# at the end of the gesture as if it were marked with a fermata, aurally separating it from everything that follows. If this were classical music, one would immediately ask what function this opening gesture might serve.
Mitchell explained in a filmed interview that her songs are often based on what she calls "chords of inquiry." Certain chords or chord patterns depict emotions for her; she prefers sonorities or progressions that "have a question mark in them" (Lacy and Bennett 2003). [Mitchell's songs often begin with what jazz musicians would call "sus chords" - chords with suspensions in them, which feature one or more sets of second intervals. She also frequently uses ninth chords whose third is missing, and the fifth, seventh, and ninth form a seemingly distantly related triad over the chord's root. Both types of "chords of inquiry" can be found in songs on Court and Spark . For instance, "Help Me" begins with Mitchell strumming an Asus2 on the guitar, and these specialized ninth chords are particularly prominent in the coda of "The Same Situation" (see example 5). Ninth chords voiced in this manner were part of a common harmonic language used by some of Mitchell's singer-songwriter contemporaries - most notably James Taylor (with whom Mitchell had a romantic relationship in the early 1970s) and Carole King. However, unlike those of Taylor and King, Mitchell's ninth chords don't always retain the harmonic function (usually as a dominant) implied by the bass note. Although they can be found in much of the popular music of the early 1970s, sonorities like these appear with particular frequency on James Taylor's Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971) and on nearly every track of Carole King's Tapestry (1971), Rhymes and Reasons (1972), and Fantasy (1973).] The gesture that opens Court and Spark is constructed almost exclusively of simple triads, but quite clearly "has a question mark in it" in at least three respects. First, its aural separation from the title song seems deliberate - so much so that it was omitted by the publisher from the sheet music, as were passages in other songs on the album that didn't fit then-current norms for popular sheet music. [These omissions include lengthier instrumental interludes, such as the seventeen-measure coda at the end of "The Same Situation," the two-minute instrumental break between verses of "Down to You," and passages that serve as both transition and introduction, such as the opening four measures of "People's Parties." While it is common knowledge that the published sheet music of any popular song cannot be considered its "definitive version," the piano transcriptions and reductions in this instance are surprisingly true to the recordings. As a result, omissions are all the more notable because they are sometimes nonsensical. By omitting the transitional four measures at the beginning of "People's Parties," the printed version of the song begins in the middle of a phrase (Mitchell 1974, 84).] Second, the opening three triads are voiced in second inversion, providing Mitchell's requisite "question mark" by placing more emphasis on the melodic line and drawing the ear's attention away from the chords' roots. Third, the cadence on G in m. 2 is open-ended, as a question would be. Rather than providing an immediate response, the transitional phrase in m. 3 leads the ear away from the question just posed, via the F#, into a narrative-style passage that is more obviously the title song's actual introduction.
Mitchell has said her music and poetry are more deliberate, calculated creations (as opposed to painting, which for her is intuitive) (Ghomeshi 2013). Critics have noted this quality in her music since very early in her career, calling it "carefully constructed" and "fully composed, with rhythmic and textural intricacies in its own right" (Traum 1967, 8; Whitesell 2002, 175). One cannot therefore help but wonder, given the distinct separation of the opening gesture from the title song, whether the album as a whole might be a response to or working out of the question or "problem" posed here. If this were a classical work, one might immediately explore how or if the E - D - E - G chord progression, or "chords of inquiry," exert an influence on the music that follows. Because modality is typical in Mitchell's harmonic palette (making VII a common pre-tonic chord if a pitch centre is given a Mixolydian modal inflection), the E - D - E motion in the opening gesture in the very least suggests a motivic axis that could be realized harmonically, melodically, or both (Whitesell 2002, 176 - 78). The question is whether Mitchell does any or all of those things here. Keeping these possibilities in mind, the influence the opening gesture exerts will be enfolded into the discussion below.
Unusual harmonies and chord progressions, which arise in part from her use of open guitar tunings, are among the hallmarks of Joni Mitchell's music (Feather 2000, 97). Although her harmonic practice on Court and Spark might be more "mainstream," stylistically closer to that of her singer-songwriter contemporaries than her other work, it appears to play an integral role in both text painting and in the unfolding of the proposed plot. As table 2 illustrates, all but two of the songs on this album are in one of only four key or pitch centres: E, D, A, and C. [E, D, A, and C are key centres that share common first-position chords used by beginning or amateur guitar players. However, this point may have little relevance for Mitchell, who often uses "open" guitar tunings of her own invention. One might also attribute the more triadic nature of songs on Court and Spark to either the constant presence of a backup band, Mitchell's more frequent use of the piano (her piano skills seem at least somewhat limited), or both. One anecdotal source suggests that Mitchell used "open" guitar tunings on this album, despite the implied relationship between the most common key centres and first-position guitar chords. In his description of the recording sessions for "Free Man in Paris," singer/guitarist José Feliciano recalled offering Mitchell advice on her guitar playing: "She was playing with her guitar in an open tuning ... so I pointed out that although open tunings are nice, they can be restrictive. I said that she'd be better off just to tune her guitar in the normal way. She didn't like that. I think it put her off me a little" (Black 2004).] Even the two seemingly extraneous keys, G and F# minor, are related to one or more of the four primary pitch centres either functionally, through a common connection to the opening "chords of inquiry," or both. For example, F# minor, the key centre for much of "Car on a Hill," is the relative minor of A, one of the four common keys. F# is also the held (and therefore emphasized) "pivot pitch" between the opening gesture and the formal introduction of the title track. E and D as key centres are part of the "chords of inquiry," as is G, which serves as a pitch centre in both "The Same Situation" and "Trouble Child." G is also the dominant of C - the key centre for both the protagonist's and the love interest's "aftermath songs" ("Just Like This Train" and "Raised on Robbery"). A quick overview of where and when these key centres occur suggests that their placement, via the order in which individual songs appear, might be deliberate, implying a symbolic connection between pitch centres and the plot proposed earlier. The practice of associating key centres with individual characters or concepts is, of course, a feature common to many song cycles. It is also consistent with Mitchell's concept that songs are musical paintings (Feather 2000, 93). Keeping in mind that painting is Mitchell's "primary language" (Ghomeshi 2013), key or pitch centre might function as a colour of paint that can be varied in hue or shading through modal inflection - a trait recognized as part of Mitchell's common harmonic practice (Whitesell 2002, 173 - 83).
Mitchell's commentary on this issue is a bit contradictory: while she claims to never know what key she's playing in, she has also noted at least once that pitch centre can carry musical and even symbolic significance. While describing the creation of "Paprika Plains" (Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, 1977 - 78) in 1985, she explained that "C was home and that then you could venture out anywhere, and if you were meandering out there and you felt like you were lost, you wandered home to C. And then you departed again" (Hale 1985). Likewise the progression of pitch centres is logical enough to suggest that as Mitchell fleshed out the lyric content of the songs for Court and Spark, certain pitches and the colours they implied, if not the key centres themselves, became associated with characters and events in the story Mitchell intended to tell. It seems more than coincidental that E, D, and A are the pitch centres most closely associated with the romantic relationship (the key of C never appears until after the relationship has ended). Moreover, E, D, and G appear as pitch centres only when the female protagonist is speaking to or about herself, as in "Court and Spark," "People's Parties," or "Trouble Child." This strongly implies that E, D, and G - the three harmonic components of the opening gesture - may be signifiers of the female protagonist.
A as a pitch centre, on the other hand, seems to be specifically associated with the male character. "Free Man in Paris" is in A, which is the only song in which the man's speaking voice occupies all but a few words of the text. This is not, however, the first time A appears as an influential pitch. It is first emphasized in the "knocking" triplet figure introduced in m. 4 of "Court and Spark." In a subtle bit of text painting, the A, as the dissonance in a 4 - 3 suspension, acts as an insistent "foreign object" that is resolved only momentarily (example 2). When the triplet figure is then altered to create the plagal cadence at the end of each section of the song, the A, subdominant in the key of E, naturally begins the figure (example 3).
Mitchell further uses A as a pitch centre that struggles to dominate keys associated with the female protagonist. A as a conflicting key centre first appears in "Help Me," where each verse begins in A, but ends in D. Although "Free Man in Paris" is solidly in A, the A versus D conflict resumes in the introduction of "People's Parties," where Mitchell plays an A triad with a D bass on the acoustic guitar, reducing this power struggle into a single chord and pairing the protagonist inextricably with her lover (example 4). This sonority appears not only in the song's introduction but also at the beginning of each stanza of poetry.
The psychological and emotional enmeshment portrayed by this vertical sonority is further borne out in "The Same Situation," which follows without pause, bridged by a modulatory transitional phrase. The song is a litany on the question, "How and why did I get myself into this?" and has a key centre that is deliberately ambiguous, featuring another pair of conflicting pitch centres: G and A. Although G (the cadential sonority from the "chords of inquiry") is the pitch centre, the circling chord progression on which the verse is built (C - G - D/E bass - E - Am) makes the end of each of these progressions increasingly powerful. The repeating cadences on A minor create musical question marks that enhance the meaning of the text, carrying such contextual weight that the few cadences that occur on G are rendered almost impotent by comparison, further weakened by the addition of major sevenths and ninths. Ultimately, A triumphs over G in the fourteen-measure tag at the end of the song. While the strings play a plaintive melody in 3/4 time accompanied by an A minor pedal, one hears the piano's right hand playing quarter-note quadruplets on a G triad against it in a four-against-three rhythmic pattern (example 5). Although the quadruplets are an almost visual portrayal of the lyric "I called out to be released," they are strikingly reminiscent of the "knocking" triplet figure in the introduction to "Court and Spark." However, the roles have been reversed here: the protagonist, not her lover, is knocking or pounding on the virtual doors or walls that imprison her. Chillingly, the knocking gradually slows, weakens, and disappears completely, swallowed by the A minor harmony that carries the final four measures.
Both "Car on a Hill" and "Down to You" have dual pitch centres - shifting F# to A (keys associated with the man) and D to E (keys associated with the protagonist), respectively. In this, too, the key selection seems symbolic.
Although the protagonist is speaking in "Car on a Hill," she is talking about her boyfriend who, like the fade-out ending suggests, all but disappears at the end of the song, as does his home key. This is the last time we hear the key of A in anything except as an occasional passing tonicization. It therefore makes sense that "Down to You," which begins in D and ends in E, is written in the protagonist's keys. She is left to herself to pick up the pieces of the relationship that has just abruptly ended.
"Just Like This Train" is in C, but the sudden drop down to this pitch level is not as jolting to the ear because Mitchell has prepared the listener for it in several places during "Down to You," the song that immediately precedes it. Most notable among these places is the bridge, which is composed entirely over a C/D bass chord, which acts as a tension-building pedal over which a three-note melodic motive is varied and repeated. In context of where it appears in the cycle, C as a key centre bears a symbolic connection to emotional conditions lying outside the frame of the relationship defined by the E - D - E axis in the "chords of inquiry." It is a "lower" pitch, suggesting an emotional letdown and therefore may be a harmonic "response" appropriate to songs dealing with the aftermath of the relationship. Musically, it lies outside the boundary set by the "chords of inquiry," yet is related to them via its dominant, G. It is where both parties go after the relationship ends.
The harmonic "flat line" created by C serving as the key centre for two songs in a row - "Just Like This Train" and "Raised on Robbery" - particularly after the harmonic variety displayed in the key centres of the preceding songs, implies that the breakup may have been hard on both parties. But for the female protagonist in particular, the C pitch centre may be illustrative of the depths to which she sinks, both away from self-respect and sanity. The key centre of "Trouble Child" is perhaps appropriately ambiguous; it seems to be in both C and G at the same time, thus fusing a relationship between C and the G from the "chords of inquiry." "Twisted" serves as a sardonic coda for the cycle. It is in D, suggesting, if the pattern of characterization by key centre is still intact, that the woman might be in a phase of recovery; she never returns to E, because she is clearly not the person we met at the beginning of the cycle.
The foregoing discussion of key relationships has alluded to the idea that in addition to the opening gesture's influence on issues of pitch centre, it also acts as an underlying motive that functions as a scaffolding in the deep background upon which the entirety of the album is built. This "controlling motive" surfaces at key structural moments during the cycle.
The "chords of inquiry" appear either as key centres or as opening sonorities of songs related to the romantic relationship (see table 2). "Court and Spark" is in E minor, beginning on E chords in both the album's opening gesture in m. 1 (E major) and in the actual introduction in m. 4 (Em7). "People's Parties" is in D, suggesting a middle-ground realization of the E-D-E axis implied in the opening gesture. Then, despite vacillating between G and A minor, D is prolonged in the background of "The Same Situation" via the opening A/D bass sonority that also begins each verse.
The second E major chord from the opening gesture first reappears as the opening chord in the transition between "Car on a Hill" and "Down to You," despite D serving as the primary key centre for the majority of the song. The first few measures of this transition are, in fact, a harmonic variation and expansion of the "chords of inquiry," minus the repeated E triad (example 6). Although the second sonority in this passage is a Bm7, Mitchell has preserved the second-inversion voicing of the D triad in the right hand. We see the E-to-D motion from the opening gesture once again at the end of the first verse, where the E triad, again in second inversion, appears as an accented passing chord (example 7). E major is heavily emphasized again at the end of the tune, which, because of its lengthy instrumental break, carries greater musical weight over the album as a whole. Its weight is further emphasized because the E - D - E axis pattern running through the deeper middle ground of the album is completed in the coda of "Down to You" (example 8). Given that the bulk of this song is in D, identifying the coda of "Down to You" as the structural moment where the axis pattern is completed in the background (symbolizing the end of the romantic relationship) is the most logical explanation for the unusual emphasis placed on E major in this song, particularly why it ends in E.
While the end of "Down to You" acts as the background closure of the E-D-E axis, the full E-D-E-G pattern suggested by the "chords of inquiry" is fully completed on the background level in the penultimate song on the album. Although the key centre of "Trouble Child" is ambiguous at first, G is the tonic that emerges at the end of each verse, as well as at the end of the song itself. Given that Mitchell called "Twisted" an "encore piece," it seems that she considered "Trouble Child" the actual end of the cycle. Therefore it seems fitting that the cycle's final piece before the encore be in the key of the final "chord of inquiry." Given the topic of the text, the song may also serve as the ultimate sad response or resolution to the question posed at the beginning of the album by the opening gesture.
Another musical element that seems to confirm the cyclic nature of Court and Spark is the previously mentioned "knocking" triplet figure that first appears in the introduction of the title track. When it first enters in mm. 5 - 7 of "Court and Spark" (see example 2), it seems no more than a subtle bit of text painting that introduces A as the "foreign object" pitch. When it recurs later in the song (example 3), it takes the form of an extended and reversed version of what Allan Moore called the "extended plagal cadence" (Moore 1995, 191). Moore's version of this cadence is VII-IV-I (which in this tune would be D-A-E); Mitchell reverses the VII and IV, adding an intermerdiary tonic chord, making the progression IV-I-VII-I (A-E-D-E). Although Moore emphasizes the commonality of the VII-I cadence in popular music, Mitchell's use of it here appears to serve another text-related purpose. Here A and E (IV and I in this key) are the two sonorities on which greater emphasis is placed. This is accomplished by accenting the A chord at the beginning of the figure, then holding the final E chord for two beats. Thus although the figure is made of four sonorities, one perceives the IV and I as its primary harmonic components. The three-fold repetition of the figure not only communicates the insistence of the "knocking," but emphasizes the cadential formula's plagality. It sounds like a series of repeated "Amens," reinforcing the religious imagery in the lyrics. Since the man is described in evangelical terms and the protagonist's acceptance of him akin to a religious conversion, the plagal cadence here is analogous to the "Amen" response one might hear sung by a choir at a religious revival.
The triplet figure, or others that allude to it either rhythmically or gesturally, recurs periodically in strategic places throughout the album, particularly in songs connected to the romantic relationship. It appears in the coda of "The Same Situation" first as a triplet, then expanded into a quadruplet (see example 5). Here the connection to the initial triplet figure in "Court and Spark" is two-fold. The rhythm recalls the "knocking" figure, and the repeated G triads symbolize the woman pounding on the walls of the emotional prison in which she finds herself.
The twenty-six-measure instrumental break in "Car on a Hill" is based almost entirely on the triplet figure, both literally and figuratively. It is first introduced quite cleverly three measures into the interlude by the interjection of a 3/4 bar (m. 24), which suspends the driving beat throughout the break, creating the impression of a more ethereal space where the sense of time is nearly lost (example 9). A rhythmic variation of the triplet figure also appears in this interlude. Here Mitchell takes the idea of three notes grouped together and relaxes the stricter triplet rhythm. She begins with the 3/4 bar in the third measure of the interlude (m. 24) with quarter notes on each beat, then softens the strict three-related rhythm two measures later by syncopating it. Three measures later this figure is transformed into a syncopated pair of arpeggiated triads, which is a variation of the introductory material played by the piano at the beginning of "The Same Situation" (example 10). One immediately hears the rhythmic relationship between what has come before and the triplet figure the moment it enters in m. 29. That Mitchell sees the arpeggiated figure and the triplets as interchangeable is confirmed as the break continues, with the two figures alternating back and forth. These figures are again united in the fading tag at the end of the song, perhaps again for symbolic reasons. Since the triplet figure always appears in some context related to the male love interest, the pairing of the triplet figure and its related arpeggiated eighth-note figure may symbolize the ongoing conflict between the protagonist and her lover - something that ends with this song.
The triplet figure resurfaces at one more symbolic juncture in "Just Like This Train." In the concluding verse, quarter-note triplets are used to accommodate keywords in the acerbic lines, "Dreaming of the pleasure I'm gonna have / Watching your hairline recede, / My vain darling." The triplets occur on the words referring to the ex-lover's receding hairline, adding to the bitter sarcasm of the lyric. More significantly, the triplet figure appears in a line where the protagonist is referring directly to her ex-boyfriend, further connecting the figure to his character.
In addition to harmonic and motivic elements that link the songs on this album, they are also connected through transitional material that clearly unifies them into a single narrative. These transitions are generally of two types: (1) a passage carried through the track-separating bands on the original LP, which, through the extension of musical material that precedes it, either softens or eliminates the effect of a hard final cadence; or (2) an introduction that recalls material from some pertinent part of the song immediately preceding it, through either quotation or variation. Table 3 summarizes the types of transitions between songs in the cycle. The two right-most columns may refer to the introduction of the song below it.
One could point out many things about the musical aspects of these transitions. For example, it seems significant that the introduction of "Free Man in Paris" is based on the harmonic structure and rhythm of the figure that accompanies the word freedom in the preceding song (example 11). The link between the two is clearly a musical allusion to the dichotomy between autonomy and commitment, and more particularly the longing for no commitments, which is what the chorus of "Free Man in Paris" describes.
Sometimes transitions carry the musical commentary beyond the final cadence of a single song, as is evident in the transition between "People's Parties" and "The Same Situation." In the introduction to "The Same Situation," the piano begins by playing the accompanimental material for "Situation," but in the key of "People's Parties." The key doesn't change until the singer enters. While the D pitch centre of the introduction serves as a dominant preparation for G, the change of key seems a little abrupt, perhaps even purposely so.
Perhaps the most poignant of these overlapping transitions is the passage linking "Car on a Hill" and "Down to You" (see example 6). As previously pointed out, "Car on a Hill" ends with alternating variations of the quarter-note triplet figure. Although the tag of "Car on a Hill" fades out, the melody line of the piano introduction takes the eighth-note rhythmic variation of the figure in the first of the two repeating measures and restates it much more slowly and freely in the new key. The tempo and manner in which the figure is played indicates what has happened more eloquently than any lyric could. While it is not the most complex of the transitions, it is one of the most communicative - adding yet another teasing bit of evidence that the album is a song cycle.
This study has highlighted a number of textual and musical elements that argue in favour of the cyclic nature of one of Joni Mitchell's most commercially successful albums. It has been shown that although oblique on the surface, two sets of conflicting textual ideas - freedom versus commitment and sanity versus insanity - run through the entire album, loosely tying the songs together and suggesting a plotline that follows the arc of a romantic relationship. This plotline is also unique in that the final four songs on the album describe aspects of the relationship's aftermath for both parties involved. Perhaps the most intriguing facet of Court and Spark, however, is that the album's cyclic properties are strongly supported through musical elements - a point that runs counter to what has been defined as Mitchell's more usual rationale of organizing cycles around textual connections. The presence of unifying musical elements suggests that for Mitchell, the music on this album may fill a more significant role than that of a convenient vehicle for conveying the text - a common assumption for singer-songwriters whose output is perceived to have followed in the stylistic footsteps of Bob Dylan. However, recognizing that the music exerts a stronger influence on the outcome of the whole is more in line with the way Mitchell has described her songwriting process. Because she has said she usually creates the musical structure first, her lyrics may serve a different function. If the harmonic structure or individual chords represent emotions or ideas to Mitchell, the text then becomes an articulation of the music, fusing both into a single entity like an item cast and hardened in a mould. Looking at Mitchell's music this way adds a new significance to the "careful construction" music critics described in her music from very early in her career ("Joni Mitchell" 1969).
In Court and Spark, Mitchell has employed unifying musical elements with the deftness of a skilled composer, and too consistently for the music to be anything but carefully planned. One might ask how this could have been possible, given that Mitchell had little to no formal musical education and claims to be largely unaware of many of music's more technical aspects. Ignorance of traditional musical terminology, theory, or practice does not necessarily preclude the ability to carefully plan the music one writes. Mitchell told Jian Ghomeshi in 2013 that while painting is more intuitive for her, the creation of music and poetry are deliberate, even calculated acts. She briefly described her basic compositional method, much of it aurally based, to music journalist Leonard Feather in a 1979 interview: "I see music very graphically in my head - in my own graph, not in the existing systemized graph - and I, in a way, analyze it or interpret it, or evaluate it in terms of a visual abstraction inside my mind's eye" (94). Although Mitchell's idiom lies in the realm of popular music, the process she describes is in fact conscious composition, her "internal graphing system" not far removed from that of classical avant-garde composers who experiment with alternative notational systems. The unifying musical elements of Court and Spark identified here argue in favour of that conscious composition - a process not exclusive to any particular genre of music. Any composer, regardless of genre, employs similar systems of internal evaluation and organization during the compositional process.
The study of Joni Mitchell's music is in its infancy. As scholars develop ways of looking at her unique output, both text and music need to be addressed without attributing greater importance to one or the other. Where the two are often created together or in close succession, to emphasize one over the other in importance may mean to miss significant components that would lend a deeper understanding and appreciation of the whole. If, as Mitchell recently said, understanding is complete only when one sees oneself in the work (Ghomeshi 2013), perhaps looking at the way the two interact and support one another is a step toward that understanding. In the case of Court and Spark, ignoring the way the musical elements unify the album into a single narrative may mean to miss the message contained in her "discourse on romantic love." As Mitchell told Ghomeshi, the point is that each of us sees ourselves in the music - we identify with Court and Spark's protagonist, in all her insecurities, uncertainties, hurt, and even insanity. For when we see ourselves, or human nature, in the music, the communication is complete.
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Whitesell, Lloyd. 2008. The Music of Joni Mitchell . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Current scholarship recognizes several of Joni Mitchell's albums as being cyclic, or based on a unifying concept. Court and Spark (1974), however, is not numbered among them, despite Mitchell's having described it as "a discourse on romantic love." Following the inference that this album may have been conceived as an extended, multi-movement work, this article examines both its textual and musical aspects, seeking unifying characteristics. The cyclic nature of the album is uncovered, showing it to be more unified from a musical perspective than a textual one. This approach is the opposite of Mitchell's perceived norm, suggesting her compositional process may have been more sophisticated than is currently thought.
La recherche actuelle reconnaît que plusieurs albums de Joni Mitchell sont cycliques, ou basés sur un concept unifiant. Toutefois, Court and Spark (1974) ne fait pas partie de ces albums, bien que Mitchell l'ait décrit comme « un discours sur l'amour romantique ». En se basant sur l'idée que cet album pourrait avoir été conçu comme une œuvre d'ampleur à plusieurs mouvements, cette étude examine ses composantes textuelles et musicales dans le but de rechercher ses caractéristiques unifiantes. On y met en lumière la nature cyclique de l'album, en montrant que l'unité de ce dernier repose davantage sur ses aspects musicaux que sur ses aspects textuels. Cette approche va à l'encontre de la perception habituelle de l'œuvre de Mitchell, et propose que son travail compositionnel serait plus recherché que ce que l'on pense habituellement.
This article has been viewed 472 times since being added on April 5, 2019.
Bravo, I am reading this as I am writing this posting, The first album is really the opening act Song to a Seagull (1968) clearly from the point of view of wonder, sung from small stages (2nd Fret in Phila Pa) painted sidewalks and fire escape stairs to the highway ribbons call of Bright Lights and sad refrains of stardom Court and Spark. I, like many Joni Mitchell fans, were always amazed and we were part of that wonder she sung about, yes both male and females fans. Reading the essay on this masterpiece, brought a slight tear to my eyes, my youth, running wild on Sunset and Vine or watching the sunset on the beach in Malibu. I have to go play this album now, So I can sit back, let my mind's eye wonder back in time when one sunny day taking a shortcut I bumped into Joni, Court and Spark playing on the 8 track, VW BEETLE yet as I saw her familiar face I could hear the refrain from another time and place "the Pirate of Penance", as I stood there, not knowing what to say, I thought That was from another time and play. | 2019-04-21T06:30:03Z | http://www.jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=4438 |
a lifetime of multitasking Cross Border, trans-cultural business development and Diplomacy.
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out...—because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me."
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it."
"From "aren't you?" to "didn't you used to be?" is a short journey. Prepare for it now."
Institute of Directors since 1975, Institute of Telecom Resellers in EMeIAAA.
Favourite Books: Sidharta and Google but don't have time to read much other than contracts and legal documents so i buy the tapes of books and listen to them while driving.
Reading the extremely long biography that follows will assist you in understanding should you have the time.
Barry’s thorough understanding of International business formation, marketing and operations have made him a respected International business trouble-shooter and business development expert and as one of the UKs first Franchise consultants enabled him to take many fledgling companies to replicate their operations on a global scale and become brand leader.
Barry is able to rapidly grasp an idea or a concept and have the vision and then design the necessary plan and put it into operation. He can then implement all the necessary requirements to locate, staff, furnish and build the business or project. He is computer literate but knows his limitations as to when tasks should be handled internally or when outsourced. Conversant with most Microsoft packages he can quickly grasp any new software with which he is confronted. Having already designed and published many websites he is convinced of the power of this medium as a marketing tool using permission-based mailing and SEO but is also aware of its limitations. Barry is conversant with all relevant International laws, accounting practices and regulations as well as tax efficient national and offshore banking principles to implement, to legally reduce taxation due. He is a leader with vision and can lead and motivate at board level with a firm, yet understanding hand. He can steer companies to the position of their chosen exit strategy, driven by challenge but knowing when the task in question is over his head. Once, having accepted the task however he will follow it to it's logical conclusion, "success". He does this with a combination of many skills accumulated in life through experience, a hands-on pragmatic approach to management and a thorough understanding of the problems and solutions involved in International business. He has a talent for building enthusiasm, overcoming obstacles, mixed with high energy levels. This results in creative and productive but long days. Barry has no difficulty in multi-tasking and is able to concentrate and work on many projects in different countries at the same time due to his excellent skills in Human resource appointment, delegation and management while keeping within a budget. Barry has not just visited most countries in the world but has lived in 5 so when he speaks of the German mentality he can back this up with years of experiencing it first hand, likewise with the American, Spanish, Russian and British mentalities.
Barrington Roy Schiller ( Barry to friends,) was born in Watford, England of humble beginnings, with his father being a factory worker and his Mother working in a Laundry. Barry is a British National. Most of his education was achieved after leaving school due to his early interest and involvement in the world of business and language.
After passing his "11 Plus" examination he attended Watford Technical High school, a grammar school. At the age of 14 though he lost interest in regular schooling when he started to organize a local youth club. He quickly realized that it wasn’t ping pong and party games that teenagers wanted so he converted the youth club into a once a week disco evening with himself and a friend as the DJs. Realizing that the equipment for the disco was laying around 6 days a week he contacted other halls and provided the same service to other towns. Back then it was more common to hire a band for weddings and special occasions but slowly the concept of a "mobile Disco" was born/created. Demand was so great that soon he had to hire other DJs and established a business as an agent for DJ’s and bands in the entertainment industry . Barry, personally continued to DJ in and around central London at private venues and at BBC Radio 1 sea side locations. This first taste of entrepreneurial business forced him however to learn basic administration skills, presentation skills as well as human resources management and logistics at an age when most of his peers were interested in no more than football. He left school shortly after with minimal passes in GCSE "O" levels.
After taking his "O" level examinations he left to take up a position of Trainee Manager at Hunt Kennard and Co Ltd., a Timber Merchants in Harrow to please his mother who did not agree with him working for himself while under 21 and "under his parents roof". At that time the age of adulthood was 21 and his working class parents had difficulty understanding business finance so he also had to learn how to grow a business organically, i.e. without the help of outside funding as he wasn’t old enough to take out any loans. He also took up racing tuned Lambrettas and Vespas at racetracks all around the UK at the weekends. He took on an apprenticeship and gained his formal office administration training due to the fact that his entertainment business operated solely during the evenings and weekends. The apprenticeship was coupled with a day release system where he attended college one day per week to be taught timber technology. After his apprenticeship in office management and timber technology was completed he left the company and never looked back. He continued to successfully run his entertainment business throughout London and a pattern of working evenings and nights in entertainment began leaving the days free for study and other ventures.
At 18 Barry took a TEFL course in Teaching English as a foreign Language and gained a position mornings with a local school which specialised in teaching English to French exchange students, coming to the UK specifically for that purpose. Due to the bonds he formed teaching those students many years before the formation of the EU he got his first insight into the mentality of other Europeans as opposed to the insular thinking of many of his countrymen at that time. His desire to travel to visit these countries and learn more about their customs was also awakened so at the age of 20 he sold the entertainment agency business and travelled to Paris, France and Radio Hilversum, Holland for a period to work as a DJ.
At Barry’s Invitation the British Consular General visited shortly after the opening. Barry learnt the importance of PR, the Press and how to deal with them to obtain maximum coverage in print, TV and radio. By developing the corporate identity of the British centre he then positioned the company such that it became a viable pilot object to become a franchised chain so he recruited franchisees in Hamburg and Berlin from the UK before selling the business outright in 1983 to concentrate on the knowledge he had gained in the fields of the travel business and franchising sides to become one of Europe’s first Franchise Consultants. The town council of the City of Brunswick asked Barry to take a position on the board of the City's Twinning Council together with the Lord Mayor, Gerhard Glokowski ( Interior minister of Lower Saxony in Germany) with the particular area of responsibility being their relationship with their twinning Town "Bath". Barry worked with the Town hall to organise official receptions for visiting delegations and was responsible for co-ordinating civic visits to Brunswick and civic visits from Brunswick. These included school exchanges allowing him to expand upon his insight into travel organisation and promotion. Soon, Barry was arranging educational travel to the UK from most European countries and became Managing Director and Director of Studies for Cambridge College. Utilizing his Team building and multi tasking talents Barry was soon able to be free to take on new challenges by building and appointing a management structure to take on all his current responsibilities. In 1979 Barry founded "the International Club of Braunschweig", which he proposed to the town council of the City of Braunschweig, Germany and its Mayor. The objective was to raise the image of the city by attracting International dignitaries to the city to discuss matters of political and social importance. Among his responsibilities was the welfare of such dignitaries who were amongst others, the General Secretary of NATO, Dr Josef Luns, ( combining his Intelligence Career and his "other" career together) and visiting Royal Family members such as Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, Duchess of Brunswick , Princess of Preussen and Lower Saxony ( a cousin of the Queen of England and only daughter and the seventh child of William II, German Emperor and Empress Augusta Victoria – Princess Victoria Louise was the maternal grandmother of Queen Sophie of Spain and the former King Constantine II of the Hellenes. In February 1980 barry had a daughter, Saskia.
Barry also personally looked after the protocol for visiting diplomats to the city and organised social functions such as formal balls, .together with Oberstadt director Hans-Günther Weber. It was here that he was first introduced to Franz Josef Strauss (German defence Minister and Minister President of Bavaria) who he shortly after visited in his home in Rottach Egern, Bavaria to discuss the workings and plans of the Pan Europa Unio. Since initially visiting SHAPE HQ Barry had been active parallel to his day job and Barry was head of operations for the visit of Dr Joseph Luns ( The General Secretary of NATO from 1971 to 1984 ).
Barry had been living in Braunschweig but was then reassigned to Helmstedt (Checkpoint Alpha in the british occupied zone of North Germany.
With everything running successfully Barry once again started searching for a new challenge and parallel to being the CEO of his travel company he was appointed as the Managing Director and CEO for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandanavia by a Spanish Designer Bridal wear manufacturer (www.Pronovias.com) to launch their brand in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. This involved being responsible for the marketing and distribution strategy forming the corporation, appointing accountants, solicitors and all other necessary professionals. He designed the merchandising strategy, the software programmes and all necessary back room systems. He was also personally solely responsible for the management of the company funds and budget and for all aspects of the production of two international fashion shows per year and the production of a corporate video for the company. He steered the company from nothing to become the brand leader taking the major share of the market within 3 years.
Solely marketing their own brand language and cultural education centres in the UK (Cambridge College Ltd).
Barry now formed a transatlantic and pan European Public Relations corporation to obtain maximum press coverage for his companies thus reducing the necessity of expensive advertising and Barry, who personally wrote the press releases became the most published travel journalist in Germany at the time. Barry was a member of the national union of Journalists at the time.
Barry’s quest for new input and new learning was insatiable so he studied and gained the qualification to educate students obtaining their "diplomas in Administration Management" by the Chamber of Commerce of Helmstedt, Germany.
After the spectacular success of Pronovias, the Spanish Fashion company , the garment export dept of the Spanish government contacted Barry requesting he inspect another manufacturer in Bilbao, which he visited but a stroke in 1985 and subsequent death of his Father on oct 7th 1986 resulted in him leaving his Intelligence duties at checkpoint Alpha and relocating BACK to the UK from where he continued the running of the companies as well as starting several new ventures.
He did however work with a Fashion designer to create a brand of Jeans and Leisurewear. Being creative top class Denim was purchased in Japan and imported into Malta for production of the items which were them sent to Holland to finish and sell in the company’s own retail outlets.
When the publisher (and Barry’s long time friend) of the leading Franchise magazine "Franchise Opportunities " took on the representation of the King of Malaysia’s UK businesses he offered the magazine and directory to Barry who purchased and rebranded it as FOPS (franchise Opportunities directory) and journal and it became the official organ of the association of Franchisees championing the rights of the Franchisee. This meant Barry designing systems for subscription procurement, advertisement design and sales, layout, editorial content and all the other aspects involved in the day to day running of a magazine.
Barry undertook consultancy assignments from, amongst others, Property Rental and Management, Natural Beauty Products (a la Body Shop) and Carpet Cleaning companies. Barry’s main responsibilities for these companies was to re-organise their company in such a way that it became "Franchisable" i.e. a replicable business. This meant having to get their corporate identity designed, write their corporate manual, design office systems and practices, produce advertising materials, organise trade shows, media purchasing, marketing, public relations and contracts to sign up Franchisees. He would then build franchisee recruitment programmes and go on to recruit, interview and appoint franchisees in the UK and Master franchisees outside the UK.
Part of the task of running a magazine and fashion Company involved the opening of a photo studio (photography being one of Barry’s hobbies) and working together with models. It was therefore a natural progression to train new models and assist them to find a reputable agency under the banner of a new company called Model placement Services.
The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany was signed in Moscow, USSR, on 12 September 1990, and that paved the way for German reunification on 3 October 1990. Under the terms of the treaty, the Four Powers renounced all rights they formerly held in Germany, including and in regard to the city of Berlin. As a result, the reunited country became fully sovereign on 15 March 1991 Shortly after Barry retired and received an honorable discharge from his Intelligence activities from SACEUR at SHAPE. And in April 1992 Barry had another son, Adam.
Although no longer officially being involved in the Intelligence community Barry used his Intelligence experience to form INTERTECS. www.intertecs.com , an International Detection, Investigatiion, Surveillance and Counter-Espionage Specialist company in C3I, (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence Systems) providing Intelligence training, close protection and investigations internationally to corporate, government and local government clients.
In 1993 Barry relocated to Spain to retire (for the first time) but the lazy life proved not to be for him so he formed a Spanish Ltd Company (SA) with which he then purchased a 7 storey dilapidated run-down hotel on a lease purchase option on the beach in Mallorca on the Balearic Islands of Spain and refurbished it. To optimize revenues he negotiated a contract with Germany’s largest Tour Operator to obtain maximum occupancy for the rooms, converted the first floor which was totally empty when he took it over to build a 60 cover Tex Mex Restaurant and a 150 person British pub as well as re-styling the swimming pool and surrounding area to enable dining overlooking the pool and ocean for 60 people. He then franchised the food and beverage sections of the business as a turnkey going concern. In 1996 he sold the hotel as a profitable business and returned again to live in the UK.
During his time in Spain Barry also made regular trips to the United States and actually resided in Highland Park, Dallas with his family for a 4 month period during the Spanish Winters. While in Dallas Barry purchased working interests in oil well fields in Texas and became involved in developing the oil field infrastructure to get transport to the derricks and the oil and gas by-products to the refinery. At that time telecommunications was still state owned in most countries and Barry became involved in competitive telecommunications to reduce the costs (outsourcing) of communicating between the various offices and agents that he had appointed throughout the world for his eclectic business interests. He was fortunate in meeting a founder member of the "Telecommunications Reseller Association" (TRA) and a man who had been involved in all aspects of Telecommunications before and since deregulation in 1984 in the USA and he was invited to attend meetings of the TRA and held office on the International Resale Committee of the TRA. Barry was involved with many differing types of Telecom companies, both in the United States and in Europe and was involved in the Research and development of a global network of Fax over Internet communications nodes as well as the early development of an internet Browser, a forerunner of Internet explorer at a time when to use the internet it was necessary to enter each line of code.
When Barry proposed the opening of a UK Chapter of the TRA in the USA the board was divided with several board members believing that it would not be possible for the TRA to support a chapter so far away especially with European competitive telecoms still being in its infancy in the UK and not yet conceived in most other European countries. It was therefore decided to support the formation of a new European association founded by Barry with several of the TRA members being on the board and reciprocal memberships of each others associations.
It was therefore as the Director General of the highly renowned "Institute of Telecom Resellers in Europe", that Barry was instrumental in promoting de-regulated telecommunications globally. He therefore has a thorough understanding of the challenges which companies face in a deregulated utility environment. As a regular speaker at industry conferences, both in Europe as well as the United States and the host of many conferences on deregulation Barry also acted as a source of information for journalists and Global telecommunication companies wishing to know more about Global telecom issues, direction and opportunities as well as being ultimately responsible for every aspect of the Companies Strategy, direction and day-to-day activities.
International Event and conference organisation with gala Balls was a major part of the ITRE’s work with barry personally choosing the venues, arranging exhibition space, speakers, sponsors and all aspects of what is necessary to hold such an event for the CEOs and decision makers of fortune 500 telecom companies from across the globe. Members were such companies as British Telecom, France Telecom, Worldcom, Energis etc. until the full implementation of the WTO meant that the work of lobbying to promote competitive telecoms came to a natural conclusion with thousands of competitive telecom companies all around the world. From the original incumbents in 2002, deregulation and convergence, success!!!!!
Barry had always been interested in psychology and mental health and had studied Homeopathy specializing in Emotional and mental health issues many years before so in 2002 he returned to a full time course at the UK’s leading University offering Occupational therapy which covered all Human Health subjects; anatomy and physiology, psychology and sociology, Understanding Occupational Beings, Professional practice, Clinical diagnosis, Personal and Professional Skills, ethics and Research. This also included a professional placement at St Andrews Hospital in Northampton, England which is a psychiatric hospital run by a non-profit-making, charitable trust. It is by far the largest mental health facility in UK providing national specialist and secure services for adolescents, men, women and older people with mental illness, learning disabilty, brain injury, autism and dementia.
While studying Barry continued to grow the real estate property investment portfolio he had had since the early 80s becoming an expert in buy to let strategies and financing modules enabling properties to be purchased for little or no capital thus drastically increasing the ROI, return on investment.
Always being a preponent of Multi tasking Barry entered into a Joint venture in 2004 with a travel tour operator specialising in the Chinese market and opened a retail travel agency staffed by Chinese staff living in the UK. The company also produced a newspaper printed in the Chinese language for Chinese people living in the UK. On a visit to China he aquired a company and an office in Beijing which had all the necessary licenses to allow Chinese students to leave China and study in the UK.
In 2004 Barry was also approached by a Russian businessman, working and living in the UK, to develop the Cambridge College, English education programm for the Russian market. It was while working on that project that Barry met his future wife Tatiana (Tanya) when she assisted with the translation of the texts into Russian.
Barry then spent several weeks in Russia , which he has subsequently visited often, over the Christmas / 2005 New Year period to learn more about Russia, its people, culture and customs visiting Moscow , Krasnodar and Sochi- the home of the 2014 Winter olympics.
2005 heralded the year in which Barry and Tanya started to seriously investigate real estate ventures outside of the UK and involved lots of travel starting with Istanbul in Turkey in february to learn more about the country and people and the possibilities of selling Real estate to Russian citizens. Due to the fact that barry wished to remain close to his 13 year old son from a previous marriage he had to still remain based in the UK. After spending some time in April in France on the Cote d’azur Barry then visited Turkish property developers in Bodrum on the Agean sea in July before spending the rest of the year with regular trips driving along the Turkish coast getting to know them in depth before finally settling for Antalya on the mediterranean which to this day he still believes to be an absolute paradise with a standard of living which he had not found on any of his many previous journeys around the world. By September Barry and Tanya were slowly tiring of living in hotels during their monthly trips to Antalya so they got a new build apartment there with incredible views over the ocean coastline of not only the city but also the whole coastline of the region of Antalya. An experience not to be missed but not to be repeated without guidance. However, now done, Barry has a full understanding of the difficulties involved with relocating to and living in Turkey as a Foreigner. It was here that they ended 2005 and welcomed in 2006 before returning to the UK in January. While taking his 13 year old son to Miami for a holiday in February of 2006 Barry got to know the stretch limo driver and the idea of running a stretch limo hire company in the UK was born. This resulted in his actually purchasing a stretch limousine while on vacation and having it shipped back to the UK. In March Barry and Tanya moved apartments to be closer to the mediterranean and In April Barry opened the first shopfront office of BA Realty in Antalya selling Franchises to sell Turkish apartments and houses to the Russian, British, Irish and other nationalities either wishing to re locate or obtain a second home in Turkey.
The import to the UK from Miami of the stretch limo he bought on vacation was completed in May and the steep learning curve began in regard to the UK and International stretch Limousine market leading him to the oldest and most respected stretch limousine manufacturer in the USA, Tiffany. Negotiations were started and in June 2006 Barry became the UK Main dealer for Tiffany with a new company, Tiffany Coachworks Europe Ltd, set up to appoint dealers , both within and outside the UK. The deal was sealed with the purchase of 3 new stretch Limousines from the USA.
While in the new home in Turkey Barry’s son who had been living with his mother informed barry that his mother was moving and he didn’t want to go with her. Tanya had fallen pregnant and the combination of these 2 events caused them to rethink the life they had had before, whereby when barry went back to the UK for a few weeks to look after the business and see his son, Tanya went back to Russia to stay with her Family and the decision was made to relocate permanently to the UK. Therefore in September Barry returned to the UK to live with his son in one of his Northamptonshire houses and in November Tanya joined them.
Barry spent most of 2007 preparing for the birth of their son in April and restructuring his property portfolio and acquiring 3 more buy to let apartments.
2008: Sept 2008, was asked to become a community governor for a local school near his home, bringing him into contact with the workings of local government and the procedures involved in the running of a British state school. He attended several local government courses and became part of the "every child matters" program which involves the school, the community and the police to ensure that every child gets the help it needs both in school and in the local community.
Barry’s speciality soon became rescuing companies where the company or the owners were having difficulties and either helping them to trade successfully again or help the current Directors to wind up the company with as little negative impact upon themselves as possible. In doing so he created the "Corporate Fostering" Concept allowing companies to be taken in on a temporary basis due to difficulties of the company or the Directors.
Shortly after Barry was introduced to a static waterless wash vehicle valeting service The company was in serious trouble due to serious mismanagement and lack of successful operating procedures and policies which the company needed to operate in a blue chip environment. Barry took on the position of the Managing director and implemented policies and procedures which he had written. (please see list of policies below) Barry negotiated contracts with J Sainsbury’s supermarkets and a Major shopping mall, managed and successfully fought off certain litigation issues which the company had and assisted the previous owner with matters which he was being held personally liable for. However it soon became apparent that the problems caused by the previous owner and their continuing lack of understanding of the business world were insurmountable so barry saw no other option than to wind up the company and did so, first by ceasing trading and then having the company struck off the register.
2009 also saw Barry take over the reins of Attend. TV, a TV production Company specialising in visiting trade shows and exhibitions which they then broadcast on both sky satellite TV and the internet to reach a global audience. While there he set up exhibition and conference news crew globally with presenters and camera crews in all major cities globally. He also successfully managed to update and rebrand the bespoke operating system and update the look and feel of the Graphical User Interferface ( GUI) . Before passing the company back to the previous owner he added a Fashion Channel, a property Investment channel and an exhibition Channel to the programme channels with content being produced by camera crews and presenters and sold around the world.
The idea of cleaning vehicles without water brought barry however into contact with the true facts of how many world problems are caused by a lack of Fresh water in the world today and how one child dies every 20 seconds because of that. Even in the UK there are hose pipe bans every Summer and in 2009 reservoir levels were at an all time low and droughts were expected despite certain areas suffering from floods due to too much rain falling in too short a period and then none at all. Barry therefore created a range of own brand waterless cleaning and valeting/detailing products, an online e-commerce website to sell the products and a highly developed valeting franchise to use and demonstrate the products before finally arranging a full international Franchise package. www.tiffanydrywash.com. At the time of writing this barry is seeking investors to take the company to the next stage.
As of the beginning of 2011 Barry was looking for a new challenge but due to the majority of my time therefore being taken up for my philanthropic work I am now almost totally retired in my business ventures but am always open to FEE PAYING offers of the following activities in which I am well experienced and connected.
Corporate Doctor and Foster parent.
My executive assistant says that i give everything out at 100,000 volts and not many can take that so her job is to transform it down to 110 volts for normal people to swallow but even then they will note my sense of urgency in everything I do. People who meet me either wish to punch me or kiss me but they are seldom ambivalent to my presence. I just think that I am being honest and truthful but some others may interpret that as hostile which is not my intention. You will never get the best from me in a crowded room, I do not like to push myself to the front and give my opinion unless asked to do so but when i do give an opinion I will give an honest opinion and not many people can take the absolute truth so don't ask if you don't want or can't handle the total honest unbiased truth. I believe that a compromise is taking 2 good ideas and watering them down to one bad one so unless it is a matter of Life and death for ME I will not argue with you. I will just back away. It won't mean that you are right . It will just mean that I can't be bothered to argue. I am absolutely useless at small talk and I find it extremely painful so please do not make me suffer it. I follow the theory that :- "Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things and Small people talk about other people." but be nice to my kids and you have a sucker in your hands. I am not a sucker for beautiful women as I was already happily married to 3. I believe that networking is the blind leading the blind but am addicted to FB because I can interact with hundreds of people each hour. Positive thinking people terrify me and seem to be delusional most of the time. I want to work with hyper vigilant people who have a realistic view of the world and the challenges we need to overcome but if you cook me a meal i will say that it was lovely even if It was the worst meal I've ever eaten. Meetings are great but only after a strict agenda has been agreed or a business is developed so far that all that is needed is a signature. My word is better than any written agreement. It defines me and i keep it even if i regret the decision later. That is why i can do business globally on less than a handshake with hundreds of high level people who know that. Some only believe in things after they see them but a visionary must believe first so that he and others can see. Sometimes I am so stupid because I don't know that things are not possible, so I just do them and succeed whereas the clever people don't even start so always fail. . | 2019-04-23T08:09:12Z | http://www.thebarringtongroup.org/whoisbarringtonschiller.html |
Seven months later: Japan’s nuclear predicament.
A radiation detector in Iitate, where some of the heaviest concentrations of fallout were found. Once known as one of Japan’s most beautiful villages, it was given an official order to evacuate.
On the afternoon of March 11th—a Friday—the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on Japan’s Pacific coast, had more than six thousand workers inside. The plant, about a hundred and fifty miles north of Tokyo, is painted white and pale blue and is a labyrinth of boxy buildings and piping on a campus larger than the Pentagon’s. It has six reactors. Yusuke Tataki was in the concrete building that contains Reactor No. 4. He is a tobi worker—a scaffolder—and, at thirty-three, is small and nimble. Like many of the plant’s employees, he grew up nearby. He often skipped classes to surf, and after high school he worked, unhappily, on an assembly line welding circuit boards, until he got into scaffolding, which has kept him employed, on and off, at nuclear plants ever since. “Even when there’s no work elsewhere, there is work at the plants,” he told me recently.
At 2:46 P.M. on March 11th, an earthquake began to rattle the building, more violent than any Tataki could remember. It knocked him to the ground, and the lights failed. In darkness, he heard steel crashing against steel and men shouting. The building groaned. Heavy objects fell around him from heights of three or four stories. When the shaking stopped and emergency lights came on, the air was thick with a chalky haze of dust and concrete. Tataki knew that the only way out of the building was through an air lock—a set of parallel doors designed to prevent contamination—but the quake had jammed it shut. The workers around him were disciplined but anxious, and they banged on the door for help. “We all knew that during a quake everything in there could become contaminated with radiation,” he told me.
The quake had erupted beneath the ocean floor two hundred and thirty miles northeast of Tokyo, at a magnitude of 9.0—the strongest ever recorded in Japan. On that day, three of the Fukushima plant’s reactors were down for routine maintenance; the other three shut down automatically, as intended.
After a few minutes, a guard managed to open the jammed door, and Tataki hurried toward the parking lot. He has a wife and two children, and wanted to check on them and on his house. About seven hundred employees remained. “We had trained for this,” Keiichi Kakuta, a forty-two-year-old father of two, who worked in the public-affairs department, told me. “Of course, the mood was tense, but after someone said the reactors had shut down I saw the plant chief calmly instructing people what to do.” To ride out the aftershocks, Kakuta holed up, with most of the others, in the plant’s radiation-resistant Emergency Crisis Headquarters, situated on a small slope nearby. Japanese authorities had picked up the trail of a tsunami sweeping across the Pacific, but its precise approach was still a mystery.
In the imagination, tsunamis are a single towering wave, but often they arrive in a crescendo, which is a cruel fact. After the first wave, survivors in Japan ventured down to the water’s edge to survey who could be saved, only to be swept away by the second. In all, twenty thousand people died or disappeared along a stretch of the Japanese coast greater than the distance from New York to Providence.
At the plant, the first wave arrived at 3:27 P.M., but it did not overtop a thirty-three-foot concrete seawall. Eight minutes later, the second wave appeared: a churning white mass of water, four stories tall, that leaped over sixty thousand concrete blocks and barriers—designed to defend against typhoons, not tsunamis—and advanced toward the reactors. First, the water approached the turbine buildings, which had been built with large shutters facing the sea. It burst through the closed shutters and swamped the buildings. Inside, the plant’s emergency diesel generators, each the size of an eighteen-wheeler, were stored on the ground floor and in the basements. They were destroyed, and two workers who had been sent underground to check for leaks were killed. The water hurled pickup trucks pinwheeling end over end into delicate pipes and equipment, and it swamped the campus in roiling brown pools, fifteen feet deep, leaving the nuclear reactors protruding like boulders in a river. And then it recoiled into the sea.
Two minutes after the water arrived, the plant’s main control rooms began to lose electrical power. Hundreds of gauges and instruments went dark or froze. A worker who was keeping a log of the deteriorating situation scribbled something unprecedented in a Japanese nuclear plant: “SBO”—station blackout. Kakuta said to himself, “What happens now?” Without a constant source of coolant, the nuclear fuel rods in the heart of the three active reactors would eventually boil away the water that prevents them from melting down. The log entry was grim: “Water levels unknown.” Workers desperate for electricity had to improvise: they fanned out into the parking lot to scavenge car batteries from any vehicles that had survived the wave.
The story of how Japan became one of the world’s most devoted, and improbable, advocates of nuclear technology begins in August, 1945. In the days immediately after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, radiation was largely a mystery to the Japanese public; men and women had survived the explosion but were succumbing to a new illness—an “evil spirit,” as a national newspaper put it.
Nine years later, Japan had another encounter with nuclear technology: on March 1, 1954, the U.S. tested what was the world’s most powerful hydrogen bomb on Bikini Atoll, in the Pacific. The blast was more than twice the size that engineers had predicted, and a shower of radioactive ash reached far enough to envelop a voyaging Japanese tuna boat named the Lucky Dragon No. 5. The twenty-three crew members had no idea what had dusted them—“I took a lick; it was gritty but had no taste,” one wrote later—but by the time they returned to shore they were burned, blistered, and in the early stages of acute radiation sickness. Their contaminated tuna was sold at the market before anyone stopped it.
The ordeal caused a panic in Japan; a petition against further hydrogen-bomb tests secured the signature of one in every three citizens. It was the start of what became known as Japan’s “nuclear allergy.” In less than a year, Japanese filmmakers had released “Godzilla,” about a creature mutated by American atomic weapons. “Mankind had created the Bomb,” the film’s producer, Tomoyuki Tanaka, said of his monster, “and now nature was going to take revenge.” Godzilla’s radioactive breath and low-budget special effects were campy to the rest of the world but not to the Japanese, who watched the film in silence and left theatres in tears.
As it turned out, America’s emerging priorities coincided with Japan’s. After the Japanese surrender, in 1945, General Tomoyuki Yamashita was asked why his country had lost the war. He answered, “Science.” The triumph of American weaponry had convinced a generation of Japanese élites that their country must reëngage the world on the basis of trade and technology. But Japan’s islands were chronically short of coal and oil—the war had been partly a hunt for energy—and, as the country embarked on its economic growth spurt, it was desperate for new sources of electricity.
The government made it clear to economically struggling villages in the countryside that a nuclear power plant held the promise of a fortune in property taxes and subsidies. “We were told that it would make us the Tokyo of Fukushima,” Kazuyoshi Satoh, a civil servant from the little town of Naraha, recalled. “Every time I went back, there was a new façade on the city hall or a new gymnasium or a new community center.” In one town, a plant even came with a subsidy for diapers. Satoh eventually became an opponent of the nuclear industry, which put him at odds with some neighbors. “Critics of nuclear power were seen as heretics,” he said.
As night fell on March 11th, it became clear that the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which produces a third of the country’s electricity, had been unprepared for such a disaster. After the lights went out in the plant, engineers had to borrow flashlights from nearby homes in order to creep through dark, waterlogged passageways to study the gauges.
There was no mystery about what they were facing: the core of each operating reactor held at least twenty-five thousand twelve-foot fuel rods—slender metal tubes filled with pellets of enriched uranium. When things were working normally, the nuclear reaction in the core produced enormous amounts of heat, used to boil water for steam. The steam drove a set of turbines that generated electricity. The reaction also produced radioactive isotopes, which are safely contained within a series of steel-and-concrete defenses arranged like nesting dolls. But, with the power out, and emergency systems down, there was no way to cool the hot fuel; it was rapidly boiling away the water around it—creating huge pressure in the reactor—and eventually it would begin to melt, eating through the shells encasing it.
In a log later filed with the International Atomic Energy Agency, workers recorded frantic efforts to get water on the fuel. They tried to use a fire truck, but waves had thrown a storage tank across the road, making it impassable. To restore electricity, they called for emergency power vehicles, but those were stymied by traffic on damaged roads. In the dark, even familiar parts of the plant became perilous, because the tsunami had blown out the manhole covers.
Of the six reactors, No. 1 needed the most urgent help: the uranium was melting through the fuel rods, and when the damaged rods mixed with steam they gave off hydrogen, which is highly combustible. In order to prevent an explosion, the steam had to be released through a vent, and that meant piping radiation straight into the air. But the alternative was worse: wait too long, and an explosion would release a far larger burst of radiation. By 3 A.M., the government and Tokyo Electric knew that the vent had to be opened, but four hours later it was still closed. Later, the company said that it was waiting to make sure that all nearby residents had evacuated. Government officials have alleged that the company didn’t want to release radiation, because it would have immediately invited comparisons to the Chernobyl disaster, in the U.S.S.R., in 1986.
Opening the vent was such an unusual prospect that workers needed the blueprints to figure out how to do it, but the prints were in a building whose ceiling had collapsed. Only after they were retrieved did workers learn how the vent could be opened manually.
Six workers divided into three teams of two. Going in alone would be impossible, because the men would be operating in darkness, amid aftershocks, without radio contact with headquarters. According to the log, the teams would work in a relay, so that no one would be exposed to too much radiation.
A community center in Fukushima offers free radiation tests on food and household objects for local residents.
The six workers assembled in the main control room. They had swallowed tablets that flooded their thyroid glands with iodine and hindered their bodies from absorbing radioactive iodine from the air; they wore dosimeters—portable radiation detectors that would warn them when they were nearing the legal limits of exposure. They were outfitted in heavy firefighting suits with oxygen tanks, gear that would shield them from inhaling and absorbing through their skin tiny particles that emit alpha and beta radiation, which can linger in the body for years, causing organ damage. The equipment, however, would provide little protection against gamma rays, so their only true defense would be to get out of danger as fast as possible.
At 9:04 A.M., the first two workers, carrying flashlights, set off into the darkness of Reactor Building No. 1. They found the manual gate valve, which can be opened by laboriously cranking a metal handle through hundreds of revolutions, like a man pumping an old-fashioned handcar down a railroad track. They cranked it open a quarter of the way and retreated. They had been inside for eleven minutes. The second team went in, but, with the vent partly ajar, the radiation level was climbing fast, and the men were driven back before they could even reach their target. They had been inside for no more than six minutes, but one of them received a radiation dose greater than the legal limits allowed for five years of work in the plant. It was deemed too risky to try again, and the third team was disbanded.
Despite those efforts, that afternoon, at 3:36 P.M., Reactor Building No. 1 exploded, hurling chunks of concrete that injured five workers and destroyed cables that had been laid in the hope of restoring electricity. With that explosion, the crisis passed an invisible line, as each problem triggered another. High radiation levels hampered workers trying to vent Reactor No. 3, and on the third day after the tsunami it, too, exploded. The following day, another blast occurred, this time at No. 4. On television screens throughout the world, three exposed steel carcasses were seen smoldering. An American aircraft carrier and its fleet left waters downwind of the plant after seventeen helicopter crew members returned from missions with traces of radiation.
A few hours later, the Japanese government heightened its advisory to the public, but only slightly. N.R.C. officials watched the news on a flat-screen television in the fourth-floor operations center. Based on their view of the events unfolding, they were surprised that the order was not broader.
By then, there was another problem: that morning, a fire had broken out around the spent-fuel pool on a floor above Reactor No. 4. It was a swimming-pool-like container where discarded radioactive uranium was held for storage. Each of the six reactors had a similar pool, an arrangement that had made it easy to load and unload fuel in normal conditions but now left the spent fuel acutely vulnerable to explosions and fires. To many experts, the pools posed an even greater potential threat than the reactors, because the pools were loaded with years’ worth of uranium and not encased on all sides in steel or concrete; they relied only on water to prevent them from overheating and spreading radiation. The timing was especially bad, because Reactor No. 4 had been down for maintenance at the time of the quake, so its nearly fresh fuel rods—more than thirteen thousand of them—were in the pool.
Experts at the Departments of State and Defense were trying to anticipate what would happen next; the possibilities were extraordinarily dangerous, including one that became known as “the popcorn scenario.” If there was another explosion, the spike in radiation could prevent workers from being able to continue injecting water onto the fuel cores. Then “one will pop and then another one and then another one and then another,” a senior U.S. official told me. Fuel that had already melted into a heap at the bottom of the reactor could melt through the steel pressure vessel and react with the concrete below, releasing vapors carrying highly radioactive materials such as strontium and technetium. In that case, “the environmental impact from that many reactors is hundreds of kilometres,” Charles Casto, the top N.R.C. official on the ground in Japan, said. “That was the scenario we were working, and there were a lot of people who believed in that scenario.” He himself had been skeptical that it would come to that.
There are four hundred and thirty-two nuclear power plants around the world. The closest America has come to a disaster was a partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, in 1979. It did not produce any deaths or public-health problems, but it chilled the advance of nuclear power in America: a series of “No Nukes” concerts, led by Bonnie Raitt and others, helped galvanize opposition, and since Three Mile Island no new projects have been planned.
The normal-accidents theory, which is now used to assess risk in fields ranging from genetic engineering to the banking system, explained one reason that nuclear plants melt down, but it took another incident to illuminate just how much the effects depend on the characteristics of the societies involved. On April 26, 1986, a power surge triggered an explosion at Reactor No. 4 in Chernobyl, in what is now Ukraine. Soviet propagandists used to say their reactors were so safe that “we could build one on Red Square,” but the design turned out to be surpassingly bad: Reactor No. 4 had no containment system to stop the spread of radiation, and when it caught fire the graphite core burned like charcoal for ten days, lofting radioactive material into the atmosphere, where it was carried as far as Ireland. The Soviets said nothing about the accident; it was discovered only when the plume tripped radiation alarms at a nuclear plant north of Stockholm.
Local firefighters and first responders were dispatched with no special instructions. “They went off just as they were, in their shirtsleeves,” a fireman’s widow later told the journalist Svetlana Alexievich. They walked among shards of radioactive fuel and graphite. (A hundred and thirty-four developed acute radiation sickness. Twenty-eight men died within months and were buried in foil-lined coffins, beneath lead covers.) The nearly fifty thousand residents of the town of Pripyat, less than two miles away, were told nothing until more than twenty-four hours after the explosion, when they were ordered to evacuate temporarily and leave their possessions behind. Most never returned.
Soviet authorities failed to warn people to protect themselves. Cows ate tainted grass, and children drank the milk, contaminating their thyroid glands with radioactive iodine. Local doctors were barred from mentioning the meltdown in their diagnoses, to prevent “radiophobia”—unhealthy fear of radiation. The greatest long-term impact has been an epidemic of thyroid cancer, mostly among children who drank the milk. Five thousand cases have been discovered, but most are treatable; so far, approximately ten people have died.
According to the World Health Organization, Chernobyl will eventually have shortened the lives of four thousand people. A fifth of the farmland in Belarus was rendered unusable, and still accounts for seven hundred million dollars in losses each year. After the fire was put out, six hundred thousand workers were summoned from the corners of the Soviet empire to encase the remains in a concrete-and-steel “sarcophagus”; today, an area of the countryside within a thirty-kilometre radius of the plant is off limits and is known officially as the Exclusion Zone. It has become a nature sanctuary of sorts, home to wild boars and eagles and bears, and to pine trees that grow like bushes and other such mutations. Parts of the inner, most severely contaminated ring—the area within a radius of ten kilometres, known as the Ten—are expected to be uninhabitable for at least a hundred and fifty years.
The visitors’ center at Tokaimura showed a short film that described uranium as “a gift from God” and “the fire of hope in the twenty-first century.” It did not mention the most famous event that had occurred in the town: the day, in September, 1999, when undertrained plant workers mishandled enriched uranium, causing Japan’s worst nuclear accident before Fukushima. Two of the workers died of organ failure brought about by acute radiation sickness, and more than four hundred people were exposed. Six power-company employees were prosecuted for professional negligence and violating nuclear-safety laws.
The myth of total safety went beyond public relations and degraded the industry’s technical competence. According to Taro Kono, a legislator in the Liberal Democratic Party, emergency drills in the plants were scheduled to fit within an eight-hour workday, rather than simulating realistic conditions. A 2002 report by Tokyo Electric and five other companies declared, “There is no need to take a hydrogen explosion into consideration,” the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. (After the third hydrogen explosion at Fukushima, a company official conceded to the paper that “we were overly confident.”) Government regulators adopted a similar posture. A 1990 set of Nuclear Safety Commission guidelines announced, “We do not need to take into account the danger of a long-term power severance.” Even basic precautions were declared obsolete: Japan once developed a set of radiation-resistant robots to use in the event of a nuclear accident; in 2006, all but two of them were donated to a university and a museum. After the Fukushima meltdowns, Japan had to depend on devices from iRobot, an American manufacturer best known for producing the Roomba vacuum cleaner.
Japanese nuclear regulators, like their American counterparts, have frequently been criticized for following a revolving door into lucrative jobs in the industries they police, and vice versa. Moreover, power-company executives are some of Japan’s most generous political donors; the utilities have not made corporate donations in a generation, but in 2009 individual executives gave seventy-two per cent of all personal contributions to the Liberal Democratic Party. In the late nineteen-nineties, a Tokyo Electric vice-president named Tokio Kano left the company to run, successfully, for parliament, where he led an effort to prevent the adoption of new textbooks until the Education Ministry removed references to the anti-nuclear movement in Europe. After leaving parliament, he returned to Tokyo Electric as an adviser.
Nuclear-safety scandals began to emerge. In June, 2002, Tokyo Electric was forced to reveal that for two decades it had faked hundreds of repair records, at the Fukushima Daiichi plant and at several other reactors. Five years later, it conceded that it had lied in its previous acknowledgment of lying and owned up to six more emergencies at Fukushima Daiichi that had been concealed. The gravest error, perhaps, was underestimating the risk of tsunamis. The Nuclear Safety Commission’s official guidelines declared that, in the event of a big wave, “safety functions of facilities shall not be significantly affected.” But experts inside and outside the government had warned authorities about new research on the speed of meltdowns in the event of a power loss and the acute threat posed by storing diesel generators in a basement.
Of all the warnings that were ignored, the most significant was from the past. On June 24, 2009, two senior Japanese seismologists appeared before a government-led safety panel to warn that the Fukushima Daiichi plant was acutely vulnerable to tsunamis. They pointed to the words of ancient historians who described a wave in the year 869 so large that it left “no time to get into boats or climb the mountains”; it devastated a castle and left “everything utterly destroyed.” According to a transcript of the hearing, a Tokyo Electric official responded that “future research should evaluate” the claim, because it appeared that “there isn’t much evidence of damage.” The plant was designed to absorb swells of up to about nineteen feet in height; the tsunami that arrived in March was more than twice that tall.
By March 15th, the fourth day after the meltdown began, the radiation levels in the main control room of Reactor No. 2 were so high that workers once again had to rotate in and out. It was clear that in the process of bringing the plant under control some people would receive doses previously considered illegal. Normally, Japanese workers were barred from receiving more than a hundred millisieverts over five years; now the Health Ministry officially raised that limit to two hundred and fifty millisieverts—five times the maximum exposure permitted for American workers. “It would be unthinkable to raise it further than that,” the Health Minister, Yoko Komiyama, said at a news conference.
Members of Japan’s defense forces arrived the next day. The results were not reassuring. Chinook helicopters scooped up buckets of seawater from the Pacific and nosed in toward Reactor No. 3, but they were forced back by high radiation. Lead plates were bolted to the bellies of the choppers for a second attempt, the next morning, but most of the water scattered in the wind. By evening, military fire engines had arrived, equipped with steel cladding and high-pressure hoses designed for jet-fuel fires. Water arced into the mangled remains, and steam poured out of Reactor No. 3.
A more decisive maneuver had been gathering strength, with far less attention, for several days. Even as buildings exploded, some of the workers had hooked up a train of fire trucks capable of generating enough pressure to inject water directly into the fuel cores. (As with the helicopters, they drew water from the ocean—a desperate measure, because a multibillion-dollar reactor that has been bathed in saltwater can never be used again.) The drenching continued around the clock, and it went on for months—an approach known as “feed and bleed.” Casto, of the N.R.C., said, “No one ever envisioned steam-cooling reactors for long periods of time. In reactor world, this is all new.” The process was ungainly, and it produced millions of gallons of radioactive water that is dangerous to store, but it probably did more than any other measure to avert a far worse disaster.
By the afternoon of March 16th, American officials had their first glimmer of decent news. To predict where a plume of radiation is likely to go, the N.R.C. uses a computer program called RASCAL, which weighs factors such as the quantity of radioactive material, the weather, and topography. When the model was released, that afternoon, it showed virtually no danger beyond fifty miles from the plant. “There was relief in the sense that, O.K., we don’t have to evacuate Tokyo,” Maher, of the State Department, said. The results still called for a dramatic step: Japanese authorities had ordered people within eighteen miles to evacuate or to stay indoors, but now the State Department warned U.S. citizens to stay at least fifty miles from the plant and to defer travel to Japan. It was the first time that American nuclear regulators had so publicly contradicted their counterparts in an allied country. Some U.S. and Japanese critics complained that the U.S. call for evacuation was excessive and sowed panic; those who fled came to be called “fly-jin,” a play on gaijin, the Japanese word for foreigner. The U.S. stands by the warning, which remained in effect for more than five months.
After the pressure drop that so alarmed observers in Washington, Tokyo Electric temporarily pulled out most of its workers. Six hundred and fifty were sent away, leaving several dozen in the headquarters building. Reporters named them “the Fukushima 50.” They were actually seventy and, by the next day, after more workers returned, about three hundred, but the name stuck, and the concept earned instant fame abroad, where it fit comfortably into clichés about Japan. The Chicago Sun-Times called them “human sacrifices”; British tabloids hailed the “nuclear samurai.” A Facebook page popped up to suggest they be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. People saw in the Fukushima 50 what they wanted—“the exact opposite of the Wall Street bankers,” a blog commentator wrote. “Their nation will love them,” another wrote.
But in Japan the reaction was noticeably different. The Japanese press praised the workers’ bravery and sacrifice, but it generally avoided discussion of the Fukushima 50; Asahi Shimbun suggested that “Fukushima 700” would be more accurate. In the Japanese edition of Newsweek, Takashi Yokota and Toshihiro Yamada wrote that, in the emphasis on the workers, the “predicament of the victims has been made secondary.” But Japan’s unease about the nuclear workers ran deeper than not wanting to distract from the suffering left by the tsunami: the workers were symbols not only of the failure to curb the abuses in the nuclear industry but also of an expanding underclass in a nation where ninety per cent of the public once identified itself as middle class. Years before the tsunami, labor activists had drawn attention to the dangers facing “nuclear gypsies,” the low-level workers who roamed from reactor to reactor looking for work. At the time of the tsunami, some of the workers at the Fukushima plant were earning the yen equivalent of eleven dollars an hour—the same as part-time help at McDonald’s in Tokyo.
Over the summer, I met now and then with a worker at the plant who had returned shortly after the meltdowns. He had no illusions about why his country was uneasy with his assignment. “The company caused all these problems, so of course it will have to send people to solve them,” he said. “It’s something to be ashamed of.” He was boyish and animated, an amateur military buff, and he was resigned to the risks associated with his work. When he arrived, workers were still sleeping on the floor, subsisting on canned rations, crackers, juice, and instant rice. By late summer, the food had improved, but extraordinarily dangerous hot spots remained at the plant, including a pipe that was giving off ten sieverts of radiation per hour—enough to deliver a fatal dose in less than thirty minutes.
farm in Iitate and move to a borrowed home forty minutes away. She hopes to return. “I won’t let a power plant take my life away,” she said.
The bus from Tokyo to the center of Fukushima takes three hours and passes through a string of tunnels that divide the skyscrapers of the capital from the forested hills of the northeast. Much of Fukushima Prefecture—population two million—has the feel of Maine: organic farms, pine forests, coastal towns where the air is spiked with sea salt. Every year, it awards the title of Miss Peach to advertise the sweetness of Fukushima fruit.
That kind of distrust was astonishingly pervasive; a poll in late May showed that more than eighty per cent of the population did not believe the government’s information about the nuclear crisis. That explains why, even long after the evacuation maps were clear and widely known, people in places that had been officially declared safe, like Tataki’s home town of Iwaki, were divided. “People are arguing at their dinner tables: Should we go; should we stay?” said Sayoko Ishihara, a seventy-eight-year-old woman I met one afternoon across from a Mr. Donut shop.
The local newspaper was running charts of radiation readings regularly, like the weather report. There was also a lot of bad information going around: in a sign of how far public confidence had sunk, people were invoking the Soviet handling of Chernobyl as a standard to aspire to. When I visited a community center that was conducting free radiation checks of food and objects, people arrived with boxes of snow peas, turnips, eggs, and meat. A father whispered that he had secretly swiped a sample of swimming-pool water from his daughters’ school.
Initially, public anger was fixed on Tokyo Electric. The families of senior executives were placed under police guard after their addresses were posted on a Web site critical of the company. But on a weekday afternoon in May protesters of a kind rarely seen in Japan turned up at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, in Tokyo. They were parents and grandparents who had taken the bus from Fukushima. Their target was specific: in order to keep more schools open in Fukushima, the government had raised the limits on radiation exposure for the general public. Scientists said that the limits were safe, but people were unconvinced.
Later, one of the organizers, Seiichi Nakate, a fifty-year-old father of two, told me he feels that he himself bears some responsibility for what happened. “If you look back to the Second World War, we waged war against the world’s major power, and that was the wrong decision for humanity. After we lost the war, Japanese people became even more politically indifferent. It permeated the whole social structure.” He went on, “By nature, Fukushima people are very calm and quiet, but we are standing up. We endured through years with the nuclear plants, and now we have woken up.” The group prevailed; a week later, the government went back to the old radiation limits.
The Fukushima meltdowns scattered nuclear fallout over an area the size of Chicago. Government scientists estimate that the total radiation released on land was about a sixth of the level at Chernobyl. The government discovered stores selling beef, spinach, and other foodstuffs that contained small amounts of radiation, and it was racing to pull the products from shelves. Because of such measures, the health consequences of the meltdowns will likely be far smaller than the public imagines.
Unlike the Russians, Japanese authorities warned parents not to give local milk to their children. (Because their cells grow at a faster rate, children are especially vulnerable to thyroid damage.) So far, none of the workers at Fukushima have been exposed to doses high enough to cause acute radiation sickness, and scientists do not expect a large increase in cancer cases. An analysis published last month by the Princeton University physicist Frank von Hippel estimated that roughly a thousand deadly cancers may result from the Fukushima meltdowns; he cautioned that the data are preliminary and that psychological effects should be considered as well.
Dr. Fred A. Mettler, Jr., the American representative to a United Nations committee on radiation assessment, said, “Forty per cent of people in developed countries get cancer anyway, so, compared to that normal rate, I think the risk is going to be low—and may not be detectable.” Of nearly four thousand workers who have passed through the plant since the meltdowns, only a hundred and three have been found to have received more than a hundred millisieverts of radiation. At that level, scientists predict about a one-per-cent increase over the normal rate of cancer. The most serious cases are two workers who were exposed to more than five hundred millisieverts in the first weeks of the crisis.
It is more difficult to pinpoint the toll on the land. The impact of a nuclear accident depends, to an extraordinary degree, on luck—not only on the fateful actions of workers in a crisis but on the direction of the wind. For four days after the meltdown, the wind blew out to sea. But then it swung sharply around and turned to the northwest. To make matters worse, there was rain and snow, which captured radioactive particles in the air and drove them deep into Fukushima’s mountain forests and streams. For days, the government stayed silent about where the fallout was going. Leaders were “afraid of triggering a panic,” Goshi Hosono, the minister in charge of the crisis, has said. It was unwise; some evacuees fled into the plume, a mistake that has prompted one local mayor to accuse the government of murder.
When the oldest man in town—a hundred and two years old—heard the news, he killed himself, rather than flee, the papers reported. In front of the village hall, a machine that looked like an oversized parking meter flashed a real-time radiation reading in large red digits: 7.71 microsieverts . . . 8.12 . . . 7.57. Being there was equivalent to receiving a chest X-ray every twelve hours.
In addition to its beauty, Iitate was known for its beef. Now the villagers had to kill their cows—nearly three thousand of them. Nobody wanted to see pictures of them wandering, skinny and abandoned, like the animals in some other evacuated towns.
To guard against looters, the villagers had agreed to take turns patrolling in the months ahead. Village leaders were saying that they expected to return to their homes within two years. But the vice-mayor conceded to me, “There’s nothing to back that up; it’s just for the villagers’ morale. If people are told it will be more than two years, they might never come back.” The central government avoided making any predictions, but five months after the quake it acknowledged that areas within three kilometres of the plant will likely be uninhabitable for decades.
When I returned to Iitate two months after the evacuation, I was joined by Mari Kobayashi, an outgoing forty-six-year-old widow who owns a twelve-acre farm. She was originally from Nagoya, Japan’s third-largest city, and had a career in fashion before moving up to the woods with her husband, a linguist who gave up his job as a Russian translator to work with his hands. They raised free-range chickens and organic fruits and vegetables. “Romantic, huh?” she joked, as she steered her Toyota along empty roads. On her dashboard, she had a laminated sign issued by the village, which identified her to the patrols as a local. After each visit, she tucked it away, to avoid unwanted attention. “Everybody from here has scattered now,” she said. “When I run into a patrol, I ask about this person or that person.” Approaching her house, we passed a strangely beautiful sight: where rice fields should be, workers had planted acres of blazing yellow sunflowers, a species that can leach some of the radiation out of contaminated soil. The sunflower seeds had been sown in patches all over Fukushima, by people in protective white suits, and once the blooms faded they were to be bagged and buried like toxic waste. Japanese scientists later concluded that the sunflower campaign had little effect.
Kobayashi’s house was on a hillside, overlooking a lily pond and stands of mature cedar and pine. Bullfrogs belched in the creek. Inside, things were dusty but untouched: wool slippers in pairs; cat drawings on the kitchen walls; snapshots of Mari cracking up at a picnic table, her husband sleeping in the sun.
Since the meltdowns, her relatives had pleaded with her to return to the city, but she had decided to stay in a borrowed house only forty minutes away. Her husband had died here, four years ago, and that made it especially hard for her to leave. “When he died, this forest saved me. My husband’s soul is in this land. I can’t abandon him.
As the sun sank, we left the house and headed back by car across the darkened hills. We passed houses I’d seen on my previous visit, but now they were empty, with the shades drawn, and in the twilight they looked papery and ephemeral, as if they could slip back into the woods without anybody there to notice.
Although an initial inspection of U.S. reactors by the N.R.C. in May found no “imminent threat,” it concluded that at about a third of them some emergency equipment might be vulnerable to extreme circumstances, such as fires and explosions, in ways that are startlingly reminiscent of details at Fukushima. At one plant, a single, diesel-driven pump was incapable of providing emergency water to both of the reactors on site. At another, firefighting equipment is stored in a building not fortified to withstand an earthquake, because a severe fire and an earthquake “were not assumed to occur coincidentally,” according to the report.
Still, within months the American nuclear industry had regained its confidence. Its representatives endorsed some changes, including additional portable backup generators, but when an N.R.C. task force, created after Fukushima, recommended upgrading the “patchwork” of regulations that govern American plants, the Nuclear Energy Institute argued against making changes in haste. “It’s not that we’re not going to do it; let’s find out a little bit more about what happened, and then we can make the right decision and do it right once,” Adrian Heymer, the N.E.I.’s executive director for strategic programs, told me.
On balance, the Fukushima disaster handed no easy victories to either side of the nuclear debate: defenders can no longer pretend to have engineered away the risks of generating a billion watts in a concrete building, and opponents cannot easily suggest that a meltdown will produce the huge number of immediate casualties that the public imagines. Even after Fukushima, several influential environmentalists have renewed their contention that nuclear power is an unavoidable part of weaning the planet from the burning of fossil fuels.
But, for a while, the Fukushima meltdowns have returned nuclear technology to its rightful place: a target for vigilance, scrutiny, and a healthy degree of fear. Looking back, it is easy to see where the Japanese nuclear system lost its footing: when the industry stopped seeing the risks; when decisions that affected millions of people were left up to desperate villages; when urbanites paid their electric bills without knowing where, exactly, the power came from. And yet, for all that went wrong before the meltdowns, the fundamentals of Japan’s open society served it well in the aftermath: elected officials ordered evacuations and alerted people not to drink tap water and suspended shipments of raw milk; parliament launched investigations into all that went wrong; and the Japanese press chronicled a raging national debate about the future.
The Japanese government ordered an initial round of stress tests—simulated disasters—for most of the nation’s nuclear reactors. It passed a tariff that promotes the use of renewable energy sources, which had withered during the heyday of the nuclear program. And, in an important legal change, it moved to separate the regulators in charge of policing the plants from the industrial ministry in charge of promoting them.
Not long after the meltdowns, Japan’s anti-nuclear activists were convinced that they had won the debate, and Prime Minister Kan made the dramatic gesture of calling for a temporary shutdown of a plant in central Japan where scientists have estimated that there is an eighty-seven-per-cent chance of a big quake. Many other plants closed for regular maintenance and have delayed reopening; by the end of the summer, fewer than a third of Japan’s fifty-four reactors were in active use. But soon factory owners were warning that power cuts would lead to a recession, and that argument prevailed. Prime Minister Kan, unsurprisingly, did not last long; on August 26th, he resigned, and his successor, Yoshihiko Noda, reversed course, prodding local communities to allow plants to re-start. By fall, a consensus had taken hold among Japanese politicians and intellectuals: there would not be a sudden end to nuclear power in Japan. The country would possibly close some of its oldest plants, but the rest—by one estimate, thirty-six of the fifty-four reactors—would endure. | 2019-04-19T20:56:59Z | https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/17/the-fallout |
I so wish I had read the reviews of this company before I purchased. I have the same complaints as everyone else. I contacted them 10 days after I sent in the sample to see if they had received it. That day I received the results at 4:59. At 5:00 I received another e-mail saying the samples had been sent to the lab and they would let me know when the results were in. I e-mailed them asking how the results were in when they had only just sent the sample to the lab. They e-mailed me back saying to disregard the results as a mistake had been made. I waited another week and e-mailed asking if they had the results. They sent me THE SAME EXACT RESULTS AS THE FIRST TIME!! I e-mailed them asking why they sent the botched results again and was told they could not do a re-test with the samples provided. What?? They never tested the samples. I should have known when the REQUIRED a picture and an answer to what line we thought the dog was….I also read that BBC busted them and did a segment on them and they do not send any samples to a lab. They literally guess based on the picture and answer you give them. I have asked Amazon for my money back. How can Amazon continue to sell this product with reviews like this?
Oh my gosh! Do I wish I looked at all of these reviews before buying this test. Like every other review I was asked for a picture, but did not supply one (I found that odd). It has now been a couple weeks and I have heard nothing. Not even a “we got your test” check mark. I bought this test through Walmart so will be contacting them next. Plus, will also be sending an email to BBB. If you are reading this, please right a review and report them to the BBB. I can’t believe Walmart would be selling a product for this company. Will be interesting to see what their response is going to be. BUYER BEWARE! Oh, and it is a 0 star, NOT a 1.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME. I SENT MY DOG’S DNA SAMPLE IN OCTOBER 2018 AND HAVE GOTTEN NO RESULTS BACK AS OF FEB 19 2019.
WEBSITE GIVES MESSAGE THAT RESULTS TAKE DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY WILL MAIL RESULTS.??? THEY SHOULD NOT GET ANY STARS.
I submitted my pets test the end of December they claim test results are returned in 12 days. It’s now Feb. 12 and no results yet.
I’ll wait another 15 days and then I’ll contact the Better Business Bureau after all I paid for this test!
Had my dog tested and came back she was a full German shepherd.. since she’s had pups and they have another breed in them!!!! Definitely not dad’s side as he is KC registered with a long line of ancestry! They go by the photo you send in, I will be taking this a lot further. Get them out of business.. I won’t stop till I do.
I wish I had read these reviews sooner! Shouldn’t have to send a photo. I have asked either to be able to send without photo or I would like my money back. No reply of course.
This product is also sold under the name DNAffirm. We bought 2 of these and became suspicious when you have to upload a photo when you register the sample.
My boxer came back as a boxer but my other dog is a rescue bull dog of some kind. It came back that she was boxer/greyhound/whippet/bulldog. It really was nonsense. We’ve since had it done by a more reputable company and as we thought she’s 87.5% American bulldog 12.5% boxer. Please don’t waste your money on this product!
SCAM! Don’t waste your money. I sent it in with a picture that looked the complete opposite of my dog. They shouldn’t need a picture! From the picture they told me my dog was a schnauzer, etc. she is a lab/pit mix. What a rip off. This company is a complete scam.
This company take your money and then you never hear anything. You can only speak to the overseas headoffice who are rude!!! U.K. Office are useless. Don’t waste your money!!!!!!!
I followed instructions. The kit was easy to use and the results came within a few weeks. I thought this was a great present.
I received two of these kits for Christmas. We knew the breeds of ours dogs, but were curious. ***This company asks for pictures AND what breeds they are. It blatantly lied on the breed of our second dog. We know for a fact she is 1/2 lab and 1/2 golden retriever. She came back 100% full blooded lab, ONLY because her picture looks like she is a full lab, I am sure!! I was skeptical when it asked for pictures!! WHY DO YOU NEED A PICTURE TO DO A DNA TEST?! That should have been the first red flag!! I do NOT recommend this ViaGuard DNA kit at all! Flushing my money down the toilet would have gotten better results!
Sent off for a kit, they then wanted a photo and what breed I thought it was, I thought I would put a false breed and photo in as its a DNA test didn’t see why they should want that information that’s what I was paying them to tell me what breed it is.
Anyway didn’t get a reply after 3 weeks so sent off an email asking if they had received the samples, they replied within a couple of hours and guess what they confirmed that the dog was what I said in the false declaration I made when registering . Don’t waste your money they don’t do any sort of test just go by what you say you think it is.
This company is a joke so AVOID at all cost, they request a picture of your dog so they can guess what breed it is. I wanted to know what other breed my dog was, I knew what the mother was but i never stated it on the form as i was curious to see if they would know using their DNA checks… and guess what….. it was totally different… Zero out of 5.
Do not use this company, they are a scam. They take your money & send out kit which is two cotton swabs. They ask for a photo of dog which is strange and also ask what breeds you suspect your dog is. They are supposed to know this from dna not asking for photos etc. I was going this for the simple reason cse we’ve already been scammed by the person who sold us our puppy saying she is a cavalier when in fact she is crossed with a springer so this dna was supposed to be being used in court against this bloke. So not only scammed by him but scammed by this too. I highly recommend wisdom. They seem much better and don’t ask for photos and suspected breeds. This company does not even respond to emails and has no contact number. Very very angry! DO NOT USE i would give no stars for this but it’s asking me to rate from 1-5!!
Purchased and sent in my test two months ago and never received a confirmation or results. The website has been “Down for Maintenance” and the customer service email sates not to inquire about the status of your order because they do not know.
Like many others, my money and test results seem to have disappeared into the ether. The website is currently not active. I shall be contacting Consumer Affairs. Has anyone already done so?
So I purchased 2 kits for dna testing. It looked really good not asking for a photo, it wasn’t until I started to register that it stated I needed to supply a photo ( I don’t need a certificate, but it is compulsory to send a pick) and what breed I thought my dogs were, isn’t it they’re job to tell me. I am now thinking this is a scam. I wish I had read these reviews first. I think I’ll try and get a refund, but can’t really find any contact details.
I sent in a DNA test for my dog in March 2018 and as of today July 22, 2018 have not heard anything and cant even find out why. I don’t even know if they received the test. I need to either hear something from the or send me a refund. The website says “Do not call or email if you have a problem.” WELL THAT’S GREAT!
I wish I had never used this company!
Still waiting almost 2 months later. Nothing.
14 days approx they said, been over 2 months, very difficult to contact and never had any reply. Please do not use this company.
I purchased two tests. On the records it stated one had arrived and the other hadn’t. Wait for the results and finally get them 28th June. The results said three breeds, when the dog who’s test was received has a purebred Saluki as a parent. You guessed it, saluki was not a named breed.
I sent an email asking how this is possible and that my other test is still showing at not received. Supposedly the quality of the sample can affect the readings, even though they were done to your instruction and dried in the envelope to ensure no cross contamination. So not 99.9% accurate you claim? Then they gave me results for the second test. So the 5-7 days testing takes took you 1 day when you still hadn’t received it?
I have asked the company for a full refund.
We ordered the kit before reading reviews beyond that of the retailer. That was a mistake. The order was not complete, it did not contain the DNA swabs and it has been very difficult to get hold of a contact. I managed to find a phone number, however they could not help saying that since I already paid for the kit, they could not send out replacement swabs . I also emailed the company and filled out an online contact form and received no response. I would rate it lower than one if I could.
Wish I’d checked this review website first. My dog looks like a labrador cross, but I knew from DNA tests already done on puppies known to be his that he is majority Canaan with no indication of any Labrador in him. Despite this the test from Viaguard came back telling me he was a Lab/Collie cross (neither appearing in any of his puppies). I guessed immediately that they had simply looked at the picture I had been asked to provide and assumed exactly what everyone always assumes when they meet him… I was so annoyed that I chose to get another test from a company with a better reputation…. no photo was requested by them, just the swab. The results came back showing he was indeed majority Canaan…. no Lab or Collie – or indeed anything else they listed. Thankfully both tests also showed negative results for MDR1 and EIC… but the fact that Viaguard even gave me results for these conditions without even bothering to do a proper test is – in my opinion – criminal! DO NOT TRUST VIAGUARD DOG DNA TESTING – the whole service preys on people who are duped into providing a photo so that Viaguard can provide a nice personalised certificate!
Thankyou for my dogs DNA results, very pleased with it, even though i had to wait along time for it to arrive.
I sent in one DNA for testing and told them nothing about my dog. The results that came back were ridiculous.
I sent another under another name and told them what I thought she was and got results that were far more acceptable plus they included a dog that not many people would have heard of but I did wonder if it was in my dog. It’s a shame I didn’t have those results first as I’m left wondering if they are rubbish as well although they fit.
Also one side of her is pure bred so I am also confused why this isn’t level one.
Unfortunately there is no customer care for questions on DNA. I’d just like some reassurance.
I think this company is a con.
Samples sent in, and never heard from the company again?! emails go unanswered. Have requested a full refund as over a month since they received samples (which only last for 5 days).
Web site states results in 2 weeks. Sent the swabs in 6 weeks ago and still have not heard anything. Web site states not to phone or email them if you have a problem. Customer service is a zero. But you have to give them no less than1 star???????
Terrible service,terrible communication. My dog came back as a pure breed Italian Greyhound (I am assuming they worked this out from the photo and the suspected breed I supplied). It was obvious that my dog is a cross breed I got his dna tested by another company and he came back as a whippet italian greyhound cross (I didnt have to supply a photo).
The test also took longer than stated.
Its worth paying a bit extra for a proper test,I am currently trying to get a refund from Viaguard.
We rescued a puppy and knew his mother to be Saluki but father unknown. I did not tell them I beleived him Saluki just sent in his pic as requestd for his certificate at 12 weeks he looked like a pointer or foxhound and suprise that want his results came back as and NO Saluki mentioned!!!.Took 2 emails asked for a retest but was just sent a refund with no response or explanation. Either these things are accurate or not. I wanted to know for health and training purposes. I’ve now given the money to an animal charity. Absolute rubbish.
It arrived quickly after purchase and came with a free returns envelope. The test was easy to do. The results took a little longer than expected, however they seem very accurate when compared to my dog. I would recommend.
Scam ? non existent customer service.
Automated order confirmation said 5-7 days for kit to arrive.
It is now 39 days since they took my money.
They do not respond to emails.
Web site is registered as “private” It should be registered as commercial so that Web site owners details are published.
“Pit Bull” DNA testing is not valid in the UK. The breed of a dangerous dog is not relevant under UK law.
I wish I could give 0 stars!
Ordered a dna test and they received the samples on 30/11/17.
The results were intended as a Christmas present, and dispite the sites claims that results would be received within 14days, it is now Christmas Eve and no results!
Customer service is appalling as they have ignored all emails for the last week!
Can’t comment on the accuracy of results yet but regardless of this I would avoid this company.
So I ordered a via – pet (via guard) dna testing kit and did the swabs, posted them and then read the reviews, and felt incredibly sick.
I had provided a microchip number and a photo (of my boys face only), the 2 deadly sins according to the reviews on here.
Had already written it all off as a waste of time, when the email with results came through.
My boy is adopted from Romania and we knew he was a collie but weren’t sure with what. I would add he does not look like a collie at all (so the photo wont have helped) and his chip paperwork only shows cross breed and no breed (so again if they looked that wont have helped either), they confirmed a collie and the other breeds that have made him as well.
When I have read up on the other breeds its like reading about my dog, every point is spot on with his behaviour and will help a lot with his training.
Maybe some people have all had bad experiences but for own it was spot on.
I stupidly sent a photo of my lab cross dog to this awful company, only to find, surprise, surprise, the results came back with 75% lab no other details. I know she is a lab but wanted to know what else. Complete waste of money. Should have gone to the more expensive companies. WASTE OF MONEY!
I really wish that I’d found this site before bothering with this outfit. I one thing that we are certain of is that my dog along with his two brothers are puppies of a Dalmatian. Dad clearly was not a Dalmatian which is why I wanted to do the test. When Viaguard asked for a photo ‘for the certificate’ we just sent a pic of his face – which is nothing like a dalmations. A photo of his body would clearly show his maternal breed. Every day in the park I get people suggesting breeds like schnauzer, poodle, spaniel . . . . he has a fluffy face! I was so disappointed when Viaguard too came back with poodle/schnauzer/spaniel with no mention of dalmatian. A complete and utter waste of money. I feel that I’ve been conned. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY ! I can’t dive zero stars!
Please note, after contacting Viaguard about my issue, I received a full refund.
I sent a swab for testing on my mongrel I recently adopted, he’s black and white with a very curly tail, medium sized and quite slim. When asked to provide a photo for his certificate I attached a photo of my GSD’S face, purely to see if they did a visual result or they did actually test the swab. Welllll, much to my disappointment his results came back he was a Tervuren – Belgian Shepherd!!!! Absolutely no way he was that, they totally did a visual analysis. I put in my complaint and demanded a refund. Guilty as charged and a full refund given, a crappy excuse that the sample had maybe been contaminated! Steer clear of these cowboys. Would have given them minus 5 stars!
This company claims its ‘Pit bull Exemption certificate will save tens of thousands of innocent dogs from execution’. This is not true. Breed specific legislation in the UK is based on looks alone, DNA testing does not come into it and will not save a dog that has been assessed as pit bull type unless it is a really borderline decision by the court.
Viaguard’s claim appears to provide reassurance to bull breed owners – pay for a test and you have proof your dog is not a pit bull. Save your money, it won’t help you!
Please check the law on Defra’s website for the facts.
A Sceptic Eating Humble Pie! Viaguard you're Spot on!
Ok now I read the reviews on this site after we’d paid for tests and our tests had not yet been confirmed as being received, although Royal Mail had proof of delivery. Looking at previous posts regarding this firm I thought that we’d been scammed and I wrote to Via-Pet informing them so.
We’ve just had the results back and not only do they make total sense but the depth off explanations and ACGT profiling that went with it is spot on.
I totally unreservedly Apologise to Via Pet / Viaguard for my panicked emails regarding delivery and the tests.
Seriously I was extremely sceptical ( I thought we’d been scammed) but they’ve done a great job and extremely accurate. I won’t hesitate to recommend them and like I say and they can confirm I was a sceptic!!
Do not use this company, it is a scam without a doubt. Firstly they ask you to supply the breed you think your dog is AND a photo with your swabs. They say it is for the certificate, but I opted not to provide either for purposes of having an unbiased result. Our dog is definitly English staffy, with maybe a little of something else (but maybe not). If we had supplied the photo it would be a dead givaway. After waiting twice the time they said it would take I got the results…they are a joke, Australian Kelpie and border collie mix? I am getting a refund and I suggest this company is very suspicious. | 2019-04-24T04:44:04Z | https://dnatestingchoice.com/pet-testing/provider/viaguard/3588 |
Abstract: Rural India is drawing more attention than ever before. To develop rural India, we need rural managers. Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) recognized this need way back in 1979 and started a course in Rural Management. However, at a later stage, realizing the need to meet the growing managerial needs of ‘all types’ of organizations connected with rural economy, management institutions groomed their students to serve them too.This paper reflects certain concerns associated with the present Rural Management Education system, and proposes some changes for its strengthening. The first concern is related to the course curriculum. There is leakage of students from development sector to allied sectors. After completion of RM, most of the students join allied sectors or even mainstream business. Here, the concern is about the quality of workforce joining these sectors. Another concern related to curriculum is the limited rural exposures offered to the RM students. In earlier times, most of the RM Schools offered two rural exposures. But in due course, this tradition has disappeared. This has affected the quality of education. Similarly, the lack of rural exposure to allied specializations such as Agribusiness, Rural Marketing, Rural Finance etc.is also a matter of concern. The second concern is related to the visibility of RM Schools during admissions. At present, the enrollment to RM is also based on CAT, MAT etc. A separate All India level entrance test specifically for RM is the need of hour. Also,the premier institutions are not in the top 20 list of B School rankings, because of the ranking methodology which is tailored for the mainstream business schools. The third concern is related to the leakage of Rural Managers to other business sectors. “Alumni in corporate’ is becoming the thrust for some institutions. ButRural Managers need to serve the Rural Sector. Hence there is need to attract and retain young talents. Several changes need to be brought to the present RM education system to make it attractive and strong. All the proposals which are shared in this paper can be made possible with the support of subject experts, management, faculty and the students. Their combined effort will strengthen the system.But someone has to take the initiative; set an example; and lead.
This paper must be cited as follows: Abraham, A., (2013). Strengthening Rural Management Education in India. Business Frontiers, 4(1), 1-8.
Business Today and Nielsen has published the B-School rankings for 2012, in India. One of the interesting things this ranking has attempted to achieve the balance between “perception overlaps” among “chains of B-Schools”… (like IIMs, IMIs, IMTs, IITs, Symbiosis, ICFAI etc).. and estimate the individual B-School’s actual but relative position, somewhat unaffected by the umbrella brands. Indeed a good and novel way to rank institutes. There were two surveys, one to estimate the perceptive performances of institutes, and another to estimate the factual performances of the institutes.
The factual survey was done first, wherein we sent out a detailed questionnaire across multiple parameters to 1,832 B-schools across the country. Subsequently, after the factual data had come in from these schools, the perceptual survey was started. A separate questionnaire was administered to a group of more than 1,200 stakeholders of the B-school ecosystem, including teachers, students, young executives and HR recruiters. Their opinions are taken again on various aspects relating to the five key parameters – Learning Experience, Living Experience, Return On Investment, Future Orientation and Brand Value and finally a sum of products approach was undertaken and scoring of the institutes was achieved.
Social Media has gained in popularity in leaps and bounds. Whats fascinating, that today beyond the social networking, professional networking is also increasing in popularity, which has led to the recruitment efforts of HRs through Social Media. In fact, there are openings for people who enjoy indulging in Social Media, like brand managers, community managers, social media strategists, content creators.In fact, due to the importance of Social Media, there have been conferences (e.g. Social Media in Recruitment) which explores the various dimension of this emergent phenomenon.
While the importance of Linked In has been recognized for a long time for recruitment of new talent in the mid-senior levels, very few recruiters would like to admit that they check the Facebook profiles of the potential candidates. A person’s social interaction not only is an indication of his emotional quotient and with whom he can connect through his social networks, it eventually links up to his professional quotient. Business Schools like Harvard, Yale or other premium schools have networks which can help to identify a member uniquely from these institutions. Thus the potential for actually evaluating the claims of candidature and their association with with niche institutions increases manifold, and hence correctness of professional membership is stamped in the social profile.
Not only for checking a candidates professional aptitude, but also to evaluate a candidature’s fit for a particular profile, a professional Social Media profile is of paramount importance. Its often that recruiters check Linked In for suitable candidates for niche roles. Hence a profile with details which can provide greater insight to the recruiters, can actually create a one-off linkage for the perfect skill specific job with a right candidate.
So why is social media increasing in importance in the recruitment scenario? Actually it has to be recognized that the job portals offer paid services to the recruiters while the social media is free for the basic users. Also the job portals are region specific, social media is more global by its very definition. Job portals target only the active job seekers whereas social media potentially has access to both active and passive job seekers. Hence one may just become inquisitive on seeing an advertisement of an opening which may have a high fit with the candidate, although the latter might not be actively searching for openings at the time.Thus the potential reach to the perfect candidates increases manifold, even if the latter are not actively searching for opportunities.
Also, one can observe social interactions of a potential candidate on social media unlike in job portals. However, social media is difficult to use for the recruitment purpose while job portals are highly user friendly and easy to use, being more targeted for the purpose. But if offers one benefit that cannot be obtained from job portals. The candidates cannot re-organize their profile for a particular opening, since most have a time stamp, which offers ingenuity to profiles with a truthful mapping of candidature with the openings, although the potential information for evaluation may be low.
So what do you think about the importance of social media and professional recruitment? Do let us know your thoughts on this topic.
The top business school rankings of India is again out. The rankings are based on the survey done buy Pagalguy, the premier platform where B-School aspirants, alumni, faculty and industry forms a part of the ranking. We agree more or less to the rankings brought out in this survey. The B-Schools have further been color coded in bands, based on our perception. The bands are made based on the perceived potential level of openings that a student coming out of these institutes may have, once he joins the industry. It has been assumed, that the opportunities within a similar band to top jobs or top career prospects, will be homogeneous for students within a band, in an abstract manner.
Those interested in what India has to offer in terms of Business Schools should not feel intimidated if they are located far from the area. It may not be as difficult as one would initially assume to plan a trip to India on the internet. There are plenty of travel services, like Expedia for example, that allow tourists (or anyone wishes to study abroad) to easily reach their destination while potentially saving them some money and time in the process. Simply looking at what is available is completely free, so don’t hesitate to look into a travel plan. It could quite literally change the course of one’s career.
Our values are principles or beliefs that serve as guidelines to help us make decisions about actions, behaviors and life choices. They reflect what we value and how we feel about the rightness or wrongness of things. Attitudes are how values are manifested in our actions and thoughts to others. ATTITUDES are our feelings towards certain ideas and dictate how we react in concrete situations.
Bhuvan’s value of collectivism was in his accepting the challenge.Also Captain Russels individualism and superiority complex was portrayed when he decided to actually lay down the challenge to bhuvan, and this was clearly not appreciated by his superiors.The raja’s values of Dharma over Karma was expressed when he was asked to consume meat,in return of the favour asked.The collectivism of the villagers was expressed when they united to fight against the wrong that was being done towards them.The uncertainty avoiding values of the villagers were expressed when they did not want to tke up the challenge.Then Deva Singh Sodhi’s instrumental values came in the act in his joining the team,against his terminal values of fighting against the british.The values of the caste system became evident when bhuvan invited kachra to play,but eventually bhuvan managed to ignite the collectivism of the villagers. Collectivism was again portrayed when Lakha’s Individualistic act of betrayal became public. The values of winning,at the cost of ethical sportsmanship,was portrayed by the british players during the game.
Age: The impact of seniority has been seen throughout the film, especially in times when Bhuvan tries to speak in defiance of the british raj, but the senior villagers prevent him from doing so.When bhuvan actually first started to play the game, an incident occurs, when the ball moves towards gauri, and when she tries to give it back to him, she is ordered by her father to tend to household activities. Throughout the film, it is seen that the important positions in the village social architecture, like the mukhiya, is held by senior persons.It is not as if seniors do not let the juniors to speak out their perspectives and views, but the status of seniors still remains. In fact, there has been several occasions throughout the movie when the youth can actually make the senior citizens see reason although initially they were less inclined to do so. The age factor has been key in deciding the values of the individuals, with respect to their openness. The youth had been actually portrayed to be more upto the challenge, and ready for a change, while the seniors were not really ready to accept changes in their thought processes.
Gender: It has been observed through out the film that feminine characters has been portrayed as those with feelings, and although the society of the village has been purely patriarchal in terms of holding the key positions like the mukhiya,women has been associated with respectful persona that cared for the rest, and saw to it that the family needs were taken care of. They tended to the old, weak and the injured and sick people.It was especially illustrated when during game practice sessions gauri came with the meals for the players, and even coerced them to eat.During the practice sessions, when the players got bruised, under the guidance of Harikaka, they tended to the players. The behavior of Elizabeth has been a sharp contrast to that of her brother, who was arrogant and unkind, to the core and expressed masculinity.
Caste: Caste system was prevalent in those days, and that also took a centre stage in the later half of the movie when Bhuvan invited kachra to play in his team. Kachra was referred to as being untouchable or “Achut” and the rest of the team initially was very adamant about leaving him out of the team. It took the inspirational character of Bhuvan to actually convince the villagers to move away from the caste bias and play unitedly and portray collectivism.
Race: A scene flashes to the inner eye is when throughout the movie, the Indian villagers were mistreated by the british raj as being native and insults were hurled at them at random and they were severely penalized even for small “mistakes”. The Indian villagers were shown to be beaten up, and Captain Russel went to the extent of saying that the natives would for ever live under the soles of the britishers. This shows the complete disregard of the human being and the racist feelings and attitudes that took centrestage when the plot of the movie unfolded. Even the british loyalists were not free from insults, and towards the end of the match, it was seen that even the most loyal Ramprasad revolted due to the constant differential behavior that was meted out to him on a regular basis.
Our values are principles or beliefs that serve as guidelines to help us make decisions about actions, behaviours and life choices. They reflect what we value and how we feel about the rightness or wrongness of things.
In this case study, we analyze the values and attitudes in Lagaan, the bollywood superhit movie of 2007.
First, an understanding of the needs pyramid is essential for further appreciation of the case analysis.
The need pyramid typically drives the values and attributes of individuals. The characters of lagaan are also not free from the effects of this hierarchy of needs, first hypothesized by Maslow.
Values and Attitudes: The Flow in Lagaan.
The attitudes in the movie become evident when an argument starts between goli and bhura, reflecting their affection for their children and poultry respectively.Then gauri professes negative affective attitude towards Lakha.The oncoming clouds spark behavioral and affective attitude driven actions amongst the villagers starting a celebration.Then the behavioral component of bhuvan’s towards the british player become evident at the first british-villagers meet.Then the villagers expressed negative cognitive attitude towards bhuvan’s acceptance of the challenge although gauri and his mother showed a positive cognitive attitude.Then the villagers showed an affective attitude when bhuvan’s first shot hit the temple bell.The value to stand by a villager, if threatened by external forces became evident, when bhuvan was then attacked by the other village. Elizabeth portrayed the value for equality of chances when she decided to help the villagers understand the game. Then Ismail’s cognitive attitude became evident on seeing the “gori mem” assisting bhuvan.The instrumental value of deva singh sodhi when he came to play, as against his terminal value of “war” against the britishers.Then the affective value of elizabeth gets portrayed as she confesses to bhuvan,she loved him.Similarly, bhuvan professes his love to gauri.Bhuvan’s behavioral component of equality got reflected when he invited kachra to play in the team,against the negative cognitive attitude of the villagers,which he later managed to change.On the D-Day the affctive attitude of the raja against the british became evident.Then when the villagers came to know about Lakha’s betrayal, their cognitive and affective attitude became evident.The positive cognitive attitude of the british officers towards the village team’s performance,became evident when the game was in progress.During the game, the cognitive,affective and behavioral attitudes of bhuvan’s team became evident,towards the tactics of the Britishers and their own reactions.Finally, the display of affective attitude when the village team won the match.
Initially the villagers were very hesitant in supporting bhuvan,but the first shot of bhuvan rang the temple bell changed their veiw,which continued seeing the constant enthusiasm of bhuvan and the support from the “gori mem”.Slowly bhuvan’s self belief and enthusiasm was infused among the villagers.Gauri and bhuvan’s mother was always there to support bhuvan from the very beginning,although in the patriarchal society,they did not have too much say.The support from the “gori mem” was instrumental in arising the feelings of the villagers to stand up against being wronged.Amidst all this positive changes of attitude, the negative changes in Lakha was striking,when his attentions toards gauri was neglected,who in turn only cared for bhuvan,and this caused him to betray his fellowmen to Captain Russel.In the midst of all the challenges,the villagers became a family,leaving aside their initial values for inequality on the basis of caste,and seniority on the basis of age.Then the game started amidst the emotionally charged atmosphere.Then the villagers came to know about Lakha’s betrayal, and although they initially reaction threatened his life,later on bhuvan’s insistence and lakha’s apology,he was given the chance to prove his loyalty, which he did.Then came the real emotional outburst when the village team won the match thus completing the transformation. | 2019-04-24T14:51:09Z | http://www.business-fundas.com/tag/business-education/page/7/ |
Diane and Christos deserve enormous praise for their professionalism and customer relations in the recent sale of my property in Paphos.
In the past 25 years I have sold two previous properties in Cyprus but working with Cyprus101 was a different experience for me. The company was recommended to me by a business friend when I sought advice , after I had become disenchanted with the attitude of some other estate agents in the Paphos area.
Diane immediately familiarised herself with my property, and my expectations of the process, and from the beginning I felt confident and positive.
The entire process was conducted through email and telephone, because I was living in the UK, and Diane co-ordinated this not only with myself but with the custodian of my property. I was informed of every viewing and given immediate feedback on progress without having to ask. The whole experience was made stress- free for me through her business- like approach. She made it simple.
This is a company with integrity which I recommend without reserve.
Have bought & recently sold our house using Cyprus101.
Extremely professional service with special thanks to Diane who really puts the buyer & seller at the centre of the experience!
From first meeting with Christos to the completion of our sale, we were extremely impressed by the level of professionalism & dedication from your team.
Christos visited & valued our apartment, explained the procedure very clearly, and left us feeling that we were in good hands.
Our first discussion with our solicitor was also very encouraging, as she spoke very highly of the company which she had worked with frequently.
We felt that the photos and entry on your website were all of high quality and thorough.
We were kept informed at every stage of the viewings & subsequent sale – so important when you are back in the UK and not able to oversee the whole process at first hand!
Now that the sale is completed we feel entirely happy and in a position to recommend Cyprus 101 without hesitation.
We were recommended by a friend to Cyprus101 and have had no cause to regret this decision.
We were in UK during the whole sales process and were happy and confident that the marketing and selling of our property would be carried out professionally and efficiently, which it was. Diane always responded to messages and emails promptly and we never had a moments worry.
We were recommended Cyprus101 through our solicitor, and they have definitely lived up to the recommendation.
Efficient, courteous, and will go the extra mile, but also come with a human touch.
All that you need when selling or buying a property - a process that at the best of times can be stressful, and when you need someone on your side.
I want to thank you for an excellent service in the selling of my apartment. We have had quite a few nail biting experiences over the last few months, but thanks to your first class service, we finally reached a sale. I would certainly recommend you to anyone else. I always felt, although I was over four thousand miles away, I had complete confidence in you.
I am happy to recommend Cyprus101 for the friendly and helpful service which I received from Diane.
She made selling the flat a smooth process.
I cannot speak highly enough of the service we received from Diane at Cyprus101.
She does her job with amazing efficiency and organised every aspect of the sale making it completely stress free, as we reside in the UK.
Thank you Diane, you are truly appreciated.
I have to comment on the extremely professional service I received from Diane and Christos from Cyprus101. Coupled with their professionalism was the warm, friendly and genuine caring approach they both showed . I had previously experienced an extremely poor service from a lawyer in Cyprus affecting and contributing to my lack of faith in the process of selling my apartment. Diane and Christos changed all of that. As soon as I met Diane I trusted that she would do her best to get me the best sale. Christos went out of his way to help me with the situation I had with the previous lawyer, introduced me to a very professional new lawyer, and the rest as they say is history. My apartment has been sold and the process was painless Diane communicated with me every step of the way. I highly recommend them to anyone who is thinking of selling their property . I cannot praise them enough!
Thank you Cyprus101 for successfully selling our villa in Peyia.
From the initial advice, through to the exchange of contracts, the procedure was superb. Diane Murphy and Christos are a professional and knowledgable team who ensured we had updates throughout, which is essential when organising a sale from the uk. the villa sold in the first week of being on sale.
If you want efficient selling skills and customer care with a quality web site, choose this excellent estate agent.
Just sold our apartment with Cyprus101 and the service we received was excellent both Chris and Diane were extremely professional and a pleasure to deal with. The sale went through without a problem and I would have no reservation in recommending Cyprus101 to anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
Diane and Christos we would like to thank you both for all the help you gave us in marketing our property and under great pressure to obtaining a sale in a short timescale.
We have now settled in our new home back in the UK and are enjoying the lifestyle thanks mainly to your dedication in finding us a buyer for our Cyprus property and we would have no hesitation in recommending Cyprus101 to anyone looking for professional sales agents to market their property.
We were very pleased will the sale of our apartment Sirena Cypria.
Regarding your services, with the quickness of the sale & smoothness of the transaction, the hassle was taken away from us and we agreed that the service was Excellent.
Diane and Christos succeeded in selling our villa where all others had failed. They were both very pleasant and easy to talk to and were very responsive to our needs. We would have no hesitation in recommending them to others for both the efficiency and value of the service that they provide.
We are more than happy to recommend Diane and Christos and Cleo at Cyprus 101. The photographs taken of our bungalow in Peyia were excellent and resulted in a sale within a few months. We received much valued support and advice from the whole team, and were kept well informed regarding the progress of the viewing and the sale which followed. This was so appreciated after we had returned to the UK and were no longer resident at the bungalow.
We would like to thank you for the efficient and professional way you marketed our property in Peyia which resulted in a very quick sale. We would definitely recommend you to anyone looking for or selling a property.
We sold our property through Cyprus101 and found both Chiristos and Diane very easy to deal with and also very professional. They also brought more potential buyers around to view our property, who were not time wasters. The photographs that Diane took were first class and did the property justice and I am sure went a long way to help sell it. The communication with Cyprus101 was also excellent and I would recommend this company to anybody who is looking to sell their property.
Thanks to you both for all of your assistance and advice, which was greatly appreciated.
We were recommended by a friend to contact Cyprus101 and found Diane and Christos very professional and friendly. Diane produced beautiful marketing photos and Christos did a fine job finding a buyer within 3 months. Would definitely recommend employing Cyprus101.
I would certainly use this splendid company again.
They triumphed in a difficult market.
My wife and I are extremely pleased with the service and commitment you and your company have provided for us.
Thank you so much Diane for all your efforts on our behalf.
Really appreciate the time you spent to complete on our house sale-I don’t think it would have happened without you!! Would definitely recommend Cyprus101 to anyone, professional service from start to finish!
Thank you both for your professionalism and advice through this process, we will not hesitate to recommend your services.
Many thanks to Diane & Christos for their professional & efficient work in moving on our property. You have been a pleasure to deal with.
I would like to thank you for all you did to secure a sale for us. You have been brilliant throughout, keeping us informed at all times of any developments, good or bad. You have gone over and above by sorting things out when the solicitor has been lacking. A big thank you also to Christos for going to the Land Registry to enquire about the Title Deeds for us on more than one occasion.
You are a formidable team!
I wanted to leave a testimonial and show appreciation for Cyprus101 Estate Agents. I recently sold my town house in Tala and purchased a beautiful bungalow in Kamares under the careful guidance of Cyprus101 Estate Agents. Diane Murphy provided a professional service that made the process really straightforward from beginning to the end. From each and every step of my sale, liaising with my solicitor and the vendor to ensure a quick sale, which took only eight weeks from viewing to completion, but most of it has been down to Diane’s drive and ability to say the right thing to the right person at the right time. Diane’s professionalism and knowledge lead me through the whole process; she is thoughtful, polite, straight talking and honest. Her efficiency and enthusiasm kept things moving all the time and even gave me sound advice on the property I was purchasing. Diane completely outstripped her competitors with advice and support. I would highly recommend her!
my apartment. So I called them straight away and promptly enough Diane's husband Christos came to see me. They are very professional and extremely helpful too in all aspects. Due to their past experience in property they were able to make the whole process of selling my property run smoothly, deal with any hiccups along the way and kept me updated at all times with progress of the sale.
If you ever decide to sell your property with ease and the best guidence every step of the way, you could not make a better choice than Diane and Christos at Cyprus101 Properties.
When we decided to sell our apartment, Cyprus101 was recommended to us.
After the first meeting with Diane we were sure we had made the correct decision. She installed confidence with her knowledge of the Cyprus market and did not attempt to procure our business with any outlandish promises on price.
The property was marketed to a very high standard indeed. We have been extremely satisfied from start to finish with Cyprus101 and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.
I found Cyprus 101 on the web when looking for a good value for money agency to sell my property in Paphos. From day one I was impressed with their hands on personal approach and the way they marketed my property.
In a difficult market they found potential buyers well and in a relatively short time they successfully sold my house within the price range I had agreed with them.
Overall I can say they offered an excellent service, I certainly recommend them.
Diane was highly recommended to us, along with some other agents, but she was the only one who had the professionalism we were looking for, and gave us the confidence that she knew the market. As we were in the UK during the sale, we were slightly concerned at not being there during the viewing and selling process, but we did not need to worry. The sale was conducted smoothly. Diane was very helpful and kept us informed at every stage of the selling process. We would not hesitate to recommend Diane and to anybody else. Many thanks.
Having just completed the sale of our property using Diane and Christos of Cyprus101, we have nothing but praise for their professional manner and excellent customer service during the whole (often stressful) process. As a result, we would have no hesitation in recommending them to anybody considering buying or selling in Cyprus.
I had Diane from Cyprus101 come highly recommended to me. I was hoping to sell my property in Cyprus while residing in the UK and quite frankly envisaged a difficult and lengthy process.
Within 2 weeks my apartment was sold and Diane couldn't have made the transaction easier. She was always available and helped tremendously throughout the whole procedure.
I have nothing but praise and thanks for such a professional transaction.
We would not hesitate to recommend Diane and Christos of Cyprus101 who were introduced to us by our close friend who knew of a previous sale they had carried through.
Because of family circumstances beyond our control it was necessary to sell our house in Kato Paphos where we had had such good times.
The sale of a property can be very stressful especially when you are not in the same country but Diane kept us informed,supported and encouraged every step of the way. Nothing was too much trouble and when we met Diane and her husband Christos we were impressed by their friendliness, professionalism and sincerity.
She and Christos have an excellent knowledge of the housing market and their advice was invaluable.They were tirelessly patient even when things appeared to falter, but between Diane and Stella Timoutheou my solicitor, the sale was accomplished.
Thank you on behalf of Annette,Steve and Mark Graham and David my partner who has also always been there to help me along.
We had to sell our property due to my husband's health with much regret and wanted a sale as quick as possible.
We couldn't believe that Diane had a buyer within two days of it going on the market.
We felt that Diane was a switched on lady, took some lovely photos of the villa, very competent in very way.
We could call her at any time should we have any queries . Nothing was too much trouble.
Diane also recommended a very good solicitor who sorted out absolutely everything, electric, water and switch over of car documents which was a tremendous help and saved me a lot of work and worry.
If you haven't used Diane, well I recommend you try, you won't be disappointed.
Having spoken to several agents regarding marketing our property in Kato Paphos, the only company that we felt totally confident in was Cyprus101.
Diane was excellent throughout, from the beautiful photos through to providing regular feedback and updates.
We didn't envisage securing a sale anywhere near as quickly as we did, and the price agreed was above our expectations. This was down to Diane and the team getting the right people in to view the property.
We were delighted to introduce the company to a neighbour who has now appointed Cyprus101 to sell his property - what more can I say!.
A huge thank you to you all, you made the whole process stress free, and we are eternally grateful.
We were very happy with your professionalism and you were both honest and genuine with us from day one. We would always recommend you both (have already) to family/friends when they decide to sell their homes.
Until we came across Cyprus101 we had not found the right company or people to sell our home. The process was very smooth from start to finish with yourselves and Ruth our lawyer.
Hopefully we can keep in touch in the future.
Kind regards to you both and your family.
Terry and I Would like to say a massive thank you in achieving our Sale in such a short time time.
We were delighted with the personal touch in keeping us informed which ensured a smooth transition and the communication between yourself and Ruth was a great combination. We will honour the invitation to Dinner as Christos said it would be sold within three months and Terry is always a man of his word We are hoping to visit in October so will pop in to see you then.
We hope Carole will be happy in her new home we have many happy memories in Kamares and made some wonderful friends so will endeavour to keep in touch with them all.
It is a great pleasure to recommend Diane and Christos to sell your property. They are very professional and friendly, besides giving excellent service. They help you every step along the way, were always at the end of the phone for any queries and nothing was too much trouble for them. We thank them most sincerely for their service.
Cyprus101 was recommended to us by close friends. We met Diane and were immediately struck by how helpful and friendly she was. We were staying in our friends’ house at the time and when we had a plumbing problem Diane recommended a reputable plumber.
There were probate complications with our house purchase,which could have taken years to resolve, but with our smashing lawyer (once more on Diane’s recommendation) and Diane on the case in tandem, everything was completed as quickly as humanly possible.
We had heard scare stories of unscrupulous estate agents in Cyprus which are no doubt true, so if you want to avoid them try Cyprus101 and ask for Diane. If you do so, you will find honest trading, no hidden costs and a speedy completion.
We were so impressed with the way you made the sale of our house in St George Peyia so easy and effortless. The house was sold after just two viewings!! And we were kept informed every step of the way. We have already recommended you to friends that are ready to sell.
We appreciate your professionalism and dedication in selling 101, Mare Monte, your name will be forwarded to any interested parties requesting to buy or sell property in Cyprus.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Diane for all her effort, hard work and genuine interest in trying to sell my property.
I had my house on the market for about a year and half with another famous company in Cyprus. I then decided to take it off the market and wait a little and that's when I saw on the Internet the company that Diane worked for and I thought maybe a change of estate agent would bring fresh ideas in selling my house.
I met Diane and she went through every step of the way on how to promote and advertise the property so I could get as many people to see the house as possible - the last agent brought 3 people in a year and half.
After only a month I received a call from Diane to let me know that a couple had viewed my place and liked it very much and would like to make an offer.
Diane is extremely professional and once we had accepted the offer on our home, we felt completely confident in her capability to bring the sale to a successful conclusion.
I would not hesitate to recommend Diane to anyone interested in selling or buying a property. I am very happy to have met and done business with her and I am grateful for all her effort in selling my place.
In a very difficult market, Diane & her team achieved the sale of our property in an incredibly short time. She was efficient, professional, knowledgable about the local area and above all realistic in setting the asking price - crucial to attract potential buyers! On a personal level she was enthusiastic and courteous and we would not hesitate to recommend both Diane and her company to others.
Our apartment was on the market for just a few months before Diane Murphy and her lovely team sold it for us. The service was fast, efficient and highly professional with just the right amount of ‘personal’ touch. On top of that as we were looking for a larger property Diane took the time to find us the perfect house at the perfect price to buy. The sale and purchase went through without a hitch and we would high recommend Bettabilt Homes (Cyprus 101) to both buyers and sellers.
After having our house on the market for almost five years I had given up any hope of ever selling it. Along came Cyprus101 and Diane and with in weeks not only was it sold, the process was fast and very efficient. Could not recommend this company highly enough.
Thank you for your patience and help in securing the sale of house.
May I take this opportunity to thank you and your company for the excellent way the sale of my property in Kissonerga was conducted.The presentation of the layout of the house on your website was very professional and the attention to detail during the extent of the sale was exceptional.
My thanks for the speedy completion of the sale and and I highly recommend your company to prospective buyers or sellers.
We would like express our very grateful thanks for your services in bringing about the successful sale of our apartment in Trimithia Gardens.
Although we were sad to part with the Trimithia apartment, it had to be. We have very happy memories of holidays spent in Cyprus, and will always be thankful it was recommended we ask you to act on our behalf. Although we never had the pleasure of meeting you in person, you (and your staff), have always seemed to be our friends as well as our sales link, and we would not hesitate in recommending you to anyone, if we ever have the opportunity.
When we were looking to buy a villa in Cyprus we were very impressed by Diane at Bettabilt Homes (Cyprus101). Of the various agents we met, Diane was the only one who really tried to understand our needs and only took us to view properties that ticked all of our boxes. Once we were settled into our lovely new villa and wanted to sell our original Townhouse we had no hesitation in appointing Bettabilt homes as our sole agent.
Diane kept us updated after each viewing and secured a sale for us within a few months. Professionals throughout, we would have no hesitation in recommending Bettabilt Homes (Cyprus101).
Many estate agents approach selling properties in a mechanical manner, seldom thinking beyond the obvious choices and preferences put before them, but we have been fortunate to sell our home with the help of a woman who showed very different and innovative skills, from the very beginning of her acquaintance with both us and our property.
Diane Murphy of Cyprus 101(Bettabilt Homes) was consistent in bringing clients with a genuine interest in what our particular property had to offer, and she made it her business to be well informed regarding even the smallest details or questions people might ask. Despite the recent deep recession in Cyprus, she was always enthusiastic, and never gave up hope of finding a buyer to suit the home we had lovingly restored over the past ten years.
Diane is extremely professional, and, once we had accepted the offer on our home, we felt completely confident in her capability to bring the sale to a successful conclusion.
Over the months we had developed a mutual trust and respect, and this continued right up until the end of our business dealings with Diane. She had a very friendly and relaxed manner with both us and potential buyers, and we were very happy to give her a key to our home so that she could access it at the convenience of her clients in our absence.
We would not hesitate to recommend Diane to anyone interested in selling or buying a property. We feel very fortunate to have met, and done business with her, and we wish her every success in the future.
It appears that the sale of my house has come to a conclusion.
I wanted to use this opportunity to than you for your efforts and patience to get this ‘deal’ together.
For me you have shown an effective creativity in your web-advertisement for my house which has been a significant part of your success (remember, when I saw your site, I said “I buy this house”), and you have given me your regular viewing reports to keep me abreast of the situation.
I believe, your work has been done in a very difficult financial and political environment, and still your personal attention to me as your customer was exemplary.
I felt being personal taken care of through your emails and our phone conversations and felt as if we have met, albeit far apart.
I want to thank you very much for all this. As an agent you have my very best recommendations.
"We had been trying to sell our flat in Paphos for about five years with no luck whatsoever. Admittedly, this was not totally the fault of the two Estate Agents involved as the speculative building out there and the ensuing huge number of properties for sale made life very difficult for everyone involved in the business. We didn't even get viewings!
Things began to get a little desperate for us towards to end of 2012 as we were approaching retirement and needed to sell the flat - that had always been the plan when we bought it in 2004, i.e. the sale proceeds would supplement our pension. However, as we thought a sale was unlikely, we decided to set up holiday lets. With this in mind, I was trawling the internet one night back towards the end of 2012 (October I think) looking for a suitable letting company to handle our lettings. Property of Cyprus caught my eye as I scrolled down dozens of site offering lettings and/or sales - I hadn't heard of them before so I took a look - and that started it all with Diane Murphy!
Things were quiet over the Christmas and New Year periods of course, but Diane kept in touch all the time. We were very excited to receive an email from Diane one day (about two weeks before the disastrous financial crash in Cyprus as it transpired) to say that she had a viewing. The very next day, she informed us that we had an offer - a lot less than we would have liked but we were so grateful to have ANY offer at this point that we grabbed it with both hands and proceedings began. Then came the crash! We were SO disappointed as the purchase disappeared into the woodwork and we philosophically accepted that the sale was lost and that, now, we would probably NEVER be able to sell. But, Diane kept us buoyant and hopeful, and, about 2/3 weeks later, the purchase resurfaced but with an even lower offer - couldn't blame him! Half a loaf is better than none, we thought, and so accepted it. Diane had talked to the guy and cajoled him into re-thinking - and he had.
From the very beginning, Diane was a gem: she communicated regularly every step of the way and acted in a very professional but friendly fashion. She succeeded to achieve - in the worst possible circumstances - what other agents had come nowhere near in normal circumstances over the past few years.
I would THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND Diane and her team to any vendors or purchasers in Cyprus.
Thank you SO MUCH Diane!!!"
Many thanks for all your help in selling our property in Cyprus . Your friendly but professional manner and the way you kept us informed at all times, were very much appreciated.
We shall certainly be very happy to recommend you and your Company to others in the future.
Having lived in Cyprus for 12 years it became urgent for me to sell my property and re-locate to the UK. After poor experiences with another Estate Agent it was with some relief that Diane Murphy's name was given to me by friends. Her guidance and support were highly professional and given with friendship and energy for with I heartily thank her.
I would like to thank Diane Murphy of Cyprus 101 for the excellent professional service we received whilst selling our apartment in Paphos. Although the current climate is not easy for anyone buying and selling property in Cyprus, Diane did everything she could to help us out from start to finish. It took over a year for our apartment to sell but Diane updated us regularly with proceedings, and kept contacting us to discuss how we might increase interest from possible buyers. If we contacted Diane and she was unable to answer her phone, she always rang straight back, and always responded quickly to emails. The service we received was far superior to any other company we have dealt with in Cyprus, for although Diane is always professional, she is very approachable, honest and friendly. I would have no hesitation in recommending Diane Murphy to anyone looking to buy or sell property in Paphos.
Thank you Diane for all your help in selling our property, without you we wouldn't have been able to complete a sale in such a quick period.You kept us updated with every viewing and the feedback from such viewings kept us informed at all times with what was happening which was a real help to us. If we were ever to sell again in Cyprus you would be our first "Port of call."
Just a quick note to say thank you for your assistance in selling our property.
We appreciate the way you dealt with the transaction with a brilliantly professional approach.
on your details to friends of ours who also want to market their properties for sale, I hope this is OK but we are more than happy to recommend you and your company in this way.
Just a short note to say thank you for the expert help you provided in selling our property in Paphos in a period of difficult trading conditions. The advice was excellent and clearly based on extensive experience. Once the sale had been agreed, you were able to keep both us (the vendors) and the purchasers well informed as to what was going on. We think that this was critical in achieving a successful outcome. We would like to thank you for all the hard work.
I have nothing but praise for the way you and your team took over the usual problems associated with selling property in Cyprus. From day one the way you executed the sale, through to receiving the cash back into my UK bank account.
Thank you very much, and if I ever buy again in Cyprus it will be through you.
personal and friendly service you gave us over the sale of our apartment.
I didn't think it could be done, but you did it! Great job on a super speedy sale! It couldn't have been easier - we are so pleased with all you did for us. Thank you so much.
To see our Buyers Testimonials please Click Here. | 2019-04-26T04:19:52Z | http://www.cyprus101.com/cyprus_sellers_testimonials/page_2552628.html |
Appendix J to Part 50-Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors This appendix includes two options, A and B, either of which can be chosen for meeting the requirements of this appendix.
I. Introduction. II. Explanation of terms. III. Leakage test requirements. A. Type A test. B. Type B test. C. Type C test. D. Periodic retest schedule. IV. Special test requirements. A. Containment modifications. B. Multiple leakage-barrier containments. V. Inspection and reporting of tests. A. Containment inspection. B. Report of test results.
One of the conditions of all operating licenses under this part and combined licenses under part 52 of this chapter for water-cooled power reactors as specified in § 50.54(o) is that primary reactor containments shall meet the containment leakage test requirements set forth in this appendix. These test requirements provide for preoperational and periodic verification by tests of the leak-tight integrity of the primary reactor containment, and systems and components which penetrate containment of water-cooled power reactors, and establish the acceptance criteria for these tests. The purposes of the tests are to assure that (a) leakage through the primary reactor containment and systems and components penetrating primary containment shall not exceed allowable leakage rate values as specified in the technical specifications or associated bases; and (b) periodic surveillance of reactor containment penetrations and isolation valves is performed so that proper maintenance and repairs are made during the service life of the containment, and systems and components penetrating primary containment. These test requirements may also be used for guidance in establishing appropriate containment leakage test requirements in technical specifications or associated bases for other types of nuclear power reactors.
A. "Primary reactor containment" means the structure or vessel that encloses the components of the reactor coolant pressure boundary, as defined in § 50.2(v), and serves as an essentially leak-tight barrier against the uncontrolled release of radioactivity to the environment.
B. "Containment isolation valve" means any valve which is relied upon to perform a containment isolation function.
C. "Reactor containment leakage test program" includes the performance of Type A, Type B, and Type C tests, described in II.F, II.G, and II.H, respectively.
D. "Leakage rate" for test purposes is that leakage which occurs in a unit of time, stated as a percentage of weight of the original content of containment air at the leakage rate test pressure that escapes to the outside atmosphere during a 24-hour test period.
E. "Overall integrated leakage rate" means that leakage rate which obtains from a summation of leakage through all potential leakage paths including containment welds, valves, fittings, and components which penetrate containment.
F. "Type A Tests" means tests intended to measure the primary reactor containment overall integrated leakage rate (1) after the containment has been completed and is ready for operation, and (2) at periodic intervals thereafter.
1. Containment penetrations whose design incorporates resilient seals, gaskets, or sealant compounds, piping penetrations fitted with expansion bellows, and electrical penetrations fitted with flexible metal seal assemblies.
2. Air lock door seals, including door operating mechanism penetrations which are part of the containment pressure boundary.
3. Doors with resilient seals or gaskets except for seal-welded doors.
4. Components other than those listed in II.G.1, II.G.2, or II.G.3 which must meet the acceptance criteria in III.B.3.
4. Are in main steam and feedwater piping and other systems which penetrate containment of direct-cycle boiling water power reactors.
I. Pa (p.s.i.g.) means the calculated peak containment internal pressure related to the design basis accident and specified either in the technical specification or associated bases.
J. Pt (p.s.i.g.) means the containment vessel reduced test pressure selected to measure the integrated leakage rate during periodic Type A tests.
K. La (percent/24 hours) means the maximum allowable leakage rate at pressure Pa as specified for preoperational tests in the technical specifications or associated bases, and as specified for periodic tests in the operating license or combined license, including the technical specifications in any referenced design certification or manufactured reactor used at the facility.
L. Ld (percent/24 hours) means the design leakage rate at pressure, Pa, as specified in the technical specifications or associated bases.
M. Lt (percent/24 hours) means the maximum allowable leakage rate at pressure Pt derived from the preoperational test data as specified in III.A.4.(a)(iii).
N. Lam, Ltm (percent/24 hours) means the total measured containment leakage rates at pressure Pa and Pt, respectively, obtained from testing the containment with components and systems in the state as close as practical to that which would exist under design basis accident conditions (e.g., vented, drained, flooded or pressurized).
O. "Acceptance criteria" means the standard against which test results are to be compared for establishing the functional acceptability of the containment as a leakage limiting boundary.
A program consisting of a schedule for conducting Type A, B, and C tests shall be developed for leak testing the primary reactor containment and related systems and components penetrating primary containment pressure boundary.
A. Type A test-1. Pretest requirements. (a) Containment inspection in accordance with V. A. shall be performed as a prerequisite to the performance of Type A tests. During the period between the initiation of the containment inspection and the performance of the Type A test, no repairs or adjustments shall be made so that the containment can be tested in as close to the "as is" condition as practical. During the period between the completion of one Type A test and the initiation of the containment inspection for the subsequent Type A test, repairs or adjustments shall be made to components whose leakage exceeds that specified in the technical specification as soon as practical after identification. If during a Type A test, including the supplemental test specified in III.A.3.(b), potentially excessive leakage paths are identified which will interfere with satisfactory completion of the test, or which result in the Type A test not meeting the acceptance criteria III.A.4.(b) or III.A.5.(b), the Type A test shall be terminated and the leakage through such paths shall be measured using local leakage testing methods. Repairs and/or adjustments to equipment shall be made and Type A test performed. The corrective action taken and the change in leakage rate determined from the tests and overall integrated leakage determined from local leak and Type A tests shall be included in the summary report required by V.B.
(b) Closure of containment isolation valves for the Type A test shall be accomplished by normal operation and without any preliminary exercising or adjustments (e.g., no tightening of valve after closure by valve motor). Repairs of maloperating or leaking valves shall be made as necessary. Information on any valve closure malfunction or valve leakage that require corrective action before the test, shall be included in the summary report required by V.B.
prior to the start of a leakage rate test.
(d) Those portions of the fluid systems that are part of the reactor coolant pressure boundary and are open directly to the containment atmosphere under post-accident conditions and become an extension of the boundary of the containment shall be opened or vented to the containment atmosphere prior to and during the test. Portions of closed systems inside containment that penetrate containment and rupture as a result of a loss of coolant accident shall be vented to the containment atmosphere. All vented systems shall be drained of water or other fluids to the extent necessary to assure exposure of the system containment isolation valves to containment air test pressure and to assure they will be subjected to the post accident differential pressure. Systems that are required to maintain the plant in a safe condition during the test shall be operable in their normal mode, and need not be vented. Systems that are normally filled with water and operating under post-accident conditions, such as the containment heat removal system, need not be vented. However, the containment isolation valves in the systems defined in III.A.1.(d) shall be tested in accordance with III.C. The measured leakage rate from these tests shall be included in the summary report required by V.B.
2. Conduct of tests. Preoperational leakage rate tests at either reduced or at peak pressure, shall be conducted at the intervals specified in III.D.
, is an acceptable method to use to calculate leakage rates. A typical description of the Mass Point method can be found in the American National Standard ANSI/ANS 56.8-1987, "Containment System Leakage Testing Requirements," January 20, 1987. Incorporation of ANSI N45.4-1972 by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register. Copies of this standard, as well as ANSI/ANS-56.8-1987, "Containment System Leakage Testing Requirements" (dated January 20, 1987) may be obtained from the American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60525. A copy of each of these standards is available for inspection at the NRC Library, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852-2738.
(b) The accuracy of any Type A test shall be verified by a supplemental test. An acceptable method is described in Appendix C of ANSI N45.4-1972. The supplemental test method selected shall be conducted for sufficient duration to establish accurately the change in leakage rate between the Type A and supplemental test. Results from this supplemental test are acceptable provided the difference between the supplemental test data and the Type A test data is within 0.25 La (or 0.25 Lt). If results are not within 0.25 La (or 0.25 Lt), the reason shall be determined, corrective action taken, and a successful supplemental test performed.
(c) Test leakage rates shall be calculated using absolute values corrected for instrument error.
4. Preoperational leakage rate tests. (a) Test pressure-(1) Reduced pressure tests. (i) An initial test shall be performed at a pressure Pt, not less than 0.50 Pa to measure a leakage rate Ltm.
(ii) A second test shall be performed at pressure Pa to measure a leakage rate Lam.
(2) Peak pressure tests. A test shall be performed at pressure Pa to measure the leakage rate Lam.
(b) Acceptance criteria-(1) Reduced pressure tests. The leakage rate Ltm shall be less than 0.75 Lt.
(2) Peak pressure tests. The leakage rate Lam shall be less than 0.75 La and not greater than Ld.
(2) Peak pressure tests shall be conducted at Pa.
(b) Acceptance criteria-(1) Reduced pressure tests. The leakage rate Ltm shall be less than 0.75 Lt. If local leakage measurements are taken to effect repairs in order to meet the acceptance criteria, these measurements shall be taken at a test pressure Pt.
(2) Peak pressure tests. The leakage rate Lam shall be less than 0.75 La. If local leakage measurements are taken to effect repairs in order to meet the acceptance criteria, these measurements shall be taken at a test pressure Pa.
6. Additional requirements. (a) If any periodic Type A test fails to meet the applicable acceptance criteria in III.A.5.(b), the test schedule applicable to subsequent Type A tests will be reviewed and approved by the Commission.
(b) If two consecutive periodic Type A tests fail to meet the applicable acceptance criteria in III.A.5(b), notwithstanding the periodic retest schedule of III.D., a Type A test shall be performed at each plant shutdown for refueling or approximately every 18 months, whichever occurs first, until two consecutive Type A tests meet the acceptance criteria in III.A.5(b), after which time the retest schedule specified in III.D. may be resumed.
(a) Examination by halide leak-detection method (or by other equivalent test methods such as mass spectrometer) of a test chamber, pressurized with air, nitrogen, or pneumatic fluid specified in the technical specifications or associated bases and constructed as part of individual containment penetrations.
(b) Measurement of the rate of pressure loss of the test chamber of the containment penetration pressurized with air, nitrogen, or pneumatic fluid specified in the technical specifications or associated bases.
(c) Leakage surveillance by means of a permanently installed system with provisions for continuous or intermittent pressurization of individual or groups of containment penetrations and measurement of rate of pressure loss of air, nitrogen, or pneumatic fluid specified in the technical specification or associated bases through the leak paths. 2. Test pressure. All preoperational and periodic Type B tests shall be performed by local pneumatic pressurization of the containment penetrations, either individually or in groups, at a pressure not less than Pa.
3. Acceptance criteria. (See also Type C tests.) (a) The combined leakage rate of all penetrations and valves subject to Type B and C tests shall be less than 0.60 La, with the exception of the valves specified in III.C.3.
(b) Leakage measurements obtained through component leakage surveillance systems (e.g., continuous pressurization of individual containment components) that maintains a pressure not less than Pa at individual test chambers of containment penetrations during normal reactor operation, are acceptable in lieu of Type B tests. C. Type C tests-1. Test method. Type C tests shall be performed by local pressurization. The pressure shall be applied in the same direction as that when the value would be required to perform its safety function, unless it can be determined that the results from the tests for a pressure applied in a different direction will provide equivalent or more conservative results. The test methods in III.B.1 may be substituted where appropriate. Each valve to be tested shall be closed by normal operation and without any preliminary exercising or adjustments (e.g., no tightening of valve after closure by valve motor).
2. Test pressure. (a) Valves, unless pressurized with fluid (e.g., water, nitrogen) from a seal system, shall be pressurized with air or nitrogen at a pressure of Pa.
(b) Permissible periods for testing. The performance of Type A tests shall be limited to periods when the plant facility is non-operational and secured in the shutdown condition under the administrative control and in accordance with the safety procedures defined in the license. 2. Type B tests. (a) Type B tests, except tests for air locks, shall be performed during reactor shutdown for refueling, or other convenient intervals, but in no case at intervals greater than 2 years. If opened following a Type A or B test, containment penetrations subject to Type B testing shall be Type B tested prior to returning the reactor to an operating mode requiring containment integrity. For primary reactor containment penetrations employing a continuous leakage monitoring system, Type B tests, except for tests of air locks, may, notwithstanding the test schedule specified under III.D.1., be performed every other reactor shutdown for refueling but in no case at intervals greater than 3 years.
(b)(i) Air locks shall be tested prior to initial fuel loading and at 6-month intervals thereafter at an internal pressure not less than Pa.
(ii) Air locks opened during periods when containment integrity is not required by the plant's Technical Specifications shall be tested at the end of such periods at not less than Pa.
(iii) Air locks opened during periods when containment integrity is required by the plant's Technical Specifications shall be tested within 3 days after being opened. For air lock doors opened more frequently than once every 3 days, the air lock shall be tested at least once every 3 days during the period of frequent openings. For air lock doors having testable seals, testing the seals fulfills the 3-day test requirements. In the event that the testing for this 3-day interval cannot be at Pa, the test pressure shall be as stated in the Technical Specifications. Air lock door seal testing shall not be substituted for the 6-month test of the entire air lock at not less than Pa.
(iv) The acceptance criteria for air lock testing shall be stated in the Technical Specifications.
3. Type C tests. Type C tests shall be performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling but in no case at intervals greater than 2 years.
IV. Special Testing Requirements A. Containment modification. Any major modification, replacement of a component which is part of the primary reactor containment boundary, or resealing a seal-welded door, performed after the preoperational leakage rate test shall be followed by either a Type A, Type B, or Type C test, as applicable for the area affected by the modification. The measured leakage from this test shall be included in the summary report required by V.B. The acceptance criteria of III.A.5.(b), III.B.3., or III.C.3., as appropriate, shall be met. Minor modifications, replacements, or resealing of seal-welded doors, performed directly prior to the conduct of a scheduled Type A test do not require a separate test.
B. Multiple leakage barrier or subatmospheric containments. The primary reactor containment barrier of a multiple barrier or subatmospheric containment shall be subjected to Type A tests to verify that its leakage rate meets the requirements of this appendix. Other structures of multiple barrier or subatmospheric containments (e.g., secondary containments for boiling water reactors and shield buildings for pressurized water reactors that enclose the entire primary reactor containment or portions thereof) shall be subject to individual tests in accordance with the procedures specified in the technical specifications, or associated bases.
V. Inspection and Reporting of Tests A. Containment inspection. A general inspection of the accessible interior and exterior surfaces of the containment structures and components shall be performed prior to any Type A test to uncover any evidence of structural deterioration which may affect either the containment structural integrity or leak-tightness. If there is evidence of structural deterioration, Type A tests shall not be performed until corrective action is taken in accordance with repair procedures, non destructive examinations, and tests as specified in the applicable code specified in § 50.55a at the commencement of repair work. Such structural deterioration and corrective actions taken shall be included in the summary report required by V.B.
B. Recordkeeping of test results. 1. The preoperational and periodic tests must be documented in a readily available summary report that will be made available for inspection, upon request, at the nuclear power plant. The summary report shall include a schematic arrangement of the leakage rate measurement system, the instrumentation used, the supplemental test method, and the test program selected as applicable to the preoperational test, and all the subsequent periodic tests. The report shall contain an analysis and interpretation of the leakage rate test data for the Type A test results to the extent necessary to demonstrate the acceptability of the containment's leakage rate in meeting acceptance criteria.
2. For each periodic test, leakage test results from Type A, B, and C tests shall be included in the summary report. The summary report shall contain an analysis and interpretation of the Type A test results and a summary analysis of periodic Type B and Type C tests that were performed since the last type A test. Leakage test results from type A, B, and C tests that failed to meet the acceptance criteria of III.A.5(b), III.B.3, and III.C.3, respectively, shall be included in a separate accompanying summary report that includes an analysis and interpretation of the test data, the least squares fit analysis of the test data, the instrumentation error analysis, and the structural conditions of the containment or components, if any, which contributed to the failure in meeting the acceptance criteria. Results and analyses of the supplemental verification test employed to demonstrate the validity of the leakage rate test measurements shall also be included.
Option B-Performance-Based Requirements Table of Contents I. Introduction. II. Definitions. III. Performance-based leakage-test requirements. A. Type A test. B. Type B and C tests. IV. Recordkeeping. V. Application.
I. Introduction One of the conditions required of all operating licenses and combined licenses for light-water-cooled power reactors as specified in § 50.54(o) is that primary reactor containments meet the leakage-rate test requirements in either Option A or B of this appendix. These test requirements ensure that (a) leakage through these containments or systems and components penetrating these containments does not exceed allowable leakage rates specified in the technical specifications; and (b) integrity of the containment structure is maintained during its service life. Option B of this appendix identifies the performance-based requirements and criteria for preoperational and subsequent periodic leakage-rate testing.<a href="#N_3_appj" id="ftn3" title="Footnote 3 hyperlink">3</a> II. Definitions Performance criteria means the performance standards against which test results are to be compared for establishing the acceptability of the containment system as a leakage-limiting boundary.
Containment system means the principal barrier, after the reactor coolant pressure boundary, to prevent the release of quantities of radioactive material that would have a significant radiological effect on the health of the public.
Overall integrated leakage rate means the total leakage rate through all tested leakage paths, including containment welds, valves, fittings, and components that penetrate the containment system.
La (percent/24 hours) means the maximum allowable leakage rate at pressure Pa as specified in the Technical Specifications.
Pa (p.s.i.g) means the calculated peak containment internal pressure related to the design basis loss-of-coolant accident as specified in the Technical Specifications.
III. Performance-Based Leakage-Test Requirements A. Type A Test Type A tests to measure the containment system overall integrated leakage rate must be conducted under conditions representing design basis loss-of-coolant accident containment peak pressure. A Type A test must be conducted (1) after the containment system has been completed and is ready for operation and (2) at a periodic interval based on the historical performance of the overall containment system as a barrier to fission product releases to reduce the risk from reactor accidents. A general visual inspection of the accessible interior and exterior surfaces of the containment system for structural deterioration which may affect the containment leak-tight integrity must be conducted prior to each test, and at a periodic interval between tests based on the performance of the containment system. The leakage rate must not exceed the allowable leakage rate (La) with margin, as specified in the Technical Specifications. The test results must be compared with previous results to examine the performance history of the overall containment system to limit leakage.
B. Type B and C Tests Type B pneumatic tests to detect and measure local leakage rates across pressure retaining, leakage-limiting boundaries, and Type C pneumatic tests to measure containment isolation valve leakage rates, must be conducted (1) prior to initial criticality, and (2) periodically thereafter at intervals based on the safety significance and historical performance of each boundary and isolation valve to ensure the integrity of the overall containment system as a barrier to fission product release to reduce the risk from reactor accidents. The performance-based testing program must contain a performance criterion for Type B and C tests, consideration of leakage-rate limits and factors that are indicative of or affect performance, when establishing test intervals, evaluations of performance of containment system components, and comparison to previous test results to examine the performance history of the overall containment system to limit leakage. The tests must demonstrate that the sum of the leakage rates at accident pressure of Type B tests, and pathway leakage rates from Type C tests, is less than the performance criterion (La) with margin, as specified in the Technical Specification.
IV. Recordkeeping The results of the preoperational and periodic Type A, B, and C tests must be documented to show that performance criteria for leakage have been met. The comparison to previous results of the performance of the overall containment system and of individual components within it must be documented to show that the test intervals established for the containment system and components within it are adequate. These records must be available for inspection at plant sites.
If the test results exceed the performance criteria (La) as defined in the plant Technical Specifications, those exceedances must be assessed for Emergency Notification System reporting under §§ 50.72 (b)(1)(ii) and § 50.72 (b)(2)(i), and for a Licensee Event Report under § 50.73 (a)(2)(ii).
V. Application A. Applicability The requirements in either or both Option B, III.A for Type A tests, and Option B, III.B for Type B and C tests, may be adopted on a voluntary basis by an operating nuclear power reactor licensee as specified in § 50.54 in substitution of the requirements for those tests contained in Option A of this appendix. If the requirements for tests in Option B, III.A or Option B, III.B are implemented, the recordkeeping requirements in Option B, IV for these tests must be substituted for the reporting requirements of these tests contained in Option A of this appendix.
B. Implementation 1. Specific exemptions to Option A of this appendix that have been formally approved by the AEC or NRC, according to 10 CFR 50.12, are still applicable to Option B of this appendix if necessary, unless specifically revoked by the NRC.
2. A licensee or applicant for an operating license under this part or a combined license under part 52 of this chapter may adopt Option B, or parts thereof, as specified in Section V.A of this appendix, by submitting its implementation plan and request for revision to technical specifications (see paragraph B.3 of this section) to the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation or Director, Office of New Reactors, as appropriate.
3. The regulatory guide or other implementation document used by a licensee or applicant for an operating license under this part or a combined license under part 52 of this chapter to develop a performance-based leakage-testing program must be included, by general reference, in the plant technical specifications. The submittal for technical specification revisions must contain justification, including supporting analyses, if the licensee chooses to deviate from methods approved by the Commission and endorsed in a regulatory guide.
4. The detailed licensee programs for conducting testing under Option B must be available at the plant site for NRC inspection.
[[[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1973_register&page=4386&position=1%7C38 FR 4386, Feb. 14, 1973]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1973_register&page=5997&position=1%7C38 FR 5997, Mar. 6, 1973]], as amended at [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1976_register&page=16447&position=1%7C41 FR 16447, Apr. 19, 1976]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1980_register&page=62789&position=1%7C45 FR 62789, Sept. 22, 1980]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1986_register&page=40311&position=1%7C51 FR 40311, Nov. 6, 1986]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1988_register&page=45891&position=1%7C53 FR 45891, Nov. 15, 1988]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1992_register&page=61786&position=1%7C57 FR 61786, Dec. 29, 1992]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1994_register&page=50689&position=1%7C59 FR 50689, Oct. 5, 1994]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1995_register&page=13616&position=1%7C60 FR 13616, Mar. 14, 1995]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=1995_register&page=49504&position=1%7C60 FR 49504, Sept. 26, 1995]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_register&page=49508&position=1%7C72 FR 49508, Aug. 28, 2007]]; [[FR::http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_register&page=5723&position=1%7C73 FR 5723, Jan. 31, 2008]]] <a href="#ftn1" name="N_1_appj" title="Footnote 1">1</a> Such inservice inspections are required by § 50.55a.
<a href="#ftn2" name="N_2_appj" title="Footnote 2">2</a> Such inservice inspections are required by § 50.55a.
<a href="#ftn3" name="N_3_appj" title="Footnote 3">3</a> Specific guidance concerning a performance-based leakage-test program, acceptable leakage-rate test methods, procedures, and analyses that may be used to implement these requirements and criteria are provided in Regulatory Guide 1.163, "Performance-Based Containment Leak-Test Program."
This page was last edited on 14 July 2016, at 23:40. | 2019-04-22T18:55:20Z | https://kanterella.com/wiki/10_CFR_50_Appendix_J,_Appendix_J_to_Part_50-Primary_Reactor_Containment_Leakage_Testing_for_Water-Cooled_Power_Reactors |
Tell me what you like to see, and create your own trip! Follow your own wishes!
If you want to relax, or go on adventure, visit the “must-see’s”, or go off the beaten track, choose your own tour in Yogyakarta and get inspired by all the possibilities.
Contact me, without any obligation, for advice. If you have specific preferences and wishes (sports, hobbies, dance, cooking, history etc) let me know, and I can advise you the best places to visit.
The Borobudur is the biggest and oldest Buddhist temple in the world. UNESCO recognised the Borobudur as World Heritage Site. In 1814 the Borobudur was rediscovered after the temple was hidden; covered under ashes and vegetation for hundreds of years. The temple is still full of mysteries.
During restorations in the 1970s sculptured reliefs at the large base floor were brought to light. It is said that these reliefs were always meant to be hidden, in “the hidden foot” of the stupa, to prevent you from being tempted to earthly desire.
About 1250 years ago, the Borobudur was built close to where the rivers Ello and Progo meet, and a hill called “Tidar”. It is said that this hill is the place, where the gods ‘nailed’ the island of Java to the earth, to prevent the island from sinking or floating away.
The temple is shaped as a stupa and built around a hill. If you count well, you can count 504 statues of Buddha. The walls consist of 2672 sculptured reliefs. In total, if arranged in a row, these sculptures have a length of 5 km. There are 72 bell-shaped stupa’s encircling the central stupa. Some of these stupa’s contain a Buddha statue, some are empty, and some statues are decapitated. In the past centuries, some statues and buddha heads were stolen and ended up in museums far away, or in the homes of the rich. There is a legend that if you can touch the Buddha with his legs crossed, any wish you have will be granted.
The central stupa at the top of the Borobudur can only be entered by Buddist monks. Don’t be afraid, you won’t miss much; this stupa represents eternity and is therefore empty.
Close to the Borobudur there are two other temples named Pawon and Mendut temple. These temples are part of the Borobudur World Heritage Site. The three temples are built in a straight line. During the Buddhist Vesak-festival, Buddhist in Indonesia walk from the Mendut temple, passing the Pawon temple and end at the Borobudur to celebrate “Buddha’s birthday”.
In Mendut temple we will find three big Buddhist statues from the 9th century. We can also visit the Buddhist monastery where the Buddhist monks are studying their religion. At the Mendut temple, couples who would like to have children, pray for good luck. At the Pawon temple we only find the temple, there are no statues in there. On the outside we find a beautiful waringin tree.
To see the sunrise at the Borobudur is an beautiful experience. But to see the Borobudur floating in the mist at sunrise, is a unique view, and a less common way to experience the magical atmosphere of the Borobudur. Off the beaten track and a spectacular experience, Punthuk Setumbu offers you a great and mystical panoramic views, early in the morning. Every minutes the rays of the rising sun will change the atmosphere. You cannot stop taking pictures, thinking the view cannot get better. The best time to arrive is around 5.30 in the morning , so you have to leave Yogyakarta around 3.30 h. Real early, but most certainly worth it.
When the sun is up, and the villages are awake, you can catch some adrenaline, and try the swing, to enjoy the beautiful landscape in a different way!
The Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex which was also recognised in 1991, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Prambanan is built in the same period (around the year 850) and is located close to the Borobudur temple, which proves that on Java, Buddhism and Hinduism lived peacefully next to one another.
The Prambanan complex consists of three main temples (up till 47 meters high) and three smaller temples. The three main temples represent the Hindu gods Brahma (creator), Shiva (destroyer) and Vishnu (sustainer) and the three smaller temples are dedicated to the animals these gods used for their transportation: a goose, a bull and an eagle.
Next to the six bigger temples there are many smaller temples. Up till today not all of the 224 little temples are restored yet. You can still walk between the ruins and stones from the smaller temples. Imagine how the complex would have looked like 1250 years ago!
The Prambanan temple is still mystical. Locally Prambanan is known as “Roro Jonggrang” after a legend that Javanese people tell about the temple.
Once there was a man named Bandung Bondowoso who fell in love with Roro Jonggrang. Roro Jonggrang was not pleased with his love, and to be able to refuse his love, she asked him to do something that seemed impossible: to build her a temple with 1000 statues, in just one night. But Bandung Bondowoso’s love for her was so strong, that he almost fulfilled her wish. Afraid she had to keep her promise, Roro Jonggrang asked the villagers to pound rice (a traditional dawn activity) and set a fire (to imitate the sunrise) in order to pretend the morning had broken. Bandung Bondowoso who stopped building, assuming the night was over, only completed 999 statues, felt cheated and cursed Jonggrang to be the thousandth statue.
Prambanan also has panels of relief, describing the story of Ramayana. Experts say that the relief is similar to the story of Ramayana that is told orally from generation to generation.
The Merapi is one of the most active vulcanoes of the world. The Merapi is (based on old legends) closely connected to Yogyakarta. “Merapi” means “mountain of fire” The Merapi is considered a sacred mountain. The vulcano is 2968 meters high. On the Merapi you find beautiful nature and beautiful views. Yogyakarta is situated at the foot of the volcano Mount Merapi. When the city was established in 1755 the Kraton (palace) of the Sultan was built in line with the Merapi to be in the centre of the power/spirits. In 2010 Yogyakarta was covered with ashes after an eruption. Many people living on the mountain had to be evacuated. You can still visit the affected villages and be impressed by the power of the mountain.
On the Merapi, next to the spectacular jeep tours, you will find a small museum and remembrance sites. The people who used to live in the destroyed villages, now run the museum and the jeep tours on the mountain. So by visiting these sites, you not only get impressed by the power and beauty of the vulcano, but you also support the local people who lost everything they owned in the eruption.
Besides a lot of adrenaline, we will find the “alien stone” (a stone which looks like an alien) where we can take pictures. We will see the houses destroyed by the fierce heat clouds from the Merapi and the bunker which was designed to provide shelter when the heat clouds were coming from the Merapi.
Untill 2010, Mbah Maridjan, an old man, was the spiritual guardian of the Merapi. He was appointed by the Sultan of Yogyakarta, and lived almost on the top of the vulcano. For his job he was paid a symbolic $1 a month. He was in touch with the spirits of the mountain and led ceremonies to appease the spirits of the vulcano by offerings of rice and flowers in and around the crater. He described his job, as: “Let the vulcano breathe, not to cough.” In 2010 when thousands of people had to be evacuated and more than 300 people were killed in an eruption, Mbah Maridjan felt it was his duty to stay on the mountain and, at the age of 83, he was one of the victims.
On about one hour drive from Yogyakarta we find the ancient Vulcano Nglangeran, located in Gunungkidul.
The ancient vulcano Nglanggeran used to be active until a 60 million years ago it is one of the oldest vulcanoes in Central Java. It started as an rock under the sea which rose above the surface during a vulcanic eruption. The mountain was formed by old vulcanic material and has two peaks namely the Western and Eastern peak with a caldera in the middle.
Mount Nglanggeran is easy to climb. Only a 1,5 hour walk, through the beautiful landscape of UNESCO-Geopark Gunung Kidul will lead you to the Western peak.
Based on old traditions only seven families are allowed to live on the mountain. If there are more families, one of the families has to leave, if there are not enough, a family needs to be found to join the community of seven families. If there are more or less than seven families it will cause bad luck.
At Nglanggeran we have a beautiful view over the landscape, the unique shaped mountains, and the skies of clouds.
There are many spots, and platforms build in the trees, on which you can relax and enjoy this beautiful place. Not only children will enjoy climbing to these tree-platforms….
Combine enjoying the beautiful and unique limestone landscape of Gunung Kidul with fun. Cool down while tubing down the river. A relaxed way to see the caves and riversides. The trip is easy, relaxed and safe and also suitable for children and the elderly. In about an hour, you follow the river while sitting in a tube. You will travel through the caves (with bats sleeping at the roof) and will admire the stalactites and stalagmites, stone pillars formed by water dripping or flowing from fractures in the ceiling of the cave. A relaxed way to cool down, and enjoy nature. How easy can life be?
Yogyakarta has many beautiful beaches, which are not well known to foreign tourists. Enjoy the quiet and calm beaches to relax and cool down in the sea-breeze and water. But be careful, Ratu Kidul (the queen of the sea) rules here and even well trained swimmers cannot go too deep, because of the strong current. Check the colour of your clothes before your leave…the story goes that Ratu Kidul doesn’t like the colour green..
Explore the Kidang Kencong Cave with a guide. Hidden in the green scenery, North West of Yogyakarta-city, you will experience the real back-to-nature-spirit.
With helmets and flashlights you will find beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, like you are the first to discover the cave. If you like an experience of the beaten track, and are not afraid of adventure, visit the Kidang Kencong cave!
Tebing Breksi is an artifically shaped limestone rock, which unintentially remained in the landscape, after years of mining. The limestone hills in this area are formed by the ancient ashes of the vulcano Nglanggeran in Gunung Kidul.
Local artists have sculptured interesting and beautiful sculptures in the walls of the cliff, and stairs make it easy for visitors to climb the rock.
Together with the Ijo temple, Tebing Breksi is located at the highest place of Yogyakarta. This creates an amazing view over the city, the Merapi, the Ijo temple, and the Ratu Boko temple. In the morning you can enjoy the sunrise, in the evening a unique sunset.
The Ijo temple is close to Tebing Breksi. In Javanese Ijo means “green”. The temple was built around the ninth century and is located 410 meter above the sea level. You can see a beautiful scenery and enjoy the view. The complex of the temple consists of 17 buildings. It is said that some inscriptions in the temple contain magic spells or curses, which are written 16 times.
In the evenings, the Ramayana story comes to life. More than 200 professional dancers and musicians perform in the city of Yogyakarta or in the open air theatre with the illuminated Prambanan Temples as the background.
A story about love, war and mystical events. A young princess is kidnapped by an evil demon. Her lover his brother and a monkey, take action to save her. The costumes, the dance, music and atmosphere, will enchant you. It will be a magical night.
The theatre provides a summary of the Ramayana story on paper in different languages, and on screens the story is told as well, to make sure you fully understand the ballet. If you are travelling to Indonesia from November-April you can watch the Ramayana ballet performance at the Prambanan indoor theater. If you travel in the dry season you can enjoy the ballet in the open air theatre.
South of the city you find Bukit Bintang, a beautiful place to watch the sunset.
After the sunset you can be amazed by the stars and city lights, far beneath you. A beautiful place to have (simple) dinner, relax and enjoy the romantic atomospere.
In the city you can visit the Kraton (Sultan’s palace), Tamansari (the water palace) the colorful bird market, many museums, Malioboro street (shopping area), the Batik and Silver industry and many more interesting places.
Yogya is a city with many students, which also accounts for a young and vivid vibe in the city. The people of Yogya are friendly and always willing to help. Visitors most certainly feel welcome. Yogya has great shopping centres, hotels, reataurants and offers a good range of tourist services.
The Palace of the Sultan, is also known as the Kraton. The Sultan of Yogyakarta still lives here today. The Kraton serves as a cultural centre for the Javanese people and accommodates a museum with the sultanate’s antiquities. The Kraton was built in 1755-1766 after a treaty between Prince Mangkubumi and the Dutch VOC. The place where the Kraton was built, was picked carefully and is based on a philosophy: the important places of the city are built on a straight imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis beach, then leads to the Kraton, then to the main street of the old city, to Tugu Monument, and finally ends at Mount Merapi. This represents the relationship of the city with the guardian spirits of the Merapi and the beach of Parangtritis. Tugu Yogyakarta is the symbol of unification between the king and the people.
In 1812 the Kraton was attacked by a British force of Stanford Raffles and burned down. Most of the Kraton was rebuilt by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII, who reigned from 1921 to 1939.
The Kraton can be visited every morning. On certain days you can visit special ceremonial performances; like Gamelan, dance and puppet performances.
Taman Sari (Water Palace), a remarkable complex of bathing pools that was built in 1765 for the first Sultan of Yogyakarta. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan’s harem, the Sultan overlooked the pool from a tower, so he could easily choose his company.
Next to Taman Sari we find a beautiful underground mosque.
The kota gede is a historic neighborhood, now famous for its silver crafts. Visit a small silver workshop and see how silver jewelry is made as it was made for hundreds of years. Visit a batik factory where you can see the whole process of the batik making as it was taught generation to generation.
Vredeburg is the old Dutch colonial fortress in the centre of Yogyakarta, now converted into a museum about the independence struggle. It was built in 1765, to make it easier for the Dutch to control the city. The castle was given the name “Rustenburg”. After the earthquake in 1867 is was destroyed and rebuilt with the name “Vredeburg” (castle of peace) to emphasize the intentions of peace.
The front of the kraton faces the Merapi and has a big square in front of it, the alun-alun. The story is told that at the backsite of the kraton another alun-alun was created to make sure the mystical Queen of the Southern Sea was not offended. This square is called the alun- alun kecil (the small square) or alun- alun kidul (the southern square).
The alun-alun kecil is used by the army of the kraton to work out. In the evening from 17.00 hours the place is a meeting place for the people of Yogyakarta. The children play with kites, and blow soap bubbles. You can rent a beautiful decorated luminated bicycle-cart and cycle around the square, just for the fun of it. At the sides of the square you can sit down on mats and order typical Javanese snacks.
In the middle of the alun-alun there are two banyan trees. It is said that only those having pure hearts and who don’t have bad intentions can walk pass the banyan trees. People are blindfolded and try to walk straight for about 20 meters to pass in between the two trees. It is not only nice to try, also nice to watch all the people trying: it is more difficult than it seems and many people don’t reach the trees. Symbolically the game reflects the message that we all have to do our best to keep our heart pure, to achieve our goals. | 2019-04-23T08:18:10Z | https://www.yogyakarta.tours/yogyakarta-private-day-tour/ |
Last week the Great Minnesota Give Together, Give to the Max Day, overcame some serious down-time and managed to raise $17.1 million for Minnesota nonprofits and schools. It was inspiring to see Minnesotans push through and give despite the site being down.
We at the Council were also excited to be graced by the presence of Super Kris, our super hero Executive Director.
If you were unable to give to your favorite organization because of the delay, don’t forget that you can always give online, year-round, 24 hours a day! You can donate to any organization that had an account on Give to the Max Day by searching for them givemn.razoo.com.
If you like the chance to be part of a great day of giving again, Giving Tuesday is coming up after Thanksgiving. Inspired by Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the hubbub around shopping for the holiday season, Giving Tuesday is a great way to put some more Thanks and Giving into the increasing span of days after thanksgiving monopolized by consumerism, and to put a philanthropic and impactful spin on what is sometimes considered a troublesome holiday.
Here’s to channeling all that Black Friday energy into some truly awesome giving!
Be a Super Giver Today: Nonprofitopolis Needs a Hero like You!
Here at Charities Review Council, we spend a lot of our time fighting the ‘good fight’ of supporting strong nonprofits and connecting them to smart givers. But usually we do that while sitting behind our desks, convening groups of nonprofits and donors, providing advice to donors over the phone, offering technical assistance to nonprofits, or pounding away on our keyboards. Not today.
Today, we’re revealing that we at the Charities Review Council are, in fact, super heroes. Super Giving Heroes™ to be more specific. We’re led by our fearless leader, Super Kris, and we will stop at nothing to bring prosperity, good governance, and sound infrastructure to Nonprofitopolis.
Will you join the Super Giving Heroes™ and help us give Nonprofitopolis the heroic support it needs? By donating to Charities Review Council and to one or more of your favorite organizations meeting Standards today, you’ll power up your donation and help us all! Indeed, when donors and nonprofits work together, we can truly mobilize the common good!
Let us know you are a #supergiver by telling us on Twitter which organization meeting Standards you donated to today, and why.
Stay tuned for updates on how we’re saving Nonprofitopolis!
Typhoon Haiyan, the recent tropical storm that devastated the Philippines, Vietnam and South China, was the strongest ever recorded. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 people have lost their lives, and that millions will need basic aid, including access to food, medicine, clean water, and shelter, in the coming weeks.
You can view specific organizations that are contributing to the relief effort here.
Give financial gifts. The best and most effective type of assistance is a financial donation to a relief organization already operating in the affected area. Do not send goods to an organization unless specifically requested.
Is the organization legitimate? If an organization is calling you, be wary. Established disaster-relief organizations are often too busy to implement a direct phone campaign during times of disaster. Don’t be afraid to say “no” over the phone and then contact the organization directly yourself to follow up.
Are you confident the organization has the infrastructure and capacity to put your donation to good use? Does the organization already have a strong record of aiding victims of natural disasters?
Learn more about making your donation count toward disaster relief efforts, and read the full article here.
Our Executive Director Kris Kewitsch recently shared five questions to ask before giving to a cause or charity with Kare11 News. You can watch the segment below or read the full piece here.
Question: What do you get when you renovate a 19th century horse barn, turn it into an open concept collaborative space, move a 67 year old organization into it, launch a new strategic plan, and invite a gang of strong nonprofits and engaged donors over for a party?
Answer: A fantastic evening, and a mission that comes to life before our eyes.
If you showed up to support us and see our new digs, we can’t thank you enough. Our doors opened right at 3:30pm, and friends aplenty (both old and new) stuck around until it was time to clean up. We had great conversations, a giving themed photo booth, and our event generated less than a half pound of waste, thanks to the incredible catering spread by Common Roots Café. We can’t promise a photo booth or catered appetizers every day, but we still would love to have you drop by and see us, especially if you haven’t had a chance to get to know us in a while.
At the Charities Review Council, we believe that giving is a blend of art and science, and that everyone can be a smartgiver.
Engaged philanthropy is about giving with your heart.
And also with your head.
You shared with us why you give with both, and your answers were powerful, insightful and inspiring.
We’ll be posting your answers on Twitter over the next few days using the #smartgiving hashtag. Please follow along and share. It’s the perfect time to talk about your personal giving ethos, since Give to the Max Day is right around the corner, and of course, since the giving season is upon us.
Like us on facebook to see more pictures from our #Smartgiving Open House photo booth (including gems of nonprofit and philanthropic all-stars like the ones above).
Don’t forget to schedule your donation and show your support for the Charities Review Council on Give to the Max Day. Remember: your donation to the Charities Review Council strengthens the entire nonprofit sector.
This blog was originally posted on givemn.org in preparation for Give to the Max Day 2013.
Smart giving is a partnership between donors and nonprofits - a blend of art and science. Smartgivers believe their time, talent and treasure are important social investments. People give for all kinds of reasons, and there is no wrong way to do it. But by using your heart, your head, and these four tips, you can help make sure your giving has the greatest impact this November.
Instead of focusing on a specific organization, start by asking which problems facing your community list of strong nonprofits that meet 27 Accountability Standards at smartgivers.org, look for organizations that want to solve the same problem that you do. These organizations have committed themselves to working hard to build a firm and solid foundation that includes accountability, transparency, good governance and public disclosure; that foundation allows them to focus on advancing their missions.
It's easy to find information on an organization's mission, financial health, and impact online, using resources such as the Charities Review Council's list of charities meeting standards, as well as national resources like Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and Better Business Bureau. It is important to look for measures of performance beyond administrative expenses, or "overhead." An organization that invests in training, planning, evaluation, and internal systems is a stronger organization that can ultimately have the greatest impact on its community. Look for indicators of an organization's performance such as transparency, governance, leadership, and results. If you have questions or don't find what you're looking for, ask! Strong nonprofits always welcome all questions from donors.
Nonprofits today are tasked with a huge challenge: serve more people with less money. Smart givers should invest their dollars into charities that innovate to work around those challenges. The willingness to take creative risks is key to finding new solutions to the problems we've faced since the dawn of humanity. It's up to this generation of donors to change the world, for good.
Want to learn more about the work we do at Charities Review Council? Come to our SmartGiving Open House on Thursday, November 7 from 3:30 to 7pm. We invite you to tour our new collaborative workspace, learn more about our work and renewed focus, eat some delicious appetizers, and have a good time with us as we debut our new home along the Green Line in nonprofit alley!
Three weeks from today is Give to the Max Day—the fifth anniversary of the one-day statewide fundraising campaign. Last year, 4,381 organizations raised $16,391,905 from 53,339 donors in 24 hours, setting Give to the Max records in dollars raised as well as donor and organization participation. The magnitude of donations on Give to the Max Day, when coupled with informed giving decisions, makes for a wonderful opportunity for Minnesotans to help usher in the chance they’d like to see in our state.
We chatted with Dana Nelson, Executive Director of GiveMN, to find out what’s new for Give to the Max Day this year, what the best practices are for organizations new to Give to the Max Day, and who her dream celebrity endorser of Give to the Max Day is. Here’s hoping for a wonderful Minnesota Give Together in 2013!
What do you think has made Give to the Max Day so successful in the past?
A huge part of the success is owed to the nonprofits across Minnesota that take such great ownership of Give to the Max Day. Every year, more and more organizations build it into their end-of -the year development plan and come up with crazy, zany ideas to promote the day and really have fun with it.
Also, I think we’re all wired to be really competitive, even if we don’t want to admit it. There’s something about the competition of giving—people give more than they might usually, because the get to see their favorite organization climbing up on the leader board. You get to see the impact of your donation alongside the thousands of other donations being made that day.
It’s also a great day to get people involved in giving that maybe don’t normally give, or may be first time givers to charity. A huge goal with Give to the Max Day is to get folks involved that don’t normally give or aren’t normally asked to give.
What resources can organizations access on the GiveMN website to prepare for Give to the Max Day?
We have tons tools for nonprofits and for schools on our website. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for organizations to participate. We have templates available for email campaigns, direct mail campaigns, letters to the editor, radio PSAs, and press releases.
Watch the Everything You Need to Know about Give to the Max Day 2013 webinar – you can skim through it because its pre-recorded. We also have webinars on our website on all aspects of marketing, including maximizing email campaigns, social media, and creating visuals for the web.
To make preparing for the day as easy as possible, we also have a preparation checklist.
Is there anything new GiveMN is doing for 2013 that smart givers and strong nonprofits should know about?
We’ve changed a few parts of our prize structure this year. We have a new leader board just for greater Minnesota, for organizations outside of the metro area. We also have “power hours” this year, which are specific hours throughout the day at kind of crazy times: 2am, 5am, 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm. The concept is that the organizations that raise the most during those hours will win an additional thousand dollars. This is great for organizations that feel like they can’t sustain raising money for the full twenty-four hours, and can just hone in on one of these power hours.
We’ll have our headquarters at the Mall of America again this year, where we’ll have live streaming coverage that shows up on our site. We’ll interview participating nonprofits and schools throughout the day.
Last year we had principals ride the orange streak roller coaster in Nickelodeon Universe for hours at a time as our little stunt. This year, principles will be swimming with and feeding the sharks in the Sea Life Aquarium!
What advice would you give to smaller organizations running their first Give to the Max Day campaign?
If it’s your first campaign, decide on a realistic goal, and know who you’re trying to reach. You may be reaching different than in your current fundraising. Maybe you have twenty volunteers who work with you on a regular basis, but you’ve never asked them to give. Give to the Max Day is a great excuse to ask new donors for a donation. It’s also a great day to get your board involved in giving, if they aren’t already.
We have some really wonderful and creative campaigns for Give to the Max Day, but if you’re a first timer, you don’t necessarily need to go all out.
Also, don’t forget to steward the donor relationships you get! Sometimes online donors come so easily on Give to the Max Day, but you can’t forget that this is a real relationship, just like a donation you got face-to-face, or from a check in the mail.
If you could get any celebrity to star in the next Give to the Max Day PSA, who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one, but I really like the Hot Cheetos & Takis kids – Y.N.RichKids! I would love for them to do our next PSA! I’ve also always wanted Prince. Maybe a combination of Walter Mondale and Prince—two very different Minnesota icons, together. But I love this year’s PSAs with Janel McCarville and Jeff Locke.
School fundraising has become a necessity for many schools to stay afloat. In order to maintain literacy programs, extracurricular activities, and classroom supplies, both public and private schools run fundraising programs in which their students participate. Traditionally, these fundraisers involve students selling candy, popcorn, or other items either through catalogues, door to door sales, auctions or raffles. According to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers (AFRDS), each year, non-profit groups net approximately $1.7 billion by selling products. Some parents are beginning to grow weary of helping their children sell unwanted or unused products and ultimately buying these products themselves as a method of supporting their children’s schools. Although school administrators recognize that school fundraising is not ideal, they also understand that it is a necessity to keep the schools running smoothly and effectively.
Plant Trees: Ask a nursery for seedling donations and then ask additional donors to sponsor a tree. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn a practical skill, and has the added benefit of beautifying your community.
Cleanup Fundraiser: Choose a community to cleanup, and ask donors to give an amount for specific goals. For instance, they could donate a dollar amount per pounds of trash picked up, number of parks cleaned, or distance of road side cleaned.
In wake of the current government shutdown, an important question arises: how are nonprofits affected by the shutdown and what can donors do to help? Many charitable groups rely on federal funding or federal grants, so a prolonged shutdown could have dire consequences for nonprofits.
When funding for federal programs that provide social services such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and veterans’ services stops or slows down, the people who are affected are forced to find alternative channels for support. This creates a higher demand for services, putting a larger strain on organizations that are already faced with less funding and staff support.
Meals on Wheels is one of the most prominent organizations affected by the shutdown. “We budget less than half a million dollars a year to run our entire organization which is for food costs, vans, staff, fuel and everything else. We get about $250k from the fed government so it’s more than half of our budget,” said Alison Foreman, the executive director of Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. If this major source of funding is gone for an extended period of time, nonprofits face the tough decision of cutting expenses wherever they can: staffing, program services, or facilities.
So, the most important question then is, what can donors do to help nonprofits in this critical time of need with little to no federal support?
Donors can respond by recognizing organizations that are most affected by the government shutdown and attempt to help their local communities. One of the most significant areas that will be affected is food, either through lack of access or mobility to meals, food stamps or food scarcity. Donors can search for organizations that address hunger and meet Charities Review Council’s Accountability Standards here.
Nonprofits that work with housing needs will also be affected by the shutdown. Federal programs that address homelessness through housing vouchers and shelters may be severely cut down or reduced, and nonprofits that address these issues might be similarly affected. Donors can find organizations that address homelessness and meet our Accountability Standards here.
Allie Wilde is a junior at St. Catherine University and is a History and English double major. She just started in early September as the Engagement and Marketing Intern for the Charities Review Council. She is from and currently lives in Minneapolis. In her spare time, she likes to play, think, watch and talk about soccer.
Can Charities Be Run Like Businesses?
I’m finishing out my second week working with Charities Review Council, and I’m very excited to propel our mission of building up the nonprofit sector. Being relatively new to the nonprofit world, I've been spending a lot of time reading various thought leaders' takes on where the sector is going, what needs to be changed, and what practices are downright broken. One big hot-button issue right now is “the overhead ratio,” or the ratio of money a nonprofit spends on its mission versus employee salaries and other operating fees.
My colleagues here at Charities Review Council have written a great deal in our blog about the overhead ratio, pointing out that the overhead ratio is generally just a data point; it is a poor measure of a charity’s overall performance or effectiveness when taken alone.
One of the loudest champions of overhead ratio reform right now is Dan Pallotta, whose recent TED Talk illustrates how investing in leadership the way for-profit companies do can create unparalleled results in nonprofits. He goes beyond the argument that overhead isn’t an effective measure for nonprofit performance, suggesting that donors should accept charities taking on large risks in fundraising projects the way for-profit companies do. Recently, Pallotta has seen a barrage of backlash from respected leaders in the field.
Pallotta argues that fundraising professionals should have every opportunity to make a fortune as their peers in the for-profit world. He promotes a meritocracy of fundraisers, where the most effective fundraisers get paid a competitive market wage. It’s easy to see how donors are wary of this mentality, especially with some of the more extreme cases of recent charity fraud—CNN reported this year that Florida-based Kids Wish Network spends less than three cents per dollar raised helping dying children and their families.
Ken Berger and Robert Penna of Charity Navigator said in Huffington Post “We believe his message has gained tremendous popularity for one simple reason — he ultimately is arguing that charities should be held to virtually no accountability standards.” They don’t believe he has explained in enough detail how to measure the success of a charity, and whether the gains were worth the amount of donations expended.
@danpallotta Wow. Really? Most Americans think corporate CEO pay is out of control and too often disconnected from performance.
It’s also arguable that Pallotta’s ideas on charity have become popular because of the current reality of the nonprofit landscape. Organizations have been faced with increased need and decreased funding, so it’s easy to see the appeal of a charitable model that promotes capital growth on par with for-profit companies.
As this conversation continues, debate will likely center around something along the lines of “can a charity be effective and responsible while taking greater risks and providing increased personal gains for individuals?” The answer isn’t necessarily cut and dry. The increased capacity of a charity run like a business comes with unprecedented barriers of donor trust. If Pallotta’s vision, or something like it, is ever to become a reality, it will require innovative standards of nonprofit performance that foster relationships between donors and charities. If Pallotta truly wants to change the way we think about charity, his first concern should be donor trust.
Matt Beachey joined the council in September 2013, working on marketing and engagement. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2010, and has since been living in the Twin cities. Matt served in AmeriCorps with the nonprofit Hunger Solutions and interned with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in their Marketing and Communications department. He also volunteers as the managing editor of Pollen, and as a blogger for FINNEGANS.
Welcome Our New Fall Intern!
Welcome Madeline Severtson, who joins us this fall as the Development and Communications Intern. This spring, she graduated from St. Olaf College with majors in mathematics and religion. Read on to learn a bit more about her.
I grew up in St. Anthony Village, which is a very small first-ring suburb of Minneapolis located between NE Minneapolis and Roseville. A surprising number of people in the Twin Cities don’t know that it exists.
2. How did you end up as an intern for the Charities Review Council?
During my last year or two at St. Olaf, I started exploring career paths in the nonprofit sector. I was intrigued by development work, so I was excited when the opportunity arose for an internship with the Charities Review Council. I had not heard of the organization, but I believe the Council plays an important role in the sector, both for nonprofits and donors.
A beloved Christmas tradition in my family is to eat copious amounts of See’s chocolate while opening presents on Christmas morning. Last year, I was on a semester-long study abroad program that had me spending Christmas in China. My parents surprised me by sending a box of See’s, and it meant so much to me to be able to continue the tradition even though I was far from home.
4. If you could go back in time or leap ahead to the future, which would you choose and why?
I would choose to go back in time because I am always curious about the way things used to be. Books, photographs, and other historical documents and records help to some extent, but they can never fully communicate what life was like in the past. I have often thought about the possible consequences of time travel, and I think it would be best if only observation were possible. It might be tempting to interfere in certain historical situations, but it would be impossible to know whether that interference would cause more harm than good.
I’m reading The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family, by Mary S. Lovell, which is a biography of the six Mitford sisters. They were prominent in England during the early- to mid-20th century, and the family was divided when each sister chose a different political ideology. I’m also rereading one of my favorite books, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, because it contains beautiful passages about religion and the nature of God, and the story as a whole challenges the definition of truth and reality.
6. What are you most excited about learning/experiencing during your internship?
So far, I have enjoyed experiencing the inner workings of a nonprofit organization in general, and I look forward to learning more about the development process. I am also excited to understand more about the issues surrounding nonprofit accountability.
7. Do you have a favorite cause that you support?
I am passionate about interreligious dialogue because I believe there is a deep need for understanding and acceptance in American society. I have not yet determined what role this cause will take in my life, but I hope to help create a culture in which all religions are valued and celebrated.
Twelve years ago today, the tragic events that transpired in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. led to a collective American response of passion, bravery and hope. There was a clear call to action, and the American people responded with an outpouring of support. More than 1.4 billion dollars was donated to 9/11 charities in the aftermath of the attacks.
In the years since, Americans have further developed a tradition of community service and philanthropy as a tribute to the victims, survivors, and volunteers who responded to the tragedy. In 2009, September 11th was federally recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance with the goal of uniting Americans across the country in service. This recognition highlights the value of donations of all types, including community service and monetary gifts.
Now, twelve years after the attacks, it is not always obvious where to direct commemorative donations so that they will be of the most help. For those wanting to make a 9/11-specific donation, look for an organization that directly benefits survivors, first responders, bystanders, and their families by providing support with ongoing physical and mental health care costs, as well as scholarships to fund college education. The September 11th Families’ Association maintains a list of organizations that provide this type of support.
Additionally, countless veterans of the resulting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq need assistance with housing or health care. Many nonprofits work with veterans in our community to ease the transition back to civilian life. For example, the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans aids veterans affected by homelessness, and the Minnesota Veterans Medical Research and Education Foundation conducts research on physical and mental health conditions in order to improve veterans’ quality of life.
Today marks a day of remembrance and honor. It’s important that we all take a moment to reflect on what happened on September 11, 2001, but consider taking it a step further this year by supporting those nonprofits working to help victims, survivors, veterans, and our own communities.
The smell of freshly-sharpened pencils is in the air. Back to school season is upon us as children all over the country pack their backpacks with brand new notebooks, crayons, folders, and glue sticks. But some kids enter their classrooms on the first day of school without these necessary supplies.
This time of year often presents a financial challenge for low-income families. Many parents have to make tough decisions; school supplies or breakfast? Pencils or bus fare? Though school supplies might seem like a trivial expense that doesn’t fall under the necessity category, the long list of supplies can be overwhelming and impossible to fulfill for some, leaving kids feeling inadequately prepared for learning. Just like at a job, having the tools you need to complete a task are imperative to successful implementation and completion.
Many nonprofits recognize the implications that come with ill-prepared students and seek to equip children with these necessary items by holding school supply drives and collecting donations. Several of the organizations on our list of the Most Trustworthy Nonprofits work to ensure that every child’s school year starts off on the right track.
Union Gospel Mission has backpack drop off sites all over the metro area. Simply fill a backpack with items from their list of supplies and drop it off at the location most convenient for you.
St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) distributes school supplies to St. Louis Park children. According to their website, “Our goal is for every St. Louis Park child to have a fresh start to the school year by providing a new backpack and grade appropriate school supplies.” In 2012, STEP provided supplies for 451 St. Louis Park students! To help with this year’s effort, drop items off at their St. Louis Park office.
Keystone Community Services holds a school supply drive each year. Though the official drive dates have passed, Keystone accepts school supply donations all year at their St. Paul office. They provide a list of the most-needed supplied to make your shopping easy.
Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP) is a community-based program that helps meet the basic needs of families living in the northern part of the Twin Cities. Every year CEAP hosts a Supplies for Success event, matching children in need in Anoka County, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, and East Champlin with age appropriate school supplies to help them in the coming year. In 2012, CEAP distributed 1,400 backpacks filled with supplies to children in need! CEAP invites community members to host a Supply Drive or make a monetary donation.
C.R.O.S.S. serves individuals in Northwest Hennepin County. They provided school supplies to more than 800 children in 2012 and are collecting supplies this year in Rogers and Maple Grove. You can also purchase tickets from the Rotary Club of Northwest Hennepin County for $20 to provide a backpack filled with school supplied to one child in need.
Even though school has started for most, all of the nonprofits listed above welcome supply donations throughout the year and gladly accept cash donations, as well. It’s never too late to help provide school supplies, as needs often arise throughout the year. Check out our list of trustworthy and accountable charities for more ways to help families in need.
Donating school supplies is a simple, tangible way for the entire family to get involved in giving back to the community. Next time you find yourself at Target or Walmart, pick up a few extra boxes of markers or spiral notebooks for those children who don’t get to pick out their own. A small donation can make a big difference for students in need this school year.
As an office full of self-proclaimed “nonprofit nerds”, it should come as no surprise that our lunchtime conversations often turn to the latest nonprofit headlines we see on twitter, hear on NPR, or read about in the Huffington Post.
When Peter Buffet, son of the infamous Warren, took to the pages of the New York Times to express his take on philanthropy and the wrongdoings of the sector, his words sparked conversation in lunch rooms, news rooms, conference rooms and Facebook feeds across the nation. Buffet explains that philanthropy is actually feeding the cycle of inequality in our world and to combat it, we need “a new operating system. Not a 2.0 or a 3.0, but something built from the ground up.” He goes so far as to say that there is a “crisis of imagination” and whole-heartedly disregards the notion of ROI in the nonprofit world.
While most reactions were quick to criticize, Chronicle of Philanthropy columnist, Phil Buchanan, made sure to point out some of Buffet’s valid arguments that we shouldn’t outright dismiss. The Chronicle ran a summary of many of the responses from thought leaders around the country. Mr. Buffet himself has continued to participate in the discussion and has responded to criticism by clarifying some of the points he made in his original piece.
This American Life, the weekly show broadcast on National Public Radio, recently featured a story about an unusual sort of charity – one that provides money to those in need, instead of building houses, digging wells, or providing animals. GiveDirectly was founded in 2008 by a group of Harvard and MIT economic development students looking for a vehicle to send monetary donations directly to the poor, allowing them to decide how to best use it. Even with the explosion of mobile banking in developing countries, the founders realized that very few nonprofits were utilizing these tools and directly addressing the need with no-strings-attached financial assistance.
According to its website, “As a non-profit created by donors, GiveDirectly is focused exclusively on giving to the poorest possible households at the lowest possible cost. Its leaders have no personal financial stake in the success of the organization, as their time is all volunteered.” GiveDirectly recently completed an in-depth report on their work in Kenya, expansion into a second country, and the long-term outlook of the organization. Listen to the NPR story here, and tell us, do you think giving money directly to those in need is an effective way to address poverty?
There you have it – a sneak peek into our lunch room. Though these conversations often happen spontaneously, they always leave us with a new sense of inspiration and motivation to work harder and think more innovatively. What have you been talking about lately on your lunch break, around the conference table, or at the water cooler? | 2019-04-20T14:14:27Z | http://blog.smartgivers.org/2013/ |
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In January this year, just like every January for as long as I can remember, I wrote down a few goals I wanted to accomplish in the 12 months ahead. When I wrote down those goals, little did I know the bumps I would encounter just a few months down the road.
One of my goals was to run in a 10K. When I set the goal, this was twice as far as my previous longest distance. Nonetheless, in January the goal felt doable. I had mentally targeted the fall for running my 10K, and by June I was halfway there. But then, the road got bumpy. Just after I ran in a 5K race, my dad’s health took a drastic turn for the worse. Needless to say, my goal of running a 10K was quickly replaced with the goal of spending as much time as possible with my dad in Michigan.
After my dad passed away in August, it was running that kept me going. The goal of running a 10K was still in the back of my mind, but a different, shorter race called out to me. On September 22, 2012, I ran in the Race for Mesothelioma, which was a 5K. I ran in honor of my dad and in hopes of taking one step closer to a finding a cure for the disease that took his life.
When I ran that race, it felt like it would have to be the replacement for the 10K. I didn’t feel like there was enough time before the end of the year to find a 10K to run in and to also double my distance. By chance, and with my goal of a 10K fading, I joined an online challenge to run 43 miles in the month of October. I ended up running more than 45 miles that month, and then decided to bring my total miles to 100 in November. My last run in November—the one that pushed me over the 100-mile mark—was a 10-kilometer run by myself on the streets of my town. It wasn’t the organized 10K race I had pictured in my mind in January, but it was very much my 10K goal achieved. I simply took a different path to the goal. While there was no cheering crowd, timer or finish line at the end, the sense of accomplishment I felt on November 30 was remarkable.
I share this story because often we get so hung up on how we are going to accomplish something that we forget the original intent of the goal. My goal wasn’t to run in a specific 10K race—the race was simply the path I pictured myself taking to accomplish my real goal: being able to run 10 kilometers without stopping.
If there’s something you want that feels out of reach today—whether it is a clutter-free home, better relationships, a higher paying job or more time to do the things you love—try a different path. There’s always more than one way to get there, and that applies to anything you want to do. And you just never know…the next path you try may turn out to be the ultimate shortcut to your goal.
We're taking the 30-day gratitude challenge. Who is with us?
Focusing on gratitude is something I mention a lot around here, particularly in my Get Organized for the Holidays workshop. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, I make an extra effort to keep my mind focused on gratitude. I have learned that this foundation carries me through the hectic holiday season. It's easy to feel stressed out and overwhelmed this time of year, but it is so much more rewarding to feel grateful and seek out the good that is already present in my life.
Jennifer stumbled upon this 30-day Gratitude Photo Challenge and we both love, love, love it! It’s another great way to commit to recognizing and recording what we're grateful for...so we both decided to join the challenge. Check out the link for all the details, and see if this is something that you’d like to participate in, too. If so, we thought it would be fun to do this together!
If you’d like to share your gratitude photos with us on Pinterest, include the hashtags #simplify101 and #gratitude30 so we can see your photos and what you're grateful for each day. We'll set up a Gratitude Pinboard and repin the photos you share on Pinterest. Jennifer and I also plan to share highlights from our daily gratitude photos on Thursdays, right here on the blog, throughout November.
Jennifer saved the 30-Day Gratitude Photo Challenge image to her phone and saved it as her background and wallpaper. This is her way of keeping the challenge top-of-mind, and since she will be using her phone to capture her images, she's got the list exactly where she needs it. Love this!
So what do you say, are you in? Let us know in the comments...and the let the gratitude, photo taking, and pinning begin! I can't wait to see what fills your heart with gratitude.
P.S. You can find us on Pinterest here http://pinterest.com/abygarvey/ and here http://pinterest.com/jen_mcclure/.
Last week, I mentioned that Jennifer was running in her first marathon on Sunday. Today, I asked her to share her story with all of us, including the “secrets” to her success and what she learned along the way. Yay, Jen!
I feel very fortunate that Aby asked me to write about it on the blog, and I’m honored to share what I learned from this! I have no secret weapons or super powers, but I think the following things were absolutely key.
I had a plan, or more accurately, I found a plan and followed it. Fortunately there are a lot of smart people out there who know far more about marathons than I ever will, and they’ve done all the groundwork. I just had to choose the one that seemed the best fit for me, which ended up being a training program by Hal Higdon, a renowned running expert and author.
I carved out the time. The very next thing I did once I had a plan was to actually put a schedule in my calendar. Having 18 weeks to get ready for something is great, but without assigning tasks to days, that time would have gone by and I would have been no closer to running a marathon. Having things on the schedule solidified my commitment, kept me on track, and also kept my family members in the loop with my training.
I had a team. Speaking of family members, it was imperative that they were on board. Before I even began training, we talked as a family about what it would mean for them. After all, they were not the ones signing up for this, and so I committed to do whatever I could not to take away from family time. This meant some very early runs and some late evenings on the computer mapping out routes and researching nutrition, but I was willing to sacrifice so that my family wouldn’t have to. I was also honest in letting them know there would be 3-4 long weekend runs towards the end that would take up a decent chunk of time and would likely leave me pretty wiped out for the day. I think it was critical to have them on the same page as me. They may not have run with me, but they were most certainly my team.
Coming in for hugs from my family along the course.
I also had coaches. Or, perhaps they were more like mentors. Either way, I have two seasoned marathoner friends who were gracious enough to train with me. I have told them I don’t know how anyone trains for a marathon without Julia and Emily, to which they smirk, but I am not kidding. They joined me for my longest training runs, coached me about injuries and recovery, answered my questions, and most of all believed in me. Emily even met me on the course at the bottom of the very worst hill and ran up it with me, filling me with encouragement the entire time. Their expert guidance was invaluable. I’m so grateful!
I had fans. (Hey, why should celebrities have all the fun?) I chose to be pretty vocal about my goal and shared it with many people. I know from past experience that having other people cheer me on keeps me going and keeps me accountable. Thank you to everyone who commented on this blog, the race day spectators and volunteers, and my family and friends. I think we often times underestimate the power our words have. But, I read the comments. I saw the signs. I heard the cheers. And, I believed you. Thank you for believing in me.
I celebrated my accomplishments along the way. I treated myself to the occasional piece of new running gear. I celebrated long runs with chocolate milk (because it is both a treat and a good way to refuel the body after a hard workout). But, I also celebrated in less tangible ways, and these were possibly the most meaningful. I celebrated running in different parts of the country, running through season changes, running through various types of weather. I celebrated beautiful views and encounters with nature. I celebrated starry nights and sunrises. I celebrated that not only was every run taking me closer to my goal, but was also allowing me to experience so much that I would have otherwise missed.
I changed my life. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t achieve this goal and then wake up as a different person in a perfect world. However, I learned important things about myself, and I gained new perspective. I think anyone who achieves a goal can identify with this. More than just checking the goal off a to-do list, it’s what happens along the way and as a result of reaching it that has the lasting impact. That’s how we truly change our lives.
If you look closely, you can even see the tears rolling down my face. I could not stop crying!
This past weekend, my husband Jay and I took care of something that had been on our to-do list since the beginning of April. We had been dreading this task for weeks…because it felt hard. Really. Really. Hard.
Our task was to sell one of our vehicles on Craigslist, something neither one of us had done before. The car needed a bit of work, so we thought, “Who would want to take care of all of that? Who would want to buy this car?” We considered doing the repairs ourselves, and then selling the car. But, what if someone still didn't want the car? Then we'd have the car and be out the money for the repairs. It felt like we were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
We stayed in this state of indecision for several weeks, until finally the hassle of moving our third vehicle several times a day felt like a bigger hassle than selling the car. We decided to list the car “as is” and be very up-front about the needed repairs. We'd drop the price enough to cover the repairs and then just see what happened.
Have you ever done this? Have you ever believed a project was going to be hard only to discover it was much easier than you expected? And then, did you go so far as to think if it was easy that you must have done something wrong? If so, then know you’re in good company!
I’ve had many people in my life tell me, “It’s supposed to be easy.” And yet, “easy” often feels wrong. As Jay pointed out on Saturday night, isn’t it funny how we feel we must be doing something wrong when something is easy? When, in fact, the opposite is true! When it’s easy, it means you’re on the right path! Easy is good.
The young man who drove away with our car on Saturday left me with a terrific gift. He reminded me that it’s okay if it’s easy. In fact, it’s supposed to be easy. Thank you, young man. I hope you enjoy your new ride.
Is there something in your life right now that feels hard? Why not give yourself permission to let it be easy…and just see what happens? You may just surprise yourself.
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Continuing on with our summer series, in my next few posts I’m going to share a few add-ons for your alphabetized summer bucket list. The first one is THE BOOK OF DOING: Everyday Activities to Unlock Your Creativity and Joy by Allison Arden.
Here’s what the publicist shared with me about the book: Arden, the Vice President and Publisher of Advertising Age, never intentionally set out to write this book. In fact, THE BOOK OF DOING came out of her decision to start living life rather than just going through the motions. Approaching her fortieth birthday, Arden wondered whether she needed to leave her job in order to find passion in life, or if she should continue with her day-to-day responsibilities (working and being a married mom) and just commit to figuring it all out eventually.
Arden kept thinking about her childhood and how she loved arts and crafts. Even as an adult, simple creative tasks like decorating cupcakes with her daughter or going to a crafts store excited her more than she ever thought it could. She loved trying out new activities and getting her hands dirty: “What I loved most of all was the physical act of ‘doing.’ With it came a simple focus on pure delight.” Arden took this newfound strategy to the workplace and to her everyday activities. She tested new concepts and reworked packaging at work while making up local tasting tours and park visits at home. The joy and freedom she discovered while doing this led her to write the fully illustrated and designed THE BOOK OF DOING, in which Arden passionately encourages readers to do what they love most, create new ideas and engage with the world around them. She includes 94 fun activities such as learning code, making a popsicle stick replica of your five favorite people, crafting something special out of a sentimental article of clothing and learning the meanings behind flower types and colors.
THE BOOK OF DOING is a fun, must-have guide for anyone looking to reawaken their senses and reclaim the serenity of doing the things that they love.
The book includes 94 fun activities that you could do to ignite your own creativity and joy, and if you’re like me, as you’re reading the book you’ll think of even more. The book begins with "The Laws of Doing" which are 18 terrific suggestions for how to digest the concepts in the book. And they’re also pretty terrific guidelines for life in general. For example, Arden suggests that you can always find time for things you want to do, and when you do make that commitment to yourself, you’re better in the process.
So if your summer bucket list is short on books to read, or you’re looking for an idea that starts with D, or you’re looking for a resource that will give you loads of inspiring ideas for your bucket list, or you’re ready to reignite your creativity and joy, check out THE BOOK OF DOING. I found this book to be incredibly inspiring – and that was before I even starting doing any of the ideas in it! I started thinking about my life and my to-do list in a different, more creative and joyful way.
One final note: When I am offered books to review I tell the author’s people that I will share the book with my readers only if I like it. In this case, it was a no-brainer. I couldn’t wait to tell you about the book so you, too, can be inspired to start doing the things you love to do.
Now it’s your turn: What books are on your must-read list this summer? Thanks so much for sharing!
Last week, my family and I snuck away for a few days of vacation in Michigan. I always call this “going home” since I grew up in Michigan and this is where most of my immediate family lives. It’s funny though, when we go “home” to visit, we don’t actually go back to the house I grew up in. My Mom sold that house many, many years ago. Yet somehow, for me, Michigan still feels like home.
It turns out that for me home isn’t a house. It isn’t four walls. And it isn’t stuff—pictures, or furniture, or knickknacks. It isn’t a place or even a state—as I sometimes think it is with Michigan.
For me, home is people. Home is being with the people I love. My family.
I am struck by this as I come back to the place that I now call home—the house my family and I live in. I spend a lot of time creating this home—organizing and cleaning and decorating and making it a place we want to be. I think it’s important for me to remember, from time to time, that I don’t need things to create a true home. Home isn't a place that is perfectly clean or perfectly organized or perfectly decorated. Home is simply the three people I share my house and life with.
I love going away for a few days and giving myself time to slow down, time to think and time to gain a fresh perspective. My takeaway this time: spend more time with the people that make my house my home.
Ahh…it’s good to be home…though in some ways…I guess I never really left.
What is home for you? I'd love to hear.
I’ve been meaning to blog about this topic for quite a while now. It’s something I think many mom’s can relate to: how do you make yourself feel good about a day full of thankless tasks? Have you been there, too? This is how a participant in last summer’s It’s About Time online workshop described it.
Other than tranquility because the house is picked up, I have no reward for completing tasks. I don't get thank yous, I don't get praise. How in the world do I make myself feel good about a day full of thankless tasks?
...I go go go until I drop and then I resent everyone and everything around me. I feel like I am doing all the support work (house cleaning/errands/school support/etc) and everyone else is enjoying the fruits of my labors. It is almost as if I want to stop so someone will notice the nice things they are missing.
Of course, when I stop laundry piles up, dishes are everywhere, the visual clutter drives me nuts and I feel depressed. Eventually I pull myself up by the bootstraps, get everything back in order and the cycle starts again.
I would bet most of us mom’s have felt this way at one point or another—feeling as if we’re doing so much for our family without thanks or recognition. Plus, so much of what moms do in a day get’s undone almost before our eyes. The kitchen stays clean only until the next meal. At best, laundry stays caught up for a few hours— as soon as someone goes to bed and changes into their pj’s, the hamper is back on its way to full! It can be so frustrating.
Ask for help. If you find yourself taking on most of the household responsibilities yourself, ask for help. Even young kids can help with simple tasks, and little kids get great pleasure out of being a helper. Tap into your child’s interests and natural desire to help. For example, when my son was little he loved garbage trucks. So getting him to empty the trash cans was a piece of cake! Make helping out part of the family culture and everyone wins. Your kids will learn basic home keeping skills which will serve them in adulthood, and you’ll get some much needed assistance. Your family members may even begin to appreciate everything you do for them.
Remind them. From time to time, I will remind my kids about what I (and my husband) do for them. For example, if my kids complain about having to put away their clean clothes, I ask them if they would also like to sort, pre-treat, wash, dry, fold AND put away the laundry, or simply put away their clothes like they have to do now. After having this short conversation, their reluctance to put away their clothes passes quickly, and their complaints turn to thanks each time I drop off a batch of freshly folded laundry.
Remember the big picture. When I start to get frustrated by what feels like a never ending household to-do list, I remind myself that I chose this. I chose to be a mom, and honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. When the laundry starts to pile up I remember that I won't always have to do laundry for four people. In the blink of an eye, I’ll be doing laundry for three and then it will be for just two of us. Keeping the perspective that this is a choice (and one I would make again in heartbeat) really helps, as does the recognition that my current to do list is temporary. My to-do list will continue to shrink as my kids get older and take on even more responsibilities, until ultimately they (gasp) move away.
Carve out time for you. Take intentional, rejuvenating breaks from your to do list. What activities relax you or make you feel like your needs are being met? When you start to feel resentful of your to-do list, make it a point to take some time for yourself. Think back to a time when you felt better about your to-do list... what things did you do for yourself then? For me, exercising is huge rejuvenator, whether it’s yoga, running or boot camp. Exercise is good for the body and it’s great for the mind—it’s a little slice of quiet time where I can even complete a full thought. What activities rejuvenate you?
Give yourself permission to have fun, even when there’s work to be done. Here's the thing: there will always be work to be done! So waiting until ALL the work is done to give yourself a break simply won’t work. Stake a claim to some fun time just for you. Decide how much time feels right and will fit into your schedule, and then figure out when it will happen. Could you get up earlier on weekdays to do something fun before the kids get up? Could you go to a dance or exercise class on the weekends? When you do take time out for fun, it’s a win-win. You’ll resent your to-do list less, and you’ll be more energized to get things done.
Are you a mom? I’d love to hear from all you! Do you ever feel burdened by your to-do list and if so, what do you do? Thanks for sharing!
P.S. The winner of From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds is Mickey who said: ok - sorry, I don't do twitter, so, I didn't follow Amy there, I did like on facebook and I tried to subscribe,but not sure if it worked.C: laugh, cry sometimes and write about it!! I got married to a man that had two kids and within our first two years of marriage added two more! It was all way more than I ever dreamed...being a mom/step-mom is hard, challenging and the most awesome thing all at the same time.
Do you have a favorite organizing mantra? I've pulled together 10 of the tops tips I’ve shared in my online workshops and quick tips. These mantras are designed to stick in your mind and help you cut clutter and get more done. Pull them out anytime you need an extra dose of motivation to take action!
Has this ever happened to you? You decide that this time it’s going to be different. This time you’re really going to get organized and stay that way, too. You start off with a bang and make great strides on your organizing projects for the first few days, weeks or maybe even months. Then, suddenly, wham! You hit the proverbial brick wall. Out of nowhere, something gets in the way of your progress. Maybe your kids get sick. Or perhaps your babysitter quits or you have to spend more time at the office. Perhaps you’re discouraged because the projects you’ve finished seem to be unraveling as you move onto the next project on your list. Whatever the cause, losing your organizing mojo is nothing short of frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the organizing journey. Here are ten simple ways to start shifting the momentum back in your direction so you can get your organizing mojo back.
As the new year approaches, have your thoughts turned to setting New Year’s resolutions? As someone whose life is centered around helping others create change, I find January to be the most exciting time of the year. It’s time to wipe the slate clean and start anew. It’s time to leave the old and turn your thoughts to creating change. If you’ve set resolutions in the past, only to find your enthusiasm fading a few days into January, there are simple things you can do to make this year different.
Following are techniques you can use to transform your resolutions into realities. These strategies are things you can do on your own and they’re also built into simplify 101’s online workshops. I hope you enjoy reading about these ideas, but most of all, I hope you use them to create exciting, positive change in your life in the months ahead! Here’s how to do it.
Tap into what you really want. Is your typical resolution list a list of things you should do instead of a list of things you want to do? Give yourself permission to dream about what you truly want. Maybe you’ve grown tired of the clutter in your home, or the stress of the morning routine as you and your family race around looking for homework papers, backpacks or something clean to wear. Or perhaps you keeping wishing for a new job, or you dream about eating healthier, getting in shape or going on a tropical vacation.
Regardless of the nature of your dream, the first step in making your resolutions a reality is to listen to those little whispers (or loud shouts) that are telling you what you really want. Capture those dreams in a journal or simply jot them down on a piece of paper.
simplify 101’s online workshops include worksheets and exercises to help you become crystal clear about your goals for the workshop and the changes you want to make in your home and life. I share a simple formula you can use to create an ultra-compelling goal statement that motivates you to take steps forward.
Focus on fewer things to create more lasting results. If your New Year’s resolution list typically looks like a laundry list of every single thing you’d like to change about yourself and your life, try a new approach this year. Focus on just one or two meaningful changes. You’ll create results more quickly and those results are more likely to stick. Last year, for example, I started the year by adding just one more workout session to my weekly routine. And guess what—I’m still doing it! If you start to want to do it all now, say this mantra to yourself: Fewer things. More results.
Our online workshops are designed to help you stay focused on fewer things, so you create lasting results. In Organizing 101, you start with one small organizing project—so you’re certain to start and finish during the course of the workshop, and then you put together a plan for tackling the rest of your projects—one at a time.
Decide to do it! Once you’ve created a list of things you want, the next step is to decide that you’re going to do it! Deciding is the difference between saying “I wish I was more organized” and “I am getting more organized!” Once you’ve decided to do it, cement your decision by doing something that shows your commitment. Tell a friend about your resolution. Or join a simplify 101 workshop and share your decision with me and the online community. By deciding, and then going public with your decision, you’ll motivate yourself to take action.
Give yourself permission to ask for help. As someone who is very independent, I know this one is tough. But asking for help is truly an empowering thing to do. So if you don’t have all the answers about how to accomplish your goal, or there’s something that you know for sure is standing in your way, reach out for the resources, ideas and people you need to get moving. Help can come in many forms. You could research ideas online, read a book, take a class, ask a friend for help, or work with a coach or mentor. Regardless of the form of assistance you choose, you will get where you want to be more quickly and you’ll enjoy the process more, too. Last year’s goal to start a new weekly exercise class is a terrific example. My instructor inspired me to work harder than I ever would have worked while exercising at home alone, and as a result, I felt better and got in better shape much faster than I would have on my own.
Simplify 101’s online workshops include great information AND access to the expert who created the content. This means you’ll get answers to your questions, stay motivated, and achieve your goals!
Take action now! Here’s another mantra for you: Action creates change! So the sooner you begin taking steps in the direction of your goal, the sooner you’ll cross the finish line! So why not start right now? You don’t have to figure out every single detail before you get started. Instead, figure out one or two steps you could take, and then just take them. As you move forward, you’ll create momentum and enthusiasm, which means all the steps to come become easier and easier to take. Believe me, the hardest workout class I went to in 2011 was the very first one. (I was sore for four days!) Every single class after that was easier, because I had the confidence that I could do it! As you take action, you’ll gain confidence, and the next steps forward will become easier and easier to see and accomplish.
simplify 101’s online workshops are designed to make it simple to take action! Every workshop includes straightforward action steps you can take right away, as soon as you’re finished reading each lesson. Plus you can share your progress with the online community, which means you’ll feel accountable to move forward, and you’ll be inspired by what your classmates are doing, too.
Build your goal into your schedule. Regardless of the goal you’re going after, you’ll be (much, much!) more likely to achieve it if you make it a part of your regular routine. Decide when you will work on your organizing projects, or go to the gym or search for that new, fulfilling job. When I think about my new exercise habit, there are many reasons I was able to make this change stick. But one of the biggies is that I found a way to fit fitness into my schedule. My workout class happened to be at exactly the same time as my daughter’s Saturday Taekwondo class, which meant it was simple to fit the class into my regular routine. As you consider the changes you’d like to make in 2012—whether it’s to get more organized or go after another goal—carve out time in your schedule to make it happen.
Our online workshops always fit your schedule. You don’t have to be online at any set time to take a simplify 101 workshop. Instead, once a lesson is released, you can log in and access the lesson materials any time that works for you—day or night!
So there you have it, six simple and effective techniques you can use to transform your resolutions into realities in 2012! I wish you the happiest of new years and much success on your journey to your goals.
P.S. We’ve also made our online workshops risk-free to try. Check out our cancellation policy, and then, sign up for a workshop! Let’s make 2012 the best year yet! | 2019-04-20T08:46:32Z | https://creativeorganizing.typepad.com/creative_organizing/inspire/index.html |
None of us can claim—come the end of this life—that we didn't know. We knew. How could we not? It's not in the fine print or in the interpretation. There's no need to guess or wonder. Jesus says again and again that following him is a dangerous gamble against the probability that trial and tribulation await us. That you will bear a heavy cross and find yourself nailed to it is the best bet you can make. Your cross may be intensely private or spectacularly public; you may be nailed to a physical or mental affliction or, quite literally, to an actual cross—or a prison cell or by a bullet. However you end, by whatever means you are lifted up on the cross, you will not go alone. Nor will you go in any way bound. Paul writes to the Corinthians: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed...” Afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted, we are nonetheless freed from constraint, despair, and destruction. So long as we “always carry about in the body the dying of Jesus,” we carry the hope of God's “surpassing power,” the treasures of a life—an eternal life—lived in Christ. But first, we must drink from his chalice “so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” The most delicate sip is death. But what must die for us to live?
The mother of James and John pushes her sons to the front of the apostolic line, pushing past the other disciples in the hope that Jesus might secure their positions as leaders in the kingdom to come. We can almost hear the sorrow in Jesus' voice when he says, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” Perhaps a little apprehensive or embarrassed, or maybe sensing that their elevation is at hand, James and John respond, “We can.” Though they believe that they are about to take their places of honor, Jesus tells them that to rule is to serve: “...whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” Jesus is doing more here than turning his students' expectations about inherited social power upside-down. He is telling them—all of them and us as well—that we best live a life of authority, power, and influence when we die to self in him and rise again with him to serve God by being slaves to one another for his sake. We will rule, but we will rule as slaves from a throne built on an emptied tomb.
Remember what Paul teaches the Corinthians, so long as we “always carry about in the body the dying of Jesus,” we carry the hope of God's “surpassing power.” What power we receive from carrying in our bodies the dying and rising again of Christ is not the power of princes or merchants; it is not the authority of law or money. The power we wield when we live as both tombs for his resurrected body and tabernacles of his abiding presence is the “spirit of faith,” the fire, the force, the nerve of believing, trusting, and hoping in the audacious truth that we are once again free to live as the children of his Father. From this truth, all blessings flow in abundance.
What must flow from us then? Paul points to the Psalms: “I believed, therefore I spoke.” Because we strive to live in the spirit of faith, we speak the Word and do his work as servants not kings, as slaves not masters. We are raised from a living-death to a life in Christ to work as stewards of the kingdom, proxies for heaven, prophets and priests at the altar, offering ourselves as sacrifice for the salvation of the world. We know this. How could we not? Our Lord hangs on his cross for us; he is raised from his tomb for us; he sits at the right hand of the Father for us. Though we are afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted, we are nonetheless freed from constraint, despair, and destruction. We are free to serve in the spirit of faith; and so, believing ,we speak; trusting, we work, hoping, we become hope and rule as the least of his, if we but will it.
Had to share this. . .
So says Thomas Bouchard, the Minnesota psychologist known for his study of twins raised apart, in a retirement interview with Constance Holden in the journal Science.
Journalists, of course, are conformists too. So are most other professions. There’s a powerful human urge to belong inside the group, to think like the majority, to lick the boss’s shoes, and to win the group’s approval by trashing dissenters.
I remember when I first realized that even rebels have their need for conformity. I was teaching a freshman writing class in 1994. Several of my students had adopted the Standard Issue Grunge Uniform for College Students. They had also adopted the Standard Issue Anti-establishment Opposition Ideology (SIAOI). One student loudly denounced the frat-boy mentality of the university and went on to articulate all the talking points of the comfortable academic Left. Of course, at the time, I was delighted. But being constitutionally contrarian ,I challenged his points and noted (to my own amazement) that his dress and ideas were formed very precisely AS a way of opposing the establishment. Wasn't it reasonable to suggest that his whole outlook (and outfit) was determined by the frat boys he claimed to loathe?
In my long experience in the academic world, I can bear unflinching witness to the fact that perhaps the only group more conformist than leftist academics resides in barracks and salutes superior officers.
Having cleared the field of brambles and bush and dug out all the stumps and stones; and having spread barrels of composted mulch and wet undigested leaves over the never-before tilled up ground; and having taken the measure of the field with stake, string, and poor eyesight, the farmer now considers whether it is better to plant this spring's seed in neatly planned rows or to sow the seed in handfuls and let nature's chance decide this garden's most fertile design. A garden expertly rowed is kept freer of parasites and weeds. But nature's design is more fruitful, yielding more, if less perfect, fruit. Weeds and parasites need their homes too. But should it fall to the farmer to labor for the livelihoods of aphids, worms, and the contagious dandelion? How ought he to sow this season's seed? He knows that the ground is in some places rich and in others sandy; in some places there is only a lighting shading of potash coating gravel, and in others a few square feet of deep, black dirt. No matter how he chooses to sow, some of the sparing seed will multiply and blossom, and some will fall between the stones and dry brittle-dead. Knowing now what he must do, the farmer reaches into his bag of seed and begins. . .
Much like this contemplative farmer, our Creator looked upon His creation and considered the most fruitful means of planting the seeds of His saving Word. With Moses waiting on His presence at Mt Sinai, our Lord chose to sow His seed in the neatly measured rows of the Law, carving for His people a garden of commandments in stone. With the seed planted and prophets sent as gardeners to the field to pull the weeds, the harvest, in full bloom and ready for the reaper, produced twelve tribes, a nation, and a priesthood. But this abundant yield was not enough. The hard labor of the prophets and the dedicated work of the priests could not help every seed find fertile ground. The fields must be better prepared, the seed made more robust, and the work of a few given to many, many more.
Making good on His plan to increase the yield of every season's harvest, our Lord planted one seed, a single germ of His Word, in the fields of the world. Knowing that even this divine seed might fall on dead ground, He sent His chief gardener, John, to better prepare the soil. John baptized the rows with water. He watered the open ground. He watered the wilderness and the deserts. And all the while, he announced the imminent planting of the Father's single seed. And when that seed came among the fields, he watered him too. Within days, this seed produced twelve more and those twelve grew a harvest of thousands. Those thousands grew to millions and those millions grow even now to billions.
As gardeners of the Lord's fields should we be more fervent about sowing the seed of the Gospel or a field's ultimate harvest? Should we spend the days of a season weeding weeds and crushing parasites, or preparing more ground, sowing more seed? Some fields receive seed more readily in neatly planned rows. Others produce better fruit among thriving competitors. Parasites can fertilize a dull field, building the strength of the soil in the struggle to survive. However, a field left untended will go wild and produce nothing more than inedible, native fruit. As gardeners, what is the work we must do? And what do work do we leave to the spirit of God? Can we leave a dead field unseeded. Can we coax infertile soil to grow fertile seed? Can we ever abandon a field as hopelessly barren? Not this season. Not today.
Our work is the work of broadcasting the Word, flinging handfuls of ripe seed to the fields of the world. Row up rows if you like. Or sling your bagful of seeds to the wind and watch them settle where they may. You can tend the ground with water and mulch, or take it as you find it. On the day of harvest, the last task, the final work is the Lord's. It is for him to judge the quality of the fruit. Our job is to make sure the seeds are well-planted and tended to the limits of our gifts. Come evening, the farmer's reward is always worth the work of his day.
One of the nurses at the sisters' convent took my B.P. this morning: 172/110.
If you were ask a corporate communications expert to rate the efficiency of using parables as a means of training new company executives, she would likely rate this particular pedagogical method somewhat several notches below zero. Parables are inherently vague and thus subject to a variety of potentially conflicting interpretations. Not good for the bottom-line. Of course, the business world has its own problems with using plain language to convey important ideas: action item, buzz-worthy, incent, pushback, and monetize. The grammatical sin of nouning verbs and verbing nouns has turned our beloved English language into a viper's nest, a linguistic Sodom and Gomorrah. Even in Catholic religious life we fall to the lusts of the demon-god, Jar-gon: missional, outreaching, lived-experience, and re-visioning. As the teacher of a New Way to God, Jesus relied on ancient images, old words; he taught his disciples using familiar metaphors and comfortable similes. He also used the dodgiest of all teaching methods, the parable. Though sometimes tempting listeners to hear and hold contradictory interpretations, parables provide at least one vital service to the preaching of the Gospel: room to grow and flourish out of the fertile ground of a Biblical witness. Those who hear hear the ancient story of God's loving-kindness for His people. They hear Him offering to anyone who will listen and answer the deal of an eternal life-time.
The early Church was challenged by a variety of gnostic sects that laid claim to “occult knowledge” of Jesus' teaching. Claiming to know the hidden truth of our Lord's teachings, these first-century New Agers read today's gospel passage from Matthew and argued that not just anyone could hear the parables and understand them—one must have the secret keys to unlock the parables' treasures. Those without the key may “look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” The gurus of the gnostic sects thought they alone possessed the keys to unlock the kingdom's mysteries. They were willing to share. . .for a price, of course. The orthodox faith of the apostolic Fathers is offered to all for free. Just look and listen.
When asked why he uses parables to teach the crowds, Jesus answers: “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.” How quickly do we draw the wrong conclusions from the fact that the disciples are given special knowledge? Too quickly. True, the disciples are given special access to “knowledge of the mysteries.” Special access not exclusive access. Because they have been given much, they receive more. But they receive more because they have freely received all that Christ has given them. A gift is not a gift until it is received as a gift. Bribes, compensation for work, incentives—none of these is a gift. They all describe monetary exchanges for services or stuff. Jesus says that access to the mysteries is granted to all who first receive the gift of seeing and hearing the goodness and beauty of God's everlasting gift of recreation in divine love. Those who listen to his parables with ears blessed by an abiding hope in him hear the truth play like an orchestra. To understand we must first believe.
Parables cannot obscure the vision of those who receive and use God's gifts. Freely given and freely received, God's graces sharpen the eyes and unstop the ears. The truths of salvation embedded in the metaphors and similes of Jesus' parables jump out at the faithful heart. Longing to be grasped and put to use, these truths thrive abundantly in the soil of an obedient soul. There are no riddles or puzzles to solve. No secret codes to decipher or mysterious occult rituals to perform. The keys to our Father's treasure-house hang freely on the hook of faith. First, trust in His Word of Life and then take away with as much gold as you can carry. The test of the true apostle is this: how much of that gold will you surrender to those who hunger for the health and wealth of His love?
Can anyone out there suggest a good beginner's text for learning to read French?
I don't need to speak French. . .just learn enough grammar to pass a translation test using a dictionary.
The former provincial of the friars in England, Allen White, quotes a homily preached by Dominican mystic and philosopher, Meister Eckhart: “There are some who follow God: these are the perfect. Others walk close by God, at His side: these are the imperfect. But there are those others who run in front of God, and these are the wicked.” Fr. White then argues that “the true place for a disciple is not in front, not even alongside, but behind.” I dare say that our sister, Mary Magdalen, in her mourning at the tomb and upon seeing her Lord alive, would disagree—the true disciple lives by clinging to the resurrected Christ. Fortunately, for a world primed to receive its consummation in the ascension of Christ to his Father, Jesus knows that holding on to him will not bring his Word to the waiting world. He tells Mary, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” And Mary, always the obedient disciple and friend of Jesus, does just that: “[She] announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord...'” Of course, our brother, Allan White; our sister, Mary Magdalen; and our Lord Jesus are all correct. First, seduced by truth and awed in love, we follow behind Christ as his disciples. Then, knowing that he is risen and relieved that our mourning is at an end, we cling to him resurrected. Finally, in obedience and with hearts nearly splitting in joy, we go out to preach, announcing for all to hear: “The tomb is empty! We have seen the Lord!” What we cannot do is run ahead of God.
As one of the patronesses of the Order of Preachers, Mary Magdalen is often styled “the First Preacher,” “the Apostle to the Apostles.” She is sent to those who were sent to announce that Christ has left his tomb alive and well and is making his way to the Father. She reports to the apostles “what [Christ] told her.” We might call this report the “First Post-resurrection Homily”! Though Mary Magdalen ran ahead of the other women to complete her mission, she did not—indeed cannot—run ahead of the Lord. As a woman who follows behind Christ as a disciple and as a mourner who clings to him at the tomb, Mary brings her vocation as an apostle to its fulfillment by running alongside Jesus as the first preacher of his victory over death. Mary runs to the Twelve with the Word of Victory; a herald like John, she trumpets the resurrected Lord's advent, his coming again to this life before going back to his Life Eternal with the Father.
Let the apostle of the resurrection, Mary Magdalen, be our template, our exemplar. We cannot run ahead of God. We are not grasping for God when we overreach His saving Word; instead we find ourselves running headlong into self-serving fantasy and deadly deceit. Attempting to live beyond the beauty of His truth,—uniquely and finally revealed in Christ—we do nothing more than establish a virtual life of ego-made slavery to whim, trend, and chaos. Mary clings to her resurrected Lord and calls him “Teacher.” His constant lesson to anyone who will follow is: come to the Father by doing His will. . .anything less is idolatry—the worship of impermanent things, alienating philosophies; the celebrity we confer on false prophets and gurus; and the pleasure we get from works done in the name of own sense of justice. We cannot run ahead of God and be his faithful preachers.
If you have ever found yourself panicked by the apparent absence of the Lord in your family, your convent, your Church, your own life, weeping at what might look like an abandoned tomb and crying out, “They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him,” remind yourself of this: I followed behind the Lord as his disciple. I clung to him at his his resurrection. Then ask yourself: Am I running to those who hunger for his Word to announce the advent of New Life in him, or am I missing his presence because I am running ahead of his saving Word, leaving behind everything I have been taught, everything that I know to be the truth. If you were to stand still for a moment and look behind you, would you see his 21st century students following your obedient example, or would you see the Lord in the distance, calling you back to walk again victorious at his side?
As I proceed along the difficult path toward completing my thesis in philosophy of science and religion, I am--as always--deeply grateful to my Book Benefactors for their support.
Recent activity on the WISH LIST keeps me humble in the face of such generosity!
Many, many thanks. . .I will offer tomorrow's Mass for the intentions of those who have been so kind in sending me these much-needed books.
Do you duck, run, or do His will?
How does a woman become a mother? Or a man a brother? How do any of us become who we are in relation to someone else? Why does it matter who we are related to? Beyond knowing who shares our genetic material in a family—and who might be able to donate a kidney—familial relationships grant to each an identity beyond the self. In spite of modernist efforts to rip us as individuals out by our historical roots, we are not just “a me” freely floating in an abstracted social space. Each of us is “a me” grounded in “an us” and granted the liberty to branch out even further into a more generous “we.” The “we” all of us enjoy as members of a family comes about through conception and birth; we are given to a particular man and woman through pro-creation. Through no fault of our own, we have the families we have in virtue of Mother Nature's spinning the genetic roulette wheel. The genes land where they land and here we are, complete with a lineage, a heritage, and an inheritance. We do not choose our families nor can we truly leave them behind. What then does Jesus mean to teach us when we says, “...whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother”?
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob picks out the Hebrew slaves in Egypt to be His people, His nation. He is their uncreated origin, and they are—by design and covenant—His children. Like a father, God leads, teaches, disciplines, and provides for His children. He frees them from slavery, marching them across the desert to a place promised them as their own. Once in the promised land, the children establish a nation, a family grounded in the sacrificial worship of their Father under a revealed Law. Though they are ruled on earth by a priesthood and a king, they are ruled from heaven by the One Who took dirt and breathed into each a divine breath. With the words of the prophets, God's family moves inexorably toward the coming of His kingdom, a dominion governed by His Son, the promised Christ. Those not chosen by God to be members of His people are called Gentiles, unclean outsiders, those not of the covenant. In this closed family there is no way in except by the accident of one's birth and one's adherence to the Law once born.
When Jesus makes the shocking claim that “...whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother,” he is directly undermining the fundamental rock of the older covenant; he is teaching those who follow him that God's family is no longer made up of those born to the Hebrews, those who follow the Law of Moses. Being a son or daughter in the divine family is now a matter of will, of aligning one's intended purpose and daily acts with the revealed will of the Father. Do His will, become a child of His kingdom. It is really not possible to overemphasize the truly radical nature of this teaching. Jesus is upending centuries of deeply carved instinct and practice. The unclean, the outsiders, those not of the covenant are offered the chance to join God's family not only as members but as heirs, beneficiaries of His earthly treasure and heavenly wisdom.
A good Jewish boy, like a good southern boy, knows that he risks endangering his life by saying things like, “Who is my mother?” There is no way to speak this question without simultaneously ducking for cover. Even as he speaks, he can hear the wind of the cast-iron skillet whizzing toward his head. And he can hear the indignant voice of his mother yelling, “I'll tell you who spent nineteen hours in labor giving birth to your smart mouth!” Jesus risks the skillet and his own mother's hurt when he denies her to the crowd. For us, the risk is more than worth the price of a bruised motherly ego and a bump on the head. It is worth our inheritance as sons and daughters of a infinitely generous Father. It is worth “me” given the chance to become “we” in the family of the One Who made us, freed us, and draws us in His glory toward a land promised to all who will but do His will.
Redneck comedian, Bill Engvall, does a comedy routine that Jesus would have appreciated. Amazed at the dumb questions people will sometimes ask, Engvall says that these folks ought to be required by law to wear signs that read, “I'm Stupid.” That way the rest of us would know not to rely on their dimmed lights for illumination. For example, Engvall says, “Last time I was home I was driving around I had a flat tire, I pulled my truck into one of these side-of-the-road gas stations, the attendant walks out, looks at my truck, looks at me, and says, 'Tire go flat?' I said 'Nope, I was driving around and those other three just swelled right up on me. . .Here's your sign.'" Imagine for a moment that signs like the one Engvall advocates were used to point us to other risky folks—“I'm Gullible,” “I'm Passive-Aggressive,” “I'm Irascible.” I shudder to think what sign would get hung around my neck! If Engvall were to be transported back to the first-century to follow Jesus around, what sign would he put around the necks of the Pharisees? They ask Jesus for a sign. What would it say? “We're Skeptical”? “We're Scared”? “We're Hard-headed”? Our redneck comedian would be very disappointed to hear Jesus say, “"An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it. . .” Well, that just ruins the whole show, doesn't it?
And that is precisely what Jesus wants to do—ruin the Magic Show that the Pharisees demand to see, a show that will prove to them once and for all that Jesus is who he says he is. We might think that another healing miracle or another water-to-wine act would bring the Pharisees around to Jesus' side. But Jesus knows that no demonstration of divine power will open an “evil and unfaithful heart.” Much like the high priests of Scientistic Materialism in our own day, the Pharisees are bound to a way of being and a method of seeing that inherently blinds them to any reality not accounted for in their dogmatic worldview. So, even if Jesus levitated, changed into a walrus, or unveiled to each of them the Mystery of the Trinity, they would neatly secure their controlling paradigm with a perfectly reasonable explanation. The Way of Christ is walked in faith; trust is the first step, not the availability of material evidence.
Why is this so? Why not give our doubting hearts and closed minds every advantage in coming to the faith? This question assumes that material evidence will give us an advantage in deciding to follow Christ to the Cross. Is this the case? Material evidence would be extremely helpful for coming to faith if we begin by accepting that all physical beings and processes are created by a loving God. But that begs the original question, doesn't it? We can't accept that we are creatures unless we first accept that there is a Creator, and thus the circle of doubt continues. Well, why doesn't God just download evidence of His existence and the nature of His being into our brains? Why not create us as believing creatures and skip over the need for signs and wonders? Trust is an act of a free will; faith is freely given and received. There is no such thing as being compelled to trust or forced to have faith. For the believer, evidence is weighed in the presence of God and judged according to His gift of human reason.
Jesus doesn't refuse to give the Pharisees a sign of his identity out of spite or competition. He wants them to believe because they have come to trust in the God they claim to worship. He wants them to grow in compassion, charity, and hope because they have come to have an abiding faith in the One Who has revealed Himself in the enduring witness of their ancestors. If each and every Pharisee must see a miracle in order to believe, then all they will ever believe in is the miracle. This is not enough to live the hard life Christ promised to his followers. Witness a miracle and you still have to reason your way back to the miracle's source. There is nothing definitive about signs and wonders unless they are witnessed by faith.
The questions asked by the Pharisees are more than simply stupid. Jesus says that they reveal “an evil and unfaithful” heart. So, the sign around the necks of the Pharisees would need to read, “I'm Evil and Unfaithful.” To change those signs to “I'm a Believer” takes more than assenting to the evidence of provided by signs and wonders. It takes an act of will to trust in the Divine Worker of those signs and wonder. It takes an act of hope that the promises of God are fulfilled in the coming and coming again of His Son, Christ Jesus.
2. In the face of the situation of the last few days, we refer to the information which we have sought in the appropriate public records of the State (the Supreme Court of Justice, the National Congress, the Public Ministry, the Executive Power, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal) and many organizations of civil society. Each and every one of the documents which have come into our hands show that the institutions of the Honduran democratic state are valid and that what it has executed in juridical-legal matters has been rooted in law. The three powers of the State--Executive, Legislative, and Judicial--are legally and democratically valid in accord with the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras.
Also, a Catalan language newspaper in Spain is reporting that police in Honduras have seized 45 computers from Zelaya's Presidential House that contain pre-programmed referendum results. The computers were programmed to indicate that by an 80-20 percent margin, Hondurans favored calling a convention to amend their constitution to allow Zelaya a second term as President.
I wonder how many of those votes came from Chicago's cemeteries? | 2019-04-20T21:34:37Z | https://hancaquam.blogspot.com/2009_07_19_archive.html |
From today, the Irish Times is free online. This is the another big blow in newspapers' attempts to charge subscriptions for online access. The Irish Times has been charging for many years and obviously couldn't make it work.
I understand the motivation (businesses need to make money), but unless we had the biggest case ever of industrial collusion it was always going to be hard for some papers to charge while others were making their content available for free. I'm sure there are other papers still charging for access, but the only one I can think of right now is the Wall Street Journal (and some parts of the Journal are free online).
No, I can't speak French. I wish I could today. I'd like to know if I'm getting a bad translation of this article from Le Monde. I'll have to live with the translation of what Mr. Jean-Pierre Jouyet, France's "Europe Minister" (Secretary of European Affairs? - see above) had to say about Ireland's vote.
French daily Le Monde reports Mr Jouyet as saying that "Europe has powerful enemies on the other side of the Atlantic, gifted with considerable financial means. The role of American neo-conservatives was very important in the victory of the No."
Ah, Cheney & Rumsfeld again. Lovely. Wrecking "Old Europe's" best laid plans by writing a big check for the 'No' campaign. Ahhh, the satisfaction.
Where did Mr. Jouyet get this nonsense from? Well, apparently it goes back to our friend Lucinda Creighton's attempt at playing the Anti-American card during the campaign.
Sheesh. Talk about paranoid. Europhiles across the continent sure are having trouble remaining connected to reality. A light campaign smear in Ireland and next thing you know French Government Ministers are quoting the Da Vinci Code as an explanation for what went wrong with their grand project.
Miss Creighton, can you please restrain yourself before posting on your web site in future? Your campaign hyperbole is causing members of the French government to make fools of themselves. This is on your head young lady.
I love reading poll data. You sometimes see things that the reporters ignore when they write a story about the poll.
A Eurobaromoter poll conducted after the Lisbon vote doesn't tell us a lot. I don't think so anyway. It does, however, raise questions either about some of the people who vote or about polls.
Try this. Eleven percent of the 'No' voters believed the Lisbon Treaty was "good for Ireland". What were those 11% (98,000 people) thinking? Why would they vote 'No' if they believed the Treaty was good for the country? I can't come up with any reasonable explanation as to why such a large number of people might have voted this way.
Now before you get too excited, before you start screaming about those numbskulls who make up the 11% and how they cost the 'Yes' side the vote there's this: eleven percent (odd symmetry, no?) of the 'Yes' voters believed the Treaty was "bad for Ireland". Now it's possible that these people could at least have reasonably felt that the Treaty was bad for Ireland, but good for the EU. So maybe there's some explanation for these people. Still, that would mean 80,000 voters were willing to say 'Yes' to something for the sake of the EU at Ireland's expense. Doubtful.
These figures are so strange that I can't help but wonder about the poll itself. How clear were the questions? How representative the sample(s)? 180,000 strange birds voting in the referendum just seems too outlandish. To me this calls the whole poll into question. The media may be running with it, but I would suggest that the government should not be overly dependent on it.
Thank you Mr. Joschka Fischer. The former European powerbroker when he was Germany's Foreign Minister has provided further clarification regarding Ireland's position in the EU.
It has happened. After France and the Netherlands rejected the European Constitutional Treaty, Ireland's "No" vote is the second and probably decisive blow against a united and strong Europe. June 12, 2008, will have to be remembered as the day that made European history. No matter what desperate rescue efforts will be undertaken, they cannot hide the fact that the European Union has left the world stage as a serious foreign policy player for at least 10 years (if not for much longer).
There is still a minuscule chance to avert the debacle if Ireland with its "No" vote remains isolated within the EU.
I don't think anyone ever even imagined France and/or the Netherlands being "isolated within the EU". The votes of the French & Dutch don't matter nor do the rules of the EU nor the pleasant language about Ireland being a partner in the European project.
Again, if we do eventually vote again and approve Lisbon at least there can be no more spin, no more BS, no more naivete, no more denying what the EU is and what our role in the Union is.
One good thing about the 'No' vote is that we can wait to see how the wind blows in the US election. If we have a second Lisbon Treaty next spring we'll have had enough time to see if President Obama's protectionist policy proposals look like a runner. If they do, then a 'No' vote would be all the more costly as the world's big blocks start throwing up the shutters. It would be foolish to remain outside the EU in such circumstances (unless Ireland is offered some alternative membership in NAFTA). If, however, the protectionist noises fade away after the election then the dangers of being on the outside of the EU would be lessened.
A mid-April re-run of the Lisbon vote should be late enough to know where things are going.
Regardless of how this "Lisbon Treaty" ends up, we have clarity now regarding Ireland's real position in the EU. We are not a "partner" in this project. We are expendable and our so-called "veto" was never as firm as the 'Yes' campaign would have us believe.
We didn't have a "veto". We had a "vote" where if we had to we would stand with other countries that shared our concerns on neutrality or taxes or whatever. If any of these issues led to conflict with the 26 other members we were always going to be beaten down. We had no clout and only a minimum of influence. That we had power and influence was the great lie that our politicians peddled (& possibly even believed).
At least the next vote can be more honest. Isolation and possible penury against servility and dependence. It may not be pretty, but at least it's a clear choice.
Okay. I'll admit it. I'm slow. Or at least, I'm missing something really, really important with regards to the EU.
Why is a "two-speed" EU (or Europe, as I hear it more often) such a bad thing? From what I understand a "two-speed" Europe is one where some countries plow on with various reforms, etc. while other countries opt out of those reforms (or whatever).
"Nobody wants to see that" is the refrain whenever the possibility of a "two-speed" Europe is brought up. Well, why not?
First of all we already have a multi-speed Europe, dont' we?
The euro is used in only 15 of the EU's 27 countries. Many of the countries not currently using the euro are the new members from E. Europe, most of whom plan to adopt the euro by 2012. However, Britain, Sweden and Denmark are outside the Euro and don't want to join. More than one speed there, no?
Britain and Ireland are outside the Schengen zone. Another change of gears.
So, what exactly is a "two-speed" Europe and why is it so fearful a development for Ireland. Often this fear is expressed in some form of "loss of influence" terms. Well, just how much "influence" does Ireland have exactly? Because, let's face it, our power and strength are hardly likely to sway the Germans, Italians, French, etc. anyway. How much worse off would we be if we were outside the EU's decision-making center, but in a position to negotiate our relationship with the EU? Would we really be that much worse off?
The other day I heard someone gasp at this thought and follow up with (something like) we'd end up like Norway? Norway?
Norway is not a Member State of the EU, and the relationship with the Union is therefore based on other forms and means of close contact and co-operation. This co-operation enables Norway to maintain a very high level of economic integration, and political co-operation, with the EU and its Member States.
Is being outside the EU really costing Norway that much? And, besides, they're not in the EU. Ireland would remain in the EU, but in the slow lane, so to speak, if we had a "two-speed" Europe. Although I'll admit that maybe I'm missing something really, really big here, I wouldn't mind being in the slow lane although I'm sure Irish Eurocrats and politicians would blanche at the very idea.
I'm not even sure where the high speed Europe is heading, but if the fast lane is the highway to hell I'm just as happy to proceed at a leisurely pace.
Of the 27 countries for which I found 1970 data on alcohol consumption only 5 had a lower per capita consumption than Ireland: Turkey, Japan, Norway, Iceland and Finland. Only one of those nations (Finland) is in the EU today. In other words, when compared with other EU countries Ireland in 1970 was pretty far from "beer-soaked" unless Cohen believes that every EU country was even more "beer-soaked" (or "wine-soaked" or "vodka-soaked") in 1970.
This is why I said that Cohen had fallen back on a stereotype - and an inaccurate one - when he described Ireland in 1970. Stereotype, bigotry, hysteria - I'd like to say that this is a new low for the New York Times, but I doubt it is. Unfortunately.
I have more to say about Roger Cohen's column in today's NY Times. Cohen decided that he couldn't make his case without playing on a (inaccurate) stereotype about Ireland and Irish people.
I can’t think of a country that’s benefited from European Union membership more than Ireland. It has catapulted itself in a few decades from beer-soaked backwater to the Celtic Tiger whose growth rates, foreign investment and rags-to-riches story were the envy of every languishing small nation with a thirst for a makeover.
Did you catch that "beer-soaked backwater"? Yup, if not for the EU Ireland would still be a land full of drunks.
Truth is, the EU could more easily be blamed for turning Ireland into a "beer-soaked cesspool". In 1970 Irish & British per capita alcohol consumption was nearly identical (7.0 liters per person in Ireland, 7.1 in Britain). By 2004 Ireland's per capita consumption was 13.6 liters per person whereas Britain's per capita was 11.5.
You see? Ireland's alcohol consumption has nearly doubled since we joined the EU. Maybe Mr. Cohen could have spent the ten minutes on google that it took me to find those stats. Ignoramus.
Whoa! Roger Cohen needs a break. Clearly he's working too hard. He also needs to read David McWilliams's from yesterday's Irish Independent. He should also read Gideon Rachman from the Financial Times earlier in the week.
The European Union has a difficult balance to strike between efficiency and accountability - between democracy and technocracy. The lesson of the Irish referendum, and of the French and Dutch votes before it, is that the balance has tilted too much towards technocracy.
Even Anne Applebaum's Washington Post column from Tuesday might help him with some perspective.
So pay no attention to the wailing in Brussels: If the most enthusiastic Europeans in Europe didn't care enough to read the treaty they've just rejected, then maybe it's just as well it didn't pass.
Maybe had Cohen read those columns he might have tempered what he said in today's New York Times.
Yet here we have the Irish, in a fit of Euro-bashing pique worthy of the worst of little-Englandism, rejecting the renegotiated Lisbon treaty essential for the functioning of an expanded 27-member E.U. Biting the hand that feeds you does not begin to describe this act of bloody-mindedness.
The Lisbon Treaty is essential. It alone can create a streamlined decision-making mechanism for a 27-member union. It alone can forge the meaningful presidency and foreign-affairs posts that will give the E.U. the increased political clout that its economic weight demands.
"Pique"? "Biting the hand"? "Bloody-mindedness"? At least he's respecting the Irish people's democratically expressed wishes. NOT!
Like I said, Cohen needs a break. He's clearly overwrought (as are too many in the pro-Lisbon camp). The vote is not the calamity he and others have portrayed it as nor was the 'No' vote a fit of "pique" or "bloody-mindedness". The European Union has a problem with legitimacy among the people of the EU. Taking the time to try to understand this phenomenon would be a worthwhile exercise for those at the center of the EU's power structure.
Alistair Darling. What was he thinking? Surely he knew how that would look on the evening news?
There he was on the BBC news last night standing there in his tuxedo speaking in the well-appointed surroundings of the Mansion House asking for restraint from the unions. He's barely finished wiping the pheasant and Château Lafite from his lips and he's up chiding organized labor for even possibly considering asking for pay raises to help offset the costs of their members' rapidly rising gas and electric bills.
I think he has a point, but the optics were so bad that even I winced. If I were a labor leader I'd be using that clip to stir the masses.
David McWilliams in today's Irish Independent explains how the Irish people are truly good Europeans and have already repaid the €33bn that we've received in aid over the past 35 years.
Ireland is a proper European partner to the Joe Soaps from Warsaw, Riga and Vilnius, while the French and Germans have closed their doors to them.
We have close to 300,000 immigrants working from the new accession states here. Let's say they are on a wage between the minimum wage of €17,000 and the average wage of close to €35,000 a year. So let's say €25,000. That's a total wage bill of €7.5bn per year.
As we are now going into our fifth year of open borders, it is likely that Ireland has put back more cash in the pockets of poor European immigrants in five years that the EU has given us in 35 years.
If you want to see what European integration is for ordinary people, don't watch the pomp and ceremony of the leaders' summit tomorrow, go to the arrivals hall at Dublin airport.
There, amid the stonewashed denims, shaved heads and East European biker jackets, you will see the true hope that Europe brings. It is a chance of a better life for the immigrants and their children. It is the chance to bring money home, to plan and to invest in the future. This is what Europe is all about.
How many times have you heard or read about how Ireland is "ungrateful" for voting 'No' after pocketing all that EU money?. And it's apparently a truism that Ireland has benefited more than any other country from membership of the European Union¹.
Every time I heard/read this line of argument the same two thoughts came to mind: (1) was this explained at each referendum that a 'Yes' would mean the end of the right to vote any way but the "right way"? and (2) now Europeans understand how Americans can get so annoyed by Europeans because Europe owes at least as much to the United States for Europe's peace and prosperity as Ireland owes to the EU.
¹ The single market provided no benefit to Germany, France, Italy, Holland, the UK, etc.? What is that worth to each of those countries? What are Ireland's lost fishing rights worth? Etc. You cannot evaluate the value of EU membership to an individual country by looking at direct transfers.
One theme that has been discussed to death is why so many people voted 'No'. What seems to have been almost totally ignored is why so many voted 'Yes'. I haven't talked to that many people about the vote, but I haven't met anyone who even made the effort I made to read the treaty (that is, get a hard copy, read parts of it, get a soft copy and do a search for key words). So why were so many - over 750,000 people - willing to vote 'Yes'?
The only explanation I can come up with - and I think this is actually a positive reason - is that a lot people trust their government. They voted 'Yes' because they believe, despite all the bad press that politicians get, that the deal that their elected representatives made is one that is good for the country.
I have to assume that quite a few of those who voted 'Yes' would not vote for the government parties, which means that although they have some differences with Fianna Fail, the Greens & PD's they have faith that the government did actually get the best possible deal for Ireland in their negotiations with the other EU countries. 46% of the electorate was sufficiently trusting in the government to vote 'Yes'.
The opposite, however, is not necessarily true. People could have voted 'No' simply because they didn't like the deal or don't like the EU. In fact, only 17% voted 'No' because they didn't trust the government. Overall, there is a lot of trust in the government and our elected officials. That's not a bad thing.
Over the weekend I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the Lisbon Treaty referendum. In fact, until I found out that Willie Randolph had been let go late yesterday it was pretty much all I'd been thinking about. I watched the European Championships each night with a newspaper in my hand reading analysis (what happened?) and speculation (where now?).
As I wrote last week I was a pretty soft 'No' voter. I even hesitated before making my mark on Thursday evening. Even after casting my own vote I was pretty sure it would pass. Again, I was surprised when it failed. I was more surprised by the turnout than the margin of the 'No' victory. A high turnout was presumed a plus for the 'Yes' side. In the end, turnout was 53%, which is pretty high (higher than the 50% who approved the Nice Treaty in 2002) and can't be easily dismissed.
I've been sorting through so many thoughts on this vote and the EU generally that I'm figuring on writing a bunch of shorter posts rather a confused book-length post.
My team. Uggh. The NY Mets are a no-class joke of an organization.
Last night at 3am NY time they fired their manager, Willie Randolph. Randolph was - perhaps - not the greatest manager, but he deserved better than this. And, they fired Randolph after the team won last night (and has won 3 of 4). And, not only had the Mets won and not only was it 3am in New York, but the Mets had only arrived in California after a cross country flight late the previous night. They could have fired him the day before, but decided to wait because it was Father's Day. Nonsense.
Willie probably should have been fired after last season's collapse, but this team's troubles are little to do with Randolph and mostly to do with the man who put this team together and that's not Willie, but Omar Minaya.
Sure, I'll go on rooting for them, but this stinks. Big time.
It'll be on every bulletin across the EU and probably even the rest of the western world. Ireland has voted to reject the Lisbon Treaty. I'm surprised, but not shocked. It doesn't seem to have been all that close either, although most of the votes aren't counted yet. Still anything over a 53% vote for 'No' is, to my mind, a pretty solid rejection. That makes it a hat trick given that the French & Dutch already said 'No' to this constitution in treaty's clothing.
Mary Flynn, a nurse from Dublin, summed up a general sentiment when speaking to the Washington Post.
"I don't understand a good lot of it; I don't know what it does," Flynn, a 49-year-old nurse, said of the complex, 300-page treaty. Ireland "would be nothing," she acknowledged, without the billions of dollars the E.U. has given this once-poor country in the past 35 years. But she said she voted against the treaty: "If you don't know, you vote no."
The analysis of what went wrong will go on for days/weeks, but people were being asked to/bullied into agreeing to simply trust the politicians. Not a winning formula in a referendum.
I've thought a lot about the Lisbon Treaty. Initially I was all set for a 'No'. Then I started to consider the implications for Europe and began to lean towards 'Yes'. It was only in the last 24 hours that the truth that this is, essentially, the EU Constitution and that was already rejected by the French & Dutch that I've firmed up in the 'No' camp.
I don't feel comfortable transferring sovereignty to an entity that thinks so little of democracy that they dismiss the voters' decision and press on with their plans none-the-less. I'm going to vote 'No', but if the treaty was subjected to a referendum in (at least) Holland and France (other nations were promised referenda too) I would probably have voted 'Yes'.
So, I'm doing what we've been told we shouldn't do by so, so many. I'm voting on grounds that are not actually part of the treaty. I'm voting 'No' simply because the Eurocrats and Europhiles who govern us simply do not care what the voters think.
If we approve Lisbon we'll have provided the basis on which the restructured EU can streamline the process of decision-making. We won't be one nation, but we will be one fairly unified people of many nationalities from one end of Europe to the other. We may never be one nation, but that doesn't mean we can't be one transnational people. It is, ultimately, where we are headed.
This fact is denied by the 'Yes' side and accentuated by the 'No' side in the treaty debates. To my mind it is the primary weakness in the Yes argument. If the Yes campaign would own up to this and make the case that this is a good thing for both Ireland and Europe I think people would be less suspicious of the EU.
Bruton appealed to me with a few sentences.
The European Union is the greatest peace process of the 20th century. It is the world's only multinational democracy. No other region of the world has pooled sovereignty among nations that once were at war as the EU has done.
Although I'm not keen on his language and I think the EU can get too much credit here, he's not a million miles from the truth. The EU has been great at deflecting, defusing, channeling national rivalries. Without the EU what sort of Europe would we have?
I think the dilution of the power of the nation state has been fundamental in this. Why are the 'Yes' people so uneasy making this case? Why can't they admit this is what's happening and argue the positives of this?
I'm guessing that they know (or suspect) that the public isn't willing to accept this, that the dilution of our national identity is not a winner. But, why not? Irish people seem to like traveling around Europe. Many have lived in other EU states. There are thousands of people from across the EU living amongst us here. We enjoy fairly easy trade, share a currency, and pool our sovereignty on many issues.
The Lisbon Treaty is all about continuing this process and making it easier. We are many nations, but we are, gradually, becoming one. In fact, the motto for the Lisbon Treaty could be e pluribus unum. Had this been admitted up front maybe the 'Yes' side wouldn't be so worried right now.
The answer was there all along, but until I saw it in today's NY Daily News I never made the connection. Here's the headline: Source: Roger Clemens, host of athletes pop Viagra to help onfield performance. Well, in Cork they're breathing it in with every breath.
He's on his knees. He's pleading. Don't vote 'No'.
The poll today makes it look pretty sticky for the Yes folks, but I think they'll still get their victory. Cowen has that look in his eyes that we've all seen in a zillion disaster movies. He looks like George Kennedy telling us the dam's gonna go (or whatever).
I don't know anything about the development at Elm Park other than what I see from the road. It's massive and so new looking. Tonight as I was driving by I had a thought I first had a few months back: that Elm Park is one big white elephant and that someday it will be a symbol of everything that went wrong as the economy went into its inevitable property price crash.
Now maybe I'm dead wrong and all those units - residential and commercial - are sold and/or will be sold. I hope so. It just looks so darn big, so darn new and so darn empty whenever I pass by.
I love driving. Not always, true, but there are times when I just love the feeling of being in the car, cruising along, listening to the radio. I was driving out of Dublin this evening just late enough so that the traffic was nearly gone.
Light traffic all the way and hardly a red light. Perfect.
Have I mentioned Lidl before? I don't think so.
For those of you who don't know, Lidl is a supermarket. Sort of. Really it's a lot more than that. It's an experience. It's a surreal experience.
Lidl is a German supermarket chain. I don't know how long they've been in Ireland, but my first time in Lidl was probably less than 2 years ago. And I don't go that often. It isn't the kind of store where you go when you need stuff.
What makes Lidl different? I have trouble pinning it down. Maybe it's the 'foreign-ness'? It's a great place to practice your German, so many of the products have German labels. The foods available are probably available in Tesco and other supermarkets, but Lidl is so much smaller that the odd, non-local foods stand out more. Toilet-seat shaped sausages, for example. Always reminds me of being in a German deli in New York, only down market. Oh, and, there's actually no deli, only packaged foods.
Maybe it's the way the food is displayed? The freezers, in particular, always look 3/4 empty. Every time I've been in Lidl I've had the feeling that shoppers from the Soviet Union would have felt at home in Lidl's frozen foods section. One, maybe two products available and acres of empty space. Half of the rest of the foods are just dumped on pallets on the floor. It's as if they want it to look like the store is run by a former Commissar from Nizhny Novgorod?
The size is also odd. The stores are actually pretty small. Which brings me to my next possible explanation. Maybe it's the range of things you find there (given the size)? The fact that Wal-mart sells snow tires, lingerie, milk by the gallon, birthday cards and beer-keg size containers of Vaseline doesn't surprise me because the stores are so big. You could park a few 747's in most Wal-mart stores.
Lidl - at least around here - is small. Yet, despite that, the last time I was in Lidl I could have picked up a chainsaw and/or a motorcycle helmet. My previous trip to Lidl they had trumpets and trolley jacks. You never see the same products twice. And, you can't count on finding something there. I bought shaving cream there a while back and thought it was good. Last time I was there they had no shaving cream. I can't imagine any other supermarket simply having no shaving cream. Maybe out of one brand, but never none at all. Like I said, you can't go there when you need stuff.
It's all just part of the appeal. Every trip you find something new and you find something missing. Every trip is an adventure. Lidl has to be experienced.
What were the names of the horses?
If you'd won £8,000 "at the races" wouldn't you remember the names of the horses and what best you'd placed? I sure would. Bertie Ahern said yesterday that some of his previously forgotten sterling deposits were the result of his having backed winners in one or two bets. I can't believe he said this yesterday and there were no follow-up question about the the racetrack and/or the horse's name (or horses' names)? Surely he'd remember the name of a horse on which he won £4,000?
If this story is true then Bertie Ahern must be among the more successful gamblers in history, unless he has massive losses that he also hasn't owned up to.
I told you that the other day I spent a bit of time catching up on my newspapers. I came across this angry column from Martina Devlin (May 22). Devlin's writing about veils, Islam, women, etc after the issue arose at a Wexford school. 13-year-old Shekina Egan wants to wear a hijab to school, but it's not part of the uniform. The school principal allowed her to wear the hijab. I don't really have a problem with his decision.
Now truth is, if the school says that the hijab is not part of its uniform then it shouldn't be allowed. If the principal wants to make an exception to the uniform policy to allow a girl to wear a veil/hijab that's his call. He's the ultimate authority when it comes to discipline and his decision is law.
Devlin, however, wants to ban hijabs, pretty much anywhere in Ireland. She doesn't want women wearing the hijab in "banks, hospitals or libraries, not in the guards or civil service and most definitely not in schools".
Here's what banning the headscarf is about: the State demonstrating our belief in gender equality. It's about removing a symbol of repression and submission.
Yes. In order to demonstrate "our belief in gender equality" we're going to tyrannically remove a woman's choice to wear the hijab. I once heard a woman describe a wedding ring as a symbol of submission. Should they be banned too?
Why is she so worried if some women want to wear a hijab? I think it's because She believes we're on a slippery slope.
Today the hijab which covers the hair and shoulders, tomorrow the niqab or full-face veil, the day after the burqa hiding everything from tip to toe -- described as a mobile prison by women obliged to wear it.
I suspect that Devlin is worried that Ireland is going to adopt Sharia. I don't think that's going to happen.
Regardless, a woman covering her hair (& shoulders) is hardly extreme. I would, however, agree that the niqab (covering the face) is too extreme. We in the west must see a person's face when we deal with them. It's part of our culture and we can - and should - resist any attempt to normalize the niqab.
There is a huge gulf between the hijab and the niqab and we non-Muslims should acknowledge this. I mean, it's not like it's that long ago that women in veils (aka nuns) were a pretty common sight here. I still see some occasionally. A woman wearing a veil is not the extreme behavior that Devlin wants us to believe it is.
A further 19 beaches also failed to meet a higher aspirational "guide" level designed to encourage cleaner bathing water.
Nine of these were in Co Dublin: Skerries, Sutton, Portmarnock, Merrion Strand, Bray, Greystones, Donabate, Malahide, Loughshinny.
Bray? Greystones? Those unclean beaches are in Wicklow, not Dublin.
I think I have some things I want to say, but I can't remember at the moment. I know you're all waiting with bated breath for more of my pearls of wisdom. Unfortunately, it's just so darn nice out that all I'm doing on this holiday Monday is sitting in my comfortable chair in the backyard reading newspapers. I have like a 4 month back-log to get through, so you'll have to wait til tomorrow. | 2019-04-19T00:58:04Z | http://irisheagle.blogspot.com/2008/06/ |
The word catechize, is properly Greek, derived from the verb katecheo, to instruct with the voice, which is found, in some of its parts, six or seven times in the New Testament, but is commonly translated to instruct; because in English, the word catechize has somehow acquired a narrower signification than the original term, and conveys the idea of instruction by question and answer; whereas, the word in Greek includes all manner of elementary, oral instruction: and it would be desirable to bring back the word to its original meaning. This, however, is of small moment. The passages in which the original word is found, are the following: Luke 1:4; Acts 18:25; Acts 21:22, 24; Romans 2:18; 1 Corinthians 14:19; Galatians 4:6.
It appears therefore that this mode of instruction is fully recognized in the sacred Scriptures. Indeed, if no other methods of inculcating divine truth were resorted to, than delivering elaborate and continued discourses from the pulpit, very little information would be gained by the young and the ignorant. Preaching supposes and requires some preparatory knowledge in the hearers, to render it useful in communicating religious knowledge. Elementary principles must be acquired in some other way; and this was more especially the case before the invention of printing, when books were very scarce, and few persons were able to read. It seems that the apostles and first teachers of the Christian religion were much occupied in giving religious instruction, from house to house; and we know from undoubted authorities, that in the earliest times of the primitive church, all who applied for admission into the church, from among the heathen, and all the children of Christians, were carefully instructed by catechizing; that is, by a course of familiar teaching, viva voce. To every church a class of catechumens was attached and formed a kind of school, in which the first principles of religion were inculcated, and certain formulas of Christian doctrine, such as the early creeds, carefully committed to memory, together with portions of the sacred Scriptures. In some places these schools for catechumens became very famous, and were supplied with teachers of the highest character for learning and piety; so that they were frequented by the lovers of sacred literature from other countries. A celebrated institution of this sort flourished for several ages at Alexandria, in Egypt in which Origen was educated, and at which he became the most distinguished teacher. A large number of the treatises written by the fathers, in different countries, and in different centuries, were composed expressly for the instruction of the catechumens. And until darkness overspread the church, and her unnatural pastors deprived the people of the Scriptures, the church was, as it ever should be, like a great school, where holy men of God devoted their time to the instruction of the rising generation, and of converts from paganism.
In catechetical, or elementary instruction, the grand secret is, little at a time and often repeated. Whoever would successfully instruct children and very ignorant adults, should avoid the error of crowding too many things into their minds at once. It is as preposterous a practice as it would be to attempt to increase the activity, vigor, and size of the body, by cramming the stomach with as much food as it could hold. Moreover, the truths first communicated should be as simple as possible. Tender minds must not be fed with strong meat, but with pure milk. To accommodate instruction to the state of advancement in knowledge, and to the degree of development of the mental faculties, is certainly that part of education which is most difficult, and at the same time the most important. That historical facts should form the commencement of a course of religious instruction, is indicated, first, by the method pursued in the Bible; and secondly, by the predilection of all children for this species of knowledge. But at a very early period, moral and doctrinal instruction of the most important kind may be connected with the scriptural facts inculcated, and may always be most advantageously engrafted on them. Doctrinal catechisms are, it is admitted, not commonly understood well by children; but it can do them no harm to exercise themselves in committing the words to memory; for it is universally admitted, that to strengthen the memory, it must be frequently and vigorously exercised: and will it not be much better to have it stored with words which contain the most salutary truths, rather than those which may, by some association, prove injurious on the recollection?
Sometimes the having committed to memory such a system as the Shorter Catechism, is of the utmost importance to an individual when his lot is cast where he has no means of correct information; or in case the person should lose his sight or hearing. We once noticed an exemplification of this in the case of a man of strong mind, who had led a busy life, without much concern with books, and who in his latter years was entirely blind. In conversation on the most important topics of religion, in which he took a deep interest, he would continually recur to the answers in the Shorter Catechism, which he had learned when young; and which now seemed to serve as a guide to his thoughts in all his meditations. But the true reason why so many children learn the Catechism without understanding its meaning, is that no pains are taken to explain its doctrines, and to illustrate them, in a way adapted to their capacity. Parents are, for the most part, either incapable of giving such instruction or negligent in the performance of this important duty. Most parents then stand in need of some helps to enable them to explain the meaning of the Catechism; and such helps have been amply provided, and should be in the hands of every Presbyterian family. We have works of this description by Vincent, Flavel, Thompson, and others of former days; and more recently an excellent exposition of the Shorter Catechism by the Rev. Belfrage of Scotland; and still more recently we have a set of Lectures on the Shorter Catechism from the pen of the venerable Doctor Green, in two volumes, which we sincerely wish might be found in every family in our church, as a work of sound theology, written in a correct and perspicuous style. And while we are recommending expositions of this excellent little compend, we would not omit to mention with high approbation, the Rev. Matthew Henry’s Scriptural Catechism, in which all the questions are derived from those in the Shorter Catechism, and the answers throughout are in the very words of Scripture. This in our opinion is an admirable work, and ought to be reprinted and widely circulated. We are also free to recommend Fisher’s Catechism, as a valuable doctrinal work, which has been much used in Scotland, and by many Presbyterians in this country. The Key to the Shorter Catechism, we also approve, and from the testimony of those who have tried it, we are led to believe, it may be made very useful in aiding children to understand the meaning of words and phrases used in the Catechism.
The old Presbyterian custom of devoting the Sabbath evening, sacredly, to the business of catechizing the children and domestics, in every family, ought to be revived among us where it has fallen into disuse; no other means which have been substituted for this, are likely to answer as good a purpose. Or, if public services in the church are considered on the whole expedient, on this evening, let an hour in the morning, or immediately after dinner be appropriated to this important work. It is as useful to parents, as to children; and is the most effectual method of inducing young persons to commit the Catechism well to memory. And unless this is done, the religious instruction of servants and domestics will be neglected. These family instructions should be conducted with great gravity and kindness of manner; at such times, chiding and scolding should be avoided; and the addresses to the consciences of delinquents should be made with affectionate tenderness.
We do earnestly hope that attention to doctrinal instruction will not be relinquished, nor diminished in our church. Hitherto, Presbyterians have been distinguished above all people in the world, for a correct and thorough knowledge of the tenets of their own church. No people on earth are so well indoctrinated in the principles of religion, and in the proof of the doctrines believed, as the Scotch, and their descendants in Ireland and America. Other people far exceed them in metaphysical speculations, and in the knowledge of other matters; but for sound religious knowledge, commend us to Scotch Presbyterians of every sect.
The benefits of thorough instruction in the doctrines of religion cannot be calculated. The truths thus received into the mind may prove ineffectual, in some cases, to restrain from open sin; but even in these, the force of the truth is often felt, and the person thus situated, is much more likely to be convinced of the error of his ways than those transgressors whose minds are almost totally destitute of the knowledge of the doctrines of religion. There is, moreover, an unspeakable benefit from the possession of correct doctrinal information, when the mind falls under serious impressions of religion; for then, truths which had been early inculcated, and long forgotten, will revive in the memory, and serve to guard the anxious mind from those enthusiastic errors into which ignorant persons are so prone to fall when they are deeply exercised on the subject of their salvation. Let not the members of the Presbyterian Church, therefore, become remiss in that which has ever been her most honorable distinction; the careful initiation of children into the doctrines of religion, contained in her Catechisms; than which we believe, a sounder system of theoretical and practical theology, cannot be found in any language.
We cannot be contented to let the opportunity pass of bestowing merited commendation on those denominations of Scotch Presbyterians who are not in communion with the General Assembly, for their indefatigable industry and care in giving doctrinal instruction to their children. In this respect, it must be acknowledged, they greatly excel all other denominations of Christians in our country. Among them, we have reason to believe, there has been no falling off in attention to the Catechisms; and few instances ever occur of the members of these churches being seduced by the insidious arts of the propagators of error and infidelity.
The question may occur to some, To whom does it belong to give catechetical instruction? We answer, to all who are capable of teaching anything of divine truth correctly. But, especially, it is the duty of parents, guardians, masters, school-masters, elders and ministers. All who can be enlisted in the service should be engaged to teach those more ignorant than themselves. And we feel constrained to give our testimony strongly in favor of Sunday Schools, in which so many persons are employed, so beneficially to themselves and others, in giving instruction out of the Bible. When this is called a new institution, it surely is not meant that any new instruction is given; or that there is anything new in the manner of communicating religious knowledge. The whole novelty of the thing consists in the success of the attempt to engage such a multitude of teachers in giving lessons, and such a multitude of scholars in learning them. But we would respectfully ask, whether parents, and ministers, and elders, have not become more remiss in catechizing since the introduction of Sunday School?
In order to render the public catechizing of children profitable, the pastor of the flock must manifest a deep and lively interest in the exercise. If he should appear indifferent, and attend on catechetical exercise in a formal or careless manner, no great good can be expected to arise from such meetings; but if he will take pains to arrange all the circumstances of such exercises, so as to render them interesting to old and young; if he will propose special subjects of inquiry, refer to proper books, and converse freely with his people on this topic, a spirit of investigation will be excited, religious knowledge will be pursued with diligence and alacrity, and catechizing will be found to be the most effectual means of diffusing correct information on the doctrines of religion.
If common schools were what they ought to be, seminaries in which Christian doctrine was carefully taught, then our schoolmasters would all be catechists, and the children would be trained in the knowledge of God, and their duty. The business of catechizing youth seems also to be one of the appropriate duties of the eldership; for surely these officers ought not to be restricted to mere matters of order and government. As leaders of the people, they should go before them in religious instruction; and it would be an expedient, as it is a common arrangement, to have each parish so divided into districts, that every elder would have a little charge of his own to look after, the families within which he might frequently visit, and where he might frequently collect and catechize the youth. If ruling elders are commonly incompetent to perform such a work as this, they are unfit for the office which they hold, and can be of little service in the church in other respects. It is now becoming matter of common complaint, that our ruling elders are not generally sensible of the important duties which belong to their office, and are not well qualified to perform them. But how can this evil be remedied? We answer, that the effectual remedy will be found in an increased attention to instruction in the doctrines of the church, by which means many will acquire a taste and thirst for religious knowledge; and whenever this occurs, there will be rapid progress in the acquisition of such a fund of sound theology, as will qualify them to communicate instruction to the young and ignorant. In the mean time, let every pastor meet with the elders of his church, once in the week, for the express purpose of discussing questions which relate to the duties belonging to their office: and thus those who are really desirous of executing their office in a faithful and intelligent manner, will become better and better prepared for their important work every year.
The question has often been agitated whether it would not be expedient to have an order of catechists, whose duty it should be to attend to this whole concern; and the idea has been favorably entertained by some in the Presbyterian church. But to us it appears, that such an office would be worse than useless: for, if the catechist be taken from among the members of the church, where he is expected to officiate, and this must be the case if every church is supplied with one or more, then why not constitute him at once a ruling elder? Surely the mere name of catechist would not qualify him to give instruction; and if he is qualified, would he not be as able to teach, if called by the name elder as catechist? And if the office is judged to be expedient, because we cannot obtain well qualified elders, how can it be supposed that competent catechists could be found? The idea of some, however, is, that to perform the duties of catechizing well, requires much more time than men can commonly afford from their own business; and therefore, proper persons should be employed at a reasonable salary, to devote their whole time to this important branch of instruction. Now all this is very reasonable, and brings us to the very point mentioned before, viz. that schools, among Christians, should have it as their chief object, to bring up children in the knowledge of divine things; and the proper catechists of the church would be the teachers of these schools. If it be said, that school-masters are often incompetent to perform this part of their duty; we reply, that the same thing would be true if they were called catechists; or if other persons were sought for, in the present state of the church, there would exist the same difficulty in obtaining them as there is now in finding well qualified school-masters. The truth is, the church should take pains to train men for this very office; and the parents should set a much higher value on it, than they have been accustomed to do; and the office ought to be rendered more respectable, and more desirable than it is at present.
It may, perhaps, be thought by some, that the prevalence of Sunday schools renders it unnecessary for church officers to concern themselves with the instruction of the youth under their charge. If, indeed, the schools of this description within the parish are under the special superintendence and tuition of the Pastor and Elders, there is no good reason why catechetical instruction should not be given in a Sunday school as well as anywhere else. Catechizing is an exercise peculiarly suited to the Sabbath, and if the officers of any church should agree to conduct this part of the instruction in these valuable institutions, it would certainly be an improvement on the plan on which they are commonly conducted. But when, as is commonly the case, these schools are made up of children of different denominations, and are under the direction of persons not connected with any one church, their existence and prosperity, while it will greatly facilitate pastoral labors, ought not to be considered as a substitute for catechizing. We are afraid, however, that some pastors, as well as many parents, have become remiss in this part of their duty, from the mistaken idea, that their labors in this field are now superseded. This mistake should be carefully counteracted; and while the benefits of Sunday school are gratefully acknowledged, the instruction of our youth in the Catechisms of our own church should be pursued with increasing diligence.
The old Presbyterian plan of conducting catechizing did not confine this method of instruction to children and youth, but extended it to all persons except the officers of the church. And certainly one of the chief hindrances to the success of catechetical instruction has been that it commonly terminates too soon. When children have arrived at the age of twelve or fourteen years, they take up the opinion that they are too big and too old to repeat the catechism; in consequence of which, until the institution of Bible classes, our youth received no appropriate instruction, in many congregations, in that period of their lives which of all others is most important for improvement in knowledge. While we are strong advocates for catechetical instruction, we are at the same time warm friends to the method of instruction pursued in Bible classes; and we should be pleased to see both these methods of instruction extended to all ages and conditions of men; for who is there that has not something yet to learn? And what upon earth is so worthy of time and pains as the knowledge of God’s word, and the doctrines of his wonderful love and grace? Every man who contributes to the increase of this kind of learning by his writings, should be deemed more a public benefactor than he who invents the most useful machine. Let all, then, whom God has entrusted with so excellent a talent as that of writing well on theology, take heed that they do not hide it in a napkin or bury it in the earth; for never was there a time when there was a greater need of good books and tracts to counteract the floods of error which are issuing from a thousand sources; and never was there a period when the effect of good writing was so extensive. By means of the improvements in printing, and the facilities of conveyance in our day, opportunity is afforded of circulating opinions throughout the land; and if religious men sleep, there is no doubt that the enemy will sow his tares plentifully. Let the friends of truth, therefore, be watchful and wise, and ever on the alert, in seizing opportunities of enlightening the world with the pure doctrines of the word of God. | 2019-04-26T08:43:59Z | http://shelterrpchurch.com/?page_id=702 |
One of the ways in which government can help address the economic hardship we face today is through increased investment in public infrastructure. Investing in infrastructure creates needed construction-related jobs now and literally builds a foundation for economic growth and job creation over the long-term. This means making investments needed to maintain our existing infrastructure – roads, bridges, schools, public housing, etc. – and it means making investments in new types of infrastructure needed to support economic growth in the 21st century – clean energy and energy efficiency, broadband expansion, life sciences, etc.
At the national level, President Obama is working with Congress, Governor Patrick and the nation’s other Governors to develop a federal economic stimulus package that will, among other things, provide billions of dollars to states for infrastructure investments like those described above. This funding is expected to be targeted to projects that can start quickly to increase the job-creation impact of the investments over the near term. In anticipation of this influx of federal funding, the Patrick-Murray Administration has already begun to plan and mobilize to ensure that the funding is used promptly for needed projects throughout the Commonwealth.
At the state level, the Patrick-Murray Administration is well aligned with the direction being contemplated by the new administration. One of the Governor’s top priorities since taking office has been to reverse years of neglect of our public infrastructure by increasing the level of state capital investment. Over the last year, the Governor worked in partnership with the Legislature to conclude the most productive legislative session in state history with respect to the authorization of capital investments for high-priority public infrastructure projects. Since this Administration took office, there have been 10 bond bills enacted into law, authorizing funding for the capital investments reflected in the five-year plan recently published and available at mass.gov/capital. The capital investments authorized by the bond bills reflect shared priorities of the Governor and the Legislature, including investments in schools, infrastructure to support economic development, roads and bridges, affordable housing, parks, a clean environment and the efficient functioning of state government.
The five-year capital investment plan for fiscal years 2009-2013 is built on the foundation of the Administration’s work with the Legislature over the past year to begin reinvesting in our state’s infrastructure in a fiscally responsible, targeted and transparent manner. The capital investments in this plan will create thousands of jobs in the near term and will ensure that Massachusetts continues to be a great place to live, work, start a business and raise a family for years to come.
The capital investment plan continues to implement the vision and priorities established in last year’s, first-ever comprehensive and transparent five-year capital investment plan covering fiscal years 2008-2012. In large part, the investments included in the 2009-2013 plan continue projects launched last year or beforehand, or commence projects anticipated by last year’s five-year plan. The current plan also reflects adjustments to target additional funding to “ready-to-go” repair and construction projects to increase the extent to which the capital investment plan serves as an economic stimulus for job creation in the near term. The plan also includes some refinements to the investment priorities identified in last year’s plan, based on updated information about capital needs, project cash flows and project authorizations.
The capital investment plan is also fiscally responsible. Last year, the Administration developed and published a debt affordability analysis and policy to ensure that the annual borrowing needed to support the capital investment plan is set at affordable levels. This debt affordability analysis and policy was a first for the Commonwealth, and it was positively reviewed by the credit rating agencies. The Administration has recently updated and republished the debt affordability analysis and the borrowing levels used to develop the five-year plan were determined based on the debt affordability policy.
Through the capital investment plan, the Patrick-Murray Administration is taking advantage of an opportunity to address the current challenges we face in a manner that will position the Commonwealth for economic growth and prosperity over the long-term. The plan provides for the Commonwealth to invest significant resources into capital expenditures, which the Commonwealth defines as investments in infrastructure and other long-term public assets that are critical to our quality of life, the strength of our economy, and the efficient functioning of government at every level. Among other things, these capital expenditures and investments will help build and maintain roads, bridges and rail we use for our daily commutes; public college facilities that educate our workforce and nurture our innovation economy; state parks and open space that enhance our landscape and protect our environment; and safe, affordable housing for the people of Massachusetts. Through the investments included in the plan, we will create thousands of jobs in the near-term and the environment to support job creation and economic growth over the long-term.
There was a need for increased infrastructure investment in Massachusetts before the economic crisis; now the need is even more urgent. This capital plan answers the call for increased capital investment in a thoughtful and fiscally responsible manner.
The complete Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s FY2009-2013 Five-Year Capital Investment Plan, including project and program descriptions and an updated Debt Affordability Analysis, may be accessed at mass.gov/capital.
Technologically-advanced systems and well-maintained facilities that make state government more efficient and customer-friendly.
The Patrick-Murray Administration has made significant progress in setting the Commonwealth’s capital investment program on the right course toward achieving the Administration’s vision of a high-quality network of public infrastructure that supports a strong economy and high-quality of life for citizens in the Commonwealth. However, much work remains to be done as the Commonwealth faces significant challenges in addressing its capital investment needs.
One of the most significant challenges facing the Administration is the backlog of deferred maintenance it inherited as a result of years of neglect of our public infrastructure. The Commonwealth has immense investment needs for every type of capital asset and throughout every region of our state. Many of these needs have long been evident but left unaddressed due to inadequate investment in our public assets.
At the same time, the size of the capital budget is subject to significant fiscal constraints. The Commonwealth’s debt is among the highest in the nation by some measures. Moreover, the portion of the state’s operating budget that can be spent on debt service is limited not only by statute but, more importantly, by the fact that tax revenues are falling in the current fiscal environment.
Compounding this fiscal challenge, the need to cut spending in the operating budget in recent years resulted in capital project-related personnel being shifted from the operating budget to the capital budget. The FY08 capital budget funded approximately 2,000 full-time equivalent state employees (FTEs), almost twice the number of FTEs carried on the capital budget in 2001. These personnel expenses crowd out investments in capital as every dollar in the capital budget used to fund personnel costs results in one less dollar available to fund capital investments. Funding these employees on the capital budget is also more expensive than funding them on the operating budget due to the interest expense incurred on the related borrowings.
As a result of the immense backlog of capital investment needs, the need to continue to make targeted capital investments to support economic growth and the limited resources available to fund these needs, the Commonwealth simply cannot address all of its capital investment needs in the near term. The recently-enacted bond bills authorized approximately $16 billion of capital investments. However, these bond authorizations were sized with the intention of funding multi-year capital investment programs – in some cases, 10-year capital investment programs. Consequently, the Administration will need to prioritize authorized capital investment needs within the fiscal constraints of the capital budget. Unfortunately, there are many worthy and needed projects that will not be funded in fiscal year 2009, or even in the next few years, because of the demands and constraints on our capital investment program.
In the face of these challenges in achieving the Administration’s vision for a high-quality network of public infrastructure, the Administration has been guided by three core principles in the development of its capital investment plan – affordability, targeted investments in projects that maintain our existing infrastructure and in projects that promote economic growth, and transparency.
Last year, the Patrick-Murray Administration undertook a rigorous analysis of the Commonwealth’s capacity to issue debt and adopted a policy to ensure that Commonwealth debt is kept to affordable levels. The policy ties the annual borrowing limit, or “bond cap”, determination to the impact any new borrowing will have on debt service as a percentage of total budgeted revenues. This thoughtful, fiscally responsible approach allows not only for steady growth in the bond cap to increase capital investment in the near term, but also ensures that the budgetary impact of debt issued to fund the Commonwealth’s capital program is managed within affordable levels. The policy strikes the right balance between maximizing our capital investment capacity without undermining other state programs and services. The credit rating agencies have reviewed the Commonwealth’s debt policy and have indicated that they view it as a positive step forward for debt management by the Commonwealth.
Based on the debt affordability policy, the annual bond cap for fiscal year 2009 will be $1.575 billion. In addition, because legislative authorization for planned capital spending was obtained later than originally anticipated, capital spending was lower than originally planned in fiscal year 2008 and $152.3 million of the unused bond cap from that year will be carried forward to support spending in fiscal year 2009 (additional unused fiscal year 2008 bond cap will be carried forward to future years). While the recently announced accelerated structurally-deficient bridge program will be funded outside of the bond cap, the related debt service costs of the program have been fully accounted for under the debt affordability policy in setting the bond cap at the designated levels.
As with the Administration’s first five-year plan, the FY09-13 Five-Year Capital Investment Plan was developed following thorough consideration and careful decision-making aimed at striking the appropriate balance between maintaining our existing infrastructure and making targeted new investments to support job creation and economic growth over the long-term. Specific highlights of the FY09-13 capital plan are included later in this section.
Lastly, the Administration believes the Commonwealth’s capital budget should be transparent. Transparency enhances public understanding of the Commonwealth’s capital investment program and thereby improves public discourse and accountability with respect to the capital budget. Historically very little was understood or known about the state’s capital budget. There was never a published explanation or rationale justifying the annual borrowing limits set by prior administrations. Moreover, there was little information published about how and when prior administrations planned to use bond authorizations to carry out particular capital projects or programs.
We have made significant improvements in the area of transparency. In August 2007, the Administration published for the first time ever a five-year capital investment plan. The FY09-13 plan is the second such publication, providing the public with comprehensive and detailed information concerning the Commonwealth’s capital investment program. Both last year’s published capital investment plan and the FY09-13 plan also include a debt affordability analysis and description of the Commonwealth’s debt policy, neither of which existed in the past. These publications are posted on the Commonwealth’s website and are available in printed form. Building on the Administration’s commitment to improving transparency, the version of the FY09-13 capital investment plan and updated debt affordability analysis posted on the Commonwealth’s website have increased functionality and information available to the public.
By adhering to these three principles in developing the capital investment plan – affordability, targeted investments in maintenance and in projects promoting economic growth, and transparency – the Patrick-Murray Administration has made great progress in pursuing the vision and addressing the challenges described above.
The investments included in the plan – and the additional resources that they leverage – will make meaningful progress in meeting our state’s immense inventory of capital needs and will fund high-priority projects that will make Massachusetts a better place to live, work, raise a family and grow a business. They will also provide an economic stimulus by creating thousands of construction jobs at a time when they are desperately needed. If matched with a significant infusion of federal funding for infrastructure projects, the citizens of the Commonwealth will experience the most comprehensive rebuilding of our state in decades – the type of bold action that the economic circumstances require and that the citizens deserve from their government.
The Patrick-Murray Administration has made great progress in improving the Commonwealth’s capital investment program since taking office less than two years ago. The following highlights some of the Administration’s accomplishments in the areas of capital investments and capital finance generally.
First-Ever Debt Affordability Policy: The Patrick-Murray Administration developed and published the first-ever debt affordability policy, which was positively reviewed by the credit rating agencies.
First-Ever Five-Year Capital Investment Plan: The Administration published the first-ever comprehensive and transparent five-year capital investment plan based on the new debt affordability policy. The second report represents the second annual five-year capital investment plan and it relies on the affordability policies developed in connection with last year’s plan.
Bond Bills to Fund Capital Investment Plan: The Administration and Legislature worked together to promptly enact the $1.8 billion Immediate Needs Bond Bill early in 2007 to ensure completion of on-going capital projects, secure federal funding for transportation projects, and fund urgent capital investment needs of the Commonwealth. In addition, the Governor filed a series of multi-year bond bills authorizing over $16 billion in capital investment priorities for the Commonwealth included in the five-year plan. The Legislature overwhelmingly approved each of the bond bills, which are described in more detail below.
On March 23, 2007, the Governor approved a $1.8 billion immediate needs bond authorization. The legislation provided for the completion of on-going capital projects, federal funding for transportation projects and funding for urgent capital investment needs of the Commonwealth including projects related to state buildings, energy and environment, public safety, health and human services, and transportation.
On April 17, 2008, the Governor approved a $1.6 billion bond bill for transportation improvements which will leverage an additional $1.9 billion in federal reimbursements. This legislation included $150 million for Chapter 90 grants to cities and towns for local roads and bridges in fiscal 2009 and $700 million for certain mass transit improvements required as part of the state implementation plan. On August 8, 2008, the Governor approved a second transportation bond bill authorizing $1.445 billion for road and bridge projects and other transportation-related capital investments.
On May 29, 2008, the Governor approved a $1.275 billion affordable housing bond bill which includes $500 million for the preservation and improvement of the Commonwealth’s 50,000 units of state-owned public housing. The legislation also provides authorization for various programs that subsidize the development and preservation of privately owned affordable housing, including $200 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and $125 million for the Housing Stabilization Fund.
On June 16, 2008, the Governor approved legislation in support of the life sciences industry. Among other initiatives and provisions relating to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the legislation authorizes borrowing $500 million over a 10-year period to fund capital investments and infrastructure improvements around the state to support the life sciences industry.
On August 4, 2008, the Governor approved legislation creating a Massachusetts Broadband Institute within the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The Institute is to administer a new Broadband Incentive Fund, to be capitalized by general obligation bonds in the amount of $40 million, to invest in long-lived, publicly owned broadband infrastructure, enabling private firms to partner with the state to connect the Commonwealth’s un-served and underserved communities to broadband services.
On August 4, 2008, the Governor approved legislation authorizing $2.984 billion in Commonwealth bonds to finance an accelerated structurally deficient bridge program. The program, which was developed in collaboration with the State Treasurer, is expected to finance over 250 bridge projects over the next eight years with approximately $1.9 billion of special obligation bonds secured by a portion of the gas tax and $1.1 billion of grant anticipation notes secured by future federal funds. By accelerating the investment in bridges, the Commonwealth expects to realize hundreds of millions of dollars of savings from avoided inflation and deferred maintenance costs.
On August 7, 2008, the Governor approved a $2.2 billion higher education bond authorization. The legislation includes authorizations for new buildings, renovation projects and capital improvements at each of the Commonwealth’s public higher education campuses. Of the $2.2 billion total authorization, $1.2 billion will be dedicated to capital investments at state and community colleges, and $1 billion will be dedicated to capital investments at the University of Massachusetts. The authorized amounts are expected to be expended over a ten-year period.
On August 11, 2008, the Governor approved a $3.3 billion general government bond bill making targeted investments in public safety, city and town facilities, state buildings, and information technology systems. Included in the bill is authorization to assist communities with local infrastructure needs, improvements to state and county correctional facilities, improvements to court facilities throughout Massachusetts and capital repairs, on-going maintenance and unforeseen emergency capital needs at state office buildings and facilities. The legislation also authorizes targeted infrastructure investments to spur economic development in our communities. To enhance government services provided to all citizens of the Commonwealth, the legislation includes funding to modernize critical state information technology systems, including funding to replace and upgrade the outdated and overburdened systems at the Department of Revenue and the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
On August 14, 2008, the Governor approved a $1.64 billion land, parks and clean energy bond bill. This legislation includes funding for land protection and acquisition and funding to enhance state parks and rebuild related infrastructure. The legislation also includes authorization for new programs to address environmental challenges.
Initiation of Key Projects: A number of important new capital projects have been initiated by the Administration, including: the South Coast Rail, the new Worcester State Hospital, the Nano-Bio Manufacturing Facility at the Lowell campus of the University of Massachusetts, new courthouse projects in Taunton, Salem and Fall River, the correctional facilities master plan, certain transit projects legally-required as mitigation for the Central Artery project and many more.
Accelerated Structurally-Deficient Bridge Program: The Administration, working with the Legislature and the Treasurer, developed a $3 billion accelerated structurally-deficient bridge program which will repair hundreds of structurally-deficient bridges, create new construction jobs, build conditions for long-term economic growth, and save the Commonwealth hundreds of millions of dollars in avoided construction cost inflation and deferred maintenance costs.
Implementation of Recommendations for the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets: The legislative committee that oversees capital finance for the Commonwealth is the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. In its Report on Capital Investment and State Assets in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Fiscal Year 2006 Edition), the Committee made ten recommendations for improving various aspects of capital finance in the Commonwealth. The Patrick-Murray Administration has implemented all ten recommendations.
Refinancing and Defeasing Debt for Savings: Pursuant to legislative authorization sought by the Governor and included in the Immediate Needs Bond Bill, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance worked with Treasurer Cahill to issue Commonwealth bonds to refinance bonds issued by other governmental entities that the Commonwealth was required to pay, saving the Commonwealth millions of dollars in debt service costs. Pursuant to further legislative authorization sought by the Governor and included in the Immediate Needs Bond Bill, the Administration also worked with Treasurer Cahill to use cash appropriated for certain capital projects to pay off high interest cost bonds and to issue lower interest cost bonds to pay for the capital projects. This effort saved the Commonwealth millions of dollars in debt service costs.
State Facility Maintenance: The Administration has taken steps to improve maintenance of state facilities. Funding in the capital budget is dedicated for small capital maintenance and repair projects. By dedicating more and more funding to these types of projects, the state will defer less of its capital investment needs and avoid larger, more expensive capital project needs in the future. The funding for these projects is allocated based on a new, need-based evaluation process through the Division of Capital Asset Management. The Administration is committed to continuing to build on its efforts to improve the maintenance of state facilities.
Transportation Infrastructure Maintenance: In the first Transportation Bond Bill, the legislature established a new transportation maintenance fund. Pursuant to this capital investment plan, the Administration has dedicated more than 20% of all of its bond-funded transportation spending (excluding funding for the acquisition of CSX rail property) for transfer to the new transportation maintenance fund to pay capital costs of maintaining the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure. By dedicating more and more funding to these transportation maintenance projects, the state will defer less of its capital investment needs and avoid larger, more expensive capital project needs in the future.
Personnel Off of Capital Budget: The Governor has made two proposals to reduce the amount of bond proceeds used to fund personnel expenses in the capital budget. First, the Governor included about $10 million in his FY08 operating budget proposal to fund the transfer of employees off of the capital budget. The Governor’s most recent proposal included in his FY09 budget proposal and again in this FY10 budget proposal would authorize the Administration to shift approximately $50 million of capital equipment acquisition costs funded from the state’s operating budget to the capital budget and approximately $50 million of personnel expenses from the capital budget to the operating budget. Neither of the Governor’s proposals were previously enacted by the Legislature. While the current challenging fiscal environment makes it unlikely that the operating budget will be able to absorb the cost of personnel currently funded on the capital budget, the Administration is committed to continuing to pursue creative ways to begin to shift employees off of the capital budget and is hopeful that the Legislature will adopt the proposal included in this FY10 budget described above.
Energy Efficiency Requirements for State Building Projects: Last year, Governor Patrick issued Executive Order 484 which, among other things, established the Governor’s “Leading By Example Program” requiring that all state agencies reduce their environmental impact by promoting energy conservation and clean energy practices. Specifically, by FY12, all state building projects must contribute to a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% reduction in overall energy consumption and procure 15% of annual electricity consumption from renewable sources. In addition to beginning to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy efficiency improvements to state facilities, the Administration has been working on a parallel track to develop a detailed plan that will identify the specific energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and funding sources available for such projects, to meet the goals established by the Governor in Executive Order 484. The Administration has also set high minimum “green building” standards for all new state building projects and is striving to go above and beyond such standards wherever possible, including plans for certain buildings to be “energy neutral”.
Financing Initiatives: The Administration has pursued various financing initiatives to more effectively leverage state resources to fund more capital project needs. These initiatives include: increased allocation of private activity bond volume cap to multi-family affordable housing projects to leverage related federal tax credits to fund millions of dollars of affordable housing projects, including improvements to our public housing supply; “I-Cubed” legislation to finance infrastructure improvements needed to support new private development with the new state tax revenues generated from the development; and the financing of the East-West Parkway project at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Base from new state tax revenues to be generated from private development at the base.
Stronger Oversight and More Transparency through Finance Advisory Board: Through new gubernatorial appointments, staff support provided by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, and greater oversight responsibilities included in recent legislation, the Administration has strengthened the role of this important Board in ensuring transparency, accountability and best practices among state entities that borrow, invest and manage public funds. For the first time in the Board’s history, the Administration assisted the Board in complying with its statutory obligation to gather information about and to report on outstanding debt of the Commonwealth and other debt-issuing state entities. This report also includes information about interest rate swap agreements related to debt issued by state entities. This report represents a first step in the Board’s efforts to improve transparency and public accountability with respect to debt, investments and other financial transactions involving public funds. The need for continued progress is even more important in the context of the recent turmoil in the financial markets.
The issuance of bonds to fund the capital budget must be authorized by the Legislature. Pursuant to these legislative authorizations to borrow, the Governor determines the amount and timing of any authorized borrowing to fund capital investments. At the request of the Governor, the State Treasurer actually issues the bonds to borrow the funds. The Governor approves the use of the borrowed funds by agencies to pay for authorized capital projects. The Patrick-Murray Administration is the first to develop and publish a comprehensive, five-year plan for the funding of capital investments.
There are certain capital investments that are not funded by the Commonwealth through its capital budget and consequently are not reflected in this capital investment plan. There are a number of independent state authorities responsible for maintaining certain public infrastructure from revenues generated from those infrastructure assets or from dedicated state tax or other revenues that are not available to the Commonwealth for general budgeting purposes. Examples of these entities include the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Massport, the Turnpike Authority and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Because these entities carry out their own capital projects and are solely responsible for financing them from their own funding sources, the capital investments made by these entities are not included in the state’s capital investment plan. In addition, small equipment purchases and information technology projects funded by state agencies through their operating budgets are not reflected in the capital investment plan.
The Commonwealth’s capital budget for the last five fiscal years (FY04-FY08) totaled nearly $11 billion. The following tables show (a) capital spending over the last five fiscal years by the spending categories used by the prior administration and (b) the historical sources of funding for such spending.
Building on the process it initiated last year, the Patrick-Murray Administration engaged in a diligent, fiscally responsible, and comprehensive process for developing its five-year capital investment plan.
In order to establish the total amount of the bond-funded capital program within an affordable level, the Administration conducted a rigorous review of the Commonwealth’s debt capacity within its debt affordability policy. The debt affordability analysis underlies the FY09-13 capital investment plan. As indicated in that analysis, the Administration has set the bond cap for fiscal year 2009 and the projected bond caps for future fiscal years at lower levels than it had previously planned in order to ensure that the amount of debt issued to fund the capital program is kept within affordable levels consistent with the Administration’s debt affordability policy.
The amount of debt authorized to fund capital projects pursuant to the recently enacted, multi-year bond bills described above far exceeds the amount of debt the Commonwealth can afford to borrow in fiscal year 2009 or even during the next five fiscal years. The Administration had to prioritize among the many authorized projects in order to develop a capital investment plan that is within the affordability limits described above. Consequently, there are many worthy authorized capital projects that will not be funded in fiscal year 2009 and, in many cases, will not be funded over the next few years.
To inform its development of the FY09-13 capital investment plan, the Administration broadly solicited information about capital spending needs and engaged in a diligent process to evaluate and prioritize those funding needs. State agencies provided a significant amount of detailed information regarding their capital investment needs, their priorities and the programmatic impacts of requested projects. A&F held more than 30 diligence sessions with agencies regarding their capital project requests. In addition, the Administration carefully reviewed the legislative authorizations for capital investments in the recently enacted bond bills, evaluated many written requests for capital project funding from legislators, municipalities and other interested parties, and Administration officials attended numerous meetings with legislators, municipalities and other interested parties regarding requests for capital funding.
A significant portion of the bond-funded fiscal year 2009 capital budget is needed to fund costs of multi-year capital projects that were commenced in prior fiscal years. The Administration has allocated remaining funds to authorized projects and programs based on the evaluation of project funding needs conducted through the diligence process described above and guided by the Governor’s capital investment priorities. The highlights of the FY09-13 capital investment plan are described by investment category below.
The capital markets have been experiencing a severe dislocation over the last twelve months, which has impacted, and will continue to impact, the Commonwealth’s issuance of bonds to fund its capital program and the issuance of bonds and notes by governmental entities throughout the country. This market turmoil stems primarily from over-leveraged real estate-related assets during the first half of this decade when interest rates were held at extremely low levels and investors sought ever-increasing returns. Global financial institutions have been forced to record massive losses of mortgage-related derivative assets, causing several firms to merge, be bailed out by the federal government, or, in the case of Lehman Brothers, to file for bankruptcy.
Excessive investment in these assets directly caused the credit deterioration and downgrades of once-triple-A rated bond insurers of municipal bonds. This in turn caused the collapse of the auction rate securities market and, to a more limited degree, the variable rate demand bond market, which have been largely dependent upon bond insurers triple-A ratings. In addition, there has been an unprecedented contraction of the world-wide credit markets, which continues to limit market access and increase the cost of borrowing for governmental entities. Attempts by the US Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank to craft government-assisted solutions have achieved limited results to date.
The Commonwealth has taken steps to refinance certain of the auction rate and variable rate demand bond debt that was adversely impacted by the market turmoil. In addition, the Commonwealth has been successful in accessing the market during the last few months to finance its capital program and to finance its cash flow needs, all at relatively favorable rates in light of current market conditions.
In today’s market, in particular, the Commonwealth benefits from its strong credit rating. The Commonwealth is currently rated Aa2/AA/AA by Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch, respectively. The ratings, which have been confirmed as recently as December 2008, have been unchanged for the past ten years with the exception of an upgrade to double-A by Standard & Poor’s in 2005. The ratings are based on each rating agency’s assessment of the capacity and willingness of the Commonwealth to repay general obligation debt.
Although current market conditions make selling bonds more difficult and more costly than was previously the case, the Administration expects that the State Treasurer will be able to continue to access the bond market to finance the Commonwealth’s capital program. The Administration will continue to work with the State Treasurer to determine the most cost-effective approaches to issuing debt to finance the capital program in light of changing market conditions.
Because the capital program is funded primarily through bond proceeds, the total size of the capital program is determined to a large extent by the amount of debt the Commonwealth can afford to issue. Since fiscal year 1991, A&F has established what is known as the “bond cap” to limit annual bond issuance in support of the capital program to affordable levels. For the second consecutive year, the Patrick-Murray Administration engaged in a rigorous analysis of the state’s outstanding debt obligations and of the state’s capacity to issue additional debt within affordable levels. Based on this analysis, the Administration has established the FY09 bond cap at $1.575 billion and it has projected a $25 million increase in the bond cap in FY10 and a $100 million increase in the bond cap in each succeeding fiscal year through FY13. These bond cap levels are lower in each fiscal year than was previously planned by the Administration in order to ensure that Commonwealth debt is kept to affordable levels within the constraints of the Administration’s debt affordability policy. In addition to the bond cap, $341 million of unused bond cap from FY08 will be carried forward and budgeted to support capital investments in subsequent fiscal years, as follows: $152.3 million in FY09; $126.1 million in FY10; and $62.6 million in FY11.
In summary, the Administration takes a fiscally responsible approach to setting the annual bond cap, analyzing the Commonwealth’s capacity for debt issuance from the point-of-view of affordability. Specifically, A&F sets annual constraints on both the size of the bond cap and its future rate of growth by keeping combined debt service and payment of debt-like obligations for existing and new debt within 8% of budgeted revenues and by keeping future annual growth in the bond cap to not more than $125 million. As indicated in the updated affordability analysis, this latter constraint was not a factor in setting the bond caps for purposes of this five-year plan as the 8% limit was the overriding constraint.
For purposes of its analysis of existing payment obligations, A&F takes into account not only debt service on general obligation bonds, but also debt service on certain special obligations, contract assistance obligations and certain capital lease payments. Although the recently authorized accelerated structurally-deficient bridge program is being carried out in addition to the regular capital program in order to achieve savings from avoided cost inflation and deferred maintenance and to achieve the other objectives of the program, the debt service resulting from the bridge program is also taken into account within the 8% limit under the debt affordability analysis.
A&F also takes a conservative approach to projecting future budgeted revenues, basing its growth estimate on the lesser of 3% or the actual compound annual growth rate of the Commonwealth’s revenues from the last ten years – which included both economic booms and downturns. A&F models future debt issuance using fiscally conservative assumptions about interest rates, maturities, dates of issuance and payment schedules. In light of the extraordinary current economic and market conditions, however, the Administration’s updated debt affordability analysis upon which the capital plan is based includes a “Modified Analysis” with even more conservative assumptions regarding budgeted revenues and interest rates on Commonwealth borrowing.
Based on this analytic approach and the Modified Analysis assumptions referenced above, A&F has projected that the Commonwealth will have the capacity to accommodate steady increases in the bond cap over the next four years while maintaining the percentage of the Commonwealth’s budgeted revenues needed to pay debt service during that period below 8%. The projected increases in the bond cap are, however, lower than previously planned by the Administration, reflecting the impact of current economic conditions.
The Patrick-Murray Administration’s FY09-13 capital investment plan strategically allocates resources to invest in the Commonwealth’s public facilities and programs and represents a strong step forward toward the Administration’s vision for public infrastructure described above.
The full five-year capital investment plan by major investment categories is presented below. It should be noted that many of the projects funded in FY09, some of which are highlighted below, are multi-year projects with expenses that will be incurred in subsequent fiscal years; these projected future expenses have been taken into account in making investment category reservations for future years. It is also important to note that projects will evolve and change, and A&F intends to adjust the capital plan during the fiscal year as circumstances dictate. Before the start of each new fiscal year, A&F will also undertake a formal reassessment of capital investment needs to develop an annual update to the five-year capital plan.
The following tables show (a) the allocation of bond cap spending by major investment category for FY09-13, and (b) the allocation of total capital spending from all sources of funding by major investment category for FY09-13.
The first table below shows a comparison of FY08 actual bond cap spending to FY09 budgeted bond cap spending by major investment category. The second table shows a comparison of the total capital spending from all funding sources between FY08 actual results and the FY09 budget. It should be noted that this presentation of bond cap spending by major investment categories was new last year – to the extent capital spending information was publicly presented prior to last year, it was typically categorized by the state agency authorized to carry out the spending. The Administration believes that the presentation by major investment category provides a more helpful and accurate portrayal of the purposes and priorities for which capital resources are being allocated.
The $2.532 billion FY10 capital budget is based on the Five-Year Capital Investment Plan published in December 2008 and is consistent with the significant shift in capital investment priorities that began in FY08 by the Patrick-Murray Administration. At this point in the five-year budget cycle, amounts are allocated among investment categories for FY10, but not to specific projects for FY10. The Administration intends to update the five-year plan for FY10-14 and with updated information and needs identified, FY10 allocations will be made for specific projects and programs. The operating budget impact of these investments is considered in evaluating projects for funding, and those expenses – or savings – are reflected in agency operating budgets as needed. In addition, the Administration places a high priority on projects which will have a significant non-financial impact, such as those projects that will result in a cleaner environment, improved response time by public safety employees and access to public buildings and public transportation by all citizens, as more fully described in the investment categories below. The following table summarizes the total budgeted spending by investment category.
The following highlights the Administration’s capital investment priorities for FY10 by each investment category. For more information about each investment category and projects and programs included in the capital budget, see mass.gov/capital for the complete Commonwealth of Massachusetts FY2009-2013 Five-Year Capital Investment Plan.
The quality of municipally-owned infrastructure has an enormous impact on our daily lives and provides the necessary foundation for business to grow and flourish. The Patrick-Murray Administration is committed to partnering with cities and towns to improve infrastructure, promote economic growth, invest in public safety, affordable housing, smart growth development strategies, and energy efficiency. The Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) program is representative of the of the Administration’s commitment to public spaces. In FY09, $8 million is budgeted for the PARC program which assists cities and town with the acquisition and development of land for park and recreational facilities.
Investment in local public safety facilities.
In order to carry out justice and to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth, it is important that we have secure and safe jails and correctional facilities for individuals charged with and convicted of crimes. It is also in the interest of society as a whole that those convicted of crimes come out of correctional facilities after serving their terms with the skills and mind-set needed to become productive members of society rather than repeat offenders.
Underinvestment in our facilities has resulted in prison overcrowding, inadequate facilities for female inmates, an inability to adequately address an increasing number of mental health needs and the medical care required of an aging prisoner population. In addition to these important needs, our correctional facilities face significant ongoing capital maintenance needs.
The Administration has proposed spending a total of $450 million of bond authorization for improvements to correctional facilities over the next ten years. Investment amounts for specific projects will be guided by the comprehensive 10-year master plan for capital investments in correctional facilities that is currently being developed. $1.2 million was invested in this master plan in FY09.
FY10 spending will be targeted to certain critical repair projects, projects recommended in the master plan and improvements at correctional facilities aimed at preventing prisoner suicides, including the capital improvements recommended by the Hayes report.
The Commonwealth operates 61 court facilities in 39 communities across the state. The Massachusetts Trial Court system also includes 25 county-owned courts and 28 other facilities. Significant capital spending on court facilities has occurred over the past five years yet continued investment is necessary not only for the effectiveness of court operations, but also for the health and safety of court staff and members of the public who participate in the judicial system.
General repairs and renovations at courts across the state.
Recognizing that an important way in which the Commonwealth can create and support job growth is through its investment in infrastructure, the FY10 capital investment plan makes targeted investments in economic development projects to help achieve this goal and to make Massachusetts more attractive and open to a wider range and greater number of businesses. Note that the investments included in the Economic Development investment category are those that are designed first and foremost for the purpose of supporting economic development. There are, however, hundreds of millions of dollars more in planned investments reflected in the Transportation, Community Investment and other investment categories in the capital investment plan that will support economic development and the creation of jobs in the Commonwealth.
Continued funding for the Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation and Expansion (MORE) Jobs capital program which provides grants for public infrastructure improvements that support business expansion and relocation.
Laying the groundwork for significant FY10 investment in the Massachusetts Broadband Initiative to provide affordable, accessible internet access to unserved and underserved areas of the state, was the $1.5 million spent in FY09.
The capital component of Governor Patrick’s Life Sciences Initiative, which will support the building of new public research centers designed to attract academic and industry leaders to Massachusetts.
Investment in the Growth Districts Infrastructure Investment Program as a means to expediting commercial and residential development within designated areas in the Commonwealth.
Support the innovative financing tool known as I-Cubed to leverage new state revenue generated as a result of the Commonwealth’s investment in public infrastructure improvements necessary to support significant new private development to finance those improvements.
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs stewards an incredible diversity of natural resources and infrastructure for the Commonwealth and managing these resources requires significant capital investment. In particular, capital funds pay for important infrastructure projects, such as flood control measures, dam rehabilitation, improvements to recreations facilities, wildlife habitat protection, environmental hazard remediation, park and trail maintenance, and open space acquisition. Other capital investments are made to projects and programs that contribute to clean water, clean air, clean energy, natural resources, agricultural resources and more.
Clean and renewable energy investments, including energy efficiencies in state buildings and facilities, as consistent with the Governor’s Leading By Example – Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings Program.
The provision of health care and other social services to those most in need has long been an important function of government, and in Massachusetts the provision of these services accounts for nearly half of the Commonwealth’s annual operating budget. The Health and Human Services facilities are numerous, including hospitals, clinic, long and short-term care facilities, power plants and garages. The average age of the HHS facilities was recently estimated to be 75 years since original construction and few facilities have undergone major upgrades in the recent past. The immense capital needs include investment in repair and maintenance to maintain service and care quality as well as basic public safety and the demolition of obsolete and unsafe structures. FY10 capital spending will continue to concentrate on the construction phase of a new state psychiatric hospital in Worcester that will replace two obsolete psychiatric hospitals and critical repairs and other improvements several facilities across the state. $45 million has been budgeted for the construction of this hospital in FY09. In addition, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services will complete a master plan in FY10 which will provide a complete current assessment of all HHS facilities and program needs. Future capital investment will be guided by the results of the master plan.
The Administration believes strongly that our public colleges and universities should have the infrastructure necessary to ensure student access and affordability and be well-equipped to support academic achievement and learning for all students. They should also be responsive to the demand for a talented workforce ready and able to participate in a growing and increasingly global economy. Capital investments are critical to the mission. In fact, the Administration has planned for the most significant growth in bond-cap funded spending in this category. Investment will grow from 3% of the total bond-funded capital investment in 2007 to 10% by 2013.
Focus on enhancing workforce training and development programs.
The accessibility of desirable, affordable housing is a critical factor for the success of our economy, as new jobs will only be created if the workers needed to fill them can obtain desirable, affordable housing in close enough proximity to their places of employment. This accessibility is also an objective we should have as a caring, civilized society. There is much government does and can do in this area. State spending for housing in Massachusetts includes both state-supported public housing and private affordable housing development. The state’s public housing portfolio supports some of our most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, veterans and clients of the state’s human services agencies. The public housing stock is in desperate need of maintenance and improvements. Private housing in Massachusetts has become increasingly expensive, with most Massachusetts residents citing housing costs as more of a concern than education and health care. The Patrick-Murray Administration is committed to making significant investments in affordable housing through the capital budget. For example, in FY09, $3.5 million was invested in housing near public transit as consistent with the Administration’s sustainable development principles.
Continuing Governor Patrick’s commitment to public housing.
Targeted spending for various private affordable housing development programs, including investment in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Housing Stabilization Fund and other programs supporting affordable home ownership.
Information technology spans all areas of government. IT enables customer-facing functions such as transaction processing, license and permit applications and renewals, and public information access and alert; it also supports internal processes such as cross-agency information sharing, management efficiencies, and date security. While some agencies pay for certain small-scale IT projects from their operating budgets, most major IT installations are paid for by the capital budget. The 5-year capital plan makes strategic investments in IT, leveraging federal and other funds wherever possible. In FY09, for example, $6.8 million is budgeted to fund the final component of implementation of the statewide state-of-the-art digital wireless public safety radio network in western Massachusetts.
Of particular focus in the FY10 capital budget will be the modernization of certain critical state IT systems to support the provision of more efficient, responsive and transparent government services, including beginning to replace and upgrade the outdated and overburdened systems at the Department of Revenue and the Registry of Motor Vehicles that support the administration and enforcement of state tax collections and motor vehicle fees.
The Commonwealth’s capital spending supports important public safety projects and programs that ensure the safety of our citizens and communities. The capital needs range from crime prevention to disaster preparedness and response. For example, the FY09 budget includes $15 million for continuation of the expansion of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy at Stow, the state’s primary training center for fire fighters. Significant public safety-related investments are also included in the Information Technology and Correctional Facilities categories.
Investment in new fire training facilities.
Safe, convenient and accessible state office buildings and facilities are necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of government. There exists a significant backlog of deferred maintenance in the state’s facilities and many require structural improvements, elevator replacements and improvements to comply with changing building codes and accessibility requirements. In the FY09 capital budget this issue was addressed by a $30 million investment in desperately needed maintenance and repair projects state-wide.
Investment in energy efficiencies through conservation retrofits and renewable energy projects.
Our network of transportation infrastructure is a critical factor affecting the strength of our economy, the quality of our environment and the quality of our lives. Our roads, bridges, mass transit and other modes of transportation provide us with access to work, school, and goods and services; they provide businesses with the ability to move their goods and services to meet demand; they impact our environment in different ways; and they provide us with the mobility and freedom to get where we want to go when we want to get there. High-quality, strategically developed transportation infrastructure is an essential component of a thriving economy, clean environment, and stable society. The FY09 capital budget included a $38 million investment in parkways and bridges in the metropolitan Boston area, including major repairs to the Storrow Drive tunnel.
Perform critical repair needs on the Department of Conservation and Recreation roads and bridges.
The five-year plan and the FY10 budget make the most of the limited resources available and make progress in addressing the tremendous needs of our transportation system. Transportation-related capital spending in FY09 is 33% greater than in FY08, and, by FY13, transportation-related capital spending is expected to be 122% more than FY08.
As of October 1, 2008, there were 511 structurally-deficient MassHighway and municipal bridges in the state, plus an additional 57 structurally-deficient bridges owned and managed by entities such as the MBTA, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and others. Without significant new investment, the number of structurally-deficient bridges is expected to rise to nearly 700 over the next eight years.
Following on a pledge to repair the Commonwealth’s most neglected bridges, on August 4, 2008 Governor Patrick signed into law a $3 billion bond bill, known as the Accelerated Bridge Program bond bill. The Accelerated Bridge Program will repair bridges across the Commonwealth that are currently structurally deficient or would otherwise become structurally deficient during that time period. Instead of seeing the number of structurally deficient bridges increase by approximately 30% over the next eight years, the number will be reduced by approximately 15% during that time. Major bridge repair projects across the state will be accelerated, including the Longfellow Bridge over the Charles River, the Fore River Bridge in Quincy, the Whittier Bridge in Amesbury and the Route 9 Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury and Worcester, as part of the program.
Complete projects on time and on budget and with minimum disruption to people and commerce. Innovative means of contracting techniques will be employed.
Approximately $2.1 billion is allocated to MassHighway for bridges under its control or owned by cities and towns, and approximately $900 million is allocated to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) for bridges under its control. Expenditures will occur over a period of eight years. | 2019-04-26T15:59:03Z | https://budget.digital.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy10h1/cap10/hdefault.htm |
Thursday, Mar 28, Cypress Tree GC - Frank Humphrey had an eagle on #16 good for $10 cash! First Flight- 1st Place - Frank Humphrey - +7 - $30.50; 2nd Place -Lyndol Williamson - +6 - $18.30; 3rd Place (Two-way tie) - Daryl Fox and Dave Vogelgesang - +5 - $6.10 each. Second Flight: 1st Place - Robert Griffith - +14 - $30.50; 2nd Place - Lee Warren - +9 - $18.30; 3rd Place - Corky Morrison - +8 - $12.20. Third Flight: 1st Place - Donald Hatcher - +12 - $30.50; 2nd Place - Randall Freeman - +10 - $18.30; 3rd Place (Two-way tie) - Mike O'Connor and Ricky Brooks - +9 - $6.10 each. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - Henry Noell - +19 - $30.50; 2nd Place - Alan Hackel - +9 - $18.30; 3rd Place - Shirley Cooper - +8 - $12.20.
Thursday, Mar 14, Arrowhead CC - First Flight: 1st Place -+8 - $35.60 - Bill Ashurst; 2nd Place - (two-way tie) +6 - $17.80 each - Rick Keaton and Mike Scanlon. Second Flight: 1st Place - +17 - $35.60 - Wilson Cannon; 2nd Place - +15 - $21.36 - Morris Hall; 3rd Place - +9 - $14.24 - Ed Collier. Third Flight: 1st Place - +10 - $35.60 - Tommy Price; 2nd Place - +9 - $21.36 - Pat Drew; 3rd Place - +8 - $14.24 - Billy Kennedy. Fourth Flight: 1st Place (Two-way tie) - +14 - $28.48 each - Corky Morrison and John Bradford; 3rd Place - +11 - $14.24 - Bishop Ray. Fifth Flight: 1st Place - +12 - $35.60 - Mike O'Connor; 2nd Place - +10 - $21.36 - Scott Sutton; 3rd Place - +8 - $14.24 - Bill Heard.
Tuesday, Feb 26, Aroostook - First Place - +25 - $25.06 each: Mike Mackay, Frank Humphrey and Darrell Culverhouse. Second Place - +24 - $18.80 each: Pete Oldham, Cary Spiegel and Bill Ashurst. Third Place - +22 - $12.53 each: Thom Baxter, Pat Drew and Clarence Darrington. Most Over - +14 - $18.80: Darrell Culverhouse. Eagles - $10 cash: Frank Humphrey and Darrell Culverhouse.
Monday, Feb 18, Timberline - First flight: 1st Place - $23.00 - +12 - Dwight Williams; 2nd place - $13.80 - +7 - Wes Jeffcoat; 3rd Place - $9.20 - +6 - Lee Warren. Second flight: 1st place (two-way tie) - $18.40 each - +8 - Larry Cornwell and Bill Skinner; 3rd place - $9.20 - +7 - Mickey Dean.
Monday, Feb 4, RTJ Capitol Hill (Senator) - First Flight: 1st Place (2-way tie) - $29.12 each - +10 - Tommy Hatchett and Herbert Orise. 3rd Place - $14.56 - +9 - Calvin Gunn. Second Flight: 1st Place - $36.40 - +12 - Dixie Robinson; 2nd Place - $21.84 - +10 - Dale Olszewski; 3rd Place - $14.56 - +9 - Steve Autrey. Third Flight: 1st Place - $36.40 - +12 - Tom Watson ; 2nd Place - $21.84 - +10 - Turner Clem; 3rd Place (Tie) - $7.28 each - +9 - Lee Warren and AJ Jones. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - $36.40 - +20 - Robert Griffith; 2nd Place - $21.84 - +14 - Randy Smith; 3rd Place - $14.56 - +11 - Dwight Williams. Fifth Flight: 1st Place - $36.40 - +12 - Scott Sutton; 2nd Place - $21.84 - +8 - Bill Little; 3rd Place - $14.56 - +6 - Mickey Dean. Bob Forshey eagled #5 and TC Clem, Robert Griffith, Calvin Gunn and Joe Howard all eagled #8. $10 cash to the eaglers!
Monday, Jan 28, Cottonwood GC - First Flight: 1st Place (4-way tie) - +6 - $18.50 each: Ed Collier, Frank Humphrey, Clarence Darrington, Rick Keaton. Second Flight - 1st Place - +5 - $37.00 - Dwight Williams; 2nd Place (2-way tie) - +3 - $18.50 each - Henry Noell and Bill Hays.
Tuesday, Jan 22, Prattville CC - First Flight: 1st Place (Tie) +1 - $22.40 each - Morris Hall and Rick Keaton; 3rd Place - Even - $11.20 - John Robinson; Second Flight: 1st Place - +6 - $28.00 - Raymond Cooper; 2nd Place - +5 - $16.80 - James Hall; 3rd Place - +3 - $11.20 - Shirley Cooper.
Monday, Jan 14, 2019, RTJ Grand National - First Flight: 1st Place - +6 - $38.67 - Dennis Atkins; 2nd Place - +5 - $23.20 - Danny Daniel; 3rd Place - +4 - $15.47 - Lyndol Williamson. Second Flight: 1st Place - +7 - $38.67 - Peter Vandervoort; 2nd Place -Even - $23.20 - Tom Watson; 3rd Place - -1 - $15.47 - John Pulaski. Third Flight: 1st Place - +8 - $38.67 - Scott Sutton; 2nd Place - +5 - $23.20 - James Hall; 3rd Place - +4 - $15.47 - Dwight Williams.
Thursday, Dec 6, Prattville CC: 1st Place - Perry Williams - +5 - $34.00; 2nd Place (Tie) - +2 - $17.00 each.
Tuesday, Nov 27, Cottonwood GC: 1st Place - Mike Scanlon - +4 - $24.00; 2nd Place - -1 - $14.40 - Bobby Pruit; 3rd Place - -2 - $9.60 - Henry Noell.
Thursday, Nov 15, Cypress Tree - Cancelled. Course unplayable.
Thursday, Nov 8, Arrowhead CC: Closest to the pin: #2 - Louis Wilson; #7 - John Robinson; #11 - Bert Estes; #16 - Dennis Atkins.
Tuesday, Oct 30, Indian Pines: First Flight: 1st Place: Steve Autrey - +13 - $38.00; 2nd place: Dennis Atkins - +12 - $22.80; 3rd place: Joe Madison - +9 - $15.20. Second Flight: 1st Place (Tie): +14 -$30.40 each - Eric Kost and Frank Pietrowski; 3rd place: TC Clem - +10 - $15.20. Third Flight: 1st place: Corky Morrison - +13 - $38.00; 2nd place: Dave Hammers - +9 - $22.80; 3rd place: Pete Oldham - +8 - $15.20.
Tuesday, Oct 23, Cambrian Ridge: First Flight: 1st place (tie) - +8 - $23.20 each -Ken Longcrier and Bob Forshey; 3rd place (Tie) - +6 - $5.80 each - Chris Curtis and Lyndol Williamson. Second Flight: 1st place - +9 - $29.00 - Jeff Smith; 2nd place - +6 - $17.40 - Richard Kennamer; 3rd place - +5 - $11.60 - Wilson Cannon. Third Flight: 1st place - +16 - $29.00 - Paul Bowlin: 2nd place - +9 - $17.40 - Victor Trottor; 3rd place - +6 - $11.60 - Carol Sanderson.
Thursday, Oct 18, Lagoon Park: First Flight: 1st Place - +9 - $31.50 - Clarence Darrington; 2nd Place - +4 - $18.90 - Ken Longcrier; 3rd Place - +2 - $12.60 - Pat Drew. Second Flight: 1st Place - +4 - $31.50 - Frank Haggard; 2nd Place - +2 - $18.90 - David Sheppard; 3rd Place (Three-way tie) - -1 - $4.20 each - John Robinson, Joe Hall, John Pulaski. Third Flight: 1st Place - +2 - $31.50 - Joe Howard; 2nd Place (Two-way tie) - -3 - $15.75 each -Vicki Oda and Richard Oda. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - +8 - $31.50 - Corky Morrison; 2nd Place - +2 - $18.90 - Craig Downs; 3rd Place - +1 - $12.60 - Perry Williams.
Tuesday, Oct 16, Stillwaters - First Flight: 1st place - Morris Hall - +11 - $33.00; 2nd place - Hugh Garrett - +9 - $19.80; 3rd place (tie) - Tom Specht and Frank Guidas - +8 - $6.60 each. Second Flight: 1st place - Harry Otto - +16 - $33.00; 2nd place - Frank Pietrowski - +6 - $19.80; 3rd place (tie) - Pat Downing and Pat Drew - +5 - $6.60 each. Third Flight: 1st place - George Hill - +12 - $33.00; 2nd place - Don Hatcher - +9 - $19.80; 3rd place - Gary Jordan - +8 - $13.20. Fourth Flight: 1st place - Sonny Bozeman - +11 - $33.00; 2nd place - Larry Cornwell - +5 - $19.80; 3rd place - Robert Scruggs - +4 - $13.20. Closest to the pin ($25 each): #3 - Charles Reed; #8 - George Hill; #14 - Phil Lindsey; #16 - Sonny Bozeman.
Monday, Sep 24, Timberline: First Flight - 1st Place - +8 - Jesse Hernandez - $32.40; 2nd Place - +7 - Tommy Hatchett - $19.44; 3rd Place (tie) - +4 - Mike Martin and Wayne Whitley - $6.48 each. Second Flight - 1st Place - +6 - Ron Griffith - $32.40; 2nd Place (tie) - +5 - Tommy Gaskins and Fred Weaver - $16.20 each. Third Flight - 1st Place - +6 - Peter Vandervoort - $32.40; 2nd Place - +5 - Neal Manning - $19.44; 3rd Place - +4 - Billy Kennedy - $12.96. Fourth Flight - 1st Place (Tie) - +13 - Dave Sheppard and Buddy Morgan - $25.92 each; 3rd Place - +8 - George Hill - $12.96. Fifth Flight - 1st Place - +9 - Julia Hardigree - $32.40; 2nd Place (Tie) - +8 - Charles Dubose and Margaret Weldon - $16.20 each. Tommy Hatchett - Eagle on #8 - $10 cash.
Thursday, Sep 20, Cypress Tree - First Flight: 1st Place - +13 - $32.00 - TC Clem; 2nd Place (two-way tie) - +9 - $16.00 each - Jim Smith and Myles Smith. Second Flight: 1st Place - +11 - $32.00 - Scott Pritchard; 2nd Place - +10 - $19.20 - Tim Knight; 3rd Place (two-way tie) - +9 - $6.40 each - Perry Williams and Randy Smith.
Monday, Sep 14, Moore's Mill CC: 1st Flight - 1st - Rick Wendling +10 - $38.00; 2nd - Phil Lindsey - +5- $22.80; 3rd (4-way tie) - +4 - $3.80 each - Dennis Atkins, Rick Keaton, Sarah Vandervoort, Mike Martin; 2nd Flight - 1st - Cory Jordan - +13 - $38.00; 2nd - Morris Hall - +9 - $22.80; 3rd - Lee Warren - +6 - $15.20; 3rd Flight - 1st - Neal Manning - +6 - $38.00; 2nd - Billy Kennedy - +5 - $22.80; 3rd - Peter Vandervoort - +4 - $15.20. 4th Flight - 1st - Henry Noell - +16 - $38.00; 2nd - Bert Estes - +11 - $22.80; 3rd - Kim Johnston - +8 - $15.20. 5th Flight - 1st - Steve Simmons - +14 - $38.00; 2nd - Sonny Bozeman - +13 - $22.80; 3rd - Ann Lovett - +9 - $15.20. Eagle on #12 - $10. - Phil Lindsey.
First Flight: 1st Place - $39.20 - +11 - Bob Forshey; 2nd Place - $23.52 - +9 - Lee Warren; 3rd Place - $15.68 - + 8 - Frank Humphrey.
Second Flight: 1st Place - $39.20 - +17 - Morris Hall; 2nd Place - $23.52 - +9 - Mike Scanlon; 3rd Place (Two-way tie) - $7.84 each - + 8 - Frank Haggard and Dale Oleszewski.
First Flight: 1st Place - $50 - +17 - Seaborn Kennamer; 2nd Place (Tie) - $25 each - +10 - Tommy Hatchett and Darrell Culverhouse.
Fifth Flight: 1st Place - $50 - +15 - Tom Watson; 2nd Place (3-way tie) - $16.50 each - +12 - Bobby McSwain, John Pulaski, Henry Noell.
Sixth Flight: 1st Place - $50 - +14 - Josh Goss; 2nd Place - $30 - +12 - Sherman Goldman; 3rd Place - $20 - +9 - Thom Baxter.
First Flight: 1st Place - +8 - $36.00 - Robert Griffith; 2nd Place - +7 - $21.60 - Lyndol Williamson; 3rd Place (Tie) - +5 - $7.20 each - Bill Ashurst and Dixie Robinson. Second Flight: 1st Place - +8 - $36.00 - Bishop Ray; 2nd Place (Three-way-tie) - +7 - $12.00 each - Larry Cornwell - Ron Griffith - Vance Mason. Third Flight: 1st Place - +11 - $36.00 - Scott Sutton; 2nd Place - +9 - $21.60 - Mack Hataway; 3rd Place (Tie) - +7 - $7.20 each - Randy Smith and David Campbell.
Tuesday, August 28, RTJ Oxmoor Valley: First Flight - 1st - +6 - $30.00 - Rick Keaton; 2nd - +4 - $18.00 - Steve Autrey; 3rd (two-way tie) - +2 - $6.00 each - Mike Hudson and John Bricken. Second Flight: 1st - +8 - $30.00 - Clarence Darrington; 2nd - +5 - $18.00 - Mike Hill; 3rd - +2 - $12.00 - Pat Downing. Third Flight - 1st - +7 - $30.00 - Winkler Sims; 2nd (two-way tie) - +3 - $15.00 each - John Waller and Raymond Cooper.
Tuesday, August 21, RTJ Cambrian Ridge: Phillip Spears - Eagle on Canyon #7. First Flight:1st Place - $21.00 - +4 - Taylor Brown; 2nd Place - $12.00 - +3 - Buck Noble; 3rd Place - $8.40 - +2 - Lee Warren. Second Flight: 1st Place - $21.00 - +5 - Jerry Bennett; 2nd Place - $12.00 - +2 - Tony Jones; 3rd Place - $8.40 - -1 - Josh Goss.
Thursday, August 9, Lagoon Park GC: First Flight: 1st - +1 - $38.00 - Skipper Jones; 2nd (two-way tie) - Even - $19.00 each - Tommy Hatchett and Dale Arbush. Second Flight: 1st - +3 - $38.00 - Lyndol Williamson; 2nd - +2 - $22.80 - Billy McPherson; 3rd (two-way tie) - Even - $7.60 each - Joe Howard and Raymond Cooper. Third Flight: 1st - +5 - $38.00 - Scott Sutton; 2nd (4-way tie) - Even - $9.50 each - Tom Watson, Kim Johnston, Randy Smith, Dan Hollis. Fourth Flight: 1st - +7 - $38.00 - Vance Brown; 2nd (2-way tie) - +5 - $19.00 each - Louis Bennett and Alan Hackel.
Monday, August 6, Prattville CC: Eagles - Lane Mann (#8) and John Robinson (#9). First Flight: 1st - +12 - $37.33 - Richard Kennamer; 2nd - +9 - $22.40 - Butch Gillespie; 3rd - +8 - $14.93 - John Robinson. Second Flight: 1st - +14 - $37.33 - Henry Noell; 2nd - +11- $22.40 - Bruce Knapp; 3rd - +3 - $14.93 - Bill Scott. Third Flight: 1st (2-way tie) - +5 - $29.87 each - Joe Hall and Cary Spiegel; 3rd - +4 - $14.93 - Dwight Williams.
Tuesday, July 31, Stillwaters: Hole-in-one - Mike O'Connor - #14 - $50. Eagles on #13 - Mike Hudson and Bill Scott - $10 each. Eagle on #17 - Ron Griffith - $10. 1st Place - Team 9 - +40 - $32.00 each: Neal Manning, Dale Olszewski, Frank Humphrey, Lane Mann. 2nd Place - Team 2 - +34 - $24.00 each: Thomas Thilmany, John Waller, Butch Gantt, Harry Otto. 3rd Place - Team 1 - +33 - $16.00 each: Steve Schmitt, Bill Kezer, John Bricken, Ron Griffith. Most Over (3-way tie): +18 - $10.66 each: Ron Griffith, Mike O'Connor, Henry Noell.
Tuesday, July 17, AU Club: First Flight: 1st Place (3-way tie): +5 - $27.47 each: Frank Humphrey, Mark O'Connor, Mike Martin. Second Flight: 1st Place - +7 - $41.20 - Morris Hall; 2nd Place - +5 - $24.72 - Pat Downing; 3rd Place (Tie) - +3 - $8.24 each - Richard Kennemar and Steve Autrey. Third Flight: 1st Place - +12 - $41.20 - Mike Hill: 2nd Place - +11 - $24.72 - Turner Clem; 3rd Place (Tie) - +9 = $8.24 each - Lyndol Williamson and Harry Otto. Fourth Flight: 1st Place (Tie) - +7 - $32.96 each - John Lovett and Darrell Culverhouse; 3rd Place - +6 - $16.48 - Randy Smith. Fifth Flight: 1st Place - +14 - $41.20 - Scott Pritchard: 2nd Place (Tie) - +10 - $20.60 each - Thom Baxter and Mike O'Connor.
Tuesday, July 10, Indian Pines: First Flight: 1st - +18 - $29.33 - Ed Collier; 2nd - +11 - $17.60 - Tommy Hatchett; 3rd - +9 - $11.73 - Tom Specht. Second Flight: 1st (Tie) - +14 - $23.47 each - Bobby Pruit and Corky Morrison; 3rd (Tie) - +11 - $5.87 each - Turner Clem and Carl Hollopeter. Third Flight: 1st - +16 - $29.33 - Billy McPherson; 2nd - +13 - $17.60 - Mike O'Connor; 3rd - +11 - $11.73 - Tony Jones. Bill Scott had an eagle on #7.
Monday, July 2, RTJ Capitol Hill Senator Course: First Flight: 1st - +10 - $33.60 - Mike Schmitt; 2nd - +6 - $2016 - Frank Humphrey; 3rd - +5 - $$13.44 - Dennis Atkins. Second Flight: 1st - +11 - $33.60 - Sarah Vandervoort; 2nd - +10 - $20.16 - Vic Trotter; 3rd - +8 -$13.44 - Bill Ashurst. Third Flight: 1st - +6 - $33.60 - Bishop Ray; 2nd - +4 - $20.16 - Neal Manning; 3rd - +1 - $13.44 - AJ Jones. Fourth Flight: 1st - +11 - $33.60 - Darrell Culverhouse; 2nd - +8 - $20.16 - Russ Donaldson; 3rd - +6 - $13.44 - Randy Smith. Fifth Flight: 1st (Tie) - +12 - $26.88 each - Scott Sutton and Lane Mann; 3rd - +10 - $13.44 - Larry Cornwell. Mike Hudson had an eagle on #5.
Monday, June 25, RTJ Grand National Lake Course: First Flight: 1st Place - +5* - $37.00 - Buck Noble; 2nd Place (Tie) - Even - $18.50 each - Taylor Brown and Steve Spivey. Second Flight: 1st Place - +10 - $37.00 - Allen Pratt; 2nd Place - +5 - $22.20 - Herbert Orise; 3rd Place - +4 - $14.80 - Bobby Bryan. Third Flight: 1st Place - Even - $37.00 - David Valencia; 2nd Place (Tie) - -1 - $18.50 each - Bill Hays and Bob Scott. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - +8 - $37.00 - Scott Pritchard; 2nd Place (Tie) - +3 - $12.33 each - Tony Jones, Tim Knight and Scott Sutton.
Thursday, June 21, Cypress Tree: First Flight: 1st Place - +5 - $33.00 - Mike Schmitt; 2nd Place (2-way tie) - +2 - $16.50 each - Bill Ashurst and Bert Estes. Second Flight: 1st Place - +9 - $33.00 - Randy Smith; 2nd Place (2-way tie) - +6 - $16.50 each - Paulette Williams and JD Davis.
Monday, June 11, RTJ Cambrian Ridge (Loblolly - Sterling): First Flight: 1st - +17 - $39.00 - Louie Wilson; 2nd - +11 - $23.40 - Clayton Whitley; 3rd - +8 - $15.60 - Jeff Smith. Second Flight: 1st - +12 - $39.00 - Ron Griffith; 2nd - +8 - $23.40 - Raymond Cooper; 3rd - (3-way tie) - +4 - $5.20 each - John Bradford, Billy Kelley, Pat Drew. Third Flight: 1st - +18 - $39.00 - Neal Manning; 2nd - +12 - $23.40 - Bishop Ray; 3rd - +11 - $15.60 - Joe Madison. Fourth Flight: 1st - +13 - $39.00 - Scott Sutton; 2nd - +7 - $23.40 - Billy McPherson; 3rd - (two-way tie) - +5* - $7.80 each - Steve Simmons and Cary Spiegel.
Thursday, May 25, Arrowhead: First Flight: 1st place - +10 - $38.67 - Mike Hudson; 2nd place - +8 - $23.20 - Ed Collier; 3rd place - +7 - $15.47 - John Robinson. Second Flight: 1st place - +8 - $38.67 - Ed Garrison; 2nd place - +7 - $23.20 - Ron Griffith; 3rd place (tie) - +5 - $7.73 each - Pat Drew and Bruce Knapp. Third Flight - $38.67 - Paul Bowlin; 2nd place - +6 - $23.20 - Bill Hays; 3rd place (tie) - +5 - $7.73 each - Cary Spiegel and Thomas Irvine.
Monday, May 21, Timberline: First Flight: 1st Place - +10 - $38.00 - Ted Smith; 2nd Place - +9 - $22.80 - Ricky Brooks; 3rd Place - +8 - $15.20 - Tommy Hatchett. Second Flight: 1st Place - +12 - $38.00 - Jeff Smith; 2nd Place - +8 - $22.80 - Tom Watson; 3rd Place - +6 - $15.20 - Sarah Vandervoort. Third Flight: 1st Place - +11 - $38.00 - Harry Otto; 2nd Place - +10 - $22.80 - Ron Griffith; 3rd Place - +9 - $15.20 - Ed Garrison. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - +12 - $38.00 - Mickey Dean; 2nd Place - +10 - $19.00 each: Bob Rocheleau and Tony Acre. Fifth Flight: 1st Place (tie) - +12 - $30.40 each: Mike Mackay and Billy McPherson; 3rd Place - +11 - $15.20 - Inette Dixon.
Tuesday, May 15, Cottonwood: First Place - +18 - $24.00 each: Ricky Brooks, Craig Downs, Jeff Smith. Second Place - +16 - $18.00 each: Howard Green, Vic Trotter, Joe Howard. Third Place - +15 - $12.00 each: Joe Eassa, Richard Coker, Pete Oldham. Most Over - +13 - $18.00 - Vic Trotter.
Thursday, May 10, Lagoon Park: Congratulations to Lyndol Williamson for his eagle on #12! First Flight: 1st Place - +5 - $33.50 - Bruce Knapp. 2nd Place - +4 - $20.10 - Steve Autrey 3rd Place (4-way tie) - +2 -$3.35 - Ken Longcrier, Rick Keaton, Mike Hudson, Dennis Atkins. Second Flight: 1st Place (3-way tie) - +7 - $22.33 each - Lyndol Williamson, Myles Smith, Ron Griffith. Third Flight: 1st Place - +11 - $33.50 - Johnny Hassett; 2nd Place - +7 - $20.10 - Randy Smith; 3rd Place (3-way tie) - +6 - $4.47 each - Roy Collins, John Kelley, Frank Haggard. Fourth Flight: 1st Place - +13 - $33.50 - Billy McPherson; 2nd Place - +4 - $20.10 - Mack Hataway; 3rd Place (2-way tie) - +6 - $6.70 each - Bill Kezer and Inette Dixon.
Monday, May 7, Moore's Mill: Congratulations to Carl Hollopeter for his eagle on #12. First Flight: 1st place - +11 - $39.20 - Chris Curtis; 2nd place - +7 - $23.52 - Rick Keaton; 3rd place - +6 - $15.68 - Steve Schmitt. Second Flight: 1st place (tie) - +8 - $31.36 each - John Robinson and Tom Specht; 3rd place - +7 - $15.68 - Sarah Vandervoort.
Third Flight: 1st place - +13 - $39.20 - Alan Hackel: 2nd place (tie) - +9 - $19.60 each - Ron Griffith and Joe Howard. Fourth Flight: 1st place - +11 - $39.20 - Bobby Pruit; 2nd place (tie) - +6 - $19.60 each - Virginia Owens and John Pulaski. Fifth Flight: 1st place - +13 - $39.20 - Chuck Nath; 2nd place (tie) - +10 - $19.60 each - Sherman Goldman and Hattie Robinson.
Tuesday, May 1, Prattville CC: First Flight: 1st Place - +3 - $40.00 - John Robinson; 2nd Place - +2 - $24.00 - Neal Manning; 3rd Place (two-way tie) - +1 - John Bricken and Jim Smith. Second Flight: 1st Place - +11 - $40 - Corky Morrison; 2nd Place - +4 - $24.00 - JD Davis; 3rd Place - +3 - $16.00 - Pat Drew.
Monday, April 23, Indian Pines GC: Congratulations to Vance Brown for his eagle on #13, worth $10 in cash! First Flight: 1st - +10 - $29.00 - Bill Ashurst; 2nd (4-way tie) - +9 - $7.25 each - Vicki Oda, Tom Specht, Ed Collier, Richard Coker. Second Flight: 1st - +15 - $29.00 - Vance Brown; 2nd - +13 - $17.40 - Charlie Lassiter; 3rd - +11 - $11.60 - Virginia Owens.
Thursday, April 19, Stillwaters GC: Congratulations to John Bricken for his eagle on #15. First Flight: 1st - +15 - $38.00 - Henry Noell; 2nd - +11 - $22.80 - Mike Hudson; 3rd (two-way tie) - +5 - $7.60 each - John Bricken and Phillip Spear. Second Flight: 1st - +16 - $38.00 - Clarence Darrington; 2nd - +15 - $22.80 - Tom Watson; 3rd - +12 - $15.20 - Jodie Dunlap. Third Flight: 1st - +15 - $38.00 - Billy Kennedy; 2nd - +12 - $22.80 - Kim Johnston; 3rd (4-way tie) - +6 - $3.80 each - Roy Collins, Alan Hackel, Joe Howard and Vance Mason. Fourth Flight: 1st - +13 - $38.00 - Bill Kezer; 2nd (2-way tie) - +10 - $19.00 each - Don Hardegree and Bill Hays.
Monday, Apr 2, RTJ Capitol Hill - Legislator - Louie Wilson - Ace on #3 - $50; First Flight: 1st Place - Louis Wilson (+12) - $36.80; 2nd (Two-way tie) - +8 - $18.40 each - Ricky Brooks and Jeff Smith. Second Flight: 1st Place - Don Piazza (+16) - $36.80; 2nd (two-way tie) - +8 - $18.40 each - Howard Green and Butch Gillespie. Third Flight: 1st Place - +9 - $36.80 - Jodie Dunlap; 2nd - +7 - $22.08 - Johnny Hassett; 3rd - +4 - $14.72 - Joe Howard. Fourth Flight: 1st - +12 - $36.80 - Billy Kennedy; 2nd - +11 - $22.08 - Kim Johnston; 3rd - +8 - $14.72 - Joe Madison. Fifth Flight: 1st - +12 - $36.80 - Mike Mackay; 2nd - +6 - $22.08 - Scott Pritchard; 3rd - +4 - $14.72 - Franklin Lewis.
Thursday, Mar 29, Timberline - First Flight - First Flight: 1st Place (+14) - $23.00 - Bishop Ray; 2nd (+11) - $13.80 - Robert Griffith; 3rd (+9) - $9.20 - Jim Smith. Second Flight: 1st (+14) - $23.00 - Henry Noell; 2nd (+10) - $13.80 - Randy Smith; 3rd (+7) - $9.20 - Vance Mason.
Thursday, Mar 22, Cypress Tree GC - First Flight: 1st Place (+9) - $36.67 - Louie Wilson; 2nd (+8) - $22.00 - Morris Hall; 3rd (+7) - $14.67 - John Bricken. Second Flight: 1st (+16) - $36.67 - John Bradford; 2nd (two-way tie at +8) - $18.33 each: Carl Hollopeter and Lane Mann. Third Flight: 1st (+13) - $36.67 - Lyndon Smith; 2nd (+9) - $22.00 - Roy Collins; 3rd (two-way tie at +6) - $7.33 each: Perry Williams and Shirley Cooper.
Thursday, Mar 15, Cottonwood GC - A Flight: 1st Place - $29.00 - Ricky Brooks; 2nd - $17.40 - Raymond Cooper; 3rd - $11.60 - Bill Ashurst. B Flight: 1st - $29.00 - Vance Brown; 2nd - (two-way tie) $14.50 each - Dwight Williams and Bobby Pruit.
Thursday, Mar 8, Arrowhead CC - A Flight - 1st - $40.67 - Rick Keaton; 2nd - $24.40 - Turner Clem; 3rd (tie) - $8.13 each - Buck Hardy and Mike Powers. B Flight: 1st (3-way tie) - $27.11 each: Ken Nelson, Tom Watson, Bert Estes. C Flight - 1st - $40.67 - Wilson Cannon; 2nd (4-way tie) - $10.17 each: John Pulaski, Neal Manning, Bobby Pruit, Margaret Weldon.
Tuesday, Feb 27, RTJ Oxmoor Valley - Steve Spivey - Eagle on #12 - $10 cash. 1st Place - +11 - $18.40 each: Billy Kennedy and Mike Hill. 2nd Place - +9 - $13.80 each: Steve Spivey and Neal Manning. 3rd Place (Two-way tie) - +5 - $4.60 each: Taylor Brown, Jeff Smith, Bob Rocheleau, John Robinson. Most Over - +12 - $9.20: Mike Hill.
Thursday, Feb 8, Indian Pines - 1st Place - +13 - $32.00 each: Doris Collier and Carl Hollopeter; 2nd Place - +12 - $24.00 each: Ed Collier and Rick Keaton; 3rd Place - +10 - $16.00 each: Bishop Ray and Larry Cornwell. Most Over - +12 - $16.00: Larry Cornwell. | 2019-04-22T20:51:24Z | https://www.cagagolf.com/results |
If you're looking for an elegant theme for a baby shower of either gender, a black and white baby shower is the way to go.
In fact, when it comes to baby showers, it's probably the most smart and sophisticated gender neutral theme you can find.
And best of all it's super easy to decorate and buy party supplies for because just about every paper party supply comes in white and black solids.
When it comes to black and white baby shower invitations, you'll find a lot of them that also have another color attached in some way such as gold, or blue, or red, or pink, but I've kept my five strictly black and white.
and there's also some with other colors added.
3 Fun Popcorn Baby Shower Invitations for when she's ready to POP!
Popcorn Baby Shower Invitations can be used for either a girl or a boy.
You might have seen the cute "She's Ready To Pop" baby shower theme on Pinterest and wondered... where the heck did they find those adorable Popcorn invitations? Well, now you know!
Zazzle has buckets full of popcorn theme invites and I'm here to show you my 3 favorites.
This cute popcorn invite has a fun black and white polka-dot border surrounded by unpopped corn kernels. It also features a classic red and white striped box of popcorn on the front.
All of your personalized information appears on the flip side.
Unique 5.25" x 5.25" square invitations will cost a few cents more for postage when mailing but when the invitations are this cute, I don't think you'll mind.
There are several other color variations available for this design style. You can see them all HERE.
This cute invitation says, She's About To Pop! on the front and has all of your personalized party particulars on the back.
It looks like a red and white bag of popcorn and measures, 4.25" x 5.5".
Choose blue for a boy or pink for a girl!
This whimsical design has a retro feel but they're super modern chic and fun.
They measure 5" x 7" and are shown here with a delightful scalloped edge but can be customized to have 5 other style edges so you can pick the one that you love best.
All of our featured baby shower invitations come complete with a white envelope and Zazzle's 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Your ready to pop shower simply MUST include enough popcorn for everyone to eat but aside from that, the sky's the limit when it comes to decorating ideas and other food.
Make some cute cupcakes that look like popcorn and string pop corn to decorate the room.
Are you planning a Bring a Book baby shower for the mother-to-be? Yep. That's a thing.
Of course, you can have a regular shower and ask the guests to bring a book instead of a card, but if you just want to plan a little something for the mommy-to-be maybe at work, or during a quick luncheon, or for a woman who already has everything she needs for the newborn, the Bring a Book shower provides a fun way to get together as well as begin a library for the expected baby.
The fun and totally unique design on these personalized Bring a Book baby shower invites features a couple of red and white spotted mushrooms with a "clothesline" draped between them with books hanging upon it. Two cute little mice are also featured on the front.
The flip side has another little mouse along with all of the party information.
Since we're not all talented in the craft department, here's 5 fun and completely affordable baby shower games that you can buy.
Are you looking for some entertaining baby shower games to keep your guests busy and to help break the ice at the mommy-to-be's party? Do you want something that's already prepared for you and the guests that requires little or no set up by you?
If you've spent any time at all on Pinterest, you know that you can find oodles of DIY ideas for party games there but what if you aren't all that handy in the make-it-yourself category?
For those of you who can't turn on a glue gun without burning your fingers, I'm happy to inform you that there's plenty of already made simply-buy-them-off-the-shelf games that are fun to play and best of all they don't cost a fortune.
To give you some good ideas about what's available both online and in stores, I've listed 5 of my favorites that you can buy at a reasonable cost.
They're fun to play and aside from picking up a few prizes for the winners, they require no additional thought by you so you can spend more time planning the rest of the shower.
Browse through to find something that you and your intended guests will love.
This set comes with 12 pretend diapers and 36 stickers. You'll find complete instructions for playing 3 different games using this kit.
The included pretend diapers can be used for any diaper game you want to play and these are a lot less expensive than using real diapers for games.
If you ever played Pin the Tail on the Donkey as a child, you already know how to play Pin the Pacifier. The difference being that it's a picture of a baby instead of a donkey and the point is to get your pacifier closest to the baby's mouth.
Yes, it's a silly game for adults to play but then again, silly is what makes it so much fun. And I can see this one being even more fun after a couple of glasses of punch have been served.
Besides, this set is super affordable so why not add it to the stash of games you're planning for the shower?
To play this fun game, you give each guest a clothespin, or several clothespins, to pin on their blouse as soon as they arrive.
You'll also tell them why you're doing this.
Anyone who hears another guest say the word, "BABY", gets to take one of the person who said it's clothespins. Of course, you can choose a different code word to use but "BABY" works really well because it's so hard not to say it and the clothespins will be flying back and forth between guests all day.
At the end of the shower, the person with the most clothespins wins.
This baby shower word game contains enough game sheets for 20 guests to play two different games each.
This is a good one if you're in a confined area and don't want the guests moving around to much while playing games. But that doesn't make it any less fun.
The games included are a scrambled words and a word search plus two more.
This is probably the most useful game of the bunch. It's designed to help the new parents by giving them a huge supply of diapers for their child. It can be played in a few different ways.
1. Send each intended guest a raffle ticket with their invitation. Ask them to return the ticket on the day of the shower filled out with their name on it along with a package of diapers.
2. Keep the tickets and hand them out as guests arrive giving each guest one for each package of diapers they bring.
3. My personal favorite is to do a combination of both numbers 1 and 2.
Send each guest one ticket making them aware of the game and tell them that they will receive an additional ticket for each additional package of diapers they bring along to the party.
After they've been filled out and returned, place all of the raffle tickets into a hat and let the mommy-to-be choose the winning ticket. That person should then receive a nice party favor as their prize.
You can find a nice selection of Diaper Raffle Tickets and other fun games by visiting: Baby Shower Games at Zazzle.com.
Like so many others, the song You Are My Sunshine, holds a very dear place in my heart. It's the first song I remember my mother singing to me when I was a child and it was also the very first song I learned to sing myself.
Since it holds a special place in the hearts of so many, and so many babies are welcomed into the world with it, using that song as a reference makes planning a cheerful Sunshine baby shower super easy and especially fun.
The theme can be successfully used for either a girl or a boy and it's perfect for when you don't yet know the baby's gender.
Cute sunshine yellow baby shower invites can be used for either a girl or a boy baby. Click on your favorite to learn more.
The first thing you're going to need after making a list of intended guests to invite are some theme-related baby shower invitations.
Keep in mind that the invite design style you choose will set the tone for the party. If you're planning an all-out traditional shower complete with games, you'll want the invites to be absolutely adorable. If the mommy-to-be is more laid back, choose something cool and casual. Then again, if your party is going to be a bit on the sophisticated side, make your invitation design match that mood.
I do suggest sending real found-in-the-mailbox invites as opposed to evites.
Evites tend to get lost or forgotten more quickly than one that's made of paper and received in the mail.
And do send them so that your intended guests receive them about a month before the party date. That gives people plenty of time to clear their calendar for the celebration date.
Here's two adorable You Are My Sunshine Baby Shower Invites that feature the color blue. They would be great to use for the expected baby boy but if you're a fan of the smooth shade, I think they'd work just as well for a little girl.
Some decorating ideas for a Sunshine baby shower would include bright yellow balloons, as many as you can find, a color-matching dessert table, and a candy buffet that is on display and available to be picked at throughout the entire shower.
Choose and use streamers in colors of yellow, white and either pink for a girl, blue for a boy, or gray which surprisingly works nicely when you don't know the gender of the baby yet. Be sure to include images, or at least one image, of the sun and use bright yellow and white fresh flowers such as daffodils, daisies or sunflowers (or any yellow and white flowers that are in season) for the centerpieces on the tables.
Of course, you can throw a Sunshine theme baby shower at any time of the year but, it's usually easiest to find sunny decorations in the summer.
Here's a couple of cute pink You Are My Sunshine Baby Shower invitations that would be perfect to use when the shower is being thrown for a baby girl.
Not all of your food needs to match the sunshine shower theme.
And depending on the time of day that you're holding it, you might not even need to serve a big meal. Light appetizers and then coffee and cake might just do nicely.
For the biggest fun factor, dessert should absolutely match the colors and sunshine theme. It's just a really fun way to go.
The candy buffet, if you're planning to have one, as mentioned above should definitely be decked out in yellow and any other colors you've chosen to include.
Our friend Hanna loves to crochet and as her belly expanded more and more with her expected first child, she became virtually obsessed with crocheting. She's busy making blankets and Amigurumi dolls to decorate the baby's nursery.
That's why we thought that planning a crochet theme baby shower for her was the perfect idea.
If you know a crochet-crazy momma-to-be, read on to find some cute ideas.
Since we know that the invitations will set the tone fr the party, the first thing we went looking for were crochet-themed baby shower invitations.
We found a couple of adorable ones at Zazzle that feature a close up image of a soft and sweet baby blanket. Since we know that Hanna is having a girl, we chose the peach colored ones but the baby pastel is just as cute and could easily have been used for either a girl or a boy.
The invites measure 5 x 7" and are shown here on elegant linen paper but you can save a ton by ordering them on the signature paper like we did and they turned out to be just as cute.
These were custom created by the talented designer who keeps shop at Jill's Paperie. You can see everything available by visiting HERE.
We were having a small shower with Hanna's closest friends and family so we didn't need to decorate a huge hall. Instead we opted to use the dining room table as the focus of our decorations.
We decided to create a crochet theme diaper cake for the centerpiece decoration on our buffet table. We found some adorable patterns for making all of the baby things and assembling the cake in a book called Baby Shower Cakes by Bendy Carter.
We used crocheted bunting strung across the china cabinet as our backdrop. A quick visit to Pinterest provided tons of ideas for homemade bunting. If you aren't as handy you can find some at Etsy.com.
We also hung a baby clothesline (complete with clothespins) below the bunting and asked our guests to each bring along an unwrapped baby shirt which we hung as they arrived.
As a special gift, we purchased this adorable Baby Crochet book and set it out on the table next to the cake.
We thought it would help keep Hanna busy during her last few weeks of pregnancy. Plus it looked really cute!
Get Baby Crochet: 20 Hand-Crochet Designs for Newborns to 24 Months at Amazon.
We made some cute little peach and white-colored teddy bears as favors for the shower using the pattern found at the following video. Making your own favors can save lots of money and we think home-crafted items are a memorable and much appreciated choice. They're also perfect when the theme is crochet.
We found lots of other DIY crocheted baby shower favor options by searching online, at YouTube and in books at Amazon too.
We didn't use this particular book but it certainly looks like it has some adorable amigurumi (cute crocheted plush animals) choices that might be perfect to use as favors at a baby shower.
We kept the food simple and as a fun change of pace, we kept the peach theme going (from our invites) by serving a delicious Peach Cobbler for dessert.
Hanna had a blast at her shower and was super thrilled with our theme choice.
Thanks for stopping by. This has been the first of our new, Planning Parties for Our Fictional Friends series of posts at Seasonal Showers. We've got more shower ideas than we can actually use in the real world so we're building an imaginary world where all of the characters are make believe and any similarities to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
The easiest way to request a book instead of a card for baby at the shower is to simply ask and the easiest way to ask is to include a card in the envelope when you send out your baby shower invitations.
At Zazzle, you'll find dozens of these cute book request insert cards that have been created using Zazzle's business card templates. Many have cute sayings and even cuter images that your guests will find irresistible.
We're featuring our top 7 favorites here in this post but you can see them all right away by visiting HERE.
Cute and to the point!
There's a lot to be said about keeping things simple. This simple design features an image of an open book and says, One small request, that isn't that hard. Please bring a book instead of a card.
The cute design of a baby in a yellow carriage on this "book instead" insert card works perfectly for either a girl or a boy. The saying on it is adorable too as it requests that you bring your favorite storybook for baby instead of a card.
Fun for an owl-themed baby shower for a little girl.
This cute mostly pink design features an owl sitting on a stack of books with a cute saying that requests your baby shower guest bring a book instead of a card.
This cute blue baby shower insert has a fun check border and a banner that says "Please bring a book for baby..."
This one would blend in with just about any theme for a boy's baby shower.
Here's another neutral bring a book baby shower invitations insert card that could easily be used for either a little boy or girl.
Beautiful design features a burlap-look background with faux lace in two corners.
This one is super cute to use for the expected baby girl and especially if she's having a giraffe-theme baby shower.
Whimsical mommy and baby giraffes are shown here along with a cute little bring a book instead poem.
Fun gray and blue theme for a little man!
Another fun "Bring a Book" poem is featured along with four blue balloons on this baby shower insert that would be the perfect way to request books for the expected baby boy.
Because these are customized business cards, each of the above featured inserts are sold 100 to a pack. If that's too many, maybe you could go half-sies with a friend who is also expecting.
For much smaller gatherings, there's also some postcard-sized inserts available. These are sold one at a time.
Mother-to-Be Tiara - A must have at the baby shower!
She's the Queen for a day, the mother-to-be of a little prince or princess, the woman of the hour and so much more. Doesn't she deserve a tiara for that?
Back before we knew better, we used to make a crown for the lady of honor using a paper plate and all of the bows and ribbons from her pretty wrapped gifts.
Then, we had the audacity to make her wear it while we all laughed and laughed. Having been the victim or this type of baby shower crime, I have the photos to prove it hidden away, I know first-hand of the humiliation it causes.
Thankfully, back when I was forced to suffer this way, there was no Facebook or I'm sure the pain would have been much, much greater. There's a lot of truth to the meme that says, I'm glad there was no Facebook in my youth.
Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating the level of embarrassment a bit, and yes, it was all in good fun but now-a-days we have a much better and prettier option that is available to our mothers and I think after all they've been through what with building a new life inside of them, excessive weight gain and swollen feet, they deserve this much more refined way of decorating their heads for the enjoyment of their friends and family at the shower.
I found a bunch of really cute and inexpensive ones, like the one featured above, at Amazon but you can find them at just about any party store.
Do her a favor and get her one before someone at the shower suggests making it.
If you're looking for creative ideas and cute invitations for a purple winter baby shower, you'll probably enjoy a visit to the Pinterest board that I've featured here.
Although purple can be used for either a girl or a boy, it's most commonly used for little girls so most of the ideas found there will be representative of a girl's baby shower but there are a few things you might like to use if the shower is for a little boy.
Follow Seasonal Showers's board Purple Winter Baby Shower on Pinterest.
I've included all kinds of fun ways to decorate, great food and dessert choices, invitations you might like, party games, favor stickers and all kinds of other stuff that you might find useful for purple themed shower to welcome a baby who's due in the winter.
I'll be curating lots more color and season based theme boards at Pinterest too, coming soon! Keep up with me by following me there. Click here to see my entire account.
Are you planning a baby shower for a little girl who will arrive this winter? Here's a few fun ideas to help you choose the theme.
The Baby, It's Cold Outside baby shower theme is super popular this year for both boys and girls.
Decorate with snowflakes and a lot of white balloons and streamers to create a winter wonderland look.
Serve lots of treats that are covered in confectioner's sugar and be sure to have a lot of hot cocoa on hand, topped with clouds of whipped cream.
Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls who are due in the winter are made of. That's why a gingerbread themed baby shower would be perfect.
Serve coffee and everything gingerbread flavored to create a warm celebration during the chilliest months of the year.
Use a gingerbread house as the focal point on your candy-filled dessert table.
Owls are a popular baby shower theme all year long but the pretty white snowy owl makes a particularly cute theme for a little girl who is expected during the winter months.
This theme works well with natural selections for decorations. Use branches and wooden serving pieces and then purchase plush owls to be scattered around the room.
Of course, princesses can be born at any time of the year but if yours is due during December, January or February, a winter princess baby shower is certainly in order.
Again, the snowflakes abound but they can be mixed in with tiaras and pink (or purple) frilly everything. Use ribbons and lace to decorate and serve high tea with fancy finger foods and tasty little treats fit for royalty.
If the little darling is due in the winter, having a Christmas theme baby shower is a lot of fun.
You've already got the holiday decorations up so why not put them to good use.
Serve Christmas cookies and all of your favorite holiday treats. Put the gifts under the tree and celebrate the reason for the season along with the arrival of a sweet baby girl.
of a sweet baby girl this winter. | 2019-04-23T14:40:00Z | https://www.seasonalshowers.com/blog/category/baby%20shower%20ideas |
Everyone is finding Han Seo Jin pitiful, but I think she's still having it too easy.
Ye Seo takes after her father, so her personality is like trash too... Anyway, Cha Pa Gook [t/n: Kim Byung Chul, reference from Goblin] getting touched just by hearing Se Ri's voice was so funny.
Hye Na doesn't seem pitiful to me at all. She seems like a bad kid..
Yum Jung Ah's passionate acting is daebak.
really a need to expose her that way?
Hye Na is the younger version of Kim Joo Young.. She's not an ordinary child seeing how she makes use of others' feelings.. She made use of Woo Joo just to go to Ye Seo's house.
Daughter-babo [t/n: father who adores daughter too much], Pa Gook. Se Ri-ya!!!! Anyway, I wonder what kind of key does their oldest daughter hold? I don't think she'll be appearing for nothing..
What's with the people saying that they are disliking Lee Soo Im now? People are always talking about how frustrated they are, telling her to expose Mi Hyang, and asking why is she only getting bullied all the time. Today's episode was refreshing. I think people are too invested in Yum Jung Ah because the story focuses on her a lot.
In the end, Ye Bin will be the one going to med school.
Han Seo Jin didn't do anything right, but I don't think Lee Soo Im is doing the right thing too.
Wow.... Lee Soo Im isn't ordinary too.... In the end, she's doing that out of guilt. Is she in the position to blame the group being selfish?
Wow, seriously. That damn Lee Tae Ran. How truly civilized and righteous she is. She's disgusts me.
Lee Soo Im is a character I don't understand. Such a burdensome character.. I get annoyed whenever she appears.. She's pretending to be righteous all on her own.
Ye Seo's inability to empathize with her mother is a huge problem.. Even after hearing about her mother's painful past, she's only thinking about how ashamed she is. Yum Jung Ah is treating the person who knows about her past as an enemy. Even if she's not treating her well, she could've just stayed put, and things might end up in the middle somehow.
Wow, why do I hate Lee Soo Im so much...... Is my personality wrong?
I can't blame those viewers who hated SooIm, But I think, that's the exact purpose of why SooIm was in Sky Castle to begin with, to change Sky Castle's system. I mean, Just Like MiHyang/SuhJin, SooIm grew in an orphanage, and I guess the reaso why she is doing such things is because of her experience.
I can't blame those viewers who hated SooIm, But I think, that's the exact purpose of why SooIm was in Sky Castle to begin with, to change Sky Castle's system. I mean, Just Like MiHyang/SuhJin, SooIm grew in an orphanage, and I guess the reaso why she is doing such things is because of her experience.
That's what makes it a good drama. It starts the conversation. For me, both SooIm and SeoJin live according to their beliefs. They are absolutely sure that their course of action (although poles apart) is 'best' for the children. JinJin and SeongHye are still trying to work it out and I think that's where the majority of us are. We are trying to navigate it as best with can given the very individual circumstances of our lives (different children, different household, different partners in life, different family backgrounds). So I think a lot of us will feel much like SeongHye/JinJin...doing our best within the confines of our various situations, a work in progress. I think that's why the audience doesn't feel as intensely towards these 2 ladies but have intense judgements about SeoJin and SooIm.
Has Sky Castle extended episodes from 16 to 20? Episodes seem 20 on Asianwiki today.
If i recall correctly, Sooim was not raised in an orphanage like Mihyang. Sooim's family owned the orphanage. But she has empathy which goes a long way when trying to connect to other people. I think she understands the childrens plights thats why they easily got close to her.
Congrats sky castle for great ratings!
Many Korean netizens are having backlash to Soo Im's decision to 'out' Han Seo Jin.
Initially, I rationalized it that in Korean culture, perhaps there is emphasis on reputation and name.
To me, it's natural to 'out' Han Seo Jin. Soo Im would not have done it, except Seo Jin had twice bullied her in recent eps, and even more times in the overall plot.
Recently, first it was the dinner party at her place. And second, to collect signatures. Seo Jin also manipulated the signature-collection situation to make it seem like it wasn't Seo Jin's doing, but she was the puppet master all along.
By lying and creating a fake background, Seo Jin is trying to 'richify' her life, even in front of her children. In doing so, she's sort of denying everything she had to do with her real background, including her friend Soo Im. If you recall, Soo Im was pretty happy to see Kwak Mi Hyang in a new environment (Sky Castle) when Soo Im first moved there.
So I'm pretty surprised to see many people against Soo Im outing Han Seo Jin. After all, that was the only bullet left in Soo Im's hand.
There are so many characters in this show with different personalities and objectives that international drama comments and K-netizens can pick and choose who to support or hate. This is an excellent drama that is bound to create heated debates.
I'm also curious about Hye Na. What is going to happen next?! It's so thrilling. Moving into their home, what does Hye Na want to achieve?!
SKY Castle rating went from 1,7% at eps 1 to 11,3% at eps 10. And from the data we know that it will be top JTBC drama all the time, and it already be top drama 2018 from JTBC. And currently on position 8 for cable TV drama rating.
And the stories is getting more interesting, and happy to hear that it will extend to 20 eps, still so much things to tell, and cant wait for Cha Seri's homecoming!!
Ahhhh I can't believe I stayed up this late to catch up on all the episodes.....finally watched till ep 9 and I take back my words. This show has captured both my head and heart. Yeondu's story, and Woo Joo's mom's connection to her, that stole my heart.
Once again, Welcome to SKY Castle!
First things first. EP10. I was tethered to the screen for the first thirty minutes! The confrontation between Lee Soo Im and the SKY Castle Overgrown Teenagers gang needs to win Confrontation of the Year award!
How do you react when the whole neighbourhood has ganged up against you?
Lee Soo Im could easily and rationally have shut down that Inquisition, but the writer chose to develop the scene that way so as to set up future confrontations. The truth about SJ had to come out, but why not heighten the drama and tension by exposing her to the entire neighbourhood? Her mask has been taken off in front of everyone she lords over as the Queen Bee of SKY Castle. Unmasking her in front of the two mums only wouldn't have the same impact.
In that exchange, the writer also brought out arguments for and against the rationale for the gruelling methods they use in Korea, and that discussion was better heard by everyone in the neighbourhood. That was a statement from the writer to Korea. They can no longer play ignorant.
SJ won the argument and the battle but will lose the war. She maintains her composure, but seeing her being ostracized by her former minions was beautiful. Her internal strength cannot hold up against this, however tough her front is, and when she broke down, I felt pity and glee in equal measure.
We also got to know that the SJs husband knew of her background. That was a revelation. Here I was thinking he was in the dark about her life! They're all crazy in that house to concoct a scam like that and keep it up all these years!
SJ is the all-round master manipulator but I can't even hate her!! LOL! I have to agree that she gets so much more screen time so the viewers will side with her naturally.
The dynamics in the marriages played out spectacularly too. Compare the argument between Dr and SJ vs Dr Hwang and Soo Im. Isn't Dr. Hwang just the perfect husband? When she confessed to him about how she outed SJ in public, I was struck by how she could actually be open to him about a mistake she made, and how non-judgemental he was about it. And supportive of her too! When he said, "Honey, I obviously don't want to stop you if you really want to write a book about it, but I am very worried about you getting hurt.", I thought to myself that DAMN, we need to aspire to such a man in 2019! He is what they call a SAFE SPACE.
Is the backlash against SooIm more a reflection on the people accusing her of standing up against an entrenched system because it makes them out to be bystanders with their hands in their pockets? So they tear her down because it shows them up to be 'ordinary' and makes them feel justified for the stance that they have taken? Would I have stepped in to try to do something about YeunDo's self harm or just accepted it as "everyone's done all they could and really it's none of my business" like everybody else?
The writer aptly captured that groupthink when Lee Soo Im called it "Collective Selfishness".
One thing I have learned in life is that when you take a moral position, be prepared to walk alone, and be prepared to be attacked by the people closest to you. Human beings are weak. Like the gang of neighbourhood people, they will circle like cackling hyenas and attack the person who sticks their neck out, because it is easier than doing the hard work of confronting the system that created the injustice. They can externalise their frustrations and take their aggressions out on this scapegoat like Lee Soo Im in front of them. Is this what is called projection in psychology?
Public opinion in many forums about this drama is decidedly anti Lee Soo Im.... says something about human nature.
edit: So I’m in the middle of 10 now and it’s just struck me. The REAL Sky Castle isn’t Sky Castle. It’s the house where Coach has imprisoned her daughter Yeon Du. And Su Im’s real purpose in the story is to free her.
I love this!! Lets see how far Coach Kim and her methods fall.
Coach Kim is coming off unhinged in these episodes. She's manipulative, stalking Lee Soo Im and using the knowledge she has about her past, using the family history against Ye Seo etc amongst other diabolical acts. However, I was tickled by her evil Mojo Jojo laugh when she heard about the meeting. The cinematographer also shot that scene brilliantly, as we peep in through the blinds, with her all-black frame in the window. What does she really want?
Professor Cha, the master of comedic relief. In real life, I would have a problem with him gloating about the downfall of his competitor's public image, but seeing him laugh at the tribulations of SJ and hubby was the absolute highlight!! And when he compliments his wife to his sons, I was so dead!! Too funny!! I love how petty and juvenile the men in this drama are. It's such a relief from the one dimensional composed, rational, businesslike fathers of dramas we are fed. I will forgive his pettiness because of how much he loves his daughter. Seeing him yell and push the flowers in his wife's face was awesome!
Lastly, the writer could not have made Hye Na's entry into SKY Castle a simple affair. Everything that happened in that episode was set off by the Inquisition and worked to push SJ to accept Hye Na. There had to be multiple hurdles in the episode that would force SJ to accept her on her own prerogative. That's why we saw Ye Bin need her coaching skills, Ye Seo collapse and fail because of the revelation, and Coach Kim use the knowledge to arm-twist SJ into accepting her. Coach Kim's argument that Hye Na is the pacemaker Ye Seo needs came at the right time, after everything has collapsed around her. This argument was the final piece of information that would help SJ make the decision to accept Hye Na. SJ accepting Hye Na in an act of Noblesse Oblige would have been too shallow.
Lastly, I am super ecstatic about the ratings. It is truly deserved for the writer, crew and cast that have given us such an amazing story to warm our weekends.
Is this drama also a commentary on bystander syndrome also?
Everyone's like let someone help and ends up no one helping the victim.
OMG! So busy with real life stuff.. holidays and all but going to stream the episodes later. At least other chingus are coming to this thread posting and sharing thoughts.
So true. YB is the smartest one after all.
I'll post reactions to some thoughts and episodes later after I'm done watching. Congrats JCTB and Sky Castle sky rocket ratings ep 10.
Can KNetizens just help propel Kim Bo Ra all the way to the top of CPI Ratings? I mean, she is JUST-TOO-GOOD in this series.
Is this drama also a commentary on bystander syndrome also?
In a word, YES. It has certainly made me rethink what I would do in everyday scenarios. Do I step in to stop someone who I feel has overstepped by slapping their child in public? What about those videos you see posted where someone is talking down to someone on a train - complete with racial slurs? Do I say something? Or do I film it like the person is doing? Or do I walk away coz really, it's none of my business?
Indeed. We need more (not less) SooIms in our lives. They are the very people who will in the face of great peril still stay true to their moral compass. They will be the Schindlers in a world of Fascists. The voice of change. They will be the ones asking the hard questions which we will need to search our hearts and consciences to find answers for instead of just glibly adhering to the entrenched system 'just because'.
“SKY Castle” has shown continuous incline for three weeks after its premiere. Kim Bo Ra’s role of a student in poverty is also gaining a lot of attention as she made it into the 10th place slot for the list of top 10 buzzworthy actors. The diverse characters with strong individuality in “SKY Castle” are gaining a lot of attention as 15 cast members placed within the top 100.
In this drama we cant really choose which side we stan because of their character development up and down depiction. First maybe you dislike, but other time you will give symphaty coz of their sad back story reveal.
this time i stan for sooim. She's not mean to reveal suhjin real identity, it was Suhjin herself. She and her husband are the worse. No wonder Yeesuh feels hurt and betrayed after knowing her parents (mom) lies. So amaze they even hire people to act as fake parents (grandparents for their children).
I didnt gave my sympathy for suhjin either eventhough she's very pitiful. I am personally very mad at her at ep9 when she says sooim never understand how myungjoo feelings about youngjae, because sooim never giving birth. That's so rude! Her own child or not, Sooim is a mother.
eps 9 hit me hard on yeondu story, it really breaks my heart. kinda understand what sooim motivation to write novel inspired by youngjae's story.
And still coach kim is the scariest, what is her real motives to destroy her student family life, because her life is a tragedy? And anyone notice yesuh grandma's friend when she's on voluntary work? The one whose curious about coach Kim? Was she the same lady who introduce herself as Laura Jung that recognize Jennifer from Fairfax, Virginia?
I would disagree that SooIm should not interfere with the rest of Sky Castle people. She is shaking things up for what she believes is better, and I guess this is what makes the series to become intense. I mean, I just can't imagine Sky Castle without SooIm. They may add HyeNa, Coach Kim, or anyone in the series, but I don't think these people will add more tension to the series the way SooIm did it.
And we need more Cha Family scenes! They are sooooo funny!
Sharp eyes! I rewatched that scene wher when the woman confronted "Jennifer" and asked after Kai and it's indeed the same lady. She doesn't seem to know Yesuh's mom in that scene. She did ask the grandmother to introduce her to the daughter in law so she'll make the connection then and help expose Jennifer's past.
And Kai seemed really young when the accident happened so I doubt it was directly because of over studying. The image of the young child in a white dress was clearly of a normal happy little child.
I am wondering if Coach Kim's hopes of having a child prodigy in Kay (if she was indeed Jennifer from Fairfax) and to have that dashed due to the accident plays a part in her rather warped motives and coaching methods. Note how she like SeoJin 'hid' her past? She didn't acknowledge that she was Jennifer, nor did she acknowledge having a 'child', she gave SooIm the impression that her child died. And in a way Kay did die (in her mind) when the doctor pronounced that she was no longer a 'normal' child after the accident. All the hopes and dreams she had pinned on Kay and the life she had mapped out in her mind's eye about how Kay's life would unfold was shattered. The life that she dreamed of for Kay ceased to exist, so Kay 'died'. So perhaps in her bizarre demented way, she projected all those hopes pinned on Kay onto her various charges (pure speculation) hence her drive to get them to succeed. It could be her way of getting back at a world which had robbed her of that joy so she finds fulfillment in providing that service to others with a total disregard as to the means of getting them there? She's an odd one. I do somehow feel that her motives with YeSuh isn't as direct as the other students before her. It has something to do with the fact that SeoJin treated her so contemptuously earlier on that has added an element of vengeance into the equation. I think that's why she seemed maniacal when the whole facade of SeoJin's poor past came to light. I feel like she will deliver the University entrance spot for YeSuh but she will seek to destroy the Kang household and bring misery to SeoJin in the process.
Don't you love how the twins 'shared' their notes on the exam questions with their fellow students? They may have lost their winning positions on the school ranking system but they would've gained friends. Mom SeungHye praised them for their act of generosity and fair play. She doesn't preclude them from working hard though or slacking off. She tells them to try harder next time. So she subscribes to working hard but not at the expense of your character.
I love how Sky Castle explores how different families deal with an entrenched educational system (note also that the competition never ends even after med school...Prof Kang and even the Chairman is still on that social ladder climb in their work place). Different strokes for different folks. Each needs to work out what's right for their own household.
Hye Na's name may well be a play on 'Hyena' after all. Hyenas are at the bottom of the food chain. They scavenge off food that top predators like the lions leave behind. Hye Na wants to walk into the Lion's Den with nothing more than her street smarts and inner drive to survive. I am wondering if her intentions are driven by revenge as well? She didn't mourn for long. Instead of shriveling up and going to pieces, she seems to have channeled her sorrow and bitterness into a productive anger. Almost mirroring Coach Kim in her ruthlessness. Is there a parallel their lives? | 2019-04-25T05:51:55Z | https://forums.soompi.com/topic/424518-drama-2018-2019-sky-castle-sky-%EC%BA%90%EC%8A%AC/page/10/ |
2003-04-04 Assigned to VALEO ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, INC. reassignment VALEO ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: AMBERG, MICHAEL T.
A fluid heater apparatus supplies heat to wash fluid via a flow path in a thermally conductive body. A heat source is disposed in the thermally conductive body for imparting heat to the body. Fluid in a flow path in the thermal body enveloping the heat source absorbs heat from the body. A fluid expansion member is fixed to the mass over the open ends of the fluid flow path in the thermal body. The fluid expansion member is formed of a compressible foam material having shape memory. The fluid expansion member is sealingly joinable by fasteners to the thermal body through bores formed in the peripheral edge of the member.
The fluid heater of the present invention has a unique freeze protection means which accommodates phase change expansion of the fluid in the fluid heater when the fluid transitions in phase to a semi-solid or solid state, but is capable of returning to a normal shape and position sealingly overlaying open ends of the fluid flow channels in the thermally conductive mass when the fluid reverses phase to a liquid state. The fluid expansion means is easily accommodated in a fluid heater apparatus without adding a substantial number of components.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another aspect of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is depicted an environment in which a heater apparatus or module 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention can be advantageously utilized. Although the following use of the heater module 10 of the present invention is described in conjunction with a vehicle window wash system, it will be understood that the present heater module may be employed in other applications requiring heated fluid, such as any cleaning system used to clean any vehicle window, i.e., the windshield, rear backlight, or side windows, as well as cleaning systems for vehicle mirrors, camera, lenses, or sensor covers, etc.
As is conventional, a vehicle window 12, such as a windshield, rear backlight or window, etc., has one or more fluid delivery devices, such as spray nozzles 14 located in a position to dispense or spray a pattern 16 of wash fluid onto the exterior surface of the window 12. The dispersion of the wash fluid 16 is usually in conjunction with activation of a windshield wiper 18 over the window 12.
The wash fluid 16 is supplied from a fluid source, such as a reservoir or container 20. The fluid in the reservoir 20 is pumped to the nozzle(s) 14 by means of a pump 22 usually located in close proximity or attached to the reservoir 20.
As is conventional, an on/off switch 24, which may be mounted on a vehicle steering column stalk switch, is suppled with power from the vehicle battery 26 and enables the vehicle driver to control the on or off operation of the wash pump 22.
According to the invention, the wash fluid pumped from the reservoir 20 to the spray nozzles 14 is heated from ambient temperature to a predetermined higher temperature, such as 65° to about 70° C., by example only, by the heater module 10. A suitable control circuit or controller 28 is provided for controlling the operation of the heater elements in the heater module 10. The controller 28 is also supplied with electric power from the vehicle battery 26. The controller 28 is activated by a “on” signal from the vehicle ignition 30 so as to heat the fluid contained within the flow paths in the heater module 10, as described hereafter, whenever the vehicle ignition is in an “on” state.
An optional on/off switch 25 may be connected between the battery 26 and the controller 28 to provide on and off operation for the entire heater system by disconnecting power to the controller 28. This enables the heater system to be activated or remain in an inactive state at the selection of the vehicle driver. As described hereafter, the on/off switch 25 may also be replaced by a separate input signal to the controller 28 from an external signal source, such as a vehicle body controller, to provide for selective deactivation of the heater module 10 under certain circumstances, such as a thermal event, low battery power, etc.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-12, there is depicted one aspect of the heater module 10 according to the present invention.
The heater module 10 includes a heat exchange mass or body 40 formed of a suitable high thermally conductive material. Although the mass 40 is described as being formed of die-cast, molded, cast, sintered, or machined aluminum, other materials, either homogenous or nonhomogeneous, may also be employed. For example, the mass 40 can be formed of alumina particles, ceramic materials, etc.
The mass 40, as described in greater detail hereafter, includes a fluid flow path between an inlet 42 and an outlet 44. The inlet and outlet 42 and 44, respectively, each receives a fitting 46 for receiving a fluid sealed connection to a fluid flow conduit, element or tube, not shown. The inlet 42 will be connected to receive the pump output from the window wash fluid reservoir 20; while the outlet 44 will be connected to the spray nozzle(s) 14.
As vehicles typically have several spray nozzles 14, usually one for each of the two windshield wipers, and at least one nozzle 14 for the rear backlight or rear window wiper, it will be understood that the following description of a single heater module 10 for heating all of the fluid discharge from the fluid reservoir 20 will encompass multiple parallel paths, each containing a separate heater module, for heating fluid from the reservoir 20 for each different nozzle 14.
The heat exchange mass 40 is disposed within an enclosure formed by a first cover 50 and a mating second cover 52. The first and second covers 50 and 52 have complementary mating edges. The first cover 50 has a major wall surface 54 and a surrounding peripheral lip 60.
A necked-down end portion 64 is formed in the first cover 50, and forms a tubular extension from one portion of the major wall surface 54. The necked-down portion 64 forms an enclosure for receiving a connector assembly 70 which provides electrical signals and power to the heating element(s) mounted in the joined first and second covers 50 and 52 and to a circuit board, described in detail hereafter.
The second cover 52 also has a major wall surface 56 and a surrounding peripheral lip 62 projecting therefrom. The peripheral lip 62 surrounds the entire periphery of the second major wall surface 56.
The first and second covers 50 and 52 are fixedly joined together, after the thermal mass 40 and the connector assembly 70 has been disposed within the first and second covers 50 and 52 by suitable means, such as by heat, sonic or vibration welding. By example, a peripheral groove 76 projects at least partially around the entire edge of the peripheral lip 60. The groove 76 receives a mating projection 77 extending around the peripheral lip 62 of the second cover 52. The projection 77 and groove 76 are fixedly and sealingly joined together by welding to fixedly join the covers 50 and 52 together.
As shown in detail in FIGS. 6-11, the heat exchange mass 40 has a solid cubical shape formed of a first major surface 80, a second opposed major surface 82, and four sidewall portions 84, 86, 88 and 90, interconnecting the first and second surfaces 80 and 82.
A plurality of bores 92, 94 and 96 are formed in the body 40 and project inwardly from the sidewall 84. The bores 92, 94 and 96 are each adapted for receiving one generally cylindrical heater element. As partially shown in FIG. 11, each bore 92, 94 and 96 extends through the solid central portion of the mass 40 so as to be completely surrounded by the solid material of the mass 40. This defines the mass 40 as a heat source after receiving heat from the heater elements mounted in each bore 92, 94 and 96.
By way of example only, at least one and preferably a plurality, i.e., two or three or more individual heater elements 100, 102 and 103, are disposed in the bores 92, 94 and 96, respectively. The function of the one or more heater elements, such as heater elements 100, 102 and 103 will be described hereafter in conjunction with a description of the operation of the heater module 10.
As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, one end 104, 106 and 107 of each heater element 100, 102 and 103, respectively, projects outwardly through the sidewall 84 of the body 40. The ends 104, 106 and 107 of the heater elements 100, 102 and 103, respectively, each have individual terminals 108 extending therefrom and joined thereto by soldering, welding, etc., for connection to mating sockets or contact spring mounted on a printed circuit board 150, itself mounted by means of fasteners, i.e., screws, rivets, or adhesives, etc., to an exterior surface of the plate 73. Conductive traces in the printed circuit board 150 are connected to sockets or contacts which receive the terminals 108. Two of the connector terminals 70 are soldered to the printed circuit board 150 to receive power, ground and control signals from the vehicle electrical system.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the thermally conductive mass 40 includes a fluid flow channel or path which extends from the inlet 42 to the outlet 44. The fluid flow path is, by example, a labyrinthian path formed of a first fluid flow path portion 130 and a second fluid flow path or channel 132 which are connected at a generally centrally disposed bore 134. The first fluid flow channel 130 has a generally spiral shape formed of alternating straight and arcuate sections which alternately create laminar and turbulent flow of the fluid passing through the first flow channel 130 to maximize the heat absorption of the fluid from the adjoining walls of the mass 40. Further, the first fluid flow channel 130 has an inward directed spiral shape from the inlet 42 to the bore 134 to minimize temperature differential between adjoining portions of the spiral shaped first flow channel 130.
As shown in FIG. 10, the second fluid flow channel 132 has a substantially identical spiral shape. However, fluid flow through the second fluid flow channel 132 is in an outward spiral direction from the bore 134 to the outlet 44.
Thus, fluid flow through the first and second flow channels 130 and 132 starts from the inlet 44 then continues in a spirally inward directed manner through the first flow channel 130 to the central passage or bore 134. Upon exiting the central passage 134 into the second flow channel 132, fluid flow progresses in an outward spiral direction through the second flow channel 132 to the outlet 44.
In operation, the heater module 40 will be interconnected in the vehicle wash fluid flow lines between the pump 22 and the spray nozzle(s) 14 as shown in FIG. 1. The external connector is then connected to the connector housing 70 to provide electric power from the vehicle battery 26 and the controller 28 to the heater elements 100, 102 and 103, in the heat exchange body 40.
Assuming that the first and second fluid flow channels 130 and 132 in the body 40 are filled with fluid, when the controller 28 activates the heater elements 100, 102 and 103, the heater elements 100, 102 and 103 will begin radiating heat which will immediately raise the temperature of the entire surrounding portion of the heat exchange body 40. Heat from the body 40 will, in turn, be radiated to and absorbed by the fluid disposed in the first and second flow channels 130 and 132.
The straight and arcuate portions of the first and second fluid flow channels 130 and 132 create alternating turbulent and laminar flow regions in the fluid flowing through the mass 40 which causes movement of the fluid in the first and second flow channels 130 and 132 bringing all molecules in the fluid in contact with the wall of the body 40 forming the first and second flow channels 130 and 132 to efficiently absorb the maximum amount of heat possible. This causes the temperature of the fluid to be quickly raised from ambient temperature at the inlet 42 to approximately 65° to 70° C. at the outlet 44 in approximately sixty seconds.
The fluid in the first and second fluid flow channels 130 and 132 removes or absorbs heat from the thermal mass 40 thereby increasing the fluid temperature by physical contact with the mass 40. The heater elements 100, 102 and 103 maintain the heat of the thermal mass 40 at a predetermined temperature thereby preventing hot spots from occurring in the fluid. Normally, hot spots would occur when the fluid comes in direct contact the heater elements 100, 102 and 103. Fluid which is not in physical contact with the heater elements 100, 102 and 103 passes the heater elements 100, 102 and 103 by and does not absorb heat. By heating the thermal mass 40, the physical hot contact area is increased along with an increase in heat transfer efficiency. This requires less energy to heat the same volume of fluid.
Although a single heater element 100 may be employed as the heat source in the body 40, multiple heater elements, with two or three heater elements, 100, 102 and 103, being described by way of example only, have been found to be most advantageous. The controller 28 can activate all of the plurality of heater elements 100, 102 and 103 upon receiving a first command to dispense heated wash fluid onto the windshield 12. This generates a maximum amount of heat to the body 40 to immediately and quickly raise the temperature of the body 40 high enough to transfer sufficient heat to the fluid in the fluid flow channels 130 and 132 to raise the temperature of the fluid to the desired discharge temperature of 65° to about 75° C. The multiple heater elements 100, 102 and 103 can remain in an activated state by the controller 28 if immediate and successive commands from the on/off switch 24 are supplied by the vehicle driver to supply additional charges of fluid onto the windshield 12.
At the completion of the fluid dispensing operation, and during other periods of non-fluid dispensing while the vehicle engine is running, or the engine is running and a dashboard mounted switch is activated, the controller 28 can cyclically activate one or more of the heater elements, such as heater element 100, to maintain the temperature of the fluid in the first and second flow channels 130 and 132 at an elevated temperature for immediate discharge onto the windshield 12 when activated by the on/off switch 24. This minimizes electrical power requirements on the vehicle battery 26.
Although the controller 28 can provide separate switchable signals to each of the heater elements 100, 102 and 103, in order to control each heater element 100, 102 and 103 separately under program or logic control, one alternate approach includes a bi-metal element or a switch mounted between the power connections to one terminal 108 and each of the other terminals 108 connected to the additional heater elements 102 and 103. The bi-metal element can be set to open at a predetermined temperature, such as 50° C., thereby deactivating the associated heater element. This enables the additional heater elements 102 and 103, for example, to remain deactivated until a high heat requirement is initiated.
Although the following description of the use of high amperage switching devices known as MOSFETs, are used as part of the controller 28 and to provide the necessary high current, typically 50 amps at 12 volts, to the heating elements 100, 102 and 103 in the thermal mass 40, other high amperage switching devices may also be employed. Any number of MOSFETs 156 can be mounted in any configuration on the printed circuit board 150.
A plurality of bores 158 are optionally formed through the printed circuit board 150. The bores 158 improve heat flow between the switching devices on the printed circuit board (PCB) 150 and the underlying first plate 73.
To further enhance transfer of the heat generated by the MOSFETs 156 to the first plate 140, a highly conductive pad or plate 161, hereafter referred to as a sill pad 161, is interposed in contact between the printed circuit board 150 and the first plate 23 as shown in FIGS. 3, 8 and 9. The sill pad 161 typically has a planar shape and dimensions to extend over at least a portion of the first plate 73. The pad 161 isolates stray electrical currents to negative ground through the screws 75, provides a positive contact between the MOSFETs and the thermal mass 40, and stabilizes heat loss through the adjacent cover by maintaining the temperature of the plate 73 at a higher temperature to thereby create a lower temperature differential or gradient with respect to the thermal mass 40.
The sill pad 161 preferably has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the plate 73 to efficiently draw heat generated by the MOSFETs 156 to the plate 73 thereby maintaining the temperature of the plate 73 at an elevated temperature. This elevated temperature of the plate 73 is higher than the normal temperature of the plate 73 caused by heat escaping from the sides of the thermal mass 40 around the seals 71 and 72.
A temperature sensor 159, such as a PTC, is mounted on the printed circuit board 150, typically over or adjacent to the bores 158. The temperature sensor 159 measures the temperature of the printed circuit board 150 and provides a temperature proportional signal to the controller 28 which is used by the controller 28 to control the on/off cycle of the heater elements 100, 102 and 103.
It is known that during sub-freezing temperatures, wash fluids which are formed substantially of water are subject to freezing. The expansion of the frozen or semi-frozen fluid causes pressure to be exerted against the surrounding components of the heater module 10 which could lead to leaks or to the complete destruction of the heater module 10. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 11-14, a fluid expansion means 160 is carried in the heater module 10 for reversibly allowing expansion of the fluid in the fluid flow path when the fluid changes phase from a liquid to a substantially solid state.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 12, the heat module 10 is provided with a fluid expansion means 160 which forms at least one of two closures surrounding and joined to the thermal mass 40. The cover 160 is formed of a compressible material with sufficient rigidity to resist compression when acted on by the normal pressures of fluid flow through the thermal mass 40. The material forming the fluid expansion member 160 also has shape memory so as to be able to return to its nominal shape when the fluid in the thermal mass 40 changes phase back to its original liquid state.
The member 160 may be formed of any suitable energy absorbing foam. For example, a polyvinyl chloride allied foam, trade name C/3002 or C-3201 from Specialty Composites Division Cabot Safety Corp. Indianapolis, Ind. 46254 maybe advantageously employed. This material typically has a closed cell interior and thicker outer surfaces or outer skins.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 12, the element 160 has a substantially circular peripheral edge and an uncompressed thickness of approximately 10-12 mm. The diameter of the fully uncompressed central portion 162 of the element 160 is selected to that an inner surface 164 substantially covers all of the open ends of the fluid flow channels in the thermal mass 40.
According to a unique feature of the present invention, a peripheral edge portion 166 of the element 160 is further compressed after molding to its desired uncompressed shape under heat and pressure to increase the density of the peripheral edge portion 166 while reducing its thickness to about 3.0-4.0 mm. The peripheral edge portion 166 overlays the peripheral edge portion of the thermal mass 40. Bores 168 may be formed through the peripheral edge portion 166 for alignment with the bores in the mass 40 and receive a fastener, such as a screw to secure the element 160 to the thermal mass 40 in the same manner as the opposite plate 74. Internally threaded inserts or sleeves may be mounted in the bores 168 for added strength in receiving the screws.
In operation, the element 160 forms one of the plates on the thermal mass 40 with the inner surface 164 overlaying and substantially closing the open ends of the fluid flow channels in the thermal mass 40. However, when the fluid in the thermal mass 40 undergoes a phase change to a solid state, the element 160 will compress at least in the areas of the channels in the thermal mass 40 as shown in phantom in FIG. 12 to provide space for the expanding fluid without exerting excessive force on the joined connections to the thermal mass 40. The inherent shape memory of the element 160 will allow all compressed portions from the inner surface 160 to expand back to their nominal shape thereby providing a relatively smooth inner surface 160 which substantially closes off the open ends of the channels of the thermal mass 40 when the fluid reverses phase back to its normal liquid state.
Another aspect of the present invention is shown in FIG. 13 in which the inner surface 164 of the element 160 which overlays and contacts the exterior surface of the thermal mass 40 surrounding and disposed in between the fluid flow channels in the mass 40, if formed with a pattern of raised and recessed portions having substantially the same shape as the fluid flow channel formed in one surface of the thermal mass 40. Thus, the spiral shape described above as an example of one form of the fluid flow channel in the thermal mass 40 may be replicated in a reverse form in the surface 164. This causes raised portions of the pattern 182 in the surface 164 to fit within the open ends of the fluid flow channel in the thermal mass 40, with the adjacent and intermediate recessed portions of the pattern 182 disposed over and possibly in contact with the adjacent solid sections of the thermal mass between sections of the fluid flow channel. The pattern 182 allows the element 160 to be easily located and seated on the thermal mass 40 thereby automatically aligning the bores in the peripheral edge portion of the element 160 with the bore in the thermal mass 40. It will be understood that the spiral pattern formed in the inner surface 164 of the element 160 may also comprise a partial spiral pattern having spaced portions which do not form a complete spiral, but are nevertheless positioned to orient the element 160 through engagement with the channels in the thermal mass 40.
Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, there is depicted yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the fluid expansion element 160 is mounted in registry or contact with one surface of the thermal mass 40 as described above in the preceding aspects of the present invention. In this aspect of the present invention, however, a compression means, such as a plate 180, is mounted over the outer surface of the fluid expansion element 160 and secured to the thermal mass 40 by fastening means 182 in a manner to apply a compressive force on the fluid expansion element 160 against the thermal mass 40.
As shown in FIG. 14, the plate 180 has a shape complementary to the shape of the outer surface and periphery of the fluid expansion element 160. Preferably the plate 180 is formed of a lightweight, material, such as a suitable plastic which is capable of resisting the ambient temperatures of an automotive environment.
The peripheral edge 184 of the plate 180 is formed with a plurality of through bores 186, each located at a position to align with the bores in the thermal mass 40 as well as the bores 188 in the fluid expansion element 160.
Preferably, the plate 180 is formed with at least one or a pair of radially spaced ribs. Two ribs 190 are shown by way of example only. The inner surface of each rib 190 engages the peripheral edge portion of the fluid expansion means 160. The ribs 190 apply a compressive force to the peripheral edge of the fluid expansion element 160 sealing the fluid expansion element against the outer surface of the thermal mass 40 when the fasteners 182 are engaged through the bores 186. The fasteners 182 may comprise any suitable fastener, such as a nut and bolt.
Referring now to FIG. 16, there is depicted yet another aspect of the present invention. In this aspect, compression of the fluid expansion element 160 on the thermal mass 40 is achieved by means of a compression means 200 in the form of a ring having a peripheral band 202 substantially complementary to the shape of the peripheral edge portion of the fluid expansion element 160. A plurality of apertures 204 are formed in the band 202 and align with the apertures in the fluid expansion element 160. The ring 200 may also employ the rib or ribs 190 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
Preferably, the compression means 200 is formed of a high strength material, such a metal, by example, steel or stainless steel.
The compression means 200, when secured to the fluid expansion element 160 and the thermal mass 40 by the fasteners 75, applies a compressive force about the entire peripheral edge of the fluid expansion element 160 to seal the fluid expansion element 160 against the thermal mass 40.
means for fixing the peripheral edge of the fluid expansion means to the thermally conductive mass.
the fixing means fixing the peripheral edge to the mass.
the fluid expansion means comprises a body formed of a compressible material.
the compressible material is formed of a closed cell foam.
the compressible material as a first lower density portion disposed over the fluid flow path in the mass and a second higher density portion in the peripheral edge.
a housing formed of first and second covers fixable to each other and surrounding the thermal mass, at least one of the covers having a central portion defining an interior recess receiving the fluid expansion means.
the fluid expansion means is formed of a closed cell foam.
the fluid expansion means including at least a first fluid expansion element associated with one of the first and second flow path portions.
the first and second flow path portions are disposed in fluid flow communication substantially at the center of the thermally conductive mass.
at least one heater element mounted in the mass.
a plurality of heater elements mounted in the mass.
a controller for controlling the activation of each of the heater elements.
the heating means is disposed in the thermally conductive mass and substantially encompassed by the fluid flow path.
the fluid expansion means having a surface engagable over the open ends of the fluid flow path in the thermally conductive mass, the surface having a complementary labyrinthian pattern sealingly engagable with the open end portion of the fluid flow path in one surface of the thermally conductive mass.
a plate having a central portion accommodating a portion of the fluid expansion means, the plate joinable with the fluid expansion means by the fixing means to one surface of the thermally conductive mass.
at least one bore extending through the fluid expansion means to allow fluid flow to contact the plate.
compression means, fixed to the fluid expansion means and the thermally conductive mass, for applying compression force to the fluid expansion to seal the fluid expansion means on the thermally conductive mass.
a rigid ring member having apertures for the fixing means, the rigid member mountable on a peripheral edge of the fluid expansion means.
the plate has apertures for receiving the fixing means.
the plate has a complementary shape to the fluid expansion means.
at least one rib depending from a peripheral edge of a plate to forcibly engage the fluid expansion means to apply compressive force to a peripheral edge of the fluid expansion means.
a plurality of through bores formed between the pair of ribs and alignable with the bores in the thermally conductive mass for receiving the fixing means therethrough.
fluid expansion means, coupled to the mass, for reversibly allowing expansion of fluid in the fluid flow path when the fluid undergoes a phase change to a solid state.
fixing means for fixing the peripheral edge to the mass.
a plurality of heater elements thermically mounted in the mass.
compression means, fixed to the fluid expansion means and the thermally conductive mass for applying compression to the fluid expansion to seal the fluid expansion means on the thermally conductive mass.
fluid expansion means, fixed to the mass, for reversibly allowing expansion of fluid in the fluid flow path when the fluid undergoes a phase change to a solid state.
NL1029792C2 (en) * 2005-08-24 2007-02-27 Ferro Techniek Holding Bv Device and method for heating liquids.
US653829A (en) * 1899-11-10 1900-07-17 Bruno Trenckmann Leather.
US941215A (en) * 1908-09-02 1909-11-23 George H Wade Water-heater. | 2019-04-22T15:26:24Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20040197094A1/en |
Day four of the conference came and I just could not get up in time for the 8 o'clock session. I think the last month caught up with me and I needed an extra hour of sleep. I felt so much better when I arrived at DeVos Place for the 9:30 session.
Private Archives: What They Are and How to Use Them with John Philip Colletta was filled with information on using manuscripts for your research. Lots of unique collections were shared.
New York seemed to be on my mind during this conference and I attended Three Keys to New York: Censuses, NY Public Library, and NYG&B's Vast Collection with Susan Miller. I decided to join New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) during the conference in order to tap into their resource materials and databases. The information that was provided on the New York State Census and New York Public Library was great, but long and I was hoping I would learn more about their vast collection. I will be checking out their website guides and webinars soon.
The afternoon sessions started with Nothing in Life is Free... Unless You are Talking about NDNP... Chronicling America 1690-1963 with Kimberly Hagerty. NDNP is National Digital Newspaper Program, a joint program with the Library of Congress, Central Michigan University Clarke Library (in Michigan) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This amazing project hosts over 13.2 million newspaper pages, digitized and available for free. Since CMU's Clarke library has been involved they created the Digital Michigan Newspaper Portal. The states who participate in this program and their newspapers can be found on Chronicling America.
The conference started with the Erie Canal and I thought it was fitting to end it that way as well. Afloat or Ashore: Tracing and Tracking Erie Canal Workers, 1817-1918 with Pamela Vittorio provided information on the records that are available for those who worked on the Erie Canal. 21 resources for more information were provided as well as the types of jobs available.
Overall, I had an excellent conference experience. This was my first NGS conference and I was happy to have experienced it. Michigan was a great place to have a conference. The attendance was about 2200 and over 600 of those who registered were from Michigan. I knew many of the attendees. The DeVos Place was vast and there were a couple of people I had hoped to connect with, but never saw. The Western Michigan Genealogical Society, National Genealogical Society, all the volunteers, vendors, and attendees made it a successful conference. Thank you to all.
The alarm went off and I was sound asleep. I have been busy volunteering, attending sessions, being social, walking and walking and walking. I was tired at the beginning of Day 3.
I made it to my room monitor assignment by 7:30 a.m. and the doors were open and the room half full, what the heck? Oh, well, I guess there were some early risers. Jill K. Morelli presented, Glory to God! Dutch Christian Reformed Church: Online, Parish and Archives Records. Ms. Morelli spent a lot of time on the history of the church and toward the end talked about the records available at Calvin College.
This session was followed by Migration Patterns of Germans within America by Sharon Cook MacInnes. Three phases (1607-1805; 1815-1871; after 1871) were discussed and migration tips provided for each phase. My German ancestry came during two phases, one came in the early phase and came into Pennsylvania. Later, around 1874, my other German ancestor arrived. Resources for each phase was provided.
One of the holes in my Michigan research knowledge is the records of the Northwest Territory and when I saw Early Land Records in Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory by Angela McGhie, I knew I would be sitting in the Grand Gallery AB room for this one. This was one of my favorite presentations. It was also a session that I met up with two Calhoun County friends. Ms. McGhie talked about land entry resources, timelines for each territory, statistics, types of records available, where to find these records, and more. I was so excited when I left this session that I went immediately to the Bureau of Land Management vendor table and used their database and had a couple of certificates printed!
Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 by William Thorndale and William Dollarhide.
I had a special event to attend at 1:00 p.m.-a book signing for the revised and updated NGS Research in the States Series-Michigan book. I volunteered to update the book with the proceeds benefiting the Michigan Genealogical Council. NGS sponsored the book signing and I got to talk to a few Michigan researchers. The book sold out at the conference but it is available through the NGS store, in .pdf or print form.
The History and Settlement section of the book was tweaked for accuracy. Archives, Libraries and Societies had the biggest rewrite. The changes within the Library of Michigan, Archives of Michigan and the addition of Seeking Michigan material was added. A Michigan Oral History Association section was added. The rest of the book centers on resources and records. They were updated as needed and new information on a few sources added and all links were updated. I enjoyed working on this book and hope Michigan researchers will find it useful.
The first afternoon session was Jewish Genealogy for Non-Jews: History, Migration, and DNA by Schelly Talalay Dardashti. I pick one session that is out of my area of research and this was the one. I learned so much during this session. Ms. Dardashti is a fountain of information. A history of expulsions was combined with a very brief Jewish history. Archives, records and resources for Jewish Genealogy was presented along with social history and customs. It was a very informative session.
Deeper Analysis: Techniques for Successful Problem Solving by Elissa Scalise Powell ended day three for me. Ms. Powell showed examples using spreadsheets, timelines, maps and charts as ways to analyze the information you already have. I found myself drawing tables that I want to use for some of my research problems. My to do list is getting longer each day that I am here.
I didn't have any social events scheduled for tonight and I felt like getting away from the downtown area. I walked back to the hotel and my husband and I went to one of my favorite places in Grand Rapids, the Downtown Market. We had some great barbecue and a delicious molasses cookie. Next, we stopped on the way back to the hotel to visit with my in-laws who live just south of Grand Rapids. I was home by 8 and in bed by 9. I know I am just killing the night life!!!
My morning started with David Lambert's Researching Your New England Ancestors Online and in Repositories. Lambert caught my attention when he invited people to stop by the NEHGS booth and ask questions. He said, "as long as you don't ask for me to tell you everything about Samuel Poor of Newburyport, Ma". Wait, what? That is my ancestor. I stopped by the booth a couple of times, but never when Lambert was there. I will have to wait until July to ask him, when he comes to speak at the Abrams Foundation Seminar being held.
Even though I have been to New England to conduct research, I still have a lot of research to do. The take away from this session is not to reinvent the wheel when doing research in this area. Use the wonderful resources in print and online such as The Great Migration Series, The Winthrop Fleet, New Englanders in the 1600's, Torrey's Marriage Records, and others.
Yvette Hoitink was one of my must see and hear sessions that I picked before the conference. I chose For Fortune and Faith: Emigration from the Netherlands in the 1800's. I learned so much about the Netherlands during this session. It focused on the history of the Netherlands, familial relationships, and reasons people left the Netherlands during this time. My husband's family is one of the families that were part of this emigration.
Seeing my book, "Research in the States: Michigan" at the NGS booth. I bought the Massachusetts and Rhode Island one.
Grabbing the Calhoun County guide from the Library of Michigan booth. The Library of Michigan has guides for every county in Michigan.
Talking to my friends from Clayton Library, Houston, and checking on the library that I enjoyed researching in when I was visiting my son.
Finding out about Dutch Roots Tours and getting a wooden shoe key chain. My family of six are looking forward to a future trip to the Netherlands and I would like to visit a few family areas and Jan Deelstra was a wealth of information.
Buying three magazines, Tracing Your Ancestors DNA and Genealogy, Tracing Your WWI Military Ancestors, and Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors from Moorshead Magazines.
Seeing a demo of Research Ties, an online research log that helps users organize (I heart organization!) their research. I want to explore this further and may sign up for it.
The afternoon started with D. Joshua Taylor's Fifteen Tools for Tracing Your New York Ancestors Online. Many of my early Michigan ancestors migrated here from New York and I am always looking for ways to find them in records. Taylor provided fifteen resources every New York researcher should know about. Everything from Family Search to manuscripts to New York State Library and Archives, newspapers and more was presented. I have a list of so much to check on, that I could spend the next year just on New York families.
4:00 p.m. rolled around and I couldn't believe how fast the day had gone. I ended the day with Dr. Thomas W. Jones and Using Michigan Records to Reconstruct a New England Family. One thing I have found over the years is that one knows what to expect from a Dr. Jones session-a well researched case study. The best part of this was that he used a Michigan family that came from Vermont and he traced the family back to Vermont. Dr. Jones mentioned, "no one source is as bad as to overlook it and no source is as good as to follow it blindly" It is always a good feeling to see the work of a well respected genealogist and know you are on the right track with your research. It was a great way to end the session day.
The day actually ended with a Dutch Meet and Greet that was organized by Yvette Hoitink and Elaine Zimmerman. Those with Dutch ancestry met in the lobby of the Amway Grand Plaza and chatted about where in the Netherlands our ancestors lived. I was the impostor of the group because it is actually my husbands family who is from the Netherlands. However, I did find out that Luyendyk, the original spelling of our name, is pronounced Line dyke. We ended the meet and greet with dinner at a local restaurant, Z's.
NGS 2018 Conference "Paths to Your Past" A Blast!
Who wouldn't have fun during four days of great genealogy learning? I know I did. I am home from the NGS 2018 Family History Conference that was held in Grand Rapids, MI last week. Grand Rapids was a great venue for the conference.
The DeVos Place overlooked the Grand River and allowed conference goers to understand how Grand Rapids received its name.
I attended seventeen of nineteen sessions. I spent one session visiting the exhibit hall and talking to vendors, and one session I was so exhausted that I skipped it. Other activities included volunteering at registration and as a room monitor. I covered the Michigan Genealogical Council vendor table three times and even had a book signing at the National Genealogical Society's booth. I represented Calhoun County Genealogical Society at Society Night, went to a Dutch Meet and Greet and dinner, and even fit a trip in to visit my in-laws. It was tiring, but also very motivating. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about genealogy. I thought I would have time to blog each night about my sessions, but that didn't happen.
Wednesday started with a great opening session with John Philip Colletta on Coming Along the Towpath, The Erie Canal and the Peopling of the Great Lakes States. Colletta is one speaker that if you have never heard him, you must. He infuses humor and props along with a wealth of knowledge. Colletta talked about working on, along and for the Erie Canal and using the canal for migration, transporting cargo, and traveling for business or leisure.
The Exhibit Hall opened after the opening session and throngs filled the hall. I had one book that I wanted to get at the New England Historic Genealogical Society's booth and it was sold out before I got there. I walked through the hall to get an idea of what was available and made plans to come back during one session time when the crowds were less.
Follow the Rivers 1790-1825: Trails that opened the Northwest Territory with Carrie Eldridge was my next session. Eldridge's knowledge of geography was evident as she shared the rivers and modes of transportation from the East into the Northwest Territory.
Finding Treasures in the Hoosier Courthouse with Michael D. Lacopo was my first afternoon session. Dr. Lacopo is an excellent speaker and knew I wanted to go to at least one of his sessions. This one will help me with my Hoosier ancestors. He covered history, court structure, record keepers, and more. Excellent resources were included as well.
It was hard for me to pick one topic for the last session of the day. I decided to pick the one from the BCG Skillbuilding Track, Analyze This! Scrutinizing Evidence for Problem Solving with Vic Dunn. It was to "learn the methodology astute genealogists use to break-down brick walls", and I do have a few brick-walls! I didn't take one note which is odd for me. It ended up being a good review for me of methods I already use. I just need to use them.
The night ended with Society Night. Members of local genealogical and historical societies were set up at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Center Concourse and my local society had a table, which I helped man. Many people came by our table and it was fun to talk to and share information about my county, Calhoun. I took a few minutes and walked around the concourse to see who else was there. Many of the societies I was familiar with, but one caught my attention because I had never heard of their organization. It was the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council. The council is "dedicated to educating the community and celebrating the legacies of local women, preserving knowledge of their past, and inspiring visions for the future." During WWI over 4 million women were registered. 23,000 were registered in Grand Rapids and their database is searchable here.
This is just a recap of the first day and I have three more days of fun to tell you about.
Source: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1923 and 1977 without a copyright notice. Found at wikipedia commons images.
One of the hotels for the upcoming National Genealogical Society "Paths to Your Past" family history conference is the Amway Grand Plaza hotel. It has a rich Grand Rapids history. You may hear people referring to it as the Pantlind hotel, which it was known as for years.
The Amway Grand Plaza (Pantlind) hotel is the best of both worlds. Modern conveniences are combined with old world charm. The hotel is comprised of two sections: the original hotel section known first as Sweet's Hotel (1900), then the Pantlind (1913) and now Amway Grand Plaza. The original section of the Pantlind and the newer Glass towers, which were added in 1983, make up the Amway Grand Plaza.
You enter the lobby and immediately see the architectural charm. The Pantlind was created by the same designers as the New York City Grand Central Station and Biltmore Hotel. It was named "one of the ten finest hotels in America" in 1925.
The Amway Corporation purchased it in 1981. Amway restored the Pantlind to its original opulence and added the luxurious Glass Tower. If you are lucky to get a room with a view, you will overlook the Grand River.
Many architectural details should not be missed. Three Czechoslovakian chandeliers grace the lobby, made of Austrian crystals and weighing 4000 pounds each. The domed gold leaf ceiling is a sight to see. Arched windows, brass molding, wired electric gaslight torches complete the ambiance of the place.
If you want to know more about the historical details of the hotel, check the tour brochure available at the hotel's website. The Amway Grand Plaza is part of the Historic Hotels of America, a program of National Trust for Architecture History Preservation.
No matter what part of the world you are from there are words that only locals know. The same is true for Michigan. If you are visiting Michigan for the upcoming NGS Conference, in Grand Rapids Michigan these terms will help you speak like a Michigander, the word for those living in Michigan.
The Mitten: Lower Michigan is shaped like a mitten. If you ask someone where they are from and they point to a place on their hand, that is why! We use our hand as a map.
U-P: If you hear the word U.P. (You Pea) it means the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The Thumb: A part of Michigan that looks like a thumb in the mitten. I grew up in the thumb.
Yooper: Someone who lives in the U.P.
Trolls: What Yoopers call those who live under the bridge, or in the lower peninsula.
Fudgies: Tourists are called this by Northern Michigan residents.
Party Store: It is a place that sells all things alcoholic.
Michigan Left: It is a U-turn when left turns are not permitted.
Pop/Soda: We drink pop and bake with soda.
Faygo: A brand of pop popular in Michigan.
Superman Ice Cream: A fruity creation of red, yellow, and blue swirls, well know throughout Michigan and the Midwest.
Better Made Chips: A Michigan made potato chip.
Mackinac Island Fudge Ice Cream: Deliciousness you must try. It is vanilla ice cream with chunks of fudge.
Coney Dogs: A hot dog in a bun with a special sauce and other condiments. If it is a Koegel hot dog, all the better.
If you don't like the weather, just wait, it will change. Michigan has been known to be warm one day and snow the next. Hopefully, we won't have to worry about snow in May.
We have two seasons: Winter and Construction!
I hope you have a great time in Grand Rapids and get to see a little of our wonderful state. | 2019-04-21T06:34:57Z | http://www.journeytothepastblog.com/2018/ |
At first glance there does not seem to be anything philosophically problematic about human enhancement. Activities such as physical fitness routines, wearing eyeglasses, taking music lessons and prayer are routinely utilized for the goal of enhancing human capacities. This entry is not concerned with every activity and intervention that might improve people’s embodied lives. The focus of this entry is a cluster of debates in practical ethics that is conventionally labeled as “the ethics of human enhancement”. These debates include clinicians’ concerns about the limits of legitimate health care, parents’ worries about their reproductive and rearing obligations, and the efforts of competitive institutions like sports to combat cheating, as well as more general questions about distributive justice, science policy, and the public regulation of medical technologies.
As usual in practical ethics, an adequate discussion of any specific debate under this heading quickly requires orientation to the science underlying particular enhancement interventions and an appreciation of the social and political contexts in which it unfolds. At each turn in these discussions, wide vistas of background philosophical topics also appear for exploration. Rather than providing a detailed account of this whole landscape, this entry hikes a narrow ridge between the different dimensions of the topic, pointing out the side trails but not following them into their respective thickets. Instead, it traces a path of core concerns that winds through all the current debates on the ethics of human enhancement, as guide for those interested in exploring further. To look ahead, our claim is that three sets of philosophical considerations are key to navigating this literature: first, conceptual concerns about the limits of legitimate health care, then moral worries about fairness, authenticity and human nature, and finally political questions about governance and policy.
2. What are the Proper Limits of Health Care?
3. Is it Cheating to Use Enhancements?
4. Do Enhancements Compromise Authenticity?
As our preface suggests, the ordinary use of the phrase “human enhancement” covers a wide range of practices, most of which are not explored in the enhancement ethics literature. To orient our tour, both “human” and “enhancement” merit some initial clarification, even before we pursue the ways they are interpreted and debated in the literature. For example, as section 2.3 below shows, equivocations between biological and evaluative senses of the term “human” are rich sources of many superficial disagreements in these debates. Is there anything special about being a member of the biological species homo sapiens that enhancements could threaten, or are those who criticize enhancement as “dehumanizing” really thinking about the loss of other markers of the moral status we confer on persons? To look ahead, we think it will become clear in the sections below that the ethical issues at the heart of the debate about human enhancement are not about policing the biological boundaries of the species homo sapiens. At this point, however, it is enough to note that we are foreclosing neither sense of “human” from the start, but will stay alert to both until it becomes important to distinguish and relate them.
With “enhancement”, on the other hand, it is helpful to specify a working definition from the start. We understand the practices that are being debated in the enhancement ethics literature to be biomedical interventions that are used to improve human form or functioning beyond what is necessary to restore or sustain health. This broad definition flows from and reflects the foundational literature in this area (Parens 1998), but it also has several implications that are sometimes forgotten.
First, it means that simple line-drawing exercises aimed at isolating “enhancement technologies” from other biomedical interventions for special precautionary regulation or oversight are destined to be ineffective (pace Anderson 1989). There are no “enhancement technologies” per se. Whether a given biomedical intervention counts as an enhancement depends on how it is used. When ankle-strengthening surgery is used to improve a bicyclist’s competitive edge, it might raise enhancement concerns, but as a treatment for a bicyclist’s ankle injury, it does not. This means that the developers of even the most outré enhancement interventions will almost always be able to appeal to some correlative therapeutic uses to justify their research, testing, and release into the market (Mehlman 1999). On the other hand, simply pointing out that biomedical technologies can have both therapeutic and enhancement uses does nothing to collapse the logical distinction between those uses, or to defeat the claim that those distinguishable uses might warrant different ethical responses (Buchanan 2011).
(almost entirely hypothetical) genetic and neurological manipulations to increase the human life span, acquire new sensory-motor abilities, and, through “moral enhancement”, live together in more peaceable, generous, and just ways (cf. Savulescu, ter Meulen and Kahane 2011).
Of course, the line between biomedical and other enhancements is often blurry. Caffeine is a drug that can heighten alertness, but coffee drinking is a social practice outside the biomedical sphere. Meditation and prayer can have the same physiological effects as drugs. The “cyborgs” of science fiction blend human bodies with electronic and mechanical tools. The prospect of uploading minds into computers to create bodiless human life is sometimes characterized as “radical enhancement” (Agar 2013). But as important and intriguing as these mixed cases are from ethical and conceptual perspectives (Hogle 2005), this essay will only engage them in two ways. The first is when they help advance our understanding of core issues raised by the enhancement uses of the emerging biomedical technologies. The second is when, inevitably, our discussion of biomedical enhancements uncovers insights that reflect back upon the ethical dimensions of these other practices.
Finally, our definition implies that enhancement interventions attempt to improve specific human capacities and traits, rather than whole persons. Unlike such comprehensive personal-improvement strategies such as prayer, psychoanalysis, or “the power of positive thinking”, biomedical enhancements are, at best, a piecemeal approach to human perfectibility. As a result, most biomedical enhancements involve trade-offs. If extended life span comes with prolonged frailty, or if enhanced altruism compromises survival skills, the overall value of the enhancement can be called into question (Shickle 2000).
An important part of the orientation for those new to thinking about enhancement ethics is the ways in which current debates are shaped by the history of earlier efforts at perfecting people. At one level, perfectionist and meliorist impulses have deep roots in Western philosophical and religious thinking, which both modern science and medicine have inherited (Keenan 1999; Comfort 2012). Most advocates and critics of biomedical enhancement share these cultural commitments, but have disagreeing visions of the ideal (Roduit, Baumann, and Heilinger 2013; Parens, 2005). Other scholars, recalling the historical imposition of hegemonic religious and political visions of salvation and citizenship, fear the elevation of any canonical account of existing human virtues, in favor of visions that prize people’s capacity to shape their own ideals through reason, autonomy, and democratic deliberation (Sparrow, 2014; Buchanan 2011). Others, pointing to the consequences of modern individualism for the common good (Persson and Savelescu 2012), feel confident about being able to name the constellation of existing human traits that should either be preserved (Kass 1997; Annas 1998; Agar, 2013) or enhanced (Bostrom, 2003). However, almost no one in this literature eschews the development and use of new medical tools for healing purposes (Kamm 2005; Kass 2003). Because of this, a first step in our discussion is to scrutinize the distinction between treatment and enhancement, to see if it can help demarcate where different melioristic ideals diverge.
Another, perhaps more visible, backdrop for the enhancement ethics literature is the history of the 20th century eugenics movement, which attempted to “breed better people” and “improve the human gene pool” through socially biased reproductive controls and inducements (Wikler 1999). This background prompts questions about the cultural authority of science and the social values it can perpetuate, and raises fears of slippery slopes that can lead to egregious forms of oppression, by providing a vivid recent counter-narrative to endorsements of enhancement as a way to fulfill our obligations to future generations (Sparrow 2011; Selgelid, 2013). The eugenics backdrop tends to skew the burden of proof the other way in the debate, towards a more “precautionary” stance that gives advocates of enhancement the burden of distinguishing their proposals from old style eugenics in order to defend the parts of that ideology that they share (Kitcher 1997; Harris, 2007; Agar 2004).
Finally, in the historical foreground for enhancement ethics are contemporary critiques of the commercialization (and homogenization) of beauty through “aesthetic medicine” (Bordo 1993), the evolving history of pharmaceutical performance enhancement in sports (Hoberman 1992), and the scientific career of human gene transfer and ‘genetic engineering’ (Friedman 1998). Each of these stories supports a literature of its own, which has contributed important insights to the broader discussion of enhancement ethics. From feminist and disability studies come critiques of the medicalization of human beauty, focusing on complicity with unjust social norms that can turn ordinary welfare meliorism on its head to prioritize the enhancement uses of biomedicine over standard therapeutic applications (Silvers 1998). Meanwhile, discussions of “doping” in sport have illuminated the ways in which enhancement interventions can undermine communal social practices that depend on presumptions of equality, lifting the discussion above the level of individual choices and transactions (Murray, 1987; 2009). Similarly the checkered career of human gene therapy has kept on the table the need to anticipate the physical risks of putative improvements, and how daunting they would make the foreseeable prospect of any intergenerational “germ line” enhancement intervention (Walters and Palmer, 1997; Kimmelman, 2009).
All of these contextual “back-stories” to the contemporary enhancement debates are worth exploring further. They have shaped contemporary thinking about and reactions to enhancement proposals and provide important cautionary tales to keep in mind when evaluating those proposals. At the same time, these back-stories bring their own assumptions and biases into the discussion, and can thereby complicate a fresh philosophical assessment.
While much of the enhancement ethics literature leans towards thought experiments set in the future, it is grounded in a set of important debates about how health care should be defined today. In these debates, the claim is often made that the distinction between using biomedical tools to combat human disease and attempting to use them to enhance human traits can provide practical guidance on a range of issues, including the limits of health professionals’ obligations (Miller, Brody and Chung 2000), the scope of health care payment plans (Daniels and Sabin 1994), and the prioritization of biomedical research protocols (Mehlman, Berg, Juengst and Kodish 2011). In each of these cases, the line between treatment and enhancement is drawn to mark an upper boundary of professional and social obligations. Just as the concept of futile treatment is used to indicate the limits of a doctor’s obligations when further intervention no longer can achieve therapeutic goals, enhancement interventions are thought to fall outside health care’s proper domain of practice by going “beyond therapy” in pursuit of other non-medical goals. This means that patients have no role-related right to demand such services from health professionals, fair insurance coverage plans may exclude them, and those who do provide them bear a burden of justification for doing so that does not apply to “medically necessary” interventions.
As a biomedical boundary marker, the distinction between treatment and enhancement has been enshrined in policies at both professional and governmental levels, and continues to inform much of the public discussion of new biomedical advances. However, this distinction is explicated in several different ways, which have different merits as boundary markers for biomedical research and practice. In fact, with philosophical scrutiny, the distinction often seems in danger of collapsing entirely under conceptual critiques even before the question of its moral merits is entertained.
When it is used as a medical boundary concept, enhancement, like futility, plays both descriptive and normative roles. To use these concepts, we need to be able to identify our efforts as either futile or enhancing and we need to know what the boundary means for going further. Part of the practical challenge for policy-makers is that for enhancement interventions, these descriptive and normative implications seem to be at cross-purposes. While futile treatments do no good, enhancements are by definition and description improvements in personal welfare. Yet, the boundary function of calling them “enhancements” in health policy settings is to place them outside of sanctioned interventions. For a field dedicated to pursuing improved welfare for its patients, the fact that enhancements often look just like all the other improvements that health care strives to achieve makes it difficult to discern when an intervention transgresses the normative boundary that the concept purports to mark.
This has provoked three major ways of operationalizing the enhancement concept, each of which seeks to redress the weaknesses of its predecessor, which are covered in the next three subsections.
The first approach to defining the line between treatment and enhancement appeals to the health professions’ conventional vision of their proper domain. Accordingly, “treatments” are any interventions that the professional standards of care endorse, while “enhancements” are any interventions that the professions declare to be beyond their purview. Attempts by professional societies to police their own frontiers by discouraging particular practices as “enhancement” rather than “treatment” reflect this approach, as do appeals to “community standards” by health care payers seeking to distinguish “elective” from “medically necessary” interventions for payment.
For those committed to a particular account of the goals of health care, this approach can offer normative guidance for internal criticism of suspect professional practices (Kass 1985). But of course, there are numerous competing philosophies of health care, none of which command universal allegiance within the health professions. In fact, this approach also resonates well with those who argue that the health professions have no intrinsic domain of practice, beyond that which they can negotiate with patients (Good 1994). For those influenced by this libertarian view of professional autonomy, the normative lesson for professionals concerned about their obligations in specific cases can be simple: whatever interventions their patients will accept can be considered “treatments”, while “enhancements” are simply those interventions which individual health professionals refuse to provide (Engelhardt 1990). Unfortunately, medical historians and sociologists point out that the health professions have always been adept at adapting to the cultural beliefs and social values of the institutions and communities they serve. This is done by ‘medicalizing’ new problems so that they come to be seen as a legitimate part of medicine’s jurisdiction (Conrad 2007). Given the health professions’ philosophical pluralism and political autonomy, their own conventions seem to provide no principled way to exclude new interventions from their domain. To the extent that useful “upper-boundary” concepts are required at the policy level (e.g., for societies making health care allocation decisions) this impotence is an important failing for this approach to drawing the distinction.
There is another approach to interpreting the treatment/enhancement distinction that seeks to provide a firmer theoretical foundation for delimiting legitimate health care needs. On this approach, to be healthy is to be able to do all that appropriately matched members of one’s own species can do, in our case what human beings of similar age and gender can do. Legitimate health care needs or “health problems” or “diseases” or “maladies” are all characterized by a fall from that level of functional capacity. All proper health care services, therefore, should be aimed at getting people back to “normal”, e.g., restoring an individual’s functional capability to the species-typical range for their reference class, and within that range to the particular capability level which was the patient’s genetic birthright. Interventions which take people to the top of their personal potential (like athletic training) or beyond their own birth range (like growth hormone), or to the top of the range of their reference class, or to the top of the species-typical range, or beyond (!), are all to be counted as enhancements and fall successively further beyond the responsibility of medicine or health care.
The advantage of the normal function account is that it provides a single (relatively) unified goal for health care, towards which the burdens and benefits of various interventions can be relatively objectively titrated, balanced, and integrated. Normal functionalists can use physiology to determine when they’ve achieved the species typical range and clinical histories to determine when they’ve brought a patient up to the baseline of his or her personal capability range.
Some critics of the normal function approach take issue with its focus on the “species-typical range”, arguing that it is insensitive to the diversity of ways in which human beings can flourish in life. They point out that those born with disabilities may be wary of biomedicine’s “fatal attraction to normalizing”.( Silvers, 1998; Asch and Block, 2011) Moreover, even when no amount of treatment can give someone “species typical” functioning, there may be compensatory technologies that can actually expand their range of opportunities beyond the norm (Silvers 1998). Should powered wheelchairs be designed to slow and stop at the same distance that walking humans would succumb to fatigue, in order to keep them from “enhancing” their users’ abilities? By the same token, the naturally gifted may find that they have no claim to treatment for injuries or accidents that merely bring them down into the “normal range”. If our champion thinkers, athletes and saints can legitimately claim treatment for problems that impair their species-optimal functioning, bringing the rest of us up to their levels should count as proper health care as well. But that leaves only the most extreme improvements on the other side of the “enhancement” boundary: if our species champions are the benchmark, only interventions that create capacities no human has had before would fall beyond medicine’s proper domain. Individualizing the optimal functional range to individual genomic potentials will not resolve this problem, of course, to the extent that our genomes themselves become biomedically malleable. Establishing the “species-typical norm” for a particular human function is a difficult enough task, even where descriptive statistics can help. But when the boundary is “optimal” not “normal” functioning, the evidentiary foundations of the approach begin to come apart (Sculley and Rehman-Sutter 2008).
The second serious problem for the normal function approach is the challenge of prevention. While some efforts at health promotion, such as exercise, straddle the border of medical responsibility, many preventive interventions (i.e., vaccines) are widely accepted as legitimate parts of medicine’s mission and are located squarely on the treatment side of the enhancement boundary. One of the ways to prevent disease is to strengthen the body’s ability to resist pathological changes before any diagnosable problem appears. But to the extent that prevention attempts to elevate bodily functions above the normal range for the individual (and, in some cases, even the species typical range), it seems to slide into what the normal function approach would call enhancement. If the normal function account is taken seriously as a biomedical boundary marker, how does one defend this kind of prevention? Conversely, if preventive interventions like these are acceptable in medicine, what can it mean to claim that researchers and clinicians should be “drawing the line” at enhancement?
Probably the most common rejoinder to the problem of prevention is to distinguish the problems to which they respond. Treatments are interventions that address the health problems created by diagnosable diseases and disabilities—“maladies” in the helpful language of Gert, Culver and Clouser (2006). Enhancements, on the other hand, are interventions aimed at healthy systems and traits. Thus, prescribing biosynthetic growth hormone to rectify a diagnosable growth hormone deficiency is legitimate treatment, while prescribing it for patients with normal growth hormone levels would be an attempt at “positive genetic engineering” or enhancement (Berger and Gert 1991). On this account, to justify an intervention as appropriate medicine means to be able to identify a malady in the patient. If no medically recognizable malady can be diagnosed, the intervention cannot be “medically necessary” and is thus suspect as an enhancement. This would clear the way for safe and effective genetic “vaccines” against predictable muscle damage (even if they provided better than normal damage resistance) but would screen out as “enhancements” efforts to improve traits that were at no diagnosable risk of deterioration (Juengst 1997).
These accounts have the advantage of being simple, intuitively appealing, and consistent with a lot of biomedical behavior. Maladies are objectively observable phenomena and the traditional target of medical intervention. We can know maladies through diagnosis, and we can tell that we have gone beyond medicine when no pathology can be identified. Thus, pediatric endocrinologists discourage enhancement uses of biosynthetic growth hormone by citing the old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. This interpretation is also at work in the efforts of professionals working at the boundary, like cosmetic surgeons, to justify their services. They claim to be relieving “diagnosable” psychological suffering (“mental maladies”) rather than satisfying the aesthetic tastes of their clients, and insurance companies insist on being provided with that diagnosis before providing coverage for such surgeries.
On the other hand, disease-based accounts also face at least two major difficulties. The first is one they share with the Professional Domain account: the problem of biomedicine’s infamous nosological elasticity. It is not hard to coin new maladies for the purposes of justifying the use of enhancement interventions (Carey, Melvin and Ranney 2008). Unless some specific (and usually contentious) theory of disease is employed to give this approach its teeth, it puts the power for drawing the boundary back into the profession’s hands, and raises the same worries about the social consequences of medicalization (Parens 2013).
The more important practical problem is that no matter how the line is drawn, most biotechnological interventions that could be seen as problematic if used as enhancements will not need to be justified as enhancements in order to be developed and approved for clinical use. This is because most such interventions will also have legitimate therapeutic applications. Indeed, most biomedical tools with potential for enhancement uses will first emerge as therapeutic agents. For example, general cognitive enhancement interventions are likely to be approved for use only in patients with neurological diseases. However, to the extent that they are in high demand by individuals suffering the effects of normal aging, the risk of unapproved or “off-label” uses will be high (Whitehouse, et. al, 1997).
This last point is critical for policy purposes, because it suggests that, in countries like the USA, the real challenge may not be regulation of the development of enhancement interventions, but rather the regulation of downstream “off-label” uses of therapeutic interventions for non-medical, enhancement purposes. The policy problems then become problems about controlling access and use of certain interventions, rather than their development. Of course, the fact that a certain type of intervention is declared illegal for physicians to dispense, does not immediately imply that it should be immoral for everyone to pursue or other competent professionals to provide. These realities have pressed those who would use the treatment/enhancement distinction for policy purposes to articulate the moral dangers of biomedical enhancement more clearly. Even if doctors eschew such use on professional ethical grounds, are there independent moral reasons why individual athletes, parents, students or other “consumers” of enhancement interventions, should turn away from their availability?
One of the kinds of human enhancement that has received extensive philosophical attention in recent years is the use of biomedical interventions to improve the physical performance of athletes in the context of sports (Miah 2004; Murray 2009; Tolleneer 2013). One reason athletic performance enhancement garners so much attention is because of its currency, given the epidemic of “doping” scandals in contemporary sport. Another reason, however, is that it seems to serve as a paradigm case for teasing out important dimensions of the problem: it involves measurable improvements in biological capacities in a social context that is both well outside health care and defined by clear rules of engagement.
At first impression, the ethical problem with performance enhancement in sport would seem to be simply a problem of cheating (Schermer, 2008a). If the rules of sport forbid the use of performance enhancements, then their illicit use confers an advantage to users against other athletes (who either accept the rules of the game or do not have access to the enhancement interventions). That advantage, in turn, can create pressure for more athletes to cheat in the same way, undermining the basis for the competitions at stake and exacerbating the gap between those who can afford enhancements and those who cannot (Murray 1987). Extrapolating from sports to a competitive view of society at large, critics argue that the social acceptance of enhancement interventions in other spheres would also create unfair advantages for those with access to them, and perhaps lead to the development of new social divides between classes of “genobility” and the “genpoor”, raising fundamental justice and human rights concerns (Mehlman 2003, 2009; Buchanan, Brock, Wickler and Daniels 2000; Sparrow 2011).
Much of the rhetoric about “doping” assumes the very claim that needs to be established by argument: that the rules of sport (or the norms of social advancement) ought to ban the use of biomedical enhancement. The rules of a game can be changed. In sports, novel forms of performance enhancing equipment and training are routinely introduced as athletic technology and expertise evolve. Where issues of athletes’ equitable access arise, they can be dealt with in one of two ways. Sometimes it is possible to ensure fair distribution, as for example, when the International Olympic Committee negotiated an agreement with the manufacturer of the new “FastSkin” swimming suit to provide suits to all the teams at the Sydney Olympics. In other cases, inequalities may simply come to be accepted as unfortunate but not unfair. This is, for example, how many people would view a story about an equatorial country that could not afford year-round artificial snow for its ski team, and so could not compete evenly with the ski teams of northern countries. If enhancement interventions can either be distributed fairly or the inequities they create can be written into the rules of the social game in question as part of the given advantages of the more fortunate, then individual users no longer face a fairness problem. For those who can afford it, for example, what would be ethically suspect about mounting a mirror image of the “Special Olympics” for athletes with disabilities: a “Super Olympics”, featuring athletes universally equipped with the latest modifications and enhancements? (Munthe 2000) For answers to that challenge, the critics of biomedical enhancement have to dig beyond concerns about the fair governance of games to a deeper and broader sense of “cheating”, in terms of the corrosive effects of enhancement on the integrity of admirable human practices (Loland 2002; Schermer 2008a).
On this view, to the extent that biomedical shortcuts allow specific accomplishments to be divorced from the admirable practices they were designed to reflect, the social value of those accomplishments will be undermined. If one’s good grades are gained by drug fueled “cramming” rather than disciplined study, their value as evidence of learning diminish. This means that for institutions interested in continuing to foster the social values for which they have traditionally been the guardians, choices will have to be made. Either they must redesign their games to find new ways to evaluate excellence in the admirable practices that are not affected by available enhancements, or they must prohibit the use of the enhancing shortcuts. However, knowing which way to go suggests that one has a theory of the social practice at risk and of the values that animate it. The case of sport again leads the way down this path in the literature, perhaps because, unlike most important social practices that might be susceptible to enhancement shortcuts (like child-rearing, education, love, politics, and spiritual growth), the stakes are low enough to allow for some deliberate policy-making at the international level.
For example, one prominent theory that has influenced the work of The World Anti-Doping Association (WADA), the international organization committed to policing performance enhancement in elite sport, is the view that just as healing is the point or goal or end of surgery, so the virtuous perfection of natural talents is the point or goal or end of sport (Murray 2009). This statement has several important features for the enhancement debate. Sport is concerned with celebrating differences in natural talents and the virtues that can be displayed in attempts to differentiate one’s own talents even further. The virtues that sport celebrates are socially admirable habits and traits in and of themselves, and their promotion is what gives sport social value as a practice. However, within the practice, the virtues are instrumental (as either side-constraints or facilitators) to the perfection of the athlete’s natural talents—i.e., to their differentiation from other people’s talents. Although the key role of hierarchical ranking in sport is often ignored in the rhetoric of sports organizations, philosophers of sport acknowledge that fixation with hierarchical ranking—with competition, contest, score-keeping, record-breaking, championship, victory and defeat—is pervasive in the everyday practice of sport (Coakley 1998) and that comparing and ranking two or more competitors…defines sports characteristic social structure (Loland 2002, 10). Sport creates a system of values, virtues, and practices that are designed to hierarchically grade people in terms of their (virtuously perfected) inherited traits and glorifies the best specimens as champions. What is unfair about enhancement, on this view, is that enhancement interventions undermine the ability of sport to distinguish those who passively inherited their talents from their progenitors from those who actively acquired them from their physicians (Sandel 2004).
But this outcome seems to display the very problem that the fairness critique of enhancement was meant to combat: the danger of fomenting distributive injustice by creating social hierarchies of advantage on arbitrary grounds (Tännsjö 2000; Tännsjö 2005). On one hand, of the many ways humans use inherited traits to create interpersonal hierarchies, athletic competition is amongst the most benign. When it is “just a game”, comparative interpersonal ranking in terms of genetic identity in sports is a welcome substitute for blood feuds, racism, and genocide. But when sport becomes a matter of national pride and a source of economic opportunity, athletic losers risk more than simply admiration and social status: like insurance applicants with genetic susceptibilities, less naturally talented athletes risk access to important social benefits and potential life plans. In this regard, the challenge that performance enhancement poses to sport is its indictment of the accepted social practice itself rather than its threat to undermine it. The availability of biomedical abilities to undermine competition simply raises the question: are there ways to enjoy, appreciate and even show off our bodies and abilities without requiring someone else to lose social standing on genetic grounds?
For the case of sports, it seems like this line of fairness arguments ultimately backfires on the critics of enhancement. It opens the door to thinking about enhancements as means to render the practice more rather than less fair. Whether or not fairness arguments would have a similar effect in debates about enhancement in the realm of other social practices, like parenting or diplomacy, is still an open question. But the theme of “cheating” has also been taken in another direction by the enhancement ethics literature, into concerns about the authenticity of accomplishments achieved with the help of enhancements and the integrity of the enhanced individuals that claim their rewards.
The intuitive worry of authors who take this question seriously is that biomedical enhancements might not only create corrosive short-cuts within valuable social practices, but also rob those who use them of things they otherwise cherish about themselves—endurance, determination, growth, faith, even luck—by substituting “hollow victories” for authentic achievements. Losing the experience of authentic achievements, in turn, diminishes the character of the user (Sandel 2007), alienating them from themselves and those around them (Agar 2013), and diminishing bonds of solidarity with non-users (Sparrow 2014). Unpacking this intuitive concern into arguments can take multiple paths. It matters, for example, whether the actors are parents enhancing their children or adults enhancing themselves (Habermas 2003), and whether accepted therapeutic uses of the same tools should face the same critique (Elliott 2011).
In order to decide whether particular enhancements compromise authenticity in the ways that these authors suggest, it is important to be clear about what kinds of things are the appropriate targets of attributions of authenticity. Do enhancements undermine the authenticity of one’s self, agency, achievements or actions? Authenticity is widely understood to be a matter of being “true to oneself”. Many authors in these debates do not take the time to carefully explicate their assumptions about “the self” and what it takes to be “true to” it. It is, of course, a challenge to characterize the self to which authentic individuals are true (Trilling, 1971; Taylor 1991; Guignon 2004). If there is a self, then there are difficult synchronic identification questions (i.e., at a given time, what features are constitutive of an agent?) and diachronic identification questions (i.e., across time, what features must persist in order for the self to survive?) that must be resolved. Derek Parfit, working in a tradition of “bundle theories of the self”, articulated the influential position that a person is nothing over and above a series of person-stages that are linked across time by certain psychological continuity relations (Parfit 1984). Given the controversy surrounding these debates about the nature of persons and personal identity, it is no surprise that there is little consensus about whether enhancements undermine authenticity of the self.
One style of argument for the claim that enhancements undermine authenticity is to contend that we could claim no personal credit for accomplishments that are the result of biomedical enhancements, because the biomedical interventions that caused improvements in our capacities would supersede our own agency in authoring the achievement (Sandel 2007). Defenders of this perspective argue that while, for example, education, training, and practice proceed through “speech and deeds” that are comprehensible by those who are learning a new skill, when biomedical enhancements are used they have “their effects on a subject who is not merely passive but who plays no role at all. In addition, he can at best feel their effects without understanding their meaning in human terms” (Kass 2003, 22). One reply to this argument is that if one has freely chosen to use an enhancement on the basis of “speech and deeds”, it is unclear how those enhancements are passive or less authentic than traditional methods of improving one’s capacities (Kamm 2005). Moreover, just as we hold those with enhanced abilities to higher standards of responsibility for negligence and harm (Mehlman 2003), our expectations for enhanced achievements may be correspondingly high. But in both situations neither the enhanced actors’ agency in improving themselves nor their authorship of the results seems to be in question (Cole-Turner 1998).
Other critics of biomedical enhancements that appeal to considerations of authenticity acknowledge that enhanced individuals do author their accomplishments, but question whether those successes carry the same value as “authentic” unenhanced achievements (Habermas, 2003; Sandel, 2007; Bublitz and Merkel, 2009). They maintain that when a marathon runner gains endurance chemically rather than through training, or when a mystic gains Nirvana through psychosurgery rather than meditation, each misses the point of these types of accomplishments. In the cases of marathon running and meditation, the outcomes of the activity cannot be separated from the activity itself: the value of the accomplishment lies in the personal activities they reward as well as the benefits they bring (Schermer, 2008a). However, even if these criticisms show that authentic, unenhanced achievements are valuable for reasons that do not apply to the enhanced achievement, they do not show that the unenhanced approach is, overall, better. Such criticisms merely establish that the two are valued differently. It is still possible that the enhanced achievement may have its own distinctive type of value. As the history shows, the character-building struggles that we admire seem adept at keeping pace with our tools. Legend has it that Celtic warriors eschewed body armor (and even clothing!) in battle because they thought it diminished the glory of a true victory. Some authors used to insist that keyboards corrupt the writing process. According to this historical narrative, biomedical enhancements have provided humans with important tools for self-creation that should be embraced (DeGrazia 2000; Agar 2004).
Another set of authenticity concerns arises in arguments that focus on enhancement interventions performed by parents in conceiving and raising their children (Habermas 2003). Here, the claim is that offspring who have no agency in deciding whether or not to be enhanced are (existentially) cheated of their authentic identities and the autonomy to create themselves as others normally do. Taken literally, this argument runs into the logical problems of identity that plague “wrongful birth” suits in the law (these children have no prior identity to lose), and depends on too extreme a version of genetic or biological determinism to be credible, given the plausible causal efficacy of any of the possible enhanced interventions under discussion (these children’s futures are no more restricted than any other participant in the natural genetic lottery) (Buchanan 2011). As a result, a more common approach is to use such claims to draw attention to parental or social attitudes about procreation and parenting that seem morally problematic, whether or not their offspring are directly harmed or wronged by being enhanced (Davis, 2010) Evaluating these arguments also requires one to get clear about the nature and scope of the moral right to be a parent and the duties of parents to their children.
In the background of the debates over both the boundaries of medicine and the ethics of self-improvement looms a third important set of philosophical concerns, which are about the implications of new biomedical enhancement interventions for our common understanding of human nature and the future of our species. Critics emphasize “dystopian nightmares” and worry that enhancement interventions may rob us of central normative features of our identity as human beings (Mehlman 2012). Enhancement enthusiasts, on the other hand, embrace the possibility that biomedicine might change human nature for the better, and some even look forward to the emergence of the trans-humans or post-persons as the next step in (intentionally directed) human evolution (Harris 2007). At stake in these debates is whether, or how much, normative weight to assign features of the human condition that have traditionally been taken as given (e.g., the families into which we are born and our natural talents and abilities) or inevitable (such as, pain and ageing).
Moral philosophy has a long history of making normative appeals to human nature. There are thorny philosophical issues about whether such appeals are ever legitimate. Even since David Hume warned us not to derive an “ought” from an “is”, philosophers have been wary of making strong inferences about what ought to be done directly from claims about human nature. However, the tradition of virtue ethics is much more comfortable with adopting a naturalistic approach that holds that human nature is the basis for what constitutes human well-being and the virtues (for human beings) (Fitzgerald, 2008; Keenan, 1999). Explaining what is worth cherishing about being human is an intuitive starting point for making sense of ourselves, our relationships with other human beings, and the world around us. The task of getting clear about what we do and should value about being human has important implications for the ethics of biomedical enhancements.
Three features of human nature are at the center of many debates about the ethics of biomedical enhancement. The first feature is human vulnerability. According to one prominent view, human beings are creatures that suffer, age and die, and our struggle to deal with this vulnerability is a central aspect of what makes human life valuable (Parens 1995). There are several sub-groups within the group of theorists that emphasize the value of vulnerability in understanding the value of being human. The first group consists of “life cycle traditionalists” who criticize ambitions to control the human ageing process and extend the human life span (Callahan 1995). The second group consists of the “personalists”, who valorize the way in which human limitations are humbling and encourage modesty (Fitzgerald 2008). The third group consists of “psychopharmaceutical Calvinists” who discourage easy fixes to melancholy and sadness (Elliot 1998). The second feature of human nature that is emphasized in these debates is discussed by species preservationists and environmentalists who stress our embodiment and place in nature alongside other organisms: “by nature”, we are biological creatures of a particular family, defined by painfully evolved “species barriers”, and enhancements that blur or bend those boundaries by “directing evolution” do so at our peril (McKibben 2004). The third feature of human nature that is often discussed in these debates is our sociality. According to these theorists, human beings are social creatures that relate to one another through a complex nexus of interpersonal commitments and hierarchical structures (Liao 2006a; Liao 2006b). Many sports theorists see the “virtuous perfection of natural talents” as the goal of athletic competitions. If one accepts this view, then victories fueled by biomedical enhancements that subvert the natural interpersonal hierarchies that genetic disparities in talent create can literally “dehumanize” sport (Tolleneer, Steryck and Bonte 2013).
Each family of theories described above that emphasizes a feature of human nature as the basis for its position in the enhancement debate utilizes a tool that is double-edged. As defenders of trans-humanism point out, each feature of human nature that can produce positive value for humans can just as easily be a source of human misery, which the history of technological progress has been legitimately concerned with alleviating (Juengst 2004). In fact, the enthusiasts argue, there are no static features of the human condition: human vulnerabilities to our environment have steadily decreased over history, our moral kinship communities have expanded, and our tolerance for oppressive forms of social organization has dwindled (Bostrom, 2003). Accordingly, to appeal to these features of human nature in abstraction cannot be helpful in deciding which vulnerabilities to honor, which family loyalties to respect, and which social arrangements to defend and develop. Where a biomedical intervention alters one of these dimensions of human nature, this is a signal that the moral stakes are high. But those stakes are not always about what might be lost from the human experience. There are also moral dangers in what might be perpetuated, if we allow the preservation of these hallmarks of human nature to overshadow our other values.
One popular response to the enthusiasm of the trans-humanists is to draw a line against interventions that might take their recipients out of our biological species altogether. This is usually framed as a minimal proposal to ban the clearest possible cases of immoral manipulation, on which everyone could agree. From proponents of “responsible genetics” (Council for Responsible Genetics 1993) to defenders of our “genetic patrimony” as the “common heritage of all humanity” (Knoppers 1991), to the “anti-post-humanist” life cycle traditionalists, the prospect of “species altering experiments” which might “direct” human evolution is provoking resistance (Mehlman, 2012).
A classic example of this resistance is the appeal for a UN convention on genetic technologies framed in terms of “the preservation of the human species” (Annas, Andrews, and Isasi 2002). Its advocates claim that any intervention that would “alter the essence of humanity itself by taking human evolution into our own hands and directing it toward the development of a new species sometimes termed the “post-human” should be considered a “crime against humanity” because it would undermine the “foundation of human rights” and set the stage for human extinction.
Of course, species are not static collections of organisms that can be “preserved” against change like a can of fruit; they wax and wane with every birth and death and their genetic complexions shift across time and space (Robert and Bayliss 2003). In our case, almost everything we do as humans has ramifications on that process. To argue that everyone has the right to inherit “an untampered genome” only makes sense if we are willing to take a snap-shot of the human gene pool at some given instant, and reify it as the sacred “genetic patrimony of humankind”—which some come close to doing (cf. Mauron and Thevoz 1991).
There is a risk here of confusing the biological sense of “human” as an taxonomic term (like “canine” or “simian”) and the word’s normative use, as in “human rights”. In the biological sense, ‘human’ refers to the biological species homo sapiens and to be human is to be a member of this biological species. In the evaluative sense, ‘human’ refers to a property that is the basis for having certain moral rights and a particular kind of moral value. Obviously it is not enough to be biologically human to enjoy human rights: human tissue cultures and human cadavers show us that. Is it even necessary to be biologically human to enjoy what we call human rights? There are many candidates for the natural qualities that are the basis for moral rights, but none hinge on a biological designation. So why is it that interventions that “alter the species” “might cause the affected children to be deprived of their human rights”?
Other opponents of directed evolution extend the argument further. They acknowledge that post-humans may be capable of claiming the same natural rights as humans by virtue of their capacities, but argue that creating such a species would challenge the notion that being human is sufficient for claiming those rights, in the same ways that discovering rational extraterrestrials would. This, in turn, would potentially disenfranchise the humans, like infants or the mentally disabled, who cannot show adequate functional capacities to qualify for equivalent species-neutral moral status. At the same time, they argue, if the post-humans actually have expanded capacities, they may claim natural rights to a proportionately expanded range of opportunities and freedoms, beyond those to which normal humans are entitled. This runs the risk of creating the kinds of oppressive hierarchical society against which human rights are supposed to be the antidote, and, potentially, to the return of coercive eugenic programs aimed at the eventual extinction of the human species (Fukuyama, 2002; Mehlman, 2012).
Others point out that while the conceit that our human species could be preserved forever is as absurd as the hope of individual immortality, those facts provide no reason to accelerate either senescence or evolution (Robert and Baylis, 2003; Agar 2013). Even in the face of the inevitability of a post-human species, they argue, we are justified in protecting our (admittedly) “species-relativist” values by rejecting enhancements that would serve to alienate their recipients from their former selves, their families, and their communities. Normal evolutionary processes provide the luxury of time for human populations to “negotiate” their adaptations with the environments that provoke them. Leaving evolution to these normal processes can thus ensure that our evolution is both as deliberate and as tentative as our species’ technological history—and also that it is like technological history in that key “threshold” changes can only be seen retrospectively. From this perspective, the danger is the abrupt provocation of biological speciation which radical enhancements might provoke, if they created reproductive barriers between the enhanced and the unenhanced. However, given that almost none of the single capacity enhancement interventions under discussion—cognitive, physical, moral, etc. —are likely to immediately produce biological reproductive barriers in otherwise species-typical enhanced humans, it is not clear whether the introduction of even the most “alienating” enhancements would create this risk.
Finally, just as it is metaphysically impossible to “preserve” our species from further evolution, it is impossible for us to control the process “from the inside out”, because the genetic constitution of our species is shaped by environmental forces of selection beyond human abilities to control or even, as the phenomenon of emerging epidemics continues to illustrate, anticipate. Moreover, as disability studies scholars point out, humanity is in no better place to decide which human traits deserve promotion today than during the heyday of the Eugenics movement, even if society could tolerate the kinds of reproductive policies it would require to manage just the human part of the evolutionary equation. The striking correspondence between the aspirations of old style Eugenicists and some proposals of contemporary Transhumanists, unfortunately, provides some evidence to back up this claim (Sparrow 2011). Such proposals assume that some genotypes represent “jewels in the genome” (Sikela 2006) while others constitute a form of expensive “toxic waste” that could and should be cleansed from the gene pool (Buchanan, Brock, Wikler, and Daniels 2000). According to critics of transhumanism, this way of thinking reduces the identities of people to their genotypes, and undermines our commitment to the moral equality of people despite their biological diversity (Asch and Block 2011).
As hard as they are to rationally reconstruct, it is important to listen to concerns that some form of biomedicine violates human nature, even in public discussions of policy within a pluralistic society. Whether the concern is the distortion of some constant of the human condition, like senescence, or a “species altering” threat to our collective gene pool, or the corruption of practices designed to celebrate the inherited human traits we value most, these appeals all signal that the intervention in question has deep implications for who we want to be, given who we have been. However, respecting what we have (or have not) inherited from our parents does not in itself fulfill the need to decide which promises we would like to make to our children. Invocations of particular vulnerabilities, loyalties, or forms of sociality from the past can provide fodder for arguing over the positive visions of human nature that should guide those promises. But in communities that accept the possibility of a pluralism of promises, such invocations should also trigger another policy-making response: the need for policy-makers to protect the interests of those excluded from their visions, even while we discuss their merits. The natural human gene pool has no top, bottom, edges or direction: it cannot be “used up”, “diverted”, “purified” or “polluted”. The reservoir of human mutual respect, good will and tolerance for difference, however, seems perennially in danger of running dry. That is our human nature’s truly fragile heritage that we should seek to preserve—and some say even enhance—in monitoring biomedical research on behalf of the future.
Nothing in the current debates over the ethics of human enhancement convincingly supports the conclusion that the impulse that drives interest in biomedical enhancement is inauthentically human or morally evil. To the extent that all technology is construed as an effort to extend and improve our inherited human capacities, the impulse to enhance ourselves is a hallmark of our species, as legitimate to celebrate as to disparage. On the other hand, just as specific technologies are never “value neutral” in their design or use, specific applications of biomedical human enhancement can be dangerous, unfair, or vicious. Thus, it is reasonable to endorse the generic claim that biomedical enhancement is morally acceptable as a human practice, and still argue that specific biomedical enhancements would be unethical to pursue.
As with other potent technologies, at some level the potential harms of unethical enhancements will also justify social efforts to formally control their development and use through regulation, law and public policy. Even though this topic moves quickly beyond the biomedical domain to fundamental tensions in political and social philosophy, it does preoccupy enough of the practical ethics literature on biomedical enhancement to warrant a brief concluding discussion here.
Some argue that firm lines should be drawn in public policy and professional practice, against particular degrees of enhancement, like “species-altering interventions” (Annas, Andrews and Isasi, 2002) or “radical enhancements” (Agar, 2013). The assumption here is that the moral problems raised by enhancement intensify as the enhanced move away from the human norm, and that a threshold can be identified beyond which prohibition would be merited. Since drawing the line at all enhancement uses of medical technologies would founder against too many contentious borderline and benign cases, this threshold is usually set at the boundary of our species identity, between the human and the post-human. As we have seen, this leaves many problematic enhancements in particular settings—like “gene doping” in sports—unaddressed, and it is still not clear what moral salience sheer taxonomy can have, apart from other ethical considerations—especially when one recalls the pernicious policies other human taxonomies have supported in the past. In practice, such an approach would face all the classic line-drawing problems, and the classic challenges of policing and enforcing prohibitions in a pluralistic and globalized society. Most importantly, however, if it is only those alterations that literally produce new biological species that are of concern the vast bulk of potentially problematic enhancement modifications would not fall within the jurisdiction of this approach.
At the other extreme are those who support a libertarian position, eschewing any blanket public regulation of enhancement in favor of free markets involving those who would develop enhancement interventions and individuals who would use them. (Engelhardt, 1990). But this extreme position suffers the familiar drawbacks of unregulated market economies: a toleration of severely harmful transactions (e.g., purchasing tickets to a match of gladiatorial combat), the exacerbation of economic inequalities, and a permissive stance to transactions with long-term adverse consequences, which lead to “tragedies of the commons” and environmental devastation. As a result, even the more permissive authors qualify their “utopian eugenics” proposals with the sorts of regulatory protections that surround other consumer products in free-market societies, in terms of safety, fraud, fair pricing and environmental protection, (Bostrom 2003) and argue that the political justifications for those policies should support equivalent social controls for enhancement interventions. (Kitcher 1997). Even with minimal legal regulations in place to ensure that markets for biomedical enhancement technologies will be “free”, the libertarian emphasis on the legal permissibility of these transactions is a blunt instrument for dealing with the subtle ethical complexities involved in deciding whether to use a particular enhancement technology.
First, policy will need to focus on governing the uses of technology rather than preventing its development in the first place. This is because of the conceptual flexibility of the boundary between enhancement and treatment. Almost all potential enhancement interventions will be developed first as interventions to treat or prevent human health problems, pursuing goals that will easily offset their potential unethical applications. Beyond that, even to assess the potential harms of enhancement applications of approved medical interventions will require research, even if it also helps pave the way for their use. This means that interventions capable of being used for enhancements will be inevitably invented and perfected as by-products of biomedical scientific progress, and their social control will have to focus on governing their dangerous, unjust or vicious uses (Mehlman 1999).
Second, there are at least two possible responses to harmful interventions, and policy-makers should keep both in mind. If one won’t work, the other approach may. On the one hand, one can try to police and punish unauthorized uses of technology, or alternatively one can focus on protecting the interests of those disadvantaged by those uses. Thus, in sports, authorities screen for and punish “doping” athletes, because they cannot fix the essential genetic injustice of the spirit of sport. In the workplace and in higher education, on the other hand, there may be more concern to reduce the competitive stresses that would tempt people to rely on stimulants rather than their native talents. In families and schools, moreover, allowances are often made for those less capable in some domains, like sports or music, in order to compensate for their disadvantages there by enabling them to flourish in others. Affirmative Action campaigns, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other civil rights policies also attempt to “level the playing field” in ways that compensate for disadvantaging biological differences rather than attempting to regulate the differences themselves. If we are not interested in policing the enhancement uses of biomedical technology, we may want to explore whether strategies like these might work to undercut the incentives to enhance in unethical ways.
One trap that some authors have fallen into in pursuing this compensatory course is to try to use the enhancement shovel to dig out of the enhancement hole. Worried that an unregulated surge in biomedical enhancement might open the door to injustice and social harm, some are now arguing that the prerequisite for widespread access to enhancement should be the widespread enhancement of our moral faculties. Improved moral discernment and reasoning, keener senses of empathy and fairness, and deeper sense of solidarity, it is argued, will help mitigate the potential social harms by insuring that the users of enhancement are equipped to do so responsibly (Tennison, 2012; Persson and Savulescu 2012).
The irony of this argument, of course, is that accomplishing these prerequisite moral upgrades would require a social gate-keeping system as intrusive and draconian as any attempts to police the use of particular enhancements themselves. It would also open to debate the criteria by which such moral upgrades would be made (Joyce 2013). Would we still allow the enhanced to follow normal views of when the obligatory becomes supererogatory, or expect more of them? Presumably, we need not aspire to require superhuman virtues, such as angels might possess. But should they at least be saints? Against whose account of sainthood? Once again, the panorama of alternative philosophical traditions opens up for exploration down this road, offering no quick resolution for policy.
However, it is worth remembering at this point that particular biomedical enhancements will never yield comprehensive improvements in moral character, if only because moral character is not reducible to its biological substrates in people’s brains and genes. Instead, enhancement will at best be able to change specific biological functions in ways that improve the chances that a person will act in a particular manner, like telling the truth, at the expense of reducing the chances of some other reaction, like lying, which, in particular circumstances, may actually be the more virtuous thing to do. This piecemeal, double-edged feature of biomedical enhancement means that every morally enhancing intervention runs the risk of being a morally disabling intervention at the same time.
This point suggests a third observation from our review: despite the claims of its defenders, biomedical enhancement is not a practice that is not always especially well-suited to a melioristic ethic aimed at improving human welfare. Often a step forward for some purposes is also a step back in other contexts. Many enhanced people are correspondingly disabled, and so by extension are their teams, families, communities, etc. Consider, for example, an enhancement that makes our reflexes faster. Such an enhancement might increase the risk of making mistakes in ways that would be considered an acceptable trade-off for military pilots on solo combat missions, but not for commercial pilots ferrying hundreds of passengers. If our policies were to focus on reminding us that most enhancements come with trade-offs, we might be able to orient our public policy away from either regulatory or compensatory approaches keyed to “enhancement” in the abstract, and towards the specific social and institutional contexts in which particular enhancement interventions might be considered too risky or unfair. Should, for example, the Air Force consider the post-service consequences of a hyper-reflex enhancement for pilots in deciding whether to adopt such an intervention? Should enhanced veterans be able to claim accommodation from employers for their service-induced hyper-responsiveness?
Focusing on trade-offs does not imply that no change is the best policy; there is nothing sacred about the biology we inherit. Some enhancements may well be worth attendant deficits in particular situations for particular individuals. But just as our inherited biology provides no definitive criteria for “human nature” that can be used to curtail enhancement, enhancement cannot take our future biology down any path that offers unequivocal improvement in the human condition.
But would a pluralistic and piecemeal approach to governing the enhancement uses of medical technologies serve the broader needs of distributive justice with respect to enhancement interventions that are deemed acceptable in particular settings? As the enhanced use their improved capacities to gain power, wealth and status, justice might require that access to those enhancements be afforded more broadly, at least for those willing to bear the corresponding deficits. Some authors have argued that a fair system of allocating enhancement opportunities will require a centralized, global agency akin to the World Trade Organization or the International Monetary Fund, capable of adjudicating all the interests involved (Buchanan 2011). But the assumption behind such proposals remains that “enhancements” will always give people fungible advantages over others, like wealth does. It remains to be seen how true this is.
Understanding that enhancements are specific, often double-edged changes—beneficial in some settings for some purposes but not in others—suggests that a better analogy here may be the governance of health care itself. Good health care on the one hand and power, wealth and status on the other are positively correlated, through the expanded opportunity range that meeting specific health needs can provide. That correlation helps support the case for equitable access to health care. But not all health care needs are equally “profitable” in leveraging other social goods, and it is not the goal of a needs-based health care system to address that disparity. Just as a fair system of health care should be able to provide need-based access to specific therapeutic interventions, a fair biomedical enhancement allocation system should be geared to needs of people facing particular life challenges. In fact, in the end, as this tour of the enhancement literature suggests, with sufficient renegotiation of the boundaries of health care, it could be the same system. Again, the task of realizing such a system will continue to be daunting. But it is doubtful that this will require a Brave New World of centralized global moral enhancement schemes: instead, managing our emerging biomedical enhancement abilities begins with the tedious real world tasks of learning to live with human difference and meet human needs.
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Thanks to Allen Buchanan, Jennifer Hawkins, Jonathan Shear and Michael Tennison for helpful suggestions, and to Warren Whipple for valuable research assistance. Moseley would like to acknowledge funding from grant number 2T32NR008856 (Director, Barbara Mark) from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. | 2019-04-25T13:48:30Z | https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enhancement/ |
3. Boiler to be incharge of person holding a Boiler Operation Engineers' Certificate.
6. Owner to furnish Chief Inspector of Boilers with particulars of certificates.
7. Limits of daily period of attendance, relief and sphere of action.
11. Function of the Board.
14. Chairman of the Board.
15. Secretary of the Board.
16. Board's endorsement on application.
17. Board's power to refuse issue of certificate.
22. Capabilities of holders of Certificate.
23. Endorsement on a Certificate.
26. Fees of candidates found Ineligible.
28. Candidate to produce satisfactory testimonials.
30. Signature and counter signature.
33. Filing of copies and return of the original testimonials.
35. Service not in strict conformity with rules.
40. Grant of certificate of proficiency.
42. Application for endorsement on a certificate.
43. Record of duplicate certificate.
45. Grant of duplicate certificate.
46. Application for duplicate certificate.
47. Invalidity of original certificate.
48. Enquiry regarding certificate holders.
50. Submission of proceedings before the Board.
No. Labour-78/86/17. - In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (d) of Section 29 of the Indian Boilers Act, 1923 (Act No. V of 1923), the Government or Meghalaya is pleased to publish the following Rules for information of all persons likely to be affected thereby and notice is hereby given that the said rules will be taken into consideration after the expiry of 30 days from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
Objection or suggestion with respect to these rules may be sent if any, by any person before the expiry of the above period for consideration of the Governor.
1. Short title and commencement. - (1) There rules may be called the Meghalaya Boiler Operation Engineers Rules, 1987.
(a) "Act" means the Indian Boilers Act, 1923 (V of 1923).
(b) "Boiler Attendant" means a boiler attendant qualified under the Meghalaya Boiler Attendants Rules, 1987.
(c) Every reference in these rules to a boiler shall be deemed to include also a reference to an economiser respectively.
Provided, that noting in these rules shall debar a person holding certificate of proficiency granted under other State Boiler Rules from remaining in attendance and incharge of a boiler to the extent of his qualifications indicated in such certificate.
4. Competent person shall possess certificate and extent of qualification. - No person who does not possess a certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer under these rules shall be deemed fit and proper, to hold charge of a boiler exceeding the limits laid down in Rule 3.
5. Production of certificate. - The holder of certificate under these rules shall, at all reasonable times, during the period any boiler is under his charge; be bound to produce such certificate when called upon to do so by any of the persons empowered under Section 15.
6. Owner to furnish Chief Inspector of Boilers with particulars of certificates. - (1) The owner of a boiler who engages any person to be in-charge thereof, shall within seven days of such engagement, furnish the Chief Inspector with full particulars of such person including the serial number, date and place of issue of his certificate.
(2) The owner of a boiler who engages any person to hold charge of such boiler, may in the event of such person leaving his employment, or in the event of the death of such person, report the fact within seven days to the Chief Inspector.
7. Limits of daily period of attendance, relief and sphere of action. - (1) A person in-charge of a boiler shall be deemed to be in-charge of the same when he is within 150 feet of such a boiler.
(2) An Operation Engineer of a boiler for which a certificate of proficiency is required may be relieved of charge by a person holding a first class certificate of competency as an attendant in any one day for not more than two periods, the total of which does not exceed two hours.
(3) The holder of a first class certificate of competency as an attendant may, also with the consent in writing of the Chief Inspector, relieve a person holding a certificate of proficiency as an Operation Engineer for a period which may extend to ten consecutive days which, in special circumstances, the Chief Inspector may extend to any length of time not exceeding thirty days at a time.
8. When boiler deemed to be in use. - (1) A boiler shall be deemed to be in use, for the purpose of these rules, when, there is fire in the furnace, fire-box or fire-place for the purpose of heating the water in the boiler or under banked fire condition. A boiler shall be deemed to be not in use, only when the fire is removed and all steam and water connections are closed.
(2) An economiser shall be deemed to be in use, for the purpose of these rules, when there is a flow of flue gases past the economiser and an appreciable heat transfer between the water and the heating gases.
9. Constitution of the Board of Examiners. - A Board of Examiners shall be constituted consisting of the Chief Inspector and Inspector nominated by the Chief Inspector and not less than two other members having the theoretical and practical knowledge of prime-movers and modern boiler practice to be appointed by the State Government from time to time.
(2) The Chief Inspector shall be the ex-officio Chairman and the Inspector nominated by the Chief Inspector, shall be the Secretary of the Board of Examiners.
10. Term of Office of the Members. - The term of office of each of the members other than the ex-officio members of the Board of Examiners shall be three years. If a member leaves the State of Meghalaya permanently or absents himself from three consecutive meeting of the Board, he shall be deemed to have vacated his seat on the Board, and another person may be appointed in his place for the unexpired portion of his term.
(1) conduct examinations of candidate for the grant of certificates of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer.
(4) consider the reports of enquiries into allegations of drunkenness negligence of duty, misconduct on the part of Boiler Operation Engineers holding certificate of proficiency granted under these rules and take such other action as they may be necessary.
12. Meeting of the Board. - The Board of Examiners shall meet as often as may in the opinion of the Chairman, be necessary for transacting business which cannot be disposed of by circulation of papers.
At least thirty clear days' notice of the date of examination shall be sent to each member.
13. Quorum. - The Chairman or the Secretary and two members of the Board examiners shall form a quorum.
14. Chairman of the Board. - The Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the Board of examiners and in his absence, a member chosen by the members present at the meeting, shall preside over the meeting.
15. Secretary of the Board. - The Secretary of the Board of Examiners shall maintain a register of Boiler Operation Engineers holding certificate of proficiency and shall perform such other functions as are specified in these Rules, or as the Chairman of the Board of Examiners may direct.
16. Board's endorsement on application. - The Board of Examiners shall endorse on the printed application form of each candidate the result of his examination for a certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer. The endorsed application shall be returned to the Secretary of the Board.
17. Board's power to refuse issue of certificate. - The Board of Examiners may direct any candidate, who in the opinion of the majority of the members, appears too old or physically unfit through deformity constitutional weakness, defective eye-sight, deafness or loss of a limb to produce a certificate of fitness from a Registered Medical practitioner. If, however, the candidate fails to do so, the Board shall have power to refuse the issue of a certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer.
18. Examiner's Fees. - Each member of the Board of Examiners shall be entitled to receive fees for examining candidates under these rules and the rate of fees shall be determined by the State Government.
19. Examination for the grant of certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall be held by the Board of Examiners at such place and on such dates as may be notified by the Secretary of the Board from time to time in the official gazette.
20. Class of Certificate. - The certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall be of one class.
21. Postponement of Examination. - When a date fixed for the examination is declared a gazetted holiday or when for any unforeseen reason an examination cannot be held on the date fixed, the Chairman may fix another date for holding the examination and the same shall be duly notified to the candidates for examination.
22. Capabilities of holders of Certificate. - The certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall qualify the holder thereof to be incharge of a boiler of any type and size provided that the boiler is situated in such a way that the distance of one from another is not more than 150 feet.
The holder of a certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall, all intents and purposes, be deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of Rule 4 of the Boiler Attendants Rules.
23. Endorsement on a Certificate. - A person holding a certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer granted by a the Board of Examiner under the corresponding rules in any other State, shall on application, have the certificate endorsed for validity in the State of Meghalaya. Such endorsement shall be made by the Chairman of the Board of Examiners constituted under these Rules.
24. Fees. - (1) A candidate for examination for certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operator Engineer shall pay a fees of Rs. 40 which shall not, accept as otherwise provided in this rules, be refundable.
(a) A fee of Rs. 15 shall be paid for the issue of a duplicate certificate.
(b) A fee of Rs. 10 shall be paid for endorsement on certificate under Rule 23.
(2) All fees payable under these rules shall be paid in such manner as the State Government may direct.
25. Refund of fees. - Candidates once admitted to an examination under these rules shall not be entitled to any refund of fees. When a candidate is unavoidably absent from the examination on the date fixed, the Chairman of the Board of Examinees, may allow him to appear without payment of second fees at the next examination.
26. Fees of candidates found Ineligible. - A candidate, who has paid the examination fee but is found ineligible of an examination, may apply within one year from the date of payment, for a refund of the fee or he may be allowed to appear without payment of the second fee at any subsequent examination, held within one year from the date of payment the fee ; provided that he has become eligible to sit for such subsequent examination.
(1) Originals and one attested copy each of all testimonials in respect of practical experience and theorical qualifications of the candidates.
(2) A testimonials of good character from his employer, with a certificate of age.
(3) A Treasury Challan or such other evidence as the State Government may specify in this behalf in support of payment of the fee specified in these rules for the examination at which the application wish to appear.
(4) any certificate granted to the applicant under these rules or a certificate granted by a competent authority referred to in Rules 20 and 23.
(5) two copies of recent bust photographs (size 2" x 2 ½") one of which shall bear the signature of the thumb impression of the applicant on the back, duly attested by a Gazetted Officer or employer.
28. Candidate to produce satisfactory testimonials. - No candidate shall be admitted to an examination who cannot produce satisfactory testimonials certifying his experience, ability, sobriety and general good conduct for the whole period of his qualifying service. Any break in the period of qualifying service shall be accounted for.
29. Essential statements. - A testimonial shall clearly state the capacity in which the candidate was employed, whether as an Apprentice Engineer, Supervisor, Assistant Engineer, or Engineer and the periods of such employment stating the dates between which the candidate was so employed.
30. Signature and counter signature. - A testimonial shall be signed by a responsible person with whom the candidate was employed and be countersigned by the Owner, Agent, Manager or Secretary of the mill, factory or workshop or by such other persons as the State Government may prescribe in this behalf.
Candidates who have undergone a course of training at an Engineering College or Technical Institution must produce either the diploma of the Institution or a certificate from the principal or Superintendent of the Institution giving the period devoted in completing the course.
A testimonial in respect of service on a steamship may be signed by the Chief Engineer and countersigned by the master of the vessel or may be in the form of a Seaman's discharge certificate issued by a Shipping Master.
A testimonial of service rendered on railway boilers, or boilers belonging to a Government Department or local bodies, shall be signed by a responsible officer under whom the candidate has directly served and countersigned by the head of the Department concerned.
31. Doubtful testimonials. - If the Secretary of the Board of Examiners has reason to doubt the truth to any statement made in any application or testimonials, he may make such enquiries as he thinks fit to verify the same.
32. False testimonials. - If on inquiry, the Secretary is satisfied that any testimonial submitted by a candidate is false in any material particular, he shall submit his findings to the Chairman of the Board of Examiners who may, by a written order, debar such candidate from being admitted to any subsequent examination held under these rules. If, on the strength of any such testimonial, a candidate has already been admitted to an examination, he shall be deemed to have failed in such examination and any certificate granted to him as a result of his having been declared to have passed such examination, shall be forthwith recalled and be cancelled by a notification in the Official Gazette provided that before any certificate is cancelled under this rule, the holder thereof shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the matter.
33. Filing of copies and return of the original testimonials. - Applications and copies of testimonials submitted by candidates shall be filed in the office of the Chairman of the Board of Examiners. Original testimonials shall be returned to. the candidates as son as possible.
a degree or diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering recognised by the Institution of Engineer's (India).
(2) served not less than 2 years as Engineer or Assistant Engineer in the running and maintenance of a battery of boilers not less than two in number and each of not less than 1,000 square feet heating surface.
35. Service not in strict conformity with rules. - Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Rule 34, the Chairman of the Board of Examiners may, in his discretion allow any candidate to appear for the examination or grant exemption from any portion of the examination as prescribed in these rules.
(16) can explain the methods adopted for the achievement of fuel economy and the use of various instruments used in a Boiler House.
37. Nature of Examination. - Examination for certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall be of such a nature a to test the practical ability and technical knowledge of the candidate to be in-charge of steam generating plants of all types and pressures in land use.
(3) an oral examination to answer question pertaining to Boiler practice and if required by the examiner, to demonstrate in the examination room or in a workshop his ability to carry out the practical aspects of his duties in a workmanlike manner.
39. Assessment of work. - A candidate shall secure at least 45 per cent of the marks in each written paper as well as in the oral and drawing examinations ; but the aggregate should not be less than 55 percent of the total marks in order that he can be awarded a certificate of proficiency under these rules.
40. Grant of certificate of proficiency. - If a candidate passes the examination, his result will be notified in the official Gazette and he shall be granted a certificate as soon as practicable after such publication.
41. Form of Certificate. - A certificate of proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall be in form 'B' appended to these rules.
42. Application for endorsement on a certificate. - An application for endorsement in the certificate for validity in the State other than the State of issue, shall be made in of the appendix to these rules.
43. Record of duplicate certificate. - Duplicate of all certificate granted under these rules shall be recorded in the office of the Chairman.
44. Identification requirements. - Every certificate granted under these rules shall bear a bust photograph of the holder thereof previously submitted along with his application under Rule 27 and his signature and or thumb impression and such other particulars as may be required or the purpose of identification.
45. Grant of duplicate certificate. - Whenever the holder of a certificate proves to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the Board of Examiners that certificate granted to him under these rules has been lost, stolen or destroyed or mutilated without any fault on his part, he shall be granted a duplicate certificate to which, by the record so kept as aforesaid, he appears to be entitled, which shall have for all purposes the same validity as the original certificate.
If on enquiry, the Secretary of the Board of Examiners, is satisfied that any statement made by the applicant for the issue of duplicate certificate is false, he shall report the case to the said Board at its next meeting and the Board may, at its discretion cancel the certificate or permit the grant as aforesaid of a duplicate certificate either immediately or after such period not exceeding twelve months as the Board may think fit having regard to the circumstances of each case.
46. Application for duplicate certificate. - Application for a duplicate certificate shall be lodged with the Chairman of the Board of Examiners, with a declaration before a Gazetted Officer or a Magistrate stating that the certificate granted under these rules has been lost without fault on the part of the applicant.
47. Invalidity of original certificate. - On the issue of a duplicate certificate, the original certificate shall cease to be valid, and shall, if in the possession or power of the holder thereof, be returned to the office of the Chairman for cancellation.
48. Enquiry regarding certificate holders. - (1) If a District Magistrate or the Chief Inspector of Boilers has reason to believe from any cause whatsoever, that an inquiry should be made into an allegation of incompetence, drunkenness, misconduct, or negligence of duty on the part of a Boiler Operation Engineer holding certificate of proficiency under these rules, they shall either themselves make such enquiry or cause it to be made by their subordinate officers.
The District Magistrate may depute a Magistrate of the first class and the Chairman of the Board of Examiners and Inspector of Boilers duly authorised by him to hold such enquriy.
(2) The proceedings shall be held in the presence of the person, whose conduct, forms the subject of enquiry and he shall have an opportunity of making any statement he may wish to make and of producing any evidence in his defence.
(3) The proceedings of any such inquiry shall be forwarded by the officer conducting the inquiry, where he is not Chairman of the Board, to the Secretary of the Board of Examiners, for consideration of the Board.
49. Surrender of certificate. - When an inquiry is being conducted under Rule 48, the holder of such certificate shall, on demand by the officer charged with the inquiry, forthwith surrender his certificate to the said officer pending the result of such inquiry.
50. Submission of proceedings before the Board. - The Secretary of the Board of Examiners shall place the proceedings sent to him under sub-rule (3) of Rule 48 before the Board at its next meeting and the Board of Examiners at its discretion may, allow the certificate to stand or suspend it for such period as it thinks, or may cancel the certificate permanently. The decision of the Board shall be final.
51. Cognizance of offences. - The owner of a boiler or any person who works or permits or causes the boiler to be worked at any time in contravention of Rules 3,5,6 or 7 whichever applies, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to Rs. 100.
Provided anything done or any action taken under any of the said Rules shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of the rules.
Application for examination for Certificate of Proficiency as Boiler Operation Engineers.
7. Whether appeared in any previous examinations.
8. If so, when and where.
Time served for while no certificates are produced.
I do hereby declare that the statement made in Division I, II and III of this form are correct and true to the best of my knowledge and belief; and that tire papers enumerated in Division III and submitted with this form are true and genuine documents and further that the copies of the documents submitted with this form are true and correct. I further declare that the statements made in Division II containt a true and correct account of the whole period of my service without exception, and I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true.
Note. - (1) Every application must be accompanied by a treasury challan or such evidence as may be prescribed by the State Government showing that the fee for the examination has been paid.
(2) Two copies of a recent bust photograph of the applicant (size 2"x 2 ¾") must accompany the application with applicant's signature on the back thereof, duly attested by a Gazetted Officer or the employer.
(3) Any person making a false statement for the purpose of admission to the examination renders himself liable to prosecution.
(4) Incomplete application are liable to be rejected.
Shri....... age about..... years, at present residing at....... having satisfied the Board of Examiners appointed under tire above noted rules of his proficiency to fulfil the duties of a Boiler Operation Engineer, is granted under the Boiler Operation Engineers Rules, this certificate of proficiency authorising him to be in-charge of boilers of any type or size, provided that the boilers are so situated that no one of them is 150 feel away from any other of them.
Board of Examiners Descriptive Roll. | 2019-04-23T14:03:33Z | http://bareactslive.com/NER/NER173.HTM |
A projection display apparatus which display a projected image and may be free from connection with a computer. The projection display apparatus carries out processing with information stored in a portable memory and includes a memory controller that reads out the information stored in the portable memory; an image processing section that prepares display image data. The display image data represents an image to be displayed from the image data stored in the portable memory according to an instruction of a processing program that is read from the portable memory and represents a series of processing steps to be executed by the projection display apparatus. An electro-optic device then forms image light in response to the display image data, and an optical system projects the image light to display the image.
This application is a continuation of PCT/JP00/01619, filed Mar. 16, 2000.
The present invention relates to a technique of a projection display apparatus that displays a projected image.
The projection display apparatus enables an image supplied from a personal computer to be displayed as an enlarged image on a projection screen and is therefore often used for presentations. In the course of a presentation, a plurality of presentation sheets (hereinafter may be referred to as “slides”) are sequentially changed for display on the projection screen.
With a prior art projection display apparatus a user changes over the presentation sheets. More specifically, the presentation sheets are changed over according to the user's instruction input through the key operation into the computer. Connection of the computer is thus essential for the prior art projection display apparatus.
The object of the present invention is thus to solve the disadvantage of the prior art discussed above and to provide a technique that enables a projection display apparatus, which may be free from connection with a computer, to display a projected image.
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a projection display apparatus that carries out processing with information stored in a portable memory. The projection display apparatus includes: a memory controller that reads out the information stored in the portable memory; an image processing section that prepares display image data, which represents an image to be displayed, using at least one out of a plurality of image data stored in the portable memory according to an instruction of a processing program that is read from the portable memory and represents a series of processing to be executed by the projection display apparatus; an electro-optic device that forms image light in response to the display image data; and an optical system that projects the image light to display the image. This projection display apparatus displays an image using the image data stored in the memory according to the instruction of the processing program stored in the memory. This arrangement enables the projection display apparatus, which may not be connected with a computer, to automatically execute the series of processing and thereby to project and display the image.
In the projection display apparatus described above, it is preferable that the image processing section carries out control of the projection display apparatus according to an instruction of the processing program. This arrangement enables the image processing section to carry out a diversity of control operations of the projection display apparatus according to the processing program. For example, the image processing section controls a sleep state and a standby state of a hardware circuit.
In the projection display apparatus of the above arrangement, the control of the projection display apparatus may include control of an electric power supply circuit. This application controls the electric power supply circuit to control a sleep state and a standby state of the projection display apparatus.
In accordance with one preferable embodiment of the present invention, the projection display apparatus reproduces sound based on the information stored in the portable memory. This arrangement enables dialogues of people and sound effects to be reproduced, based on sound data stored in the portable memory.
In accordance with another preferable application of the projection display apparatus, the image processing section selects either one of image data supplied externally and image data read from the portable memory according to an instruction of selection included in the processing program, and prepares the display image data using the selected image data. This arrangement enables the image processing section to use not only the image data stored in the memory but image data supplied externally, for example, from an external image supply apparatus. The image processing section selects the desired image data to be displayed according to the instruction of the processing program.
In accordance with another preferable embodiment of the present invention, the projection display apparatus further has an embellishment image memory that stores at least one embellishment image data. The image processing section combines either one of the image data read from the portable memory and the image data supplied externally with the embellishment image data according to an instruction of composition included in the processing program, so as to prepare the display image data. This arrangement enables embellishment effects to be given to an image expressed by the image data read from the portable memory or the externally supplied image data.
In accordance with yet another preferable application of the projection display apparatus, the image processing section has a processing program editor that edits the processing program, and the memory controller has a function of writing the processing program edited by the processing program editor into the portable memory. These arrangement enables the processing program stored in the memory to be edited in the projection display apparatus. This is convenient when some modification of the processing program is required.
The present invention is also directed to a method of displaying an image with a projection display apparatus that includes an electro-optic device and carries out-processing with information stored in a portable memory. The method includes the steps of: reading out the information stored in the portable memory; preparing display image data, which represents an image to be displayed, using at least one out of a plurality of image data stored in the portable memory according to an instruction of a processing program that is read from the portable memory and represents a series of processing to be executed by the projection display apparatus; causing the electro-optic device to form image light in response to the display image data; and projecting the image light to display the image.
This method has the same functions and advantages as those of the projection display apparatus discussed above. Namely this method enables the projection display apparatus, which may not be connected with a computer, to automatically execute the series of processing and thereby to project and display the image.
FIG. 11 shows another image expressed by the superimposed image data SDV1 output from the image superimposing circuit 12 (FIG. 8).
Referring now tot he drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the drawings, a projection displays apparatus and method of display is shown. An embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 which illustrates a high level diagram of a projection display system. In FIG. 1, a projection display apparatus 1 includes a connection terminal 2 that is connectable with an image supply apparatus, such as a personal computer or a video recorder, and a memory slot 3 that receives a memory card 42 inserted therein. The memory card 42 includes a processing program that records a series of processing steps to be executed by the projection display apparatus 1. On insertion of the memory card 42, the projection display apparatus reads the processing program recorded in the memory card 42 and executes the series of processing steps according to the processing program to project and display an image on a screen 104. It is to be understood that a variety of rewritable and portable recording media, such as flexible disks and magneto-optic discs etc., may be used to record the processing program, in place of the memory card 42 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the general structure of the projection display apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. The projection display apparatus of this embodiment includes an image processing circuit 10, a liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, a liquid-crystal panel 16, a CPU 20, a frame memory 22, a remote control regulator 30, a memory controller 40, a speaker 50, an illumination optical system 100 including a lamp 101, and a projection optical system 102. The image processing circuit 10, the CPU 20, the remote control regulator 30, and the memory controller 40 are mutually connected via a bus 20 a The liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14 is also connected to the bus 20 a, although the connection is not shown in the illustration of FIG. 2. The liquid-crystal panel 16 is substantially uniformly illuminated by the illumination optical system 100. Image light formed by the liquid-crystal panel 16 is projected onto the screen 104 by the projection optical system 102. The optical systems 100 and 102 are simplified in the illustration of FIG. 2.
The image processing circuit 10, the liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, the CPU 20, the frame memory 22, and the remote control regulator 30 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 correspond to the image processing section of the present invention. The liquid-crystal panel 16 corresponds to the electro-optic device of the present invention.
The image processing circuit 10 has a function of preparing image data to be displayed on the screen 104 in response to an instruction from the CPU 20. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the internal structure of the image processing circuit 10 which includes a video signal conversion circuit 200, a selector 210, a write-read controller 220, and a menu window display controller 230.
In the case where an image supply apparatus is connected to the connection terminal 2 shown in FIG. 1, an analog video signal AV1 is supplied to the video signal conversion circuit 200 via the connection terminal 2. The video signal conversion circuit 200 carries out analog-to-digital conversion of the given analog video signal AV1 and outputs AD-converted image data ED (hereinafter referred to as the “external image data”). The analog video signal AV1 may be, for example, an RGB signal output from a personal computer, the RGB signal representing a computer monitor screen, or a composite video signal output from a video recorder or a television, the composite video signal representing a motion image.
The external image data ED output from the video signal conversion circuit 200, and image data MD (hereinafter referred to as the “memory image data”) supplied from the memory card 42 (FIG. 2) via the bus 20 a are supplied to the selector 210. The memory image data MD recorded in the memory card 42 is read by the memory controller 40 in response to an instruction from the CPU 20. The selector 210 selects either one of the external image data ED and the memory image data MD in response to a selection signal SEL supplied from the CPU 20 via the bus 20 a, and outputs the selected image data as digital image data SD1. In the case where an image supply apparatus is not connected to the connection terminal 2 and the memory card 42 is attached to the memory controller 40, the memory image data MD is selected automatically.
The write-read controller 220 has a function of writing the digital image data SD1 output from the selector 210 into the frame memory 22 and reading out the image data written in the frame memory 22. The processes of writing and reading image data executed in the write-read controller 220 is carried out based on control signals generated in the write-read controller 220. The image data read from the frame memory 22 is output as digital image data DV1.
The menu window display controller 230 has a function of outputting menu window display data MND representing a menu window. The menu window display controller 230 receives the digital image data DV1 output from the read-write controller 220 and outputs either the given digital image data DV1 or the menu window display data MND. Using the menu window expressed by the menu window display data MND enables a variety of settings, for example, display conditions (including the image quality) of images in the projection display apparatus. In the structure of the embodiment of FIG. 3, the processing program recorded in the memory card 42 can be edited through the menu window as will be discussed below. The menu window display controller 230 is controlled by the CPU 20 via the bus 20 a. The menu window display controller 230 and the CPU 20 correspond to the processing program editor of the present invention.
The liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14 shown in FIG. 2 outputs a driving signal DS suitable to drive the liquid-crystal panel 16 in response to the digital image data DV1 or the menu window display data MND supplied from the image processing circuit 10. The liquid-crystal panel 16 drives respective pixels based on the given driving signal DS, so as to modulate illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system 100 at respective pixels. The light transmitted through the liquid-crystal panel 16 forms image light on the panel surface. The image light formed by the liquid-crystal panel 16 is projected by the projection optical system 102 on the screen 104, so that an image is displayed on the screen 104.
In the projection display apparatus of the first embodiment, user's instructions, for example, an instruction to display the menu screen, are mainly given through operations of a remote control 32. The remote control regulator 30 (FIG. 2) receives the instructions from the remote control 32 and transfers the instructions to the CPU 20. Another input section having, for example, buttons may be provided on the main body of the projection display apparatus 2, in place of the remote control 32 or in addition to the remote control FIG. 4 shows a variety of data recorded in the memory card 42 of FIG. 2. The data stored in the memory card 42 is prepared in advance with a personal computer, for example. The memory card 42 shown in FIG. 4 stores a processing program PRI, which represents a series of processing to be executed by the projection display apparatus, as well as a variety of data DD including image data (Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, . . . ), sound data (Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3, . . . ) and patterned image data (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 3, . . . ). Data representing images of, for example, the presentation sheets are stored as the image data (Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, . . . ). Data representing, for example, black “solid” images and images of company logos are stored as the patterned image data Detailed records of the presentation are stored, for example, as the sound data (Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3, . . . ). The variety of data DD may include any appropriate data other than the above data, for example, motion image data. The image data (Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, . . . ), the patterned image data (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 3, . . . ), and other data representing images out of the variety of data DD stored in the memory card 42 correspond to the memory image data MD discussed above.
FIG. 5 shows the contents of the processing program PR1 shown in FIG. 4. A script file of a text format as shown in FIG. 5 is used as the processing program PR1 in this embodiment. Symbols such as “L1” given to the right side of FIG. 5 are tentatively allocated to represent line numbers and are not included in the actual script file. “Begin” on a line number L1 and “End” on a line number L15 respectively represent the start and the end of the processing program PR1. In the actual procedure, the processing is executed with regard to line numbers L2 through L14 between the line number L1 “Begin” and the line number L15 “End”.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the projection display apparatus according to the processing program PR1 shown in FIG. 5. The processing of steps S101 and S102, however, do not follow the processing program PR1. The processing routine shown in FIG. 6 is executed in the case where at least part of the projection display apparatus is in a sleep state prior to the processing of step S101. Under such conditions, no images are displayed on the screen 104.
When the user attaches the memory card 42 to the memory controller 40 (FIG. 2), the processing of step S101 detects an attachment of the memory card 42 to the memory controller 40. In one applicable arrangement to detect the memory card 42, a non-illustrated mechanical switch, which is provided inside the memory controller 40, is set in an ON position in response to the attachment of the memory card 42. In another arrangement, a sensor, which is provided inside the memory controller 40, determines whether or not the memory card 42 is attached. When the attachment of the memory card 42 is detected at step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.
At step S102, the CPU 20 (FIG. 2) transfers the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) stored in the memory card 42 to a non-illustrated RAM and starts the execution of the processing program. As clearly understood from the above description, at least the memory card detection function in the memory controller 40 is not in the sleep state. At this moment, however, the image processing circuit 10, the liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, the liquid-crystal panel 16, and the lamp 101 are set in the Sleep State. As used herein, the term “sleep state” represents that the hardware circuit is not in the normal working state. In the structure of the first embodiment, the image processing circuit 10, the liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, and the liquid-crystal panel 16 are set in the sleep state by regulating a clock signal or another control signal, or more specifically by ceasing the supply of the clock signal. The lamp 101 is set in the sleep state by ceasing the supply of electric power. Some hardware circuits are set in the sleep state by lowering the frequency of the clock signal. Another possible application regulates the electric power supplied to the lamp 101 as the light source to lower the luminance of the displayed image or regulates a cooling fan provided in the projection display apparatus.
At step S103, the processing of the line number L2 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Power ON” command on the line number L2 causes the whole projection display apparatus to be on standby. A concrete procedure gives the control signal and the power supply to the respective constituents in the sleep state, so as to set the respective constituents in the normal working state, that is, in the standby state. The projection display apparatus set in the standby state enables an image to be displayed on the screen 104.
At step S104, the processing of the line number L3 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Set Source” command on the line number L3 causes the image processing circuit 10 (FIG. 3) to set the source of the image data, which is to be written into the frame memory 22. As described previously with respect to FIG. 3, the image processing circuit 10 sets either the external image data ED based on the analog video signal AV1, or the memory image data MD read from the memory card 42 as the input source. On the line number L3, “CARD” representing the memory card 42 is specified after the “Set Source” command. The memory image data MD stored in the memory card 42 is thus set as the input source in this example.
At step S105, the processing of the line number L4 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Display” command on the line number L4 displays the memory image data in the memory card 42 (FIG. 4), which is the input source set at step S104. On the line number L4, “Picture 1” is specified after the “Display” command, so that the memory image data Picture 1 in the memory card 42 (FIG. 4) is displayed. In accordance with a concrete procedure, the CPU 20 reads the memory image data Picture 1 from the memory card 42 (FIG. 4), and the image processing circuit 10 writes the memory image data Picture 1 into the frame memory 22. The image processing circuit 10 outputs the memory image data Picture 1 as the digital image data DV1. These causes an image expressed by the memory image data Picture 1 to be displayed on the screen 104.
At step S105, the processing of the line number L5 in the processing program PR1 is also carried out. The “Wait” command on line number L5 keeps the state of execution of the previous process (in the example of FIG. 5, the processing of the line number L4) for a predetermined period of time. In this embodiment, the previous processing is kept by the specified unit of “1000 msec”. Thus, the processing of step S105 causes the display of the memory image data Picture 1 executed by the processing of the line number L4 to be kept or 10000 msec specified on the line number L5. The use of the Wait command sets the time in which each image is displayed. This arrangement enables the presentation sheets to be automatically fed at preset time intervals.
At step S106, the processing of the line number L6 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Play” command on the line number L6 reproduces the sound data in the memory card 42 (FIG. 4), which is the input source set at step S104 (the line number L3). On line number L6, “Wave 2” is specified after the “Play” command, so that the sound data Wave 2 in the memory card 42 (FIG. 4) is reproduced. In accordance with a concrete procedure, the CPU 20 reads the sound data Wave 2 from the memory card 42 (FIG. 4) and causes the sound data Wave 2 to be reproduced by the speaker 50 (FIG. 2).
At step S107, the processing of the line number L7 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. On line number L7, “Picture 3” is specified after the “Display” command. In the same manner as the processing of step S105 (line number L4), the memory image data Picture 3 in the memory card 42 (FIG. 4) is displayed on the screen 104.
At step S108, the processing of the line number L8 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Pause” command on line number L8 keeps the state of execution of the previous process (in the example of FIG. 5, the processing of line number L7) until a user's input is given. At this moment, the CPU 20 pauses the execution of the processing program PR1. When the user gives some input through an operation of the remote control 32 (FIG. 2), the pause is cancelled. After the cancellation of the pause, the process proceeds to step S109.
At step S109, the processing of the line number L9 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. On line number L9, “VIDEO” representing the external image data ED based on the analog video signal AV1 is specified after the “Set Source” command. At this moment, the CPU 20 sets the external image data ED supplied to the image processing circuit 10 as the input source. Namely the input source “CARD” set at step S104 (line number L3) is changed over to VIDEO. The image processing circuit 10 writes the external image data ED into the frame memory 22, so that an image expressed by the external image data ED is displayed on the screen 104. The external image data may be, for example, samples of commerce shot with a video camera.
At step S110, the processing of the line number L10 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. In the same manner as the processing of step S108 (line number L8), the “Pause” command on line number L10 pauses the execution of the processing program PR1. The pause is cancelled in response to an input, for example, through an operation of the remote control 32, and the process proceeds to step S111.
At step S111, the processing of the line number L11 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. On the line number L11, “CARD” representing the memory card 42 is specified after the “Set Source” command. The image processing circuit 10 thus again selects the memory image data MD supplied from the memory card 42 as the input source.
At step S112, the processing of the line number L12 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. On line number L12, “Picture 2” is specified after the “Display” command. In the same manner as the processing of step S105 (line number L4) described above, an image expressed by the memory image data Picture 2 is displayed on the screen 104. Also, at step S112, the processing of the line number L13 in the processing program PR1 is carried out. On line number L13, “10000 msec” is specified after the “Wait” command. In the same manner as the processing of step S105 (line number L5), the image expressed by the memory image data Picture 2 is displayed on the screen 104 for 10000 msec.
At step S113, the processing of the line number L14 in the processing program PR1 (FIG. 5) is carried out. The “Power OFF” command on line number L14 causes at least part of the projection display apparatus to be set in the sleep state. In the structure of the first embodiment, as described previously, the functions of the image processing circuit 10, the liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, the liquid-crystal panel 16, and the lamp 101 fall into the sleep state. In the sleep state, no images are displayed on the screen 104.
The contents of the processing program shown in FIG. 5 are executed in this manner. Commands other than those in FIG. 5 (“Power ON”, “Power OFF”, “Set Source”, “Display”, “Play”, “Pause”, and “Wait”) may also be used. For example, the “Repeat” command may be used to repeatedly execute all or part of the series of the processing of the line numbers L2 through L14 described above. Other available commands include the “Stop” command to stop the execution of the processing program and the “Restart” command to resume the execution of the processing program.
The processing of FIG. 6 regards the case where at least part of the projection display apparatus is set in the sleep state prior to the processing of step S101. The processing program PR1 of FIG. 5 may also be used in the case where the whole projection display apparatus is set in the standby state. When the projection display apparatus is on standby, the processing of the line number L2 (step S103) in the processing program PR1 is not required and is accordingly neglected.
As described above, the projection display apparatus of the embodiment controls the operations of the hardware circuits according to the instructions described in the processing program. Control of the operations of the hardware circuits includes regulation of the clock signal and other control signals supplied to the hardware circuits. The control regulates the control signals to set the hardware circuits in the sleep state or in the standby state, as well as regulates the control signals to change over the input source. The control of the operations of the hardware circuits also includes the control of the electric power supply circuit to set the hardware circuits in the sleep state or in the standby state. Controlling the operations of the hardware circuits according to the instructions of the processing program advantageously enables the projection display apparatus to be automatically activated and stopped. In the arrangement of the embodiment as described above, the hardware circuits in the projection display apparatus are set in the sleep state or in the standby state through both the control of the electric power supply and the regulation of the control signals. Possible modification may attain the sleep state or the standby state through only the control of the electric power supply or through only the regulation of the control signals.
FIG. 7 shows a menu window to edit the processing program. The processing program editing window PEM shown in FIG. 7 is an image displayed on the screen 104 in response to the menu window display data MND output from the menu window display controller 230 shown in FIG. 3. The processing program editing window PEM includes a script display area SW1 to display the contents of the processing program. In the example of FIG. 7, the processing program PR1 identical with that of FIG. 5 is displayed in the script display area SW1 of FIG. 7.
In the processing program editing window PEM, a variety of images Pa, Pb, Pc, . . . , that are available in the projection display apparatus are previewed. In this embodiment, the image data given to the selector 210 shown in FIG. 3 are available image data. The images expressed by the memory image data MD and the external image data ED are thus previewed in the processing program editing window PEM. The images expressed by the image data (Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, . . . ) and the patterned image data (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 3, . . . ) included in the memory card 42 shown in FIG. 4 are previewed as the memory image data MD. The images expressed by the analog video signals AV1 (VIDEO) are previewed as the external image data ED. The respective images Pa, Pb, Pc, . . . shown in FIG. 7 are displayed, based on a set of image data collected by the cooperation of the menu window display controller 230 (FIG. 3) and the CPU 20.
In the processing program editing window PEM, the processing program displayed in the script display area SW1 is edited by specifying any of the various images Pa, Pb, Pc, . . . displayed in the window through operations of the remote control 32. In accordance with a concrete procedure, the user first specifies a desired line to be edited in the processing program PR1 displayed in the script display area SW1 with the remote control 32. In the example of FIG. 7, the line number L7 (filled with slant lines) is specified. When the image (Picture 3) to be displayed by the processing of the line number L7 is changed to the previewed image Pd (image data Picture 4), the user selects a non-illustrated “Change Button” on the remote control 32 and then specifies the previewed image Pd with the remote control 32. These changes the image data Picture 3 to the image data Picture 4 on the line number L7. In a similar manner, the image data to be displayed in the processing program PR1 may arbitrarily be added and deleted. This arrangement enables the processing program to be edited readily only through the operations of the remote control 32. The available images are previewed in the processing program editing window PEM. This advantageously enables the user to edit the processing programs while visually checking the editing process. The processing program thus edited is written into the memory card 42 by means of the memory controller 40 and subsequent processing is carried out according to the edited processing program.
As described above, the projection-display apparatus of the present invention enables images to be displayed using the memory image data stored in the memory card 42 according to the instructions of the processing program stored in the memory card 42. This arrangement enables the projection display apparatus, which may not be connected with the computer, to automatically execute the series of processing steps and display projected images.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of another projection display apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus of the second embodiment includes an image superimposing circuit 12, an embellishment image memory 24, and an embellishment image expansion memory 26, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 2. The functions of the constituents of this apparatus other than the additional elements, the image superimposing circuit 12, the embellishment image memory 24, and the embellishment image expansion memory 26, are substantially identical with the functions of the respective constituents shown in FIG. 2, and are thus not specifically described here. The image processing circuit 10, the liquid-crystal panel driving circuit 14, the CPU 20, the frame memory 22, the remote control regulator 30, the image superimposing circuit 12, the embellishment image memory 24, and the embellishment image expansion memory 26 of this embodiment correspond to the image processing section of the present invention.
The embellishment image memory 24 stores embellishment image data, which is to be superimposed on the digital image data DV1 output from the image processing circuit 10. The embellishment image data is used to modify the image expressed by the digital 20 image data DV1, and include a variety of image data representing marker images, pointing images, and ring-shaped images. In this embodiment, the embellishment image data is stored in the embellishment image memory 24 in a compressed manner. The embellishment image data in the embellishment image memory 24 is expanded in a bit-map format and stored in the embellishment image expansion memory 26 as embellishment image expanded data SP. The embellishment image expanded data SP is supplied to the image superimposing circuit 12 to be superimposed on the digital image data DV1. The CPU 20 executes the expansion of the embellishment image data and the supply of the embellishment image data to the image superimposing circuit 12.
In the structure of this embodiment, the embellishment image data stored in the embellishment image memory 24 is expanded in the embellishment image expansion memory 26. The embellishment image data may alternatively be expanded in the embellishment image memory 24. In this case, the embellishment image expansion memory 26 may be omitted. The embellishment image data stored in the embellishment image memory 24 may not be compressed. The compression, however, advantageously reduces the data capacity required for the embellishment image memory 24.
The digital image data DV1 supplied from the image processing circuit 10 and the embellishment image expanded data SP supplied from the embellishment image expansion memory 26 are input into the image superimposing circuit 12. The image superimposing circuit 12 has a function of superimposing the embellishment image expanded data SP upon the digital image data DV1. The image superimposing circuit 12 includes a non-illustrated selector, which is switched over to implement the superimposing process. The switchover operations of the selector are carried out in response to a switchover signal supplied from the CPU 20 via the bus 20 a. In accordance with a concrete procedure, a switchover operation of the selector carried out at a preset position in the image expressed by the digital image data DV1 triggers the superimposition of the image expressed by the embellishment image expanded data SP. This arrangement gives superimposed image data SDV1 that is superimposed by the embellishment image expanded data SP.
FIG. 9 shows an exemplified processing program PR2 that carries out a process of superimposing an embellishment image. The processing program PR2 includes the processing of line numbers L9 through L11, in place of the line number L9 (Set Source “VIDEO”) in the processing program PR1 shown in FIG. 5. The processing of the line numbers L9 through L11 in the processing program PR2 is carried out to superimpose the embellishment image expanded data SP upon the digital image data DV1 supplied to the image superimposing circuit 12 and to display the superimposed image.
The line number L9 in the processing program PR2 has the “Superimpose Source” command to set the source of the embellishment image data used for the superimposing process. This command is followed by “MEM” representing the embellishment image memory 24. Namely the embellishment image memory 24 is set as the input source of the embellishment image. The line number L10 has the “Coordinate” command to specify a superimposing position (area) of the embellishment image. This command is followed by coordinate values “400, 160, 600, 200” to set the superimposing position of the embellishment image. The coordinate values in this embodiment are specified in the case where the display area of the liquid-crystal panel is 800×600. The coordinate values 400, 160, 600, 200 specify a first set of coordinates (400, 160) as a starting point of the superimposing area and a second set of coordinates (600, 200) as a terminal point thereof. The subsequent line number L10 has a data name “Dec1” to specify the embellishment image data after the “Display” command. This arrangement enables the embellishment image data Dec1 to be superimposed in the superimposing position specified by the processing of the line number L10, so as to display a superimposed image on the screen 104. On conclusion of the processing up to the line number L11, the image expressed by the superimposed image data SDV1 output from the image superimposing circuit 12 is a superimposed image including the image of the embellishment image data Dec1 superimposed upon the image of the image data Picture 3 on the line number L7.
FIG. 10 shows an image expressed by the superimposed image data SDV1 output from the image superimposing circuit 12 (FIG. 8) after execution of the processing of the line number L11 in the processing program PR2 shown in FIG. 9. When the processing of the line number L11 in the processing program PR2 shown in FIG. 9 is carried out, a superimposed image is displayed, where the image expressed by the embellishment image data Dec1 is superimposed upon the image expressed by the image data Picture 3 on the line number L7. In the example of FIG. 10, a document image of “A, B, C, . . . ” corresponds to the image expressed by the image data Picture 3, and a marker image (filled with the slant lines) corresponds to the image expressed by the embellishment image data Dec1. As shown in FIG. 10, the embellishment image is superimposed in the position specified by the processing program of FIG. 9. More specifically the embellishment image is superimposed in the area defined by the first set of coordinates (400, 160) and the second set of coordinates (600, 200) specified by the processing of the line number L10.
FIG. 11 shows another image expressed by the superimposed image data SDV1 output from the image superimposing circuit 12 (FIG. 8). In the example of FIG. 11, an image of a bar graph corresponds to the image expressed by the digital image data DV1 given to the image superimposing circuit 12, and a pointing image corresponds to the image expressed by the embellishment image data supplied from the embellishment image memory 24. The image expressed by the digital image data DV1 is displayed in the vicinity of the pointing image, which is filled with the slant lines. Namely the embellishment image is not restricted to a rectangular image as shown in FIG. 10 but may have any arbitrary shape. This is attained by providing predetermined pixel information as pixel data of the area filled with the slant lines, which is included in the rectangular embellishment image expanded data SP. Pixel data that is generally not used (for example, the pixel data having ‘0’ for all the bits) or a flag is given as the specific pixel information with regard to the area filled with the slant lines. The superimposing process is not carried out for the pixels having such pixel information. This arrangement enables the superimposition of the embellishment image having an arbitrary shape.
As described above, the image having the embellishment effects is superimposed upon the image expressed by the digital image data DV1 output from the image processing circuit 10. This ensures the effective display of the presentation sheets.
The present invention is not restricted to the above embodiments or their modifications, but there may be many other modifications, changes, and alterations without departing from the scope or spirit of the main characteristics of the present invention. Some possible modifications are given below.
(1) In the embodiments discussed above, the projection display apparatus 1 has only one memory slot 3 as shown in FIG. 1. The projection display apparatus 1 may, however, include a plurality of memory slots. This configuration allows the use of a plurality of memories and thereby enables the projection display apparatus to project and display a large number of image data. In this case, the processing program may be recorded in only one of the plural memories, and any one of the other memories is selected as the input source to use the memory image data stored in the selected memory.
In the embodiments discussed above, only the external image data ED based on the analog video signals AV1 are the image data externally supplied to the projection display apparatus. Other image data may, however, be supplied to the projection display apparatus.
(2) In the first and the second embodiments discussed above, the image processing circuit 10 selects either one of the external image data ED based on the analog video signal AV1 and the memory image data MD supplied from the memory card 42 and writes the selected image data into the frame memory 22. The image data written into the frame memory 22 may be composite image data obtained by combining the both. In this case, the superimposing process is carried out with the “Superimpose” command as shown in the line numbers L9 through L11 of FIG. 9. The image processing circuit 10 carries out this superimposing process.
In the second embodiment, the superimposed image data SDV1 are generated by the non-illustrated selector included in the image superimposing circuit 12 (FIG. 8). Multipliers and an adder may be used in place of the selector. In this structure, the adder combines the digital image data DV1 in one multiplier with the embellishment image expanded data SP in the other multiplier. A coefficient “1” is allocated to one of the two multipliers, and another coefficient “0” to the other. This arrangement ensures the superimposing process similar to that implemented by the selector. Alternatively a coefficient “½” may be allocated to both of the two multipliers. In this case, a resulting superimposed image includes the image of the embellishment image expanded data SP superimposed upon the image of the digital image data DV1 in a translucent manner.
(3) In the embodiments discussed above, for example, the lamp 101 (FIG. 2) is switched on by the processing of the line number L2 included in the processing program PR1 shown in FIG. 5 to set the whole projection display apparatus on standby. One possible modification switches the lamp 101 on after elapse of a preset time period. Such modified arrangement effectively prevents a potential situation, in which image data to be displayed have not yet been supplied to the liquid-crystal panel 16 when the lamp 101 is switched on. Another possible modification causes a black solid image to be forcibly displayed as an initial image immediately after the lamp 101 is switched on.
(4) In the embodiments discussed above, the liquid-crystal panel 16 is used as the electro-optic device of the projection display apparatus. The electro-optic device is, however, not restricted to the liquid-crystal panel, but may be a micromirror-type light modulator or a CRT. One example of the micromirror-type light modulator is a DMD (digital micromirror device) (trade mark by T1 Corporation).
(5) In the above embodiments, part of the hardware configuration may be replaced by the software. Part of the arrangement attained by the software may, on the other hand, be replaced by the hardware configuration.
This document claims priority from and contains subject matter related to Japanese patent application number 11-71737 and PCT/JP00/01619, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
wherein the image processing section is configured to combine at least one of the image data read from the portable memory and image data supplied externally with the embellishment image data according to an instruction of composition included in the processing program, so as to prepare the display image data.
2. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the image processing section is configured to control the projection display apparatus according to an instruction of the processing program.
3. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the projection display apparatus is configured to reproduce sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
4. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the image processing section is configured to select at least one of image data supplied externally and image data read from the portable memory according to an instruction of selection included in the processing program, and to prepare the display image data using the selected image data.
the memory controller is configured to write the processing program edited by the processing program editor into the portable memory.
6. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the image processing section is configured to select at least one of image data supplied externally and image data read from the portable memory according to an instruction of selection included in the processing program, and to prepare the display image data using the selected image data.
10. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the control of the projection display apparatus includes control of an electric power supply circuit.
11. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the projection display apparatus is configured to reproduce sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
12. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the image processing section is configured to select at least one of image data supplied externally and image data read from the portable memory according to an instruction of selection included in the processing program, and to prepare the display image data using the selected image data.
14. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the projection display apparatus is configured to reproduce sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
15. A projection display apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the image processing section is configured to select at least one of image data supplied externally and image data read from the portable memory according to an instruction of selection included in the processing program, and to prepare the display image data using the selected image data.
combining at least one of the image data read from the portable memory and image data supplied externally with the embellishment image data according to an instruction of composition included in the processing program, so as to prepare the display image data.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising controlling the projection display apparatus according to an instruction of the processing program.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
preparing the display image data using the selected image data.
writing the processing program edited by the processing program editor into the portable memory.
26. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of controlling the projection display apparatus comprises controlling an electric power supply circuit.
27. The method of claim 18, further comprising reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
30. The method of claim 26, further comprising reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
means for projecting said image light on a projection screen to thereby display the presentation sheet.
34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for controlling the projection display apparatus according to an instruction of the processing program.
35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
means for preparing the display image data using the selected image data.
means for writing the processing program edited by the processing program editor into the portable memory.
42. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the means for controlling the projection display apparatus comprises means for controlling an electric power supply circuit.
43. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising means for reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory.
46. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising means for reproducing sound based on the information stored in the portable memory. | 2019-04-25T03:29:21Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US6712476B1/en |
· It describes how we collect, use and process your personal data, and how, in doing so, we comply with our legal obligations to you. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting and safeguarding your data privacy rights.
· For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the “GDPR” the company responsible for your personal data (“Aap3” or “us”) can be found here.
CLIENT DATA: If you are an aap3 customer, we need to collect and use information about you, or individuals at your organisation, in the course of providing you services such as: (i) finding Candidates who are the right fit for you or your organisation; (ii) providing you with a Managed Service Provider (“MSP”) programme or assisting another organisation to do so); (iii) providing you with Recruitment Process Outsourcing (“RPO”) services (or assisting another organisation to do so); and/or (iv) notifying you of content published by aap3s which is likely to be relevant and useful to you (for example our Global Skills Index).
By referring a friend or colleague to aap3 using the link shown within our webpage you are confirming that you have gained the consent of that individual for the submission of their personal details. Should you not have valid consent for the submission of the details aap3 may not be able to process them and they will be deleted from our records.
WEBSITE USERS: We collect a limited amount of data from our Website-Users which we use to help us to improve your experience when using our website and to help us manage the services we provide. This includes information such as how you use our website, the frequency with which you access our website, and the times that our website is most popular.
A number of elements of the personal data we collect from you are required to enable us to fulfil our contractual duties to you or to others. Where appropriate, some, for example Candidates social security number and, religious affiliation, are required by statute or other laws. Other items may simply be needed to ensure that our relationship can run smoothly.
We approach referees under legitimate interest and have applied the 3 party Purpose, Necessity and Balance test as a basis for processing. For more details on how we use your personal data, please click here.
We use your data to help us to improve your experience of using our website, for example by analysing your recent job search criteria to help us to present jobs to you that we think you’ll be interested in. If you are also a Candidate or Client of aap3s’, we may use data from your use of our websites to enhance other aspects of our communications with, or service to, you.
Please note that communications to and from aap3s’ Staff including emails may be reviewed as part of internal or external investigations or litigation.
· We care about protecting your information. That’s why we put in place appropriate measures that are designed to prevent unauthorised access to, and misuse of, your personal data.
· For more information on the procedures we put in place, please click here.
· We consider the retention of candidate to be relevant and of legitimate interest to both parties and therefore such data will be retained on file until such time consent is withdrawn. aap3 will undertake necessary steps to ensure that the data remains accurate and will contact you to verify the validity of the data we hold.
· For more information on our policy for the retention of personal data, please click here.
· Even if we already hold your personal data, you still have various rights in relation to it. To get in touch about these, please contact us. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event in accordance with the requirements of any applicable laws. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
· Right to object: If we are using your data because we deem it necessary for our legitimate interests to do so, and you do not agree, you have the right to object. We will respond to your request within 30 days (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases). Generally, we will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply.
· Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities (for example, for profiling your suitability for certain roles), or consent to market to you, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
· would prefer us not to do this, you are free to say so.
· Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your data from us to another data controller. We will help with this – either by directly transferring your data for you, or by providing you with a copy in a commonly used machine-readable format.
· Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority, details of which can be found here.
· If your interests or requirements change, you can unsubscribe from part or all of our marketing content (for example job role emails or aap3s newsletters) by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email, or by updating your preferences through our preference centre on the aap3s website (by signing into your account or entering your email address).
Aap3s is a global organisation – this is what enables us to offer the level of services that we do. In order for us to continue operating in this way, we may have to transfer or store your data internationally.
Who is responsible for processing your personal data on the aap3s website?
· Aap3s’ controls the processing of personal data on its website(s).
· If you’ve got any further questions, or want further details, please click here.
· If you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually be altered within your browser settings. We also provide information about this in our Marketing preferences page on the Aap3s website.
· Most web browsers will accept cookies but if you would rather we didn’t collect data in this way you can choose to accept all or some or reject cookies in your browser’s privacy settings. However, rejecting all cookies means that you may not be able to take full advantage of all our website’s features. Each browser is different, so check the “Help” menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
· For more information generally on cookies, including how to disable them, please refer to aboutcookies.org. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your computer.
So, you’re looking for a bit more insight into what data we collect about you? Here’s a more detailed look at the information we may collect. The information described below is, of course, in addition to any personal data we are required by law to process in any given situation.
· Please note that the above list of categories of personal data we may collect is not exhaustive.
· To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please click here.
CLIENT DATA: The data we collect about Clients is actually very limited. We generally only need to have your contact details or the details of individual contacts at your organisation (such as their names, telephone numbers and email addresses) to enable us to ensure that our relationship runs smoothly. We also hold information relating to your online engagement with Candidate profiles and other material published by aap3s, which we use to ensure that our marketing communications to you are relevant and timely.
SUPPLIER DATA: We don’t collect much data about Suppliers – we simply need to make sure that our relationship runs smoothly. We’ll collect the details for our contacts within your organisation, such as names, telephone numbers and email addresses. We’ll also collect bank details, so that we can pay you. We may also hold extra information that someone in your organisation has chosen to tell us. In certain circumstances, such as when you engage with our Finance and Debt Recovery teams, our calls with you may be recorded, depending on the applicable local laws and requirements.
· aap3s needs to know certain information about you in order to provide a tailored service. This will enable us to provide you with the best opportunities and should save you time in not having to trawl through information about jobs and services that are not relevant to you.
– Entering a competition through a social media channel such as Facebook or Twitter.
– If you were referred to us through an RPO or an MSP supplier, they may share personal information about you with us.
· To the extent that you access our website or read or click on an email from us, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements, we may also collect your data automatically or through you providing it to us. For more information please click here.
· We collect your data automatically via cookies, in line with cookie settings in your browser. If you are also a Candidate or Client of aap3s, we may use data from your use of our websites to enhance other aspects of our communications with or service to you. If you would like to find out more about cookies, including how we use them and what choices are available to you, please click here.
– In appropriate circumstances in the future, we may also use Candidate data for Profiling.
Recruitment Activities: Obviously, our main area of work is recruitment – connecting the right Candidates with the right jobs. We’ve listed below various ways in which we may use and process your personal data for this purpose, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
· We may use your personal data for the above purposes if we deem it necessary to do so for our legitimate interests. If you want to know more about what this means, please click here. If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how and when to do this here.
· Please note that in certain of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
– provide you with information about certain discounts and offers that you are eligible for by virtue of your relationship with aap3s.
· We need your consent for some aspects of these activities which are not covered by our legitimate interests (in particular, the collection of data via cookies, and the delivery of direct marketing to you through digital channels) and, depending on the situation, we’ll ask for this via an opt-in or soft-opt-in (which we explain further below). Please note that in certain of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
more about how to do so here. Nobody’s perfect, even though we try to be. We want to let you know that even if you have opted out from our marketing communications through our preference centre, it is possible that your details may be recaptured through public sources in an unconnected marketing campaign. We will try to make sure this doesn’t happen, but if it does, we’re sorry. We’d just ask that in those circumstances you opt out again.
· All our marketing is based on what we think will serve our Clients and Candidates best, but we know we won’t always get it right for everyone. We may use your data to show you aap3s adverts and other content on other websites, for example Facebook. If you do not want us to use your data in this way, please turn off the “Advertising Cookies” option (please refer to our Cookies Policy). Even where you have turned off advertising cookies, it is still possible that you may see a Aap3s advert, but in this case, it won’t have been targeted at you personally, but rather at an anonymous audience.
Equal opportunities monitoring and other sensitive personal data: We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are aligned with our approach to equal opportunities. Some of the data we may (in appropriate circumstances and in accordance with local law and requirements) collect about you comes under the umbrella of “diversity information”. This could be information about your ethnic background, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or other similar beliefs, and/or social-economic background. Where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, we’ll use this information on an anonymised basis to monitor our compliance with our equal opportunities policy. We may also disclose this (suitably anonymised where relevant) data to Clients where this is contractually required, or the Client specifically requests such information to enable them to comply with their own employment processes.
· This information is what is called ‘sensitive’ personal information and slightly stricter data protection rules apply to it. We therefore need to obtain your explicit consent before we can use it. We’ll ask for your consent by offering you an opt-in. This means that you have to explicitly and clearly tell us that you agree to us collecting and using this information.
· We may collect other sensitive personal data about you, such as health-related information, religious affiliation, or details of any criminal convictions if this is appropriate in accordance with local laws and is required for a role that you are interested in applying for. We will never do this without your explicit consent.
· If you would like to find out more about consent, please click here. Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, different rules apply to this sensitive data. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
· If you are not happy about this, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time and you can find out how to do so here.
· In more unusual circumstances, we may use your personal data to help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
· Where appropriate, we will seek your consent to carry out some or all of these activities. If you do not provide consent to profiling, your application will continue to be reviewed manually for opportunities you apply for, but your profile will not be automatically considered for alternative roles. This is likely to decrease the likelihood of us successfully finding you a new job.
· You have the right to withdraw that consent at any time and can find out more about how to do so here.
Recruitment Activities: Obviously, our main area of work is recruitment, through: (i) providing you with Candidates; (ii) RPO services; and (iii) MSP programmes. We’ve listed below the various ways in which we use your data in order to facilitate this.
· We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you would like to know more about what this means, please click here.
· If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how and when to do this here.
Marketing Activities: Subject to any applicable local laws and requirements, we will not, as a matter of course, seek your consent when sending marketing materials such as our Global Skills Index to a corporate postal or email address.
· If you are not happy about this, you have the right to opt out of receiving marketing materials from us and can find out more about how to do so here.
· Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements regarding marketing activities. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
· We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you want to know more about what this means, please click here.
· We will not, as a matter of course, seek your consent when sending marketing messages to a corporate postal or email address.
· If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how to do so here.
Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements for more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
– If you were put down by our Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as a referee, we will contact you in order to take up a reference. This is an important part of our Candidate quality assurance process and could be the difference between the individual getting a job or not.
– If you were put down by our Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as a referee, we may sometimes use your details to contact you in relation to recruitment activities that we think may be of interest to you, in which case we will use your data for the same purposes for which we use the data of Clients. If you would like to find out more about what this means, please click here.
· We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you would like to find out more about what this means, please click here.
Website Users: We use your data to help us to improve your experience of using our website, for example by analysing your recent job search criteria to help us to present jobs or Candidates to you that we think you’ll be interested in.
– If Aap3s merges with or is acquired by another business or company in the future, (or is in meaningful discussions about such a possibility) we may share your personal data with the (prospective) new owners of the business or company.
· We are committed to taking all reasonable and appropriate steps to protect the personal information that we hold from misuse, loss, or unauthorised access. We do this by having in place a range of appropriate technical and organisational measures. These include measures to deal with any suspected data breach.
· aap3 are developing their Information Security Management System (ISMS) in accordance with ISO27001 and will be gaining certification to this international standard during 2018. At such time certification is gained the details of the external verification of our information security controls shall be listed within this policy.
· If you suspect any misuse or loss of or unauthorised access to your personal information, please let us know immediately. Details of how to contact us can be found here.
· We will Delete your personal data from our systems if we have not had any meaningful contact with you (or, where appropriate, the company you are working for or with) for two years (or for such longer period as we believe in good faith that the law or relevant regulators require us to preserve your data). After this period, it is likely your data will no longer be relevant for the purposes for which it was collected.
· For those Candidates whose services are provided via a third-party company or other entity, “meaningful contact” with you means meaningful contact with the company or entity which supplies your services. Where we are notified by such company or entity that it no longer has that relationship with you, we will retain your data for no longer than two years from that point or, if later, for the period of two years from the point we subsequently have meaningful contact directly with you.
· When we refer to “meaningful contact”, we mean, for example, communication between us (either verbal or written), or where you are actively engaging with our online services. If you are a Candidate, we will consider there to be meaningful contact with you if you submit your updated CV onto our website or take part in any of our online training. We will also consider it meaningful contact if you communicate with us about potential roles, either by verbal or written communication or click through from any of our marketing communications. Your receipt, opening or reading of an email or other digital message from us will not count as meaningful contact – this will only occur in cases where you click-through or reply directly.
· One of the GDPR’s main objectives is to protect and clarify the rights of EU citizens and individuals in the EU with regards to data privacy. This means that you retain various rights in respect of your data, even once you have given it to us. These are described in more detail below.
· To get in touch about these rights, please contact us. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event within one month (subject to any extensions to which we are lawfully entitled). Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
· Right to object: this right enables you to object to us processing your personal data where we do so for one of the following four reasons: (i) our legitimate interests; (ii) to enable us to perform a task in the public interest or exercise official authority; (iii) to send you direct marketing materials; and (iv) for scientific, historical, research, or statistical purposes.
· Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities (for example, for our marketing arrangements or automatic profiling), you may withdraw this consent at any time and we will cease to carry out the particular activity that you previously consented to unless we consider that there is an alternative reason to justify our continued processing of your data for this purpose in which case we will inform you of this condition.
· Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR): You may ask us to confirm what information we hold about you at any time, and request us to modify, update or Delete such information. We may ask you to verify your identity and for more information about your request. If we provide you with access to the information we hold about you, we will not charge you for this unless your request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive”. If you request further copies of this information from us, we may charge you a reasonable administrative cost where legally permissible. Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request, we will always tell you the reasons for doing so.
· Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements regarding data subject access requests and may refuse your request in accordance with such laws. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
· Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we comply with additional local law requirements regarding data subject right to erasure and may refuse your request in accordance with local laws. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
· When complying with a valid request for the erasure of data we will take all reasonably practicable steps to Delete the relevant data.
– where we have no further need to process your personal data, but you require the data to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
· If we have shared your personal data with third parties, we will notify them about the restricted processing unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. We will, of course, notify you before lifting any restriction on processing your personal data.
Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your personal data between data controllers. In effect, this means that you are able to transfer your aap3s’ account details to another online platform. To allow you to do so, we will provide you with your data in a commonly used machine-readable format that is password-protected so that you can transfer the data to another online platform. Alternatively, we may directly transfer the data for you. This right of data portability applies to: (i) personal data that we process automatically (i.e. without any human intervention); (ii) personal data provided by you; and (iii) personal data that we process based on your consent or in order to fulfil a contract.
· Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Details of how to contact them can be found here.
· If you would like to exercise any of these rights or withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data (where consent is our legal basis for processing your personal data), details of how to contact us can be found here. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
· You may ask to unsubscribe from job alerts at any time. Details of how to do so can be found here.
· It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during the period for which we hold your data.
Who is responsible for processing your personal data on the aap3’s website?
· You can find out which aap3’s entity is responsible for processing your personal data and where it is located by following this link.
– to other third parties, as referred to here.
· To ensure that your personal information receives an adequate level of protection, we have put in place appropriate procedures with the third parties we share your personal data with to ensure that your personal information is treated by those third parties in a way that is consistent with and which respects the law on data protection.
Cookies are used by nearly all websites and do not harm your system. If you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually be altered within your browser settings. We also provide information about this in our Marketing preferences page on the aap3 website.
– to help us advertise jobs to you that we think you’ll be interested in. Hopefully this means less time for you trawling through endless pages and will get you into the employment you want more quickly.
– Persistent cookies: a persistent cookie is stored as a file on your computer and it remains there when you close your web browser. The cookie can be read by the website that created it when you visit that website again. We use persistent cookies for Google Analytics and for personalisation (see below).
– Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential to enable you to use the website effectively, such as when applying for a job, and therefore cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, the services available to you on our website cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you have been on the internet.
– Personalisation cookies: These cookies help us to advertise details of potential job opportunities that we think may be of interest. These cookies are persistent (for as long as you are registered with us) and mean that when you log in or return to the website, you may see advertising for jobs that are similar to jobs that you have previously browsed.
· We don’t think that any of the following activities prejudice individuals in any way – in fact, they help us to offer you a more tailored, efficient service, so everyone’s a winner! However, you do have the right to object to us processing your personal data on this basis. If you would like to know more about how to do so, please click here.
· Please note that in certain areas of the jurisdictions in which we operate, a different legal basis for data processing might apply in certain cases. For more information in relation to your jurisdiction, please click here.
· We apply the 3-part test methodology to the holding and processing of personal data and subject it to the Purpose, Necessity and Balancing test to support our continued processing of the data and to prevent unnecessary processing that may override your individual interests and freedoms.
· We think it’s reasonable to expect that if you are looking for employment or have posted your professional CV information on a job board or professional networking site, you are happy for us to collect and otherwise use your personal data to offer or provide our recruitment services to you, share that information with prospective employers and assess your skills against our bank of vacancies. Once it’s looking like you may get the job, your prospective employer may also want to double check any information you’ve given us (such as the results from psychometric evaluations or skills tests) or to confirm your references, qualifications and criminal record, to the extent that this is appropriate and in accordance with local laws. We need to do these things so that we can function as a profit-making business, and to help you and other Candidates get the jobs you deserve.
· We want to provide you with tailored job recommendations and relevant articles to read to help you on your job hunt. We therefore think it’s reasonable for us to process your data to make sure that we send you the most appropriate content.
· We also think that it might help with your job search if you take part in our specialist online training or some of our more interactive services, if you have the time. These are part of our service offering as a business, and help differentiate us in a competitive marketplace, so it is in our legitimate interests to use your data for this reason.
· We have to make sure our business runs smoothly, so that we can carry on providing services to Candidates like you. We therefore also need to use your data for our internal administrative activities, like payroll and invoicing where relevant.
· We have our own obligations under the law, which it is a legitimate interest of ours to insist on meeting! If we believe in good faith that it is necessary, we may therefore share your data in connection with crime detection, tax collection or actual or anticipated litigation.
· To ensure that we provide you with the best service possible, we store your personal data and/or the personal data of individual contacts at your organisation as well as keeping records of our conversations, meetings, registered jobs and placements. From time to time, we may also ask you to undertake a customer satisfaction survey. We think this is reasonable – we deem these uses of your data to be necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation providing various recruitment services to you.
· We use and store the personal data of individuals within your organisation in order to facilitate the receipt of services from you as one of our Suppliers. We also hold your financial details, so that we can pay you for your services. We deem all such activities to be necessary within the range of our legitimate interests as a recipient of your services.
· If you have been put down by a Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as one of their referees, we use your personal data in order to contact you for a reference. This is a part of our quality assurance procedure and so we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation offering recruitment services and employing people ourselves.
· If a Candidate or Staff member has given us your details as an emergency contact, we will use these details to contact you in the case of an accident or emergency. We are sure you will agree that this is a vital element of our people-orientated organisation, and so is necessary for our legitimate interests.
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· Managed Service Provider (MSP) programmes – Clients‘ outsourcing of the management of external staff (including freelance workers, independent contractors and temporary employees) to an external recruitment provider.
· Other people whom aap3 may contact – these may include Candidates‘ and aap3 Staff emergency contacts and referees. We will only contact them in appropriate circumstances.
· Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services – full or partial outsourcing of the recruitment process for permanent employees to a recruitment provider.
· Website Users – any individual who accesses any of the aap3s’ websites. | 2019-04-22T16:22:33Z | https://uk.aap3.com/privacy-policy/ |
A food blog with recipes of breakfast, main course, desserts, cakes, kababs, curries, snacks and juices.
Watching cooking shows on tv with my diary and pen is my favorite pass time. And this how I had started collecting recipes much before my blogging days. Initially, I didn't have many options with cooking shows and channels...Khana Khazana was the show I would watch for Indian recipes and Martha Stewart for cakes and bakes. The kitchen decor and the cutlery Martha used in her shows would always distract me from watching the actual cooking of hers.
Tandoori Chicken Roll is also inspired by a Canadian tv show on Food Network which is all about food trucks and street food. The name of the show is 'Eat Street' hosted by James Cunningham who tries out all kind of truck food dishes. There was one particular food truck which served Indian food and the tandoori roll was supposed to be the most popular one. They tried to make it more creative by preparing their own achari flavored mayonnaise along with tandoori chicken bite-size pieces, a mint chutney and some crisp salad for the crunch.
Here is my version of a Tandoori chicken roll where I have added a layer of omelet which is of course optional. In case if you are not an egg fan, you can very well opt it out. This tandoori roll can be made with leftover tandoori chicken pieces as well.
How to make mint chutney for rolls?
Mint chutney for rolls has to be slightly dry and not watery in texture. You will find different kinds of recipes on my blog for this chutney but for a whole wheat roll, we need to be very careful so that the wrap does not get soggy.
Store this chutney in a dry glass container up to 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also pour into the ice tray cubes and freeze.
Tandoori flavored chicken pieces wrapped in whole wheat bread with crunchy vegetable salad and mint chutney.
1. In a bowl mix together boneless chicken pieces with yogurt, ginger garlic and green chili paste, Tandoori masala powder, salt and lemon juice. Marinate for 30 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, you can prepare the rotis, mint chutney and salad.
2. Heat cooking oil in a deep pan and cook the marinated chicken till fully done. Add chopped onion and chopped capsicum to the chicken pieces and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Make sure that onion and capsicum are crunchy and not overcooked.
3. Remove the chicken stuffing and set aside.
4. Whisk 2 eggs along with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a non-stick pan and add a tablespoon of egg mixture and swirl the pan around to make a thin omelet. Place a roti on the omelet and the flip on the other side so that the egg gets stuck to the roti. (watch the video to see this step).
5. Remove the egg roti from the pan and spread a tablespoon of green chutney over the wrap. Place some tandoori chicken stuffing along with some salad.
6. Wrap the roll in a sandwich paper or foil paper and serve hot.
I have been receiving a huge request for this recipe of Palak Gosht and it has been on my list for a long time. So here I am with this humble version of this curry with a short and brief video.
The biggest query people have about making this curry is, whether the spinach should be used in chopped or pureed form. And the next question arises as to, in which order it needs to be added. I prefer to add the spinach puree at the end of the cooking process. I personally do not like the idea of adding chopped spinach to this curry even though it is the easy way out.
It is much appealing when the curry has a rich green color. To maintain the color of the spinach, it has to be blanched and while cooking in water, a bit of sugar helps in keeping its color. Shocking the leaves in chilled water also helps it to retain its nutrients as well as its color. Overall, it is a very simple and no fuss curry, and if you already have ginger and garlic paste ready, just add it along with chopped green chilies. This way you can skip the step of grinding of ginger, garlic, and green chili.
Indian style curry with a combination of mutton and spinach, best served with ghee rice or naan.
1. Make a fine paste of chopped garlic, ginger and green chilies. Marinate mutton pieces with this paste, yogurt, and salt for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the spinach leaves and cook in boiling water with some sugar for 3 minutes. Remove the leaves from hot water and place it in ice water for some time. Grind the leaves to a coarse paste and set aside.
3. Heat cooking oil in a pressure cooker and add all the whole spices. Add chopped onion and fry till light golden in color.
4. Now add the marinated mutton, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 2 teaspoon cumin powder, chopped tomato and 3 cups of water (or as needed) in which spinach was cooked. Place the lid and cook the mutton for 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the pressure drops, open the lid and check if muton cooked. Add salt if needed.
5. Finally, add spinach puree, garam masala powder, lemon juice and coriander leaves. Taste and check the seasoning. Cook the curry on low flame for 5 minutes. Turn off the flame and serve hot.
When I say 'real' mango ice cream, I mean it is the ice cream with real mango and real flavor which is impossible to relish in a commercial one. When you buy Ice cream from a shop, all you can see and taste is the artificial color and the strong mango essence in it.
So if you are looking for a good mango ice cream in the comfort of your home, then all you need is 3 ingredients, and 30 minutes of your time and effort. Make the ice cream without an ice cream machine and forget about it for 12 hours. At the end of these 12 hours of waiting, get rewarded with this homemade comfort food kind, full of flavors and scoopable ice cream.
When you remove this homemade ice cream from the freezer, you might find it as hard as a rock, or it depends on the temperature of your freezer. All you have to do is, just keep it in room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving or scooping out. I promise, its worth the wait and you will not be disappointed.
The good news is that now you can make ice cream with the flavor of your choice. Just substitute the mango flavor with the choice of your fruit and your personalized flavored ice cream is ready for you in the freezer of your own kitchen. Stay tuned to see more such ice cream recipe coming soon on the blog.
Quick and easy mango ice cream which requires no ice cream maker and free of artificial colors and additives.
1. Cook the mango puree on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes till all the water in mango evaporates and you get a thick pulp. Set aside and cool completely.
2. Whip the cream using a hand beater or manually till the cream thickens and forms peaks.
3. In a large bowl, mix together mango puree and condensed milk. Then slowly add whipped cream little at a time. Mix well till well combined.
4. Pour in a freezer-proof container and cover with a lid or a cling wrap. Freeze for 5 hours, remove from freezer and stir again. Return the container back to the freezer to set completely.
5. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Serve chilled.
Mango sticky rice was on my to-do list and I desperately wanted to upload it before the mangoes go out of sight.
Ever since my visit to Thailand, Mango sticky rice is that one dessert which had an indelible effect on my taste buds. This dish which is a popular street food is available anywhere you go makes it an ideal snack to keep you full for a long time. I love the combination of the warm steamed rice with the extra richness from the coconut milk and refreshing chilled mangoes on the side, topped with the roasted mung bean which gives a nice nutty crunch.
If ever you are planning to visit Thailand, please do not return before trying this divine dessert...and the good news is that the people in Thailand make sure to keep the mangoes well in stock even during the offseason.
The rice used in making this dessert is a special kind, which is glutinous in nature. It is mainly grown in southern parts of East Asia. Normally any raw rice is slightly transparent in appearance, whereas the glutinous rice has opaque grains as though the rice has already been soaked and dried. The term 'glutinous' does not mean that it has gluten, but to indicate the sticky or glue-like texture after it has been cooked.
How to cook the 'Glutinous Rice'?
This rice is not cooked in a regular way, where we bring the water to a boil and add rice to it. Glutinous rice is cooked without adding it directly to the water ie by just steaming it wrapped in a leaf or a bamboo basket and if both are not available, you can use a muslin cloth.
The rice is first washed thoroughly and soaked overnight. After the rice has been soaked for a minimum of 6 hours, the water is then discarded and the soaked rise is placed on a muslin cloth. The cloth is then wrapped and steamed for about 30 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, it might still look uncooked. The rice is then soaked with sweet coconut milk for another 15 to 20 minutes. At this stage, the rice absorbs all the coconut milk and puffs up, taking in all the moisture and flavors from coconut milk.
The rice can be slightly reheated before serving or can be served at room temperature as well.
Here I have used a tinned coconut milk. If you wish you can extract fresh coconut milk and use it as a combination of thick extract and thin extract in 2:1 ratio. But the tinned coconut milk goes well with this recipe.
A traditional Thai dessert where steamed glutinous rice is served with sweet coconut milk sauce and fresh mangoes.
1. Wash the rice and soak it for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Heat the steamer with enough water.
3. Take a muslin cloth and place the soaked rice in it and wrap the cloth.
4. Place the wrapped rice in the steamer and steam for 20 minutes (spread the rice and make it flat for even cooking). Turn the pouch of rice on the other side and again steam for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the wrapped rice from the steamer and place it in a bowl.
6. Heat a pan and cook together 1 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoon sugar, and a pinch of salt, let it simmer for few minutes or till sugar dissolves completely. Pour this milk over the steamed rice and mix well. Keep the rice covered till all the coconut milk is soaked in (for about 15 to 20 minutes).
7. Coconut Milk Sauce: Heat a saucepan and cook the coconut milk along with sugar and salt till it comes to a slow boil. Then add cornflour mixture. Keep stirring to avoid any lumps and cook on low heat till it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
8. To serve, place the steamed coconut rice on a plate. Keep fresh chopped mango on the side and pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of coconut milk sauce over the rice and mangoes. Sprinkle some roasted mung and serve.
I love to make quesadilla especially as an iftar snack in the month of Ramadan. I feel it is a complete meal rather than calling it a snack. I have replaced its title which was supposed to be a 'Philly Cheese Steak Quesadilla' just to make it convenient for my readers. As it is a bit hard to find the authentic ingredients which go into this wrap. For example, a typical quesadilla is made of a corn tortilla, so here I have replaced it with a whole wheat flour tortilla. Similarly, the Provolone cheese has been substituted by the mozzarella cheese.
If you see the video, the whole process looks very easy and simple with minimal ingredients, which makes it an ideal meal for kids who are fussy eaters. The more easy and simple the dish, the more popular it is.
The sauce which you see in the picture is actually Spicy Mango Chili Dip which I had prepared to make Spicy Mango Chicken Wings. Also, check my very old post of Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich which is much similar to this one.
Grilled flour tortilla, stuffed with vegetables and cooked chicken ideal for a weeknight dinner.
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion, capsicum, and mushrooms for few minutes. Do not overcook the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Chop the chicken fillet into small bits. Heat oil in the same pan and fry chopped chicken pieces along with salt, pepper and soy sauce. Cook till chicken is fully done.
3. Make rotis with the dough and set aside covered.
4. Heat a grill pan or any nonstick pan. Add few drops of oil and place a roti. Spread a spoonful of cooked vegetables, some cooked chicken pieces, jalapenos and a handful of cheese. Place another roti on top and press slightly. Once the bottom part is toasted, turn the quesadilla over and grill on the other side till crisp. Remove from pan, cut into four pieces and serve hot.
Chapli Kabab is a very popular street food and a Peshawari dish, also popular in India and Afghanistan. It is a flat round kabab which resembles the front part of the sandal, that is how it gets its name as 'chapli'.
Chapli Kabab is mainly made out of ground beef or mutton along with fat content. But if you are trying to make it with chicken, you need to add a scrambled egg to give it extra softness. As you might have noticed that any kind of chicken mince kababs tend to dry out as we fry them.
Another important and unique ingredient in this kabab is dry pomegranate seeds and tomato. These ingredients add extra sourness to this spicy kabab making it quite different from rest of the kababs. This kabab can be shallow fried as well as deep fried, the choice is yours. Normally it is shallow fried with lots of oil as there are 2 binding ingredients like chickpea flour and egg which keeps the kabab intact even while deep frying.
I have tried to make a homemade chapli kabab masala just to avoid the store bought ones which are full of preservatives and additives. And I have tried to keep the spice mix as minimal and simple as possible. Also have a quick look at the video to see all the steps and procedure to make this soft, juicy and appetizing kabab.
If the kababs break while frying, you can a little more of chickpea flour. I have mentioned 1 raw egg which should be a large one. If you have very small size eggs, then add 2 of them. Do not over mix after adding tomatoes, as it releases water. Add chopped tomato just before frying.
Chicken Chapli Kabab is very delicate to handle, that is why I have used a cling wrap to shape it, and it becomes easier to take the shaped kabab in our hands and then transfer it to the pan. By using a cling wrap or a clean plastic sheet, you can make large chapli kababs as well.
Adding sliced tomato to the kabab is optional, you can skip this step.
Easy chicken mince kabab with a hint of sour and spicy flavors shaped into a flat patty along with tomato and fried to perfection.
1. Chapli Kabab Masala - Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chilies. Coarsely grind and set aside. Crush pomegranate seeds and set aside. In a clean dry bowl, add crushed spices, pomegranate seeds, garam masala powder, amchoor powder, black pepper powder and mix well.
2. In a large bowl, mix together chicken mince, chopped onion, chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies, eggs (scrambled and raw), chopped coriander leaves, chickpea flour, chapli kabab masala, and salt. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then add deseeded and chopped tomato and mix lightly.
3. Heat a flat pan and add cooking oil as required for shallow frying.
4. Take a cling wrap or a clean plastic sheet and place a slice of tomato. Now place 2 tablespoons of kabab mixture on the tomato slice and shape it into a flat and round kabab. Lift the plastic sheet and transfer the kabab to the frying pan. Shallow fry on both sides (10 minutes on each side) for 20 minutes.
Mutton Rice Porridge is my personal favorite and a comforting one-pot meal. The best part of this recipe is that everything gets cooked in a single saucepan.
For me comfort food is something which has less spice, it should all be in one bowl so that I can just curl up in a corner of the couch with it and should be of a slurpy consistency. This Mutton rice porridge passes all the tests of my ideal comfort food.
There are various kinds of porridge or you can call it congee or kanji. In the southern parts of India, especially Kerela, coconut milk is also used as an extra rich flavor. You can see more One Pot Meal Ideas which I already have in my archives and also I would like to know what is your ideal comfort food when you are feeling low or if you are trying to recover from any sickness or during the cold winter nights.
I have made this Mutton Rice Porridge post and video especially for this holy month of Ramadan. After breaking the fast, we need to go light on our stomach and not stuff it with unhealthy samosas and pies. I could not think of anything better than this soothing and comforting porridge which is packed with carbs, proteins and other nutrients which is enough to get the energy level back to normal.
You can adjust the consistency according to your preference, as most of them prefer it to be a bit more thin and runny. Whereas, I prefer the consistency of a thick soup which makes me satisfied and feel full with just one bowl.
Mildly spiced one bowl comforting meal with the combination of mutton and rice making it a slurpy warm porridge.
1. Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan and add all the whole spices along with chopped onion. Fry till light brown.
3. Then add ginger and garlic paste, green chilies and mint leaves, and cook for few seconds.
4. Now add mutton mince, turmeric powder, salt and chopped carrot. Stir well and cook the mince for 1 minute till it combines with other spices.
5. Add soaked rice and discard the water. Stir well and add 3 cups of water (or more if needed). Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. You need to keep stirring occasionally and keep adjusting the consistency by adding more water if needed. The rice should be fully overcooked and mashed.
6. Finally, add garam masala powder, lemon juice, and coriander leaves. Cook for a minute on high heat.
7. Garnish with ghee and fried onion and serve hot. | 2019-04-24T02:30:41Z | https://www.feedspot.com/infiniterss.php?q=site:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shanazrafiq.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss |
The technique to access purified drinking water as per the environment efficiency and cost effective term.
In Hong Kong, the government has received many queries regarding waste water treatment, waste disposal, quality of drinking water. A committee has been set up to solve those queries with civil engineers by the government. In this assignment, the ground drainage system, treatment of domestic sewage, disposal of solid domestic waste, purification and storage of drinking water are going to be discussed.
Drainage systems of the underground drains or sewers from the buildings or wastewater treatments have been discussed in the particular segment. The different procedures under which the foul water would need to be used in Hong Kong would be illustrated in the project. The particular project would show the different ways from which the remedial systems would be provided.
Outlets: The particular sections provides the guidelines on the different ways to construct the underground drains and sewers form the buildings to the exact point of the existing sewer or a wastewater treatment system and also includes drains which may be outside the exact sewage point (Astuti et al. 2017). A fitting routine about a legitimate availability between foul drainage and the fundamental channels is found in the waste arrangement of Hong Kong islands. The association for little improvements is made to an open sewer that is 30m profound and is the development of the waste is allowed by the owning establishment. Under a few basins and showers, uncommon traps are put which don't have these shapes however their inward workings are intended to satisfy a similar goal. This goal is to prevent foul gasses from the deplete runs and sewer vents, going into the room. Under the following points, the different ways to dispose the wastewaters would be mentioned below in an effective way (Valipour, 2014). Different kinds of outlets contains different ways to evaluate the drainage systems under which it needs to be possible that the ways under which the drains are made the same way of disposing the waste in the drains would need to be used.
Surcharging of drains: Some combined rainwater sewers have been designed to surcharge during heavy rainfall. There are foul sewers that also receive rainwater and therefore surcharge it. In some low-lying sites, some special decisions are being taken to provide it with some effective remedies to decrease the rate of flood during rainfall. The sewerage that has been taken into consideration would need to be surcharged effectively. In case of risk, some valves have been installed effectively to prevent it from the risk of flooding. Necessary care would need to be taken to ensure the sewage has not increased in the risk of flooding. The favored hostile to flooding valves are twofold valve sort, and reasonable for foul water having a manual conclusion gadget. The valves are as per the determinations of prEN 13564. A single valve cannot take the pressure of working effectively and it may not be kept for more than one building (Christensen et al. 2016). This may be because a single valve would not be able to take up the pressure if load is given to it. So, in that case a notice would need to be given in order to make the residents realize about the capacity of the drains and the ways in which it needs to be used effectively.
Layouts: Layout drainage system would need to be kept simple. If the place of the drains are being kept at the same position year after year then it may be necessary to overflow sometime or the other. Changes would need to be done slowly or would need to be minimised. Connections of private to public drains or public to private drains would need to be made accordingly. Some through points may be provided if blockage can not be cleared effectively. Connections would need to be made with fabricated pipes which may be beneficial for the building as these pipes may be useful at the time of flow of waters and guiding it effectively to its place (Jadhav, 2016). These access points would need to be provided at every point of the sewage point. The frameworks are ventilated by a stream of air. A ventilating channel is given close or, on the other hand at the leader of the fundamental channels. The open ventilating funnels that are set up without an air permission valve is given on any deplete fitted with a blocking trap and on any deplete, which is subjected to additional charge. The sewage drains that connect with the kitchens or commercial foods are being connected with separate drains that comply with BS EN 1825-1:2004 and the design would need to be BS EN 1825-2:2002.
Protection of the Drainage: Drains would need to be sealed effectively to make the supply of the flooded water pass away in a nice way. This may be helpful in continuing the flow of the water effectively. A drain would need to be made almost 100mm from the building and flexible in filling up the provided pipes (Li et al. 2017). Drains would need to be inspected regularly and checked effectively and see whether the drains are in a good condition or not.
Effectively made pipes system: The pipes that would may be made would need to be done effectively and the construction of the pipes would need to be checked effectively. The pipes would need to have the effective drainage systems and have the surcharging of the drains effectively made.
Rodent Barrier: The things are being used for trapping of the rodents would need to be maintained and made effectively. This may be beneficial for the building to to have a specific trapping system. Metal cages and trapping systems may be helpful in using it against the rodents.
The following above calculations had been done to determine the gradient of the pipe through which the water would flow.
Through the following calculations, the size of the pipes can be determined.
Water Tightness: The strategy for water tightness is executed subsequent to laying, and counting the essential concrete or other haunching encompassing or inlaying, gravity channels and private sewers (Sharma et al. 2017). It is done to obtain a thought regarding the weight of water that the whole seepage framework may bear.
b. Air Test: The channels that have a distance across up to 300mm are pressurized with a weight of 110mm water gage and held for 5 minutes before testing. The pipe holding an underlying weight of 100 mm with a most extreme misfortune head on a manometer of 25mm out of a time of 7 minutes takes after this.
c.Water Test: The channels that has measurement of 300mm are filled in with water upto a profundity of 5m over the most minimal alter in the test segment with a base profundity of 1m that is measured at a most astounding alter in the test segment. The pipe is then left for a cooling time of 60 minutes. The test weight is kept up for a time of 30 minutes, by garnish up the water at important levels so it is found inside 100mm of the required levels all through the tests. The losses that brought about per square meter of the surface range does not surpass 1.15liters for test lengths with the main pipelines or 0.20 liters for test lengths including the pipelines and sewer vents, or 0.40 liters for tests with just sewer vents and examination chambers alone.
d.Connectivity: Connecting the uses of the pipes in a effective manner the different ways under which the works that are being done would need to be done in an effective way (Billington et al. 2017). The connections would need to be appropriate, this is because if the connections are not upto the point then it may be harmful for the society who would be using it.
Transfer of surface water in the city has been a noteworthy concern making the waste framework to be troublesome now and again. In any case, there are sure methods utilized by the administration with the goal that the underground seepage frameworks could be successfully used to clean up the surface water. Nonetheless, there are sure territories that should be centered on while considering transfer of surface water. A noteworthy segment of the surface water is started as water from the yearly or occasional precipitation. Consequently, it can be seen clearly from a discourse these surface water must be depleted underneath the ground to liberated the surface from dormancy. Henceforth, the current arrangement of transfer of the surface water comprises of certain sub-parts (Skousen et al. 2017). The main technique connected for the same is to structure outlets to give the water a chance to deplete to the underground aquifers. However, because of interruption of this framework, there is the utilization of the consolidated framework that may attract the water to the underground arrangement of sewerage. From there on, there are kept couple of reinforcement frameworks that are exceedingly proficient to evacuate the dormant water and penetrate it in the underground sewer framework. In any case, such sort of framework is well relevant to the seepage securing little catchments comprising of impenetrable zones of around two hectares. This sort of framework is additionally pertinent to territories bigger than this.
Outlets: The outlets are composed in a way that is at risk to send or deplete the water in an underground soakaway. This is the principal type of outlet that has been wanted to evacuate the surface water. On the off chance that there is the inaccessibility of soakaway the water must be sent to some other invasion framework according to practicability. Nonetheless, there are few concerns while completing such an arrangement of ground water release. There is a prerequisite of assent from the Environment Agency that chooses or puts a farthest point to the rate at which the release must be finished. Most extreme stream of water can be allowed as per the arrangement of detainment basins (Whittle et al. 2017). Be that as it may, on account of inaccessibility of this sort of release framework, the water must be released into the underground sewer framework.
Combined: On the note of the consolidated framework, it is to be portrayed that it comprises of sewers that conveys both the surface water and the foul water from the household waste. These waters are sent in a similar pipe basically to the underground sewerage framework. There is another limitation of the framework as far as natural ramifications. Consolidated framework must be utilized when there is sufficient limit of the sewerage channels to convey the two waters all the while (Meegoda et al. 2017). With regards to sewerage funeral director, if the sewerage does not contain that much ability to convey the aggregate stream of both foul and crisp water, the surface water is go through a different waste framework.
Septic tank: Septic tanks are generally constructed underground and used to collect sewage. That sewage will be decomposed by bacterial activity before draining. The primary treated effluent has been produced by septic tanks. Primary treated effluent consists own foul smell and it is toxic to aquatic worms and life. Primary treated effluent can only be discharged to a drainage field (Withers, Jordan, May, Jarvie & Deal, 2014).
Location: The septic tanks need to be situated beyond 18 meter of any stream of water, spring or well. That is because, water from those sources can be used for drinking, preparation of foods or drinks, cleaning of vessels for manufacturing purpose etc. Apart from this, every septic tanks needs to be situated in way so that removal of sludge and periodic inspection are easy.
Design: The design of septic tank needs to be in a way so that it enables to collect all the sewage from household or apartment and easy to treat. The depth of the tank needs to be minimum 1.2 meter to 1.8 meter from the invert of the inlet to the floor. The length of the septic tank needs to be more than three times but less than four times of its width. A tank must contain two chambers those needs to access easily for inspection and cleansing purpose. The floor of every septic tank needs to be constructed by concrete. The thickness of that concrete made floor needs to be more than 150 mm. The sides of every septic tank need to be more than 215 mm thick and constructed by brickwork in cement mortar. The thickness of concrete has to more than 125 mm thick. Apart from this, a septic tank needs to be constructed with approved material to avoid any dispute (Richards, Withers, Paterson, McRoberts & Stutter, 2017). All the internal faces that include floor of any septic tanks need to be rendered in cement mortar or faced with other approved material. This helps to deliver impervious and smooth surface.
Method of operation: The sewage in septic tanks generally treated by break its organic contents. In a septic tank, there are generally three layers of sewage. The Scum layer exists on top, liquid effluent layer exists in middle and sludge layer exists at the bottom. In order to reduce odour and sludge quantity, anaerobic bacteria needs to be added to a septic tank. This type of bacteria needs no oxygen to grow and break down organic materials in the septic tank. The whole process can run upto two months or more (Almomani, & Khraisheh, 2016). Methane gas can be produced from large plants that used for power generation or heating purpose.
Sizing based on population: The size of septic tank generally produced by the number of population use it regularly. The capacity of septic tank for small population includes 16-48 hours flow and 3.5 cubic meter. The content in a septic tank should not disturbed by any entering flows. 0.8 liters per person per day should be the accumulated sludge volume.
Disposal of sludge: The sludge can be used for various purpose such as agricultural, producing energy, landfilling etc. The content from the septic tank generally pumped out and put it into the soakaway pit of a tanker lorry. A specialist contractor needs to complete this procedure.
Disposal of water after treatment: the remaining water, which has been treated in the septic tank, disposed in septic drainfield for further treatment. A building owner who is going to install a septic tank needs to submit methods of disposal of sewage to the building authority to get approved.
Vehicle access: A septic tank needs to be constructed in a place where vehicles can access it easily. The vehicles include lorry to pump out sewage from the septic tank. The inlet level needs to be more than 3 meters of septic tank and within the 30 meters of vehicle access point (Sun, Liu, Tan, Tang & Kida, 2017).
2. Sewage treatment plant (STP): A sewage treatment plant generally works as the same way of septic tank. However, its mechanical components help to break solids to produce more cleaner and environmentally friendly effluent. The secondary treated effluent can be produced by sewage treatment plant. This type of effluent is cleaner than primary treated effluent. The secondary treated effluent needs to be colourless and odourless. Apart from this, it can be discharged to the surface water such as rivers, streams and to the ground such as drainage field.
Location: Sewage treatment plant generally used to treat a huge amount of sewage water from household and apartments. Therefore, in order to make a STP, outskirt of city or a less populated area of a city is preferred (Xu et al. 2015). The procedures of STP are open to view for all to better maintenance and operational purpose.
Design: The components of STP include submersible pump, general headroom, access walkways, artificial ventilation, staircases, open mesh flooring etc.
The submersible pump allows flexibility to operate the STP. The pump used to recycle effluent of the plant while the incoming flow is less. It helps to maintain the working condition of whole STP. General headroom of 3 meters needs to be constructed for underground or closed STP, which consists artificial ventilation. The measurement of general headroom can be reduced to 2.5 meters at localized point such as under any beam. Minimum air volume of enclosed STP needs to be 14 cubic meter. 10 air changes per hour should be provided to the artificial ventilation. The exhaust pipes of ventilation need to be constructed more than 1 meter above the roof of STP. The width of access walkways needs to be minimum 0.75 meter in order to access all areas of STP to operation and maintenance purpose.
The walkways should contain toe boards and safety rails made with stainless steel preferably. To restrict ponding, the walkways need to be laid to a 1:25 crossfall. The staircases need to be provided to go up and down whenever required. The tanks should contain step irons or ladders of stainless steel in order to access those. Mild steel needs to be restricted. The space maintained in step iron have to be 250 mm c/c vertically and 300 mm c/c horizontally. A tank needs to be covered with open mesh flooring if required (Schaubroeck et al. 2015). The mesh flooring should be constructed with aluminum alloy or stainless steel. It has to be designed for 5kPA uniformly distributed load. The fresh water taps need to be provided to any suitable place for hand washing. The control panel and distribution board of electricity need to be placed in a position, which can not be flooded with water. Dehumidifying heater needs to be added with control panels. The diagrams and instructions need to be place with the control panels in Chinese and English. The valves, pumps and penstocks need to be labelled accurately.
Method of operation: Sedimentation tanks can be two types such as circular/square upward flow tank and rectangular horizontal flow tank. The length to width ratio of sedimentation tank could not be less than 2. The length to width ratio between 1 and 2 needs to be avoided. In order to collect and remove sledges easily, minimum 60-degree hopper wall slops needs to be provided to upward flow sedimentation. A mechanical scraper system can be provided with horizontal sedimentation tanks on a nominal floor slope, which helps to discharge sludge hopper. Twin tanks are preferable to use but single tank can be allowed with proper scraper that allows maintaining underwater parts.
The fine leveling can be done by using adjustable weirs in sedimentation tanks. V-notch weirs preferably use for the variation of wide flow. To prevent the sludge overflow, the sidewalls need to be minimum of 1 meter of height (Yang, Li, Zou, Fang & Zhang, 2014). A chamber needs to be included with the final sedimentation tank outlet after installation of recirculation pump’s weir. The actual flow is always lesser than designed flow.
The feed pump needs to there to prevent flow more than 3 DWF.
A tank with 60 days sludge volume storage.
Vehicle access for cleansing purpose.
Disposal of water after treatment: a solution of sodium hypochlorite needs to be added to the effluent after final sedimentation in order to discharge it (van Loosdrecht & Brdjanovic, 2014).
Vehicle access: vehicles should access the whole STP easily.
The treatment of sewage water can be done by two methods.
Septic tank: Effluent produced by septic tank is primarily treated and contains foul odor. The effluent is toxic for aquatic life and worms. Therefore, the treatment of effluent needs to be good so that it can not affect environment. In a gravel field, a network of pipeline called drain field needs to be produced. The wastewater with solid waste gravitates towards a absorption field. However, other types of gravity based wastewater equally distributed in the drain field. At the final stage, the liquid wastewater runs through gravel layer after leak out of pipes. Then it moves through soil layer and filtered by soil. The microbes of soil help to treat the wastewater. After that the water moves to groundwater. The dry soil is more effective for the whole process.
Regular inspection and cleaning is needed to maintain the septic tank. Water needs to be used efficiently and extra usage of water can be caused of system failure (Siegrist, 2017). Dumping of non-decomposable wastes needs to be avoided. The pesticides, acids, paints and other chemicals need to be avoided to dump in septic tank. Those can create harmful environment for microbes in the septic tank.
Sewage treatment plant: Without any discharge, high amount of impoundments are involved in treatment plants. If the precipitation exceeds, the evaporation of impoundments have to be high. In order to treat liquid wastewater, the storage requirements, groundwater pollution and other things need to be considered. The effluents can be discharged in natural water bodies. Those effluents can be used to cool industrial machines. That water also can be used for public usage. The wastewater can also be used for irrigation and agricultural purpose and for watering golf course, parks etc (Mahapatra, Chanakya, & Ramachandra, 2013).
The harmful mixtures and toxins need to be separated from the water before releasing it. The technology needs to be improved in order to remove chemical materials from the wastewater. Composite and landfills are the other alternative method for safety.
Hence, in order to carry out the process of disposal of household solid wastes the government has taken special initiatives.
Landfill- Tonnes of trash from the business, industry and residences are disposed of f at key sites of Hong Kong. THe major advantage of these landfills is that they provide the maximum space or capacity requires for the disposal of the solid wastes. The major landfill sites of Hong Kong are West New Territories (WENT) Landfills, South East New Territories (SENT) Landfills and lastly the North East New Territories (NENT) Landfill.
Refuse Chutes- In order to pass the refuse from the each floor to the central ground floor of a building an inclined channel called as refuse chute is used. Before the year 2000 the refuse chute was named as a Refuse Storage. However those built after that year were named as Material Recovery Chamber (Garcia-Lodeiro, Carcelen-Taboada, Fernández-Jiménez & Palomo, 2016).
Sorting- Based on the nature of source material a process of sorting is followed. The process involves wide range of labour intensive hand picking activities that carries on over to a very technical complex processes. The accumulation of wastes is essentially being done in separate containers initiating the process of sorting. Another method used in this kind is to sort the solid wastes after collection in the recycling centre (Chen et al. 2015). However, this process is quite complicated when compared to the process of segregation at the centre of generation.
Requirements and constraints of solid waste management is an important agenda of government. In order to deal with the above-mentioned criteria, some internal and external factor needs to keep in concern to run the system in smooth manner.
Legal Requirements: According to the act of the Waste Disposal Ordinance (1980), all the soil wastage is managed to the final disposal of that material, this procedure is going through a systematic framework. The internal process is going through environment friendly procedures. Disposal of that wastage, in one part utilize the wastage materials and in another part, it creates some benefits for large quantity of people by managing different kind of disposal technique.
This initiative was done by many times in various times to improve all its strategy structure the solid waste management technique. Different things like Livestock string, wasting chemical, dumping illegal waste things and the process of import and export technique is important matter. In order to enlist those thing for the amendment procedure, aiming to improve the condition of waste management procedure. In 2006, all the rules and regulation are amended again to set up some rules according to the International Basel Ban to control the clinical waste also after use those materials.
Solid waste is necessary for the overall benefit of creature community; due to different reason like quality of solid, and concentration level and physical and chemical reaction of solid waste it creates some side effects on human health safety and harmful for the environment also. Waste Disposal Regulation is already gives some threatening alarm for managing the solid waste in a particular framework.
Climate change is the result of the improper solid waste management in details any manufacturing product from its production to waste is such a phase that produce harmful gases. Product manufacturing going through some specific procedure that may creates a large amount of greenhouse gas. These gases are the leading reason for the global warming situation facing by the human civilization in today's world. The green house gas are, majorly impact the earth climate.
Population increasing is the prime factor for the solid waste management. Different countries like Asia, Africa and Latin America are the most Victim country of climate change in negative perspective.
Landfills by government or the public is a systematic procedure for burning those materials or underground the solid waste. The simple thing is that by collecting those materials government can collect a huge number of money approximately $435 annually. The problem is lying in the psychology of the people that they produce wastage rather than recycle those products. Hong-Kong government set up a plan for mange all the waste materials in a modern technique about 400 hectares of land till 2030.
Purification of Water is a key part in guaranteeing access to safe drinking water. Safe drinking water emphatically affects the strength of the whole group. Frameworks are set up to guarantee to progress water quality, including water quality testing. The testing guarantees the water treatment prepare brings about an item that meets government’s water quality rules. Water examination includes searching for a few sorts of contaminants, including perilous levels of natural, microbial, inorganic and additionally radioactive contaminants. Precipitation is one of the wellsprings of water in the earth (Ruiz-Aguirre, Polo-López, Fernández-Ibáñez & Zaragoza, 2017).
The availability of fresh water in river was very limited till 1960s. The government of Hong Kong took steps regarding importing raw water from Guangdong province to improve the condition. Now they have 70-80 percent of fresh water imported from Dongjiang.
Small streams flow throughout the country that adds a major part of the country’s water.
Shallow wells are regularly the methods for getting to groundwater of shallow profundities (Pramanik, Thangavadivel, Shu & Jegatheesan, 2016). The water supply framework, talented individuals dive into the delicate ground developments until the point when they have to strike the water table.
The idea of profound wells is like the shallow wells just contrast lies in the profundity of water gathering.
Specific penetrating of soil and shake is completed for making bore wells. The gap is of 100-150 mm breadth in the event of drill gaps.
A supply that is appropriate to utilized for the capacity of water from stream or waterways stream actually and the water volume that is put away administers the store estimate. This can influence by the fluctuation of the inflow accessible for the store.
Screening: Screening removes many big obstacles from water. This water can come from lakes, streams or the ground goes through a screen as it enters the water treatment plant (Kravchenko, Chernova, Panchenko, Kosygina & Yakupova 2016). At the point when the water source is a lake or stream, the screen serves an essential capacity, keeping out substantial common contaminants, for example, plants and wood, or fish. In the event that groundwater is utilized, screening may not be important since the water has gone through layers of the earth in what is a characteristic screening capacity.
Coagulation: It is a process of removing nutrients and other remaining solids present in the water by adding chemicals to it. The chemicals create which is called floc, a type of sticky particles that attracts dirt making it heavier to sink down to the bottom of the storage tank.
Sedimentation: As the dirt, sits in the bottom of the water tank thereby forming a sedimentation basin. The dirt-free water flows at the top. It takes lot of time in settling down of the sedimentation.
Filtration: In this stage, water passes through different layers of sand, gravel and other substances. All these layers act as a filtration process to filter any remaining substances. These layers are made deep to get the filtration process as best as possible. In filtration stage, anything swimming in the water will be removed.
Disinfection: This is the final stage where disinfection process is applied to get the purest form of water. By adding chlorine, this water is made truly drinkable by discarding all the toxins, killing all the bacteria, viruses and parasites. Finally the chlorine is counteracted by adding sodium bisulphate (ghigh, Alizadeh, Wong, Islam, Amin, et al. 2015).
Water further can be classified into parts: hard water and soft water. The portability of water is determined by the hardness of water. Hard water is made up of many dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Soft water contains only one ion, which is sodium. Soft water is basically a water. As the rainfall happens, the water falls on the ground in form of soft water. As it start settling in the ground, it gets mixed with different components such as calcium, magnesium and chalk and turns the water into hard water. The percentage of mineral content is found high in hard water, which is sometimes considered as potable water suited for drinking. Sometimes temporary hardness is found in the water, which cannot be removed after boiling also. Any liquid substance has two types of nature: acidic in nature and alkaline in nature. This nature can be measured by dipping a pH strip into the substance. If the pH strip is divided into parts 1-6 that shows acidic meter and 8-12 shows alkaline meter. 7 is the neutral value of the substance. If the pH strip turns red then it is acidic in nature and if pH strip turns blue then it is alkaline in nature.
A reservoir is a water-stockpiling compartment that holds clean water after it has been dealt with in a water plant and before it is channeled to the end clients. These compartments are secured and are intended to guard the water against contamination. Their primary intention is to give a cradle inside the water supply framework with the goal that water supplies can be kept up crosswise over times of changing interest (Peng, Jin, Li, Li, Srinivasan, et al.2016).
River: The government mainly collects the water source from its neigjhbpoiuringf copunteries like Dogging that is situated in the east part of the country.
Small streams, which are not flow every time during a year is mainly, contribute the most part of the water Hong Kong city. Government annually collects 70 to 80% of water in the small streams.
Shallow water Shallow wells are one of the major sources of water in Hong Kong. Shallow wells water supply is the source of water in Hong Kong city. The small part of river or any kind of water reservation is the providing the drinking water in Hong Kong. Purified water is managing through applying a basic method of water purification.
Deep wells holes: Not only the small part but also the deep well provide the large amount of drinking water in Hong Kong. In order to collect the drinking water a specific procedure is made to collect a drinking water from deep wells.
Desalination impounding reservoirs: different reservoir also supplies the crisis of water. The basic process is same as the deep well technique. This procedure is cost effective and environmentally friendly.
Environment efficiency and cost effective procedure of water purification is a basic thing for storing the natural water resource. Rainfall storing is a huge matter for the water storing there has some specific procedure that can produce a clear and healthy water. That procedure is called the hydrological cycle. Evaporation cycling means evaporation, condensation and precipitation. These steps are associated with the different kind of human made technique. The main thing is that evaporation occurs when the level of water of is transforming in evaporation from the liquid state. The main function is the storing of rainfall.
Condensation of rainfall is a procedure of changing the state of liquid form due to the climate procedure. Fresh water is sufficient in Hong-Kong that is faced from 1960. This procedure is made from accumulate the water from neighboring state. Streams from different region are the main source of water.
The main function is dependent on the efficiency skills by the staff that are responsible to the job they have to take proper prevention to supply fresh and safe drinking water to the people of Hong Kong. The basic procedure was made through proper application of the standard procedure. Drinking water should be safe in order to not spreading germ via consumption of water, the water is the main source which operate the human body but the main thing is that the water supply is basically done through the government in specific time period.
The basic purpose to do this activity is to provide a fresh water trough to the public of Hong Kong ( Hering et al. 2015). All the procedure which are adopted is that they first accumulate there the water from different sources then after they use the technique of specified technique of water purify from those collected water. Then supply the purified water to the Hong Kong resides people. All the process is very cost and environmental free to deliver the cost free water to the citizen. All necessary part is done in a systematic procedure under basic surveillance. The water reservation technique should be done through a specific measurement, which is not harmful for the human health. The main thing is that the people who were responding to that thing take some measurement to provide safe water.
Water pollution is causing through the wastage of solids and factory wastage so the place where the water pollution is done must have to reside from the distant place of those place. All the necessary part is some within a specific time. Main thing is that they have to deal with that product in very systematic way by how no other inevitable process is going through a proper surveillance. All the process is systemic in order to supply fresh and harmless water to the public of Hong Kong government. The procedure is very critical f but it has to be done by the Hong -Kong government supply the water to the public mainly they have to think about that specially for the children., they are very sensitive in order to tolerate the germ negative effect. They have less immunization power to tackle all those unpleasant factors of polluted water.
Financial context in the domestic sewage and availability of fresh water is mainly high concerning matter of the Hong-Kong government. They sometimes have to make MOU with other countries to get the sufficient amount of water (Salimi et al. 2017). Domestic Sewage system of Hong-Kong government is, mainly concerned for providing safe and healthy water, they can not violate rules by cross the boundary of any country or break the MOU on bilateral treaty (Rozin,Haddad, Nemeroff, & Slovic, 2015). Some financial activity done by the government is to provide in this particular context. The main purpose of the doing this term is to satisfy the public of Hong Kong. Some perspective is attached through the financial terms. Some implication also associates in the financial aspect. They have to take some definite procedure to collect the water and run the system accurately in domestic sewage process.
Environmental factor is one of the major factor for controlling the drainage and water supply to the people of Hong Kong public. The Main perspective is to provide drinking water in a sustainable process manse the processto adopt by the practitioner by how people can gain the profit simultaneously store for the fort the future generation(Guerrero, Maas,Hogland, 2013). Environmental factor is a major factor, which are associated with the environmental system is the major part for the government of Hong-Kong.
Ecological factors have to concern is the basic thing means the accumulator has to store the water and provide that to the citizen o f the people in healthy state. In order to do that they can't violate the rule or destroy the ecological rule by how the creature of water will harm and the lifesystem of water is destroyed.
Not only that the sewage system, some time loosen the basic element of soil, which leads improper farming in the countries who are dependent on the farming.
Health and safety matter is mainly concern of both the government and the public of Hong Kong. Water should be in that situation by how people will not became seriously ill due to consumption of those water supplied in their or use for drinking purpose. The main agenda in this sector is that process is to take the necessary elements to reduce the harmful ingredient from the water. All the process, which is associated, this procedure is highly concerned about the health and safety matter of people health. People should also gather some information about how they can get the sufficient amount of water and sewage system of domestic purpose has to take consideration about the safety and healthy manner.
Proper knowledge of healthy water and its pros concert will enlighten the people about their health. They did not realise that how much they are effective in order to consume the healthy water supplied by the government but the main perspective is to deliver a germless water buy how they are able to understand the positive impact over the health. In order to makeimproper system of drainagesystem is causing the germ production which leads several diseases in all aged people. Not only has that it created a trouble in the daily life of the people of Hong Kong. In order to remove the obstacle government have to take necessary action (Terzi,Gedik,Verep, & Yandi, 2015). In overall, the perspective is to maintain a good and healthy lifestyle by the citizen of people. In international forum there are mainly countries who are serving for the best procedure for the citizen of their own country, In that perspective they are also have to concern about their health by the citizen also. It is a two way process. The citizen also has to take care and gather proper knowledge about the safety measurement. A country which have standard rate of healthy people, and reduce their mortality rate by providing the proper infrastructure facility they are ranked in the higher position after assessing by the international territory (Maxwell,2014).The Hong Kong government always try to focus their activity and continuously make improvement of that. Now that country is in better situation; if they follow all the measurement for providing healthy water and property drainage system they will also can be achieved the best tagline in perspective of proper health condition and the domestic sewage system.
The following assignment has focused on the portraying an appropriate comprehension about the ground seepage framework. The seepage state of Hong Kong Island is considered in this examination. The topic of this task depends on reviewing the questions that are raised by a portion of the nationals living in the Hong Kong Island. The representing bodies expected to answer the questions raised and it has been managed in this task. The task has endeavored to portray a reasonable outline of the strategies that are utilized for treating household sewage and the procedure of subterranean waste framework. | 2019-04-24T19:46:33Z | https://www.abcassignmenthelp.com/understanding-the-ground-drainage-systems-and-the-methods-to-treat-domestic-sewage-hong-kong |
The Financial Sector of an economy plays a significant role in attracting the Foreign Institutional Investment inflows. The present study tries to examine the effect of significant macroeconomic variables; inflation and exchange rate on the inflows of Foreign Institutional Investment in India. The author has tried to develop a theoretical framework to analyze the inter-relation between Foreign Institutional Investment, Inflation and Exchange Rate. Given the huge volume of these flows and their significant impact on domestic financial markets; understanding the determinants of these flows becomes imperative as the economy moves towards full capital account convertibility.
recourse to external debt on commercial terms became inevitable. Hence. 2. Independent regulators were formed in place for Insurance Sector and the Capital Markets. In the late eighties in response to partial liberalization measures. In addition to institutional sources (such as Export-Import agencies). Until 1991. INTRODUCTION 1. POST-LIBERALIZATION ERA: After globalization comprehensive economic reforms were introduced in various sectors such as: Fiscal Policy Reforms: State tax regime with just 3 rates for both excise as well as Customs Duties. mainly on concessional terms. Trade Policy Reforms: Most of the items were on open General License and the Quantitative Restrictions were lifted. Interest Rates Brought Down – Bank Rate and PLR were lowered. Along with the Full National Treatment for Foreign Companies incorporate in India. The compulsions of repayments to IMF during the late ‘eighties (of the EFF drawls in the early ‘eighties) added to the problems. FDI inflows were allowed only in designated industries with varying conditionality imposed upon them. reluctance to permit foreign investments or private commercial flows in general. public health and public safety. and Relatively greater emphasis on import-substitution rather than export-promotion. external financing was confined to external assistance through multilateral and bilateral sources. The Private sources of finance were looked at with suspicion. Prudential norms were stiffened in Banking Sector which led to various reforms in the Banking Sector. economic growth increased to 8% of GDP. India relied more on bilateral and multilateral loan agreements with long maturities. In brief. To sustain high growth momentum the Government followed expansionary policies resulting in high fiscal deficit and high Current Account Deficit. opted for a model of development characterized by what was then perceived as self-reliance. syndicated loans and bonds. and to maintain the impressive export performance of the late ‘eighties. particularly the perceptible decline in the availability of official concessional flows in relation to the external financing needs of developing countries. an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) in the 1980s and more recently. Monetary Policy and Financial Sector Reforms: 1. until the ‘eighties’. changed the external sector situation at a time when India was initiating liberalization.1 Pre-Liberalization Era: India. recourse to IMF facilities to meet extraordinary situations such as the drought in 1960s. till 1980s. In the absence of exchange rate flexibility these problems became acute thus resulting in the Balance of Payments crisis. especially multilateral flows. . This meant that. Securitization Act was introduced for providing better security to the creditors. mostly on concessional terms to or through Government. after independence. 2. Industrial Policy Reforms: Capacity licensing was dispensed with and compulsory licensing was restricted only to 6 sectors and this categorization was based on the grounds of national security. the Gulf crisis. and relatively lesser on equity inflows in the form of FDI and portfolio investments. almost total reliance on official. In the ‘eighties. 3.1. IRA and SEBI was introduced respectively. financing of investments was almost wholly through domestic saving with recourse to foreign flows at the margin only. and deposits from non-resident Indians were accessed. oil shock of late 1970s. global developments. in the early 1990s. The justification for this approach was to sustain the momentum of growth of the Indian economy which jumped from around 3 per cent per annum during 1950-80 to over 5 per cent in the ‘eighties.
therefore. the stock markets and the Foreign Exchange play a vital role to know the Financial Pulse of a country. Which would ultimately affects the inflation and the return on investment. This was done in the form of FDI and Portfolio Investments.000 Cr till October 2003. In order to know the health of an economy and to know the level of exposure in International Market one can look into the Stock Markets and the Foreign Exchange of that country.1 3. On its negative side stands the argument that they may pull back their investments at any time they find that there is a trouble in the economy of the Host Country. The resultant gain of this injection has led to both the positive and negative results. On its positive side stands the argument that it helps in achieving a higher degree of liquidity at domestic stock market. it is important to understand the mutual relationship between the financial markets from the standpoint of financial stability. Interest rate affects the return on exchange rate. Growth of Demand for Money affects Net FII Investments. and minimize costs of such flows. The analysis concludes that return on the BSE Sensex affects return on exchange rate (Rs. if we look at the negative side of the FII inflows then we can conclude that the negative side is heavier than the positive side as it may prove to be a breakdown for the whole of the economy and thus leading to a crisis. affect domestic financial sector.1 Theoretical Model for FII: To build the theoretical model. it increases price earning ratios and finally reduces the cost of capital for investment. FII: “Foreign Institutional Investor” means an institution established or incorporated outside India which proposes to make investment in India in securities.600 Cr in 1993 to about Rs. FII investment in the domestic market has both the positive and negative effects./US$). the Exchange Rate and FII. 2. In this paper an attempt has been made to look into the macro-economic determinants of the FII. Interest Rate.e. 1995 1 . When there is both perfect capital mobility and equal riskiness of Regulation 2 (f) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Foreign Institutional Investors) Regulations. including the cost of risk of reversal of such flows.4. Large capital flows could push up monetary aggregates. FII investments have steadily grown from about Rs. since 1997. destabilize exchange rate. 21. i. However. how to maximize the benefits of such flows. On the positive side it is the opening of new opportunities with the integration of domestic and financial markets and its negative side shows the risk factor which is being faced by the financial system. Further. 3. Relaxation in Exchange Controls: Profits and dividends were freely repatriated. Ever since the opening of the Indian equity markets to foreigners. Inflation and Exchange Rate and to find out an inter-relationship between Interest Rate. and finally disrupt the economy if and when such flows get reversed or drastically reduced. Asian Crisis is an example of the same. brought to the fore the issue of managing such flows specifically. Globalization and financial sector reforms in India have ushered in a sea change in the financial architecture of the economy. Thus. This relationship will be explained with the help of Uncovered Interest Parity Theory and the Purchasing Power Parity Theory. More emphasis was laid down on Equity Flows in place of Debt Flows. Along with this they also help in improving the functioning of the domestic stock market. The experience so far has. Net Investments by FIIs affects return on the BSE Sesex and interest rate. With the inception of Financial Sector Reforms. well-known Uncovered Interest Parity (UIP) and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) conditions have been combined. Inflation. there has been a dramatic change in the functioning of the financial sector of the economy. create inflationary pressures. Consequently.
The other piece of information we need to compare the rates of return offered by Dollar and Rupee is the expected change in the Dollar/Rupee exchange rate over the year.05 = $ 0. Step 3: Use the exchange rate you expect to prevail a year from today to calculate the expected the dollar value of the rupee amount determined in Step 2.05 Step 3: Since we expect the rupee to appreciate against the dollar over the coming year.10 at the end of the year.025). 12. 3. i. In order to find out that which deposit (Indian or US) will fetch you more benefit. 1 will receive Rs.025-1/45)/1/45 = 0. one can make use of the following five steps process: Step 1: Use today’s $/Re exchange rate to figure out the Dollar price of a Rupee deposit. 1 of principal amount and Ps. Step 1: If the exchange rate today is $1/45 per rupee. Re.2 Uncovered Interest Parity Theory: Participants of the Foreign Exchange Market base their demands for deposits of different currencies on a comparison of these assets’ expected rates of return. but you expect the rate of return to be Rs.e. 45 per dollar. 45) and can forecast its value in a year ($0. the dollar price of Re 1 deposit $ 1/45. one is calculating the Rupee rate of return on a dollar deposit because you are comparing its (dollar’s) rupee price today with its rupee price a year from today.125. Keeping these figures in mind we will proceed to know the direction of investment inflows based on exchange rate differential and rte of return differential. 42 per dollar after a year.5%. then home and foreign bonds are said to be perfect substitutes. Thus. then one would expect the dollar value of rupee deposit after a year would be $ 1/42 * Re 1. 1. How the exchange rate will change so that they can translate rates of return measured in different currencies into comparable terms.e. i. This can be done by taking the rupee interest rate into consideration.025 Step 4: Now we know the rupee price of a $1 deposit today (Rs. So at the end of the year. Suppose that today’s exchange rate is Rs. the lender of Re. thus the expected rupee rate of return on a dollar deposit as (0. The above four step process can be easily understood with the help of the following example. Step 4: Calculate the expected dollar rate of return on a rupee deposit. Step 2: Find out the amount of rupee you will have a year from now if you purchase rupee today. In order to compare the returns on different deposits the investor requires the following two-fold information: How the change in money value of deposits will take effect: This information is needed to compute the rate of return on a deposit of a particular currency.domestic and foreign bonds. This is the currency’s interest rate. the amount of that currency an individual can earn by lending a unit of the currency for a year. Suppose the rate of return on a dollar deposit is 10% per year while the rate of return on a rupee deposit is 5%. 10 of which is interest. Re 1 deposit will be worth Re 1. Step 2: Interest rate on rupee deposits is 5% per year. The interest rates offered by a Dollar and a Rupee will tell us how their Dollar and Rupee values will change over a year. Eg: At a rupee interest rate of 10%. . Perfect substitutability of domestic and foreign bonds implies that uncovered interest parity condition will hold on a continuous basis.
Similarly. -------------------.E $/Re)/E $/Re.Equation 1 Where.Thus we can conclude that since the rate of return on a dollar deposits is only 10% per year. While the real exchange rate between two countries’ currencies is a broad summary measure of the price of one country’s goods and services relative to the other’s. Only when all expected rates of return are equal there is no excess supply of some type of deposit and no excess demand for another.Equation 3 Alternatively. Thus. PPP predicts that an increase in the currency’s domestic purchasing power will be associated with a proportional currency appreciation. the right side of the second equation measures the purchasing power of a dollar when exchanged for Rupee and spent in India.E $/Re)/E $/Re ----------. Putting it in equation form: E$/Re = P$/PRe. Major prediction of PPP is that real exchange rates . we can say that the foreign exchange market is in equilibrium when the interest parity condition holds good. The relationship between inflation and inflow of investment can be analyzed with the help of the provisions of Purchasing Power Parity Theory. one expects to do better by holding the wealth in the form of rupee deposits.Today’s interest rate on one-year rupee deposits. Despite the fact that the dollar interest rate exceeds the rupee interest rate by 5% per year. The foreign exchange market is in equilibrium when no type of deposit is in excess demand or excess supply. the denominators shows the rupee price of the reference basket.Today’s $/Re exchange rate (number of rupees per dollar) E’ $/Re – Dollar/Re exchange rate (number of dollar per rupee) expected to prevail a year from today. E $/Re . the rupee’s expected appreciation against the dollar gives rupee holders a prospective capital gain that is large enough to make rupee deposits the higher-yield asset. The foreign exchange market is in equilibrium when deposits of all currencies offer the same expected rate of return. In equation form the equilibrium condition holds good when: R $ = RRe + (E’ $/Re . The rate of return on a rupee deposit expressed in dollar terms can be expressed in terms of the following equation: RRe + (E’ $/Re . at going exchange rates.3 Purchasing Power Parity Theory (PPP): The theory of the purchasing power parity states that the exchange rate between two countries’ currencies equals the ratio of the countries’ price level. The PPP Theory therefore predicts that a fall in a currency’s domestic purchasing power (as indicated by an increase in the domestic price level) will be associated with proportional currency depreciation in the foreign exchange market.Equation 2 Another significant determinant of foreign investment inflows is the inflation rate prevailing in the domestic and foreign country. The condition that the expected returns on deposits of any two currencies are equal when measured in the same currency is called the Interest Parity Condition. PPP therefore holds when. --------------------------------. every currency’s domestic purchasing power is always the same as its foreign purchasing power. 3. P$ = E$/Re * PRe --------------Equation 3 A The numerator on the right hand side is the dollar price of the reference commodity basket in the United States. RRe . In the same fashion.
Absolute PPP implies a proposition known as relative PPP which states that the percentage change in the exchange rate between two currencies over any period equals the difference between the percentage changes in national price levels. . This change in relative purchasing power occurs because the dollar price of Indian goods (E$/Re * PRe) rise relative to those of US goods (P$). hence s/he may derive benefits from FII in that s/he can hedge her internationalized consumption basket against foreign exchange risk through the investment in foreign assets.Equation 5 (Kulwant Rai & N R Bhanumurthy. at least not permanently.πRe in equation number 2 then the following result will emerge: R$ = RRe + πUS . Relative PPP thus translates absolute PPP from a statement about price and exchange rate levels into one about price and exchange rate changes.πRe -------------------. relative PPP between US and India would be written as: (E’$/Re .πRe Replacing the value of (E’$/Re – E$/Re)/E$/Re to πUS . Determinants of Foreign Institutional Investments in India: Role of Return.E$/Re)/ E$/Re = πUS . It asserts that prices and exchange rates change in a way that preserves the ratio of each currency’s domestic and foreign purchasing powers.E$/Re)/ E$/Re = πUS . denoted q$/Re. as the dollar price of the Indian basket relative to that of the American.πU.Equation 4 The above equation shows the change in real dollar/rupee exchange rate to be a fall in the purchasing power of a dollar within Indian borders relative to its purchasing power within US. This equation leads to the following conclusions: Typical investor can be assumed to consume foreign goods. the real dollar/rupee exchange rate. therefore E$/Re = (Q $/Re * P$)/ PRe. Q $/Re = (E$/Re * PRe)/P$ -----------------.πRe This can be re-written as: id = if + πRe . Thus. This equation is in the absolute terms. Thus.never changes. the real exchange rate is a relative price of two output baskets while the nominal exchange rate (the earlier case) is the relative price of two currencies.4 Absolute PPP and Relative PPP: The equation E$/Re = P$/PRe (exchange rates equal relative price levels) is sometimes referred to the absolute PPP. Thus. Risk and Inflation) Now we’ll combine the effects of UIP Theory and the PPP Theory. If we look into the relative terms of the PPP then the following equation can be looked into: (E’$/Re . This combination will give the following results: Q $/Re = (E$/Re * PRe)/P$. 3.S.
if consumer-investor consume some imported goods and have (proportionately matching) FII they are able to hedge the exchange rate risk. As a counter move to this. Thus. Hence. However. China had artificially undervalued its currency and as a consequence it enjoyed trade surplus with US. PPP holds. whenever. Therefore. however.e. because the investor's wealth is now affected by unexpected changes in the exchange rate. they face domestic inflation. The exchange rate risk. similarly. when LHS is greater than RHS. In case consumer investor has made some FII. FII would flow into the domestic country until equality is restored. because the consumption pattern includes some imported goods. there is no incentive for FII. Therefore. foreign inflation and exchange rate risk. FII would flow out of domestic country until equality is restored. LHS is greater than RHS) FII would flow into the domestic country. In these examples.1 Yuan Revaluation: China was following a policy of pegged exchange rate wherein the Chinese currency was pegged to US dollar at 8. but consumes purely domestic goods. Finally.Consumer-investor who consumes purely domestic goods and has no FII is exposed to unexpected change in the domestic inflation. FII would be influenced by equation 1. then the combination of foreign inflation and exchange rate change will always be equal to the domestic inflation rate. if there is in domestic inflation (π). when PPP holds. the exchange risk is the same as the inflation risk and. they may be able to avoid exchange rate risk. in case consumer-investors have some foreign assets in their portfolios and also consume foreign goods. thus. policy makers. Thus. when inflation rate in foreign country rises. so that RHS more than LHS. they face both domestic inflation and exchange risk. . However. when domestic inflation rate increases the purchasing power of the funds invested decreases hence the investor is discouraged to invest in the country. they face domestic inflation. In the current scenario two events which have caught the attention of economists. APPLICATION and ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS The theoretical underpinnings discussed above can be analyzed in an effective manner in terms of the current developments affecting the Indian Economy. Nevertheless. Market Access for Everyboy. when there is equality between right hand side (RHS) and left hand side (LHS) there would be no FII. August. if PPP holds exactly over the investment horizon. Considering investor has some foreign goods in his consumption basket hence he would take into account the inflation in foreign market. then FII would flow out of domestic country. the purchasing power of the investment in that country decreases hence investor has disincentive to invest in that country. on the other hand if inflation in foreign country increases (i. China shed its pegged exchange rate and adopted market based exchange rate within a narrow band. in other words. this exchange rate risk is directly translated into inflation risk when PPP holds. Similarly. exchange risk is not a barrier to FII.28 Yuan to dollar (Ila Patnaik. The US blamed China for its trade deficit and threatened to impose Countervailing duties. If consumer-investor consume some imported goods but have no foreign securities in their portfolio. if RHS is greater than LHS then. but not to foreign inflation risk or foreign exchange rate risk. scholars alike are the revaluation of the Chinese currency and the oil price hike. 17 2005). Again. The Financial Express. 4. exchange risk on the consumption side could serve as an incentive for FII. can be hedged through appropriate foreign investment. The revaluation has significant implications for Indian rupee exchange rate. 4. regardless of whether PPP holds. consumer investors only face the domestic inflation risk. foreign inflation and exchange rate risk. However.
thus causing concerns about the fiscal stability of the Government. Bonds skid on oil worries. i. The Financial Express. It is only then that the adverse impact of contemporary global developments like oil price hike can be minimized. there is a tendency for Indian rupee to appreciate. thus making it profitable for them to bring US dollars into India now and take money out when there is a currency appreciation.e. stock prices will rise giving the Foreign investors a profit on their return. This would fuel inflationary tendencies in the economy as crude oil is major raw material for the manufacturing sector. It must be equipped with adequate support measures like forex reserves. Indian companies will do well. . It is now inevitable for the Government to shift the burden to consumers through a hike in prices. if the domestic currency does not appreciate. Or. Thus this will lead to the following two impacts. As an outcome of Yuan revaluation. The appreciating rupee would further invite dollar inflows and consequently greater FII inflows. When there is depreciation in the Indian Rupee this will make the investment in the domestic country unprofitable and thus there will be decrease in FII inflows. Rupee. either the currency of the Asian Countries will appreciate with the revaluation of Yuan. Uptil now the major portion of the burden was taken by the Government through reduction in import duties on crude oil and through subsidization.2 Oil Price Hike: At present the international price of oil has touched $70 (Shares. CONCLUSION The strength of the financial system of the country is gauged by the quality of foreign capital inflows. The nuances of relation between exchange rate and FII inflows can be captured through the interest parity condition. India’s exports will become more competitive with respect to China. comfortable balance of payments position to negate the impact of volatile capital flows. 2005) per barrel mark. If we look from the perspective of PPP Theory then the following equation will emerge: E$/Re = P$/PRe In this case with a rise in oil prices the PRe will rise leading rupee to depreciate. 4.The revaluation of Chinese currency has led to drastic changes in the Net FII Flows to India. The impact of the Chinese revaluation can be understood with a simple logic. The financial system should be strong enough to ward off any adverse impact arising form the volatility of capital flows. 5. August 30.
2003 Ila Patnaik. International Economics: Theory and Practice. January 30 – February 1. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research. 2005 . October 18. Pp. Reserve Bank of India Bulletin.217-229. (Various Issues). Vol.N. Kishore C (1997). Articles: Agarwal R. “Emerging Equity Market in India. Economic and Political Weekly. “Determinants of FII Investment Inflow to India”. Presented in 5th Annual conference on Money & Finance in The Indian Economy. XXXII. “Foreign Portfolio Investment in Some Developing Countries: A study of Determinants and Macroeconomic Impact”.References: Books: Paul R Krugman and Maurice Obstfeld. Pushpa and Abhilash Nair (2003). Samal. (1997). The Financial Express. Market Access for Everybody. Indian Economic Review. August 17. 2. Reserve Bank of India. No. Role of Foreign Institutional Investors”. Trivedi.
. LL.com .) National Law University Jodhpur (Rajasthan) e-mail: s. ([email protected]. B.B.AUTHOR PROFILE Bhupender Singh IV Year. | 2019-04-21T10:57:56Z | https://www.scribd.com/document/61854582/8495623-Relationship-Btwn-Inflation-Exchange-Fluctuation |
Where did the day go? It seemed to take on a life of its own and didn’t stop until Happy Hour. I didn’t do some of the things I wanted to but there is always tomorrow.
I went off to card making in the morning and then to the RSL for Mah Jong in the afternoon. It was a busy day but very enjoyable. Happy Hour was quiet as most of the regulars had gone to the pub for dinner. I did however, recruit another knitter for one of the charities.
Pete Mate and I went off to do some fossicking at Mount Hay. We first had a couple of things to do in Rocky then drove out to Mount Hay where, if you are lucky, you will find some thunder eggs.
The formation of thunder eggs is much of a mystery, but it is thought that during volcanic upheavals in far-off times bubbles formed in silica-rich material such as rhyolite, an igneous, volcanic [extrusive] rock of felsic [silicon-rich] composition.
We are not very serious fossickers and only went for the fun value. We did find a couple of the ‘eggs’ and some Rhyolite. As part of the fee we paid, these were cut so we could see the beauty inside them.
We arrived home late for happy hour but managed a short time. Then, before we settled down for the night, we went up to the Singing Ship to watch the full moon rise over the Coral Sea. Once we arrived we spotted an orange glow in the sky and watched it intently whilst taking photos. This ‘moon’ was taking so long to rise we got a bit restless. It was at this point that Pete Mate spotted the actual moon rising. What we had been looking at is anyone’s guess. The real moon was lovely to watch but we were oh so cold. Once home we closed up for the night, had dinner and a drop of the ole vino.
The day started overcast and chilly and my morning walk was not as pleasant as other mornings. During the day the cloud cleared and the sun shone, so much so I got two loads of washing dry! I did a few things in the morning and then played Mah Jong in the afternoon. A lovely lady called Nola dropped off some knitting kits for a charity I am interested in. By late afternoon the chilly overcast returned and happy hour was rather a cold one.
Pete Mate and I had a little trip out to the Mini’s Day. We saw mini horses and goats race but not at the same time. It was lovely to see the children interact with the animals. There were some mini chickens but they were in cages and surrounded by mini adults. The tiny goats were so cute I could have brought one home. I felt very sorry for a cow being hand painted by various children in an array of colours. The downside for me was the paddock it was held in, it was no good for my ankle. Before we headed back to the car we walked a little way to the dam and saw the Magpie Geese, it was magnificent to see some of them take to the sky. After we returned home for lunch I spent the afternoon handing out knitting kits and talking to various women. Then it was time for happy hour. Another busy day over. Phew!
I went for my morning walk and timed it so I could also call in at the shops when they opened. Later in the morning Pete Mate took me to the hospital in Yeppoon for a cortisone injection in my thigh. Not pleasant but hopefully it will ease the pain associated with my hip. The afternoon was spent relaxing as I had been told to take it easy. I still went to happy hour; I mean why would I not?
Today is the Tour Director’s day of pampering. It has been a while since this happened. In the morning I raced around doing some chores but not walking anywhere fast. See, sometimes I do as I am told. Then after an early lunch I went to the hairdressers followed by the beauty parlour. I came away feeling in a state of bliss.
Once home I spied two familiar faces walking by but didn’t believe what I saw. Our friends Cindy and David were on their way to the beach but as they weren’t due to arrive until tomorrow I thought I had seen their doubles. Later they called in the caravan and somehow we had mixed the dates and they arrived early. It was so good to see them and we enjoyed a rushed and short happy hour with them as Pete Mate and I were off to the Bell Park Caravan Park Christmas in July bash. We enjoyed an excellent evening and the two girls that organised the event were superb, you could not fault a thing. As soon as you walked into the pub the joyous atmosphere enveloped you, the tables and room were decorated very tastefully and the meal was very good. The wine flowed (on our table at least), the music was easy listening, not too loud and as far as I could tell everyone had a great night. We certainly did.
Another busy day here at Emu Park. I had to go to the doctors for a check up and get the report about my hip. The bottom line is my ankle and hip will never be perfect but everything is a million times better than it has been for five years so I can live with that.
Once that was over Pete Mate and I had the job of collecting the meat, bread rolls and salad for tonight’s burger night. The rest of the day was spent at intervals organising and getting it all ready. We popped over to see Cindy and David’s new caravan and were very impressed, it is very nice. The burger night went well even though some people cannot comprehend an instruction given in English. Enough said!
Afterwards around twenty people transferred over to the camp kitchen to watch the State of Origin match on the large TV screen Pete Mate had set up. I watched the beginning of the match then excused myself and came home for a cup of tea. I did a few chores that were long overdue and then made another cup of tea and went back. I timed it perfectly as the match was just about over. Queensland trounced NSW. Pete Mate then had to take the TV down and lock it away safely in the back of the car until he can return it to the office tomorrow. Luckily we had help as I couldn’t even reach the TV (which was on top of the fridge) never mind help. Overall it was a good night and we raised some more money for the Cancer Foundation.
For me it was my usual Thursday at card making and playing Mah Jong. Pete Mate had to return the TV to the office and the baker’s tray to the bakery. His timing for being in the village was excellent; I was just coming out of the CWA hall when I saw him coming out of the bakery. A lift home was great especially as I did some shopping as well.
We enjoyed a very pleasant happy hour with Cindy and David and then I cooked dinner. It was a really lovely evening with good company.
I went to Tai Chi for the first time since 2013 and enjoyed it very much. I found I hadn’t forgotten everything, plus I always get lots of hugs. Afterwards I did some shopping and chatting, as you do. I came home and did a few chores.
Pete Mate took Billy into Yeppoon for a new battery and was told there wasn’t anything wrong with the old one, Just take the cover off and top it up with water . Easier said than done. He tried for ages, he Googled it, David came over to give support as did our neighbour John. Eventually Pete Mate gave up and put Billy back together again so we could go out as planned. It transpired that it was a sealed battery, never designed to be opened. Now we really need a new one.
We took Cindy and David to Rosslyn Marina for afternoon tea. It was a lovely outing as the Marina is always a good place to take visitors. Whilst we were there, Pete Mate and I had our photo taken for the Morning Bulletin, a Rocky newspaper. Pete Mate had written to the Livingstone Council to say how marvellous the new ANZAC memorial was and the council passed it on to the newspaper. Fame at last. Before we brought Cindy and David back to the caravan park we took them up to the memorial because Cindy hadn’t seen it. Then we had a very pleasant happy hour before retiring into our warm ‘vans for the night. We come here for the warmth but this year it seems to have deserted us.
We stood looking at the photo and article of Pete Mate and I in the Morning Bulletin.
Eventually we left and made our way home. After that excitement I came down to earth and did a few chores, made some soup and got the dinner ready for the oven. I then went walkabout trying to organise some ladies to help me on Monday afternoon to stuff some boobies. Gabby, our neighbour, explained to me how to knit a beanie on my new loom. I think I have the hang of it. I finished my walkabout before going over to happy hour for a while.
I did some accounts work with Sue in the morning and then in the afternoon I played Mah Jong with Susan and Suzanne. Suzanne had never played before so we taught her the basics and then that was it, she was off. Suzanne not only was very quick in picking up the game but soundly trounced us. Afterwards I gave Happy Hour a miss and talked to two of my sisters on Skype; it was good to catch up as it had been a while.
Pete Mate took Billy for a service and I did a few chores. Then I went to a morning tea in the village hall in aid of NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Three of us from the caravan park went and then two local people arrived plus two people from the Council. Not one Aborigine was in sight there wasn’t a talk given or traditional dancing as promised. We had a cup of tea and biscuit and then came home.
In the afternoon I organised a Knitted Knockers afternoon tea. A few ladies stuffed the Knockers and then completed them by sewing them up. It went really well, we completed twenty two of the knockers. Once everything was cleared away we enjoyed a nice afternoon tea, I know it must have nice because I bought the cakes at the bakery. The baking gene sadly passed me by. It was a good but tiring day.
You would think, with all the activities I am involved in, I would sleep well. I don’t, 3.00am was my sleep cut off this morning. I used the time to do some computer work. I did a few chores and then I had a little nap which revived me enough to go and play Bocce. Bocce is a game with eight balls plus a small white one. We all have to throw the ball to get as close to the white one as possible. There is a lot of sitting around waiting for your turn. It was okay and yes it was nice to sit and chat in the sun but I am not good at doing nothing. If I had taken some knitting with me to knit in between turns it wouldn’t have been so bad. Once home I played Mah Jong with Susan and Suzanne; this time I beat them. Happy Hour was a bit chilly due to the cold wind.
I was up early again so I did the ironing and a few other things and then went off to IGA in the car as soon as they opened. I collected the carpet/upholstery cleaner and some shampoo. I was given a DVD on how to operate the machine. The DVD didn’t work so Pete Mate took it back and asked for other instructions. They were not forthcoming. We then started to work out the machine and realised the girl had sold me a ‘de-foamer’ and not a shampoo so back Pete Mate went to IGA. This time he returned with the correct shampoo and a leaflet so we were able to work everything out. Pete Mate did a superb job cleaning the upholstery and the carpets whilst I cleaned inside the van. By the afternoon we were well and truly pooped.
We were sitting outside the ‘van waiting for the floor to dry when the lovely Noreen came over and offered to make us a cup of tea, bless her. The cuppa revitalised us so we started to clear away and then take the machine back to the shop. We did a bit of shopping and then arrived home in time for Happy Hour.
I went to card-making in the morning and then in the afternoon Pete Mate and I played social bowls. We walked up to the Bowling Club which was no hardship. Once there we were given some bowls and told what to do and where to do it. Pete Mate wasn’t too bad but I was pretty hopeless. Once the bowling was over we had a drink whilst presentations were made and the raffles drawn. I won twenty five dollars and our friend Marion won the Most Improved Player shield. We then had a sausage sizzle before heading home. Pete Mate and I gave Happy Hour a miss as we were pretty tired.
I went to Tai Chi in the morning then later we went into Yeppoon to do some shopping. On the way we stopped at two lookouts we have recently found out about. The views were fantastic even though they were marred a little by the smoke from the burning-off fires.
The colours of the sky and the Coral Sea were beautiful - the offshore islands separating them.
In the distance is the safe harbour of the Rosslyn Marina with all the yacht masts just visible.
Some of the houses up by the first lookout were huge and must be worth a fortune. We then carried on into Yeppoon to do the shopping. Once home I had a little rest before Happy Hour … it has been a busy week. Happy Hour was pleasant but a little chilly.
Every fortnight the prawn lady visits a local suburb and plenty of people from the caravan park order fresh and very yummy prawns. Our good friend Phil goes over and collects them. He very often has ‘helpers’ and this week Pete Mate volunteered. What PM didn’t know was that Phil left the caravan park at 8.15am so PM had a mad scramble to get ready in time and I think his body was in shock for the rest of the day. Whilst this was all happening I did a few chores. In the afternoon I played Mah Jong at Susan’s place as their caravan seems to be more sheltered from the wind. Then it was Happy Hour followed by a delicious prawn salad for dinner.
It was a nice restful and relaxing day - we didn’t have to rush off anywhere. I cleaned out under the bed which has to be done every so often but that area seems to accumulate things. I found some wine I didn’t know we had. I played Mah Jong in the afternoon with Suzanne and Susan which was very enjoyable. Happy Hour was pleasant but I left early because I was cooking a roast.
I went for an early morning walk, the wind was blowing and the air was very fresh. After breakfast I started to do some computer work and it took me a lot longer than I anticipated. I put it all away around 3.00pm and Pete Mate and I walked up to the post office. It was still quite windy. Happy hour was so cold we girls had the heater on plus our jackets. Pete Mate, of course, was in short sleeved shirt and shorts.
We had an early morning appointment with the doctor for our annual skin checks plus we had to have our annual blood tests. Pete Mate had his blood taken whilst I delivered the knitted garments that the ladies in the caravan park had completed to the Guardian Angel Pharmacy next door.
PM went in to see the doctor whilst I had my blood taken. Well, that was the plan but after four attempts to extract a drop of blood the lady gave up on me. I was not happy as all the fasting I did was a waste of time. I had my skin check which was all clear. Pete Mate has to go back next week to have a skin tag removed and a skin sample taken.
Once home we enjoyed a late breakfast. I continued with the computer work in the morning and had a constant stream of interruptions by people wanting to order sausages for tomorrow night’s sausage sizzle. In the afternoon I played Mah Jong and then went and had a cup of tea with Sue as we had a few things to discuss. I gave happy hour a miss as I was cold and the wind was relentless plus I had a few things to do in the caravan.
It was a busy day preparing for the sausage sizzle. We collected the sausages, bread and other things needed. It was when I had everything back at the ‘van I realised I had made a mistake and bought too few sausages. Back I went again. The evening went well and we had a good turn out in spite of the heavy downpour. The people here are amazing they still support these events even though we all got drenched. After tonight’s event we have now totalled $533 to give to the Oncology Dept at the Mater Hospital in Rocky. It was a huge effort by everyone.
Today was my usual card-making and Mah Jong day. It was a lovely day but tiring so I gave happy hour a miss as did Pete Mate.
We left the park early for Yeppoon for me to have another attempt at giving up my blood. It still was not the best and the lady said it was my fault for not wearing a jumper as I was cold. I did point out that the air conditioning blasting away didn’t help. She got some blood, I just hope it was enough.
From there we went into Rocky. We left Billy at Peddars for a check up and walked to the shopping mall. I bought one or two things and then Pete Mate walked back for the car. I decided I would walk to Spotlight. Big mistake. It was much further than I thought plus I got lost and ended up walking through McDonald’s drive-through! Pete Mate and Billy were waiting for me in the Spotlight car park when I got there. I bought the things I wanted and then we went off to do a few more shopping chores before going to The Mater Hospital to give the cheque to the Oncology Dept. The ladies there were lovely and they remembered Jim fondly. We then returned home tired but happy.
It was another busy day for me which started with a very pleasant short walk into the village. Later I played Mah Jong with Susan and Suzanne. Happy hour was pleasant, it was so nice to sit and not be cold.
We enjoyed a really great day out at Ferns. The food and wine were excellent and the company special. For me it was especially good as it was the first time I had been there since I got my mobility back; I loved it. I was the official photographer for the day and am fairly pleased with the results.
Pete Mate and I attended a computer information morning. The idea was we took our laptop and IPad with a list of queries and hopefully got some answers. We could only stay a short time because we had been invited out to lunch. Pete Mate spent his time helping a poor old lady who knew nothing about computers. The questions I asked were not really answered. The lady who was trying to help the IPad users was actually there to serve the morning tea!
We left there in a hurry to make it to Yeppoon in time for our lunch date which was to celebrate the 52nd wedding anniversary of our friends Monika and Eckard. We were joined by another couple, Elizabeth and Karl. It was a lovely lunch and we all enjoyed a few laughs and lots of chatter. We finished the day back at the park with the usual happy hour.
Pete Mate had to attend the doctor’s surgery for his skin tag removal. It all seemed to go well and he emerged with two white dressings on the side of this head. He spent the rest of the day telling people I knocked him down and kicked him! I had a few things to do for Sue before I settled down for the afternoon and played Mah Jong. The chilly wind has returned and happy hour was quite cold.
It was a day to catch up with a few chores. I then sat outside for a while reading before retreating inside as the wind was quite chilly. Happy Hour was cold!
I enjoyed a really good morning at card making and made six cards. In the afternoon I played Mah Jong at the RSL, it was enjoyable but my score is not worth mentioning.
What a magnificent day we had out on the ocean. A group of us were collected at 7.30am by a small bus and taken out to the Marina at Rosslyn Bay. We boarded a catamaran which took us cruising around the islands. We were all so excited to see a whale and a baby. We dropped anchor at one secluded spot for morning tea and then continued to another equally beautiful place. Here some people went in the small dinghy over to the island for a walk. Others swam in the beautiful, crystal clear water of the ocean. We all enjoyed a wonderful lunch and then we were off cruising again. Our captain, Anthony, threw the prawn shells into the water and heaps of fish came up for a feed. We saw two dolphins and a few saw a turtle. We arrived back at the Marina where the bus was waiting to take us all home, just in time for happy hour.
And so ends another month. Please click below for August. | 2019-04-24T09:09:09Z | http://pete-n-pam.com/pams%20journal/2015/15%2007.htm |
Commercial antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) systems were introduced into clinical microbiology laboratories during the 1980s and have been used in the majority of laboratories since the 1990s. Manual and semiautomated broth microdilution systems are utilized for small volumes of susceptibility testing, while larger laboratories often choose an automated broth microdilution system. The AST systems include data management software that may be interfaced with a laboratory information system (LIS) and offer various levels of expert system and epidemiological analyses. This chapter focuses primarily on commercial susceptibility testing systems currently available in the United States. It discusses advantages and disadvantages of automated systems. Reports of AST performance for detecting problematic resistance phenotypes are also discussed. Expert systems to assist in the critical review of AST results are available for all commercial susceptibility systems currently marketed in the United States. Most expert systems use a rules-based approach focusing on AST results for one drug at a time without considering results for other agents tested simultaneously. Factors to consider when selecting an AST system include cost, performance, work flow, data management capabilities, and manufacturer technical support. Future advances in the development of AST systems may increase their clinical impact with the incorporation of molecular techniques that dramatically shorten the time required for results.
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a Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, http://bio-rad.com; i2a, Montpellier, France; Mast, Bootle, United Kingdom, http://www.mastascan.com; Oxoid, Basingstoke, United Kingdom, http://www.oxoid.com. See text for other manufacturers.
b Not currently available within the United States.
a neg, negative; ON, overnight; pos, positive; RUO, research use only.
a Resistance phenotypes that are rare or have not yet been detected may represent technical errors.
a Implementation of the revised (2010) cephalosporin and aztreonam CLSI breakpoints for Enterobacteriaceae makes routine ESBL testing unnecessary unless there is consideration of using the agents listed. If ESBL testing is performed and results are positive, the organisms should be reported as resistant to these drugs. | 2019-04-23T20:06:26Z | http://www.asmscience.org/content/book/10.1128/9781555816728.chap69 |
I have a great interest in English poetry, as I am sure do many if not all members of The Queen’s English Society. I think that ‘the world of English poetry’, if it may be called that, is in considerable confusion in some respects. My membership of The Queen’s English Society has brought me much encouragement in my efforts to draw more public attention to this confusion, and if possible to dispel it. I will here give you some account of my ‘game’, as I call it, in this matter.
An interest in poetry was fostered in me as a boy without my knowing truly what poetry was except through inference from the examples put before me.
This interest was given impetus at my secondary school where I won a prize for English Verse. My knowledge of poetry was broadened when I studied for a General Bachelor of Arts degree of the London University in the 1960s. The study of English Literature was a third part of this course ~ Psychology and Aesthetics were the other very suitable components that I chose. In the course of these studies I was acquainted with more English poetry back as far as Chaucer and the ‘Gawain’ poet. I wrote occasional pieces of what I took to be poetry.
About thirty years ago I began to write more pieces of what I would now call perhaps ‘pseudo-poetry’ ~ or perhaps just bad poetry. But in the next ten years or so I did become in a small way something of a true poet in that I wrote in measured and rhymed verses. I would not claim any more for my pieces than that.
At the same time I began to acquaint myself with more of the whole span of English poetry back to its beginnings, and at the Manchester University I was able to get some insight into the nature of the oldest stuff written. I was particularly concerned to discover, if I could, ‘how it all went’, in the sense of finding out so far as possible what may have been the original rhythmic basis of English verse.
I now think that I have done this and that I have in fact got closer than anyone yet in recovering the much debated and much obscured rhythm of such stuff as ‘Beowulf’.
I have been bringing my proposals ~ for they are no more than that ~ concerning the rhythms of English poetry over 1,300 years to as wide an audience as possible through performance at Arts and Literature Festivals and so forth, and on one occasion at The International Medieval Congress at Leeds, where I also presented a paper on my metrical theory and proposals.
At the same time I was becoming aware that, in the world of modern ‘poetry’, what I took to be the original ‘craft-principles’ of poetry were not being much followed and were even in some quarters being denigrated. I was, and still am, a member of The Poetry Society, and it had become clear to me that this organisation was not as interested as I thought that it might be in the whole span of English poetry and its craft traditions. Indeed, I found that, whereas on its foundation the Society’s aim had been “to advance public education in the understanding and use of poetry”, its stated purpose had become “to promote contemporary poetry and poets”. I thought that this was a fraud and a disgrace.
It was at this stage, three years or so ago, that I wrote a paper entitled On English Poetry and Poems in which I set out a case for distinguishing, taxonomically as it were, the modern so-called ‘poems’ from true poems. I argued that, if the original craft-principles of measure and rhyme or alliteration were not employed in the production of any ‘word-thing’, then that thing could not logically be called ‘a poem’ and should be placed in some other, perhaps new category of literary things.
That paper went out to the editors of every magazine in the country which published ‘poetry’; to the Literary Editors of all the national newspapers; to politicians; to the Poet Laureate; and to the Director, ‘Chair’ and every Trustee of The Poetry Society. The paper was not responded to, except by the editors of a few of the smaller magazines. Nobody at all has yet replied systematically and thoroughly to the argument set out in what is a short and uncomplicated submission.
There is poetry in everything we say and do and if something is presented to me as a poem by its creator, or by an observer, I accept that something as a poem.
It was then that, as a relatively new member of The Queen’s English Society, I submitted the paper to the Editor of its Journal, Quest, and was delighted that he agreed to publish it; and this led to my coming down to London in 2007 to meet some of my fellow members at the Luncheon at the New Cavendish Club. I had a word with Dr Bernard Lamb, and suggested that I might do a performance of poetry and music at a London Branch meeting. This duly happened in November that year. My performance was titled: ‘Beowulf’s Boxer-shorts: A Thousand Years of English Poetry Stripped Down to its Rhythmic Essentials’. Afterwards I was delightfully entertained by Bernard and Brenda Lamb at East Sheen.
Last year the game was given fresh impetus. Dr Lamb’s review of the performance was published in Quest and caught the attention of Anushka Asthana at The Observer. Remarks that I had made about The Poetry Society and so forth interested her. Bernard Lamb put her in touch with me, and the article in The Observer of April 13th 2008, ‘Poetry guardians reject modern verse’, was the result.
Miss Asthana took it upon herself to describe me as “the spearhead of The Queen’s English Society’s campaign for a new definition of poetry”. I hope that this may not displease the Society too much ~ the game has been very much my own so far, and has been a long, arduous and thorough one. In the course of our discussions I drew in two prominent figures in ‘the poetry world’, Andrew Motion, the ‘Poet Laureate’, and Michael Schmidt, Principal of the Carcanet Press in Manchester, possibly this country’s biggest publisher of poetry, and author of books on ‘The Lives of the Poets’ and ‘The Story of English Poetry’. Professor Schmidt might well be described as at present the country’s ‘top poetry-man’. I said that both these gentlemen ~ both silent recipients of my paper ‘On English Poetry and Poems’ ~ on occasions wrote pieces that were called ‘poems’ but were not truly so.
The result of all this was Bernard Lamb’s appearance ‘head to head’ with Michael Schmidt on the BBC Radio 4 programme Today on April 14th 2008. Dr Lamb has provided me with a tape-recording of the session, which I have, with his further help, duly transcribed, so that the debate may be fully analysed. I present the transcription here in full, and follow it with a critical analysis.
This is a transcript of a debate between Dr Bernard Lamb, Reader in Genetics at Imperial College, London, President of The Queen’s English Society, and Michael Schmidt, Professor of Poetry at Glasgow University and Director of The Carcanet Press in Manchester, on the Today programme, BBC Radio 4, Monday, April 14th 2008. The interviewer was Evan Davis.
What’s a poem? The question is clearly vexing the guardians of the English Language ~ self appointed ~ in The Queen’s English Society. You say too often strings of words have been labelled poems despite having no rhyme or metre. Poets, you will be unsurprised to hear, beg to differ. Bernard Lamb is President of The Queen’s English Society, and Michael Schmidt is a poet and Professor of Poetry at Glasgow University. He joins us from Manchester. Good morning to you both.
Bernard Lamb, it upsets you all this modern poetry, does it, without rhyme and stuff?
A lot of it doesn’t seem like poetry to me.
Yes, I’ve got something which I wrote: There was a Neanderthal man who found that his grunts didn’t scan. This hearty meat-eater invented the metre to prove that they certainly can.
And it scans…er…T.S. Eliot, I mean, that…doesn’t all rhyme and scan in such an obvious form, would that not be poetry?
It…it has metre, it has regularities.
So that squeezes in. Michael…Michael Schmidt, can you… can you read us a poem that you think isn’t a poem on…er…Bernard Lamb’s criterion but which you think is a poem…I…perhaps one of your own?
Well, I think all my poems are poems on Bernard Lamb’s criteria despite his reservations. I…I’ll read three stanzas of a little poem [ED: O.K.] about the Incarnation which isn’t I’m afraid funny so your listeners may be disappointed.
Language can never quite translate the motion here or draw the line * that’s where the mystery abides, the process, not the A or B * the place where substance, alchemy transforms and cannot be turned back * the wine is salty in the wound, the loaf is baking on the cross * it is not only Christ who has given such bold transitions, such regrets * to hold him in our hands and mouths, to swallow and ourselves become.
Thank you. Bernard Lamb, is that a poem or not?
Difficult to tell; I think if it was written out as straight prose I wouldn’t realise that it was meant to be a poem.
That’s sort of unfortunate, I mean…er…listening to…to Mr Lamb’s…er…amusing…er…um…amusing limerick…er…to put that in the scales against…er…the biblical translations, against Blake, Whitman and Ginsberg, against Milton who’s almost never regular, against Wordsworth who learned so much from Milton and doesn’t rhyme in the whole of The Prelude, it seems a little bit…um…er…what would you call it, excessive.
But Bernard Lamb, we don’t want all poetry to be like Pam Ayres do we? I wonder whether you are being just a little bit strict in your…in your definition here.
No, I mean the sort of thing that upsets us is, a Trustee of The Poetry Society was quoted as saying: ‘If something’s presented to me as a poem by its creator or an observer I accept that something as a poem’.
That means that everything is poetry, which means there’s no point in having Professors of Poetry or Poetry Societies.
[Laughs] Mr Schmidt, what is the difference between prose and poetry, or are you willing to accept that anybody can declare anything of words they put together as a poem if they want to?
I’m quite happy to accept that, providing that they allow me to say that this is a good poem or a bad poem. I think the most useful definitions almost always break down or are broken down by practice. To say that poetry has line-endings and that line-endings are im…are important seems to be a very good beginning of a definition; but then there is prose-poetry written by Baudelaire, written by Rimbaud, and by a number of English poets, which is poetry too. It has a lot, as Mr Lamb correctly says, I think, to do with sound and with sound-patterning, but to speak of metre, rhyme, alliteration as I was…as I was led to believe this is what…is what…these are the great desiderata of…of the…er…Queen’s English Society…leaves out so much…We…we only learn…er…metre from Norman French; before that we had accentual poetry, which wasn’t regular in terms of syllable-count. We didn’t have the sonnet, the sonnet came in with Wyatt, and Wyatt does a very irregular kind of sonnet, which is then perfected by Surrey and made completely bland.
You…you…you clearly…you know your poets. Is there anything that you would think people might say is a poem that you would say that that is not a poem at all, to stop talking nonsense? Is there anything you would…you would…you would dismiss as not, non-poetry?
But aren’t you just extending the use of the word ‘poem’ a little bit further than most of us would in that regard?
I don’t think so; I think I’m just…just trying to reinstate the notion of quality. Er…I would suggest that Mr Lamb’s limerick, though a delightful limerick perhaps, is not a poem. Let’s, let’s say that that’s verse, let’s say that’s verse. There is a quite interesting difference between verse…writing…writing things mechanically and metrically and delightfully perhaps, and poetry which…which I think tries to go a little bit deeper into the language and possibly into meaning.
It is a serious campaign by one of our poets, Michael Gibson, who’s repeatedly tried to get The Poetry Society to tell him what they think poetry is, and they refuse; so what are they about if they don’t know what poetry is?
Bernard Lamb, Michael Schmidt, thank you very, very much indeed.
On the 14th April 2008 there was a discussion on the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Today’ between Dr Bernard Lamb, President of the Queen’s English Society, and Reader in Genetics at Imperial College London, and Michael Schmidt, Professor of Poetry at Glasgow University, and founder of the Carcanet Press.
When he had asked the question, the interviewer, Evan Davis, then offered The Queen’s English Society a gratuitous insult by referring to it or to some of its members as the guardians of the English language ~ self appointed. Of course, it was the BBC that was appointing the Society’s members as such.
Bernard Lamb, who was not granted his full academic title, or described as a poet, as Michael Schmidt had been, was then invited to give an example of a poem. He offered a short word-thing that plainly rhymed and scanned, and which we too would deem a poem on simple, logical grounds: There was a Neanderthal man who found that his grunts didn’t scan. This hearty meat-eater invented the metre to prove that they certainly can.
In the next phase of the debate the interviewer introduces the case of a named writer, T.S. Eliot, and uses the term poetry in respect of his work generally, but fails to suggest any particular examples of ‘poems’ for consideration. Dr Lamb reasonably replies in a general way, it has metre, it has regularities, and the interviewer quite unwarrantedly says, So that squeezes in.
Michael..Michael Schmidt, can you…can you read us a poem that you think isn’t a poem on…er…Bernard Lamb’s criterion but which you think is a poem…perhaps one of your own?
In the context of the debate so far, Professor Schmidt’s opening statement can mean only one thing: he is asserting that all his so-called poems, wherever published, scan and rhyme. He then reads part of a particular word-thing of his own; but not before making a strange remark that might be taken as an admonishment or even gratuitous insult ~ but to whom? The remark may well imply that he thinks that Bernard Lamb’s word-thing is somehow not serious enough to qualify as a poem.
Language can never quite translate the motion here or draw the line * that’s where the mystery abides, the process, not the A or B * the place where substance, alchemy transforms and cannot be turned back * the wine is salty in the wound, the loaf is baking on the cross * it is not only Christ who has given such bold transitions, such regrets * to hold in our hands and mouths, to swallow and become ourselves.
Plainly, there is no rhyme-scheme; and it was not possible to be sure, either from Mr Schmidt’s own delivery, or from the words when written down, where the line- and stanza-breaks occur. Clearly this thing cannot, as the professor led us to believe it would, fulfil Bernard Lamb’s criteria for a ‘poem’.
Difficult to tell. I think if it was written out as straight prose I wouldn’t realise that it was meant to be a poem.
That’s sort of unfortunate, I mean…er…listening to…to Mr Lamb’s…er…amusing …er…um…amusing limerick…er…to put that in the scales against…er…the biblical translations, against Blake, Whitman and Ginsberg, against Milton who’s almost never regular, against Wordsworth who learned so much from Milton and doesn’t rhyme in the whole of The Prelude, it seems a little bit…um…er…what would you call it, excessive.
Excessive is a word that could well be used of this outburst.
We have the initial fumbling of amusing limerick, which is then to be put in the scales against other things. We find here an element in Mr Schmidt’s argument that will come out more clearly and explicitly later: he is concerned to make use of ideas of literary or aesthetic worth in this debate, i.e., to make evaluative statements about works of art. In a debate with the expressed subject What’s a Poem? we must distinguish statements concerned with definition from statements concerned with evaluation. A word-thing should be defined before evaluative statements are made about it.
Now observe what the professor puts in his ‘scale-pan’ against the amusing limerick that Dr Lamb has placed in his. We are offered certain specific items ~ Wordsworth’s Prelude in all its many volumes, and an unspecified number of biblical translations ~ and in addition perhaps the entire works of various writers with various reputations. This is a sort of ‘gamesmanship’ in debate that we should not allow to divert us. We further note that he hasn’t said if he considers Dr Lamb’s limerick to be a ‘poem’ or not.
Some detachment and scepticism are needed here. It may be submitted that, just because Professor Schmidt and indeed many other literary analysts and critics over many years have been accustomed to calling all or some of the works of such writers as Blake, Whitman, Ginsberg, Milton and Wordsworth ‘poems’ when, for instance, they do not employ systematic rhyme-schemes or perhaps are not regularly metred, this does not prove that they are ‘poems’. It may be the case that a logical error has been made in this matter, a questionable usage has become entrenched, and that what one may call ‘simple common sense’ can show this to be so.
Let us bring some ‘common sense’ to bear on one part of Mr Schmidt’s argument here. He brings the Bible, in translation, into the discussion. In doing so he is making a common assertion that does not make sense. It is often said that the Bible, or some part of it, ‘is poetry’. This assertion logically entails another, never following through with, that the whole Bible, or some part of it, is a ‘poem’. This assertion is false. The confusion occurs, we suggest, because the original statement, ‘is poetry’, is really standing in for ‘is poetical’ or ‘is poetic’. It may be suggested that it is the illogical use of the adjectival and loosely defined term ‘poetical’ that renders most enquiries into the question ‘What is a poem?’ ineffectual.
But Bernard Lamb, we don’t want all poetry to be like Pam Ayres, do we? I wonder whether you are being just a little bit strict in your…in your definition here?
That means that everything is poetry, which means that there is no point in having Professors of Poetry or Poetry Societies.
Mr Schmidt, what is the difference between prose and poetry, or are you willing to accept that anybody can declare anything of words they put together as a poem if they want to?
I’m quite happy to accept that, provided that they allow me to say that this is a good poem or a bad poem.
This is quite astonishing. Where he says, I am quite happy to accept that, he is assenting a) to the presenter’s proposal that anybody can declare anything of words that they can put together as a poem, and thus b) to the validity of the expressed opinion of the Trustee of The Poetry Society; and he is c) endorsing Bernard Lamb’s statement, That means that everything is poetry. This is absurd: it means that we could present to Mr Schmidt any portion of a letter, or a scientific report, or a novel as ‘a poem’ and he would agree that it is so. Furthermore, it follows that he is tacitly accepting Dr Lamb’s limerick as a poem. In the second part of his sentence above, the Professor indicates that he would then evaluate the presented thing as a good poem or a bad poem according to criteria he has not yet propounded. We look forward to having these criteria further elucidated for us; but the fact remains that Michael Schmidt is saying, in effect, that any sort of ‘word-thing’ is a poem.
This is more of what might be called ‘gamesmanship’. The term line-endings is a new one, and it is a technical one that could have some sort of objective definition. Professor Schmidt may be linking back to Dr Lamb’s introduction of ‘rhyme’ and ‘metre’ as objective, defining properties of ‘a poem’. We don’t know; but we do know that Mr Schmidt has tacitly rejected ‘rhyme’ as a defining property or quality of ‘poetry’ and a ‘poem’: so Bernard Lamb’s limerick may be said to be a poem despite its rhyme-scheme.
…but there is prose-poetry written by Baudelaire, written by Rimbaud, and by a number of English poets, which is poetry too.
To most people the term ‘prose-poetry’ is simply a contradiction in terms. As there is no further discussion of this term in this radio ‘debate’, we can only observe its use and move on; but it would be interesting if Professor Schmidt were to be invited to address The Queen’s English Society at some time: he might tell us if a ‘prose-poem’ is like to, and as objective as a ‘tigron’, or is more of a ‘chimera’ of some other sort; and we might ask him if we were warranted to use the term ‘pear-apple’ for either of these fruit, or even to introduce a category of things to be called ‘potato-tomatoes’.
For centuries word-things, called poems, have been made according to primary and defining craft-principles of, first, measure and, second, alliteration and rhyme. Word-things not made according to these principles are not poems.
…leaves out so much…We…we only learn…er…metre from Norman French; before that we had accentual poetry, which wasn’t regular in terms of syllable-count.
His argument here is simply misleading. First we may surmise that his strategy is to assume that Dr Lamb, and the presenter, and the radio audience may not be quite so conversant with Middle and Old English poetry as he and others of us may be. It is just possible that he is unexpectedly, and comically, ignorant. Be that as it may, he brings into the discourse the new technical considerations of accentual poetry and syllable-count.
The professor’s statement that we only learn…er…metre from Norman French is quite false. What he is saying is that poetry in Old English from, say, the mid-7th century was not metred or ‘measured’. How curious, astonishing even, that a Professor of Poetry could make such a statement. Poetry in Old English may, as he suggests, be described as accentual. Indeed, there were regular and predictable patterns or ‘accents’ or ‘beats’ in each line of verse ~ that is, properly, ‘in each verse’; for a ‘line’ is a ‘verse’. This is measure, metre. The syllable-count in Old English verses was not regular, that is true: but the verses were in a full and simple sense ‘metred’. The term ‘metre’ does not necessarily entail a regularity of syllable-count in a succession of verses. Professor Schmidt is talking nonsense.
We didn’t have the sonnet, the sonnet came in with Wyatt, and Wyatt does a very irregular kind of sonnet which is then perfected by Surrey and made completely bland.
What is Mr Schmidt’s argument here in saying Wyatt does a very irregular kind of sonnet? The implication is that all Wyatt’s ‘sonnets’ were very irregular. That is a false statement, but not one that can be dealt with here or could possibly have been dealt with on the ‘Today’ programme. Professor Schmidt is just ‘blathering’. Could it be that the professor is ignorant of the true metrical nature of Wyatt’s poetry? Wyatt was a ‘melodious versifier’; amongst his many accomplishments he was a lutanist and song-maker. The charge of ‘irregularities’ in metre is sometimes made by those who do not pronounce his verses in the tones and dialect of the day, and who thus misinterpret his rhythm. We cannot demonstrate here the sort of metrical ‘problems’ that may arise and how they may be solved; but that is actually beside the point in this debate. We must still ask why Mr Schmidt puts Wyatt’s supposed ‘irregularities’ into this debate on ‘What is a poem?’ and what he may be implying.. We may suggest that his unstated argument runs along these lines: Wyatt wrote ‘poems’; but some of the lines or verses in some of his poems don’t, to some people, seem to scan; therefore those who argue that regular metre is a defining characteristic of a ‘poem’ are wrong. This is not a respectable argument from a leading authority on poetry. Now we may ask, what is the import of his remark about Surrey? The implication here seems to be that Surrey produced ‘poems’ in a regular metre (always?); but they were bland, and that this demonstrates in another way why regular ‘metre’ is not a defining characteristic of a ‘poem’. This is quite silly.
But aren’t you just extending the use of the word “poem” a little bit further than most of us would in that regard?
I don’t think so; I think I’m just…just trying to reinstate the notion of quality. Er…I would suggest that Mr Lamb’s limerick, though a delightful limerick perhaps, is not a poem. Let’s, let’s say that that’s verse, let’s say that’s verse. There is a quite interesting difference between verse…writing …writing things mechanically and delightfully perhaps, and poetry which …which I think tries to go a little bit deeper into the language and possibly into meaning.
Bernard Lamb, is this a serious campaign by The Queen’s English Society, or is this, ah, a publicity stunt?
We are left to consider that the Professor of Poetry has, in this discussion of the topic ‘What’s a poem?’, shown himself to be an unreliable, indeed an incompetent ‘authority’. This exchange illustrates the sort of dire and often duplicitous confusion that the modern poetry ‘establishment’ visits on itself and upon a bemused audience.
(Note: In the ‘Today’ interview Michael Schmidt employed 2¼ times the number of words ~ including ums and ers ~ that Dr Lamb used.
Previous PostPrevious How Lyrically Principled is Paterson, Poetical Prestidigitator? | 2019-04-18T15:50:02Z | http://www.poetician.com/articles/on-english-poetry-and-poems/ |
Since time is FRACTAL, this means that after crossing the Event Horizon of December 21st, 2012 on December 22nd 2012, we started a whole new baktun cycle of 144.000 days (the 14th Baktun since the start of the Great Cycle of History) and also entered a brand new 7200-day KATUN that is coded by KIN 1 1Dragon.
We also entered a NEW 144.000 day baktun cycle governed by number 13 on Traditional Maya Long Count. In simple words: Number 13 act as the “Baktun Bearer” of this entire 144000 day cycle that started on December 22nd, Long count marker 13.0.0.0.0.1.
This 14th stage of the evolutionary process will come to an end on March 26, 2407 KIN 72. We will also expand on this later.
From the holographic perspective of Natural Time we can say that the current Baktun 14 (LC 13.0.0.0.0 – 14.0.0.0.0) marks the completion of one perfect half of a MASTER HOLOGRAM of 28 BAKTUNS.
This KATUN coded by KIN 1 started on December 22, 2012 on Long Count Marker 13.0.0.0.1 (ALPHA Gateway) and will come to an END (OMEGA Point) in 2032 -09-07 on Long Count marker 13.1.0.0.0 (NS1.. The energy of Red Magnetic Dragon serves us then as an invitation to ask ourselves how can we birth a nurturing and regenerative culture for the future and RE-ALIGN our energy towards that positive Vision.
Venus Cycles were carefully tracked not only by the Maya but by many other ancient cultures since the beginning of time. Why? With no GPS or satellites at the time, it was necessary to track, determine and understand the larger patterns and cycles in Nature. Studying the movements of our brightest stars to use them as celestial markers in the sky, became a method of orientation to navigate the earth by land and sea during times of climate-change and migrations. Now we can track these movements to navigate the Ocean of Time.
★ KIN 8 8Star+ KiN 9 will mark 9 Tzolkins since the last Venus Transit of 2012 (OMEGA Gateway of the 2004-2012 Venus Transit pair that started on June 4th,2004 (ALPHA Gateway). The 2012 Transit marked therefore the 5th Conjunction since from the preceding Transit of 2004.
★ Last KIN 8 8Star marked the entrance to a powerful nested synchronization portal: The Venus 8.8.8.8 Stargate.
★ We just completed the last 13-day period of the Tzolkin coded by the Star glyph (Lamat) symbolizing Venus.
Dragon Genesis:KIN 1 to KIN 130 (10 Wavespells (1-10) / first half of the Tzolkin). Venus just started a new cycle in sync with the ALPHA Gateway of the Tzolkin Matrix.
Timeship Earth. Five majestic castles of fathomless splendor bound into one by the spiraling gyre-like path of the Dreamspell Genesis. Not once, not twice, but thrice was this genesis originated.
Carved into stone 4 Ahau KIN 160 (8 Kumku) appears also as the start of the Long Count 3113 BC.
Next KIN 8 8Starwill take place on November 2, 2018 on the Gregorian calendar (2018-11-2) marking the END (OMEGA Gateway) of a 3-day TRANSITION window corresponding to the cross-quarter festivals and celebrations around the world that evoke Death and Resurrection.
★ The Resurrection of Venus is also taking place with the Sun on the zodiacal sign of Scorpio, associated also with Life, Death and Regeneration.
From the purely archetypal perspective, this festival reflects the cyclical Nature of time… Life, Death and Resurrection… The passing of the seasons and the recollection of the last crops before the arrival of the winter (in the Northern Hemisphere). These fruits were offered during this time to the Spirits of Nature and to the ancestors as a way to GIVE THANKS for having provided abundance during the year… So this seems to be a perfect window for sacred ceremony and connection with our ancestors via the light of Venus Resurrection as Morning Star.
It is interesting to note that that this 3 days correspond to the last 3 days of invisibility of Venus, before her Resurrection as Morning Star on November 2, 2018, KIN 8 8 Star, marking in this way 9 Tzolkins since the rare Venus Transit of 2012.
VENUS Heliacal Rising dates 1993-2030 by Cayelin Castell.
Venus shines bright in the sky above Victoria. Credit: Flickr/Indigo Skies Photography.
As Venus starts to come out earlier she starts to gain altitude and also starts to grow in brightness. This is how Venus will be at greatest brightness next November 29, 2018 (NS1.31.5.15) KIN 35 9Eagle, EXACTLY 27 days after rising as Morning Star for (one sidereal cycle of the moon).
Venus is considered Earth’s “Twin Planet” and usually represented by the 5-pointed STAR that both planets draw in the heavens every 8 years (4+4).
★ The last day (OMEGA Gateway) of the 4th leg of the 584-day journey that Venus and Earth started last March 25, 2017 ( KIN 201) during the 4th Conjunction of the series, closing in this MASTERFUL way the 65th Harmonic of the Tzolkin Matrix.
★ As presented on pART 4 of these series, this 5th conjunction is taking place then during the 4th moon of the 13-Moon year and synchronizing with the completion of 44 Tzolkins since Ground Zero of the New Dispensation of Time (June 23rd 1987).
As we can appreciate number 44 self contains the number 11 four times. and the number 22, two times. This means that is a perfect holographic container for both Messengers of the New Dispensation of Time: José KIN 11 and Lloydine KIN 22. It also contains a perfect hologram of the 1144 years of the Quetzalcoatl Prophecy of 13 Heavens and 9 Hells.
The purpose of mapping these celestial and historic events from the past is to gain perspective over large periods of time and establish new sets of time coordinates and time intervals that, over time, generate compounding resonance, revealing potent combinations of celestial harmonics and event patterns. This is the case NOW.
★ This 5th Stage of the Venus+Earth 8-Year Star Pentagram is taking place right after completing the 5th and final 52-day castle of the Tzolkin 260-day Galactic count.
KIN 66 will mark the START (ALPHA point) of the 2020–2028 year cycle.
What is the Fifth Force?
The synchronization of Venus on KIN 1 means that starting the 9th day of this 4th Moon, KIN 1 1Dragon there are EXACTLY 9 x 65-day Galactic Seasons comprised within this 5th and FINAL 585-day Venus synodic cycle (9×65=585).
★ The Moon is coded by number 9 and that the rare Venus Transit of 2012 took place on KIN 9 9Moon.
Venus+Earth Conjunctions in 104 Years.
We are completing this 5th Conjunction milestone during the the 13-Moon year (KIN 169 = 13×13). It takes 104 years for Venus and Earth to complete 13 Pentagrams/RoseBuds in the sky. This period known as the Venus Round corresponds to 169 orbits of Venus around the Sun.
★ June 5/6, 2017, KIN 13-14 marked 5 years or 65 moons of 28 days from this most important celestial event of the 21st century ( we will also expand on this later).
This POWERFUL synchronization window is inviting us to enter into resonance with the cyclical power of number 13. How is this?
• KIN 169 (13×13) also codes the Venus Cycle 4-YearMidpoint Vortex Stargate. How is this?
★ KIN 169 (13×13) is coded by the numbers of Prophecy Seal 9, Tone 13.
Cosmic Purification and Prophetic Redemption.
Why Prophetic Redemption? Because during this Red Cosmic Moon year we are closing the first 28-Year Telektonon cycle since the New Dispensation of Time, and July 26, 2018 KIN 169 13Moon, marked the entrance into the LAST UNIT (OMEGA POINT) of the 28-YEAR TELEKTONON of PACAL VOTAN that started in the year 1991 . This 28-Unit Matrix holds the 16-Year Cube of the Law (1997-2013) at its core.
ALPHA + OMEGA OF THE RARE 8-YEAR VENUS TRANSIT PAIR of 2004-2012: 8 Tzolkins on KIN 8. Jose Arguelles defined this 8-Year Venus transit window as the Harmonic Conversion.
As mentioned many times in the past, Planet Venus is also the orchestrating force behind the narrative of the Quetzalcoatl Prophecy of the “13 Heavens and 9 Hells”, that is now arriving to a NEW PROPHETIC FRACTAL MASTER MILESTONE during this 4th Moon : The completion of 11440 days since KIN 1 of the New Dispensation of Time.
It is then of special prophetic relevance that this synchronization of Venus on KIN 1 (October 26, 2018) was followed the next day by the 91st Solar Return of Tony Shearer (KIN 222) on KIN 2 [2.2]. Tony Shearer was the original messenger of the Quetzalcoatl Prophecy of the 13 Heavens and 9 Hells, and the man who carried and transmitted this Prophecy to José Arguelles.
TONY SHEARER • KIN 222. Oct 27, 2018 marked 91 (13×7) years since his arrival to Earth.
The multi-dimensional prophetic relevance of Venus within the Mayan prophetic narrative was presented in GREAT DETAIL on the report “The Telektonon Factor: 65Years of a living prophecy”, published last June 14th, 2017 KIN 22 (9+13) 9Wind.
REMEMBER:The 5th phase of the Venus journey of resurrection will come to an end (OMEGA Point) on KIN 65 13 Serpent noted as 5.13. (65=5×13) and the next day, on KIN 66 Venus will start a new 8 Year and a new Star pentagram.
This matrix is a chronograph designed to track the 5 STAGES of CREATION of the Venus+Earth Star Pentagram during their 8-Year Synodic period (2920 days).
The 8-Year Venus Pentagram STAR Matrix is a function of the completion of 11440 days from the first day of the first Tzolkin of the New Dispensation of Time, corresponding to the 1144 years of the Quetzalcoatl Prophecy of the 13 Heavens and 9 Hells. It is therefore a TIME RELEASE PROGRAM, product of the manifestation power (10) of the 1144years of this Prophecy experienced as 11440 days since the inception of a new harmonic standard of time.
★ The 8-Year Venus Pentagram STAR Matrix is a function of the redemptive process of the dissolution of the “Old Time” and the entrance into the “New Time” or 2nd CREATION(Baktuns 13 to 20 ~ 2012-4772).
★ Since this 5-stage cycle is ruled by the Golden Proportion, to re-establish the memory of this cycle is to re-establish our connection to Harmony. It is the first step in sounding the”5th Chord” (the “Lost Chord” according to Dreamspell Cosmology).
June 5-6, 2017 (KIN 13–14) commemorated the 5th Anniversary of the 2nd rare Venus Transit of the 2004-2012 pair that took place on KIN 8-9 on the Galactic Maya count, completing in this way the double Transit cycle – Venus to Venus, conception to birth. ALPHA + OMEGA of the 5-Star Pentagram that Earth + Venus create every 8 years while they dance around the Sun.
REVELATIONS 22: 13–16= The 5th anniversary of the Venus Transit of 2012 (OMEGA) on June 5th, 2017 corresponded to KIN 13 while the 13th anniversary of the Venus Transit of 2004 (ALPHA) on June 8, 2017 corresponded to KIN 16. Is the numerical occult significance of the Book of Revelations unveiling its mystery in due time?
★ The 12th position is 144: KIN 144 1Seed ~ 7.26.1993 ~ 1st day/1st Year of Prophecy ~ 144 (12X12) is the basis of Baktun Count and the key number associated with the New Jerusalem in the Bible.
★ 144 is the only number of the Fibonacci sequence that is a square and a circle (spiral) at the same time.
★144 degrees is the orbit interval in between Venus ~ Sun interior conjunctions in the sky almost every 584 days.
65=13 x5, frequency of galactic spectrum, ¼ 260, fifth forcemoved by power of cosmic cycle.
On the other hand, the 260-day cycle also relates to cycles that are closer to home, so to speak. Barbara Tedlock, in her book Time and the Highland Maya (1982), tells us that there is a 260-day period between the planting and harvesting of corn in the highlands of Guatemala. Most importantly, the period of human gestation is roughly 260 days. The modern Quiche daykeeper Andres Xiloj explicitly offers this as an explanation for the tzolkin’s meaning. So, the tzolkin relates as much to organic processes on the earth as to celestial cycles in the heavens. Here we have the core of the tzolkin’s incredible properties: it unites terrestrial and celestial processes under one principle. Said another way, the tzolkin contains a single principle which operates equally in both the sky and on earth. Of course, this is really the “as above, so below” principle of astrology, but Mayan cosmology developed this insight with great ingenuity and sophistication. It should also be said that the tzolkin is therefore less of a human invention, and more of a profound insight into the organizational tendencies within nature. As such, it is a kind of Mayan “Unified Theory,” based upon a clear insight into universal processes. This is the general framework I have developed in my work with the tzolkin.
Venus has a profound relationship with the core principle of the tzolkin. In my books on the tzolkin I have put forward the notion that the principle at the core of the 260-day cycle is none other than the Golden Proportion. I argue this by looking at the mathematics and the philosophy of the Golden Proportion, and compare it to what we know, and the Maya themselves offer, about the tzolkin. The Golden Proportionis a unique principle in nature. It determines the spirals in pine-cones, seashells, the geometry of the human body and appears in many other organic processes. In the words of Jose Arguelles, it is the principle of “self-same similarity.” So, it’s not strictly about spirals.
The modern Maya have lost the ancient Venus calendar, and what I present is a reconstruction based upon the simplest criteria. Thirteen of the 8-year pentagram cycles equal the Venus Round of 104 years. This is an important “big” cycle, because it represents the synchronization of the tzolkin, solar year and Venus cycles. This 104-year cycle is the Venus Calendar followed by the ancient Maya at cities such as Palenque and Chichen Itza. It began when Venus rose as morningstar in the east on the Sacred Day of Venus, One Ahau [KIN 40 1Sun]. This occurs only once every 104years. Because this gradually falls out of synchronization, problems arise.
As noted above, and documented in detail on the report “Venus Transit syncs with Sirius rising“, the rare Venus Transit of 2012 on June 5-6/2012 ~ KIN 8 8Star and KIN 9 9Moon marked not only the start of the creation of a new 5-pointed Star between Venus and Earth, but ALSO the start of a MAJOR synchronization between Venus our closest neighbor and brightest planet in the night sky, with the heliacal rising of Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky) on July 25/26, 2014 KIN 8 + KIN 9. This synchronization process took EXACTLY 3 Tzolkins or 780 days.
With so much noise, doom and chaos transpiring around our planet now, it is wise to focus our attention in the sacred harmony, elegance and beauty of the movements of our HOME planet in relationship to our TWIN Planet and brightest Star in the night sky, as they reach this climatic synchronic Vortex while they dance around the Sun.
“Lord of the Dawn Quetzalcoatl, prophet and mythic complex of ancient Mexico is the patron saint or tutelary deity of the Harmonic Convergence. The Harmonic Convergence of 1987 was in commemoration of the completion of his prophecy of 13 Heavens and 9 Hells, and was celebrated worldwide as a global peace meditation.
One writer refers to Quetzalcoatl as the magician par excellence, “He who knows the secrets of all enchantments.” He is a culture hero and bringer of the knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and the calendar. He is the one who initiates man into the mysteries of the interior life. He is often depicted as a plumed serpent, representing the marriage of heaven and earth. He is an alchemical cipher of the cycles and stages of transformation. He is associated with Venus and its synodic cycles of appearance, disappearance and reappearance as the morning and evening star.
As a prophet he is known as Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl – Our Lord One Reed Quetzalcoatl. He was born in the Christian year 947 in Amatlan in the present state of Morelos, Mexico. He was known as a model king of peace and promoter of the arts and culture, who was opposed to human sacrifice, and built his palaces in the city of Tula in the archetypal memory of the original Tollan, the city of the distant star born. After many adventures and wanderings, he departed on a raft of serpents on the eastern sea in the Christian year 999, traveling toward the dawn, vowing he would return on the year sacred to him, the year One Reed in the Nahuatl tradition, the year and day of his birth (1 Reed = 1 Skywalker, Kin 53). In the Mexica tradition this year last occurred in 1987, exactly 1040 years or 20 52 year cycles after his birth in 947.
In the Nahuatl tradition, Quetzalcoatl is regarded as a multiple avatar and the first human to discover and convert himself into a “god”, i.e., to attain and realize his divine nature. Quetzalcoatl taught that human greatness grows out of the awareness of spiritual order. The era of Quetzalcoatl is that of the advent of the soul, the unifying center which is the essence of all religious thought.
1. Always be aware that God is ever-present; don’t despair or become cowardly, but remain humble in your heart and love God.
2. Be at peace with everybody, regardless.
3. Don’t waste your time. You have been given a precious opportunity in this earthly life; use it wisely and creatively.
As part of the meaning of the Harmonic Convergence of 1987, the return of Quetzalcoatl signifies the awakening of consciousness during the 26-year Harmonic Convergence prophecy cycle, 1987-2013. In this regard, Quetzalcoatl is the awakened rainbow consciousness that characterizes the self-luminous entry into the noosphere. This is the meaning of the seven cycles of the Lord of Dawn and the Seven 144-day Cycles, Return of Sacred Power.
May Peace, Harmony and Beauty prevail on Earth! | 2019-04-22T13:01:21Z | https://tortuga1320.com/2018/10/31/noospheric-emergence-part-phive-venus-factor/?fbclid=IwAR3tbF60cLLDCdHWGqi_oeJuXN-oogLD7ULHC0YOlt7yFc_arhgqil8jJmQ |
Kindle Fire vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 2: Which Should You Buy?
There are loads of new 7” tablets coming out lately that have their eyes on the Kindle Fire’s success. The common theme seems to be having either slightly higher specs and a few of the features that people complain the Kindle Fire lacks, or a lower price point that doesn’t preclude basically functioning in the ways that matter. As I’ve mentioned numerous times here, companies who are looking at just the hardware or just the price and picking these out as roads to success are missing the point.
Samsung’s first attempt at a 7” tablet was not precisely groundbreaking. For a smaller device, the Galaxy Tab was impressive and did practically anything you might want a tablet to do. It packed more power and features into that small package than any other Android tablet I can think of to come out in 2010. Still, as a device intended to compete with the iPad, it didn’t take off. Later, with the Kindle Fire announced, it became practically irrelevant. Nobody is going to want to consider a tablet running twice the price of the most popular thing around unless it is truly amazing.
Now Samsung is coming out with the more realistically competitive 7” Galaxy Tab 2 and there’s reason to give it serious thought as a choice. It isn’t amazing, but at $250 it also isn’t overpriced and the value is impressively high for what you pay.
The new Galaxy Tab 2 is slightly thinner and lighter than the Kindle Fire. We’re not talking about the most powerful tablet on the market, with a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, but it should do the job. It comes with 8GB internal storage as well as an expandable memory slot that can allow for an extra 32GB. As a perk, new users will get a free year of 50GB Dropbox storage. There are dual cameras, though the front-facing is mediocre at best and even the rear-facing isn’t anything to get excited about. The Galaxy Tab 2 does run Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.3) and is the first Samsung offering to do so, which may be a draw for some.
Overall, we’re talking about something that beats the Kindle Fire point for point across the board in hardware specs. That isn’t exactly exciting on its own, given that the Kindle Fire was never intended to impress in terms of raw power, but the fact that there aren’t really any missing features besides perhaps an HDMI slot is worth keeping in mind. The screen is actually somewhat less clear than the Kindle’s, but not enough to get upset about. The consideration is going to come down to hardware versus software and media.
If we’re going to talk about a Kindle Fire vs Galaxy Tab 2 comparison, we have to consider the overall experience. The Kindle Fire, in addition to featuring a $200 price tag, a heavily streamlined UI, and integration with Amazon’s digital services, can take advantage of the Amazon.com movie library and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in a way that the Samsung tablet can’t. Amazon has also proven more reliable about their firmware updates than Samsung, whose older customers still have not been able to upgrade to Android 4.0. If these conveniences don’t weigh you toward the Kindle Fire then a 7” Galaxy Tab 2 might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Kindle Fire vs iPad 3 Is Easy, But Will Kindle Fire 2 Change Things?
I’ve gone over the fact that choosing a Kindle Fire or iPad isn’t really a tough decision before. They are completely different devices that offer drastically different capabilities to their users. A Kindle Fire could no more replace everything an iPad does than it could a traditional Desktop PC, but buying an iPad to do nothing more than what the Kindle Fire is capable of is wasteful at best. There is some speculation that this will be changing in the fairly near future, however, and we have to wonder how well Amazon can hope to pull off a direct confrontation.
Their strength has been the ability to present a device that does exactly what it sets out to do, does it well, and doesn’t claim to be able to do anything more. The Kindle eReader can be adapted to type on if a user feels like it, but Amazon never advertises it as a tool for that. The Kindle Fire was provided with just enough power to handle movie watching and most common apps. To be able to compete with an iPad on Apple’s terms, Amazon would have to be prepared for just about anything a user would want to do.
Some of these things are easy. Cameras, which most people are either convinced or at least hopeful that the Kindle Fire 2 will have, would go a long way toward making it a better communications device. A mic, which obviously would be needed in almost any situation where a camera would be useful, would also allow for voice controls and speech-to-text. The larger screen would offer users greater real estate for customizing their experience and developers more leeway to add in features or information in ways that couldn’t fit on a smaller device. To really match the iPad 3 side by side though, they would need more.
It is pretty safe to say that the Kindle Fire 2 will not have a Retina Display. It will also not have multi-touch capabilities able to handle significantly more than two contact points at a time. The screen will be larger, which is useful, but the impact of that can’t be assumed to cover everything. In terms of processing power, graphics capabilities, and any number of other factors, there is little reason to believe that Amazon has a chance at taking the lead in general use situations.
Does this mean that a larger Kindle Fire will flop? I don’t believe so. If Amazon can keep the price down, it will still stand out. Apple’s keeping the iPad 2 available at $400 is ingenious in that it makes the comparison with a 9-10” competitor at $300-350 closer than it would be otherwise, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to move in. Really the only question will be how much they advertise what the new Kindle Fire is meant to do. If they can make it clear that despite being larger it is still a purely consumption drive design, that will work as an advantage. If they seem to be actively trying to create and sell a full featured tablet, it will take something big.
Early on in the Kindle’s life, there was a lot of insistance than it couldn’t possibly succeed as a product when there was something as great as the iPad available. As we know, these predictions of doom didn’t exactly pan out. Dedicated eReader products were able to carve out their own market by bringing along capabilities that made them exceptional at what they did, even if that one task was somewhat narrow compared to potential competing types of products.
With the recent announcement of greater variety in the Kindle line, however, there is likely to be at least a small amount of confusion among prospective buyers. After all, Amazon has made a great eReader line and many will want to force the Kindle Fire into that niche despite its better fit elsewhere. While it makes sense for Amazon to want to capitalize on the popularity of the Kindle line by including the new tablet in it, it remains important for people to realize the things that the Kindle Touch will do better as a reading device. In order to help simplify things, let’s look at some ideal uses are for each specific device.
As you might expect, the actual eReader is a bit more focused on the book experience while the Kindle Fire is able to handle many tasks. At first glance, this implies that the tablet is the more valuable tool. For many people this may well be the case. Just as the iPad does more than the Kindle in terms of sheer feature quantity, the Fire will always come out on top in that way. This should not be mistaken for an indication that the Kindle Touch is never the superior device, though.
No matter what advancements become possible with LCD technology, it is unlikely that these displays will be able to match the ease of use provided by the E INK Pearl. While some will claim that they have no trouble with reading on a backlit screen, the vast majority have expressed a definite preference for something like the Kindle Touch during the long periods of reading likely to be taking place over the course of a novel. These displays are also handle sunlight quite a bit better if that happens to be your preference while reading.
In addition to the screens, when you’re reading a book it is nice to be able to put it down and pick it up again a day or two later without worrying about charging. The fact that Kindle eReaders last weeks to months between charges makes them feel more like read books. The weight is also less than half that of the Kindle Fire, which while not necessarily a major issue at first will be noticeable over long periods of on-handed reading.
Perhaps the biggest selling point for the active reader will be the X-Ray feature. Amazon promises that this will be a great aid for picking out important passages, accessing related material, and generally supplementing your reading experience. While it is not something that we have been able to preview at this time, a system that works as well as Amazon claims X-Ray will would be an invaluable tool for many reasons.
If reading isn’t your main concern, of course, then the Kindle Fire still makes a lot of sense. The 8 hour battery life is at the high end for similar products, the app store is one of the best, and the whole end to end experience is geared to make viewing, listening, browsing, and reading as comfortable as possible. At $199, this is a game changing device that packs far more power and functionality than you would expect into a compact package.
To go along with the launch, Amazon has beefed up their Instant Video collection with tens of thousands of new titles including many available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers. They have put a lot of work into making sure that streaming video runs smoothly on the new tablet, so it is safe to say the experience there will be as pleasant as possible on a 7″ screen.
I would not recommend the Kindle Fire for readers, due to screen type and battery life especially, but other than that it will be a valuable resource to just about anybody. It’s portable, light, fairly powerful, and capable of opening just about any form of media you can think of. While nobody is really expecting that the iPad is in any trouble from this corner at the moment, it’s hard to argue with something that does a comparable job at less than half the price with what may be an even better source of content to draw on.
Kindle Touch vs Kindle Keyboard: Is It Worth An Upgrade?
Some of the longest running customer demands for the Kindle line have been a touchscreen, a color display, and a price under $100. The Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire each manage a different combination of two out of those three. The big question now is what this means for Kindle owners. Is the addition of these features worth the cost of purchasing a new eReader, even as cheap as they’ve become? For that matter, should people just now coming to the eReader experience jump on the newer Kindle Touch or the Kindle Keyboard being sold for the same price?
Not quite as much as one might think, really.
The real differences that come in stem from software improvements. As you might notice in the table above, though the two Kindles share the same storage space measurement they have different listed book capacities. This is because there are a couple things going on in the Kindle Touch software that the Kindle Keyboard does not have access to, which decreases the available area of the device’s storage a bit.
The less significant, though still quite useful given the interface, is the EasyReach system. This partitions off the touchscreen so that the majority of the screen can be tapped for paging forward while the leftmost edge of the screen will work as a backward page turning button. This eliminates the need for finger swiping. Swiping was certainly a fine idea and emulates the page turning experience found in a paper book to a certain extent, but it gets old after a few hundred pages as anybody who wore out their original Nook can likely attest to.
More importantly, the Kindle Touch will be coming with something called X-Ray. The X-Ray feature is basically intended to be an intelligent extension of the search function, based on Amazon’s description. Not only will it find instances of word use, though, it will supposedly find all instances of a character, idea, place, or topic throughout as well as linking to relevant articles on either Wikipedia or Amazon’s own Shelfari service. How successful this feature is remains to be seen, but Amazon clearly places a lot of confidence in it and emphasizes their own expertise in machine learning and data processing in explaining how they can make such a bold claim. The product page literally says that “The vision is to have every important phrase in every book.” An intriguing, if highly ambitious claim.
The benefits of a Kindle Keyboard are a bit more modest. Aside from it being a proven device with very few shortcomings attached to it at this point, you also get physical buttons, more application/game options, and a slightly different experience in 3G usage.
The keyboard isn’t the most wonderful thing in the world, but it does the job. This will be a benefit for anybody who prefers feedback on their button pressing. It also means that more of the games and other applications currently available will work for you. For the most part developers have been able to assume the presence of these controls up until this point and it is unlikely that many will be able to adapt to a touchscreen display. This is not to say that there won’t be plenty of games and such that exclusively use the touchscreen in the future, but for now Kindle Keyboard owners have a clear advantage when it comes to non-reading eReader usage.
The 3G coverage that I mentioned is also noticeably more useful than that on the Kindle Touch. Unlike the newer device, the Kindle Keyboard remains able to access the entirety of the internet through this connection (albeit in a sub-par browser), while the new Kindle will be restricted to the Kindle Store and Wikipedia. Anything more is going to require access to a WiFi network, in which situations you will generally be able to access a more internet friendly device anyway. Of course, I am personally taking this as a sign that the Kindle Keyboard is either going to be phased out in the near future or blocked off in a fashion similar to the Kindle Touch, but it is safe to say that current owners and near-future adopters will not be affected.
When it comes right down to it, there isn’t enough difference between these two to really justify an upgrade. If you own a Kindle Keyboard already and have no particular attachments to touchscreens or potentially super-smart text searches, you shouldn’t feel too bad about waiting a while before getting another eReader. If you’re new to the whole eReader scene, I would probably recommend the $99 Kindle Touch. It is the newest and most likely to be supported in the long term, especially in terms of firmware updates. In addition, you get the touchscreen interface which is certain to be a bit more versatile for most users when compared to the directional control on other Kindles. Completely worth it considering both devices are the same price anyway.
With Kindle 4 being released, some people on forums started arguing whether Pearl eInk screen is the same in $99 Kindle Keyboard and $79 Kindle 4 “Non-Touch”. Both sides have posted side-by-side photos to support their claims. Having recently obtained a Spyder 3 Print SR colorimeter for purposes of calibrating my printer I decided to do my own research.
Telling whether two colors are the same or not is a tricky business. Lighting, our eyes and brain can play tricks on us that can be best illustrated by this short video.
Different colors may appear the same under different lighting conditions or if they are positioned in a certain way. The opposite can also be true. The biggest factor is the context – what is around objects that we try to color-match. It can make things appear darker or lighter or even change tint. This is where precision colorimeters come in. Precision colorimeter is a device that contains calibrated light source and calibrated color sensor that measures color of a very small spot on an object. This eliminates effects of external lighting and takes our eyes out of the equation. It produces 3 numbers “L”, “a” and “b” that precisely identify a color regardless of its origin or context. “L” stands for lightness. It measures how bright the color is. This is what one would care the most when evaluating grayscale device such as Kindle. “a” and “b” contain information about color – whether it is green or blue. Ideal neutral gray color has both “a” and “b” equal zero.
In the past I did some very crude measurements to compare Kindle 2 and Kindle 3 with my DSLR by trying to keep lighting consistent across exposures. This time I used the Spyder colorimeter to compare Kindle 4 and Kindle 3. I also threw Kindle 2 and Kindle 1 I had in the mix to gather more data and validate my DSLR measurements. I created 16 PNG files that contain monotonous squares ranging from #000000 to #ffffff with #111111 as a step. I copied these files on Kindle devices and measured each square with colorimeter. To make results consistent I refreshed the screen by pressing Alt-G before each measurement (Keyboard+Back on Kindle 4). If I weren’t lazy I would measure each color multiple times and average out the results. However after some testing I found little variation in measurements of the same color so I let it slide. Below is the table with measurement results and a graph to illustrate it.
As you can see, Kindle 3 and Kindle 4 have very similar response curves and dynamic ranges, even despite the fact that I’ve heavily used my Kindle 3 (Keyboard) during the last year, while Kindle 4 is brand new. Perhaps if I had a specimen of unused Kindle Keyboard, measurements would be even closer. On the other hand measurements of Kindle 2 and Kindle 1 are very different from K3/K4. According to Amazon these devices use different screen technology and it shows. These results are also very much in line with my rough DSLR measurements from last year. Kindle 1 supports only 8 shades or gray (as opposed to 16 in later models) and it can be seen in a non-linear character or its transfer curve.
Bottom line: Kindle 4 and Kindle 3 have very similar screens to the point of being identical. While point is the same in Kindle 2 and Kindle 3/4, but Kindle 2 has lighter darks. Kindle 1 has lighter whites but also even lighter darks than Kindle 2.
I am unable to really express how often over the last year or two I have heard from people the idea that the Kindle will never hit it big until they get their pricing under the hundred dollar mark. This has not stopped the Kindle from becoming overwhelmingly popular, but it makes a great talking point for people who want to argue for discounts or claim Tablet PC superiority in eReading. Finally, however, we can have an end to the idea’s repetition. There is now a Refurbished Kindle available for just $99. There are other factors involved that might make this a deal worth waiting on, though.
The $99 pricing seems appealing and probably will sway a few people. I seem to recall that discounted refurbs toward the end of the Kindle 2’s life cycle did the same. Still, before you jump on it, it is important to keep in mind what this move is likely to imply. Rumors abound, both substantial and completely speculative, about the upcoming next generation of Kindle products. We can be almost 100% sure that they will be showing up in the next three months, but beyond that there is little total certainty due to the expected overlapping release of the first Kindle Tablet and the difficulties inherent in trying to pick through the bits of information we have to determine which bit goes to which device. Given competition in the eReader marketplace alongside some business moves that Amazon has made lately, though, we can make some pretty solid assumptions.
Amazon will, it can be assumed, be releasing a new touchscreen Kindle. It is very, very likely that it will run Android in some form. There are certain to be several incarnations of it to allow for choice between WiFi, 3G, ad support, and the combinations thereof that we have become accustomed to. It is very unlikely that the new Kindle baseline model will cost more than the $114 currently being asked for the cheapest brand new Kindle on sale right this minute.
The question potential customers have to ask, then, is what factors matter in their choice. If this is meant to show Amazon that you will not support Kindles over $100, then it is a good way to put your money into making your point while still getting a great product. If you are in a hurry and don’t feel like waiting to get the new Kindle, then it makes sense to pick up one of these. Never any harm in grabbing a refurbished product from a company that is known to have excellent customer service. If you don’t have a point to make and aren’t in a rush, however, I can’t see that holding back to see how well the Kindle 4/Kindle Touch/Kindle Whatevertheycallit stacks up compared to the competition. There’s no reason to believe that there won’t still be Kindle 3 refurbs and back stock sitting around by then anyway, probably discounted even further or sold through Woot.com. While there are rumors going around that many customers will be getting brand new Kindles labeled as refurbished in order to be sneaky about their official new product announcement, it is hard to see Amazon running out completely in the next couple weeks.
As somebody who both loves having a Kindle and who is proud of his fairly extensive physical library, it can be infuriating to hear people talk about their perception that eReaders stand in opposition to books. I will certainly acknowledge that there is a completely different tactile experience that you get when reading a printed book. I’m not even going to try to make the claim that it isn’t superior to that of the eReader, since that’s obviously a matter of personal preference rather than objective evaluation. What I promote, however, is the idea that while it may be important in some cases, as a general rule the medium through which a text comes to you should always be secondary to the text itself.
When I buy a book, speaking solely for myself, I buy it because I want something to read. When there’s something I particularly like, or when there’s an edition that adds something that can’t be found elsewhere, I grab a copy for the bookshelf. This keeps it available, visible, easily referenced, and has a certain aesthetically pleasing effect. In no situation that I can think of, however, would I grab a book that I have no interest in reading. What would be the point? Now, assuming you’re still with me to this point, it only stands to reason that eReaders like the Kindle make a book-lover’s life a little easier.
Even if you leave aside the issue of bulk and transportation when it comes to a paper book, there’s a big advantage to having books available electronically. Availability. An eBook never runs out at the local store, never goes out of print, and theoretically will never wear out. While there is a certain nostalgia in picking up a well-loved old book that is just coming apart at the seams, I’d rather than a copy that is as readable the tenth time as it was the first. And if I want to go back and read the author’s earlier works because I liked it so much, I don’t want to have to worry about the book being out of print or on weeks of back-order at the local book store. In either of those cases, I’d be more likely to put the idea of reading what I want aside because it would be more hassle than enjoyment. Thanks to the Kindle, no worries.
It should go without saying that this only serves to enhance the existing system rather than detract from it. There will always be situations where you want a paper copy, whether it is to fill a book shelf, doodle in the margins, run a highlighter over, or what have you. In the end, however, it’s better to have the text available. That is the primary concern on which everything else rests, and the service that the Kindle provides. One way or another, if an eBook has existed then it is highly unlikely that it will fail to be available should you need it. This cannot be a bad thing, when what you truly care about is experiencing the text of a book.
Picture is worth a thousand words so rather than writing one more Kindle 3 Review (which I encourage you to read if you haven’t already), today I decided to publish several Kindle 3 photos.
Personally I’m a huge eReader fan and gadget geek as you can see from my pile of eInk hardware. Out of all devices Kindles get the most use: 6″ devices to read books and Kindle DX to read newspapers and magazines. iPad is also used quite a bit but mostly not as eBook reader.
Kindle 3 frontal shot. Kindle has a picture viewer easter egg. In order to use it: create “pictures” folder in the root directory of the Kindle USB drive, create some sub-directory there and fill it with pictures. Once in home screen, press Alt-Z to make Kindle 3 rescan picture folders. Subfolders of “pictures” folder that have JPEG, GIF, PNG or BMP files in them will be visible as books and images will become pages. It may be a nice way to enjoy manga on your Kindle 3.
Kindle 3 back cover has a nice rubbery feel to it that makes the device very comfortable to hold. I has Amazon Kindle logo embossed in it. If you look closely at the slit between front and back covers you will be able to see screwdriver marks from my Kindle 3 disassembly attempt.
For some reason Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has overstated Kindle 3 weight. It really weights around 8.2 ounces as opposed to the official spec of 8.7 as confirmed by multiple sources.
One of the standard Kindle 3 accessories that Amazon sells separately is Kindle 3 Leather Lighted Cover. It is intended to protect your Kindle from scratches and falls. Although I’ve never field-tested it, judging by it’s solid construction it should do a good job. It also has a built-in LED light for night reading that draws power from Kindle battery via conductive cover hinges. The downside is that the cover doubles the weight of the device.
As you can see, page lighting is not completely even. However from my personal experience I can tell that the cover is completely usable for reading at night. DSLR cameras tend to exaggerate contrast.
When not in use the light slides into the cover and stays completely hidden. There is also leather cover without built in light that costs less and is couple of ounces lighter.
Amazon designers have moved all buttons (except for paging) and connectors to the bottom edge of the device. From left to right you see volume control (for two built-in 1W stereo speaker or headphones used for “Read To Me” text-to-speech feature, listening audiobooks or DRM-free MP3 files), stereo mini-jack headphone connector, microphone (that is not used for anything right now according to the user’s guide), standard micro-USB PC/charging connector, power switch with integrated large charging LED light. The light blinks green when Kindle 3 is turned on or off, glows orange when Kindle is charging and glows green when the device is completely charged.
Witness 3 years of Kindle evolution. Kindle 1 released on the 19th of November 2007, Kindle 2 releaed on the 9th of February 2009 and finally Kindle 3 Graphite released recently. Notice the improving progression of screen contrast as eInk displays evolved over time.
Although Kindle 3 and Kindle 1 have very similar footprint in the terms of thickness, Kindle 3 is almost 3 times thinner than the original first generation Kindle.
Although K3 and K2 are almost indistinguishable by thickness (the difference is 1/50 inch), difference by footprint is considerable.
As you can see Kindle 3 completely fits inside Kindle DX screen with still some room to spare. These are two different classes of devices.
Kindle 3 is slightly smaller than Barnes & Noble Nook. It is also almost twice at thin and significantly lighter while packing same 3G + WiFi connectivity. In case of Kindle 3 however you can use free 3G Internet to browse any website rather than just download books.
Kindle 3 has slightly larger footprint than Sony PRS-600 because of keyboard but is slightly thinner and considerably lighter. However the main difference is in display contrast. Kindle 3 Pearl eInk display contrast is almost 5 times higher than that of Sony. This difference has mostly to do with the touchscreen layer in PRS-600.
Although these are completely different kinds of products I still photographed Kindle 3 and Apple iPad side-by-side just for the fun of it.
Right now there are 220 customer reviews for Kindle 3. Of these 155 are completely positive five star reviews, 35 – positive four star reviews, 6 – neutral 3 star reviews, 7 – negative two star reviews and finally 17 – completely negative one star reviews. For the last several days ship date for Kindle 3 remained unchanged as “on or before September 17th”.
BTW: I have plenty of hosting bandwidth so you are welcome to hotlink these pictures. | 2019-04-19T13:29:45Z | http://ereadertech.com/tag/comparison/ |
Monday 31st July 2017 – 9.13am – Murray MacGregor.
Three people, including a young girl, have been taken to major trauma centres after a serious two car crash.
It happened near to the A46 Bishopton Island just to the north of Stratford Upon Avon at about 5.25pm on Sunday afternoon.
Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulances from Strensham and Cosford were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said: “On arrival, crews found a BMW estate that had ended up in a hedge and a white Ford Fiesta with significant front-end damage.
“The 18-year-old woman driving the Fiesta had to be cut free from the wreckage. She had fractures to both legs and her left arm; she was not fully conscious. She was immobilised had splints applied and was then airlifted to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire by the Cosford aircraft.
“The front seat passenger in the BMW was a 34-year-old woman. She had facial, leg and wrist injuries. She was immobilised and taken on blue lights to the same major trauma centre by land ambulance.
“A seven-year-old girl in the back of the car had neck and abdominal pain and facial injuries. She was also immobilised, given pain relief and taken on blue lights to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. A critical care paramedic from the Strensham aircraft travelled with the ambulance crew.
Two men needed treatment for serious flash burns after the fuel tank of a van exploded in Warwickshire last night.
A local volunteer Community First Responder (CFR) was approached by the two injured men in Gerrards Road, Shipston-on-Stour shortly after 8.00pm last night (Friday). The two men had made their way from where the incident had happened nearby; the van consequently caught fire. Whilst the CFR provided initial burns care to the two men, the Trust’s control room responded two ambulances, a community paramedic and the critical care car from The Air Ambulance Service.
Friday 28th July 2017 – 8.50am – Claire Brown.
Excellent and rapid teamwork between the emergency services meant that all residents from a four-storey block of flats escaped injury following a flat fire in Tipton last night.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received a call from West Midlands Fire Service shortly before 10.00pm last night to reports of a flat fire in St Marks Road in Tipton. Two ambulances, a paramedic officer, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team paramedics and a senior paramedic officer attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “When ambulance staff arrived, a large number of residents were in the street after they had evacuated from the block of flats. Firefighters were using ladders to rescue the remaining eight residents from windows of their properties whilst also working to quickly extinguish the fire.
Notes to Editor – Picture and video credit ‘West Midlands Ambulance Service’.
Thursday 27th July 2017 – 9.30am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A car driver was alerted in to one of the region’s major trauma centres with serious injuries following a collision with a lorry last night that left his vehicle with significant damage.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Lodge Lane in Cheslyn Hay, Cannock at 7.51pm and sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer and a MERIT trauma doctor to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived to find a lorry that overturned and a car with substantial front end damage.
“The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was assisted out of the car and treated for a fractured leg, hip and pelvic injuries as well as cuts to his arms.
“The man, who was suffering from a slightly reduced level of consciousness, was immobilised with the use of a scoop stretcher and given pain relief before being taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital on blue lights and sirens.
“Ambulance staff found the lorry driver, a man in his 40s, sitting at the roadside having managed to get himself out.
Tuesday 25th July 2017 – 5.30pm – Murray MacGregor.
A motorcyclist has been anaesthetised at the scene of an incident in Coventry.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the junction of Radford Road and Bede Road at about 2.50pm on Tuesday afternoon.
An ambulance, a paramedic officer initially responded but they requested the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance due to the severity of the rider’s injuries.
The man, who was estimated to be in his 20s had suffered very serious chest and facial injuries. Ambulance staff and the doctor from the aircraft carried out a number of procedures at the scene to stabilise his condition.
“He was then anaesthetised, immobilised and had a pelvic binder put in place before being taken on blue lights by land ambulance to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire; the doctor travelled with the ambulance.
Tuesday 25th July 2017 – 2.50pm – Murray MacGregor.
A young cyclist has been injured after a collision with a car.
It happened near to the junction of Langbank Avenue and Willenhall Lane in Coventry at just after 1.00pm this afternoon.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews found an off-duty nurse and the crew of a WMAS non-emergency patient transport service vehicle at the scene providing aid to the girl.
“The initial calls suggested that the girl had been knocked out briefly but she was fully conscious when ambulance crews assessed her.
“The 10-year-old had suffered abrasions on her head, arms and legs but appeared not to have suffered any serious injuries. Her bike had not been so lucky with the saddle no longer attached to the bike.
“As a precaution, the girl was taken on blue lights to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire.
Tuesday 25th July 2017 – 2.06pm – Murray MacGregor.
An elderly woman has suffered very serious leg injuries after a collision with a car in a car park.
It happened at the back of the Co-op, off Market Street, in Kingswinford at about 10.05am this morning.
Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford with two doctors and a critical care paramedic on board were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found an 88-year-old woman who had suffered very serious leg and pelvic injuries.
“Ambulance staff and the doctors worked on her at the scene to stabilise her condition. She received pain relief and had her legs splinted before she was taken by land ambulance on blue lights to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham; the doctors travelled with the ambulance crew.
Tuesday 25th July 2017 – 8.53am – Murray MacGregor.
A teenage girl has suffered very serious leg injuries after a collision with a car.
It happened outside Boots the Chemist in Mytton Oak Road in Shrewsbury at about 5.00pm yesterday afternoon.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received numerous calls to the incident. An ambulance that was taking a patient into hospital came across the crash shortly after it had happened. Two further ambulances and a paramedic manager were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found a 14-year-old girl with very severe injuries to both legs and her pelvis.
“Nearby a car had come to rest against a green BT phone exchange box. Nearby a set of traffic lights and a bollard had been knocked over.
“Due to the proximity to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the crew spent only 12 minutes on scene before leaving for the hospital with the girl.
“The Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford with a MERIT doctor and critical care paramedic on board had also been sent to the incident and went straight to the hospital.
“The girl’s condition was stabilised in A&E before she was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool for specialist care.
“The elderly woman car driver was assessed at the scene and was treated for a possible heart attack and taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Monday 24th July 2017 – 4.30pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
The Trust’s Patient Transport Service (PTS) is an integral part of West Midlands Ambulance Service and plays a vital role in ensuring that patients from all over the region get to their hospital appointments each year.
Alongside PTS crews that are employed by West Midland Ambulance Service, the Trust also utilises the help of volunteer car drivers.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is currently appealing to anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer car driver in Herefordshire and Tenbury Wells to help get patients to their appointments at local renal dialysis centres or to hospital appointments further afield.
At present the Trust has around 40 volunteer car drivers who come from all walks of life and help to convey a wide range of patients to physiotherapy, renal and general outpatient appointments to a number of hospitals throughout the region.
Michelle Brotherton, Non-Emergency Services Operations Delivery Director, said: “Volunteer car drivers are extremely helpful to the service. There are no set hours and volunteers can do as much or as little as they wish, enabling them to fit their volunteering around their own lifestyle.
All applicants must be prepared to have a Criminal Records Bureau check.
Applicants are required to be medically and physically fit and to have a mature and caring attitude.
The Trust pays a set mileage rate to cover fuel costs as well as other out-of-pocket expenses e.g. cost of parking, cost of work phone calls etc.
For more information please contact Ros Wale via [email protected].
Monday 24th July 2017 – 2.15pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A motorcyclist has died following a collision with a lorry this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A464 in Cosford at 10.49am. The Midlands Air Ambulance crew from Cosford was sent to the scene in a rapid response vehicle.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival at the scene, crews discovered a motorcyclist with multiple serious injuries.
“Unfortunately, it immediately became apparent that nothing could be done to save the patient who was confirmed deceased at the scene.
We do not know the gender of the motorcyclist.
Monday 24th July 2017 – 10.30am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A van driver has had a lucky escape and avoided serious injury despite his vehicle overturning and landing on its roof on the M6 Toll this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the northbound carriage, between junctions 5 and 6, at 7.55am and sent an ambulance, two paramedic officers and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival at the scene, crews were told that the van had rolled numerous times before coming to rest on its roof.
“The driver, a man in his 50s, was out of the vehicle and fully conscious.
“He was assessed by ambulance crews and treated for minor neck and knee injuries before being taken to Walsall Manor Hospital by land ambulance.
Monday 24th July 2017 – 9.10am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A woman was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition following an RTC yesterday evening that resulted in nine patients for ambulance crews to assess.
The three-car collision took place on the A49 in Leominster, near to the OK Diner Island, just before 6.20pm and resulted in four people in total needing transporting to hospital after receiving treatment from ambulance crews at the scene.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received several 999 calls to the incident and sent three ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulances from Cosford and Strensham to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival at the scene, it became immediately apparent to crews that the most seriously injured patient was a passenger in one of the cars.
“The woman, believed to be in her 40s, had suffered multiple serious injuries and was found to be in cardiac arrest.
“She was rapidly freed from the car by ambulance crews who began performing CPR and advanced life support.
“They successfully managed to restart her heart before emergency treatment continued as the woman was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, in a critical condition.
“From the same car, a man in his 60s, managed to free himself before being treated for a chest injury as well as minor head and back injuries. He was immobilised and given pain relief before being airlifted to the same hospital.
“A young boy and a young girl from the same car were treated for chest pain and a leg injury respectively before being transported to Hereford Hospital by land ambulance.
“Travelling in a second car, a man in his 40s was treated for minor head and back injuries. A woman in her 30s escaped uninjured and a young girl was assessed for a minor shoulder injury. All three were discharged at the scene.
A group of teenagers were a great help to ambulance staff last night by directing crews to their injured friend in a wooded area in Wolverhampton.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a wooded area behind Tiger Wok on the Bridgnorth Road in Compton, Wolverhampton shortly after 6.00pm (Wednesday). A responder paramedic, an ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “When the responder paramedic and ambulance crew arrived they were greeted by the teenager’s friends who directed them to the patient; a 10-minute walk from the Bridgnorth Road across fields and into a wooded area of land. Due to their being no phone signal in the wooded area, his friends had raced to the main road in order to call 999. Once with the patient, a 13-year-old boy, ambulance staff were told by his friends that he had initially been knocked unconscious after coming off his pushbike. Thankfully, the boy had regained consciousness but upon assessment was found to have sustained a nasty facial injury, a suspected serious pelvic injury as well as pain in his back and neck.
“Whilst the initial team of ambulance staff began treating the teenage boy with pain relief and wrapping him in a blanket to keep him warm, his friends were asked to go back to the ambulance on Bridgnorth Road to wait for and direct HART and the paramedic officer.
“Once the full team of ambulance staff were with the teenager he was carefully immobilised using a neck collar, pelvic splint and specialist multi-integrated body splint (MIBS). The boy was then carried by the team across the rough terrain back to the awaiting ambulance. The teenager was then taken to New Cross Hospital for further assessment and treatment.
Wednesday 19th July 2017 – 8.30am – Murray MacGregor.
A woman has been anaesthetised at the scene of a serious RTC.
The crash happened on Shenley Lane in the Weoley area of Birmingham.
An ambulance was on scene within seven minutes and was backed up by a second ambulance, a paramedic officer and the MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found a small blue car with substantial damage to the driver’s side and a Jaguar car with front nearside damage.
“The driver of the blue car, a 20-year-old woman, was initially unconscious. She was being helped by an off-duty GP and a police officer who was holding her neck still.
“Ambulance staff worked with firefighters to extricate the woman. After assessment, she was anaesthetised by the doctor and taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with a suspected head injury.
The 54-year-old man driving the Jaguar had managed to get out of the vehicle himself. He was complaining of muscular chest and right arm pain. After assessment, he chose not to go to hospital and was discharged at the scene.
Monday 17th July 2017 – 8.35am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
Three people have died and one has been taken to hospital following a collision between a car and a tree yesterday afternoon (Sunday).
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Coleshill Road in Atherstone at 4.35pm and sent three ambulances, a rapid response paramedic a paramedic officer and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered a car that had collided with a tree and four patients.
“Unfortunately, it became apparent that nothing could be done to save three of the patients, two men and a woman, and they were confirmed dead at the scene.
Want to find out more about your local ambulance service?
Come along to our annual meeting and find out more about working for an ‘Outstanding’ Ambulance Service.
West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust boasts the highest paramedic skill mix in the country. 2016-17 saw the service continuing to strive to ever better this skill mix by recruiting a large number of graduate and student paramedics. The Trust also introduced a new fleet of vehicles and completed the roll out of an electronic patient records system, alongside trialling other initiatives to ensure we get to patients as quickly as possible. 2016-17 was also an extremely successful year for our patient transport services, who were awarded two new brand new contacts.
The meeting will take place at The Academy, Dudley Road, Brierley Hill, DY5 1LQ. Doors will open for the careers event at 5.30pm with the main meeting commencing at 6.30pm.
The event provides an opportunity for members of the public to meet with the Board of Directors, representatives from Council of Governors and Trust staff.
Presentations will be delivered, providing an insight into how the organisation performed in 2016-17, including the Quality Account and financial statements. The meeting will also highlight the focus and challenges the service are facing for the current year.
WMAS Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “During 2016-17 West Midlands Ambulance Service was the only ambulance trust to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). I am incredibly proud of my staff and the volunteers who support us, for providing the best possible care to patients across the West Midlands. Helping others is at the heart of everything we do and I am hugely pleased that the CQC saw a positive, patient centred culture within the Trust with hard working staff proud to work here and making a real difference to patients’ lives.
WMAS Chairman, Sir Graham Meldrum, added: “Despite the challenges faced by the NHS and the heavy demands placed upon the ambulance service, the Trust continues to focus on patient care. It is an inevitable fact that, every single day, people will call 999 for help in their hour of need. These patients are receiving the highest standard of care and compassion from our staff as well as being provided with appropriate care in the right place and at the right time. I am very proud of all of our staff who provide such an excellent standard of service.
Anyone wishing to attend should email: [email protected] by Friday 21st July. Please title your email ‘Annual Meeting’.
* The careers event will host staff from emergency operations centre, paramedics, Trust Tweeters – Lucy Parrott and Sam Grimson, Ambulance Fleet Assistant information, Ambulance Service Fit Test, The recruitment team, Community First Responders – FastAid, Organisational Development and information about health and well-being volunteering opportunities.
The introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme will mean that more patients will be seen more quickly than ever before. Here, some of the experts behind the scheme explain more about why it is good news for patients.
Do you want to find out more about what ARP means for you?
To view the University of Sheffield report that evaluates the new ambulance service standards please click the link below.
Thursday 13th July 2017 – 12.20pm – Murray MacGregor.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is welcoming a new system of response standards which will ensure that patients in the most need get an even quicker response.
The Government has today announced approval for the Ambulance Response Programme (ARP) which has been developed by clinicians over the last 18 months and is the most rigorously tested programme of its kind anywhere in the world.
Under the new system, call handlers in the 999 control rooms ask additional questions that can very quickly identify those patients who will be the highest priority; this allows an ambulance to be dispatched without delay. For other types of call, ambulance staff are given additional time to assess the needs of the patient more fully so that the right response can be sent to meet their needs.
Because this means a more efficient tasking of ambulance resources, callers actually get a quicker response than they do at present.
West Midlands Ambulance Service has been one of three ambulance trusts piloting the new scheme and the figures show patients and staff alike benefit from the new system.
Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “Since we introduced the Ambulance Response Programme last summer we have been able to get to more patients, more quickly, than ever before, particularly those with the most serious conditions; this has undoubtedly led to lives being saved.
“ARP gives us a chance to send the correct response to each patient, not just the closest. For example, in the case of a stroke patient, under the old system, we might have sent a rapid response vehicle and then an ambulance so that we could stop the clock. However, what that patient actually needed was to get an ambulance to the patient and get them to a hyperacute stroke unit. ARP means the patient gets life-saving treatment more quickly allowing a faster and more complete recovery to take place.
“For this type of call, we can show that on average we get a conveying ambulance to that patient over a minute more quickly than we used to; 12:42 as opposed to 13:48. However, for the most serious case – category 1 – we are also getting to patients more quickly because the system is much more efficient.
“Whereas we might have sent multiple vehicles to other cases just to stop the clock, we now just send the right one. This means that the number of times that an ambulance vehicle has been dispatched and then stood down has dropped dramatically.
“The system has freed up ambulances which were previously heading to incidents and then being stood down, which are now utilised to get to lower categories of calls that might previously have waited longer for a response.
“We already had some of the toughest targets in the world; in many respects, these new ones are tougher still. For example, the number of patients in the most serious category has been doubled from three to six percent. This means that those patients who are truly life-threatened will get a faster response and get the treatment they need even more quickly.
“Despite this, the figures speak for themselves: previously we used to get to Red 1 calls in an average of 7mins 30seconds. Now we get there in 7mins 5secs even with the bigger number of patients.
“Not only is the system popular with road staff, it is also popular with control room staff because they know that they have the time to get to the right decision rather than having to react without necessarily having the full information of what a patient really needs.
ARP was developed with significant input from senior ambulance clinicians. It has been rigorously tested using over 10 million 999 calls, with no safety incident or concerns. It has been independently evaluated by Sheffield University in what has been the largest study of its kind ever completed anywhere in the world.
Thursday 13th July 2017 – 9.00am – Claire Brown.
There’s still time to apply to help save lives in your local community in your spare time.
We’re looking for keen and willing potential recruits to become volunteer Community First Responders (CFRs) in Shropshire, particularly South East Shropshire.
To find out more and to apply, please visit NHS Jobs via www.jobs.nhs.uk and search for ‘Community First Responder’. The closing date for application has been extended until Sunday 23rd July.
Wednesday 12th July 2017 – 2.40pm – Murray MacGregor.
A collision between a motorbike and a pedestrian has left a woman with a potentially serious head injury.
The crash happened on Birmingham Road, in the Sutton Trinity area of Sutton Coldfield at about 11.50am this morning (Wednesday).
An ambulance was on scene in six minutes and was backed up by a paramedic officer and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said: “When ambulance crews arrived, they found a woman pedestrian who was estimated to be in her 50s, but there was no motorcycle.
“The woman had a reduced level of consciousness and had suffered a potentially serious head injury as well as cuts and bruises.
Wednesday 12th July 2017 – 9.25am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
Two people have been injured and taken to hospital after a car collided with a stationary car and a house last night (Tuesday).
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Field Road in Bloxwich shortly before 11.40pm and sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a MERIT trauma doctor and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered two patients, both of whom were travelling in the car.
“The rear seat passenger, a man in his 20s, had managed to get himself out of the vehicle.
“Following assessment from ambulance staff, he was treated for serious chest injuries as well as cuts to his arm.
“He was given pain relief and taken on alert to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham where a trauma team were awaiting his arrival. The MERIT doctor travelled with the patient to continue treatment en-route.
“The driver, a man in his 20s, was found to be unresponsive by emergency services colleagues who had freed him from the vehicle and rapidly started treating him.
“The man was still unresponsive on arrival of ambulance staff who treated him for a head injury.
Wednesday 12th July 2017 – 9.02am – Murray MacGregor.
Four people have been assessed by ambulance staff after a severe fire.
The incident happened at about 12.15am on Shepherds Green Road in the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham.
Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found firefighters using breathing apparatus dealing with a serious house fire with lots of smoke.
“Four people has been in the property at the time of the fire.
“While HART provided medical cover for the fire service while they made the building safe, the other ambulance staff assessed the four patients.
“Two men, aged 52 and 43 were treated for smoke inhalation. After being given oxygen and being nebulised, they were taken to Good Hope Hospital for further assessment.
“Two other men believed to be 31 and 66 years old were also assessed but did not require any further treatment and were discharged.
Monday 10th July 2017 – 5pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A Shropshire Paramedic is hoping to avoid creating his own real-life emergency, despite preparing to drive halfway across the world in a car that he describes as ‘dreadful’.
To raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Ed Hullah is attempting to travel from Salop to Saigon in his own 2004 Volkswagen Polo – but admits he is not sure how far it will get.
The adventure is to be completed in two parts with Ed setting the wheels in motion on Saturday (15th July) when he will begin a journey that will see him drive through Eastern Europe and Russia before arriving in Mongolia. He will then drive home again before having the car shipped out next year to continue the journey through China, Laos and Cambodia before arriving in Vietnam.
That is the plan anyway. How smoothly things will run, and how far the car will get him awaits to be seen.
Looking ahead to the trip, Ed, from Bucknell, said: “I have zero mechanical knowledge or experience, which I hope will give me the opportunity to interact with local people of foreign nations.
“Along the way, I will rely on human goodwill to get myself out of any mishaps I have, such as break downs or getting the car stuck in the desert. I’m sure there will be other mishaps that I haven’t planned for, too.
Ed and has funded the entire trip himself, in order to ensure that every penny raised as part of the fund-raising drive goes to the Midlands Air Ambulance. As part of the fund-raising, a raffle is being held with a £500 prize on offer. Each ticket requires the entrant to guess how many miles the car will go before he cannot travel any further in it. To buy a ticket, please visit www.raffle2saigon.com.
In order for people to follow Ed’s progress, live satellite tracking is to be installed on the car which can be viewed by visiting www.salop2saigon.com. You can also keep up to date with all of the latest news by searching for Salop2saigon on Instagram and Facebook.
Monday 10th July 2016 – 2.15pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
It was a very different learning experience for a group of students from throughout the region last this week as they discovered what it is like to work for the ambulance service.
A total of 12 youngsters spent the week at Dudley Hub as part of the Trust’s work experience programme, during which time they met a range of operational staff, including paramedics from the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), to find out more about their roles and responsibilities. This included how 999 calls are handled, basic life support, how to use a defibrillator, what causes a cardiac arrest and the work of community first responders amongst much more.
They also got to explore the back of an ambulance and sample some of the various equipment staff use daily to treat patients.
Not only that, but they were also given a first-hand account of what the week’s work experience can lead to, as recently qualified paramedic Laura Barnett spoke to the group about how she carried out the same work experience four years ago and how her career path led to a job with West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Diane Pittom, the Trust’s Organisational Development Officer, said: “It has been a pleasure to hose a group of very keen students who have hopefully learnt a lot in their time with us.
One of the students, Sam Simpson, has already secured a place at the University of Wolverhampton – where he will study Paramedic Science from January – and said the week has been beneficial to him.
“It has been really good to see lots of different aspects of the ambulance service such as the HART team and the MERIT doctors. I had done plenty of research prior to coming this week and it has been good to see that first hand.
Chelsea Evitts, who attends the Health Futures College in West Brom, said: “It has been a really good week and interesting to find out about all of the different roles in the ambulance service.
Dudley-based paramedic Laura, said: “The work experience programme is still the same one as I did four years ago, and look where it has allowed me to end up.
“It is a good opportunity for those students who get to do it. It allows them to learn a lot about the service and hopefully gives them a good understanding of the work that we do.
Picture 1 – (left to right) Chelsea Evitts (Health Futures UTC, West Bromwich), Riham Osman (King Edward VI, Stourbridge), Diane Pittom (WMAS), Reem Osman (King Edward VI, Stourbridge), Harry Bartleton (Pool Hayes Academy, Willenhall); Abbie Bubb (Health Futures UTC, West Bromwich), Georgia Smith (Health Futures UTC, West Bromwich); Nirvana Lakha (King Edward VI Camp Hill School, Kings Heath), Leah Timmis (Summerhill Secondary School, Kingswinford), Rebecca Attewell (Ormiston Forge Academy, Cradley Heath), Georgia Bentley-Green (Summerhill Secondary School, Kingswinford), Sam Simpson (Dudley College), Jude Evans (Redhill School, Stourbridge).
Picture 2 – Sam Simpson and Chelsea Evitts.
Picture 3 – Laura Barnett (WMAS Paramedic based at Dudley).
Monday 10th July 2017 – 9.10am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
One person has died and three others required hospital treatment following a serious collision on the M42 last night.
Four cars and a lorry were involved in a collision which resulted in three of the cars setting fire and eight patients in total for ambulance staff to assist.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received a 999 call to the M42 southbound between junctions 2 and 1 at 8.55pm and sent two ambulances and two paramedic officers to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Three of the cars were well alight when crews arrived.
“The fire service worked quickly to extinguish the fires but upon doing so, a patient was discovered in one of the cars.
“Unfortunately, it immediately became apparent nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed deceased.
“An off-duty technician, who was in traffic just behind the accident, immediately went to assist upon seeing the collision and with the help of bystanders, managed to pull a woman from one of the burning cars.
“She was treated for minor burns and am arm injury and taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. The quick-thinking actions of those who rescued the woman undoubtedly saved her from suffering far more significant injuries.
“From the same car, the driver, a man believed to be in his 50s, managed to get himself out of the vehicle. He was treated for minor injuries and taken to the same hospital.
“A driver of another car, a man, was treated for a knee injury and taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch for further treatment.
We do not know the gender of the deceased patient.
Friday 7th July 2017 – 1pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A teenage girl has died in a collision between a minibus and a lorry that resulted in 26 patients this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Kingsbury Road in Castle Vale, Birmingham at 9am and sent two ambulances, three paramedic officers, a senior paramedic officer, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response team and the Midlands Air Ambulance Crew from Cosford in a rapid response car to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived on scene to discover a collision between a minibus and a lorry.
“There were 25 patients, from the minibus. One of whom, a teenage girl, had suffered serious injuries in the collision and unfortunately it immediately became apparent that nothing could be done to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene.
“A second teenage girl received treatment at the scene for minor injuries and was transported to Heartlands Hospital for further assessment.
“A further 19 children were discharged at the scene together with four adults, which included the minibus driver.
Friday 7th July 2017 – 12.05pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received a call at 9am to a road traffic collision between a lorry and a minibus on Kingsbury Road in Castle Vale, Birmingham this morning.
Two ambulances, three paramedic officers, a senior paramedic officer, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response team and the Midlands Air Ambulance Crew from Cosford in a rapid response car to the scene.
Friday 7th July 2017 – 8.50am – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A pedestrian has died following a collision with a car last night (Thursday).
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A38 near to Branston in Burton on Trent, shortly before 8.20pm and sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer and a MERIT trauma doctor to the scene. The Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance was also in attendance.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival crews discovered a woman who was in cardiac arrest following the collision having suffered serious injuries in the incident.
“Ambulance staff began CPR and administered advanced life support and successfully managed to restart the woman’s heart at the scene. Emergency medical treatment continued as the woman was airlifted to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.
Thursday 6th July 2017 – 8.48am – Murray MacGregor.
A man has died despite all of the efforts of ambulance and police staff.
Emergency services were called to the eastbound M45 at Dunchurch at 4.30am this morning (Thursday).
An ambulance and a rapid response vehicle were sent to the crash.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “When ambulance staff got to the scene they found a car that had struck the central reservation.
“Police officers, who had arrived just before the ambulance, were getting the driver out of the car.
“He was taken onto the ambulance where ambulance staff immediately started advanced life support. The man was taken on blue lights to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire where medics were on standby.
Monday 3rd July 2017 – 9.14am – Murray MacGregor.
Three men have escaped with what appear to be remarkably minor injuries despite a crash that left three vehicles with massive damage.
The collision happened a the junction of Church Road and Lea Hall Road in the Yardley area of Birmingham at 10.15pm last night.
Two ambulances and two paramedic officers were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival crews were faced with three cars, where the vehicles had suffered a huge level of damage.
“Astonishingly, given the level of damage, the injuries sustained appeared not to be too serious.
“A 20 year old man from a white car had managed to get out of the vehicle and was lying on the ground. He was complaining of back pain. He was immobilised before being taken to Heartlands Hospital.
“A man in his 40s from a second car had suffered leg injuries and was taken to the same hospital, while a man estimated to be in his 60s from the third car was discharged at scene after an assessment by ambulance staff.
Monday 3rd July 2017 – 8.30am – Murray MacGregor.
Ambulance staff say a youngster is lucky to be alive after falling through the roof of a derelict building last night.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a location Opp Minworth Car Sales on Kingsbury Road in the Castle Vale area of Birmingham at about 7.15pm last night.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Ambulance staff were told that the nine-year-old was with friends when he went through the roof and landed on the concrete floor.
“He was helped out of the building before ambulance staff were called.
“It is estimated he fell 25 – 30 feet. He had suffered a fracture to his left forearm and was complaining of back and neck pain. He had his arm splinted and was immobilised before being taken on blue lights to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the region’s paediatric major trauma centre.
Tuesday 4th July 2017 – 5.20pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A teenage boy has been treated for serious injuries and taken on blue lights and sirens to hospital following a collision with a car this afternoon.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Eastern Avenue in Lichfield at 3.50pm and sent an ambulance and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Staffordshire to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered a teenage boy who had been seriously injured in the collision.
“He was assessed and treated for a head injury as well as arm and leg fractures. He was also suffering from a slightly reduced level of consciousness.
“Ambulance staff immobilised and him and administered pain relief before transporting the patient to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The doctor from the air ambulance travelled with the patient to continue treatment en-route to hospital.
It’s hard to believe that, on average, one of our staff is physically attacked every single day. According to the figures for 2016-17, there were 362 physical assaults. On top of that, staff reported a further 525 cases where they were verbally abused. Often it was in a threatening manner, on other occasions it was racially motivated.
This morning, Steve Elliker, our Security Manager and Jordan Rowley one of operational staff in Stafford spoke to Liz Ellis on BBC Radio Stoke.
Monday 3rd July 2017 – 4.52pm – Murray MacGregor.
A man who was left hanging upside down by his seatbelt for 30 minutes has suffered remarkably minor injuries considering. He was one of the three people hurt in a two car crash near Wolvey in Warwickshire.
Three ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance were sent to the scene after a call at 1.26pm on Monday lunchtime.
“The 21 year old lady in the Citroen had to be freed due to the door being stuck. Ambulance staff worked with firefighters to extricate her onto a long board to immobilise her. She was complaining of pain in her head, neck, back, shoulder, chest, thigh and shin. She was given pain relief before being taken to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire by ambulance.
“The 48 year old man in the BMW who was left upside down was carefully helped out of the vehicle and was assessed by ambulance staff. He was taken to the same hospital for further assessment. | 2019-04-22T22:14:40Z | https://wmas.nhs.uk/2017/07/ |
One of the things Adam and I love about living in the Washington, DC area is it’s almost impossible to be bored here. DC has emerged as a culinary hotspot, there are awe-inspiring monuments at every turn, and there are dozens of DC museums covering everything from air travel to zoology. In fact, if you were to visit every exhibit at the Smithsonian museums alone, it would take several years to do—and that would just be for the permanent exhibits!
If your vacation plans will bring you to the USA’s capital, there’s a good chance you’ll visit a couple of DC museums. This guide will introduce you to 40 of the best: from art to history to culture, we have information, tips, and ideas to help you select and make the most of your visit to the DC museums!
Why you should go: If you have never visited the DC museums before, the Smithsonian museums make an excellent starting point, and the Smithsonian Institution Building—known as the Smithsonian Castle—should be your very first stop. The Castle has played host to several museums (including the zoo!) during it’s almost 200-year history, and today it is home to the Smithsonian visitors center. Your visit will orient you to what’s new and exciting at the Smithsonian museums, and volunteers are on hand to answer questions and help you make the most of your visit. The Castle has several interactive maps to help you plot your course, and you can buy coffee and snacks from the café. You’ll also find free Wi-Fi available for guests.
Highlights: Although it is primarily a visitor’s center, the Castle offers an exhibition about its own history that is worth seeing. It’s a great way to learn more about the Smithsonian’s namesake, James Smithson, and how his gift to the USA founded the remarkable DC museums complex we enjoy today. You’ll also see a crypt with his remains on the first floor of the building by the north exit.
Talk to the volunteers! If you want some great insider tips on how to enjoy your time, ask about their favorite exhibits and put their ideas to use.
Why you should go: The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian is home to almost one million items that tell 12,000 years of history about the continent’s native people. Learn about the tribes, culture, and lives of the remarkable people who have called the USA, Canada, and other central and South American countries home for many centuries.
Highlights: The exhibit on Native Americans and their relationship with the universe is well-regarded and really interesting. You’ll see quite a bit of artwork, and the Patriot Nations exhibit that discusses the role of the American Indian during various wars is really eye-opening and educational.
How much time do you need? 1-2 hours would provide enough time for a solid visit.
The Mitsitam Café in the Museum of the American Indian is regarded as the best one on the National Mall. The prices are a bit high, but you’ll have your choice of bison burgers, chili with fry bread, salmon chowder, and ceviche. Options are broken up by geographic area, so you can try a nice sampling of food depending on your budget and how hungry you are.
Why you should go: If you want to learn about the natural world, this is one of the can’t-miss Washington DC museums. You’ll find exhibits on everything from human evolution to dinosaurs to gemstones, and you can discover creatures who dwell at the bottom of the ocean and those who take to the sky. The Natural History Museum is one of the most popular in the city, and it’s a great choice for families, animal lovers, and jewelry aficionados.
Highlights: You’ll want to brave the crowds on the second floor to see the Hope Diamond, a 45-carat blue diamond revered for its size and claimed to be cursed. The mummies exhibit is fascinating, and you won’t want to miss the Ocean Hall and mammals exhibits on the first floor.
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours should be plenty for most people.
On the ground floor by the exit you’ll find two items of note: a Tyrannosaurus rex skull and a Moai statue. The T-rex skull is one of the coolest fossils you’ll see, and we have a special affection for the Moai, which is one of just a few removed from Easter Island and displayed in museums around the world. We visited Easter Island in 2015 and learned about how rare it is for Moai to leave the island, so it’s a great way to see one without making the long journey.
Why you should go: If you want to experience America through art, this is the perfect place to get started. The museum’s collections include mediums that cover the colonial era through modern day, and each piece contributes to the museum’s mission of reflecting the American experience and global connections. Several DC museums focus on art, but this one specializes in works produced by American artists.
Highlights: The 19th century works that capture America’s landscape are some of our favorites, especially Thomas Moran’s The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Nam June Paik’s Electronic Superhighway piece is an electronic representation of the USA and is part of the contemporary collection. I’m a big fan of photographer Ansel Adams, and the museum often has a few of his works on view.
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours should be plenty of time, although coupling a visit to the American Art Museum with the National Portrait Gallery (which shares the building) may require a bit longer.
Why you should go: For everyone who dreamed of being an astronaut as a kid, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum reminds us of the mystery the universe still holds. You’ll have a chance to see aircraft and spacecraft and enjoy exhibitions about the origins of flight. There are plenty of hands-on demonstrations, and an onsite IMAX theater and planetarium are a lot of fun to include in your visit. This museum is particularly family-friendly, and it’s enormously popular.
Highlights: Check out the Apollo 11 command module from the first moon landing and the original Wright brothers plane from 1903. You’ll also be able to see actual rocks brought back from the moon! If motion sickness doesn’t impact you, the flight simulator is a lot of fun.
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours should be enough to see the main exhibits, but plan on more time if you want to watch a show or take part in the interactive activities.
Although it’s outside of Washington, DC, the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy location close to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is absolutely worth a visit if you can get there. You’ll see more spacecraft, and it’s often less crowded than other DC museums due to its location.
Why you should go: An extension of the American Art Museum, the Renwick Gallery is focused on contemporary crafts and decorative art. Some pieces are eclectic, and many of them are distinctly different than what you might find at other galleries.
Highlights: I love Karen LaMonte’s Glass Dress, a dress constructed of glass that looks to be reclining on its own. Sebastian Martorana’s “Impressions,” a marble pillow, is another interesting work to view.
How much time do you need? The Renwick Gallery isn’t very big, so you likely won’t need much more than an hour or so.
Why you should go: As one of the newest DC museums, the National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates the impact the African American community has made on the USA’s history and culture. Focusing on everything from sports to music to slavery to civil rights, the museum beautifully captures the spirit, struggles, and successes of African Americans throughout the country.
Highlights: A shawl belonging to Harriett Tubman, who famously saved dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad, is a must-see artifact. You’ll also see a jersey worn by Michael Jordan and a great exhibit dedicated to musical contributions.
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours should be enough to see quite a bit of the museum.
The Museum of African American History and Culture has been enormously popular since it opened in 2016, and a timed pass is required for entry. Timed passes can be reserved online; however, they are only released periodically, and they are claimed very quickly. Same day passes are available beginning at 6:30 AM ET (again, they are claimed quickly), and walk up passes may be available on weekdays after 1 PM. Visiting the museum can take months of preparation, so if this is high on your list be sure to reserve your passes as soon as possible!
Why you should go: The National Postal Museum does a great job of making postal history relevant and compelling. You’ll see some rare and historic stamps and learn about how mail is moved and delivered throughout the country.
Highlights: Amelia Earhart was a stamp collector, and mail that she carried aboard her flights as well as one of her flight suits is on display. A beautiful stagecoach, a Pony Express-era mochila, and a dogsled—all used to transport mail—are worth checking out. The stamp collection is impressive, and you’ll have a chance to see the rarest stamp in the world: the 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta.
How much time do you need? You can spend as little as 20 minutes and see quite a bit, but 30-60 minutes will provide a richer experience.
Why you should go: The Museum of American History is the best of the DC museums when it comes to bringing your history books to life. You’ll learn about some of the events that shaped the USA, and you’ll also be treated some very special Americana artifacts from popular culture and TV.
Highlights: An entire exhibit dedicated the dresses worn by the First Ladies always draws a crowd. The original flag that inspired our national anthem the Star Spangled Banner is also on display, as is famed chef Julia Child’s kitchen. If you’re looking for the ruby slippers Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz, though, you’ll be disappointed: the shoes are currently undergoing restorative procedures and, as of April 2018, are not expected to go back on display for some time.
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours should be fine for most visitors.
Why you should go: Washington, DC’s zoo is part of the Smithsonian museums, and it’s one of the best zoos in the country. With hundreds of animals and plenty of great educational programming, it’s a favorite for families and even makes for a great evening walk. There are plenty of benches and resting spots available if you want to spend more time at exhibits of specific interest to you.
Highlights: I’m a huge fan of the small animal exhibit, where you can find degus, prairie dogs, and mole rats, but most visitors want to see the lions, monkeys, and (of course) the famous giant pandas.
How much time do you need? Plan on at least a half day; the zoo is expansive, and it will take some time to explore the highlights—and much longer if you want to see more exhibits than just the popular ones.
Onsite parking is available, but it’s $25 per car. Still, it may be a bargain depending on how many people are traveling in your group. Consider how much a roundtrip ride on Metro might cost per person; for families traveling with small children and strollers, the extra money might be worth it.
Why you should go: The Hirschhorn Museum is DC’s beloved contemporary art museum, and it’s a great place to discover new works and concepts. You’ll find much more than paintings on a wall: video, digital, performance, and technological pieces are regularly on view. Not to be missed is the outdoor sculpture garden, where more than 60 works are on display year-round.
Highlights: Just outside the museum’s entrance is Jimmie Durham’s Still Life with Spirit and Xitle, a giant boulder crushing a car. Rodin’s “The Burghers of Calais” is also an important work to see.
How much time do you need? If you’re not into contemporary art, a walk through the sculpture garden can take just 20 minutes and provide a beautiful retreat from busy Washington, DC. If you want to visit the museum proper, one or two hours would be enough to see quite a bit.
If your visit takes place on a Friday during the summer, check out the Hirschhorn’s Jazz in the Garden series, where you can enjoy a free concert between 5:00-8:30 PM. Food and beverages are available to purchase, and it’s a fun way to spend a DC evening.
Why you should go: The Freer and Sackler Galleries, located next door to each other, house some of the best examples of Asian art in the world. Between the two galleries you will find more than 25,000 objects from 6,000 years of human creativity. Silk paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and bronzes are just some of the works you will have the chance to enjoy.
Highlights: The Peacock Room in the Freer Gallery is far and away one of my favorite spaces in any of the DC museums. The room is painted in blue and gold and features ceramics from throughout Asia, and it’s stunning in how so many pieces can come together from so many places to create a finished space.
How much time do you need? I always spend 2-3 hours during my visits, and that usually gives me enough time to really explore all of the exhibits of interest between the two buildings.
Why you should go: The National Portrait Gallery provides an amazing collection of the faces of some of America’s most impactful citizens. Collections include historic figures, 20th Century leaders and entertainers, and a wonderful gallery featuring US presidents. It’s one of the most interesting of the DC museums you will visit, and it’s equally popular with tourists and locals.
Highlights: Without question the current highlights are the portraits of President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama; crowds gather daily to get a glimpse of their newly unveiled portraits in person. Portraits of Pocahontas, Rosa Parks, and Bill and Melinda Gates are just some of the faces you will see.
How much time do you need? You can see the presidential gallery in as little as 30 minutes, but if you have 2-3 hours you can see most of the collections quite easily.
Why you should go: This is a wonderful museum to explore African art, and for anyone who can’t get into the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture it’s a good alternative. You’ll be treated to a nice-sized collection of artwork that can be traced to almost every African country. Of the DC museums we have visited, it’s one that always impresses our friends from out of town.
Highlights: If you only have time for one exhibit, the African Mosaic exhibit is a great one to check out. It encompasses pieces from throughout the collection as it celebrates 50 years of the museum’s existence.
How much time do you need? 1-2 hours would be plenty to see a few parts of the collection.
Why you should go: The National Gallery of Art is one of the best, most well-rounded art collections in the world. It’s here that you’ll find the artists you know and love: Monet, da Vinci, Raphael, and Renoir all have pieces in the permanent collection. If you are looking for a beautiful gallery where you can spend a morning or an afternoon, this is the perfect choice.
Highlights: Several of my all-time favorites pieces call the National Gallery of Art home: Monet’s The Japanese Footbridge, Rubens’ Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria, and Van Gogh’s Self Portrait. Don’t miss the Degas sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, another incredible work of art.
How much time do you need? You can make a dash to the highlights in an hour or so, but give yourself a couple of hours to enjoy the museum at a leisurely pace.
The DC Metro can take you almost anywhere you want to go.
Visit wmata.com for maps and schedules.
Why you should go: This is a great opportunity to check out some artwork you won’t find in the major galleries or other DC museums. This private home-turned-museum provides a much more intimate viewing experience away from the crowds in the downtown DC museums. The collection, personally acquired by the Kreegers, represents pieces they truly loved.
Highlights: You’ll get up close and personal with Monets, Picassos, Renoirs, Cezannes, and Mirós—to name a few. The property also has a sculpture garden where you can enjoy some time outside when the weather is nice.
How much time do you need? An hour or two should be enough, especially if your visit is during a quiet time.
Why you should go: The Phillips Collection is a dedicated modern art museum, and if you enjoy modern art you’ll find plenty to appreciate during your visit. It’s a great place to spot some Renoirs, Matisses, and Picassos.
Highlights: Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” is perhaps the most famous of the pieces that are part of the collection, but my favorite is Monet’s the Road to Vétheuil, which won’t be back on display until after the museum’s renovations are complete.
How much time do you need? The Phillips Collection is a smaller museum, but two hours should provide you with enough time to make the most of your trip.
Why you should go: This is a must-see for history lovers! The museum is home to the USA’s Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Constitution, and no trip to the country’s capital city is complete without a stop at the museum that houses all three of them! For US citizens especially a visit to the National Archives is a powerful moment and a reminder of our roots and national ideals.
Highlights: In addition to the three most famous documents in USA history, the Archives also has one of only four copies of the Magna Carta.
How much time do you need? You likely won’t need much more than an 30-60 minutes once you get inside (waiting in line will add some time).
Prepare for some dim lighting. In order to preserve the documents the lighting is lower than you may desire, so it can be a bit difficult to see when you are inside.
Why you should go: It can be difficult to get a tour of the White House itself, but the White House Visitor’s Center gives you a look at what America’s most famous address is like on the inside. With lots of great information and a nice video to orient you, it’s a great stop to make if you are looking for more on presidential history.
Highlights: There is a nice video that features presidents and first ladies sharing their impressions of life in the White House. Photos and historic displays provide some nice perspective and history.
How much time do you need? If you stay for the film and look around a bit, 30-45 minutes will be all it takes to make the most of your visit.
The view from the top of the Washington Monument. The Holocaust Memorial Museum is just steps away from the Washington Monument.
Why you should go: It is critically important that we learn about and remember some of the most horrible events in our history so they are never repeated. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum educates the public about a horrific, tragic event in a sensitive yet honest manner. This museum is not likely to be your “favorite,” but it is likely to be the most memorable and impactful of the DC museums you visit.
How much time do you need? A couple of hours at least. This museum is emotional, so take your time.
The museum is often at capacity in the spring and summer, so advance tickets are required. They are free (although it is $1 to reserve online).
Why you should go: Frederick Douglass was one of the most influential African Americans of the 19th century, and his dedication to fighting for justice and equality for all people has secured his place in history. He lived his final years in Washington, DC, and his home is now a museum that offers a nice tour and overview of his life, work, and achievements.
Highlights: The house tour is the main attraction, and it’s worthwhile because it’s the only way to see the inside of the Douglass home. It’s also one of the DC museums with a great view of the city, which you’ll notice from the property.
How much time do you need? The tour is only 30 minutes, so you won’t need more than 45-60 minutes to explore the grounds before or after seeing the house.
The Anacostia neighborhood is not one which we would recommend walking through if you are not familiar with DC. Free parking is available at the museum, or consider taking an Uber if you don’t have access to a car.
Why you should go: You will get a great overview of the Library of Congress’s art and architecture during your visit. In addition, the Library of Congress provides access to reading rooms for visitors looking to conduct research. If you have the time, consider taking a free docent-led tour (offered multiple times each day). The tours are a great way to learn about the building’s history and highlights.
Highlights: In addition to the stunning architecture, the books alone are worth stopping in to see. Some of them date back four centuries to the 1600s! Even older is the library’s copy of the Gutenberg Bible, which was printed in the 1400s.
How much time do you need? At least an hour for a tour (guided or self-guided), and more time if you want to look at the books or check something out to peruse in a reading room.
Why you should go: The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum is dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting pre-industrial America’s history and culture. A visit to the museum will introduce you to some incredible artifacts including antique furniture and children’s toys.
Highlights: The period rooms are absolutely worth seeing! 31 rooms showcase different interior design styles spanning several centuries, and it’s a very different look into American history than you might find at other museums.
How much time do you need? Anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours depending on how much time you would like to spend exploring.
Why you should go: The Interior Museum pays homage to the US national parks. If you are interested in the national parks, this museum provides insight into the development and management of our natural resources and public lands.
Highlights: The museum offers a nice video presentation, and there is a great collection of more than 800 Native American hand baskets on display. You’ll also see some artwork that belongs to the Office of the Secretary.
How much time do you need? The Interior Museum is not very big, so 20-30 minutes is all you might want, even if you intend to see everything available.
Why you should go: The Capitol Building is well-worth a visit—even if you don’t have a prearranged tour. The Capitol is indeed where laws are made in the USA, and being in that environment—the seat of representative democracy—is an amazing experience to have. The visitor’s center has exhibits and information available, even if you just stop in to take a look.
Highlights: Tours are recommended, and scheduling most often should be done in advance through your representative or through the Capitol Building’s online scheduling system. Walk-in tours are sometimes accommodated, but it’s best to let them know to expect you. The Exhibition Hall provides great, interactive displays about how the US government operates.
How much time do you need? Plan on spending at least 90 minutes at the visitor’s center if possible; less time may work, and more time will give you a more complete experience—especially if you will join a tour.
Why you should visit: Architecture plays an important role in US history, and the Octagon Museum brings it to life by encouraging visitors to learn about the people who built the structure and the city beyond it. It is managed by the American Institute of Architects, and self-guided tours are available to the public.
Highlights: This museum welcomes people to engage with it. Where most DC museums won’t let guests sit on the furniture or touch the exhibits, the Octagon Museum encourages people to lay on the beds and walk around to experience the house. It is one of the few DC museums to allow that kind of interactivity.
How much time do you need? 30 minutes should be enough, as the museum is not that big.
Why you should go: The U.S. National Arboretum is quite a way from most of the other DC museums, but it’s still worth a visit. In addition to providing a quiet walk through lovely gardens and wooded spots, its home to the Capitol Columns, the original columns that once were part of the US Capitol Building. Set along a reflecting pool they are especially pretty in the summer and the fall.
Highlights: The Capitol Columns are our favorite part of the arboretum, but the Friendship Garden, bonsai museum, and Asian Collection are a few others spots you should save some time to see.
How much time do you need? A couple of hours would provide a great, relaxing visit.
The arboretum offers free parking, and driving is much easier than taking the metro-bus combination required if public transportation is your preferred method.
Why you should go: The Old Stone House in Georgetown is the oldest existing structure in Washington, DC. Built in 1765, it’s an example of pre-revolutionary architecture and is unlike many of the other historic buildings you might visit in DC. The interior is currently closed for renovations, but it’s still possible to see the outside of the building.
Highlights: When open, the interior reflects the common décor of the time. The exterior of the building is equally impressive, though; it’s unlike any of the other DC museums.
How much time do you need? Just a few minutes to photograph it until it reopens in late 2018.
Why you should go: The US Botanic Garden is designed to educate visitors about our ecosystem by sharing the importance and value of plant life. By showcasing everything from flowers to plants often found in the rainforest, a visit to the Botanic Gardens makes a gorgeous escape from the city streets and will provide a restful place to unwind before checking out another of the DC museums.
Highlights: You’ll more than likely find your favorite plants and flowers, but most visitors hope for a glimpse of the corpse flower. The corpse flower usually blooms without warning and, when it does, emits a horrible smell that can be equated to garbage or rotting flesh. It may not sound like a treat, but when it blooms thousands of people line up to see it because you never know when it might bloom again!
How much time do you need? An hour or two would be enough, but plan on more time if you really want to relax.
Why you should go: The National Building Museum connects you to the history of architecture, engineering, and design in the USA. The building itself is beautiful and worth exploring on its own, but a good number of educational and hands-on exhibits make for an interesting visit that is particularly good for kids who like to build.
Highlights: The rotating exhibits are always the best reason to go. We visited in the summer of 2017 to see Hive, an interactive installation that turned 2,700 paper tubes into a 60-foot tall structure. Past installations have explored Washington, DC’s structures, icebergs, gardens, mazes, and even constructed a beach in the museum’s Great Hall.
How much time do you need? We felt satisfied after a 90 minutes visit that included watching a student group perform for 30 minutes; plan on at least an hour to walk through the building and explore the permanent exhibitions.
Why you should go: If you want to explore the world in a single museum, the National Geographic Museum is a great place to try. Full of unbelievable photographs and regularly rotating exhibits, it’s often a favorite for families.
Highlights: The vast majority of the space is dedicated to current exhibitions. If you’re planning to visit, take a look at what’s currently on display before committing to paying the ticket price. Because so much changes so regularly, highlights for your visit will change as well.
How much time do you need? The museum isn’t very big, so it may not require more than 30-60 minutes of your time. It will depend on how interested you are in each of the exhibits on view.
Why you should go: For anyone who has ever watched a spy movie and wondered what it would be like to live that experience, this is your museum. You’ll learn about the role of spies and espionage throughout history and gain access to details about famous historical events that will get you thinking about the people who live double lives.
Highlights: The museum is really well done and very interactive, but our favorite was the Spies Among Us exhibition that features some great information on code breaking. Many of the ingenious tools and strategies used over the years are fascinating as well.
How much time do you need? A couple of hours at least; you’ll want to explore every part of this museum, and you may find yourself so engaged by the interactive exhibits that time flies by.
Why you should go: Explore some of the most impressive artwork by female artists. More than six centuries of female-created art is on view throughout the gallery. You’ll see everything from paintings to sculptures to photography, and there are often visiting exhibits to compliment the permanent collection.
Highlights: Art by Frieda Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe are definite highlights, but don’t overlook the incredible talents of lesser-known and contemporary artists who are changing the way art is created and shared.
How much time do you need? An hour or two would be enough to explore a few exhibits and see some expected and unexpected artwork.
A three-story guard tower from the Berlin Wall.
Why you should go: The Newseum is a very well-designed and informative museum that will give you a fun, interactive look at the importance of the free press and the first amendment. You’ll see exhibits on some of the most memorable and newsworthy events of the past decades presented through video clips and exerpts.
Highlights: The wall of newspaper front pages from around the world is always a favorite! Take some time to look at the piece of the Berlin Wall on display, and don’t miss the 9/11 exhibit that many people find to be emotional and well-created.
How much time do you need? Plan on several hours to see everything, especially if you want to watch video clips—most are a few minutes long, and those minutes will add up! Because this museum has a higher price tag than most you’ll get the most value for your money if you enjoy a longer visit.
Save on your admission by asking about discounts, which are available to AAA members, military, and students with ID. It’s also possible to save money by booking a ticket in advance online, so if you can preplan your visit you’ll pay a bit less!
Why you should go: The O Street Mansion is a building unlike many others: it’s actually a series of five townhouses interconnected by 70 secret doors with 100 rooms to explore! Rooms showcase various types of design techniques from numerous periods, and most rooms have lots of fun artifacts to investigate. Almost everything you see is available for purchase, which adds to the fun!
Highlights: The museum offers multiple tours, each taking you through the museum and showcasing some of the interesting relics and art pieces kept in house. The basic tour is the Magical History Tour, which provides a nice introduction to the museum. It’s also fun to look for the secret doors—they can be exceptionally hard to find!
How much time do you need? Some tours last about an hour, and some last half a day.
Why you should go: It’s a beer museum (of sorts)! Christian Heurich ran Washington, DC’s longest-operating brewery, and the museum celebrates his legacy and educates visitors about his life through a tour of his home.
Highlights: The tour itself is a great way to see what a state-of-the-art home looked like in the mid-1800s, but many visitors will appreciate the Brewmaster Tour, which provides pours of local beers to sip while learning about the home. It’s not a true beer tour, but it’s beer to drink as part of a tour—and that could make for a fun Friday night!
How much time do you need? An hour or so will be all you need for the tour; if on a Brewmaster Tour you might want to stick around a little longer.
Ford’s Theater still has many popular shows- including A Christmas Carol which is performed every December.
Why you should go: On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot inside Ford’s Theater, and it has stood in infamy ever since. Taking a tour of Ford’s Theater, neighboring Petersen House (where President Lincoln died), and the museum are a great way to learn more about the impact this event had on the USA.
Highlights: A tour that includes a visit to the theater itself will let you see the actual seat President Lincoln occupied when he was shot. Petersen House (closed until summer 2018 for preservation work) served as the place where he took his last breath. The museum and Aftermath Exhibits are self-guided opportunities to put the historic sites into context.
How much time do you need? Plan on 2-3 hours if you are going to tour the theater, Petersen House, and all associated exhibits.
When reserving your tickets online, pay attention to the different tour configurations available. Some tours exclude stops at the theater or the museum, and there are different prices to reflect that. Be sure you understand what tour you are purchasing to get the experience you want!
Why you should go: Have you ever wanted your picture taken with Thomas Jefferson? Beyonce? Stephen Colbert? Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum has popular locations around the world, and Washington, DC is home to a collection of wax celebrities so lifelike you’ll wonder if they just might start moving!
Highlights: You can have your picture taken with all 45 US presidents and a whole host of celebrities from music, Hollywood, and sports fame.
How much time do you need? 90 minutes to two hours should be just enough.
Why you should go: Tucked away in northwest Washington, DC sits President Lincoln’s Cottage, the home he lived in that now serves as a museum to educate vistors about his life and ideals. In addition to a guided tour, exhibits are offered and can be enjoyed as a secondary self-guided tour.
Highlights: The tour is thought-proviking and designed to promote conversation; it’s not a typical tour where you might get to ask a few questions at the end before moving on to your next DC museum. Prepare to engage, think, and discuss with the docent and fellow visitors.
How much time do you need? 1-2 hours should be enough to enjoy the tour and explore the grounds and exhibits on your own.
Washington, DC tourist attractions have security that is similar to what you might experience at airports. Know that peak tourist times will result in longer than usual lines to get into most museums, especially the larger ones. Lines can extend more than an hour, but they do go faster if you don’t carry a large bag. In warmer months some sunscreen and sunglasses or a hat will go a long way toward keeping you comfortable, as will a bottle of water (which you can take through security in most museums!).
Washington, DC museums are popular with tourists and locals alike, and there are plenty of times when they might feel crowded to you. From our experience, we don’t think there is a specific time of day, week, month, or year when you can be guaranteed to see shorter lines, so our best advice is to prepare for crowds and be pleasantly surprised if you don’t encounter them. Traditionally quiet times are weekday afternoons, and Sunday mornings before noon are often a good time to visit.
School breaks, summer vacations, and holidays mean more people have paid time off—and that means the DC museums are going to be crowded. You’ll also find crowds when Washington, DC hosts special events like the springtime Cherry Blossom Festival and the 4th of July. You might still be able to have a wonderful time visiting museums, but you’ll certainly have company. Peak tourist times are a great opportunity to visit the smaller, off-the-beaten path selections we’ve shared here!
The Washington, DC museums are scattered all over the city, so pay attention to which museums are close to a single Metro stop when plotting your itinerary. That will help you to determine the best route to follow. We put together a Google Map to help you visualize each museum’s location; we hope it helps you to identify which museums you’ll group together to maximize your visit!
Visiting the DC museums is a wonderful way to experience Washington, DC, and we hope this massive guide to some of our favorites gives you some perspective and helps you decide which museums will give you the experience you want. Let us know if there is information that helps you out—or if we left your favorite museum off the list!
Have a fantastic visit to the capital city of the United States!
Planning a visit to the capital city of America? Here are a few more articles to inspire you!
* Hours and Prices for the DC museums mentioned in this post are accurate as of April 2018. | 2019-04-25T17:51:11Z | https://www.roadunraveled.com/blog/washington-dc-museums/ |
Acouple of weeks ago we revisited the OCNC debate. This is a useful exercise to turn to periodically, for I have noticed how, with the passage of time, new aspects have become clear as new information emerges, or some ridiculous claim is made and then debunked.
In those circumstances, we are given the opportunity to reassess what we already know using the new known knowns, or finding significance in something previously overlooked, but now shed in a new light.
Or put another way, the Beauty of Hindsight!
In introducing his notion that both ‘sides’ are merely putting their opinion, SFM contributor MarkC recently brought me to see that one side must be correct and factual, while the other will merely be left expressing an opinion. In the same way that one side must be right, because TRFC is either a new club, or it’s not, one argument must be the one that is factually correct and leaving the other as just opinion (at best). Once a factual argument is put forward, it can only be countered with fact, for anything else is just opinion.
Armed with facts, there would be no need to prove that TRFC is a new club, for first it would be necessary for those who claim ‘same club’ to show, using documentary evidence and facts, that ‘Rangers Football Club’ isn’t currently in liquidation.
So, factual evidence; what facts do we have?
Well, it is a fact that Rangers Football Club availed itself of the advantages of incorporation in 1899, and it’s a fact that Rangers Football Club Plc entered the terminal state of liquidation in 2012.
It is also a fact that at no time since this incorporation took place has anyone been aware of any other Rangers Football Club ensconced within Ibrox, no one has written or spoken about it; or not, at least, until a snake oil salesman used it to push his off the shelf company as ‘The Rangers Football Club Limited’.
What’s more, no other failed incorporated football club has ever availed itself of this new notion of the ‘eternal club’. The SFA was apparently unaware of it either, for they never offered up the salvation of its use to the likes of Airdrieonians, or Gretna, or dear old Third Lanark.
In fact it seems to have miraculously appeared only as a result of the failed CVA attempt of Rangers FC Plc, and the words of one of the spivs who surrounded Ibrox at that time (and for some time before, and after).
The only ‘fact’ put forward to support the ‘same club’ argument is that the SPL say, in their rules, that they are the same club. But the rules don’t actually make them the ‘same club’, for it’s not the SPL’s place to say what is and isn’t a club, and they only explain how they would treat the situation under their rules, and as Easyjambo and Hirsutepursuit (see appendices I, II and III) brought to our attention, the football authorities had reasons to introduce this to their rules that had nothing to do with establishing a separate club that lives on eternally.
It does, though, as Easyjambo’s post describes, show a willingness by football’s governors to change the rules to support their desired outcome.
As Hirsutepursuit (Appendix II) points out, the change to the SPL’s rules that enable this ‘interpretation’ of continuance after liquidation, only came about in 2005. So, have we to believe/accept that the split between club and Club has only existed since 2005 and is the preserve of the SPL?
And that brings me to look again at what Lord Nimmo Smith said of how the SPL rules view the continuation of a ‘Rangers’ (see appendix IV for reference). In short, a lot of words that confuse rather than clarify, and give no legal basis, or justification, for what he, or the SPL rules, say. Basically, the rules say ‘Rangers’ continues as the same club because the SPL rules say it does.
“In terms of the question about old club, new club, that was settled very much by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission that was put together by the SPL to look at EBT payments at that time.
What Doncaster seems to be saying here is that TRFC are RFC because LNS said so.
It’s a bit like me telling Big Pink (who is an acknowledged expert in the field of colours) that SFM treat black as white, BP tells the world that SFM treat black as white, and a couple of years down the road I announce that black is white, because Big Pink said so!
Now here’s a fact for us all to consider. At some point Rangers FC ceased to be a member of the SPL. With the help of Neil Doncaster, Sevco (Scotland) Ltd tried to gain entry to the SPL and to participate as The Rangers FC. They failed.
Whatever entity was trying to gain entry into Scottish football, it was at that time not a member of the SPL, and so never had been under the jurisdiction of the SPL.
Therefore whatever the SPL rules or Doncaster said, or what conclusion LNS reached over the matter when it was based solely on what the SPL rules said, it madeno difference to the new club, since the SPL or Doncaster had no locus in the matter. Sevco were in limbo, and everything then depended on Sevco, as The Rangers FC, getting entry into the SFL.
Now, the ‘same club’ argument’s only factual ‘evidence’ is the SPL’s rules, and if they hadn’t included the recent amendment highlighted in Easyjambo and Hirsutepursuit’s posts, then there would be no ‘factual’ evidence, at all, however flimsy it might be.
So let’s take a look at what the SFL’s Constitution and Rules say on the matter, and I will quote the relevant parts!
In fact, there is absolutely no mention of liquidated clubs in the SFL’s Constitution and Rules, because the notion that a club could live on after liquidation is just that, a notion invented by a spiv!
And because liquidation means the end of a football club, there is absolutely no reason for rules covering such an eventuality to be considered within the rules of football.
‘…the change to the SPL’s rules that enable this ‘interpretation’ of continuance after liquidation, only came about in 2005.
What is now obvious is that there was nothing in the rules of Scottish football that gives succour to the notion that TRFC is one and the same football club as RFC.
When the SPL clubs voted against Sevco, to be called The Rangers FC, from entering the SPL, they made the SPL rules on the ‘same club’ matter irrelevant.
When Sevco, to be called The Rangers FC, entered the SFL, they were, according to the SFL’s own rules, a new club, for there is nothing in the rules that says otherwise, or can be interpreted as saying so!
Of course, by the time Doncaster made his nonsense statement, the SFL had been disbanded, and it’s clubs were now part of the SPFL, with rules tailored to suit those who bought into the ‘same club’ notion. Handy, huh?
WAS IT ALL ABOUT ARMAGEDDON?
We all laughed at the time it was spewed forth, but perhaps Armageddon was a real possibility, but not in the way we were encouraged to believe. We know that RFC owed a significant amount of money (football debts) to clubs outside of Scotland, and so outside of the SFA’s influence. We also know, with some certainty, that the SFA turned a blind eye to, or were incompetent in policing, some of RFC’s wrongdoings (the EBTs and European Licence) and the last thing the SFA, and SPL, would want would be non-Scottish clubs kicking up the inevitable stink and getting UEFA/FIFA involved, and investigating the SFA. So how to prevent it?
Create a scenario where TRFC must pay these debts, is the answer! How to do that? Well there’s that rule in the SPL Rule book! Right! but we must ensure Rangers stay in the SPL! Easy, we’ll frighten the other clubs into voting them into the SPL, and so TRFC will have to pay ‘Rangers’ football debts… Oops, the vote went against us! OK, we can stall the other leagues for a year, let’s get them into the Championship, promotion’s a certainty… Oops, we did it again… Let’s create a new set up, all under the (effective) SPL umbrella, with rules to suit, before anyone notices!
Could it be that all that help wasn’t so much because, or not only because, it was ‘Rangers’, but because of what no Rangers, to pay the non-Scottish football debt, might mean for the SFA and SPL, and so for the whole of Scottish football? Was that the real Armageddon?
While putting this blog piece together I found it very difficult to write whenever I had to include the ‘what do you call it’ newly discovered ‘club’ thingy.
I find the ‘big C/little c’ method of describing it to be a nonsense, and at best a poor effort to create whatever it was they (whoever they are) wanted to create.
Even Lord Nimmo Smith, a much more learned man than I, failed to come up with a word, phrase or expression to adequately describe it. In short, a club with a capital ‘C’ is exactly the same as a club with a small ‘c’ – and only a fool could imagine it creates a difference!
Is a game of Football somehow different from a game of football?
But, of course, what can you call something that you can’t see, you can’t feel, can’t hear, can’t smell, something that has never been heard of or spoken of before?
Clearly, LNS could find nothing within the millions of words previously written within the myriad of cases dealt with under Scots Law, UK Law and EU Law, and clubs and associations, both corporate and incorporate, will have been the subject of a fair number of legal cases in the past for him to draw on, yet there was no answer to this conundrum to be found there.
And if Lord Nimmo Smith was unable to draw on his legal knowledge or research, he was merely expressing a layman’s opinion on how the SPL viewed a ‘????????’ club!
In such circumstances, his opinion is no more valid than any other reasonable person’s might be!
Easyjambo and Hirsutepursuit for the posts I have used in the appendices and my thanks in particular to EJ for kindly providing me with some documents I was unable to find on the internet by myself.
I’d also like to acknowledge the part MarkC played in bringing the debate back to SFM’s attention, it can’t be easy, constantly arguing against the accepted wisdom in any debate, but it always seems to bring out the best in us and something new.
Deviously, both the SPL (around 10 years ago coinciding with Rangers (In Liquidation) entering very choppy waters) and the SFA more recently, changed their rules to adopt this distinct “Club” (capital ‘C’) type definition, distinguishing it from the “owner and operator” company. It could have been said at the time to be a licence for unscrupulous, badly run “Clubs” to dump debts and shaft creditors, and so it proved with Sevco’s exploitation of these rules.
In 2005 the SPL changed its articles to create the definition of Club (with a capital C) – which actually INCLUDES the ‘owner and operator’. Whether the ‘owner and operator’ should be EXCLUDED depends on the context of the article in which it is used and to WHICH Club (with a capital C) it is referring.
The SFA did not add the ‘owner and operator’ tag until 2013.
It is interesting because the original SPL articles referred to the clubs (with a lower case c) as its members. Its members each held shares in the SPL. The clubs were listed by their full company names – rather than their trading names.
The Club (with a capital C) definition came about because the SPL were trying to launch SPL2 and one of the clubs (with a lower case c) that could have been included was Brechin.
Brechin is not a company, so could not as a club (with a lower case c) become a member/shareholder in the SPL. To cover this eventuality, a form of words was created that would allow the club (with a lower case c) to play in the SPL even if the share was not actually held by the club (with a lower case c).
If a club (with a lower case c) has not been incorporated, the club (with a lower case c) cannot own anything. In such cases, the assets are held by its members (usually a committee member or members). Since the original articles defined the member/shareholder as a club (with a lower case c), it would have resulted in the committee member who took ownership of the SPL share being defined as the club (with a lower case c).
The reference to ‘undertaking of a football club’ in the definition of Club (with a capital C) meant that it could refer to both an incorporated body and an unincorporated body of persons.
So the context of when the ‘owner and operator’ should be EXCLUDED from the definition of a Club (with a capital C) is only when that owner and operator is not a club (with a lower case c).
What is even more interesting is that three non-corporate clubs (with a lower case c) have each been listed as members/shareholders of the current SPFL – even though none have the legal personality to own anything.
I should add that LNS found The Rangers Football Club PLC (the owner and operator) guilty of offences that predate the creation, in 2005, of the definition of Clubs (with a capital C).
Even if you accept that Rangers FC (the Club with a capital C) can be separated from The Rangers Football Club PLC/RFC 2012 (the owner and operator) – which, to be clear, I do not – that distinction only came about in 2005.
So if there is guilt prior to 2005, that guilt lay with the club (with a lower case c).
LNS didn’t seem to spot the distinction.
My recollection of the change in the SPL and SFA rules on “Owner and Operator” was implemented in early 2006, as the SFA wished to sanction Vladimir Romanov for his comments, but couldn’t do so because he held no official post at the club (small “c”).
It was Vlad’s son Roman who was Hearts chairman at the time, although Vlad was the major shareholder. So feel free to blame Vlad for the change in the rules.
Hearts were fined £10,000 by the SFA for Vlad’s comments about referees in October 2006. The DR article below, suggests that the SFA rule change came into effect in May that year.
(46) It will be recalled that in Article 2 “Club” is defined in terms of “the undertaking of an association football club”, and in Rule 11 it is defined in terms of an association football club which is, for the time being, eligible to participate in the League, and includes the owner and operator of such Club.
Taking these definitions together, the SPL and its members have provided, by contract, that a Club is an undertaking which is capable of being owned and operated.
While it no doubt depends on individual circumstances what exactly is comprised in the undertaking of any particular Club, it would at the least comprise its name, the contracts with its players, its manager and other staff, and its ground, even though these may change from time to time. In common speech a Club is treated as a recognisable entity which is capable of being owned and operated, and which continues in existence despite its transfer to another owner and operator. In legal terms, it appears to us to be no different from any other undertaking which is capable of being carried on, bought and sold. This is not to say that a Club has legal personality, separate from and additional to the legal personality of its owner and operator. We are satisfied that it does not, and Mr McKenzie did not seek to argue otherwise.
So a Club cannot, lacking legal personality, enter into a contract by itself. But it can be affected by the contractual obligations of its owner and operator. It is the Club, not its owner and operator, which plays in the League. Under Rule A7.1.1 the Club is bound to comply with all relevant rules. The Rules clearly contemplate the imposition of sanctions upon a Club, in distinction to a sanction imposed upon the owner or operator. That power must continue to apply even if the owner and operator at the time of breach of the Rules has ceased to be a member of the SPL and its undertaking has been transferred to another owner and operator.
While there can be no Question of subjecting the new owner and operator to sanctions, there are sanctions Which could be imposed in terms of the Rules which are capable of affecting the Club as a continuing entity (even though not an entity with legal personality), and which thus might affect the interest of the new owner and operator in it. For these reasons we reject the arguments advanced in paragraphs 2 and 9 of the list of preliminary issues.
One thing we have learned about the CW court case over the last week or so is that the witnesses “Don’t Recall” much.
or, as they say in the trade, doing an Ogilvie.
My niece has peen picked to be an audience member on Question Time this week from Edinburgh. I think it’s on Friday night. Anyway she asked us through a family group on Whats App suggestions for two questions. I ignored it for a day since I hate politics nowadays. But she pestered me so I said ask them when Scottish politicians are going to address the sectarian and racist singing at Ibrox? Or at least direct the SFA & SPFL towards dealing with it.
She gave me a thumbs up for it but my older sisters came on “see you football!! as usual. There are more important things in the world”. No doubt poverty & the NHS & education will be brought up, quite rightly so,but sectarianism and racism is important too!
I don’t think she will have the nerve to ask anyhow.
Regarding the losses vs income question, my attempt at an Accounting 101 follows.
There are three principle statements in a set of accounts.
1. A Profit and Loss account. This is where revenue (ticket sales, sponsorship, TV money) and it’s related costs (wages, maintenance, etc) are shown. Revenue less cost = profit if revenue is bigger or loss if costs are. What can be included as revenue or costs are defined by accounting standards.
2. A Balance Sheet. This shows on one side your assets (stadium, player registrations, debtors, stock in the shop, cash and bank) less your liabilities (creditors, loans, overdrafts). This has to balance with Equity (i.e how much shareholders paid to buy their shares in th einitial allocation) plus retained profits.
3. Cash Flow. Not every item on the Proft and Loss perfectly represents a cash movement e.g. when you buy a player cash might go out the door Day one but in the profit and Loss you would allocate this over the length of th contract aka amortisation. The cash flow statement adjusts for the non cash stuff in the profit and Loss and shows the change in a company’s net cash position over the year and explains it. Essentially this would show how losses have been met by an increase in overdraft or loans.
So in short loans cannot be counted as income. They are liabilities in the balance sheet and an increase in loans will be shown to offset losses in the cash flow statement i.e. losses deplete your bank balance, loans restore it whilst creating a liability.
I was David’s senior partner in the funding,and he would come to me from time to time.
Did Mr Murray not say Mr king was a few doors away and never dropped by to ask questions or something like that when he was a witness last week.
I see that Señor James in his latest blog is claiming that ‘Hallowe’en Houston’ has attended court everyday thus far and is to be found in the public gallery.
I can only comment on last Friday when I spent the day in court 4 and can state categorically that he most certainly was NOT there at ANY time.
Perhaps JC can comment later about his presence, or lack of it, today.
IIRC, there was a report that he was spoken to at the beginning in the vicinity of the court following a complaint about his behaviour. Perhaps he decided to stay away after this. In my opinion, as they say.
Having read Mr D’s excellent tweets today re Mr Withy’s evidence in chief, I’m sure The Donald will be eager to cross examine once the AD has finished his line of questioning.
He was certainly there most of the time during the first week of the trial.
perhaps that was before Police Scotland had a word outside.
As I said, he wasnt in court when I was there. No doubt JC will enlighten us about today.
I am sure my fellow Essex boy EBC can steer me right on this.
No live tweeting of Craig Whyte trial today.
I am pleased to report that a well-known sporting organisation is apparently no longer several months behind on a smallish monthly invoice. Maybe it had some kind of windfall recently.
Yes, mungoboy, your man was there during the time I was in court yesterday. 10.10am to 12.30.
I have written the following, as an honest summary account of what I heard. I did not take written notes, not wishing to be embarrassed by being approached by a big polis, so I am relying on memory-which ,of course, is fallible.
There were times I couldn’t quite hear clearly , and it’s clearly possible that the running order of question/response might not be accurate. But, in substance, I believe what I have written to be the gist of what the jury heard, with no add-ons.
As for the proceedings , essentially the witness was asked to say who he was, what age he was ( he seemed to have difficulty with that one!) , did he know CW and could he see him present in court, and what exactly his ( the witness’s) occupation is.
Winess gave the answers to the basic questions, and then described himself as a corporate lawyer, whose business lay chiefly in helping companies buy/sell other companies. He had occasionally dealt with football clubs, notoriously difficult and complicated businesses.
Further questioning (stumblingly put, I thought) established that witness had never heard of CW until he was asked by a Peter Shakeshaft whether he knew this wealthy individual. He said he had not, but kind of made the assumption that he would be connected to Whyte and McKay ( he pronounced it, not as ‘McEye’ but as McKay as in OK), and Shakeshaft suggested that CW might be worth getting to know.
He got a later phone call from Shakeshaft asking whether he knew that CW was contemplating buying RFC, and that it might be useful to witness to think about getting involved.
Witness ( a partner in Collyer Bristow) invited CW and nine other prospective clients as his guests at a ‘Plus’ market do.
Subsequent to that, witness said, nothing much happened : he was kind of left up in the air as to whether CW was going to use his services.
At some point though, he wrote to Dundas and Wilson ( acting for ‘Murray’) informing them that Liberty Capital would be using a ‘newco’ if it were to go ahead with any purchase. Liberty Capital had the resources available ,from a reliable financial backer.
Witness was asked to describe what that letter was intended to portray.
It was a ‘letter of comfort’ only, simply an indication that no one was wasting RFC’s time .
Advocate Depute produced a later letter, signed by Witness, on CB headed notepaper, repeating the information and saying that the ‘newco’ would Wavetower, the directors of which would be Ellis, Akers and CW, and giving the proportionate levels o fthe shareholdings of eack.
The letter went on to say that Wavetower would have the necessary £33 + million- £25=m for debt repayment and £5 .?m for purchase of majority 85% shareholding.
Asked what the purport of that letter was, witness again said it was no more than a ‘letter of comfort’as from a him as a corporate lawyer ascting for a client, and NOT as from an appointed (under the Blue Book rules)financial adviser whose function it would be to issue any ‘proof of funds’.
would act for Ellis and Akers, while he was, loosely, acting for CW.
Witness confirmed that in, wriiting those letters, he had taken instructions from CW-who was sole shareholder in Liberty Capital.
I left the Court at that point, to keep another appointment.
(At one point Donald Findlay raised a point of law , the jury was sent out, and the point was quickly discussed. No ruling on the point was required to be made as the AD agreed the point.
Tea-break followed immediately, and then, with the jury back, proceedings recommenced).
Just a general observation, about life in general.
I am thinking that a duped person can actually be the ‘duper’ ?
And that mibbees, sometimes, the wrong person can appear in a dock?
However, the SFA website does manage to include details of the upcoming England match.
Add in pies, Bovril, programme…a conservative £200 ?
To watch the latest disappointing Scotland team, [and typically including several players I just don’t recognise] ?
…and to contribute to the overblown salaries of blatantly corrupt blazers at Hampden ?!
Could it be that Daryll Broadfoot is no longer actively defending the SFA and as a consequence their PR is non-existent. It does seem rather strange that the SFA have not issued even a vaguely worded condemnation of all bad things etc.
Some problems with the site tonight. DNS servers at our domain reg company are all over the place so making some changes.
Use those in laptop. It’s the nameservers causing the problem.
@alextomo It seems the Scottish FA say Rangers will not be stripped of titles whatever Supreme Court’s Big Tax Case verdict might be.
I’m not sure if Tomo is referring to anything fresh UTH, but perhaps may be referring to something historical.
He doesn’t so much appear to be implying to a direct quote or statement made recently from anybody.
It may be the case that something relating to this blog by ecojon has crossed his bows.
Well we know he is a Rangers* lackey, running things by them prior to release. Daveboy Unseen was pulling no punches telling him what was required and reminding him who’s boss.
Someone else is now celebrating ‘6iar’ then ?!
Keef has retained his ‘Sports Journalist of the Year Award’ for an incredible 6th time.
He’s rubbish at his sports job, but he must be bl00dy brilliant at giving…something I couldn’t possibly mention here!
The Tweet by Alex Thomson about titles not being stripped prompted a post on KDS that ended.
LNS was a report commissioned the SFA, not legally binding, but the outcome was based only on the evidence provided, so they got the report they wanted. They’ve got a bit smarter since Farry.
This elicited my response below that addresses the evidence not provided and why.
Whilst that is true, what Rangers were asked to provide SPL lawyers with was all documentation relating to ebts since 1998 when SPL began that had side letters.
Not all that documentation was provided by Duff and Phelps including the De Boer side letter of 30 Aug 2000 and the HMRC letters provided in court last week setting out the HMRC case as well was the irregular nature of the DOS ebts.
What is unclear is why that documentation was not provided by Duff and Phelps because they were aware of its contents and used them in 2012 in pursuit of the £2.8m set aside under the SPA before LNS ended in 2013.
The point is that there is a case that vital information was deliberately kept from the SPL lawyer much as the fact that wtc liability had crystalised before the 31st March was deliberately avoided by Grant Thornton auditors/ RFC Chairman A Johnson and later by SFA CEO S Regan when questions started being asked after Sherriff Officers called at Ibrox in 2011.
Deceit has clearly played it’s part in achieving the LNS result it has and no decision based on deliberately misleading the regulatory authority can be allowed to stand.
When it was pointed out to SPL lawyers in 2014 by SFM that information had been witheld no attempt was made by the SPL to establish if it was deliberate. The argument was it didn’t matter.
Time has proven for that not to be the case so not only should LNS be set aside, the circumstances under which requested information was not provided should be part of a new enquiry.
SPL lawyers said that the exclusion of the De Boer letter of 30 Aug 2000 made no difference but that stance no longer stands scrutiny. The failure to supply it and the associated HMRC correspondence describing the irregular nature of the De Boer ebt materially affected the decision reached by LNS, so to say LNS and it’s conclusion is final tramples all over natural justice.
When you add SDM’S testimony to the FTT about the motivation for using ebts it is risible to think LNS Decision should stand on both a truthful and natural justice basis.
In simple terms Doncaster was lied to, knowingly or unknowingly, and much as he and the SPL would wish it all to go away, they cannot use deceit to perpetuate deceit.
More power to you and the other Requisitioners.
I hope you win your fight at Celtic and Celtic move positively on your mandate to clean up our game top down with some dismissals for corruption and or incompetence.
We are all in your dugout.
Once Jim Traynor retired it left the way open for Keith to go for 10 in a row. There is now no competition and the awards ceremony is devalued because of it.
I miss Jim and his fine journalistic output and his Football Phone in where when he was in full Goebbels mode (which coincided with Rangers going out of business) Cosgrove was drafted in to babysit him.
Is anyone able to post a link to Jim’s last piece for the Record as it was a brilliant summatoin of the internet Bampots and their conspiracy filled outpourings.
There you go BD, ….
The man is a disgrace to himself and to journalism, even the kind of journalism practised by the sports people at the DR.
Some good stuff in there about the tax case and how we are all biased. Not a single word or apology about how he lied to the BBC licence payer for all those years when he said he was an Airdire supporter.
The lies to the licence payers continue.
This is my favourite Jim Traynor thing.
Mr Traynor issuing propaganda to the loyal via the club website in January 2013, whilst threatening the other clubs and people in the media. I love the bit where he calls people semi-literate, when starting a sentence with “And”.
Propaganda and threats ended off with “Tolerance and sanity. That’s what Rangers will demonstrate and maintain, especially when back at the summit.” It’s quality stuff.
Well actually it’s just another example of an official from the club indulging in “rabble rousing” but that’s hardly a rarity. If the owners, directors and managers can do it why not the media team.
It isn’t that long ago clubs, particularly those in the top flight, were solemnly insisting that ignoring the views of fans would be akin to financial suicide.
Remember? It was when the game was wrestling with the problem of what to do with Rangers.
All the clubs were squealing that the wishes of fans had to be granted. If you swallowed any of that bilge you probably also believed in sporting integrity.
Of course it was all nonsense. Sporting Integrity was a cloak of convenience, albeit a rather thin, practically transparent one, behind which club leaders huddled together to come up with sanctions.
Rangers had to be punished, they deserved to be punished but it seemed as if additional penalties were being randomly introduced depending on who was in which meeting.
Many Rangers fans like to think the frenzy to cause the club as much additional pain as possible was driven by one club but that wasn’t strictly the case. Many fans of many clubs waded in but this is not to say Celtic fans or their club didn’t attempt to influence the outcome of debates on Rangers and possible sanctions.
Of course they did. And they are still at it on social media sites and on blogs clattered out by individuals who are no better than semi-literate.
The sheer hypocrisy of what is happening within Hampden’s corridors of power right now will be lost on them but let’s not pretend sporting integrity or the wishes of supporters really are important to all those clubs pushing for this change.
If they were listening to fans they wouldn’t be sticking with a top division of 12 , and if there was any integrity there would be no rush to bring in changes for the start of next season.
If, as seems likely, the structure is altered for 2013-14 supporters won’t get what they’ve already paid for, especially those following teams striving for promotion. Actually this entire season will be rendered meaningless.
Sporting integrity won’t merely be compromised, it’ll be crushed but this is what happens when desperation slips in and throttles reason.
This belief won’t sit well with the few who are more or less running the SPL and influencing thinking within that desperate organisation but they can’t complain. After all, they’ve dismissed Rangers’ views completely.
This club, the biggest one in the country, were not invited to take part in talks which will shape the game’s future.
We are then entitled to conclude that this club are not important, which is strange indeed when so many fans of other clubs continue to be obsessed by Rangers, who are simply getting on with their own affairs asking no favour from anyone.
We do, however, expect commonsense to be applied, along with fair play.
Look, Rangers will return to the top flight, which will of course have to be rebranded. Rangers will take a seat at the head of the table where, despite the latest insult of being shut out of reconstruction talks, we will act with the good of Scottish football in mind.
We’ll work through the divisions and we will return stronger and better than ever before.
This club accepted their sanctions and moved on but too many others have been unable to do the same. They continue their assaults and while the deranged, who are using social media sites as conduits for their twisted agendas, should be ignored there are more than a few in the mainstream still maligning the club at every opportunity.
In a BBC radio debate last Saturday night one pundit, in a matter-of-fact manner, said Charles Green speaks with ‘forked tongue.’ No attempt to explain or justify the statement, just as no explanation was offered when another radio voice claimed there was a dishonesty about Walter Smith when he went public with a late bid for the club.
Word of advice gentlemen. From now on be very careful when talking or writing about this club.
To paraphrase something said about another club, Rangers will not be treated less than others. And although there is no desire to pick fights, be assured that no one will attack Rangers with impunity.
Tolerance and sanity. That’s what Rangers will demonstrate and maintain, especially when back at the summit.
Can anyone who was in attendence in court expand on the basic numbers presented (within the confines of what can be said obviously) (I’ll also credit johnjames here for having a stab at it too earlier this week).
As I understand it Whyte (Wavetower) were required via the SPA to provide 18m for Lloyds repayment, 5m for immediate player investment, 5m for working capital (was the HSE debt within this figure?) and circa 3m for the wee tax case. It is alleged that he mortgaged STs from season 11/12, 12/13, 13/14 and 14/15 to do this. However it is now apparent from court that Murrays oldco Rangers were potentially in debt to Ticketus for up to £6m. But surely these were also mortgaged on the same 11/12 set of STs?
im not too concerned about the legality issue, the law is the law after all, I’m just struggling to get my head round the base arithmetic. One cake, how many slices sort of thing!
It is unlikely that Rangers were “in debt” to Ticketus per se, as that is not how Ticketus operated.
They did not provide loans. They bought season tickets in advance at a discount and sold them at face value via the club, their profit was the discount. As far as the supporter knew they were simply buying the ticket from the club.
If there was “debt” it was just the same as any other season ticket holder. They pay up front, and their debt is reduced as games are played, whether they attend or not. Every season ticket holder at a club is a creditor until the last game they have paid for is played.
The difference with Ticketus was that they were no longer a creditor once their last ticket was sold on to a supporter. I imagine the “debt” was the fact that the games had not been played and their tickets had not been sold at that time. Once those tickets were sold and Ticketus received the money then there was no debt.
The fact that Rangers were using them prior to the sale to Whyte is indicative of, at the very least, cash flow problems.
The SPA commitments were £18m debt to Lloyds, £2.8m for the WTC, £1.7m for the H&S issue, £5m working capital and £5M per year investment in the playing squad for four years, for a total of £47.5m.
I’m not sure whether or not JJ has the £8m RFC Ticketus liability correct, as I don’t know if the £8m borrowing occurred during season 2009/10, 2010/11 or both. There was mention of an £8m advance by the Advocate Depute during McGill’s evidence on 9th May, although I wasn’t in court that day.
A day or two earlier an unspecified RFC Ticketus liability, which sounded as if it related to season 2010/11, was also mentioned in court while I was present. However, I wasn’t 100% certain that I had picked up the information correctly, and the point wasn’t followed up so I didn’t get confirmation one way or another.
Letter from Bank of Scotland to Rangers from 2009, mentions £34m credit facility agreed in 2004.
It’s probably not widely known, but Whyte actually made two payments back to Ticketus during his brief tenure. From the D&P creditors report of 5 April 2012, it notes that Whyte repaid £3m in June 2011 and £5m in September 2011. However, he also borrowed a further £5m in September 2011 (probably the same £5m he repaid), by mortgaging a fourth season’s STs.
It is not clear whether or not the £8m repaid related to earlier borrowing by RFC, or was in fact the amount due to be repaid from STs from 2011/12 for Whyte’s first year of his initial three year deal.
From other documents that I’ve kept, Ticketus provided circa £20.3m in May 2011 and £5m in September 2011. In the civil action Ticketus v Whyte, the claim was for £18.2m and the amount awarded was £17.7m, being the net exposure of Ticketus without interest or the expected profit.
The above figures suggest to me that the repayments made by Whyte were in respect of the first year of his deal rather than any previous borrowing by RFC.
I also note that Ticketus’ creditor claim against RFC (2012) was £26.7m, which may be the total amount outstanding that Ticketus would have expected to receive from RFC over the remainder of the Whyte deal.
From Lord Hodge, way back when.
It is probably worth noting it was Rangers doing the deals with Ticketus, even after Whyte took over.
I believe it is false to think of Rangers / Ticketus and Whyte / Ticketus deals. They were the same thing.
Ticketus operates a business of buying and selling tickets for, among others, sporting events. The two contracts with Ticketus, which I discuss below, in summary involve the sale by Rangers to Ticketus of season tickets and an agency arrangement by which Ticketus is to receive the income flow from the sale of the season tickets. On or about 9 May 2011 Ticketus paid £20,300,912 for the first tranche of the season tickets which covered the seasons 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. On or about 21 September 2011 Ticketus paid a further £5,075,213 for the second tranche of season tickets, which covered the seasons 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. I am informed that the expected income flow from the sale of the season tickets is likely to represent about 60% of the cash flow of Rangers in those seasons.
My post of 02.06 this morning is in moderation.
Homunculus’ later post is a far better example of the kind of ‘journalist’ that I believe JT to be, i.e one whom it is scarcely worth the effort of despising.
I should have waited a wee bit longer to see if my first post would be released from ‘moderation’!
Sorry about the ‘repeat’ post.
Rangers had to be punished, they deserved to be punished.
Celtic fans or their club didn’t attempt to influence the outcome of debates on Rangers and possible sanctions.
This club accepted their sanctions and moved on.
Thanks EJ. As I said, there is only one ST cake. It doesn’t matter how you slice it up (and despite your best efforts and patience I confess to still being a little confuddled but that’s nothing new) it’s the same cake.
Im off to a dark room with my slide rule and abacus!
EJ my reading of it is that Whyte was negotiating to do the deal from late 2010.
It was completed in early May 2011.
The first load of Ticketus money was paid on 9th May 2011, after Whyte had taken over. That deal was with Rangers.
It included the money already negotiated prior to Whyte buying the shares, and the money Whyte used to partly fund the deal.
The entire deal was with Rangers, because that was who was selling the tickets, whether Murray owned the shares or Whyte doesn’t really matter. It was basically a roll up of the season ticket sales already agreed (with Murray) plus the additional ones being sold (agreed with Whyte).
It was basically all the same deal, between Ticketus and Rangers.
It’s really surprising how little Rangers knew about it.
Why would the SFA or SPFL not want to strip titles if the HMRC appeal is upheld. It then is a matter of fact that players were playing/registered illegally.
I have heard in court evidence that proves factually that the wtc crystallized before the end on March deadline which means that RFC got a license to play in CL illegally. Also that De Boar, Moore and Flo were registered illegally and every game they played in should have resulted in RFC losing 3 0. Will all this be ignored by the SFA?
Why do the SFA/SPFL not want to address this what reasons can they give. This is a serious question, why can this liquidated club not be held to account in the history books for what they have done.
I wrote to my club in the past concerning the BTC and was informed that it was still an ongoing process. I will write again if HMRC appeal is upheld as this is at present all I can do.
Nothing said in court proves anything factually. That’s for the court to decide. We may well hear other ‘facts’ that contradict those ones you refer to. It’s a mistake to draw conclusions too soon. Still 9 weeks of this trial to go.
From that video, can I just point something out.
The club doesn’t pay VAT or PAYE, it hands it over.
VAT and PAYE are collected from customers and employees. So what he is actually saying is that he spent money that wasn’t his, to finance a football club.
That is not the same as being unable to pay tax.
Received this link is in an email this morning from my bro-in-law. He highlighted the fact that TRFC are not listed and suggested that this might mean no license to play in uefa competitions ?
It is more likely that the 5 year cycle of Oldco’s coefficient points (the last ones earned on their day trips to Malmo and Maribor in 2011/12) have just dropped off the list.
The newco will just get Scotland’s basic coefficient figure for teams that haven’t featured in Europe for the previous five seasons.
Dundee united who were on the exact same points as Rangers (original) last season are still on the list for this year,Rangers (original) are gone all together.
Is it possible for a club to lose nearly 5 co-efficent points after 1 season?,united only dropped 0.2 points from last season.This could be about the license issue or it could be UEFA removing them from the list as they no longer exist.
Thanks for the replies. I think it most likely that EJ has called it.
That Euro list only lists clubs who have played in euro competitions in the last five seasons. Neither new club or old club have done so, so are not included.
My interest turned to the European Clubs Association.
RFC was, of course, a founder member of the Association.But they lost full membership when they ceased, through being put into Liquidation, to be able to participate in professional football.
The breath-taking inconsistency is, well, breath-taking! How do the minds of these people actually work?
I have sent a message to the ECA ‘contact us’ email address to point out that TRFC is not commercially, legally or in football terms, the RFC that was a founder member of ECA, and is in no entitled to be regarded as such.
Much good it may do, but I feel better for having sent a message.
I thought the point was that, prior to the Billionaire buy out, Murray owned the club and £6m of the cake was already sliced up and legally spoken for.
And when the cake required further slicing, to enable Whyte et al to acquire the company, it would not have been possible to do so without Murrays knowledge as Ticketus would have had to deal with him as he was the owner at the time.
My favourite cake is Carrot cake BTW.
Just listening to a programme on R. Scotland about women who worked in the Mills in Paisley. I have worked all over Scotland in my time and Paisley has to be one of my favourite places, closely followed by Lanark.
I became close friends with a lady and her hubby who was a big Buddies fan. Took me to Love St. on a few occasions. Happy days. I got a St. Mirren tammy and wore it for years in my home town without a mention, I think everyone just thought it was a black & white tammy .
I just wish that leader in N. Korea would concentrate on football and not nuclear weapons. Regardless of your feelings about Britain’s nuclear detterent at least it is defensive. He wants to be aggressive.
When you think of Spain, Italy, Germany etc. in the modern era you think of football. (apart from holidays) . Why can’t he aspire to that? | 2019-04-26T04:01:25Z | https://archive.sfm.scot/that-debate-and-the-beauty-of-hindsight/ |
In 1996 my sister Sharon was about to undergo her first brain surgery to remove several tumors. Though we had lost our father five years before, I had never questioned that Sharon would always be a part of my life. She was my older sister. Now I had to face the unimaginable possibility of being without her.
Sharon and I had been raised Catholic, but had both long ago abandoned the Church and often joked about being “recovering Catholics.” Now Sharon’s illness raised questions for me, and on the advice of a friend I attended a retreat led by a former priest: Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue.
The retreat was a great help to me, and I was impressed and soothed by O’Donohue’s deep kindness. He had no aura of Catholic guilt — something I had worked hard to get rid of myself. His words and presence left me feeling lighter and freer. I bought his book Anam Cara (Harper Perennial). Anam is the Gaelic word for “soul,” and cara the word for “friend.” In the early Celtic church, an anam cara acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide, someone with whom you could share your innermost thoughts.
In the coming years, as I watched my sister slowly slip away, I turned again and again to O’Donohue’s Anam Cara and his other books. They addressed my grief and also my questions about how to live a meaningful life, how to cultivate wonder, and how to be more gentle with myself. Since my sister’s death, I have attended two more retreats with O’Donohue and have discovered that underneath his gentle and kind manner lies a brilliant mind capable of addressing the most complex questions of our times.
O’Donohue has a PhD in philosophical theology from the University of Tübingen in Germany and has written several books, including Beauty: The Invisible Embrace and Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong (both Harper Perennial), and two volumes of poetry, Echoes of Memory (Dufour Editions) and Conamara Blues (Harper Perennial). To Bless the Space between Us: A Book of Blessings is due out from Random House in the fall, and he is currently working on a book about the teachings of fourteenth-century mystic Meister Eckhart. More information can be found on his website: www.johnodonohue.com.
O’Donohue lives in a cottage in the west of Ireland — an unspoiled, rustic region of the country — and lectures and teaches around the world. He holds two annual retreats: one in Ireland in May, and one in the U.S., on the Oregon coast, in late October. This interview is composed of two conversations that took place at those retreats. Maybe it’s a characteristic of O’Donohue’s Celtic background — he speaks fluent Gaelic — but he injected a lightness and a sprinkling of laughter into our conversation.
Covington: Do you think there is a spiritual hunger in the U.S. today?
O’Donohue: There is a fierce hunger for spirit at the heart of an American culture that has lost all belief in the old language about God. That language no longer resonates for most Americans, nor leads them to wells of nourishment. Ironically, in other areas of American culture, there is a fundamentalist obsession with God. But inevitably this God tends to be a monolith and an emperor of the blandest singularity. Attention to the living God, who incorporates the beauty of the senses and spirit, and is the deepest source of the imagination and the highest calling of intellect, seems very scarce.
New Age spirituality is rising up to try to fill the gap. I do not wish to criticize any system that can nourish people’s spirits, but I find that a lot of New Age writing cherry-picks the attractive bits from the ancient traditions and makes collages of them; it usually excises the ascetic dimension. In general it is not rigorously thought out, but is what I would call “soft” thinking.
Granted, it is difficult to write well about spirit: namely, to bring the lyrical and the philosophical into a true tension. In my writing, I endeavor to excavate the Celtic and the Judeo-Christian philosophical and literary traditions and to bring them into conversation with our modern hunger and questioning.
Covington: There has been so much conflict in the name of religion down through the ages — so much war and killing and hatred. What do you, as a deeply religious person, say about that to people who aren’t religious?
O’Donohue: I think it’s true that religion has been used to funnel political hostility, racial hatred, and all kinds of awful violence. But I would suggest that this is not the fault of religion but of the people who use it this way. In Northern Ireland we had a conflict said to be between Protestant and Catholic, but that conflict had nothing to do with the heart of Protestantism or the heart of Catholicism. Similarly with Islam nowadays, we in the West are often working with a mere caricature of that faith. But there is a beautiful and mystical theology at the heart of Islam. It’s ironic that one of the most widely read poets in the U.S. today is Rumi, who comes out of the thirteenth-century Islamic tradition.
One of the great problems in postmodern culture is the lack of true conversation. What we have is more a series of intersecting monologues. There has been no real conversation between the West and Islam. We need one badly, for it is conversation that breaks down caricature and allows bridges to be built.
The tragedy of the West at the moment is that all interaction seems to take place across one bridge: economics. China is the next big superpower, and if we look at it only through economic lenses, as a field for profitable investments, the consequences will be disastrous. I was in China for six weeks and talked to a lot of people there. Even though they use Western tools for economic development, their mentality and sensibility are so different from ours. Whereas our starting point is the individual, theirs is the group. Their perception and language have such a different subtlety and structuring; economic bridges will never help us reach toward each other. Without a true cultural conversation, no real relationship will occur.
The conflict in Northern Ireland has proven beyond a doubt that, sooner or later, you come to the table. And it is wiser to come to the table sooner, rather than after thirty years of murder, grief, and personal tragedy.
Covington: You are writing a book on fourteenth-century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart. How are his teachings relevant to Americans in the twenty-first century?
O’Donohue: The U.S. is a great country. You can live the way you want there; you can be a self-made person. But sometimes, when all our energy goes into progress, acquisition, and productivity, it leaves a huge emptiness in the heart. I think the teachings of Meister Eckhart can address that emptiness, can show us how to be patient with it, and in fact bring us deeper into it. At the heart of our emptiness, we can actually discover nourishment in the secret landscapes of imagination and spirit.
Covington: You’ve said that each Catholic can create his or her own “niche” in the faith. Is that really Catholicism?
O’Donohue: The term a la carte Catholicism has been used to denigrate those who pick and choose from the tradition, selecting only what nourishes, challenges, and heals them. On the other hand, nobody goes into a restaurant and chooses everything on the menu.
One of the difficulties in Western religion in general is that we are inclined to take current manifestations of the tradition as the whole truth about the religion. I don’t think that is a responsible or honorable way to engage with a tradition. Tradition is to a community what memory is to the individual: a huge archive of knowledge that is tested over time. The questions of the human spirit are perennial, but they come in different forms at different moments in history; we shouldn’t equate contemporary, and often banal or inferior, manifestations of the tradition with the depth of the tradition itself. Sometimes the people who represent a religious tradition at a particular moment will masquerade as the absolute owners of the tradition, but they are not. They are only good or bad servants of the tradition.
Although we might reject the faith’s current representatives, I don’t believe we can simply jump from one tradition to another. I can do Buddhist practice, but I cannot be a Buddhist. Nor can a Tibetan Buddhist come to Ireland and turn into a Catholic.
It saddens me to see so many spiritually starved people in the West passing the great granaries of the Christian traditions on their way to some New Age or fundamentalist church, and not even looking in the doorways. When the grain is tested, as it is in the great traditions, you get true nourishment, not fast food.
Covington: Why did you leave the priesthood?
O’Donohue: It was a difficult decision, and it did take years to make. I suppose the oxygen had become too scarce. I also found myself diverging from quite a few of the teachings. The final straw was acquiring a new bishop who exhibited and exercised a strong chemical hesitancy to my theological viewpoint. Once made, the decision brought me great peace of heart.
Covington: You’ve said the Catholic Church has a “pathological fear of the feminine.” Why do you think that is?
O’Donohue: First, before I criticize it, let me say what I love about the Catholic Church. I think the seven sacraments are the most beautiful liturgical rituals. The Christian mystical tradition is populated by such giants as Meister Eckhart, John of the Cross, Hildegard von Bingen, and Julian of Norwich. The dogmas of the Catholic Church are sophisticated, poetic, speculative doctrines; they invite imagination, not dogmatism. I love the Church’s teaching on the communion of saints. I love the theology of the Trinity, which is not often preached because it is such a complex thing, yet it remains one of the most exciting discoveries of the nature of the divine.
On the other side, I do not trust the Catholic Church with Eros. I never did, even when I was a priest. The Church does have a pathological fear of the feminine. It would sooner allow priests to marry than it would allow women to become priests. This awful mistrust of the feminine goes all the way back to Genesis, where Eve is blamed for offering the apple to Adam. And the doctrine that a woman, after giving birth to a child — the most beautiful thing a human being can do — has to go to the Church to be cleansed: this is a demonization of women that I cannot understand.
All extremes create a mirror of themselves. So when you have the demonization of the feminine, you also have the creation of the ideal feminine type: Mary as the perfect woman, on whom no stain of mortality — or complexity — was allowed to fall. None of the awkward, subtle, different, or dark faces of the feminine were allowed near her image. I think it’s a shame, and it has consequences. I think the Church is in danger of losing women. As I’ve said for the last twenty years: if tomorrow all the women in the Catholic Church decided to walk, the Church wouldn’t last three months.
Covington: From your perspective, what intellectual and theological contributions does the U.S. make?
Covington: It’s ironic that the U.S. is supposed to be setting up a democracy in Iraq, while our own democratic principles are threatened.
O’Donohue: Yes, the country seems divided into two extremes. In the absence of a strong middle ground, the political pendulum will always swing too far to either side. By “middle ground” I don’t mean the status quo. I mean a true balance that is autonomous and authentic. That’s why we need responsible media and good conversation and universities that are open-minded and not already loyal to one side or the other. Plato said that to practice philosophy is to follow the question wherever it leads. Loyalty to the voyage of the question will create a wise middle ground and protect us from extremism.
Covington: In Anam Cara you write that the phrase “do not be afraid” appears 366 times in the Bible. I find that profound.
O’Donohue: Fear is the greatest source of falsification in life. It makes the real seem unreal, and the unreal appear real. In The Courage to Be, the theologian Paul Tillich draws a distinction between fear and anxiety. Anxiety, for him, is this diffuse worry that has no object or point of reference. This is the atmosphere right now in the U.S., the land of the free and the home of the brave. There is a huge anxiety just under the surface.
Fear, as distinct from anxiety, has an object and a point of reference. Tillich says that in order to handle anxiety, you have to translate it into a fear that has a definite object. Then you can engage with it. Part of the intention of growth is to overcome one’s fears.
Covington: Anam cara means “soul friend.” Underneath, is your book about being a friend to yourself?
O’Donohue: Yes, most things that are true and lasting have a symmetry between inside and out. Your outward relationship toward your beloved, if it is not mirrored internally by a loving relationship with yourself, is reduced and limited. You end up scraping from him or her what you are not giving yourself. But if you are nourished at your own table, you do not need so desperately to be fed by someone else; consequently, you can be free and open with that person.
This is true of our relationship to the world as well. When you approach even the simplest object, the depth that you see in that object will be proportionate to the depth you bring to it. One of the most interesting philosophical movements of the mid-twentieth century was hermeneutics: the science of interpretation. The key question in hermeneutics is always “How do you approach a text?” — and philosophers use the word text broadly. It could be restated as “Through what lenses and apparatus do you look at something?” You should be constantly aware of your own act of approaching anything. When you know what you are putting into it, and what you are taking from it, the text — or object, or person — has a better chance to meet you as itself.
Covington: Solitude seems central to your work. Why is it so necessary?
O’Donohue: Solitude is the sense of space as nourishing. What usually happens with solitude is that people equate it with loneliness, which frightens them. But I don’t know anyone who has a good friendship or love relationship in which there are not long periods of solitude. There is a way in which we treat our relationships almost like a colonial expedition: we want to colonize the space, all the territory in between, until there is no wilderness left. Most couples who have deadened in each other’s presence have colonized their space this way. They have domesticated each other beyond recognition. Sometimes you see a beautiful woman who quickens your heart. Then you meet her again years later, and she has become a domesticated relic of who she once was, and you think, Where is the dangerous vision that I saw in her? The same happens to men.
I think it is more interesting to be with somebody who still has his or her wilderness territory — and by that I don’t mean bleak, burned-out, damaged areas where wounding has occurred; rather, I mean genuine wilderness. Upon seeing that in the other person, you promise yourself: One thing I will never do is try to domesticate her wilderness. Because the authenticity of her difference and the purity of her danger and the depth of her affection are all being secretly nourished by that wilderness, as all of my spirit is being nourished by my own wilderness. There is a great tradition in the U.S., even more so than in other countries, of the solitary person going out into the wild. It’s a shame that this model is not now being revived for the voyage into our inner wilderness.
Covington: Stillness and silence are natural companions to solitude.
O’Donohue: Yes, all three are necessary for a mystical life, a harmonious life. Stillness is just being still. There is no great mystery about it. Your body is an object in space — not an inanimate object, but an object nonetheless. I will be putting my body-object into a tin machine on Tuesday and flying over the ocean. My body will emerge all shaky on the other end, and it will take time for it to recover its native tranquillity. Spending time being still is a simple and modest requirement that we face each day, not just when traveling. If you could sit still for twenty minutes every day — just sit in your chair and look at a place on the rug — your body would love you for it. Your body loves the simple relief of stillness. And it’s great for your health.
The third thing is silence. When someone is talking, try to listen to the silence between the words. This is what a good therapist does. She is listening for what your words are saying, and she is also listening between the words for the things that your unconscious wants to say, but which your conscious mind does not know about or is not yet ready to make heard. To be a great listener is to be a listener on that level.
Silence depends on stillness and solitude. If you do not have solitude and know what wilderness is, and you do not have stillness and know what tranquillity is, then you are not able to listen with that sort of refinement and subtlety. Bring a rhythm to your life that has a share of solitude, stillness, and silence in it, and you will gradually come home. That is what spirituality is: the art of homecoming.
What usually happens with solitude is that people equate it with loneliness, which frightens them. But I don’t know anyone who has a good friendship or love relationship in which there are not long periods of solitude.
Covington: In Anam Cara you write about embracing our negativity: “The negative is one of the closest friends of your destiny.” This idea seems foreign in American culture, where we’re supposed to pretend we don’t have any negative traits or thoughts.
O’Donohue: Negativity is a precious force. No movement of consciousness goes forward on its journey without the motor of the negative driving it.
Most of us live in cultures that have become soft; we have unlearned the wisdom that hardship brings. But in Ireland we were raised to see difficulties, obstacles, and barriers as precious. We were taught that the thing you pushed against helped to define you.
I remember when I was studying German in Berlin, I used to smuggle books over to East Berlin, to a lovely girl there who was eager to read. I’d be walking along with novels by Thomas Mann, Günther Grass, and Hermann Hesse, and maybe some poems by Sarah Kirsch concealed inside my overcoat, feeling as if I were an international criminal. One day, while I was waiting for the girl in a pub, an East German man asked me to pass the ashtray. He knew immediately by the way I answered that I was not German, so he asked me where I was from and what I did. I said I was an Irish priest. He told me he didn’t believe a word of my religion, but he’d raised his six children as Catholics. “What would you do that for?” I asked. And he said it was because he wanted them to develop their spiritual awareness through interaction with a great tradition; to shape their questions against the push of that tradition. When they were seventeen or eighteen, he said, they could leave it behind forever, but at least they would be well schooled in the ultimate questions through engagement with a great tradition.
Frequently the most fecund time in a relationship is when you run into the “otherness” of your beloved, an otherness that you cannot calm or accommodate by means of your affection, love, or understanding. This otherness is actually set against you. But when you exercise patience and develop a hospitality toward this otherness, something deeper gradually emerges between you.
The challenge is similar in the writing life. I believe that a writer has to develop skill and craft first, then go to the biggest barrel of darkness or silence he or she can find and wait for something to come up. You must have craft so the quality of your writing will be proportionate to the importance of what will arrive on your table. But craft alone isn’t enough. You can develop a great ability as a writer, but if you write about insignificant matters, your work will interest nobody.
Sadly, many people view darkness as the enemy rather than the threshold, the invitation to become something more. In Beauty I write about sculpting a block of stone being akin to shaping yourself: your calling in the world is to keep refining yourself until you find the secret form inside you. We should consider life primarily as an invitation to become who we are. Most of the time, when we think of becoming something, we have a plan to better ourselves: “I want to lose this sense of inferiority” or “I want to make my life easier” or “I want to call off my inner Dobermans, who are chewing up my insides.” We all have these problems we want to get over, but that is so bloody limited. So what if your childhood has its quota of damage? Wouldn’t it be healthier to say, “OK, my wounds deserve to be recognized and healed, but they also need to be placed in a more dignified context”? We should ask for the strength to push forward into deeper graciousness and sophistication. One way to do that is to recognize respectfully the places where your negativity appears. They are great clues to the location of the treasure troves in the deep inner caves.
The imagination is not interested in two-dimensional reductionism or naively pitting one side against another, dark against light. It is interested in the place where the two sides meet, and what they give birth to when they cross-fertilize each other. That is the heart of creativity.
Covington: What exactly do you mean when you say a writer should go to “the biggest barrel of darkness or silence” and “wait for something to come up”?
O’Donohue: In the creative world, true brightness is seldom found. Sometimes you get a perfect poem that comes all at once and you do not have to work on it, but such visitations are incredibly rare, a form of grace. Brightness in a poem or a painting or a piece of music usually has to sweat its way to the top through caverns of darkness. And when it comes to the surface, you can still see in it the beautiful shadow of the dark journey it has made.
The imagination is not interested in two-dimensional reductionism or naively pitting one side against another, dark against light. It is interested in the place where the two sides meet, and what they give birth to when they cross-fertilize each other. That is the heart of creativity: it is not fantasy, not invention. Creativity is listening in on the places where the opposites are dancing with each other.
Covington: What do you say to people who don’t consider themselves creative?
O’Donohue: I don’t agree with the idea that there are those who are creative and those who are not. I feel everyone is creative, sometimes even in spite of themselves. I am always disappointed when I see middle-aged women who finally have the time to do something creative, and they engage in the most boring, disastrously unoriginal enterprises, ones that have vacancy written all over them. Now and again, however, you meet someone who has been busy raising children but has always had a deeper longing inside and somehow has remained faithful to her originality. And she will take up her new freedom and engage with herself in a way she never has before. She is willing to take risks and bring patience to learning the skill of painting, music, photography, writing, or sculpture.
When you meet a person like that, you realize that the creative instinct you felt as a child remains within you at forty-seven, or fifty-seven, or sixty-seven. It is heartening to discover that the dream you’ve never paid attention to hasn’t died, but rather, in the fermenting period of waiting, has become a powerful presence.
Creativity is about opening up to your own originality and allowing it to come forward. As the French poet Rimbaud said, “I have no ancestors.” You will never write a poem that someone else has already written. We are all such strange worlds. We are more than human. Each individual is an opening where the eternal is breaking through, a portal where things go out and come in.
Covington: In his book On Writing, Stephen King says that when we write, we are excavating something, trying to bring it up whole. Would you agree with that?
O’Donohue: I would partly agree with it. It is excavation, but I don’t think what we are excavating is already fully formed, and we’re just taking away the cover and bringing it up. What happens for me is that there is this search for bits, pieces, fragments, shards. But in the process of digging them up, complementary shapes are drawn to each other and become something more. So it is actually during the emergence that form establishes itself. It is like sculpting: you have a block of stone and a chisel, and bit by bit, according to your vision and the grain of the stone, a shape eventually emerges. But it is a collusion between the object itself and the skill of the artist.
Covington: Some would say it’s overly romantic to believe that everyone is creative.
O’Donohue: Maybe it is, but I have several reasons for believing it. One is that every one of us dreams, and a dream is a most sophisticated artistic vision. It is said that when the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky slept, he hung a notice on his door that read, “Poet at work.” You people your dreams with characters, settings, images, plot, and you present it to yourself. You are both the creator and the audience for it. As the Talmud says, “A dream that has not been interpreted is like a letter that has not been opened.” So if you can dream, I believe you can create.
Second, we were all children once, and when you were a child, you lived in an imaginative world. That childlike side of us never dies. It is always there.
Third, the nature of creation is that it is constantly growing and becoming and emerging. And we are the stuff of creation. So, in a sense, it is in our nature to be creative.
Fourth, the act of knowing is a function of the imagination. All knowing has an imaginative element in it. We don’t see the world as it is at all. Our consciousness always co-creates everything we see. So what you are seeing is not just out there, on its own. You are always seeing it through the lens of your own thinking. Therefore, you are co-creating the world, whether you like it or not.
Covington: You believe strongly in each person’s individuality.
O’Donohue: One of the amazing things about creation is its plenitude and diversity. No two stones are the same. No two fields are the same. No two waves or stars or faces are the same. No two thoughts are the same. It is amazing, really, that we manage to find any similarity at all. It is there, of course, because without it we couldn’t achieve continuity. But the true calling of everything is to be itself. There would be huge problems in creation if things decided not to be themselves — if leaves, for example, decided that they were really feathers, or streets decided they were rivers.
Covington: I haven’t heard much about the concept of “providence,” except in your books. I found this quote on your website: “There is an unseen life that dreams us; it knows our true direction and destiny. We can trust ourselves more than we realize, and we need have no fear of change.” Would you say that providence is the “unseen life that dreams us”?
O’Donohue: Yes, I would. Actually, I think the idea of a single human being is an illusion. Behind each of us, way back in the unrippled beforeness, there is a stack of forms that dream us into being. And behind and around every person is a formal elegance that is secretly structuring that person’s actual experiences. I understand providence as that supreme, all-embracing knowing that is always obliquely there, accompanying us.
I had a friend who lived for a while in India, and I asked him what it was like. He said it was the strangest thing to live in a country that did not believe in death. There was also this concept of fate that relieved so much spiritual angst.
The idea of fate is too predetermined for me. I prefer destiny. I think when we arrive here in this world, we begin unfolding from within ourselves that which is already latent within us. Experience is the semipublic theater in which our inner content unfolds.
Providence is perhaps the other side of the spectrum, where we are free to shape our lives. And in the middle is the meeting of destiny and freedom. Our significant acts are perhaps approaches to something that is already approaching us; this subtle coming together is what eventually yields experience. The secret middle is where the actual narrative of life is shaped.
But something infinitely greater than ego is happening, and that seems to be what the spiritual traditions are all about. It seems to be what the imagination is interested in too. The imagination has a huge capacity for trust. It knows that if it goes toward the disheveled chaos, eventually, out of that fragmentation, a cohesive form will surface to bring the fragments together in such a way as to release their secret music.
Covington: How exactly are providence and destiny different?
O’Donohue: I see destiny as engaging with your own freedom to shape your life. And if you abuse your freedom and fail to engage your destiny, if you build false bridges and burn ones that you shouldn’t, there still remains a secret, eternal something that will provide for you regardless of your poor decisions. Providence is that something. It will insure that you don’t totally destroy your place in the larger script. The script is working through you.
But how providence and destiny work is a huge question, and the answers are unknown. Imagine somebody is in a car crash: was that destiny or providence? It’s difficult to say. Most models work fairly well until you push them to the extremes, where they become ever more tenuous. Ultimately it is almost impossible to tell what is fortune or misfortune.
Covington: The Irish believe a lot in luck.
Everyone would think, Jesus, what a good deal.
Covington: Sometimes in your books you talk about something “minding” us. Is that like something looking out for you?
Covington: In one of your books you say, “We need . . . to treat ourselves with great tenderness.” In the U.S. we don’t talk a lot about “tenderness.” Does that come from your Irish background, or your background as a priest?
The Bible says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” I love the New Testament and the wisdom for daily living that it contains: the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount. Even if you don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God, there is still so much you can learn from the New Testament. There is a quality of gentleness and tenderness to it that allows you to open internally to your own spiritual inheritance.
The opposite of gentleness and tenderness is force. Many people in postmodern spirituality and psychotherapy try to force themselves to improve. The thing about the spiritual world is: if you push, it does not work. It’s like the sexual world: you have to be in rhythm, be in the flow, and be gentle, and then the whole thing takes off and unfolds with a sublime spontaneity of its own.
Covington: You’ve said that Meister Eckhart asked the one great question: “How should I be?” How do we begin to answer that?
O’Donohue: There are many ways of coming at it. Self-examination in the U.S. seems to involve lengthy visitations to the laboratory of feelings. Feelings are analyzed backwards and forwards, upwards and downwards. I would not start there at all. I would look at thinking. A simple thing to do is to realize, as I said earlier, that everything we see, understand, know, and feel is filtered through the lens of thought. Picture it as a pair of glasses: if you put on spectacles with little squares all over them, then everything you see will have squares on it.
A simple exercise is to ask yourself, “What are the seven thoughts that guide my being and frame what I call ‘meaning’ in my life?” Once you’ve identified them, leave them alone for a while. And then, at some later date, say, “What are some other ways in which I could think but, through my constant attention to these seven ways of thinking, I never do?” Soon you will be on an adventure at the heart of your being. True thought is full of feeling, and refined feeling is luminous with thought.
True creative, critical thought cuts away the undergrowth, helps you recognize being, and lets you realize how magical and strange and mysterious and full of potential life is. Being is the mystery and the adventure. | 2019-04-26T12:05:46Z | http://cdn.thesunmagazine.org/issues/376/the-unseen-life-that-dreams-us |
For years, Dropbox has been the mostly undisputed king of cloud storage. Unless you’re heavily invested in another ecosystem, Dropbox’s free storage offers more than enough for most people. Slowly but surely, however, the company’s free offering is becoming less attractive.
In March of 2019, Dropbox quietly introduced a limit on how many devices you can use with a free account. Whereas before there was no limit, now you only use three devices on a free account. For many people, this may not matter, but for others, it’s a sign that it’s time to look at other services.
To put it simply, you can download and install any of the services on this list on your own server. If you’re concerned with privacy, hosting your own Dropbox alternative is a major bonus. It’s also important if you want to be certain that your data won’t disappear without warning someday. Your own experience might tell you that self-hosting apps can save you money Start Hosting These Popular Web Apps Yourself to Save Money Start Hosting These Popular Web Apps Yourself to Save Money All web apps come with privacy and security risks. Why not host some popular apps yourself? Let's look at the pros and cons of hosting important web apps on your own Read More in the long run too.
Of course, there are downsides to this. If you install one of these on your own server, you’re responsible for all the maintenance. You’ve also only got yourself to blame if your data does missing.
ownCloud launched in 2010 and was one of the first self-hosted Dropbox alternatives to really take off. While the service initially focused solely on cloud storage, it has scaled up its offerings dramatically in recent years.
From cloud storage to synchronization, ownCloud can do pretty much anything Dropbox can. It supports large files, automatic folder synchronization, and file access control. If you’re concerned about privacy, ownCloud also features support for end-to-end encryption.
It doesn’t matter whether you use Windows, macOS, or Linux, as ownCloud is fully cross-platform. This means it has a client available for Android and iOS devices as well. Unlike desktop clients, this isn’t free. No matter whether you use Android or iOS, you’ll pay $0.99 for the ownCloud app.
What Else Does ownCloud Offer?
Cloud storage and sync is just the beginning. With ownCloud you also get the Collabora online office suite. If you’re looking for an alternative to Google Docs, this isn’t as full-featured, but it might be all you need.
There’s also a marketplace with a variety of add-ons for ownCloud. These include a basic text file viewer, blood pressure tracker, an ebook reader, and more.
In addition to the free, open source version that ownCloud offers to individuals, it also features a version for enterprise users. This gives ownCloud an income stream to keep work going.
Does this guarantee that ownCloud will be around forever? No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to use it right now.
Nextcloud is a fork of ownCloud with many of the same features, plus plenty of its own. One key difference is that while ownCloud has a commercial offering, Nextcloud is an open source project. If you want to ensure that your free cloud storage stays free, that’s an important distinction.
While Nextcloud is fully open source, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an enterprise option. The service offers a subscription-based enterprise product that makes migration easier and grants priority access to security updates. It also includes support and assistance to make using the service easier.
Like ownCloud, Nextcloud offers clients for any platform you may use. This includes Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Unlike Nextcloud, the mobile versions are available free of charge.
Since Nextcloud is based on ownCloud, many of the third-party apps for ownCloud also work with Nextcloud. This includes software like CloudNotes, a notetaking app for iOS. You can’t count on this working in all cases, but it can be useful.
What Else Does Nextcloud Offer?
Like ownCloud, Nextcloud features an office suite. By default, this is Collabora, but you can use other options as well. If, for example, you want to use OnlyOffice instead, that’s entirely possible. NextCloud also offers its own App Store that lets you add all sorts of different functionality.
If you don’t want to run your own server, Nextcloud makes finding a free Nextcloud host easy. The amount of free storage space varies from provider to provider, but many of them offer more than the 2 GB of free space Dropbox offers.
Nextcloud has an enterprise option, just as ownCloud does. It also has a very active community. This alone has kept plenty of projects going in the past, so it’s likely that Nextcloud will be around a while.
Seafile is actually older than ownCloud and by extension Nextcloud, but it never seemed to gain the same level of popularity. As it focuses mainly on storage, it’s the least full-featured option on this list, but it makes up for that in speed.
Over the years, Seafile has actually gained a reputation for being faster than ownCloud or Nextcloud. This is going to vary wildly based on your server and other factors, but if you frequently sync large files, it’s worth keeping in mind.
Like ownCloud, Seafile offers a free option and a paid option. With the paid option of Seafile, you’re mainly getting support. Clients are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Android, and iOS. All of them are free.
What Else Does Seafile Offer?
As mentioned above, Seafile focuses on storage alone, so you won’t find an office suite. What you do get is advanced file versioning and snapshots. You also get client-side end-to-end encryption if you want it, which is nice if you value privacy.
Seafile is already a long-running project, and it doesn’t seem that the developers intend to change this any time soon. As it is fully open source, the project should remain viable as long as there are developers to maintain it.
Which Is the Best Self-Hosted Dropbox Alternative?
All of these services offer compelling reasons to use them. Even so, Nextcloud should be the first option you consider. Not only does it offer the most features, but with free hosts available, you can easily try it out before you commit.
It can be difficult choosing the cloud storage company responsible for your data. While you can set up your own server to host one of the above services, it’s not for everyone.
That said, it’s nice to know that if something goes wrong, you can fix it if you have the knowledge. If you are interested, take a look at our list of the best web hosting companies.
If you’d rather stick with a big name but want to look at options other than Dropbox, that works too. Curious about your options? We’ve got a comparison that shows how Dropbox stacks up against Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive Dropbox vs. Google Drive vs. OneDrive: Which Cloud Storage Is Best for You? Dropbox vs. Google Drive vs. OneDrive: Which Cloud Storage Is Best for You? Have you changed the way you think about cloud storage? The popular options of Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive have been joined by others. We help you answer which cloud storage service should you use. Read More .
Explore more about: Cloud Storage, Dropbox, File Management.
I was wondering if any of this solutions is good for multiple users opening same file. I mean if one user opens a file and then another user wants to open the same file...it will deny second user to open the file or it will update the file with the modifications that both user made to the file? If anyone tested this, please help me with an answer. Thank you!!
Maybe you will find this useful!
Practical analysis ! I was enlightened by the details - Does someone know where my assistant might acquire a blank permit search form to fill out ?
Supports most hardware platforms in existence but is still at a very low version number. I'm going to play around with it and see if it worth anything. Seems to lack server-side encryption so that the server admin can't see what data and metadata is stored on his server. Perhaps this will be added in a later version, until then one can use TrueCrypt (not on Windows 8+).
Tonido FileCloud (http://www.getfilecloud) is another great choice for businesses. It is self-hosted and offers not only sync but also endpoint backup, mobile device management and others.
I would like to recommend a file sync service "Conduit" for Linux users (unfortunately there is no such service that I know of on windows :( ) as this is one of the best that is available to sync data across multiple services like Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, Box.net, Local Folders and custom services too. Check it our at https://wiki.gnome.org/action/show/Projects/Conduit?action=show&redirect=Conduit and screenshots at https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Conduit/Screenshots.
I've had good luck with ownCloud, I've been using version 5.x for almost a year on my own DO VPS (as suggested above). No problems. For those not interested in the technical work or maintenance of having your own VPS for ownCloud, there are services available to host an ownCloud instance for you (e.g., http://www.xcapsa.com - owncloud and email, encrypted, monthly fee).
Reasons I like owncloud, especially as compared to some of the other services referenced above: open source, open protocols (e.g., webDAV, CardDAV, CalDAV) and no reliance on a central/shared "coordination" server.
I think that is the beauty of GetIt Remote. You don't have to worry about storage limits any longer. You choose which folders you want shared from your local box or network and then boom, you can access them through the web or their iPhone/ipad app from anywhere in the world. So in essence you become a local cloud without any additional hardware. It's quite revolutionary in my mind's eye.
What about the Transporter (by Connected Data) which is your own hard drive that syncs to all devices and you can share files like dropbox. You connect it to a portable hard disk via USB and hard wire to your wifi.
Ownclouds is not that good. it has a major problem of deleting your files alone!
I have used OwnCloud on a debian server with a self generated cert and the IO performance was very slow.
I currently use Seafile which performs better.
One of the best Dropbox alternative for businesses is Vembu File Sharing which is designed from the ground up to serve the needs of businesses and comes with both Self-hosted and Cloud option. Businesses can choose their deployment option based on their requirement. It has a good blend of being simple and easy-to-use for users and at the same time provides the right level of control and visibility with security for the IT.
I believe you could use Tonido to send out acces links for separate files. Although at that moment you are opening your data to a third party.
If you look at the BitTorrent Sync user guide, page two (link below), it says that LAN sync is automatic. However, I'm not sure how that will work on a device with no Internet connection, as that's not really what these tools are designed for.
Is there a means to sync my files offline??
All of these tools provide offline capabilities. When you're offline, simply edit any files you want, and when you re-connect, the latest version will be synced.
This can cause problems if you are editing the same document from two locations, at the same time, whilst both are offline - but like I said, they will simply sync the version with the newest time stamp.
If you want to sync between two machine that will never be connected to the internet, then you can use BitTorrent Sync to sync data over your LAN. The two machines need to be on the same network for this to work though.
rsync has been around since 1996, so I don't see why these other overly-complicated systems are taking any market share.
I'm curious about using BitTorrent with a hosted folder on the web. I have an open source ticketing system, OSTicket, where I currently have clients sending us questions etc. One thing they can do is upload files that we need to receive. (for security, I only allow .pdf files).
I'd like a good way to "share" that hosted upload folder with the PCs on our network in the office so we can access those reports easier than logging in and downloading.
In theory, there's no reason why you can't do that., depending on what OS your server is using. However, if you're using shared hosting, and have no root SSH access, then you won't be able to do this - you would need to have full control over the OS on the server.
I was also searching a bit a while ago ..
Own Cloud is a massive resource hog. Setup, contrary to your article, is really not that hard at all IMO, but it's seriously inefficient at dealing with lots of files. e.g. upload 4.7Mb in a few hundred files ACCROSS A LAN, on a descent machine took 20mins! Ruled it out for me.
Going to try BitSync, though, thanks!
@Kev: Good article. It never occurred to me that I could do this; I didn't know the tools available. Thanks Kev.
Great article, I really love the cloud service, but Dropbox is my prefered choice for I don't have so much images. Maybe in the future I'll go for ownCloud.
I wasn't able to differentiate between Self-hosted and services like copy. It's clear to me now.
Instead of these..Cloud storage services like Copy, SkyDrive, MediaFire, Box are a great alternative to DropBox. And combined they offer a hell lot of space.
Then why should one add one of these?
It's just a doubt that popped in. A brief explanation would be great.
Maybe i am not able to differentiate .
The point of this article Arpit, is to look at alternatives to Dropbox that you can host yourself. So if you're worried about the privacy of your files when syncing then to Dropbox, you can control the whole process from end-to-end, so you know exactly what's happening to your data, and where it's going.
The services you mention above are not self-hosted service, so, although they're great alternatives to Dropbox (especially Copy where I actually have over 750GB of free storage from referrals), they're not applicable to the point of this article.
I wish there would be more articles like this one. Fascinating!
Thanks Yutao, I appreciate the kind words. But to be fair, there are a tonne of amazing articles, from some of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to work with here on MUO.
to Steve: I am using soundcloud.com. You have a big soundcloud-community and different options to share your files: on facebook, twitter, (etc.) AND via mail / link. It is very easy to keep (privit or public) or share files.
By "public" I mean a simple web address - not requiring people to type in passwords or install plugins or players. Kind of like a youtube playlist player for audio files.
I don't think you could do that with any of these systems Steve, as that's not what they're designed for.
What you could do with ownCloud, is create an account with a simple username and password, and give that out to the people you want to share it with.
Having a public music player brings with it all sorts of legal and licensing requirements, so I really wouldn't recommend doing this.
Which service would be best for public sharing of music files? (without making others sign up to listen)? I know its possible to use Jotform or EntourageBox to invite people to upload TO my DropBox. Just wondering about the best option to make mp3 or wavs public from there. Would OwnCloud work for that?
to Steve: I am using soundcloud.com. You have a big soundcloud-community and different options to share your files: on facebook, twitter, (etc.) AND via mail / link. It is very easy to keep (privat or public) or share files.
I don't see how OwnCloud and AeroFS are protecting your privacy. Granted you are not storing your content on their servers as in Dropbox but your content is still being synced through their service. So they could theoretically monitor and see any and all content you are syncing. The only true way to avoid this is to set up your own personal cloud device at home, connected to your network that you can store your content on. A simple example is the POGO plug devices. Not talking about the service you can buy from Pogo plug but just the device. A friend of mine has one and has external hard drives connected to it and then it is connected to his network. He has multiple folders set up so that his smartphone content is synced to his folder and his family members smartphone content is synced to their folders. You can set up permissions to multiple folders and it is all local. No go between at all. If you are truly concerned about privacy, this eliminates that concern altogether. Unless I am missing something with the other two services you mentioned.
With ownCloud and AeroFS, you data is not going through their service. ownCloud is seflf-hosted, so you manage the whole process, end-to-end. At no point does your data hit their servers, the only server is hits, is yours. ownCloud is also open source, so we know there is nothing funny going on behind the scenes.
With regards to AeroFS, that syncs in a very similar way as BitTorrent Sync, whilst you can manage folder permissions from their WebGUI, you cannot see the contents of these folders, that's because the data does not go through their servers - it's synced on a peer-to-peer basis.
Synology are amazing pieces of kit, I was strongly considering using Cloud Station instead of AeroFS, but the large cost of a Synology NAS would put a lot of people off I think.
I'm on Synology as well. Unless you are buying a business class, you can get the setups for a decent price. I think my 4TB ds412+ setup cost less than a Grand. Wouldn't suggest it unless you really want the many other features as well though.
A grand is a hell of a lot of money, especially when you consider someone could run up a hosted VPS, and install ownCloud for as little as $5 a month.
Even I wouldn't pay that kind of money for a NAS.
A grand?! A single disk entry level version gives you all the same functions, will be more in the sub $300 region.
Synology are great, they're so much more than a NAS, they're basically a mini server. However, $300 is still a lot more than what most people are willing to pay, especially when they can get Dropbox for a lot less. Nevermind all the awesome wasted features they would be missing out on with Synology.
What about koding .com ?
If BitTorrentSync would let me sync subfolders to different computers, I'd drop everything else and use it for everything.
Example: If I have my entire Documents folder synced between my 2 computers, I can't sync a folder that's within Documents with a colleague.
Have you tried using Directory junctions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_symbolic_link - with the /J flag)? I think that would work. Create a folder in your root called e.g. "MySharedSyncFolders", and inside simply create directory junctions to all the folders you would like to be able to share individually, and then add those folders to BitTorrentSync. Again, I do not know the service, so it might not work, but worth a shot.
BitTorrent Sync will let you sync any folder on your hard drive. So you should be able to sync sub-folders as well as top level folders. The screen shot in the article shows that I am syncing "Documents" from within my Google Drive Folder.
@Kev: the problem is when I am syncing the top level folder as well. When I try to add the subfolder, it tells me "This folder cannot be added to BitTorrent Sync. It is a part of a folder that is already syncing."
@Johny Woller: I didn't think of symlinks. I think I'll try it.
Ahhh ok, I'm following you now. So, for example, you have Documents and Documents/Pictures. So you're syncing Documents, and you want to Sync /Pictures separately so that it's accessible to others, without making the root Documents folder available. Do I have that right?
If that's the case, then, as Johny said, Sym Links should definitely work.
For me, the big pull of Dropbox is that a lot of friends and family use it, so it's easier to share folders and files. Do any of the above have a cross-platform kind of usage, where I can use these while others are using Dropbox, and still share files seamlessly?
Unfortunately there isn't an app that does this as such, but there is a workaround. What you could do is simply sync your Dropbox folder with any of these services.
Unlike Dropbox, all of these services allow you to sync any folder from your hard drive. So you could have a "go-between" folder that's synced into both Dropbox, and these services.
So wait, do you mean I can ask one of these services to sync my Dropbox folder on my hard drive directly with the service, so it's a service(web)-service(local)-dropbox(local)-dropbox(web) link?
Let's say I do that and my computer is shut down. If I upload a file on service(web), it won't get synced with my dropbox(web) till I switch on my computer, right?
It depends. For example, if you were using ownCloud, and you used the mobile app, your Dropbox folder and your ownCloud folder would be one and the same. So, if you added a file to your Dropbox folder using either app, it would be synced simultaneously to both ownCloud and Dropbox.
On the other hand, if you did the same thing, but substituted ownCloud for BitTorrent, then they would still both sync, as Dropbox and BitTorrent are again sharing the same folder. So the file you add would be synced to Dropbox, and and BT devices you have turned on. When you turn your machine back on, the file will obviously sync.
True, but why does ownCloud need a mobile layout, when it has a mobile app?
Wheres the Windows Phone app then?
With the market share of Windows Phone being so low, I suppose the developers decided that is wasn't worth their time to create a Windows Phone app.
You could always ask on the ownCloud forums to see if there is one in the pipeline.
Then i guess the DigitalOcean VPS offering is ideal for this kind of setup.
Definitely, I personally use DigitalOcean for my hosting. Excellent service. | 2019-04-18T22:42:27Z | https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-self-hosted-dropbox-alternatives-tested/ |
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Protestors in the movement have declared themselves wary of mainstream media coverage, preferring to communicate via alternative channels.
Other channels of communication established by the movement include a newspaper titled 20 mille luttes , and various Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The movement received broad public support, with polls showing that a majority of the French public held a favourable view towards it.
Franco-American philosopher and cultural commentator Gabriel Rockhill accused the Anglophone press of ignoring the movement, in effect imposing "a virtual blackout on what might well be one of the most significant stories of The French media analysis organization Acrimed likewise criticized French media coverage of the movement, suggesting that many journalists were only interested in covering the movement in order to discredit it.
During its first month, the movement received support from politicians on the left of the political spectrum, while being condemned by parties on the right.
Emmanuel Macron is a supporter of the law. He became the most vocal proponent of the economic overhaul of the country. On 10 May, facing opposition to the El Khomri law from a group of his own MPs, Prime Minister Valls announced that the government planned to force the bill through parliament without a vote, using Article From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
France and other countries. Occupations of public squares Public discussions. Retrieved 14 April Retrieved 12 May The New York Times.
Retrieved 1 May Le Huffington Post in French. Retrieved 15 September Le Monde in French. Retrieved 11 April Nuit Debout steps up its occupation protests across France".
Retrieved 10 April Retrieved 9 April Retrieved 3 May Retrieved 28 April Retrieved 8 April Le Figaro in French.
Retrieved 12 April Retrieved 17 April Retrieved 29 April Anti-austerity movement comes to Glasgow". Retrieved 11 May Retrieved 16 May Retrieved 18 May Nuit Debout in France and Beyond".
The riad is beautiful and breakfast on the terrace is a perfect start into the day. Everything is done in a way to make you feel at home.
Guido and Mickael gave a detailed explanation of the Marrakesh map and were always there to help with dinner recommendations.
Great breakfast on the roof was delightful. Hidden gem in the middle of it all. Lovely place and very accommodating owners, did all to make our stay as enjoyable as possible.
That we had to leave because our trip came to an end. We have been travelling for 20 years, but never met a place like Les Nuits de Marrakech.
Every single detail was perfect. U feel like going to a home of friends. What a place of heaven. If you want a beautiful Riad in Medina, in easy reach of all the main attractions and souks then this is the place for you.
Michael and Guido who own the Riad cannot do enough for you and spend time with you explaining how to get the most out of your stay.
The breakfast is lovely and just want you want to start the day. I will definitely go back and can highly recommend!!!
The Riad owner Guido was very friendly and accommodating, helping us not only with restaurant recommendations but also with day trips. The terrace on the roof is a calm oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the medina.
After a tiring day out and about in the bustle of Marrakech, it was sublime to retreat back to our lovely Riad. Please enter a valid email address.
This property might pay Booking. Airport shuttle available at an additional charge. You can request this in the next step. Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech Reserve now.
Guido was an amazing host, very friendly and helpful. A beautiful place, with wonderfully personal and thoughtful service.
Perfect location, extremely clean, wonderful staff, authentic decor, delicious breakfast Michael, United States of America.
Very good breakfast, beautiful rooms in the style of " nights". Our hosts Guido and Michael made our stay memorable. The riad is amazing..
The place to stay Rui, Portugal. The owners Guido and Mikeal were exceptional! The location, the staff and the charm of Riad Les Nuit are all fantastic.
Guido, one of two owners, made this place special. Views from the property. Previous image of the property Next image of the property.
Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech 9. We took the lazy option and organised dinner by the in-house chef - and were glad of Michael United States of America.
Sandy United States of America. David United States of America. Stay in the Heart of Marrakesh — Excellent location — show map. What would you like to know?
Availability We Price Match. When would you like to stay at Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech? Reservations longer than 30 nights are not possible.
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Thanks for your response. Limouna Suite 1 queen bed. Rosella Suite 1 queen bed. Zouina Suite 1 queen bed. Sabrina Suite 1 full bed. Just booked in Marrakesh 2 properties like Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech were just booked in the last 15 minutes.
Need more details before you book your stay? See availability Area Info — This neighborhood is a great choice for travelers interested in markets, street markets and shopping — Check location Excellent location — show map Guests loved walking around the neighborhood!
Closest Landmarks Souk of the Medina. Closest Airports Menara Airport. Most Popular Landmarks Saadian Tombs. Are you missing any information about this area?
French, Italian, Moroccan, Local Menu: Why book with us? Outdoors Outdoor furniture Sun deck Terrace. Pets Pets are not allowed.
Parking Public parking is available at a location nearby reservation is not needed and costs EUR 3 per day. Transportation Airport drop-off additional charge Airport pickup additional charge.
Any type of extra bed or crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management. Cards accepted at this property Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.
See availability The Fine Print. Value for money 9. High score for Marrakesh. What information would be helpful? Enter your feedback Submit.
One of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Marrakesh! Like this one but not totally sure yet? What guests loved the most: See all guest reviews for Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech.
Nothing, all good The owner Guido was exceptional and helped us understand the local area and to get the best out of our trip.
Stayed in January Lovely roof terrace and inner courtyard Stayed in January Everything was better than we aspected Hospitality of the owners Stayed in January Stayed in December Would definitely go back.
Nothing Stayed in December Stayed in November That we had to leave because our trip came to an end We have been travelling for 20 years, but never met a place like Les Nuits de Marrakech.
Stayed in October The Best of Marrakesh Click here to see more properties near popular landmarks in Marrakesh.
Attractions Palooza Land Park. Convention Centers Conference Palace. Train Stations Marrakesh Train Station.
Guido gave us the great tips to visit the city, they book for us the restaurants and the amazing hammam experience. The staff Ayoub and two Aziz are very friendly and helpful.
Stay here, you will not regret it. We received a very warm welcome from our hosts Guido and Michael, who were both the nicest people you could meet.
Not only did they look after us but recommended and booked restaurants for us to have dinner in. The breakfast is amazing and the atmosphere at the Riad exceeds expectations.
Nothing was too much bother for our hosts and we would whole heartedly recommend staying here to anyone.
Guido and Mickael are excellent hosts and gave us great tips on what to see in the city including restaurant and hamman recommendations and how not to get ripped off.
The service at the Riad was outstanding. Mickael and Guido and their lovely staff are wonderful hosts. The riad is beautiful and breakfast on the terrace is a perfect start into the day.
Everything is done in a way to make you feel at home. Guido and Mickael gave a detailed explanation of the Marrakesh map and were always there to help with dinner recommendations.
Michael and Guido who own the Riad cannot do enough for you and spend time with you explaining how to get the most out of your stay. The breakfast is lovely and just want you want to start the day.
I will definitely go back and can highly recommend!!! The Riad owner Guido was very friendly and accommodating, helping us not only with restaurant recommendations but also with day trips.
The terrace on the roof is a calm oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the medina. After a tiring day out and about in the bustle of Marrakech, it was sublime to retreat back to our lovely Riad.
You can request this in the next step. Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech Reserve now. Guido was an amazing host, very friendly and helpful.
A beautiful place, with wonderfully personal and thoughtful service. Perfect location, extremely clean, wonderful staff, authentic decor, delicious breakfast Michael, United States of America.
See availability The Fine Print. Value for money 9. High score for Marrakesh. What information would be helpful? Enter your feedback Submit. Show reviews by score: All review scores Awesome: Recommended Date newer to older Date older to newer Score higher to lower Score lower to higher.
Nothing, all good The owner Guido was exceptional and helped us understand the local area and to get the best out of our trip. Stayed in January Lovely roof terrace and inner courtyard Stayed in January Everything was better than we aspected Hospitality of the owners Stayed in January Stayed in December Rushton comments that these variations "add to the sense of the natural variety and freshness of spring".
Open your closed eyelids Touched by a virginal dream! I am the ghost of a rose That you wore yesterday at the ball. You took me, still pearly With silver tears, from the watering can, And in the starlit party, You carried me all evening.
O you who caused my death Without being able to chase it away Every night my rose-coloured spectre Will dance by your bedside.
But fear not, I claim neither Mass nor De Profundis. This light scent is my soul And I come from Paradise My destiny is enviable And to have a fate so beautiful More than one would have given his life; For on your breast I have my tomb, And on the alabaster on which I repose A poet with a kiss Wrote, "Here lies a rose Of which all kings will be jealous.
Ma belle amie est morte: Que mon sort est amer! My beautiful friend is dead, I shall weep always; Under the tomb she has taken My soul and my love.
To Heaven, without waiting for me, She has returned; The angel who took her Did not want to take me. How bitter is my fate! Without love to sail on the sea!
The white creature Lies in a coffin; How in nature Everything seems to me in mourning! The forgotten dove Weeps and dreams of the absent one.
My soul weeps and feels That it is deserted! Over me the vast night Spreads like a shroud. I sing my song That only Heaven hears: How beautiful she was And how I loved her!
I shall never love A woman as much as her Lamento" On the Lagoons: Lament , with its sombre harmonies and orchestration is imbued with melancholy; the undulating accompaniment suggests the movement of the waves.
The poem is the lament of a Venetian boatman at the loss of his beloved, and the pain of sailing out to sea unloved. Come back, come back, my beloved!
Like a flower far from the sun, The flower of my life is closed Far from your bright red smile! Between our hearts what a distance!
So much of space between our kisses! O great desires unappeased! Come back, come back, my beautiful beloved! Between here and there what fields, What towns and hamlets, What valleys and mountains, To tire the hoofs of the horses.
The rhetorical "Absence" pleads for the return of the beloved. Do you know the white tomb, Where there floats with a plaintive sound The shadow of a yew tree?
On the yew a pale dove Sitting sad and alone at sunset, Sings its song: An air morbidly tender At once charming and deadly, That hurts you And that one would like to hear for ever; An air like the sigh in Heaven Of a loving angel.
One might say that an awakened soul Weeps under the ground in unison With the song, And for the misfortune of being forgotten Complains, cooing Very softly.
On the wings of the music One feels slowly returning A memory. A shadow, an angelic form Passes in a shimmering ray In a white veil. The belle de nuit flowers, half closed, Cast their weak and sweet scent Around you, And the ghost in a gentle pose Murmurs, stretching its arms to you: Never again by the grave Will I go, when evening falls In a black cloak, To hear the pale dove Singing at the top of the yew Its plaintive song.
La voile enfle son aile, La brise va souffler.
Sign wimbledon finale live — opens a dialog box. Lamentwith its sombre harmonies and orchestration wahl übersetzung imbued with melancholy; zorro trader undulating accompaniment suggests the movement of the waves. The belle de nuit flugzeugabsturz kolumbien 2019, half closed, Cast their weak and sweet scent Around you, And the ghost in a gentle pose Murmurs, stretching its arms to you: One might say that an awakened soul Www.neuist.de under the ground in unison With the song, And for the misfortune of being forgotten Complains, cooing Very softly. La voile enfle son aile, La brise va souffler. From the moment I booked, I received a message on booking. Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily irland frankreich an amount prior to arrival. Nuit debout is a French social movement that began on 31 March www.neuist.de, arising out of casino garmisch-partenkirchen öffnungszeiten against proposed labor reforms known as the El Khomri lloret hotel casino royal or Loi travail. Value casino manila money 9. He became the most vocal proponent of the economic overhaul of the country. Previous image of netent casino bonus no deposit 2019 property Next image of the property. Guido gave us the great tips to visit the city, they book for us the restaurants and the amazing hammam experience. | 2019-04-20T10:25:35Z | https://inevaroli.eu/wwwneuistde.html |
Embedded systems have emerged as important elements in various domains with extensive applications in automotive, commercial, consumer, healthcare and transportation markets, as there is emphasis on intelligent devices. On the other hand, Business Intelligence (BI) has also been extensively used in a range of applications, especially in the agriculture domain which is the area of this research. The aim of this research is to create a framework for Embedded Weight Comparison Algorithm with Business Intelligence (EWCA-BI). The weight comparison algorithm will be embedded within the plantation management system and the weighbridge system. This algorithm will be used to estimate the weight at the site and will be compared with the actual weight at the plantation. The algorithm will be used to build the necessary alerts when there is a discrepancy in the weight, thus enabling better decision making. In the current practice, data are collected from various locations in various forms. It is a challenge to consolidate data to obtain timely and accurate information for effective decision making. Adding to this, the unstable network connection leads to difficulty in getting timely accurate information. To overcome the challenges embedding is done on a portable device that will have the embedded weight comparison algorithm to also assist in data capture and synchronize data at various locations overcoming the network short comings at collection points. The EWCA-BI will provide real-time information at any given point of time, thus enabling non-latent BI reports that will provide crucial information to enable efficient operational decision making. This research has a high potential in bringing embedded system into the agriculture industry. EWCA-BI will provide BI reports with accurate information with uncompromised data using an embedded system and provide alerts, therefore, enabling effective operation management decision-making at the site.
Embedded business intelligence, weight comparison algorithm, oil palm plantation, embedded systems.
This paper aims to project the construction of a prototype azimuthal thruster, mounted with materials of low cost and easy access, testing in a controlled environment to measure their performance, characteristics and feasibility of future projects. The construction of the simulation of dynamic positioning software, responsible for simulating a vessel and reposition it when necessary. Validation tests were performed in the form of partial or complete system. These tests validate the system manually or automatically. The system provides an interface to the user and simulates the conditions unfavorable positioning of a vessel, accurately calculates the azimuth angle, the direction of rotation of the helix and the time that this should be turned on so that the vessel back to position original. A serial communication connects the Simulation Dynamic Positioning System with Embedded System causing the usergenerated data to simulate the DP system arrives in the form of control signals to the motors of the propellant. This article addresses issues in the marine industry employees.
Azimuthal Thruster, Dynamic Positioning, Embedded System.
Design concepts of real-time embedded system can be realized initially by introducing novel design approaches. In this literature, model based design approach and in-the-loop testing were employed early in the conceptual and preliminary phase to formulate design requirements and perform quick real-time verification. The design and analysis methodology includes simulation analysis, model based testing, and in-the-loop testing. The design of conceptual driveby- wire, or DBW, algorithm for electronic control unit, or ECU, was presented to demonstrate the conceptual design process, analysis, and functionality evaluation. The concepts of DBW ECU function can be implemented in the vehicle system to improve electric vehicle, or EV, conversion drivability. However, within a new development process, conceptual ECU functions and parameters are needed to be evaluated. As a result, the testing system was employed to support conceptual DBW ECU functions evaluation. For the current setup, the system components were consisted of actual DBW ECU hardware, electric vehicle models, and control area network or CAN protocol. The vehicle models and CAN bus interface were both implemented as real-time applications where ECU and CAN protocol functionality were verified according to the design requirements. The proposed system could potentially benefit in performing rapid real-time analysis of design parameters for conceptual system or software algorithm development.
Drive-by-wire ECU, in-the-loop testing, modelbased design, real-time embedded system.
In new energy development, wind power has boomed. It is due to the proliferation of wind parks and their operation in supplying the national electric grid with low cost and clean resources. Hence, there is an increased need to establish a proactive maintenance for wind turbine machines based on remote control and monitoring. That is necessary with a real-time wireless connection in offshore or inaccessible locations while the wired method has many flaws. The objective of this strategy is to prolong wind turbine lifetime and to increase productivity. The hardware of a remote control and monitoring system for wind turbine parks is designed. It takes advantage of GPRS or Wi-Max wireless module to collect data measurements from different wind machine sensors through IP based multi-hop communication. Computer simulations with Proteus ISIS and OPNET software tools have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the studied system. Study findings show that the designed device is suitable for application in a wind park.
Embedded System, Monitoring, Wind Turbine, Faults Diagnosis, TCP/IP Protocol, Real Time, Web.
Autonomous robotic systems need an equipment like a human eye for their movement. In this study a 3D laser scanner has been designed and implemented for those autonomous robotic systems. In general 3D laser scanners are using 2 dimension laser range finders that are moving on one-axis (1D) to generate the model. In this study, the model has been obtained by a one-dimensional laser range finder that is moving in two –axis (2D) and because of this the laser scanner has been produced cheaper.
3D Laser Scanner, embedded systems.
Eyes are an essential and conspicuous organ of the human body. Human eyes are outward and inward portals of the body that allows to see the outside world and provides glimpses into ones inner thoughts and feelings. Inevitable blindness and visual impairments may results from eye-related disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means. The study emphasizes innovative tools that will serve as an aid to the blind and visually impaired (VI) individuals. The researchers fabricated a prototype that utilizes the Microsoft Kinect for Windows and Arduino microcontroller board. The prototype facilitates advanced gesture recognition, voice recognition, obstacle detection and indoor environment navigation. Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) performs image analysis, and gesture tracking to transform Kinect data to the desired output. A computer vision technology device provides greater accessibility for those with vision impairments.
Algorithms, Blind, Computer Vision, Embedded Systems, Image Analysis.
Tasks of an application program of an embedded system are managed by the scheduler of a real-time operating system (RTOS). Most RTOSs adopt just fixed priority scheduling, which is not optimal in all cases. Some applications require earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduling, which is an optimal scheduling algorithm. In order to develop an efficient real-time embedded system, the scheduling algorithm of the RTOS should be selectable. The paper presents a method to customize the scheduler using aspectoriented programming. We define aspects to replace the fixed priority scheduling mechanism of an OSEK OS with an EDF scheduling mechanism. By using the aspects, we can customize the scheduler without modifying the original source code. We have applied the aspects to an OSEK OS and get a customized operating system with EDF scheduling. The evaluation results show that the overhead of aspect-oriented programming is small enough.
Safer driver behavior promoting is the main goal of this paper. It is a fact that drivers behavior is relatively safer when being monitored. Thus, in this paper, we propose a monitoring system to report specific driving event as well as the potentially aggressive events for estimation of the driving performance. Our driving monitoring system is composed of two parts. The first part is the in-vehicle embedded system which is composed of a GPS receiver, a two-axis accelerometer, radar sensor, OBD interface, and GPRS modem. The design considerations that led to this architecture is described in this paper. The second part is a web server where an adaptive hierarchical fuzzy system is proposed to classify the driving performance based on the data that is sent by the in-vehicle embedded system and the data that is provided by the geographical information system (GIS). Our system is robust, inexpensive and small enough to fit inside a vehicle without distracting the driver.
Driving monitoring system, In-vehicle embedded system, Hierarchical fuzzy system.
An embedded system for SEU(single event upset) test needs to be designed to prevent system failure by high-energy particles during measuring SEU. SEU is a phenomenon in which the data is changed temporary in semiconductor device caused by high-energy particles. In this paper, we present an embedded system for SRAM(static random access memory) SEU test. SRAMs are on the DUT(device under test) and it is separated from control board which manages the DUT and measures the occurrence of SEU. It needs to have considerations for preventing system failure while managing the DUT and making an accurate measurement of SEUs. We measure the occurrence of SEUs from five different SRAMs at three different cyclotron beam energies 30, 35, and 40MeV. The number of SEUs of SRAMs ranges from 3.75 to 261.00 in average.
Compaction testing methods allow at-speed detecting of errors while possessing low cost of implementation. Owing to this distinctive feature, compaction methods have been widely used for built-in testing, as well as external testing. In the latter case, the bandwidth requirements to the automated test equipment employed are relaxed which reduces the overall cost of testing. Concurrent compaction testing methods use operational signals to detect misbehavior of the device under test and do not require input test stimuli. These methods have been employed for digital systems only. In the present work, we extend the use of compaction methods for concurrent testing of analog-to-digital converters. We estimate tolerance bounds for the result of compaction and evaluate the aliasing rate.
Traditional development of wireless sensor network mote is generally based on SoC1 platform. Such method of development faces three main drawbacks: lack of flexibility in terms of development due to low resource and rigid architecture of SoC; low capability of evolution and portability versus performance if specific micro-controller architecture features are used; and the rapid obsolescence of micro-controller comparing to the long lifetime of power plants or any industrial installations. To overcome these drawbacks, we have explored a new approach of development of wireless sensor network mote using a hybrid FPGA technology. The application of such approach is illustrated through the implementation of an innovative wireless sensor network protocol called OCARI.
A separation-kernel-based operating system (OS) has been designed for use in secure embedded systems by applying formal methods to the design of the separation-kernel part. The separation kernel is a small OS kernel that provides an abstract distributed environment on a single CPU. The design of the separation kernel was verified using two formal methods, the B method and the Spin model checker. A newly designed semi-formal method, the extended state transition method, was also applied. An OS comprising the separation-kernel part and additional OS services on top of the separation kernel was prototyped on the Intel IA-32 architecture. Developing and testing of a prototype embedded application, a point-of-sale application, on the prototype OS demonstrated that the proposed architecture and the use of formal methods to design its kernel part are effective for achieving a secure embedded system having a high-assurance separation kernel.
B method, embedded systems, extended state transition, formal methods, separation kernel, Spin.
One of the most growing areas in the embedded community is multimedia devices. Multimedia devices incorporate a number of complicated functions for their operation, like motion estimation. A multitude of different implementations have been proposed to reduce motion estimation complexity, such as spiral search. We have studied the implementations of spiral search and identified areas of improvement. We propose a modified spiral search algorithm, with lower computational complexity compared to the original spiral search. We have implemented our algorithm on an embedded ARM based architecture, with custom memory hierarchy. The resulting system yields energy consumption reduction up to 64% and performance increase up to 77%, with a small penalty of 2.3 dB, in average, of video quality compared with the original spiral search algorithm.
This paper presents a web based remote access microcontroller laboratory. Because of accelerated development in electronics and computer technologies, microcontroller-based devices and appliances are found in all aspects of our daily life. Before the implementation of remote access microcontroller laboratory an experiment set is developed by teaching staff for training microcontrollers. Requirement of technical teaching and industrial applications are considered when experiment set is designed. Students can make the experiments by connecting to the experiment set which is connected to the computer that set as the web server. The students can program the microcontroller, can control digital and analog inputs and can observe experiment. Laboratory experiment web page can be accessed via www.elab.aku.edu.tr address.
Embedded systems education, distance learning, internet-based control, remote microcontroller laboratory.
The research on two-wheeled inverted pendulum (TWIP) mobile robots or commonly known as balancing robots have gained momentum over the last decade in a number of robotic laboratories around the world. This paper describes the hardware design of such a robot. The objective of the design is to develop a TWIP mobile robot as well as MATLAB interfacing configuration to be used as flexible platform comprises of embedded unstable linear plant intended for research and teaching purposes. Issues such as selection of actuators and sensors, signal processing units, MATLAB Real Time Workshop coding, modeling and control scheme will be addressed and discussed. The system is then tested using a wellknown state feedback controller to verify its functionality.
Embedded System, Two-wheeled Inverted Pendulum Mobile Robot.
A packet analyzer is a tool for debugging sensor network systems and is convenient for developers. In this paper, we introduce a new packet analyzer based on an embedded system. The proposed packet analyzer is compatible with IEEE 802.15.4, which is suitable for the wireless communication standard for sensor networks, and is available for remote control by adopting a server-client scheme based on the Ethernet interface. To confirm the operations of the packet analyzer, we have developed two types of sensor nodes based on PIC4620 and ATmega128L microprocessors and tested the functions of the proposed packet analyzer by obtaining the packets from the sensor nodes.
Sensor network, embedded system, packet analyzer.
The importance of low power consumption is widely acknowledged due to the increasing use of portable devices, which require minimizing the consumption of energy. Energy dissipation is heavily dependent on the software used in the system. Applying design patterns in object-oriented designs is a common practice nowadays. In this paper we analyze six design patterns and explore the effect of them on energy consumption and performance.
Design Patterns, Embedded Systems, Energy Consumption, Performance Evaluation, Software Design and Development, Software Engineering.
The paper discusses complexity of component-based development (CBD) of embedded systems. Although CBD has its merits, it must be augmented with methods to control the complexities that arise due to resource constraints, timeliness, and run-time deployment of components in embedded system development. Software component specification, system-level testing, and run-time reliability measurement are some ways to control the complexity.
Components, embedded systems, complexity, softwaredevelopment, traffic controller system.
The paper presents a set of guidelines for analysis of industrial embedded distributed systems and introduces a mathematical model derived from these guidelines. In this study, the author examines a set of modern communication technologies that are or possibly can be used to build communication links between the subsystems of a distributed embedded system. An investigation of these guidelines results in a algorithm for analysis of specific use cases of target technologies. A goal of the paper acts as an important base for ongoing research on comparison of communication technologies. The author describes the principles of the model and presents results of the test calculations. Practical implementation of target technologies and empirical experiment data are based on a practical experience during the design and test of specific distributed systems in Latvian market.
Distributed embedded system, analytical model, communication technology. | 2019-04-24T16:43:33Z | http://waset.org/Publications?fields%5Bkeywords%5D=on&search=Search&q=embedded%20system |
Interested in buying over 100 units in two years’ time? Today’s guest did just that!
Collin Schwartz shares the amazing story of how he built an impressive portfolio on the foundation of direct mail and networking through meetups. You’ll learn how Collin utilized a clever twist on the BRRRR method to avoiding paying cash for properties (but still get back his down payment), how he uses balloon notes to do this, and how his highly targeted direct mail strategy led to it all being possible. Collin also shares how he runs meetups to find deals, what his criteria are for buying properties, and how he partners/leverages with others to make this incredible success possible over such a short period of time.
Collin also earns income managing properties—and even leverages that business to find deals too! If you want a solid game plan that will lead to impressive growth, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
This is the BiggerPockets podcast show 318.
Brandon: What is going on everyone? This is Brandon Turner, host of the BiggerPockets podcast. Here with my co-host, the man of the hour, the man of the year, David Greene. What is up, buddy?
David: Thank you, thank you, Brandon. I appreciate that. I am doing wonderful. I am actually looking to hire new intern for the David Greene team so I have been going over resumes and getting people to email me and then trying to systematize everything that we are doing. We have got someone who is running my rental portfolio. I am looking to step up my flip business and looking for an analyst to help with multifamily stuff. I am stepping up my game in 2019 and looking to bring people in to teach. How is things over there on your end?
Brandon: Not too bad. Speaking of hiring, I was thinking the other day, I was talking to some buddies of mine, we basically had this conversation about at the end of the day like one of the most important skills a person could have and all of like real estate or business or in anything really that you want to grow larger than yourself. Like knowing how to hire a good employee, like bringing good team members, like finding talent is the most important skill you can really have. Because at the end of the day, if you want to grow bigger than yourself, you have to find talent and talent is hard to find. Anyway, in that conversation one of the guys asked me and they are like, ‘Did you ever like read a book on hiring? I am like, no. I have read a million books on real estate but I have never read one on hiring. Why not?
Anyway, I just read one called ‘Who’ and it was pretty good about. Like here is a system for hiring. Weird like we have a problem and there is a bit just some guys got to figure it out, some guys got to figure it out. Anyway, I am big on hiring but actually it leads to today’s Quick Tip. I mentioned this last week, I will say it again this week. BiggerPockets is hiring for a couple of different roles in the marketing team. Last time I talked about retention, a person that is going to be working on pro retention which is like working with our pro members to deliver value.
We are also hiring a pro or BIggerPockets Plus Pro sales, marketing consultant person, whatever. I do not know if there is official role title yet for it. Anyway, go to BiggerPockets.com/jobs if you are in Denver or willing to move to Denver and you want to work very closely with the marketing team, including myself because I am the head of the BiggerPockets Pro Team. Anyway, if that is you, go to biggerpockets.com/jobs and do what it says.
David: Equal opportunity to work in what you love, right?
Brandon: Yes, very very cool and it is really fun. BiggerPockets is a cool place. Their office in Denver is amazing, like it is amazing. It is probably the coolest office I have ever seen anywhere ever. Other than that, let us hear from today’s show sponsor.
Here is the topic that comes up a lot when I talk with BiggerPockets members. Real estate Crowdfunding. Maybe you live in a crazy hot market and you want invest out of state or maybe you just liked the idea of investing passively and sharing the profits. If this is you, listen up because you will want to learn more about share states. Share states is a platform that connects everyday investors with carefully vetted real estate developers, residential, mixed use, commercial land, you name it. Sharestates offers a range of deals from new construction to fix and flips. It is a great way to diversify your portfolio. Returns are eight to 12% on average. To date, no Sharestates investors have lost their principal. You probably need $1 million to do this, right? No, you can get started with just a thousand bucks. What are you waiting for it? Check out Sharestates today at BiggerPockets.com/share states that is BiggerPockets.com/share states.
Brandon: Alright. Big thanks for our sponsors as always. Now, it is time to get to today’s show. Today’s show is a ton of fun. We are interviewing a guy named Collin Schwartz. Collin has an amazing story. I mean two years ago he was listening to the BiggerPockets podcast just like you are listening to right now, right? He went to learn stuff from the podcast and from others and started meeting people, networking, reading. Two years later now, he has over a hundred units and including he bought like six of like on his first DirectMail campaign. You are going to be blown away by his numbers, very very cool story.
He talks a lot about bad tax, all about what it takes to be really successful, how we ran out of money around the 20 unit mark and how he got through that. As well as a deal flow property management and like so much more. You all are going to love this stuff, just tons of gold in here. Take some notes, you are going to love it. Without further ado, let us get to today’s show with Collin Schwartz. Welcome to the BiggerPockets podcast. Collin, how are you doing?
Collin: Great. How are you, buddy?
Brandon: Man, I am doing good. This is going to be fun talking about your story, real estate, all that good stuff. Why do not we start at the beginning. How did you get into real estate?
Collin: Yes, just kind of some background on me. I am 34 years old, living in Omaha, Nebraska. Married, got two young kids. The moment that I knew I was going to be a real estate investor was kind of one of those pivotal moments and like lots of people, I picked up the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. This was January 1st, 2017. I remember exactly where I was. Last day of vacation, kind of dreading going back to my cubicle and I picked that book up and immediately I had this mind shift. I finished the book within two days and I knew that I had to start making a change. Otherwise, I was going to be that individual at 64 years old staring at his Vanguard account, praying that the market does not crash and that I can retire next year. It really hit me like a ton of bricks. My wife was pregnant with her second child so I knew my 10 days of vacation off a year. Was not going to cut it anymore.
Collin: Anyways, started educating, started reading pretty much as much as possible, Millionaire Real Estate Investor, all those types of books. When you start reading those kind of some of the big takeaways are to network to go out, meet people. I started doing that, started reaching out to numerous agents, these agents turned me out to BiggerPockets which then occupied my mornings. Every single morning with a professor Turner and Professor Dorkin on my drive to the gym.
Brandon: First and only time I think anyone referred to me as professor.
Brandon: I heard the other day, pro forma is Latin for lie.
Collin: That that might be a true. But anyways, I guess I did what any sane person does. I pulled a list from list source and I told my wife, ‘Hey, honey. This weekend we were going to handwrite 191 letters and stuff them and send them out to these owners.’ Yes, I did that. This was about a month later after reading those books and I am kind of one of those ready, fire, aim people where I was not possibly being patient enough but I was not getting the results from agents. Some of them would laugh at me, some of them are like yes, everybody is looking for a nice 10 cap property, 15 to 20% cash on cash returns. Anyways, sent those letters out and I was able to get six deals off of those letters.
Collin: Yes, yes. Really, that was one of the biggest catalyst for both confidence but yes, just to actually get me started in investing. That is kind of where my journey began. Since then, started a meet up group, a networking group. Actually, Mindy has been out to one of them as well when she was down for the Berkshire event, Mindy Jensen. Yes, that is kind of how it started.
Brandon: Alright. I want to dig in on the six deals. I mean I know people who have sent thousands of letters and not get a deal. I mean, I sent… A couple years ago, I was telling the story of how I built my daughter’s fourplex. I sent out 300 letters and got back like 40 phone calls, got one deal. 191 letters and six deals, what did you do right or what did you do wrong?
Collin: That is funny. I get that question a lot. What is in the letter? I would be happy to go over and tell everybody what it is. It is no real secret sauce. I found some properties in specific areas that I liked. They need to be located next to my work so that I could go service them on my lunch break, before work, after work. I was running errands over my lunch breaks, that was kind of what I had to do. But anyways, I identified the certain zip codes. I identified that the individuals had owned the property for more than five years. That would hopefully increase the likelihood of them wanting to sell and then I filtered down to multifamily. From there, I actually… What I wanted to do was I know a lot of people do sendoff letters, I know a lot of people send postcards. I know every single postcard I get, I throw in the trash.
Every piece of junk mail I get, I throw in the trash. I figured if I am actually handwriting, the sender’s address, I actually put my real home address on there. I figured I am kind of intersecting myself into these people’s lives and saying, ‘Hey, I know you. I want this, I want to buy it.’ Some people take a lot of offense to that which is okay but I know anybody that has done DirectMail has got kind of those hate calls, ‘Why are you sending me this?’ But I just put in kind of a sincere saying, ‘Hey, I am an investor. I am looking to purchase your property. I am not a real estate agent. I did not put anything about being able to buy in cash because that was not my intent. My intent was to go through bank financing and I think that really set the conversation up a little bit better than if I would have just done the typical postcard route.
Brandon: Yes. I feel like… I mean there is a lot of people who are just doing the, I do not know what you call it, like the shotgun approach. You just like blast out hundreds and hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of letters and that obviously works. We have had people on the show before who are doing that. Well, you took a much different approach. He said, ‘How can I send a smaller amount of letters and really just get these to agree. Like how do I really make myself a real person, stand out, appear different. A five years owned multifamily, you were looking at multifamily straight off the bat, right?
Collin: Straight off the bat. I think listening to your podcast and everything, I know lots of individuals would think more units, more risk. In my mindset, more units, less risk. You can have 10 units, one vacant versus the single family home route where if you have one vacant, you are basically paying the mortgage that month.
Brandon: Yes, okay. That makes sense. Alright, sent these letters, what kind of multifamily were they? Single, duplexes, triplexes, or larger?
Collin: They were primarily duplexes, fourplexes. I was able to get a sevenplex out of it. But yes, basically anything that I could see that had value add opportunity, rents way too low and that I knew that I could go in and maybe make some changes and increase those rents.
Brandon: Wow, that is awesome. Okay. A lot of people ask this question, well, what if I make multiple offers and get more than one deal accepted? Now, I am screwed because now I got two good options, right? You had six options out of that first deal, how did you put that together?
Collin: Ready, fire, aim, I guess. I ended up meeting a gentleman through networking. He had owned and managed 50 units. I started talking with him. He really helped guide me through the process and said, hey, if you find these things and their deals, we are going to figure them out. Yes, I did have… The process to get those six deals probably took five months or so, back and forth with some of them. But three of them were immediately. I just realized that they were good opportunities and I guess my mind was fully into this, that this is what I wanted to do, that that is what I had to do. But yes, he really helped guide me through. I could call him, I probably sent him, I do not know, 5,000 text messages in the first two months asking every single question about being a landlord, the type of lease to use, what do you think of these people? What do you think of this contractors, all those recommendations. But yes, I guess it, it never really occurred to me.
I mean I definitely got overwhelmed and probably still do as I am constantly getting properties under contract. Always wonder how am I going to make this one work especially when you are closing on one. But what I have realized, if the property really is a deal, that there is usually a way to figure it out. Of those six deals, I actually did wholesale one and flip another. That was able to bring in some additional income to kind of offset what might’ve been the additional responsibilities for me because I was, and still am, managing the properties.
Brandon: Okay. Yes, that makes sense. Alright, let us talk about financing these properties and I know we will move on to that to your portfolio but it is just a cool story, these first six. When you got that, did you just go run to a bank right away when they started coming in and you started getting these deals accepted it or how did you work financing?
Collin: The first deal did not close until about May, going through due diligence back and forth and everything. One of the first things I did after the education was realized what the finances, what is my finances? What is my gunpowder, what can I actually do? I reached out to four different banks, two of them being local, one of which I banked with and one just kind of big name bank. I wanted to get the gambit of what I can actually do. Now, I actually had the pre-approvals, I was ready to go with those. Yes, that that was kind of… It was a lot of preparation on the front end because I think, I could not go and buy a $5 million property at that time, there is no finances for that. I wanted to know actually what I could buy with the bank’s risk tolerance was, what would they would think of a person who is never invested in real estate before, whose family does not invest in real estate, who sits in a cubicle and doing IT work, what they were comfortable giving me and what types of terms.
Brandon: Okay. I think that is smart. You know there is that famous quote from I think it was Abe Lincoln though. Everything is subscribed to a blink of an internet, right? But like it basically it says if I had six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four sharpening my ax, right? It is about preparation, right? I think that is so key. It is like getting prepared before you get into real estate. Like getting the pre-approval lined up, getting your financing kind of figured out, getting the education front loaded. But on the other side of that equation is people who just prepare all day long and they spend nine hours sharpening an ax and then realize the tree is still standing. Like how do you balance between the two and what would you tell a newbie listening to the about getting prepared versus being too prepared?
Collin: You know what is funny is I am sitting down and I have been doing scrambling over taxes and a meeting with my bookkeeper and everything and looking back I probably would have changed a hundred different things. Just setting up of everything. You do not realize what scale you are going to go to, you do not realize any of that. But what I can say is that if you put yourself out there and you actually do go through the deal and you have the mindset that you want to do this, you will be able to figure it out. You are just going to have to continue to reach out to people but putting yourself in those uncomfortable positions, you will typically be able to find your way out. Now, you are going to make mistakes.
Obviously, you could prepare for two years but if I had sat there and I mean I think about it, it is about two years since I started, if I had prepared this whole time and got everything perfect by structures, everything like that, I might have lost the desire to do it and might not have done it. I really think you have to go ahead, you have to do it. It is okay to prepare but instead of going out talking to the attorney, getting your LLC, setting up your software, making sure that you have all these different every single piece in place, it is really important just to get out there and have some fundamentals and be willing to put the extra effort in.
David: Well, that is how growth happens. We always, I would not say we always, but oftentimes we want everything to be all our ducks lined up in a row before we take the first step. But the reality is things are built in phases. It is kind of messy the way it goes. You often will not know who your contractor is going to be until you have got a couple of deals to look at. You have to go through bids and then the contractor you first used will not be the guy you ended up with. It is not until you do a couple of deals then you get credibility and you start a meet up and now you meet people at the meet up to have better contractors and the whole thing builds that way. You send out some mailers, you got some houses under contract, and you started this meet up. Can you tell us, Collin, where you are you at right now? How many units do you own?
Collin: I have a 110 units.
David: Okay. That is a lot. In two years, how many properties is that spread out over?
Collin: Yes, in two years. It is about 20 properties. I do not own them all myself. Typically, it is a 50/50 partnership. About I think 14, I just closed on two duplexes on Friday, 14 of the units I own solely, but the rest of them are in partnerships, 50/50 partnerships.
David: Now, this is an odd question but are you happy with owning 110 units or do you feel like you would have done it differently if you could go back and do it again?
David: Yes, maybe better performing units or different kinds of units. Like are you happy with having a whole lot of houses or do you feel like that was an inefficient way to do it? Just for the people who are like, wow, I want to go do that, do you think that is the best way to do it?
Collin: For me, it was. The reason being is I really wanted to get out of my job. My job was not terrible by any means. It was a good job, everybody would look on it. It paid well, it was a good job. But for me to get out, I needed to supplement my income and the way in which I have done that is become the property manager for these properties, take a property management fee in which I partner with. That is allowed my income to grow to that level. To say I would have done it differently, I really do not think so. I think I am pretty happy with how I have done it.
David: What about how did you start finding properties after the DirectMail campaign? Has it been word of mouth through the networking stuff you talked about?
Collin: It absolutely has. The next property, one of my partners he actually brought it to me. It was an 11 unit. Another partner brought me a 24 unit which we partnered on. Really, I have had lots of wholesalers reach out to me. It is kind of that exponential curve where at first you are literally grinding, grinding, grinding, and you do not think you are going to get any deals. Nobody is giving you the time of day, you really have no credibility. Once you start doing those deals, the deals do find you.
Collin: Yes. The partnership is really just a 50/50 structure. We share in all the cashflow, everything, it is very much equal partnerships. I do the management yet we are both responsible for overseeing the property, getting the property too close, whether setting up insurance, whether we are meeting with vendors, whether we are just challenging each other to look at the property. My partners, we talk all the time and like well why is this expense this? Or maybe we should change our snow removal company, maybe we should use this lawn care company, maybe we should institute this RUBS program. Really, it is a partnership. The individuals I am partnered with, they are working a full time job, at least two of them are, but they are very much a 100% vested and invested and wanting to real estate investors full time.
David: Can you define RUBS for us?
David: It is like using an algorithm to figure out who pays how much as opposed to putting in a meter where you just get a number basically.
Collin: Exactly, exactly. It is usually done in a arrears so you spend $2,000 a month on water, gas, sewer. The next month you bill back the 20 units a 100 bucks each.
Collin: That is also a really good way for individuals. If they are underwriting properties and they are like, well, I cannot increase the rents, everything is kind of stagnant. Look at what the landlord is paying for. If the landlord is paying, and lots of these older landlords are just paying for water, gas, and sewer just because that is the way they have always done it, they do not know these systems exist but that that can significantly increase your income. That can be the value add right there.
Brandon: Yes. Typically, when I look at a rental property there, there are actually very few things you can control. I mean like you cannot really control the taxes, they are what they are, I mean before you buy it of course. But once you buy it, there is not a lot you can do except for utilities. Like they are often the largest lever and vacancy. If you could fix those two things, typically, I mean you are not going to jack the rent up 500 a month and hope that people will pay it. They just will not, it is market dependent. But yes, utilities can be a great way. But you cannot always RUBS, right, and shift the payment? First of all, what area are you buying in? You probably said that earlier, but if not, what area are you buying in and then like have you always been able to do that?
Collin: Typically, the units that I buy, the meters are already split out but for example, this one, one of our most recent purchases, the 24 unit. That was really where the value add came. We were able to increase their rents 5% or 6% or 7% but to be able to reduce our expenses by $1,500 a month and bill those back to the tenants, that was huge. We actually used a company and what they do is they will send off the invoices and people can just mail in their checks or pay online.
Brandon: That is cool. Do you know what they are called at the top of your head?
Brandon: Okay. We will give them a shout out. That is cool. Alright, so that is awesome. Again, yes, great way to increase your income by reducing expenses that way.
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Brandon: I want to go back real quick to the partnership thing. I am curious, are you guys each equally putting in like both partners with the money or they just doing the money and you are doing other parts or how do you break that out?
Collin: I guess that varies on the front end. Not necessarily that there has been some deals where I have shown up with $0 but we do a promissory note and I pay that money back or at the refinance.
Collin: Or, I mean, but typically the amount of equity invested is equal. There are some instances that really helped me because I basically ran out of money at maybe the 15 or 20 unit mark.
Collin: Capital goes really quick in this business. I would find these additional off market properties and I would add acquisition fees. At closing, if I am acting as I do not want to say the realtor, but if I am acting as the agent between myself, my partner and the seller, that I would throw in a 2% or 3% acquisition fee and that would help me finance the properties as well.
Brandon: That is correct, that is cool. I mean I hear that with indicators from time… I mean all the time, right? If you will syndicate a 200 unit apartment complex, there is a 1% to 2% to 3% fee on there almost always. I mean I do not think I have ever seen a deal that did not have that, right? Why not if that is what you work with your partner and that is part of your value you are bringing to the table, why not do it? I think that is an awesome idea.
Collin: Yes. It would almost be similar to what I did recently rather than wholesaling the property, the individual one to get in, we partnered on it. But at closing, I still took a $5,000 assignment fee for that, for running the deal, working with it for six to seven months, kind of putting all the pieces together, working with the banks and all that.
Brandon: Cool. How do you find your partners?
Collin: It is really networking and we have to build. Partners, it is definitely a lot like a relationship. You want to make sure that you guys are on the same wavelengths, but that you also bring strengths to each other. Typically, I mean just sharing things in common. One of whom I met actually through BiggerPockets. We were competing, we kept competing on deals together, we kept showing up at showings together and we kept competing and we had talked for probably a year before that and we are just like how about we just think about partnering and sit down and really figure this out. Yes, that is kind of just networking.
Brandon: That is actually fascinating. The idea of like find your biggest competitor like in your area. Find somebody who is just doing a really good job and partner with them because two people should be able to, if they are both good, two people should be able to do the work of 10 if there was not.
Collin: Yes. I could just tell, for instance, he was just a hustler. He was out there. I mean, we were on phone conversations. I mean we would spend hours on the phone just talking about real estate and we just kept showing up at these deals together, we kept talking about these other deals and finally we were just like what are we doing here? He is working his full time job, I am doing the management, we both got along really well. We both had some opposing but very good strengths and very open with each other. We were like let us just partner on one of these and see how it goes and yes, it has been great.
David: It is funny you say that because I am in a very similar situation with another realtor, a good friend of mine. He sells an insane amount of houses. He is really really good at being a realtor. He has incredible systems in place, pretty much all the things that me as a guy two years in is trying to build, right? Eventually, I will get that foundation laid and like any skyscraper, when there is a foundation laid, you shoot up really fast, right? But he does not want to shoot up, he does not want to have to like throw gas on the fire and recruit new agents and train people and get new leads coming in. He just works his old referral business that he has had and he is got this really good system in place that he does not want to go faster. I want to go faster but I do not have a system in place that can support that speed. Like my car would fall apart on the track. We are talking about the exact same thing.
It is so funny you say that, rather than seeing him as competition, we are fighting over the same listings. It is if we put this together and build this super team, it gives every other realtor a place to go where they are going to get better training and systems and they can succeed better and you have turned an enemy into a friend. I am sure there is some Chinese proverb that says that really cool but I am not funny right now but that is what you want to do. One of the things that he likes about me, and this is a good segue, is that I host these meetups in the bay area where I teach people how to invest in real estate. It is all free, I get quite a big following, probably like 120 people that come.
I am starting to do one a week in different locations throughout the bay. These meetups are growing really quickly and it gives people a chance to meet me. It gives me a chance to get to know people. It is good for business and it is good for them. I know you are doing the same thing, can you tell us for the people who are listening that either want to go to a meetup or maybe want to start a meetup, what is some things they should know about how to do it and how has that positively impacted your investing business?
Collin: Yes, when people think of meetups, I think this also goes to how people can hesitate to start because they think they need to have all the pieces in place. How I started the meetup is I was on this Facebook Group and I saw people kept talking about real estate investing. Well, at the time I was rehabbing a fourplex so I just posted on the group, ‘Guys, I am going to be at this fourplex Thursday night, want to bring a six pack and come check it out?’ Twelve people showed up, it was a good turnout. From there, we did it at a buddy’s house who just rehabbed the house. From there, it really does not have to be a super formal thing, just showing, just providing some value and I do not know, having something interesting really really helps.
From there, we actually started doing it at a bar. We do have meetups in town. They are more of the High School Gymnasium PowerPoint type meetups. I wanted a place where I could go out on a Wednesday night and go have a beer and talk real estate with a bunch of guys, bunch of guys and gals. Yes, I really designed it kind of around what I wanted and it turned out that a lot of other people wanted that as well.
Brandon: That is cool. I am a huge proponent of everyone who listens to the show notes of these meetups, right? We do them out here in Maui, I did one in Washington, David has got his almost every week now, right? Like getting… Sometimes, it can be a professional PowerPoint type of thing if that is the purpose of the meetup and sometimes like it is just get together for drinks on the beach or whatever. Like I mean it is getting together networking. Like if you want to get in shape, if you want to be fit, go hang around with a bunch of really in shape fit people and you will just naturally become more like them.
If you want to be a good real estate investor, get a round a bunch of really good real estate investors or others who are passionate about it and you are naturally going to find yourself climbing there as well. Of course, we have a place, everyone listen to this, if you have not checked it out yet, biggerpockets.com/events. You can actually create an event and host. Find a bar in your area, a beach or a park or a restaurant or whatever. Go to Red Robin, gets some good burgers and just like, ‘Hey, I am going to be here at this time,’ or go to one of your properties like you did. That is cool. I love when meetups do that, meet at properties, because you get to talk to people and it is a good way to potentially find partners, to find lenders, to find people to work with the share contract information. There is so much good about meetups. Yes, go to BiggerPockets.com/events. Look there, if there is an event in your area, go to it. If there is not an event in your area or it is lame, start your own. Like be the hub.
Collin: Yes. A couple of things I did not touch on, the other meetups in town do charge. I did not want to start one and charge. It was just I just wanted to network with other people and what I found is that people want to just start speaking at these meetups whether it is promoting their business or just giving back, being that center person. They had put a presentation together, they were working on their business, say come and present for half hour, 45 minutes. That really helped the following as well. As far as structure, it is typically an hour of networking, no more than an hour of presentation and slash questions and then networking for the rest of the night. We have email groups and we post on BiggerPockets and all that. But yes, it has been a lot of word of mouth.
Also, I was able to find a buddy who was part owner of a bar so I was able to use their space rather than paying the $250 to $500 bucks. I said, hey, I am going to bring these many people. Sure enough, I did and it became one of their biggest, largest nights that they would have, just from the group. They were happy to accommodate us so that we did not have to pay them anything so that we could still keep the event for free.
David: I know you have got a lot of deals out of your meetup, right, Collin? Can you give us some idea of what do you look for in a deal? What is your quick analysis that makes you say, hey, this is something I might want to look into?
Collin: Yes, the location of the property is paramount. Do not invest in D areas, higher crime, higher issue areas. Specifically, I am looking in B, B-, C+ areas. Typically more on the B areas and I am looking for properties that are probably more in C the sea level as far as condition that I know that I can bring up. Also, I want them to be, they do not have to be, but typically this is where you find the good deal grossly mismanaged, rents way below. I like to see that I am going to be able to at least hopefully BRRRR out of the property, buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat. Basically, go through that process to pull my cash back out and that it is still going to cash flow after that I do refinance it.
David: Now, you do the BRRRR method with money though, you do not use cash. You go in with financing, you buy it with a down payment and then you refinance after, is that correct?
David: Tell us how you are able to add enough value through a property that used financing to get your cash back out?
Collin: Yes, one of them was super interesting that we just did. It was a fourplex. Trying to think, we purchased it about seven months ago. It was rents were 50% under what they should have been. I went in when we purchased the property, as I said we did use bank financing, we went in and increased the rents. Everybody left, nobody was going to pay the new rents. They had been there for 20 years and were paying half the amount. Super popular area of town. We went in, we did a little bit of repairs, we made the unit is a bit nicer, updated some electrical, some ACs. Got new residents in nearly immediately and were able to pull all of our money back out and in about three and a half months.
Collin: That is typically what I am doing is using the bank financing though.
David: Are these loans that you are using like typical Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac? I mean if we are doing it in three months, you are probably not getting typical financing or these portfolio lenders?
Collin: These are local gift portfolio commercial lenders. They typically balloon after five years, the total amounts due or you get a re-price and that they are amortized over 20 years. Typically, rates are higher than residential Fannie Freddie, but the speed and the agility and the flexibility of them, it has really allowed me to do a lot of things, like an effective faction.
David: Any tips for finding lenders like that?
Collin: Well, first off, I mean reach out to your network. See if anybody has any recommendations. I really liked the local banks but I think I have talked to probably seven or eight banks total. I think it really is make sure that you are comfortable with them. Also, knowing if somebody else has done business with those individuals. Some bankers will tell you, promise you the world and then kind of in the final hour, the 11th hour they will say, oh sorry, we cannot get this done for you. Your debt to incomes a little out of whack. I think, I mean, just as like finding a partner or anything, it is just really building trust. It is building trust with those individuals.
Brandon: Does it worry you at all? Like having the shorter, the balloon payments? Like if you got to pay this thing off in five years, does that worry you and what do you do to hedge your risk against that?
Collin: Yes, of course it does. I would say it worried me a bit more at first. Most importantly, I try to factor in an additional buffer of both the value add even after I refinanced but also the ability to have rents decreased as well. That I am kind of in that middle range. I am not high end A class, I am not in the D level. I am kind of in that comfortable area where you can get people that may have to move down from A class to move into this property. There is some obviously inherent risk but I try to have enough value into the properties and plus I am not spending the cash flow typically.
I am saving the cashflow whether it is to reinvest and then these properties are continuing to rent and bring in more rental income. Obviously there is a lot of leverage but I always keep a large Cap X on hand for each property just in case a roof goes or when a roof goes, when a furnace goes. But yes, there is obviously some inherent risk and we have kind of at that level in the cycle where everybody is kind of tiptoeing and waiting for when it is going to fall. But for me, if I did not do this, I was going to be doing the same thing for the next 30 years. The risk is there but it is not as bad as sitting behind the desk for the next 30 years, wishing I had done something.
Brandon: Yes. People often will look at real estate investors and say, ‘Is not that risky?’ We look at people with jobs, is not that risky?
Collin: It is like every one of my co-workers I think are like that is so risky. You are jumping in and honestly, I mean the amount of income streams from these properties and everything is just… You see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Brandon: Yes, that is fantastic. I really really really enjoy that story. I love that you started with Rich Dad, Poor Dad like a lot of us do and jumped in and started listening to the podcast. Just did what other people are doing. Hey, DirectMail seems to work. I am going to do that. I am going to try and do it the best I can. Got a bunch of properties built up the system and then you just figure things out on the way. I mean, it is just like the perfect story. Where do you see yourself headed down the future?
Collin: That is kind of a good question. If I look back two years, I would never guess that I would be talking to you guys or have 110 units. That is just not… It is really cool and I think we sometimes underestimate what we can do. What do they say? You underestimate what you can do in five years, overestimate what you can do in a year. But looking to still acquire more but really build up a solid property management company for my portfolio and for my partners. I want to have the best customer service at the level that I do. I want to have the best properties for the best value. I think, especially when you are buying some of these properties from the old landlords, they see cash come in every month, they put it in their pocket and that is kind of it. It is finding a tenant and forgetting about it.
For me, I really want this to be a successful business and a reflection of kind of my 12 years working in different industries and coming to this point. Yes, it is really just building the portfolio, continuing to grow, having it be more systematized. I have hired a few people this year such as a bookkeeper, accountant, she is awesome. Obviously, you probably know better than I do, but paperwork gets awful. That was the first thing I needed to get off my list. But yes, just continuing to build and really getting things systematized and feeling better about all of it.
Brandon: It is fantastic. Yes, I mean that there is like different phases in people’s investing, right? At the beginning, you are just like acquire what you can, build your portfolio, gets some stuff, quit your job, and then it is like okay now I have got to manage all this. My wife and I went through the same thing. Now, we got to systematize this. Let us hire some people, let us make this a well-run business. The cool thing about property management, you know that you are managing these properties and you said you want to be the best customer service, the bar is really low. Like it is really low, right? It is like a contractor that if you answer your phone, you are in the top 10%. Likewise with a property manager, if you answer your phone with a smile, you are in the top 10%. Instead of like what do you want?
Brandon: The bar is low.
David: That is like Quick Tip. Look for something in life to be good at where the bar is super low. I love that because it is. I mean I think that is why I have done so good as a realtor to be honest with the first two years. But that is it man, I am like the cleanest shirt in the dirty laundry. It is not hard to be really good. But to Brandon’s point about how like you start off one way and it becomes something else, that is true for all business, right? We really see it in real estate investing and I think that investors get discouraged because they think like how could I ever do what that guy is doing? But if you are just thinking about a human body, how it starts as like an embryo and then it slowly becomes more complex until it becomes a fully developed human being that then continues to grow and get bigger, that is how businesses are. It starts with one cell that is doing everything and its very first split into two cells would be like your first partnership, you hire out some stuff and then each of those cell splits into two more.
With every one of those splits, each cell becomes more specified and defined and highly trained in one little area and eventually it splits off into so many pieces that you are only doing that part that you really like and enjoy doing and that is where you get a guy like Collin who is like happy about real estate investing and they are not frustrated and worked up. Brandon, like you said, we have had to really systematize and make it a business. Well, you kind of turned into a human being as opposed to just one big messy thing in the beginning. Be encouraged, it will start off like rough but with every step of growth, right, you get out of a little more of the stuff you dislike and you get better at the stuff you do and eventually you get this really cool complex machine and it all works together and you are in Hawaii, like Brandon, hanging out and getting a tan and showing off your blue eyes that everybody likes about you.
Brandon: I do not tan.
David: Then you become a snow angel like Collin.
Collin: Looking to get to Hawaii. You bring us a good point but definitely, and maybe all smiles about it, but it is a ton of sacrifice and really fun. I think what you said, finding where the bar is low because that is where nobody wants to go. Nobody wants to be a property manager. Everybody here, I want to invest passively. They think of real estate as an event, not a process. They are going to buy 10 properties, it is going to cash flow $250 bucks a month, they are going to have $250 but there is a lot of processes to it. Kind of what you said, the whole analogy with the embryo and cells of it is ever evolving, it does not stop. That is really good point.
Brandon: Cool. Hey, let us shift gears and dive a little deeper into your life with the Deal Deep Dive. Alright, you guys hear me talk about SimpliSafe a lot but do not take it just from me. Investors are singing their praises in the BiggerPockets forums. Jim, a contractor from Pittsburgh, says he secures his vacant properties using SimpliSafe. He likes how he can set it up at one property then easily take it down and move it to the next and for 24/7 professional monitoring, you pay just $15 bucks a month. Try SimpliSafe today. It feels good to fear less about your property. Plus, there is a 60 day risk free trial and free shipping free returns if you are not 100% satisfied. You got nothing to lose. Visit SimpliSafe.com/pockets today so they know that we sent you. That is SimpliSafe.com/pockets. Save today.
Alright, let us get into the deal deep dive. This is the part of the show where we dive deep into one particular deal that you have done. Let us do that today. Number one, we will do that with David. Alright, number one, what kind of property are we talking about today?
Collin: I am going to continue with the Ds, duplex.
Brandon: I like it, man.
Collin: Alright. David, how did you find it?
Brandon: David, you just ruined a perfectly good opportunity. How did you discover it?
Brandon: This is really good. How many dollars was it?
David: How did you drive the seller to give it to you?
Collin: This was about six or seven back and forth phone calls. This was an owner occupied duplex. The guy owned it for 20 years. Basically, he said he was not in a hurry but he was going to sell it to me at a good price. I kept calling him every weekend when I said I would. Went and met him at his doorstep and yes, we signed a contract right then.
Brandon: Okay, that is awesome. Alright, now this is going off the rails. How did you develop funding?
Collin: I have got nothing. This is a bank finance deal, 20% down.
David: Was that your deposit?
Collin: Yes, the $20,000 was the deposit going to the duplex.
Brandon: That was your down payment.
David: Even better. Good job, Brandon. That is why you are the host and I am the co-host. What did you do with it?
Collin: Basically, I had to turn all the units. One of the tenants, the owner who occupied it left right away. The other side was trashed, people have lived there for 20 years. They are paying $500 a month in rent for four bed, one bath. Went in, rehab that, put about $20,000 total throughout the process. This is also a real Quick Tip. When somebody shows up that wants to move into your properties, has cash and is ready to move in that day, run because those were the first tenants I took. About six months later, I think, thankfully I signed a six month lease and numerous cop calls, drug overdoses, they were out of there. I was about to sell that property for $140,000 and just be done with real estate investing. Anyways, I kept with it. I have got great residents in there and actually just refinanced it and then appraised at $205,000. I was able to pull out $66,000.
Brandon: That is a nice deal there. Alright, David wants me to ask you what was the disposition but we already know that now. I am just going to end it with David, I am stealing yours David, what lesson did you discover from this deal?
Brandon: We are never doing this again.
Collin: That is terrible. Do not give up. I guess you can make a lot of mistakes in real estate, but do not give up. If I would have given up, that could have been the end. I could have just thrown it all, thrown in my bag of keys and just quit. But just keep working towards it and learn from your mistakes. I make mistakes every single day, every single day, and sometimes I make ten mistakes, ask My wife. I would probably make more than that but really just stick with it and there is a silver lining but it is just not easy. It does take work but you can also make some mistakes in real estate and I have found and I think you say this, Brandon, that real estate is forgiving.
Collin: As long as you buy, right?
Brandon: As long as you buy right. But even if you do not… Like I bought bad deals but they end up over time, if you hold them long enough, they ended up okay. It is forgiven. I mean I am not saying go buy bad deals but it is forgiving. The whole thing is long enough, you are going to be probably okay over time. Well, that was definitely a delight Deal Deep Dive. Alright, well, that was the Deal Deep Dive of the day, David. A question for you though before we move on, how is tax season going for you buddy?
Brandon: Look, tax season is here. We got to do it. My least favorite time of the entire year is tax season. I just absolutely just despise it. There was a huge tax reform this past year and there is a lot of changes, a lot of good changes especially for real estate investors. The question is are you, David, getting all your deductions you should? Are you optimizing for the new tax laws? Are you doing it? Well, listen here, David. Right now, I am looking at the ultimate rental property tax guide from our sponsor Stessa and I know that they are a sponsor on the show but like I legitimately think this guide is amazing. This might be the coolest thing I have seen in a long time about like taxes. It is like here is how you can deduct travel expenses and here is how to pick the right entities. Should you have an LLC?
Here is what capital improvements are versus repairs and here is how depreciation can help you. I know those are big words, but listen guys, understanding what those concepts are can make you millions of dollars or save you millions of dollars over your career, right? Get this guide, it is totally free. Besides the fact that Stessa is just a really, really awesome tool that you can track, manage, communicate your performance of your real estate investments. It is going to save you a bunch of time, all that cool stuff, right? But just go get the tax guide right now. Go over to stessa.com/biggerreturns. Again, stessa.com/biggerreturns. Stessa.com/biggerreturns and check out this amazing ultimate rental property tax guide. You are going to do it, David? Did I convinced you?
David: Oh, why would I not do it? I mean that is going to pay for itself many times over.
Brandon: There you go. It should if it is free. Alright, with that, let us get to the next segment of the show. This is the Fire Round.
Brandon: Alright, let us get to today’s Fire Round. These questions come directly out of the BiggerPockets forums and we are going to fire them at you right now, Collin. Are you prepared for this?
Collin: I guess I would ask if they have been to the city and the area that they want to go to. You know you want to look up crime stats, you want to pull up Zillow and look at average rents. You want to see if properties are selling, are they single family homes that you are looking at or are they multifamily properties? Call some property management companies, call some agents, but for me especially if it is your first property, I would probably want to fly out there and see the neighborhood and judge for myself.
Collin: I guess I am not sure if he is looking to do it as a third party because mine is for properties in which I own. There is incredible demand for good property managers so it should be pretty easy to find somebody that is looking for a property manager. You just want to have some good systems in place. It also helps if you understand the investment aspect because you are going to be working with investors. Read as much as you can, get yourself into the investing community and if you have it maybe go work for a property management company for just a little bit. Shadow and see what their systems are and then see how you can improve it because likely you can.
Brandon: Yes, that is a great suggestion. I mean, why reinvent the wheel when a six month investment and getting paid could maybe… six months to a year getting paid to learn somebody else’s system. Yes, that is cool.
David: Is not that how Ryan Murdoch got started? Become an assassin?
Brandon: Yes, pretty much. Yes, Ryan Murdoch started with a… I mean he started buying his own properties then he became a property manager of his own deals. Then he started on the property managing company and then he ended up becoming working for another property management company . Now, he is a BiggerPockets… Yes, he is actually a, for those who do not know, Ryan Murdoch is now the newest BiggerPockets team member. Ryan, you all heard him before, he has been on the podcast.
David: He is like your old puzzle basically is what he is.
David: You are talking Kingpin and he is like your goon.
Brandon: Murdochenary. You all are going to probably hear from Ryan in the future actually because Ryan is going to start interacting, especially with our pro members. If you are BiggerPockets pro member, you will probably hear a lot from Ryan. He is going be involved and having conversations with pros, finding out ways to help pros even better. Hey, by the way, we are also hiring for another role, a couple of roles at BiggerPockets right now. I think I mentioned it during the Quick Tip, but if not, I do not remember what today’s Quick Tip was but basically we are hiring for a couple of roles in the marketing/pro teams. If that is you, go to BiggerPockets.com/jobs. Alright, number three of the fire round. ‘I am currently looking to purchase my first rental and my agent sent me a list of tenant occupied homes for sale. I am wondering what people think about tenant unoccupied homes. Would it be smart for a newbie to buy one or should I only buy a vacant one?
Collin: Yes and no. I mean what I always ask if I am buying a property that has a current tenant in it is how long is the lease? If the lease is two years and you walk into the property and they are paying half of what they should be and the property is trashed, you probably want to pass on that because it is going to be hard to recover those costs in those first two years. But yes, I mean, I have some great inherited tenants. You know that I have gone in, I have slightly increased their rent, they have been on month to month and it is worked out well. It is very situational.
David: Alright. Let us jump into the next segment of our show. The Famous Four. But before we do, let us hear from Mindy about who is going to be on the BiggerPockets podcast on Monday.
Mindy: Hey, Brandon. Hi, David. On Monday’s episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, Scott and I talked to Reshawn and Rob, a couple from Texas who nine years ago got married and discovered the Dave Ramsey book, The Total Money Makeover. They implemented a modified version of Dave’s baby steps program and paid off $20,000 in student loans, both cars and their $300,000 mortgage. But what is so interesting about their story is that it is not unique. It is totally repeatable for just about anyone if they adhere to the basic principles of spend less, save more, and invest wisely. Okay, thanks guys. Now, it is time for the Famous Four.
Brandon: Alright. Thank you, Mindy, as always. Hey, you all want to do something kind of cool? Go leave a raving review for Mindy’s show, from Mindy and Scott’s show, The Money Podcasts. They need some love. I mean they are really good. They are actually growing faster than we grew, the BiggerPockets podcast, but they could always use some love over on the ratings and review sites. Check them out, rate and review them. Let them know you love them. Let us get to the Famous Four. Number one, Collin, what is your favorite real estate related book?
Collin: Dave Lindahl’s Multifamily Millionaire.
David: A very good one.
Brandon: I liked that book.
David: His book Emerging Market is not bad either. Next question, what is your favorite business book?
Collin: This one, I just read and I have re-read it twice. It is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. It is phenomenal.
David: Brandon, have you heard that yet?
Brandon: I am three quarters way through the Audible. It is good, it is long but I have not finished it, yes. But you know what I love about that book? I think that show because I am listening to it, what I love about it is it shows like what entrepreneurship really takes, right? Like there is like this dream of entrepreneurship and this applies to a real estate or anything. Like at the end of the day, like Phil Knight, that is his name right? Phil Knight?
Brandon: I was thinking Phil Collins because your name is Collin. Anyway, okay, like the guy was obsessed. Like he was obsessed and everything he did is push push push push push for years to build up Nike. It is kind of like almost every successful person I have ever known has done. Like they get obsessed about their entrepreneurial venture and it is not just post them on Instagram that you are an entrepreneur, Hashtag entrepreneur and suddenly you are, right? Like Brandon Turner and Josh Dorkin with BiggerPockets perhaps?
Brandon: Like Josh and then me later, we obsessed. Obsessed, yes. Anyway, right Collin?
Collin: No, it is super encouraging though when you see all the struggles that he went through like two years and I am two years and I am like, okay, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, I will not ruin how the book ends, but Nike is still around.
David: Okay, Colin, what are some of your hobbies?
Collin: I like to work out, I do crossfit, love to travel although I have not been traveling new nearly as much as I would like. But yes, we took the kid to Hawaii last year. We got some more, we are going to going to head over to Hong Kong in April. Yes, hang out with the kids. Those guys are demanding. You know Paw Patrol? The Zoo? Those are some of my hobbies.
Brandon: Nice. Yes, those are good hobbies. We watch a lot of what is a show called? Doc McStuffins. That is my hobby these days. It is doc McStuffins, amazing. Anyway, number four, what do you believe sets apart successful real estate investors from those who give up, fail or never get started?
Collin: I think you have to be willing to sacrifice. If you really want to jump in this, I gave up basically watching TV for two years. I did not catch a football game. My daughter was just born when I started and I can honestly say that I was not around too much for her first year. It was the sacrifice that I had to make to get to where I am. I was able to quit my job a year later.
Collin: But it takes a lot of sacrifice. You have to be willing to make those and it also helps to have a great support partner. Like I could not have done it without my wife. Being able to put up with me constantly on my phone, running around working weekends, 16 hours a day. Surrounding yourself with the right people and be willing to sacrifice.
Brandon: You know, I had a conversation the other day on that note with a buddy of mine. He was saying he has a little kid at home, I mean like a year old and a another one on the way. He wants to build a real estate business, he wants to be a real estate agent. He wants to somebody else work in a full time job. Like I talked to him week after week after week we talked and he has not made any progress at all towards his real estate investing. He said, ‘I feel bad leaving the kid and not being around.’ I am like I get that, I mean I totally do, right? We are in real estate business. But you have a choice, you can sacrifice a year or two and have the next 18 when they are going to remember you. Like I am not saying do not around for your kid. Be around with your kid as much as possible, but I mean you better not be watching. If that is your excuse, you better watch no Netflix at all. You better not even have a phone that you are using for anything other than texting business contacts, right? I mean there is a lot of hours in a week that we are not working.
Brandon: Yes, drives me a little bit nutty. You can tell like it is just like if you really want something, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse, right?
Collin: Everything is possible. Get rid of Facebook on your phone. Get rid of Netflix. If you are a Broncos fan, do not watch the Broncos. Sorry, what do you want more? Ending, what do you want more? Something people do not talk about a lot is like, yes, I want to be there with my kid. I want to be there for other stuff. But if you are there as like a grumpy, unhappy person who is not satisfied with how life is going, no kid wants that right around, right? You would rather have a little bit less time and a happier dad or happier mom then yes, they were at everything and they were irritated the whole time and on their phone trying to, right? Just keep that in mind. Like if you can work really hard and then gives them a really good life and be happy yourself, your kid would much rather have that.
Collin: Yes, if you just keep pushing, I mean now I can take off a random Wednesday and say hey we are going to go do this. We are going to go get breakfast. We are going to go… It is that silver lining at the end of the tunnel. But you got to suffer a little bit in the beginning and make those sacrifices.
David: Rosie is not going mind all these pictures of her three years old playing with uncle David on a beach with a sunset in the background of Hawaii because Brandon hustled where he was at. It is a cool story. It is definitely something people should look forward to because real estate will pay you back for everything that you put into it and a lot of things in life do not. Alright, Collin, final question for me. Tell us where can people find out more about you?
Collin: At BiggerPockets. Definitely message me on there. I am on Facebook, Instagram, kind of, Colin_c_Scwartz. I have a LinkedIn account too but BiggerPockets is great.
Brandon: We will put links to all of that in the show notes. The show notes of course are at biggerpockets.com/show318. If you want to jump in there, they can find links to all your social media and all that good stuff. Of course, they can comment there on the show notes and talk to you and ask questions there as well. Thank you, Collin. This has been fantastic. Unbelievably good, like really like. I love your story, I love where you came from, I love where you are going. Keep it up and you have to come back in the show some time and tell us kind of when you get to the next level how you got there.
Collin: Awesome. Would love it guys, thank you.
Brandon: Alright, thanks. Alright, that was our show with Collin. Thank you very much, Collin and thank you David for being an amazing analogist today here on the show again.
David: Like I used alliteration to call me an amazing analogist. That seemed to be a thing of this show.
Brandon: I know, right? That was kind of a theme in today’s show. It was definitely a delightful show. That was fun. Yes, that is really good.
David: He is just an awesome guy. That dude put together a plan and execute at a very high level. What I love about it is it is not something that requires an MBA to do. He is like I am going to send out some mailers and I am going to do some meetups and I am just going to network and be a fun nice guy that everybody likes and he just was like, Oh, I happened to stumble my way to a 110 units in two years. I mean, that is like such a cool story that anybody can follow.
Brandon: It is so true. So good, so awesome. Alright, you all, thank you for listening to the show today. If you are enjoying the show, make sure as always, leave us a rating review if you have not yet on iTunes. I know we have like 4,000 or 5,000 but there is like a quarter million people who listen to the show. That means there is a lot of people who have not yet done that. I am looking at you, yes you, driving in your car? Yes, I see you. Yes, right there. When you get home today, leave me and rate and review, I appreciate it. Thank you.
David: Please do. If you guys liked this kind of stuff, I started putting Instagram stories of me in my car much like what you are doing, thoughts that I had been having.
If you guys want to hear more of that type of stuff, it is kind of like an extension of what we talked about today, a lot of it. Follow me at DavidGreene24, follow Brandon at BeardyBrandon. Get more of the stuff that you love because we love these stuff. Go apply to work at BiggerPockets. That is something that you are thinking about. You should absolutely do it. You do not want to look back in 10 years and say, why did not I?
David: That being said, this is David Greene for Brandon “Bearded Blue Eyes” Turner, signing off.
Sharestates is America’s private lender. We fund fix-and-flip, ground-up, term, and refinance projects nationwide across all asset classes: residential, multifamily, mixed-use, commercial and land. Sharestates offers high loan-to-value funding at competitive rates and quick closings. Broker and correspondent lending programs are offered as well.
Way to represent Omaha dude!
Great show. I have been to a couple of Collin’s meetups and they were great. Much better than the Omaha REIA. Collin is a great guy for putting this kind of thing together.
Great episode. I have to admit that he has me beat in terms of growth and ambition. | 2019-04-23T01:23:55Z | https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/biggerpockets-podcast-100-units-in-the-first-2-years-collin-schwartz/ |
This file contains old Tech Corner entries.
SWIG is a tool for automatically generating interfaces to C/C++ libraries for use with non-C/C++ programming languages. (SWIG stands for Simplified Wrapper and Interface Generator). This update represents a major rewrite of the existing module for interfacing to Allegro CL. Many new features and improvements have been added. This essay describes the improvements. It includes examples showing how to use the interface.
Allegro Prolog, an implementation of Prolog within Allegro CL, is included with the Allegro CL 7.0 distribution. An update released in mid September, 2005, provides a new version of Allegro Prolog for 7.0. Allegro CL 8.0 has both version included with the distribution. (The update can be downloaded with sys:update-allegro.) This new version allows Allegro Prolog to be used as a query language for AllegroCache (described here). The documentation for the new facility is here.
See the updated soap documentation,doc/soap.htm, for more information on the SOAP interface and the update.
An update to Allegro CL 7.0 on 32-bit platforms greatly increases the size of files that can be reliably handled. (Functions which may not have worked before but now do include file-position and file-length, and the OS Interface functions stat, os-truncate, and os-ftruncate.) The new limit is (1- (expt 2 63)) in size. This is about two million times larger that the old limit, which was 4 Gigabytes. (On 64-bit platforms, the maximum allowable size has always been (1- (expt 2 63)).) You can obtain the update with sys:update-allegro. The new functionality is included in Allegro CL 8.0 with no update necessary.
64-bit Allegro CL has now been released on Mac OS X 10.4 machines. (The 32-bit Allegro CL has been available on Mac OS X for some time.) See here for a list of all platforms on which Allegro CL runs. Contact [email protected] for more information on the 64-bit Allegro CL on Mac OS X.
The multiprocessing model in Allegro CL 7.0 has been upgraded. In earlier releases, different models were used on UNIX/Linux/Mac OS X machines and on Windows machines. Windows used OS threads while the UNIX-type implementation used the older model derived from Lisp machines. In 7.0, the models have been unified. UNIX-type platforms still do not use OS threads, using instead threads created and managed within Lisp, but the interface is essentially identical whether or not OS threads are used, allowing porting of programs more easily between Windows and UNIX-style platforms. This essay provides more information on the new implementation.
The Document Object Model (DOM) provides a programmatic interface to XML and HTML. Support for DOM Level 1 Core is now available by patch to Allegro CL 6.2 customers (it is included with the Allegro CL 7.0 distribution). The patch downloading function, sys:update-allegro, will automatically download the correct patch for the version being run. We provide a brief introduction to Allegro CL DOM support here. The full documentation is here for Allegro CL 7.0 and here for Allegro 6.2 (both documents are the same).
Last month we released a new Perl regular expression API module (see A new Regular Expression API below). This month, we release an update to that module which includes additional functionality. This essay provides a brief introduction to the new functionality in the update. The document regexp.htm has been updated as well and describes the additions to the API.
OpenGL is a collection of 2D and 3D graphics routines providing an environment for developing portable, interactive 2D and 3D graphics applications (see www.opengl.org). Allegro CL 7.0 contains an interface to OpenGL 1.1 on Windows and 1.2 and 1.3 on Linux platforms. This Tech Corner essay introduces the interface. The interface documentation has not yet been fully integrated into the Allegro CL documentation. A Readme file describing the interface is in the AllegroCL 7.0 distribution at opengl/readme.txt.
Allegro CL 7.0 was released before certain OpenGL interface files were available. To use the OpenGL interface, please first run sys:update-allegro to download the necessary additional files (after the update, you should see the new directories opengl/win32-1.1/, opengl/linux-1.2/, and opengl/linux-1.3/).
Allegro Oracle Direct Connect is a new interface between Allegro CL and Oracle databases (version 8 or higher). It uses the Oracle C Interface (OCI) libraries from Oracle. It is available by patch to Allegro CL 6.2 customers (it is included with the Allegro CL 7.0 distribution). Allegro CL 6.2 customers need an additional license, available from their account manager. We provide a brief introduction to the new interface here. The full documentation is here for Allegro CL 7.0 and here for Allegro 6.2 (both documents are the same).
Allegro Prolog, an implementation of Prolog within Allegro CL, is included with the Allegro CL 7.0 distribution and is available as a patch for Allegro CL 6.2. (The patch is downloaded by sys:update-allegro.) We provide a brief introduction to the new Prolog implementation here. The documentation for the new facility is here for Allegro CL 7.0 and here for Allegro 6.2.
This is the latest in a series of Tech Corner articles on new features in the Allegro CL/SOAP API. The previous entry was The updated Allegro CL/SOAP API with WSDL support, which described WSDL 1.1 support. This essay describes WSDL generation support. It was added by a patch in May, 2004. This essay discusses the new facility.
Allegro CL has for some time offered support for Regular Expression matching. We have just added a new API for regular expressions, which is faster and more Perl like than the earlier API. Both the old and the new APIs can be used at the same time in the same running Lisp. This essay provides a brief introduction to the new API. Both APIs are described in regexp.htm.
If you use an Apache webserver, but you wish to also use AllegroServe, you must integrate Allergoserve into your Apache-based server. This essay provides several suggestions for on Apache/Allegroserve integration. Allegroserve is described in aserve.html (the link is to the documentation on the opensource page, which is always the latest documentation).
SWIG (Simplified Wrapper and Interface Generator) is a tool for automatically generating interfaces to C/C++ libraries for use with non-C/C++ programming languages. We have added a module to SWIG to support generation of interface code suitable for Allegro Common Lisp. This essay provides more information on the new SWIG module.
In release 6.2 and in earlier releases, the maximum number of array dimensions and the maximum number of array elements was 16,777,216 (i.e (expt 2 24)) in 32-bit Lisps and 72,057,594,037,927,936 (i.e. (expt 2 56)) in 64-bit Lisps. In release 7.0, the limit will be raised to most-positive-fixnum is both cases. Therefore, arrays can be about 32 times larger in 32-bit images and 16 times larger in 64-bit images.
For most users and applications, the change to the new larger allowable array sizes will be transparent, the only difference being that requirements that bumped into the old limits can now be met. But there are some programs that may have problems with the changes to arrays: (1) those that created huge numbers of (presumably small) arrays whose total data space is the equivalent of an odd number of words, and (2) those that incorporated foreign (i.e. C) code that depended on the internal structure of arrays in Allegro CL. The first group will find space usage greatly increased for these arrays, because the new arrays use an additional word of data per array, and alignment requirements cause the total memory usage to be increased by two words. The second group will have more serious problems: because the internal structure of arrays has changed, the foreign code will cease to work properly.
We have addressed these issues by simultaneously supporting the old, shorter array implementation in parallel with the new, larger array implementation. We have added the type short-array, which is a 6.2-type array. Short-arrays are arrayp (i.e. a subtype of array) and (when 1-dimensional) vectorp (i.e. a subtype of vector), but not a subtype of any other standard Common Lisp array or vector type. Instead, new types, named by the standard Common Lisp types with short- prepended (i.e short-simple-array, short-string, etc.), have been created. Similarly, aref works on both type of arrays but other standard Common Lisp array accessor and predicate functions do not work on short-arrays; instead again, new accessors and predicates, named by the standard Common Lisp function names with short- and sometimes s prepended (i.e. short-simple-array-p, ssvref), are provided.
We believe that most users and applications will be able to use the new, larger arrays without any changes to their existing programs, and that users who depend on the internal structure of arrays will find it easy to adapt their code to use the new short-arrays instead.
The 7.0 documentation is not public yet, so we cannot yet link to the new array documentation. When that documentation is available, this entry will be updated to link to it.
SOAP is a remote procedure call protocol embedded in HTTP. The protocol uses XML structures to transmit call and data between client and server. The Allegro CL/SOAP API enables Allegro CL applications to communicate with new and legacy applications on the internet. SOAP in Allegro CL supports SOAP servers and thus provide Web Services written in Common Lisp.
The third release includes WSDL support. Many web services are defined in an XML dialect known as WSDL. The WSDL definition specifies the element content and data types in the SOAP messages received and sent by the service.
The document soap.htm describes the facility. That document has been added to the Allegro CL 6.2 documentation set (see introduction.htm for information on Allegro CL 6.2 documentation).
The patch can be downloaded by Enterprise and Professional customers in the usual way, by running sys:update-allegro. More information about the patch can be found in the patch log.
We are pleased to announce support for Mac OS X 10.3. However, we will no longer support Mac OS X 10.1.
A binary version of Allegro Webactions is now available to all users of Allegro CL 6.2.
The source for Allegro Webactions has been included with the AllegroServe source, version 1.2.32, and is available on ftp://ftp.franz.com/pub/aserve as well as http://opensource.franz.com/aserve.
To obtain the binary version of Allegro Webactions and also the SOAP Server API (described in this Tech Corner entry), please run sys:update-allegro.
See as well this later entry about the Allegro CL/SOAP API.
SOAP is a remote procedure call protocol embedded in HTTP. The protocol uses XML structures to transmit call and data between client and server. The Allegro CL/SOAP API enables Allegro CL applications to communicate with new and legacy applications on the internet.
This new release allows Allegro CL users to build SOAP servers and thus provide Web Services written in Common Lisp.
A new facility for generating dynamic web pages, Allegro Webactions, has been made available as a patch to supported Allegro CL customers. (It is not at the moment available to Trial users.) Allegro Webactions sits on top of AllegroServe (Franz Inc.'s Lisp-based web server) and provides a framework for building web applications that are easy to maintain and update.
A new website, http://examples.franz.com/, providing links to downloadable example programs and application is now live. The examples demonstrate non-trivial uses of Lisp and the features of Allegro CL. This essay provides an introduction to the new website.
A new implementation of the FTP client module has been available for downloading for a while. This module can be used to communicate with an FTP server, including Allegro FTPd (http://github.com/franzinc/aftpd/). It can be downloaded using sys:update-allegro. The relevant file is ftp.fasl. This essay provides more information on the module.
MySQL is a powerful, efficient, production ready open-source database that runs on all popular platforms. There are language bindings for most popular languages. The document doc/mysql.htm describes the bindings for the Allegro Common Lisp language. The Allegro MySQL module was provided as a test release in the fall of 2002. It is now available to all supported users. The Allegro MySQL module will be downloaded when you run sys:update-allegro to download patches and updates for Allegro CL 6.2. See this note for more information and some examples.
One of the recent updates to Allegro CL 6.2 was a full-fasl patch for the Remote Procedure Call (rpc) facility. This update added new functionality and modified some existing functionality. The rpc.htm document was also updated to reflect the changes.
In this note, we discuss one of the new RPC features: a facility to manage a pool of Allegro CL light-weight processes (lwp's) used to execute in-coming remote calls.
There have been several documentation updates in the last couple of months. (Recall the documentation is available in the support/documentation/ page.) Among the code updates are a new jLinker patch, with new and corrected functionality and a new Operating System Interface facility which we discussed in a the last entry. See release-notes.htm, particularly the section Information on changes and new stuff since the 6.2 release for details on updates.
A patch is now available (by running sys:update-allegro) that provides better integration between Lisp and native operating system resources. The documentation on this new facility has been added to the Operating System Interface (doc/os-interface.htm) document. See particularly Appendix A: Operating System Interface Functionality in that document.
Starting with the Allegro CL 6.2 release, we are updating the Allegro CL documentation more frequently. The documentation is available in the support/documentation/ page. That page has links to the latest version of the Allegro CL 6.2 documentation.
In an update, we correct minor errors (spelling mistakes, missed links, and the like), we rewrite sections of pages that were unclear or incomplete, and we correct any serious mistakes that have been reported. Most such mistakes are listed in errata.htm.
Modified pages are identified in the upper right corner, where change from the 6.1 documentation is also noted. If a page has been changed, it says one of "Minimal update since 6.2 release", "Moderate update since 6.2 release", "Significant update since 6.2 release", or "New since 6.2 release". New pages are added to the standard index but not (in the latest update) to the permuted index.
You can download the new documentation to replace that distributed with the Allegro CL 6.2 release (or an earlier update), as decribed on the support/documentation/ page.
In an earlier Tech Corner entry, we discussed the Allegro CL 6.1 Documentation update, mentioning the new Permuted Index files (see permuted-index.htm) included in the update. In this entry, we will discuss how the permuted index was generated and show the generation code. The discussion is in a separate file. Click here to see it.
In the previous example, we showed how to use the Allegro CL RPC facility to gain remote access to an application. In this entry, we do much the same thing in a different way. We use telnet to connect with the application (which has started a server process to listen for telnet connections via the socket interface). Lisp forms can be passed to the application and the results of evaluating them are passed back.
Click here to see the example and to see the source code used to implement it.
An earlier Tech Corner entry introduced the new Allegro RPC facility, which implements a general purpose remote procedure call facility for Allegro CL. In this entry, we discuss an example using RPC. The sample code in [Allegro Directory]/examples/rpc-inspect.cl can be used to examine a running Lisp image from another Lisp image running on a separate, possibly remote, machine.
An updated version of the Allegro CL 6.1 documentation has been posted on the Franz Inc. website, on the support/documentation/ page (the link is to the main documentation page, which has links to the new 6.1 documentation as well as to documentation for earlier versions). The update corrects errors in the documentation as originally released, expands or clarifies various material, and, in some cases, adds new material applicable to release 6.1 (for example, the description of stream encapsulations in streams.htm). Instructions linked to on the support/documentation/ page tell you how to download and install the revised documentation.
Every page, in its title bar, says whether it has been updated and by how much (minimally, moderately, or significantly, all of which are defined here in the revised introduction.htm).
A new feature has also been added: a permuted index generated from the standard index. The permuted index takes standard index entries and indexes them on every word they contain. run-shell-command is thus indexed under R (for run), S (for shell), and C (for command) in the permuted index. This is particularly useful when looking, for example, for functions associated with a concept such as multiprocessing gates (which typically have gate in their names but often not at the start of their names, e.g. make-gate and open-gate: see permuted-index-g.htm). A link to the main permuted index file, permuted-index.htm has been added to the title/navigation bar of every page. Each permuted index page has scroll-to links just under the title allowing quick scrolling down the page.
In a future Tech Corner entry, we will discuss how the permuted index was generated.
The Allegro CL RPC module, adding in release 6.1 and documented in rpc.htm, provides a flexible remote procedure call capability to a Lisp application. A remote procedure call allows one Lisp process (or image) to call a function in a separate Lisp process (or image). The two Lisp processes could be running on the same machine, or they could be running on different machines separated by a great distance. Unless otherwise indicated, references below are to sections of rpc.htm.
A remote call in the application program looks and behaves like an ordinary function call (see the defining macro def-remote-function). The RPC module takes care of the marshalling (encoding) and unmarshalling (decoding) of data values, and the synchronization of events. Calls and callbacks may be nested in each process to preserve dynamic environments, as described in the Callback style of stream sockets section. Calls may also be handled in parallel threads to isolate dynamic environments or to increase responsiveness. Many data types are transmitted by value but complex data structures are transmitted as remote references, as described in the Data representation section.
One application of RPC is to implement a coarse-grained form of parallel computation that takes advantage of a machine with multiple processors. An application can be split into several components that can run in separate Lisp images. Since each Lisp component in the application is a separate process from the point of view of the operating system, each may run on a separate processor. The same application can also run on several distinct machines connected on a local area network. The RPC module allows the separate components of the application to communicate in a natural way that looks like an ordinary function call.
Another application of RPC is transaction-oriented processing among widely separated components of an application.
Allegro CL RPC supports two types of connections: stream socket and datagram. Datagram connections differ from stream socket connections in that connections are maintained for single actions only. Datagram connections are described in the Datagram socket connections. One application of datagram connections is to implement a collection of servers that distribute information to other applications on a network. The datagram protocol is well suited to situations where connectivity may be intermittent, multiple sources may be available, and sychronization of calls is not critical. Since each call is a separate connection event, the application is not burdened with opening, maintaining, and closing connections.
The RPC module is not a universal solution. There are some things it does not do well, and some that it does very poorly. Even when the distributed components are running on the same machine, it is not an efficient way to transmit large volumes of data. A shared database or a file may be more effective in these cases. When the distributed components are separated by a great physical distance and connected by a slow network such as the internet, network latency becomes the governing factor and applications can only communicate with occasional calls where timing is not critical.
In a later Tech Corner entry, we will show how to use RPC to gain remote access to an application.
The most widely used compression algorithm on Windows and Unix is called Deflate (see http://www.gzip.org/zlib/rfc-deflate.html). Deflate is used in zip files (the standard file archiver on Windows) and in gzip'ed files on Unix. It is also used in Java Jar files (since Jar files follow the zip file format).
The Deflate algorithm combines the Lempel Ziv (1997) compression algorithm and Huffman coding.
We have written the code to uncompress deflated files, which we call Inflation. The source is available on our open source web site at http://github.com/franzinc/zlib. We will be adding code to show how to turn a simple-stream into a stream that inflates its input. At this point in time we have no plans to implement compression of files using the deflate algorithm. Simple-streams are described in streams.htm.
Over its previous several releases, Allegro CL has provided a firm structure on which to program international character applications by using Unicode representation and Lisp-definable external-formats to arbitrary character sets. International applications, however, often have other needs as well, such as handling local currency and date/time formats, as well as language specific character sorting requirements. Starting with release 6.1, Allegro CL includes new Localization tools to meet these requirements.
numbers can be displayed and read (parsed) based on culturally specific rules (e.g., a comma may be used as a thousands-separator in one locale, and as a decimal point in another locale).
date and time can be displayed in culturally appropriate ways, including the use of international characters (e.g., for day or month names).
monetary information can be displayed in regionally appropriate ways.
In Allegro CL, the value of *locale* determines the current locale. This variable can be dynamically rebound to allow multi-threaded Allegro CL applications to operate in different locales simultaneously.
Allegro CL 6.1 comes with about 140 pre-defined locales for cultures around the world. Users can easily modify or add locales either within lisp or by directly editing source localedef files.
In addition to supporting locales, Allegro CL also supports new collation functionality. Words containing international characters may be collated (sorted) differently in different natural languages. Allegro CL now includes a string-sort-key function which specifies how to sort such words. The collation information is in a table whose format comes from the Unicode organization. Users can modify collation behavior by modifying or creating completely new tables.
Localization is described in section 6.0 Localization support in Allegro CL in iacl.htm, the document that describes internationalization in general.
Allegro CL 6.1 tunes performance and streamlines development allowing Allegro CL users to take advantage of the exciting powerful features premiered in Allegro CL 6.0.
[19Jan2001] The open source XML and HTML parsers were updated in Jan 2001 to fix some known problems. For the HTML parser, a fix was made that prevents the parser from infinitely looping on some pages that contain SCRIPT tags. For the XML parser, we made changes that allow compilation and usage in ANSI mode Lisp images.
The release of Allegro CL 6.0 has a vastly improved stream interface. To read about this new API click here.
ANSI Common Lisp has no direct support for testing applications and API's. We have decided to make public the test harness used by Franz Inc. to test releases of Allegro CL and associated products, in the hope that it will assist Allegro CL customers make their code more robust. Click here to see a more detailed description of our test harness and instructions for getting it as a patch to Allegro CL 5.0.1.
Similar to relative pathnames, relative packages names identify children and parents of packages and permit the use of dots (.) to refer to package children and parents. Allegro CL has implemented a relative package scheme which should reduce package name conflicts. To use it, you define package names with dots (for example, the packages foo and foo.bar). When foo is the current package, .bar::a refers to the symbol foo.bar::a. When foo.bar is the current package, ..::b refers to the symbol foo::b. Click here to see a description of the relative package name scheme and information on how to get the functionality in Allegro CL 5.0.1 with a patch.
Universal Resource Indicators or URIs provide a superset of the functionality of Universal Resource Locators (URLs). URIs are defined in specifications available in several locations, including the IETF web site and the UCI/ICS web site. We have extended Allegro CL to include support for URI objects. Click here to see a description of URI support and information on how to get the functionality in Allegro CL 5.0.1 with a patch.
Click here to see the description of the new facility for downloading patches for Allegro CL. | 2019-04-21T20:47:03Z | https://franz.com/support/tech_corner/archive.lhtml |
The water treatment industry basically identifies two areas of residential water usage: point of entry (POE), the treatment of all water entering the building and point of use (POU), treatment of water at a single tap or outlet.
There are a multitude of water treatment technologies available to effectively reduce the concentration of virtually any contaminant, whether health related or aesthetic; however, different technologies are optimum for different classes of contaminants. As a result, no single treatment technology is the ’magic bullet’. As consumers understand more about water quality issues, this knowledge usually manifests itself in aesthetics, such as taste, odor or appearance, which are often erroneously equated with health-related contaminations. The bottom line is that consumers want both good tasting and safe water, regardless of its source.
It is important to realize that it is impossible to remove all of any contaminant from a water supply. The drinking water standards have concentration limits, which US EPA has designated as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
The optimum treatment technology is that which will sufficiently remove the targeted contaminants at the lowest capital and operating costs.
removal technologies for a specific application.
Generally, the initial technology in any treatment scheme is filtration, to remove suspended solids in the water supply. Thanks to the relatively recent development of carbon block technology, it is possible to combine sediment filtration with chlorine removal. Because chlorine represents both an aesthetic and health-related contaminant, it is considered desirable to be removed; however, chlorine is a very effective disinfectant and its presence will keep bacteria levels low. Activated carbon also removes trihalomethanes (THMs) and other organic contaminants, as well as gases such as hydrogen sulfide.
Typically, filtration and activated carbon adsorption are followed by RO to remove salts (ionic contaminants) and high molecular weight organic compounds.
For almost all drinking water applications (including culinary), RO treatment, as the primary technology, is sufficient. Because salts rejection of the membrane is a percentage of what the membrane sees and, as these rejection characteristics are 90-95 percent, the salts concentration in the purified water is usually less than 10 percent of those in the feedwater solution.
A more complete description of membrane treatment technologies is provided later in this article.
The salts concentration in water supplies is normally expressed as total dissolved solids (TDS) and the concentration is expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm). These units are the same; in other words, mg/L =ppm.
Some people have a concern that RO-treated water, known as permeate, is too aggressive; that it will dissolve piping materials and, because it is perceived to remove necessary minerals from the body if drunk, that it is dangerous for consumption. These concerns are largely untrue. As stated earlier, the TDS of permeate is typically 10 percent (or more) of that in the feedwater and almost all feedwaters have TDS levels high enough so that the permeate quality is usually above 20 mg/L. As a rule of thumb, water does not become unacceptably aggressive until it reaches a TDS level of 10 or less. In a normal, healthy individual, the body’s esophagus and stomach are very forgiving and contain excess salts which will immediately neutralize the effect of purified water.
The latest crisis addressing RO units (and other salts removing technologies) is the result of World Health Organization (WHO) panels and conferences stating that it is necessary for humans to receive calcium and magnesium in their drinking water, due to an apparent shortage of these minerals in normal diets. Although WHO has strongly recommended that either these minerals be left in treated drinking water supplies or that a certain concentration be added back into these supplies, this position is very controversial and not yet resolved.
Table 1 illustrates the majority of water treatment technologies available to be utilized in residential POE and POU applications and provides general guidelines regarding their effectiveness.
Following is a description of the technologies most commonly utilized for residential water treatment.
Since before recorded history, humans have employed filtration as a means of improving the appearance and potability of water. Early peoples discovered that sand, charcoal and even porous pottery jars improved the aesthetic appearance (and often the taste) of water containing visible particles, color and perhaps offensive odors. Without completely understanding the science behind their approaches, early ’water engineers’ were utilizing bed filtration as a water treatment technology.
Media can be defined as a selected group of materials used in filters and filter devices to form barriers to the passage of certain solids or molecules which are suspended or dissolved in water. Media is a plural form of medium. When the medium is a granular material and is placed in a vessel, it becomes a bed medium. Figure 1 illustrates a multimedia filter, which is a typical bed filter containing several media.
Typically, the line pressure in the water coming into the house forces water through the various media from the top of the bed to the bottom and from there into a distribution system, which channels the filtered water out of the filter.
As most bed filters are designed to reduce turbidity (the suspended solids in a water supply), the selection of the particular media as well as the design and operation of the filter determine its overall effectiveness. The media are selected either to provide one or several layers of different porosities to segregate suspended solids roughly by particle size or to provide a consistent gradation (coarse to fine) from top to bottom to achieve separation throughout the depth of the filter bed.
Filtration media typically includes such naturally occurring material as anthracite or garnet and silica and quartz sand. These materials are crushed and sieved to provide filter grains within a range of sizes. Other important physical characteristics include the shape, surface smoothness and density.
When the filter bed accumulates so much turbidity as to affect performance (usually indicated by pressure drop through the filter), it is backwashed by running filtered water backwards through the filter and discharging it. With the appropriate backwash frequency, duration and flow rate, bed filters used for turbidity reduction can easily last five to 10 years. Bed filters can also be used with special media to remove iron, manganese, chlorine and dissolved organic compounds.
Figure 2 illustrates a typical cartridge filter.
These filters are designed to primarily remove suspended solids through a fixed medium and are intended to be disposable: once the pressure drop reaches a certain level (e.g., 10 psi) the cartridges must be replaced.
Contaminant removal by a filter cartridge is accomplished by one of two mechanisms, surface filtration or depth filtration.
Surface filtration largely involves a sieving process in that particles which are too big to pass through the opening (pores) are simply retained on the surface of the filter.
Depth filtration utilizes a more porous medium, which contains non-uniform openings, that do not extend straight through the medium. This ’tortuous path’ and the fact that these pores are not the same diameter throughout the depth of the medium, results in entrapment of the particles within the body of the cartridge. Another phenomenon known as ’adsorption’ contributes to the entrapment of particles by utilizing chemical attraction forces which result in particles adhering to the medium inside the pores.
In reality, virtually no filter is either a pure surface or depth filter, in that the membranes of surface filters have a finite thickness in which some depth filtration can occur and depth filters also retain some particulate matter on their surfaces.
Surface filters are generally manufactured by laminating or casting a thin membrane coating on a backing (substrate) material. The coating is produced with pores tailored to meet the specifications of the filter cartridge manufacturer.
Depth filters are produced through a number of manufacturing techniques. Probably the oldest is string-wound, which involves winding a length of string or yarn around a porous core to produce cartridges with the desired properties. Melt-blown cartridges are produced by extruding polymeric fibers onto a core. Felt-type cartridges are produced by winding or otherwise adhering layers of felt to a core.
There are many products utilizing more than one of these technologies to produce hybrid designs. An important characteristic of filter cartridges is their contaminant removal rating, usually expressed in microns. The industry has generally settled on two removal categories: nominal and absolute. Unfortunately, there is little or no agreement among manufacturers and industry users as to the definitions of these terms. For example, the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) defines nominal as: “an arbitrary micron value assigned by the filter manufacturer, based on the weight removal of a percentage of all particles of a given size or larger. It is rarely defined and not reproducable.” On the other hand, the Water Quality Association (WQA), in their Glossary of Terms, defines nominal filter rating as: “generally interpreted as meaning that 85 percent of the particles of the size equal to the nominal filter rating will be retained by the filter.” What this means is that when a manufacturer claims to have five-micron filter cartridges (for example), unless he defines what he means by this value (such as the percentage removal of particles five microns and larger), it is basically meaningless, as there is no universally accepted standard.
The NFPA defines an absolute filter rating as: “the diameter of the largest hard spherical particle that will pass through a filter under specified test conditions. It is an indication of the largest opening in the filter cartridge.” The WQA defines absolute as meaning: “99.9 percent of all particles larger than the rated size will not pass though the filter cartridge.” Unfortunately, there is also a lack of agreement among manufacturers, users and industry trade groups on the definition of absolute filter ratings, although most agree on removals above 99 percent.
Not all filter cartridges are designed to simply remove sediment or particulate material; carbon filters constitute a large family of cartridges primarily designed to remove chlorine and trace organic contaminants from water supplies, primarily through the mechanism of adsorption.
Activated carbon is typically manufactured from a carbon source such as coconut husks, nutshells or coal. It is typically processed by heating the carbon at high temperatures in the absence of air, thus significantly increasing the porosity of the carbon and thus its ability to adsorb many gases and organic compounds.
In filter cartridges, activated carbon is usually granular, powdered or in a block form. Granular activated carbon (GAC) consists of loose carbon granules contained in a plastic housing that allows water to flow though the carbon from one end of the housing to the other. GAC filters usually exhibit good adsorption of various contaminants, but are not particularly effective at particulate reduction because of the large spaces between the carbon granules.
Powdered activated carbon (PAC) cartridges consist of finely ground activated carbon deposited on a fibrous backing material (in sheet or fiber form) and fabricated into a cylinder with a hollow internal core and with molded plastic end caps to ensure proper flow through the cartridge. PAC cartridges exhibit filtration properties of the substrate material (typically spun-bonded or melt-blown fibers) combined with the adsorption properties of the carbon.
Carbon block cartridges are powdered activated carbon to which a thermoplastic binder has been added. They are then compressed (either by molding or in an extrusion operation) to yield a product with very small pores to effect fine filtration, again with the adsorption properties of activated carbon. Carbon block cartridges are capable of the finest particulate filtration of any of the types of carbon cartridges.
Another type of filter cartridge also capable of fine filtration is the ceramic cartridge. It is also a molded product (usually from a clay base) but these products do not have the versatility of the molded carbon blocks, in that they are used almost exclusively for turbidity reduction.
In all cartridge filter systems, a housing is utilized to contain the cartridge, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 illustrates a number of filter cartridges.
This process is virtually the same as cartridge filtration, except that the filter medium is usually in the form of a bag manufactured from a felt-type filter medium. Bag filters also employ a housing.
For filtration requirements in the submicron range, capillary (hollow) fiber filtration is employed. By definition, capillary fiber elements are comprised entirely of the filtration medium itself (no backing material).
The fibers’ outside diameters (ODs) range from about one to two millimeters (mm), with inside diameters (IDs) in the 0.5 to 1.8 mm range. The flow path can be either outside-in or insideout (lumen feed); however, for most applications, the outside-in flow is favored, to minimize fouling.
Operating pressures required for MF are up to 30 psi (two bar), while UF pressures are in the range of 20 to 100 psi (1.4 to 6.8 bar).
Materials of construction for these technologies include polymers (polysulfone [PS/PES], PVDF, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile [PAN, cellulosics, PTFE and others]), ceramics (oxides of aluminum, titanium and zirconium) and metallics (stainless steel [SS] and coated SS).
A particularly significant characteristic of the capillary fiber configuration is that almost all of these devices can be backwashed (running the permeate [filtrate] backwards through the device to dislodge fouling materials that accumulate on the membrane surface). This characteristic alone makes capillary fiber elements vastly superior to spiral wound configurations. With one exception, spirals cannot be backwashed without destroying them.
The utilization of MF and UF capillary fiber technologies for drinking water treatment took a giant leap forward about 10 years ago with the promulgation of a number of ongoing amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Specifically, the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule is the direct result of the 1993 Milwaukee, Wis. outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis. The protozoan oocyst of Cryptosporidium parvum is not inactivated by normal chlorine disinfection protocol and in this outbreak, contaminated the drinking water supply, infecting about 400,000 people and causing 104 deaths. As a result, the US EPA embarked on an extensive investigation of this contaminant and has established MF as one of the most practical technologies for removal of the oocyst.
In addition, the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule addresses those water sources that contain high concentrations of dissolved organics which may react with chlorine to form THMs, which are suspected carcinogens. UF will reduce many of these disinfection byproduct precursors (DBPPs).
It appears inevitable that over the next several years, virtually all US drinking water plants which use surface water as their raw water source will incorporate MF or UF as their primary treatment technology. As an outcome of this new opportunity, many manufacturers have entered the fray, with no less than seven currently offering capillary fiber membrane elements/systems into this particular market. Many of the element manufacturers offer a number of elements, varying in pore size, fiber diameters, etc.
Virtually the only ion exchange technology used in residential applications is sodium ion exchange or water softening. This POE technology specifically removes hardness ions by replacing the sodium ions adsorbed on the ion exchange resin with calcium and magnesium ions in the water supply. The sodium ions are then released into the softened water.
Water softeners work on a demand basis, in that the flow rate through the unit can range from very low up to the maximum for which the unit is designed, usually about 10 gpm (37.8 L/m). When the resin has adsorbed as much hardness as it can accommodate, it must be regenerated by soaking in a sodium chloride brine solution which chemically strips the calcium and magnesium ions off the resin and replaces them with sodium ions, as before. Figure 4 illustrates this process.
While not actually a drinking water treatment technology, softening, because it minimizes the scaling of hardness ions (calcium and magnesium), both effectively pretreats the water to protect downstream processes and provides many aesthetic benefits. Figure 5 illustrates a water softening unit.
Watch for Part 2 of this aritcle in an upcoming issue.
Peter S. Cartwright, President of Cartwright Consulting Co., Minneapolis, is a registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota. He has been in the water treatment industry since 1974, has authored almost 100 articles, presented over 125 lectures in conferences around the world and has been awarded three patents. Cartwright has chaired several WQA committees and task forces and has received the organization’s Award of Merit. A member of the WC&P Technical Review Committee since 1996, his expertise includes such high technology separation processes as RO, UF, MF, UF electrodialysis, deionization, carbon adsorption, ozonation and distillation. Cartwright is also Technical Consultant to the Canadian Water Quality Association. He can be reached at (952) 854-4911; fax (952) 854-6964; email: [email protected] or website: www.cartwright-consulting.com. | 2019-04-24T10:22:23Z | http://www.wcponline.com/2008/02/10/residential-drinking-water-treatment-primer-part-1-2/ |
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Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin thinks the hotel industry has failed to get a wake-up call over the last 15 years and has missed out on wave after wave of digital innovation. He’s saying all the right things about Accor addressing these past shortcomings, although the jury is still out on how much he’ll be able to accomplish.
Sebastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor Hotels, thinks the hotel industry has been a self-inflicted victim of inertia, having failed to respond over the last 15 years to the emergence of online travel agencies, their integration of travel metasearch, and now the sharing economy.
Appointed chairman and CEO of the hotel group in 2013, Bazin is determined to shake things up, having invested in digital assets, making overtures to independent hoteliers, and trying to change management culture by tying managers’ compensation to the guest perception of the brand and properties.
Skift sat down with Bazin in Hollywood, Florida at the Phocuswright conference yesterday and discussed how Accor hotels is adapting to the sharing economy, investing in travel startups, and why he views Sub-Saharan Africa and Iran as extremely attractive expansion opportunities.
Skift: AccorHotels.com was one of the early partners in TripAdvisor Instant Booking. How has that been working out for you?
Sebastien Bazin: Well, it’s been good, but it’s not transforming. Did it impact my direct booking? No. Did it slow down the OTAs’ (online travel agencies’ booking? No. Is it additive, is it a good future? Yes.
Skift: Are you content with the branding that you get within TripAdvisor as part of that Instant Booking process?
Bazin: Yeah, we’ve been from the very early stages. We’re very friendly, very positively minded towards Trip Advisor and all of their initiatives. We worked very closely with them. I think it’s a good thing they’ve done it. It’s cheaper for me.
Skift: Cheaper for you than OTAs? Is it strictly on a commission basis?
Bazin: Yes, it’s purely on a commission basis, and the commission is lower than the one I pay to Booking.com and Expedia.
Skift: Now, what about Book on Google? They are starting something similar although it’s commission or by cost-per click.
Bazin: We haven’t seen it yet. We’re considering absolutely everything with everyone if they’re serious about it. I think they (Google) haven’t decided yet whether they want to go in that direction or not. They’re talking about it. They’re mumbling about it, but you and I know that one of the biggest competitors to Google is Booking.com. The second is likely to be Expedia. Between those two, Google probably has over $2 billion worth of revenues, the sum of those two platforms. For Google to go commercial and to take the market share from the OTAs, it would have to be worth the trip. They really have to go and shoot for a $4 billion or $5 billion profit.
Which they could, but I think that they’re hesitating between doing what they do best, which is giving advice, and before they’re going to go commercial, looking at the impact on their two best clients.
Skift: Well, that’s the perennial dilemma for Google, right?
Bazin: I’m sure they have the ability to do it. They know they have the technology, they have the platform, they have the financial metrics, they have the relationships, they have access to supply. They have it all, but, they could be destroying somebody else’s business.
Skift: What about your own digital initiatives in terms of putting independent hotels on your platform. How has that been working out? You think more comprehensiveness in providing a variety of hotel options will bring you bigger volumes overall?
Bazin: We announced it on the third of June this year. We worked on all of this between June and early September. We haven’t launched any commercial activities in terms of looking for prospects. Even though we haven’t launched it, we probably have 10 times more independent owners asking to join than we could really accept. We started on the first of November. We were shooting for 500 hotels by the end of this year, and we’re going to have 500 hotels in only a couple of months. We have far more basically asking to join and a lot of them we will not accept. As you might remember, we’re trying to be hyper-disciplined on that marketplace, saying we’re only going to be having probably 12,000 hotels in the world. Out of which probably 3,000 is going to be our own hotels.
I’m going to go slowly. We went in basically five different pieces of puzzles. The first piece is you saying 70 percent of international travelers, whether it’s business or leisure, about 1.3 billion travelers, will go on a hotel website before booking. On average, they go on two sites. The second is 70 percent will go to 327 cities, which is the bulk of the traffic. The third piece of the puzzle is 90 percent of the bookings are going to be done on page one and page two on those websites. The fourth piece is whatever we do in terms of digital spending would be inflationary. I need to armortize my spending of a greater amount of supply of which I only have 4,000 hotels. Piece number six is the hotel industry is fragmented except in North America, so globally it is 70 percent mom and pops, and 30 percent hotel chains.
If you put the six pieces together, you’ll say that’s a basket which I’ve never addressed in these services. They are suffocating because the independent guys don’t have the money. They don’t have the expertise. They don’t have the technology, and they don’t have the vision. We need to make sure those hotels independently owned are run properly located and sizable enough to drive volume. Then there are site inspections. Since we have a couple of hundred thousand people on the ground, my people, it’s easy for me to ask them to cross the street next door and to visit the property for hygiene, security, fire, bedding, comfort, and so forth. I can say I know I’ve met the owners and I’ve met the manager.
Skift: You’re definitely going to curate who gets in?
Bazin: Oh yeah, but I don’t want to be the judge so I want to make sure that particular hotel is in the first 10 to 20 percent ratings on TripAdvisor for that location. For the independent owners, I’m not asking them to pay me any retainer fee. It’s purely optional. I’m not even asking them to renounce to Booking.com or Expedia. They are going to continue working with those people, but they are going to have an additional feature through Arcohotel.com. We’re going to send them traffic at a price that is much cheaper than the one provided by Booking, Expedia. And an additional feature is I promise my marketplace member that any information I will have on a client will be 100 percent transparent and shared with the independent guy.
Skift: I guess Booking.com wouldn’t retaliate against them?
Bazin: They might. Absolutely, they might.
Skift: Yeah, do they generally play hardball like that? Are they known for that?
Bazin: Of course they are. But, they’re known to be professional. So is Expedia. We live in an adult world. We do things. They do things, and we all battle for the same customers. We’re trying to be as efficient as possible. It’s life. It’s not a justice. It’s fine. I’m happy with this, but we’re big guys as well.
Skift: OK you can take a punch.
Bazin: Accor is not going to be a spectator of its own life. We’re an actor.
Skift: How does the Marriott-Starwood merger impact you? Were you guys at all involved during the sales process or looking at it?
Bazin: It’s too soon to figure it out because it doesn’t close until mid-2016, so it remains to be seen. I’ve been saying for the last couple of years is inevitably you will see a consolidation in the hotel industry. I said that for the last 24 months with no hesitation whatsoever, so it’s coming now, and it’s going to be accelerating for sure. I think this is the first step of many other steps, and I think it’s rational. I think it is a smart move. It makes a lot of sense. It’s going to create synergies. It is good for the clients. It is good for the team.
Skift: Why now? I mean it would have created synergies five years ago too.
Bazin: Absolutely, because five years ago people were not lucid.
Skift: Well, were they asleep at the wheel five years ago?
Bazin: We missed it. We felt, I guess, it (the OTAs) would be inconsequential. Yeah, well it’s now a big feature and we should have actually paid attention. Then, three or four years later it was metasearch. Did we do anything about it? Of course not. We’ve done nothing. Then the OTAs vertically integrated buying Kayak and buying Trivago so they actually figured it out. Number three is the sharing economy. Have we missed it? Did we move with Airbnb, and Uber, and Lending Club? Yeah, we’re certainly watching and we’re saying, “Well, we better move.” Well, it’s about time to move because we’re going to have a fourth wave and a fifth wave.
Skift: Okay so how are you addressing it? Hyatt invested in Onefinestay, part of the sharing economy, but in most of the hotel earnings calls, the CEOs are saying, “Oh, there’s no big impact from Airbnb.” They’re really sort of running away from it. How are you addressing it?
Bazin: I guess we’ve done two things. One, we’ve bought a company called Wipolo, which is an aggregator of tickets from rail, cars, museums, hotels, you name it, you have your own mobile application. We integrated all of the team, and we integrated the Wipolo application into the AccorHotels.com application. Then we bought Fastbooking, which was 120 people, and is basically a digital channel service provider for the outside independent owners. They have offices in Singapore, in India, in Germany, and in France. It’s working well and we narrowed it to 80 people, and since then, we’ve hired another 120 people, dedicated to digital expertise.
We’re looking for other ventures. We just bought a small piece of a company that is big in video content for the use of millennials between 12 and 18 years old.
Skift: But none of these directly address the sharing economy?
Bazin: No, sharing economy, you’ll have news by mid-December. I have huge respect for Airbnb. I said that. I know the guys. I think what they created is strong, formidable, scalable, and provides actually a good service. But, it is competing with us, and it would be foolish to say it has no impact. Of course, it has an impact.
But, it is not because they’re doing it that we can’t do similar metrics offering the same surprises, emotion, local content to my clients, which is why I’ve been moving this company from being less and less dogmatic, and less and less standardized. There’s nothing more boring than having the same room in different countries and you don’t know where you’re waking up, where you are. You can move away from that. That’s easy.
It’s not a blending or co-venturing with them. I’m not at all going that direction. I’m just saying what the client of Airbnb likes about Airbnb hosts we could provide a third, 50 percent, or 70 percent of the same features if he was going to a hotel. It’s doable. We have the local content. We have the local experience. We have the local knowledge. We have access to the tips, to the restaurants, to the photos. There’s a lot of things we can do.
Skift: How are guests’ expectations changing and what are some of the things you’re doing to meet those expectations?
Bazin: It changes rapidly because they are better informed. The level of expectation for them is higher, more demanding, and then they write about what they like, what they don’t like. The less you’re going to be interfacing with them (social media platforms), the less loyal guests are going to be, and the less they’re going to be accustomed to your website.
You need to basically make sure that you think of what it is that you should be doing to multiply by two or three or five times the level of interaction. The only way you can do it is by accepting that what we’ve been doing for the last 60 years is only offering a bed and a room, and they stay two or three times a year. We’re saying to our guests now we have to shift away by being a travel companion. I know this is what Marriott has said and we’re saying now for the last 24 months is to be at the contact with our client [from the dreaming phase to the stay and after the trip].
Skift: Are you getting into digital check-ins and keyless entry and all that sort of thing as well?
Bazin: Yes. We are going through or we have a program called Welcome, which is all done through SMS, texts, where a week before you come, you receive confirmation. Then, in a couple of days, we tell which room number you have, and then when you land, we’ll tell you where the traffic is, where you should be taking the Metro, how to get to the hotel. Then all the pre-check in has been done, so when you come to the hotel you have nothing to do except go directly to your room.
But the one thing we decided not to do as of yet is the digital check-in through the hotel door knob. I don’t want a guy to come with his cellphone and open the hotel room. It’s absolutely feasible. Of course, technology permits it. I just don’t want to do it because I need to keep an interface between some of my employees, the client, not to waste the guy’s time, but I need to basically provide some emotions. I need to listen to him. He needs to listen to me because contrary to all the digital players, we have warm content and information. We have physical contact. All the other guys never, ever have physical contact.
Skift: You talked about your staff being a differentiator in terms of dealing with the guests instead of the keyless entry we were talking about. What kind of changes are you making to the training of the staff in order to meet future expectations of guests?
Bazin: Yeah, plenty. Out of the five big topics that I have in front of me, one of the five is management culture. Which probably is the most difficult one because it is the one which is qualitative and not quantifiable. We have a new head of human resources. We changed the human resources department to Talent and Culture. It’s symbolic, but I wanted to change it. She’s non-French, which is also symbolic, but it’s good. She’s a Spaniard and she speaks six languages. What we are trying to do is we’re trying to get everyone within the group, whether they are in the headquarters or whether they are at the hotel level, to be 70 percent incentivized on the perception of our service, the perception of our hotels in the eyes of our clients.
Skift: You’re talking about their salary and their compensation based on the perception of … ?
Bazin: Yes. That should be the marker.
Skift: What are your views on global expansion?
Bazin: We are in 95 countries. We open one hotel every two days in the world so it’s a big expansion machine. We have by far the greatest pipeline of anyone in the industry if you exclude the U.S. because the pipeline from all the big American guys is still 60 percent U.S.-centric. I’m extremely bullish on sub-Saharan Africa, east and the west Africa. I’m very bullish on Nigeria, on Ghana, on Kenya, on Mozambique, on the Ivory Coast, Senegal, you name it.
Skift: What is so attractive about those markets?
Bazin: Sub-Sahara, black Africa is great. Second, or of equal size, is Iran. I’m a big believer in Iran, and third, of course, is India. Those three have in common many, many different things. Number one, enormous demography growth. Number two is the emergence of the middle class, which is very good for Ibis, for Novotel, and for the small and medium-sized enterprises. For my Ibis brand, all over the world 90 percent of the clients are domestic. Then, I’m not depending on international travelers. Chile, Peru, Colombia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, you name it, it’s 90 percent small and medium-sized enterprises. Number two, they have a lot of history, civilization, architecture, geography. Number three, each of them has less than 1 percent GDP dependency on tourism, where all the other markets in the world it is between 7 percent and 15 percent. You know it’s going to go from minus one to three, four, five, six percent. The reason it’s not there is either geopolitical or it’s corruption or it is lack of infrastructure or lack of local talent.
Skift: Is it important to you to pay attention to travel startups?
Bazin: We’re going to be investing in 10 different startups. Two are going to be exceptional, three are going to be lousy, and three or four are going to be mediocre. I have to diversify but I’d rather be there too soon than too late.
Skift: Sure, so do you have active plans to make investments? Is there a specific amount of money you have set aside?
Bazin: No, it doesn’t matter. We have that money. The beauty of coming from our side is we have capacity, we have size, we have access to capital. The other side of the coin is we have inertia. That is a big company to move, and certainly when it comes to culture. Shifting the culture takes money. It takes time.
it’s going to be interesting. We’re on the move. For sure, we are. I am a believer that whatever is happening in the world for the last five years is a huge opportunity and not a threat, if you play it right. Some of us are going to play it right, and some of us is going to be miserably failing.
Bazin: To be determined, in a couple of years. | 2019-04-22T16:43:13Z | https://skift.com/2015/11/19/interview-accor-hotels-ceo-on-moving-fast-while-others-fail/ |
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"This amounts to zero benefit to the people of San Diego."
The Chargers said they would release financial plans today (March 30) for their proposed downtown "convadium" — a combined football stadium and convention center. But the team's statement is a joke. So many details are missing, and so many assumptions are absurd, that there is no way to judge what the convadium will cost. So why bother with financing plans?
The Chargers seem to be counting on sales of personal seat licenses, even though they have denied their applicability in San Diego for at least five years. Luxury skyboxes, also unworkable to any significant degree, are still in the picture.
The team doesn't know whether the stadium will be on top of the convention center or next to it. The former would be very expensive, the Chargers allow, but there are no specifics.
Critical transportation questions are not addressed, despite widespread concern over traffic jams and parking. The team won't say how much time and money it will take to move the downtown bus terminal.
The money would come from boosting the hotel tax to 16.5 percent — one of the highest in the nation. How much will the higher tax reduce convention-center usage? Are the current recipients of the hotel tax, such as arts and culture groups, protected?
The convadium would be owned and operated by the city, but the Chargers will get credit for naming rights, which could easily exceed $175 million. This is preposterous, although, sadly, conventional in billionaire stadium scams these days.
"To what extent have the Chargers identified any benefits to the people of San Diego?" says former San Diego councilmember Bruce Henderson, a transactional lawyer. "It doesn't say the Chargers will sign a lease; there is not a commitment by the Chargers to do anything, even build the stadium. This has zero substance. This amounts to zero benefit to the people of San Diego and considerable potential benefit to the Chargers."
Henderson wonders how the Chargers, who are effectively paying no rent at Qualcomm now, can finance $15 milion a year in rent at a new stadium.
The Chargers intend to give more details tomorrow (March 31) in a legal notice in the Union-Tribune.
ImJustABill March 30, 2016 @ 10:35 a.m.
A recent advocacy piece by Kevin Acee (UT) is a good example of the tricks used to attempt to mislead voters about the true costs to citizens and true benefits to the Chargers.
These tricks have been mentioned before in many excellent columns by Don, and by many posts. But I'll repeat I see 2 major tricks which use horrendously flawed and misleading logic.
TOT taxes are just money from tourists. They don't affect San Diegans in any way.
Most of the $1.15B in tax revenue is being spent on a convention center expansion. Only $350M will be spent on the Chargers' stadium.
The Chargers are offering a good deal because most NFL stadiums get more taxpayer revenue than the Chargers stadium (assuming you don't count any of the land acquisition or convention center costs).
Of course, in reality both these arguments are deeply flawed.
Higher TOT taxes will mean less revenue for hotels - either they lower rates and/or have lower occupancy (results: possible bankruptcies, layoffs, lower salaries). Also, there are other things that increased TOT revenue could be used for which would be far more appropriate uses of tax money.
It's clearly not worth $800M for a non-contiguous convention center expansion. In 2013 a $520M contiguous expansion was proposed. It's debatable whether the $520M for a contiguous expansion would be a good deal for the city but it's certainly a heck of a lot better deal than $800M for a non-contiguous expansion. So more money is allocated for a less valuable convention center expansion. This would be like going to a car dealer and telling them you will pay 50K for a BMW 530 then having the dealer offer you a Toyota Camry for 80K. (Not to bash Toyota - I'm quite happy with my Camry).
A "good deal" is only in perspective to the really, really bad deals other cities have received. This would be like a mob boss telling store owners that paying him 1% revenue as "protection money" is a good deal because other mob bosses charge 2%.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 12:39 p.m.
ImJustABill: This will not be a convention center expansion. It would be five or six blocks from the existing convention center. It would be a completely new convention center. One event could not be going on simultaneously in both centers.
Those who want to expand the current center say this would be a way to keep Comic-Con. But Comic-Con has come out with a statement saying it wants a contiguous expansion. So San Diego would be kissing Comic-Con goodbye. Smart?
aardvark March 30, 2016 @ 11:27 a.m.
The Chargers will release as few details as possible--but the details I am sure can be found. Deep in the text of the initiative. Just as the Chargers desire. Screw Spanos.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 12:41 p.m.
MURPHYJUNK March 30, 2016 @ 11:57 a.m.
do they plan to delay a public vote on this until the voters lose interest or get totally confused with all the plan ( proposals ) changes ?
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 1:01 p.m.
JustWondering March 30, 2016 @ 12:28 p.m.
No wonder San Diego earned the moniker, Enron by the Sea.
Let's see we owe millions on the bonds for the 1997 Q's expansion orchestrated by Mayor Golding and Alex Spanos. Now the Spanos family wants San Diegans to be on the hook for hundreds of millions more. If we vote for this new boondoggle we deserve the pott-hole filled streets, the aging water systems, the sewer spills in our neighborhoods and ever reducing city services.
We already know non contiguous convention space doesn't work. Heck, the city already owns two convention centers which are losing money each year and have huge backlogs of deferred maintenance. But it's government why not own three, all losing money, all competing against each other.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 1:05 p.m.
shirleyberan March 30, 2016 @ 1:14 p.m.
David Elgier - still trying to find bio of your previous works. Q - You know what it means when there's a sock on the doorknob? A - Somebody's getting F'd!
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 9:46 p.m.
ImJustABill March 30, 2016 @ 1:38 p.m.
Hosting big sports events is a big boon to the economy. Look at how great Brazil's economy is doing after hosting a World Cup and going into the 2016 Olympics!!!
Or maybe not so great..
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 9:49 p.m.
Psycholizard March 30, 2016 @ 3:14 p.m.
Keep an eye on the Mission Valley land, the value there is comparable to the Con-Stadium price. If they can play it like they're selling to SDSU, people might approve the sale. A downtown stadium will end tailgating, and the Con-Stadium might well be inferior to our present Stadium in many ways.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 9:53 p.m.
shirleyberan March 30, 2016 @ 3:39 p.m.
Good point Psycholizard. The new homes being built in Mission Valley have no parking or private yards. The land scheming never ends. They will chage our landscape and alter our lifestyle. No tailgate party? That's just unAmerican. We'll have to eat at an expensive downtown restaurant and uber there and back. Oh hell no. Hopefully will need 2/3 vote and turnabout this twisted plot.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 9:56 p.m.
ImJustABill March 30, 2016 @ 3:40 p.m.
One thing I heard today (AM 1360) is that the annual maintenence (15M) will come from TOT taxes not the Chargers.
which totals to the Chargers paying pretty close to ZERO.
Don Bauder March 30, 2016 @ 10 p.m.
ImJustABill March 30, 2016 @ 3:57 p.m.
The pros and cons are pretty simple.
The pro of the initiative is if it passes the Chargers stay in San Diego. In theory for 30 years at least (but there are likely loopholes which could allow them to leave earlier). There may be some small economic benefits to others outside of the Charger organization but these benefits are insignificant (see papers by Roger Noll or other articles on fieldofschemes.com). The only significant benefit to passing the initiative is that the Chargers stay in San Diego.
The con is that it costs San Diego taxpayers $1.15B. And it would perpetuate the notion that subsidizing wealthy business owners at the expense of the general public is acceptable public policy. Who knows where that precedent will eventually lead to?
So basically if you think keeping the Chargers is so important that it's worth $1.15B of public money then you should vote yes on the intiative.
The pros and cons are pretty simple. Is keeping the Chargers worth $1.15B of public money?
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 6:36 a.m.
Psycholizard March 31, 2016 @ 8:45 a.m.
The Chargers have a history of finding reasons to tear up leases, they have never stayed to the end of the lease. We could have StadiumCon, a wart in Mission Valley, and no Chargers.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 4:01 p.m.
shirleyberan March 30, 2016 @ 4:43 p.m.
Thank-You Joseph Monroe, Explains A Lot.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 6:38 a.m.
ImJustABill March 30, 2016 @ 7:59 p.m.
I think you should put the following verbatim into the traffic / parking impact analysis in the EIR for the stadium.
" I encourage you to whip out your smart phone and download an application called Uber. That should end any concerns you have about parking."
I'm sure that would go over well with the EIR review committee.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 6:42 a.m.
SportsFan0000 March 31, 2016 @ 12:50 a.m.
So many holes in this proposal and so little time! First, In Good Faith, you can start by writing it in plain English in 10-15 pages maximum. Most professional proposals for big ticket financing can be succinctly summed up fast and to the point. If they cannot do that, then those proposals usually hit the trash compactor fast in the private sector. I don't care if you are talking to GS, or anyone else. Imagine if you presented this pile of cow dung to any major private sector financier and wanted them to fork over 1.1B for this deal?! Just what do you think they would do with it?! Don't insult my intelligence with 100 pages chocked full of BS legalese. I didn't just fall off the the turnip truck!!! You are throwing up major red flags when you do that. You are definitely hiding a lot of things if that is the garbage you are sending to my office, putting on my desk or clogging my fax or email.
And, just to show me that you are serious about this deal and not just "blowing smoke you know where"
Where is your "Skin in the Game"?! Don't insult my intelligence by saying you will use "Naming Rights" (and other outside money from future revenue streams that do not exist now and are speculative at best like Advertising, Corporate Boxes, PSL's). If the City is expected to own your proposed facility, then the "Naming Rights" should be owned by, controlled by and credited as the City's contribution to your football stadium plan.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Rework this proposal so that it is palatable, readable, workable in a business sense, or don't clutter my desk, office, inbox with this garbage.... Any Decision maker worth his or her salt would have you escorted to the Curb by building security.
Experienced And Knowledgeable DealMaker Bouncing Back this Weak Proposal For Much Needed Revision, Review and Reworking..
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 6:46 a.m.
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Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 1:19 p.m.
ImJustABill March 31, 2016 @ 2:38 p.m.
Being completely right about everything he said is no excuse for saying bad things about the Chargers. Bruce Henderson is still the devil. That's the way stadium subsidy advocates will see it anyway.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 8:58 p.m.
CW2016 March 31, 2016 @ 7:50 p.m.
Don, Then blame should be placed at the feet of the City's inept Contracts office, not at the Spanoses.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 8:55 p.m.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 1:20 p.m.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 1:24 p.m.
ImJustABill March 31, 2016 @ 3:10 p.m.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 8:44 p.m.
Dennis March 31, 2016 @ 6:59 p.m.
One item that never comes up on building sports palaces for the rich is that because the property is still owned by the city there is no property tax on the facility. A $1 Billion stadium if owned privately would generate about $10 million in taxes steadily increasing each year.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 8:46 p.m.
ImJustABill April 1, 2016 @ 10:11 a.m.
But Don, We're going to have super bowls every 5 years and they each bring in 500M economic impact!
Don Bauder April 1, 2016 @ 10:26 a.m.
SportsFan0000 April 11, 2016 @ 8:23 a.m.
Don Bauder March 31, 2016 @ 8:51 p.m.
ImJustABill April 1, 2016 @ 7:23 a.m.
"Do you want to San Diego taxpayers to pay 1.15B - most of which will go to the Spanos family - to attempt to keep the Chargers in San Diego for the next 30 years? "
I'd have no problem with that initiative being placed on the ballot. I wouldn't vote for it but it would be an honest proposal and we live in a democracy so if a 2/3 majority of voters approved such a measure I'd be OK with that.
Don Bauder April 1, 2016 @ 10:28 a.m.
ImJustABill April 1, 2016 @ 11:19 a.m.
Well certainly if the election were rigged people should go to jail.
Don Bauder April 1, 2016 @ 4:47 p.m.
SportsFan0000 April 11, 2016 @ 8:25 a.m.
What is the Attorney pushing the Convadium getting out of all this?! Must be some big bucks hidden somewhere for that guy...who has made a lot of $$$$ blocking some of these corporate welfare deals. Now, he has switched sides! Sounds like that movie "The Sting" with Robert Redford and Paul Newman..
Don Bauder April 11, 2016 @ 12:07 p.m.
ImJustABill April 1, 2016 @ 4:04 p.m.
I like the Grand Canyon, craft beer, and football too. I don't think people should criticize you for any of those things.
There's enough to criticize in your misleading statements about the stadium proposal, foremost of which is the widely repeated deception that San Diego residents shouldn't care how much TOT's are and how TOT revenue is spent.
Don Bauder April 1, 2016 @ 4:54 p.m.
ImJustABill: Anybody who uses the argument that spending TOT tax revenues on a convadium doesn't cost the city anything because it comes from tourists is either dumb as a stump or crooked as a dog's hind leg.
ImJustABill April 2, 2016 @ 4:58 p.m.
Don brought up a great about about the 200M G- 4 contribution from the NFL. It has generally been reported that this is a loan from the NFL. But it's a lot more complicated than that. I don't have the expertise nor time to figure out exactly how to characterize the 200M from the NFL. It seems to be a loan but the team can repay a lot of the loan using money that they would have had to pay to the NFL anyway. So it's sort of a complicated grant / loan. I think.
Here's a couple of links - I'm sure Don ran across these at some point. If Don or someone else can figure out what the G-4 program really does that would be very interesting.
Ponzi April 2, 2016 @ 6:47 p.m.
This story helps a little to understand the G-4 loan program. The NFL will adjust the amount of the loan based on how well the franchise gets the public to commit funding.
ImJustABill April 3, 2016 @ 8:16 a.m.
Thanks for the references. I still don't understand the repayment terms for the teams to repay the loans. Like there's something called "incremental VTS" that the team is allowed to use to pay back. But then the NFLPA is fighting the NFL over the VTS so who knows what will come of that?
Don Bauder April 3, 2016 @ 9:13 a.m.
Ponzi April 2, 2016 @ 6:44 p.m.
Now that the L.A. relocation threat has outlived its usefulness, I'm guessing the threat of relocating a team to London will be used in future stadium blackmail schemes.
ImJustABill April 3, 2016 @ 8:01 a.m.
The LA threat is still active - there's still room for one more team to board with Uncle Stan (who will SUPPOSEDLY give great terms to a tenant).
London threat is definitely active, St. Louis, San Antonio threats are active.
Don Bauder April 3, 2016 @ 10:15 a.m.
ImJustABill: If Kroenke had given Spanos terms that he could afford, the Chargers would have announced their departure months ago. The very notion that Spanos gave up a chance to boost the team's value by $1 billion to $2 billion because he suddenly decided he loved San Diego so much that he couldn't leave, is utterly preposterous. I am shocked that anybody believes that.
ImJustABill April 3, 2016 @ 4:46 p.m.
People believe because they want to believe. Chargers stay in town, no San Diego taxpayer money.
Don Bauder April 3, 2016 @ 6:04 p.m.
ImJustABill: San Diego has to negotiate a new contract with the Chargers in 2020. What do you bet that it will be another rip-off for the Chargers? Their rent will be low, they will put little or nothing in the rehabilitation of Qualcomm, they will go on raking in big bucks from playing at Qualcomm with slight expenses.
ImJustABill April 4, 2016 @ 6:38 a.m.
I would have to assume that NFL teams are able to charge a lot more per seat at a new stadium than an older stadium. Otherwise the NFL wouldn't push so hard for new stadiums for every team.
SportsFan0000 April 11, 2016 @ 8:28 a.m.
It will give new meaning to the term "Scam Diego".
Don Bauder April 3, 2016 @ 9:24 a.m.
Ponzi: Oh, there are several relocation sites that can be used to scare the local population: St. Louis, San Antonio, Portland, London, Mexico City, etc.
MURPHYJUNK April 5, 2016 @ 7:23 a.m.
Don Bauder April 5, 2016 @ 2:08 p.m.
aardvark April 5, 2016 @ 3:30 p.m.
Don: If/when this convadium nonsense loses at the polls, I look for Spanos to sell the Chargers in short order.
Don Bauder April 6, 2016 @ 9:25 a.m.
SportsFan0000 April 11, 2016 @ 8:30 a.m.
I doubt it. The kids and grandkids look at the team and revenue steams as their gravy train... Not sure if any of them has ever really worked for a living outside the family business.
aardvark April 11, 2016 @ 8:42 a.m.
You may just be correct. The Spanos clan will keep the franchise for as long as they can--to the detriment of any remaining fans of the franchise.
Don Bauder April 11, 2016 @ 12:58 p.m.
MURPHYJUNK April 12, 2016 @ 7:40 a.m. | 2019-04-19T14:48:54Z | https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2016/mar/30/ticker-chargers-release-so-called-financing-plan/ |
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Then there are the intangible emotional limits. Like how much pain I can tolerate. How much Facebook advocacy drama I can tolerate. How much bad news I can take.
What is striking about these limits is that there is an overall fixed capacity. If I’m more physically active, I can’t read or write as much. If I’m under a lot of stress, my physical capacity disappears. And every. single. thing. adds up.
Take Twitter. I love Twitter for entertainment and news. I’ve met wonderful people through Twitter. Twitter is better than Facebook (at least for me). I’ve always been limited in the number of people I can follow, or how often I can check it in a day. But now I’m running up against a new Twitter limit: how much I can handle emotionally.
Every time I check Twitter, I am hit with bad news. Gaza. Michael Brown. Robin Williams. And then there is the fact that people seem meaner these days. Prejudice. Criticism. Waves of people Tweeting about racism or misogyny that they’ve experienced. I already don’t watch tv news because it made me mad. Even The Daily Show was upsetting me. If 9/11 happened now, I doubt I could handle the news coverage.
Maybe it’s because I’ve had so much personal bad news in the last two years. Or maybe it’s because my advocacy efforts (and accompanying stress and frustration) have increased. Whatever the reason, I’ve got almost no capacity left for emotional load. Most nights, I space out to a baseball game, awaiting my next scheduled pain med, and there is NOTHING left over – no capacity of any kind. And that’s not good. It means I’m less available to my friends and family. It means I’m out of balance.
I can tell when I’ve exceeded my emotional capacity. I lose my patience. Small frustrations make me very angry. My initial reaction to news, questions or problems tends to be knee-jerk anger or resentment. I curse more (and more creatively), to be honest.
But if I have learned anything during my years with ME/CFS, it is that the boundaries of my limits are out of my control. There is a maximum capacity, and if I exceed it then I pay the price in pain and even less capacity. The only thing I have some control over is what fits in the glass box. That box is only so big, and I can only cram so much in. It comes down to choices – what goes in, and what gets left behind.
You’ve probably already read this, but it’s worth repeating: The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino.
Update August 14, 2014: Tracey Tempel Smith wrote this beautiful piece after reading my blog post. She has graciously given me permission to reprint it here. I hope you find it as powerful as I did.
Glass Box: A Life Confined by M.E.
I am having a chance to slowly stretch my box. It is like a process knowing if you put too much inside, cracks start to form. But if you are allowed to lessen the amount in hopes that tiny bits of excess energy builds over months; the warmth starts to soften the glass, to stretch a little. Like a glass blower.
When excess energy runs out, the heat dissipates, glass may cool too quickly, hardens, and cracks form. Then you have to stop, if not the PENE shatters your box and it reforms smaller… Never knowing how small that box will shrink. It is a very subtle process because we can’t always hear the beginning cracks forming, and stop in time before destruction happens.
Sometimes the cracks start slow; sometimes it’s a sudden explosion where you can loose pieces of glass forever. But the glass will always be there in varying degrees of thickness and size. And during this time, in this glass box, there are times where objects outside are thrown at it, and you can’t move the box out of the way. A sitting target, stuck in the shattered pieces, hoping that healing will happen.
To those outside, glass will seem invisible from some perspectives, but just change a viewpoint and the edges of the box appear. Get close and reach out, and touch it, then understand by imagining how it feels to the one surrounded by it.
Some remain so close, the glass is invisible but if they don’t attempt to reach out they won’t feel the glass. They remain in complete disbelief the glass even exists.
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Spot on, as they say. Thanks for articulating what I have been unable to.
I identified with every word of this, Jennie. It all seems overwhelming right now. There is comfort in knowing mine is not a unique experience. Thank you for this honest and insightful post.
Thank you so much for saying this as you have done. I relate to every word of your post. And now I’m thinking about what you’ve said.
After 28 years with this disease, I still can’t figure out my limits. I did some computer work for two days, and everything takes me so long to do. Then I sent out a few emails today, walked 3 blocks to the post office and back. Have to go back out to the drugstore a few blocks away, but I’m wiped out already. No get-up and go left.
And what upsets me a lot is that I’m a reader, especially of mysteries. I have read a certain number of books a year, but in June I read one book, and so, too, in July, where usually I’ve read six. That is because I have watched TV more at night, but do not have energy to read. My eye muscles get tireder more quickly. I read 10 pages and I feel tired, whereas I could read 50-100 pages a night.
And, yes, the news in Gaza, Iraq, Michael Brown, Robin Williams, etc., tires me out. I stopped reading the NY Times articles on war as I couldn’t take it in any more. I find myself protecting myself from the worst news and going to lighter websites to discuss books.
So, I am still figuring out what to do. I’ve been phoning in part of my life. At times, I still resent that I can’t participate in things that are meaningful to me, including activism. I want to be at events, but instead I see them on TV or online. I have to keep telling myself it’s OK to watch, but that is maddening again.
And some friends still don’t get it. One person got angry because I couldn’t call her back to say I couldn’t do something; I had to email. Just didn’t have the energy to talk, especially to someone stressed and yelling.
I can’t help a neighbor with pets while she’s on vacation, which I’ve always done.
So, a lot is changing once again. More adjustments. More acceptance of myself is needed, trying not to be angry at myself or at others.
And patience! Where has mine gone? It’s vanished into the air. I rarely have it. So I avoid stressful people or situations because I have little resilience to deal.
I’m going to print out your message, circle key points and look at it when needed.
I don’t think there are any easy answers to coping. At least, I haven’t found any. Toni Bernhard’s books have been a balm for me, but even she would say that it requires constant practice. I’ve tried to ask myself, at least more recently, what would reduce suffering? Is there something I can give up or not do that would ease my suffering? Is there something I can do to ease someone else’s? If I have an obligation to do something (like two doctor appointments next week – gasp!), then what will make it easier, or at least easier to bear?
And I know it’s so hard to go to an appointment when it’s a struggle to just get dressed. But please GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM! It makes a difference. I say that from personal experience.
Best post yet. And oh, so true.
I really DISlike that question–it is VERY awkward to answer! People don’t want to hear our AUTHENTIC answer–because it makes them uncomfortable–they don’t know how to deal with it.
Welllllll–we would like nothing better than to be answering with ‘feeling better.’ NOT possible, however, with NOTHING in the way of BIO treatment to correct! So the status quo remains for the millions of us struck down with ME/CFS–our lives stolen from us.
How am I–really ?? I am crappy–and this is EVERY day–body always feels very UNwell/sick–like being poisoned, etc.–locked into this horrid disease ad nauseum. This disease is very limiting and life-restricting. AND, this just doesn’t ‘jive’ with normal daily living and living life fully with limitless choices that others can relate to in living daily life and generally life at large.
I quickly developed the habit of answering “Fine!” because I knew people didn’t really want to hear how I was feeling. But people who know me well can decode my tone of voice. I have a particular sing-song “Fine!” which actually means “Terrible!” but you have to know what to listen for.
One of my most used come-backs when I get the “How are you?” question is to reply that I’m breathing air. Every day I just breath air. The problem with living in a glass box is that the air can get so very stale!
I think that one of the things that drives advocates is trying to get people to SEE us crouched in these boxes loosing our lives as the days pass by. To get them to realize that the glass is THERE and try to do something about it. Get us some ventilation at least; a few breathing holes or a little more wiggle room. We need to have some hope that our society and government or at least our physicians will SEE the box and understand that it’s a cage, and make some serious attempts to get us out or at least get us a bit of fresh air; some hope of rescue. The scary thing is that we are so limited in the energy we can expend tapping on the glass trying to get attention. The box is always waiting to clamp down harder at the signs of vigorous escape. It’s a razor edge, knowing the correct balance of being gentle with ourselves, living in the moment, practicing gratitude etc., and trying with all our limited might to try to make things better for ourselves and everyone else who is locked away loosing huge amounts of their life trapped in glass boxes.
Thanks for being a fighter Jennie, don’t wear yourself out- so many are inspired by your skill and tenacity.
Yes, the air gets stale!!!! Brilliant!
People think and hope for us that there will be a ‘change for the better’ . . .
We just can’t deliver on that–not even after all these years–HHS has stuck us into ME/CFS — with NO BIO treatments.
We are fighting 30 years later for justice for the millions of us and for BIO treatments so that we can be more functional and LIVE our lives–and we know that IOM and P2P are NOT the answers to help us–IOM & P2P are the antithesis of aid to ME/CFS patients.
We don’t want the next generation LEFT and kicked to the curb either!!
My complete gratitude to Jennie and everyone that left a comment. This should be required reading for all medical students.
Articulated with amazing accuracy of a life with ME.
Thank you for writing this! The timing in regards to my own life of cancellations, unmet basic chores, raising children on empty. Grateful to all! Thanks for the honesty!
Such a great analogy, Jennie. It’s also glass because we get watched, but the glass must be bubbled in places. Doctor writes “neatly dressed” and “using full sentences” in the chart, but sees only bits and pieces. And is evidently unaware of the effort that took.
I do understand the stress limiting. I shut off facebook, and sometimes Twitter, because of stressful things mentioned. But at the same time, I want to help if I can, same as you said. It’s difficult to balance everything.
Answering ‘how are you’ is difficult. I often say that I’m ‘here’. Some people understand, some think it’s weird, some ask. (When I was a bit better than now, I used to say, “on my feet”, which most people found socially acceptable, though they might do a double take; but someone who really wanted to know said: “This table is on its feet! Please tell me what you mean.”) If I don’t want to discuss it or if I think they don’t, or it’s not a good time because of the venue or something like that, or if I’m at my current baseline and not too uncomfortable, then I may say fine or ok.
Best wishes, Jennie. Take care of yourself.
Thanks, Jennie, true enough. Have to get a mammogram. This is one thing I have done yearly, but one still has to hold one’s arms up and I can’t do it now. I have breast cancer in my immediate family, so I get the necessity of doing this annually.
I have given up a lot as have the entire group of ME/CFS sufferers. It’s now what do I give up again. I live my life pacing myself. I used to get meals delivered often, especially during the winter when I was further disabled by a broken arm, but the take-out place I called has changed into a bar/restaurant. So, I have to continually go out and buy food. Often I can’t go to the store I want to go to as it’s across a bad main street, full of potholes, which I avoid when I’m wiped out — fear of falling, breaking a bone, not being alert.
So the constant food/water purchasing is wiping me out even more. I know this is a problem everyone wrestles with. And it’s hard for me to cook, so I buy food I can just grab with the least amount of work.
So, it’s readjustment. It’s still a daily thing, and I think as I age, my stamina has lessened.
That makes me feel better to read: Cancellations, leaving basic tasks undone, running on empty — all true. I’ll add that I phone in some of my life, or email it in.
Some of these reflections make me laugh: Sometimes my clothes are a bit wrinkled when I have to go somewhere, although I try my best. Recognizing reality, I threw out my ironing board 15 years ago. I still have my iron, although I never use it. I smile when I see it in the cabinet unused.
so, with all this disappointment, sometimes humor pops up. And, darn it, if I want to eat chocolate frozen yogurt for dinner as it’s easiest, why not?
So accurately depicted! Thanks a lot!!
When asked how are you, I skip the question and just say: and you?
Great analogy/metaphor, Jennie. So very true. I came to your website today needing encouragement from “my people,” and here it is. Understanding, empathy, compassion.
I had a doctor visit today, with a nurse practitioner who is not dismissive. He was great listener and is doing what he can within a system that doesn’t offer much. I should feel so good about that, and on some level I do, but I felt badly that I needed such a long appointment, knowing that keeping him so long effected many patients to follow me. I came home sad that the best of appointments in our circumstances still requires a week of prep of the scientific studies that relate to how ME/CFS is now presenting in me, and that the many great studies over decades have not translated into care that would make such appointments easy. Routine.
I don’t know if it’s true but it seems that people, doctors included, think that it should be okay with me by now that I have this disabling condition, like What’s all the fuss about, you know you’re sick? Is that just part of being a middle aged woman, too–marginalized? Yes, I have made peace with much of the loss, but if the picture just looks peaceful, who will help the situation to change? I am very thankful that my life has so much ease compared to others whose suffering and losses are greater, but does that mean my loss is insignificant?
Ah yes, the dreaded “what do you do?” question. I have gotten to the point where I say, “I’m disabled,” and then explain very very briefly, finishing up with “so now I’m a writer and advocate for people with this disease.” I have stopped worrying about making other people uncomfortable with it.
I think that is a brilliant response, Jennie, to the question of “what do you do?” Being an advocate and writer for people with this disease is a very noble thing to do, and it should be recognized by those to whom you give this reply.
Boy can I relate. Brilliant analogies. TY for sharing. In healing and hope that our inner glass blower sends us ample warning signs and advanced notice. In a perfect world….
I went out on Saturday as I had to do some errands, took a cab 12 blocks, went into a department store (eeks), bought something and walked a block to Staples to buy printer ink. I had to sit down for 10 minutes, then I walked one block to Barnes & Noble. Stood for 10 minutes looking at books, which I love to do, but hardly ever do it, then went to cafeteria and had to ask server to put milk in my tea as I could hardly walk to do it myself. Sat for 10 minutes, then took escalator (eeks, was dizzy and afraid I’d fall) and walked around for 10 minutes, then took elevator to main floor. Out, took cab home, wiped out.
I know would believe this if I told them, well, maybe on or two. But this is why I have been cancelling appointments and can’t get anything done. The NY Times are piling up, tasks to do.
No energy to make dinner so had frozen yogurt. My usual take-out place no longer feasible, so no Plan B when I can’t prepare food.
Sorry to vent, but I know you all understand this situation. I was not even prepared to have to sit in doing a few errands.
Kathy, that list of activities would make me crash too! I always underestimate the impact of sensory overload when going into stores, etc.
Do you use a heart rate monitor? I wonder if that would help you pace, know how long to sit, etc. The other idea is a rollator – it’s a rolling walker with a seat. That way you can sit while looking at books, waiting in line, etc. I don’t have one because I use a wheelchair when out for big outings, but I know other patients that use them.
getting one in and out of a cab would be hard, too.
cracks in the sidewalk, etc. Even that can be a hassle.
Whole Foods, I started to crash.
I can’t look at the same things in my fridge one more time! | 2019-04-25T13:12:07Z | http://occupyme.net/2014/08/13/limited-capacity/ |
This study investigated the interrelationship that holds between co-workersâ impression management, LMX and their interpersonal deviance as observed by fellow employees and the moderating effect fellow employeeâs LMX have on the relationship between co-workersâ LMX and their interpersonal deviance towards fellow employees. Data were collected using a survey research design. Respondents included 202 employees who work in the service industry in Surabaya, Indonesia. Hypotheses were tested using SEM and multi-group analysis. This study found that coworkersâ impression management had a positive impact on their LMX and the relationship between coworkersâ LMX and their interpersonal deviance depended on their fellow employeesâ LMX. This study focused on the relation among employees and provided a model that relate coworkers' behaviors-impression management and interpersonal deviance, as antecedents and consequences of their LMX, with how the similarity or difference of fellow employeesâ LMX contributes to the coworkers' involvement in deviant behavior, as seen by fellow employees and in the context of a country with high power distance which is usually more receptive to impression management behavior.
Impression Management, LMX, Interpersonal Deviance.
The organization as a workplace comprised of individual employees who work together to achieve certain goals. In the regular activities of the organization, individual employees must interact and complete the task together, either directly or indirectly, with their co-workers. Support from co-workers is important to create positive working conditions. However, in reality, co-workers’ behaviours can worsen the working environment and result in some negative impacts for individual employees (Chiaburu & Harrison, 2008). Employees’ perception towards co-workers’ behaviour can be influenced by employment situations. One of these situations is the quality of the relationship between superior and subordinates or Leader-Member Exchange (LMX).
The LMX theory explains how superiors use their power to develop different exchange relationships with their subordinates (Yukl, 1989). According to this theory, leaders will divide their subordinates as in-group (employees who have high quality LMX) and out-group (employees with low quality LMX). However, one can be a member of the in-group because he/she uses impression management behaviour towards his/her supervisor (Engle & Lord, 1997). Employees with low LMX may use influential tactics on their supervisors for securing valuable resources. This is because they in comparison with employees of high LMX have less access to those resources, such as support from supervisor and careers (Epitropaki & Martin, 2013). Individuals may expect that their impression management tactics can make their supervisor like them and such attitude determines the quality of their LMX (Engle & Lord, 1997).
Maslyn & Uhl-Bien (2005) found that out-group members perceive the success of their co-workers’ (i.e., the in-group members) impression management behaviour more than they perceive their own. They perceive that their co-workers become in-group members because they use impression management behaviour. This finding is interesting because employees do not perceive their own impression management behaviour but that of their co-workers and these behaviours make them succeed. However, most of the previous studies that investigated the relationship between impression management and LMX focused more on the assessment of the relationship between individual employees and their superior. Those studies requested employees to report their own impression management as well as their LMX (Colella & Varma, 2001; Lian, Ferris & Brown, 2012), asked employees to assess their own impression management, while the quality of LMX was reported by their supervisor (Deluga & Perry, 1994; Carlson, Carlson & Ferguson, 2011); or requested employees to measure their own LMX but impression management was measured by the supervisor’s rating (Weng & Chang, 2015). Koopman, Matta, Scott & Conlon (2015) examined the relationship between ingratiation and LMX, but they focused on how supervisors could maintain their high quality relationship with in-group members. Even though co-workers also have an important role in the relationship between supervisor-fellow employees and how individuals perceive their marketplace (Omilion-Hodges & Baker, 2013), there were very few research studies of LMX which focused on the relationship between fellow employees and their co-workers (Omilion-Hodges & Baker, 2013) or between LMX and impression management.
The previous studies focused more on investigating the positive consequences of being in-group members (Naseer, Raja, Syed, Donia & Darr, 2016). For example, in-group members will engage more in safety behaviour (Zhou & Jiang, 2015), Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) (Sun, Chow, Chiu & Pan, 2013) and creativity (Olsson, Hemlin & Pousette, 2012). These results are in line with the social exchange theory, i.e., if one party receives benefits from another party, he/she must reciprocate it with good things (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). According to Zhou & Jiang (2015), in-group members who have obtained good things from their supervisors such as support, respect and trust, will feel obliged to respond with positive behaviour. However, Lian et al. (2012) found that an employee with high LMX, who experienced abusive supervision, would be more engaged in interpersonal deviance. On the other hand Naseer et al. (2016) found that in-group members, who have a despotic leader, will engage less in Organizational Citizenship Behaviour-Organization (OCBO), Organizational Citizenship Behaviour-Individual (OCBI) and creativity. In addition, Naseer et al. (2016) also found that interactions between politics and LMX and a despotic leader result in negative work behaviour, precisely for employees with high LMX. Moreover, supervisors who show their subordinates lack of trust and respect (Shu & Lazatkhan, 2017) and perform arbitrary behaviour on a group of subordinates, such as abusive behaviour (Lian et al., 2012; Xu, Loi & Lam, 2015) can be a model of negative behaviour for a group of subordinates. One form of negative behaviour among individual employees has been investigated in terms of interpersonal deviance (Bennett & Robinson, 2000). Therefore, it is possible that in-group members may engage in deviant behaviour towards other people such as their co-workers. Despite this reality, there is a lack of studies that investigate the negative behaviour of in-group members (Chiaburu & Harrison, 2008).
Summarizing the discussion, we find some important issues: First, whether employees with high-quality LMX will act negatively to their counterparts. Second, whether co-workers who are perceived to be successful in their impression management-those who have become in-group members-will try to maintain and strengthen the quality of their relationship with their supervisor by engaging in deviant behaviour and third, whether the quality of fellow employees' LMX is important to differentiate the effect of co-workers' LMX on their deviant behaviour against fellow employees. Although these issues are interesting, there have been very few studies that investigated the issue of co-workers' behaviour, of those who became in-group members as a result of their impression management behaviour-especially, as it are seen through the eyes of their fellow employees.
In this current study, we focused on the relationship among employees i.e., what fellow employees perceive about their co-workers' behaviour as well as their co-workers' LMX quality with their supervisor. Specifically, we looked into co-workers' impression management and their deviant behaviour toward fellow employees as an antecedent and consequence of LMX. We argue that individuals who use impression management and become in-group members will try to maintain their position. It is possible that they will engage in deviant behaviour directed to other employees, to make others look bad. Moreover, we argue that individuals who are in a high quality relationship position will engage in deviant behaviour targeting individuals who are in a low quality relationship with the same superior. Contrary to Koopman et al. (2015) who focused on how supervisors maintain quality LMX, we propose that the high quality LMX condition of individual employees which was built by impression management tactics against their supervisor may have an impact on how the employees maintain the quality of their relationship. In contrast to previous studies, we asked the respondents to report their co-workers' impression management behaviour, LMX and interpersonal deviance against them.
This current study investigated the effect of co-workers' impression management behaviour, which is directed to the supervisor, on their LMX, impact of co-workers' LMX on their interpersonal deviance, which is directed to fellow employees and the moderating effect of fellow employees' LMX on the relationship between co-workers' LMX and their interpersonal deviance. Furthermore, we investigated whether co-workers with high quality LMX will engage in deviant behaviour towards fellow employees with the same or different LMX quality. Respondents of this study were employees who work in a variety of service industries in Surabaya. Surabaya is one of the greatest trading cities in Indonesia. Indonesia is a country where society has a high cultural value of power distance (Hofstede, 2007). Impression management is considered as something normative within a specific cultural context such as in high power distance cultures (Zaidman & Drory, 2001). Specifically, the distinction of in-group and out-group and perception of organizational politics are more prevalent in countries with high power distance (Naseer et al., 2016). However, there were very few studies that discussed impression management behaviour in such cultural situations (Zaidman & Drory, 2001; Xin, 2004; Ward & Ravlin, 2017).
Impressions management is defined as "the process by which individuals influences the impressions of others towards them" Rosenfeld, Giacalone & Riordan (1995); Kacmar, Carlson & Bratton (2004), by manipulating the information they impress (Kacmar et al., 2004). Impression management behaviour arises when people want to create and maintain a specific identity (Zaidman & Drory, 2001), to change people's perceptions of them and to construct the appropriate behaviour for a particular situation (Ward & Ravlin, 2017). To attain these objectives, individuals will demonstrate verbal and non-verbal behaviour, so that they will be seen as more pleasant (Bozeman & Kacmar, 1997). As mentioned by Dorry & Zaidman (2007), individuals tend to use impression management behaviour when they interact with other people who have higher status and power and valuable resources. Thus, individuals use impression management behaviour by manipulating their identity in order to look nice to target resources. Moreover, impression management behaviour can be done because of the influence of personal and situational factors (Leary & Kowalski, 1990). Related to the situational factors, when a person has a high dependence on another party for a valuable resource or limitations on the resources he/she wants, he/she will engage in impression management tactics (Zaidman & Drory, 2001). This is consistent with the power-dependence theory of Emerson (1972); Tepper et al. (2009), that the dependence of a person is inversely proportional to his/her power. In other words, the lower the person’s power, the more dependent he/she is on the other party who has higher power. Impression management behaviour is carried out by members of the organization and is directed to all those who interact with them in their daily work activities (Hewlin, 2009). According to the power-dependence theory, subordinates potentially engage in impression management behaviour to obtain valuable resources from their supervisors. Valuable resources could be a good relationship with supervisors or opportunity to get interesting assignments as well as important roles. Indeed, impression management tactics can be used to attain successful careers (Diekmann, Blickle, Hafner & Peters, 2015). Weng & Chang (2015) also mentioned that in-group members, rather than out-group, enjoy the benefit of career development opportunities. Those valuable resources can be accessed if employees have a good relationship quality or high-quality LMX with their supervisors.
Impression management tactics can include self-focused tactics of self-promotion and other-focused tactics, other-enhancement, opinion conformity and favour rendering (Kacmar et al., 2004). Self-focused tactics provide benefits to increase others’ opinion of a perpetrator's competence. While other-focused tactics can increase the affection and attractiveness of the perpetrator (Kacmar et al., 2004; Weng & Chang, 2015). Self-promotion consists of some behaviour: Self-description-perpetrators describe themselves as being attractive, self-presentation-perpetrators give a statement about their attractiveness and self-enhancing-perpetrators communicate their qualities (Kacmar et al., 2004). Individuals perform other enhancement by flattering others and showing an interest in the target’s life. Individual make an opinion-conformity by giving approval to the target’s opinion. While favour rendering is the behaviour of individuals who offer helps or performs un-requested tasks for the target (Kacmar et al., 2004).
As noted by Zaidman & Drory (2001), it is a natural thing if a subordinate tries to create a positive impression in front of his/her supervisors. This is because he/she wants to maximize the rewards he/she may receive Schlenker (1980); Zaidman & Drory (2001). One of the benefits is that of obtaining a high-quality relationship with his/her supervisors. Kacmar et al. (2004) state that one of the goals of using impression management behaviour is related to LMX. In the concept of LMX, leaders tend to select a group of subordinates and they will have a high-quality relationship with those subordinates. Furthermore, subordinates may focus impression management behaviour to their supervisor as a way of avoiding punishment and abusive supervision (Tepper, Duffy, Hoobler & Ensley, 2004). As a result, through high quality LMX with their supervisors, they receive more positive treatment from them.
Social exchange theory is the basis for explaining LMX. LMX describes the relationship between superiors and subordinates and focuses on the exchange relations between the two sides (Dulebohn, Wu & Liao, 2017). According to the social exchange theory, reciprocity is one of the rules in exchange, that is, if one party gets benefits from others, he/she will respond with positive behaviours (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). In LMX, supervisors may choose in-group members based on their liking, as they consider their subordinates as pleasant and competent individuals (Dulebohn, Wu & Liao, 2017). Nevertheless, some studies suggest that the superior can also choose subordinates based on their impression management behaviour (Othman, Foo & Ng, 2010). Therefore, employees who want to become in-group members can use this opportunity, being liked by supervisor as people who are competent and pleasant, by using impression management. In this case, there was bias towards appraisal performance done by the supervisor (Othman et al., 2010). Mayer, Keller, Leslie & Hanges (2008) noted that the process of relationship-forming between subordinates and superiors will be observed by other subordinates. Maslyn & Uhl-Bien (2005) also found that employees perceive co-workers’ ingratiation as a way to become in-group members.
Chiaburu & Harrison (2008) suggested that the lateral relations between individual employees and co-workers may drive a conflict where one party can engage in behaviours that deviate from the norm or engage in deviant behaviour that is directed to other people in the same level of relationship. According to Bennett & Robinson (2000), deviant behaviour that is directed to another person, for example co-workers, is termed as interpersonal deviance. Some forms of interpersonal deviance are ridicule and treating other employees with negative manners (Bennett & Robinson, 2000). Moreover, individual employees will engage in deviant behaviour towards a target that is considered as having an inferior status or has the same status as theirs (Aquino, Tripp & Bies, 2001). However, according to the social learning theory, individuals will engage in interpersonal deviance because they take their supervisor’s behaviours as model (Aquino, Douglas & Martinko, 2004) and learn from their environment about what behaviours are acceptable (Aquino & Douglas, 2003). Likewise, Naseer et al. (2016) noted that in-group members will try to have the same behavioural identity with their superiors. In addition, according to the social identity theory, in-group members will attempt to confirm their identity to their superior including their behaviours (Naseer et al., 2016). Meanwhile out-group members may be perceived by their superior as undesirable persons (Naseer et al., 2016). It is possible that out-group members will perceive in-group members as people who behave as unpleasantly as their supervisor. In the context of LMX, the supervisor will use different behaviours for in-group and out-group members. Individual who have low quality relationship with their supervisor, may experience mistreatment from their supervisor (Penhaligon, Louis & Restubog, 2009). As a result in-group members may become disrespectful and act negatively towards out-group members.
People with high hierarchical status are considered to have valuable resources desired by others, such as work conditions, authority, autonomy and recognition (Aguino & Douglas, 2003). In the context of high power distance culture, people will respect individuals with high status and privileges may indicate a person’s high status (Atwater, Wang, Smither & Fleenor, 2009). As in LMX’s concept, the leader provides some privileges to in-group members such as trust and support. Based on the results of the present study, we argue that in some cultural context such as in a high power distance culture, the close relationship individuals have with their superior may indicate a high status for them. In addition, Aquino, Grover, Bradfield & Allen (1999) found that the hierarchy status has an effect on the perception of the target of unpleasant behaviour. It is possible that fellow employees may perceive that their co-workers with high-quality LMX may engage in deviant behaviour toward them. Moreover, individuals who engage in impression management may continue to do this tactic over time to maintain their relationship with the target and receive benefit from him/her (Carlson et al., 2011). Therefore we argue that a fellow employee may perceive that his/her co-workers, who are in-group members due to their impression tactics, will try to maintain that position. Thus, for that reason, a fellow employee may perceive that those co-workers engage in negative behaviour against him/her so that he/she may look bad in the eyes of their superiors.
According to Aquino & Douglas (2003), individuals who are in a higher hierarchical status will engage less in antisocial behaviour than those who are in low hierarchical status. It can be due to the fact that individuals who are in lower hierarchical status engage in antisocial behaviour as an effort to maintain respect from others (Aquino & Douglas, 2003). However, in the context of LMX, employees may feel dislike for their counterparts who have a different LMX quality (Tse, Lam, Lawrence & Xu, 2013). Thus, we argue that in-group members, who may engage in impression behaviour, also will engage in negative behaviour toward others in order to obtain respect. It is possible that others may see impression management actors, although they have high quality LMX with supervisor, as incompetent persons.
As noted by Omilion-Hodges & Baker (2013), the behaviour of individuals toward their peers depends on the LMX quality of individual employees and their co-workers. We argue that fellow employees may perceive their co-workers, who are in-group members, as engaging in deviant behaviour toward them if the fellow employees are out-group members. As Aquino et al. (2001) noted that employees with higher status have more power, it can be inferred that individuals with higher status can have more negative impact on the welfare of individuals with lower status positions. Consistent with Aquino et al. (2001); Tse et al. (2013) argued that in-group members may try to remove out-group members from the social networks. Specifically, co-workers will perform unpleasant behaviour to fellow employees in an attempt to expel them from the working group (Hershcovis et al., 2007). However, if fellow employees and co-workers have the same LMX (whether high or low), they will maintain a good relationship between them (Omilion-Hodges & Baker, 2013).
In this study, we argue that employees may perceive their co-workers becoming in-group members because of their impression management behaviour. In addition, co-workers who are in a higher position-those who have high-quality of LMX with their superiors-may attempt to make other employees look bad in the eyes of their superiors. Tepper et al. (2004) found that subordinates who do not use impression management behaviour will get negative treatment from their superiors. On the other hand their co-workers who engage in impression management do not experience the negative behaviour they receive from their supervisors. It is possible that in order to maintain their high quality relationship, co-workers may try to impress and show that they are better than others-they may engage in interpersonal deviance targeted to fellow employees. This behaviour may be directed to employees with lower status or the out-group members. Meanwhile employees who are in the same high quality position will perceive the co-worker's deviant behaviour less.
H1: Co-worker’s impression management is positively related to his/her LMX.
H2: Co-worker’ LMX is positively related to his/her interpersonal deviance.
H3: A Fellow employee’s LMX has an effect on the relationship between a co-worker’s LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance targeted to a fellow employee. When fellow employee’s LMX is high, the relationship between a co-worker's LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance will be negative and positive when the fellow employee’s LMX is low.
The population of this study consisted of the non-managerial employees working in various service industries in Surabaya, Indonesia. The sample of this study was determined based on convenience sampling. Employees who work in the service industry have a high tendency to meet and communicate directly with their costumer. This interaction plays an important role in the perception of costumers regarding the service quality. It is possible that the quality of their work will be affected by their work situation, such as their relationship with co-workers and supervisor. We distributed questionnaires to 225 respondents. There were 202 questionnaires (90% response rate) which can be used for hypothesis analysis. The respondent characteristics were as follows: Mostly women, i.e., as many as 115 of the sample (56.9%), aged less than 35 years (148 people, i.e., 72.8%), unmarried (117 people, i.e., 57.9%), finished university studies (S1) (117 people, i.e., 57.9%) and with tenure of less than 5 years (138 people, i.e., 68.3%).
Impression management variable was measured using a short version-10 indicators of Wayne & Ferris (1990); Yun, Takeuchi & Liu (2007). This Wayne & Liden' indicators include self-focused tactic and other focused tactic behaviours. The Employee’s LMX and the co-worker’s LMX were measured by the seven indicators of Scandura & Graen (1984); Wayne, Shore & Liden (1997). The co-worker’s interpersonal deviance was measured using the 7 indicators of Bennett & Robinson (2000). Respondents were asked to respond using a seven-point scale ranging from “never” (1) to “every day” (7) to indicate the frequency with which co-workers perform deviant behaviours on them.
We ask each respondent to perceive the behaviours of one of his/her co-worker (impression management and interpersonal deviance), as well as the quality of the relationship between him/herself and his/her co-worker with the same supervisor. Respondents used a 5-point scale ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree to report their level of agreement to a series of statements about their own LMX, a co-worker’s LMX, a co-worker’s impression management targeted to their same supervisor and a co-worker’s interpersonal deviance targeted to them. Hypothesis testing is done by using path analysis and for analysing moderating hypothesis, we used multi-group analysis.
Table 1 below shows means, standard deviations and correlations. The reliability test showed that all variables have Cronbach's Alpha value above 0.78. We used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to confirm that all measured constructs were independent. The measurement model consisted of three variables: Co-worker’s impression management and interpersonal deviance. Figure 1 shows that the three-factor model indicated a good fit to the data: CMIN/df=2.198, IFI=0.902, RMSEA=0.077 and CFI=0.901.
We used Structural Equation Modelling to test our hypotheses. Specifically, we used a multi-group analysis to assess the effect of fellow employees' LMX as a moderating variable. The results showed that co-worker's impression management was positively related to their LMX quality (supported hypothesis 1) (β=0.477; p<0.01). But co-worker's LMX was unrelated to his/her interpersonal deviance targeted to a fellow employee (β=0.115; n.s); thus hypothesis 2 was unsupported. Hypothesis 3 proposed that fellow employee’s LMX has an effect on the relationship between co-worker’s LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance targeted to a fellow employee. When fellow employee's LMX is high, the relationship between a co-worker's LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance will be negative and positive when a fellow employee’s LMX is low. The results partially supported hypothesis 3. This study found that a fellow employee's LMX has an effect on the relationship between the co-worker's impression management and his/her LMX (Δχ2Δdf=1; p<0.05) =13.047). Moreover, this study found that when fellow employee's LMX is high, the relationship between co-worker's LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance will be negative (β= -0.408; p<0.01). However, when a fellow employee's LMX is low, there is no relationship between a co-worker's LMX and his/her interpersonal deviance (β=0.159; n.s.) (Table 2).
According to Greenberg et al. (1987); Miller & Thomas (2005), co-workers can help show realities and have influence on employees’ behaviours in the workplace. This current study identified the role of co-workers’ behaviour as perceived and experienced by fellow employees. We argue that the co-workers' impression management was related to their LMX quality and that their LMX quality was related to their interpersonal deviance targeted to their fellow employees. This study found that, based on fellow employee’s perceptions, co-workers' impression management could increase their quality relationship with their superiors. This finding supported the first hypothesis and consistent with the arguments of Othman et al. (2010) and the study by Maslyn & Uhl-Bien (2005). Moreover, we found that co-workers’ LMX was not related to their interpersonal deviance targeted to fellow employees. This study found that the relationship between co-workers’ LMX and their deviant behaviour towards fellow employees depended on fellow employees’ LMX. This result showed when fellow employees' LMX was high: The higher the co-workers' LMX, the lower their deviant behaviour targeted to fellow employees. But when fellow employees' LMX was low, the positive relationship between co-workers' LMX and interpersonal deviance towards fellow employees was not significant. These results provided partial support for the third hypothesis.
The results showed that employees may feel less dislike for their co-workers who have the same relationship quality (whether high or low) with the same supervisor. It is because they will try to get closer and have a harmonious relationship with their fellow employees (Tse et al., 2013). This argument is consistent with the findings of this study that co-workers who have the same high LMX quality with fellow employees will be less engaged in deviant behaviour against them. But co-workers who have low quality LMX may engage in deviant behaviour towards their fellow employees who have high LMX. As noted by Robinson & Greenberg (1998), individuals may engage in workplace deviance because they perceive unfair treatment from their supervisor.
According to Tse et al. (2013), employees will feel more dislike for co-workers who have a different relationship quality with the same supervisor. Especially for employees who have low LMX, they may try to protect themselves better and reduce their sense of inferiority and then take some actions to balance their condition of quality LMX (Tse et al., 2013). In line with this, Bies & Tripp (2005); Hershcovis et al. (2007) stated that individuals who engage in aggressive behaviour attempt to repair the unjust situation. Tse et al. (2013) found that the individual's feeling of dislike for his/her co-workers will encourage hostile emotions and an unwillingness to help and support each other. This finding supports the finding of Mayer et al. (2008) that individuals with low LMX will engage in deviant behaviour when co-workers have high LMX. Thus, co-workers who have a different LMX quality compared to fellow employees will engage in deviant behaviour towards them. In addition, subordinates who want to respond to the supervisor who treated them unfairly might not want to target their deviant behaviour directly to their supervisor (Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007). The reason is that they fear their supervisor’s reprisal. They would direct their deviant behaviour towards others such as co-workers.
Interestingly, the positive relationship between co-workers' LMX and interpersonal deviance targeting fellow employees was not significant, when fellow employees' LMX was low. It is possible that some employees who are in-group members indeed engage in deviant behaviour towards their counterparts, i.e., the out-group members, because they want to maintain their LMX quality. But some employees do not engage in deviant behaviour towards their counterpart in the low LMX. The possible explanation is that employees are friends with each other despite being on a different relationship quality with their superiors. This friendship can actually give benefit for out-group members because they can get information from their friends who have high quality relationship with the superior. In addition, impression management is directed towards a specific target, for example a supervisor, who is considered to have valuable and important resources (Kacmar et al., 2004; Weng & Chang, 2015) and the impression management actors usually build a good impression of the target over time (Carlson et al., 2011). Therefore, it is possible that the impression management actors are more focused on maintaining their position by building positive image of self-competence and being a pleasant person, only directed to their supervisors.
Second, individuals who are perceived to have a high LMX will be less engaged in deviant behaviour directed to their counterparts with the same LMX quality. However, if the quality of LMX is different, co-workers who have low LMX will be more perceived to engage in deviant behaviour. Therefore, supervisors should recognize that different treatment of their employees will lead to the increasing of out-group members' perception of injustice. While it is possible that societies with high power distance culture do not respond negatively to the negative behaviours of their supervisor (Tepper, 2007), employees who experience injustice can direct their retaliation towards in-group members. However, organizations can minimize those risks by not choosing candidates who are inclined to engage in deviant behaviours, such as those with strong retaliation norms (Wu, Zhang, Chiu, Kwan & He, 2014). In addition, organizations can provide role-play training for supervisors about the impact of their differentiated treatments of subordinates.
This study has a few limitations. First, the data of this study are cross-sectional and based on self-report data. This may result in biased finding. Thus causal relationships should be considered carefully (Xu et al., 2015). However, since the self-report data are collected anonymously, it can still be expected to reveal the negative behaviour experienced by respondents (Thau, Bennet, Mitchell & Marrs, 2009). The next studies can investigate those variables in the future. Second, this study was conducted in Indonesia and respondents were employees who work in the service industry. Therefore, in order to increase the external validity of the results, future studies may investigate those variables using different samples and countries, especially countries that share the same cultural values with Indonesia.
In this study, we asked respondents to perceive their co-workers' impression management and their interpersonal deviance towards them and, to perceive their LMX quality and their co-workers' LMX quality with the same supervisor. Thus, this study can capture factual reality regarding the negative behaviours of co-workers, especially because people usually tend to cover their own negative behaviours. This study found that the profile of co-workers' LMX has negative consequence depending on their fellow employees' LMX. Hence, future research needs to investigate the role of other variables, such as co-workers' personality and fellow employees' performance and competence that might amplify or reduce the co-workers' deviant behaviour towards their fellow employees. In addition, it is necessary to investigate whether in-group members will imitate their supervisor's behaviours, especially the negative behaviour a supervisor would show when dealing with out-group members.
This study showed that the LMX quality (in the formation of in-group and out-group) and the consequences of differences treatment by supervisor towards those groups can have an impact on negative employee behaviour, especially for out-group employees. However, it is possible that employees have been received the formation of in-group and out-group as a workplace phenomenon. In this regard, the future studies can identify variables that may strengthen or weaken the impact of LMX quality on their negative behaviour, for example, employee acceptance of different relationship qualities with superiors, organizational support and the closeness of relationships among employees.
Our study provided a relationships model of co-workers’ behaviours (impression management and interpersonal deviance) and their LMX as observed by fellow employees. We argued that co-workers with high LMX will engage in deviant behaviour towards their fellow employees depending on their fellow employees’ LMX. We found that the co-workers’ impression management was significantly and positively related to their LMX. In addition, when fellow employees' LMX is high, the relationship between the co-workers' LMX and their interpersonal deviance will be negative. But there is no relationship between co-workers’ LMX and interpersonal deviance when their fellow employees’ LMX is low.
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Oracle’s Profitability and Cost Management Cloud Service (PCMCS) provides a powerful service for allocating General Ledger profits and costs. Recently, we worked with a banking industry client to provide a model that calculates profitability at a Product/Channel level while maintaining Account level detail. We accomplished this through a framework we refer to as Micro-Costing where detailed profits and costs are calculated in a database using rates developed at the summary level in PCMCS. Alithya began development of this framework in 2016 to meet a functional gap in PCMCS and provide a common framework that can be used either on-premise or in the Cloud.
Product – a loan or deposit offering. Examples of a loan are an auto loan or credit card; examples of a deposit are a savings account or a checking account.
Origination Channel – where the account was originated.
Service Channel – where the financial or transactional cost or profit is occurring or assigned to.
Customer – a legal entity responsible for accounts; for example, a person with both a home loan and a savings account.
Customer Account – a product that is assigned to a customer.
Financial Costs and Profits – the cost or profit of servicing a loan or deposit for a customer; for example, interest paid on a savings account.
Transactional Costs and Profits – the cost or profit of interacting with a customer; for example, the cost of an ATM transaction.
This summarizes the data model deployed.
STAGING – Contains transient data.
OPERATIONAL DATA STORE (ODS) – Persists the operational data with minimal transformation. Dimensional integrity is not enforced, but validation jobs are available for validating stored data regarding rules and dimensional integrity.
WAREHOUSE-STAR – Persists the drivers, the rates, and the calculated profits and costs at the Customer Account level. The Driver Lookup and Driven Value Lookup functions are used to define the drivers and driven values so that the addition of a driver or driven value is a configuration activity for an administrator rather than a coding activity.
Data Integration uses interim flat files to maintain flexibility regarding the source data by establishing an API via the flat files without requiring knowledge of the source systems. This allows for the introduction of source data that comes from 3rd parties not available for automated extraction from the source.
Some transactional drivers represent an activity that cannot be associated with a specific Customer Account; for example, a new loan application. Proxy Customer Accounts for each product are generated to provide a place for these activities.
Additionally, although not graphically displayed in the above diagram, Branch level drivers are directly fed into the PCM Model, examples of which are Branch square footage and number of branch employees. These drivers were used for non-Customer Account PCM costs and profits.
All Batch processing is built using SQL Server Integration Services. This is based upon an agreement with the client regarding the preferred tool sets with the database selected being SQL Server. Framework is transferable to other integration tools and databases including Hadoop framework, and in-house solutioning by Alithya was performed in preparation for use of the Micro-Costing framework with larger clients.
The following design principles were focused on during development of the Micro-Costing framework. These principles facilitate an easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain solution as deployed for our client.
All dimensional mapping must occur prior to the warehouse star schema. It is not possible to perform the Micro-Costing A*B calculations to derive profits and costs detail otherwise. This has an impact on any deployment that uses FDMEE or Cloud Data Manager as they cannot perform additional mappings during upload to the cube.
Dimensional Synchronization includes a Point of View: Year, Period, Scenario, and Version to allow for loading multiple sets of drivers during a month, and for transfer of ‘what-if’ rates back to the Customer Account level, if desired.
Validation kick-outs and checks occur as early in the data integration process as possible, with a “simple” validation during staging and a “complex” validation during generation of the fact information in the warehouse. This allows the administrator to catch quality issues with a minimum amount of overall process duration occurring. The data integration process is broken into a series of steps that allows for validation review and then re-running a step prior to moving on to the next step. This principle held up in deployment, ensuring that time wasn’t wasted running later processes with invalid data, the result being an improved overall process and a significant reduction in the number of days required to produce profit and cost analysis for a given month. A lesson learned during the initial roll-out was that our client had not previously required a rigorous validation of the drivers at the Customer Account level and had to develop new techniques for validating the source information to ensure accuracy.
A key feature of Oracle’s PCM applications is configurability, and the Micro-Costing framework is built to provide an easy-to-maintain solution that allows for rapid addition of drivers and driven values without the administrator having to manually update the tables and views required to manage the transformation and persistence of data. This was accomplished by defining the drivers and driven values in tables and providing stored procedures for maintaining the tables and views.
Backup the database and the PCM cube.
Update the source feeds to include the new activity or fee.
Update the activity to Driver Lookup and Driven Value Lookup tables with the new values. *Note: The driven value record references the driver for the A*B calculation.
Execute the “Update Costing Tables and Views” stored procedure. *Note: removing a driver or driven value does not modify the tables.
Update HPCM Account dimension for the new driver and driven value.
Update HPCM rules to use the new driver and allocate expenses to the new driven value, and calculate the rate for the new driven value.
Run the entire data integration process for the POV, and review results.
An improved ability to provide Product/Channel level costs and profits.
Reduced monthly cycle time and effort. The prior data integration process was disjointed and required a large amount of effort to produce results.
Drill-through capability to Customer Account level drivers, profits, and costs allows for root cause analysis of Channel and Product Costs.
Aggregation along other dimensional paths. Starting at the Customer Account level allows for aggregation along Customer attributes such as zip-code or credit score, providing new insights and enhanced executive decision making. A follow-on project to use the Customer Account level data in OAC is currently being assessed.
Model flexibility. The configuration of an additional driver and driven value in Micro-Costing takes fewer than 15 minutes.
Easy troubleshooting, validation, and auditing capabilities with PCM. Errors or mismatches in profit or cost at the Product/Channel level can be reduced to either rule definition mistakes or driver data entry mistakes. Finding out where the issue is and correcting it with a few clicks has a positive impact on the overall analysis and maintenance effort.
Alithya has developed a Micro-Costing framework that allows an integrated view of profits and costs at both a summary and detailed level. This framework is successfully deployed at a banking industry client to provide a superior solution.
…or anywhere the allocations occur at a summary level with drivers aggregated from a detail level.
As an earlier blog mentioned, the 18.07 release of Enterprise Data Management Cloud Service (EDMCS) delivered one eagerly anticipated piece of functionality: Subscriptions! And do not fear – these subscriptions are useful and do not involve a 1-year subscription to the Fruit of the Month Club (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
This blog post dives deeper into this new functionality, describes how it works, and highlights some lessons learned from utilizing Subscriptions with a current project involving multiple EDMCS Custom applications supporting multiple Profitability and Cost Management Cloud Service (PCMCS) applications.
Subscriptions are a huge step towards true “mastering” of enterprise data assets within a single master data Cloud platform. With EDMCS, it is important to build deployment-specific applications configured to the dimensionality requirements of the target applications to most effectively use the packaged adapters, validations, and integration capabilities. But in many cases, you also need to share common hierarchies across applications and avoid duplicative (that’s my big word for today) maintenance. After all, why have a master data management tool if you still must perform maintenance in multiple places? That’s just silly.
The answer to this dilemma is Subscriptions. By implementing Subscriptions, requests submitted to a primary viewpoint will automatically generate parallel subscription requests to subscribing viewpoints to automatically synchronize your hierarchy changes across EDMCS applications.
This comment is important: “automatically generate parallel subscription requests.” EDMCS will not update a target, or subscribing, viewpoint behind the scenes with no visibility or audit trail to what has occurred. A parallel Subscription request will be generated along with the Interactive request that will be visible in the Requests window, along with the full audit trail and details that you find in an Interactive request. Even better, the Subscription request will generate an email and attach a Request File of the changes.
The first thing to really think about is the View and Viewpoint design of your EDMCS applications. Subscriptions are defined at the Viewpoint level, so you need to identify the source and target viewpoint for your business situation. With my current project, I have multiple EDMCS applications supporting multiple PCMCS applications. While the dimensionality is similar across the applications, the hierarchies vary, especially with the alternate hierarchies. So, it has been important to isolate the “common” or shared structures that should be synchronized across applications into their own viewpoint so that a subscription mechanism can be created.
You will likely need to create a node type converter. If the source and target viewpoints do not share a common node type, you must create a node type converter for subscriptions to work. In my situation, I had already created node type converters since I wanted to compare common structures across EDMCS applications, so the foundation was there to readily implement subscriptions.
To create a Subscription, the creator must have (at a minimum) View Browser permission to the source view, View Owner permission to the target view, and Data Manager permission to the target application.
The Subscription assignee (this is the user who will “submit” the subscription request) must have (at a minimum) View Browser permission to the source view and Data Manager permission to the target application.
Once the foundation is in place in terms of viewpoints, node type converters, and permissions, the actual creation of a subscription is easy.
Inspect the target viewpoint (the viewpoint that is to receive the changes from a source viewpoint via subscription), navigate to the Subscriptions tab, and click Edit. From there you can select the source viewpoint, the request assignee, and enable Auto Submit if needed. Save the subscription and you are all set.
Currently, there is no capability to edit an existing subscription. You must delete and add a new subscription to effect a change.
Any validation errors for your subscription will appear on this dialog as well. These are documented nicely in the Oracle EDMCS administration guide.
Emails will be generated and sent to the Request Assignee, whether Auto-Submit is enabled or not. The email will include details such as the original request #, the subscription request #, and how many request items were processed or skipped.
Remember, the subscription request will have a Request File attached to it. View the request file attachment to see details on why specific request items were skipped.
The request file is not attached to the email itself, only to the request in EDMCS.
The importance of dimension, view, and viewpoint design cannot be overstated. For each dimension, evaluate the primary and alternate hierarchy content and identify what will be shared across dimensions or applications and what will be unique to each dimension and application.
As early as possible, identify the EDMCS user population along with permission levels for applications and views. This is important to identify the appropriate “Request Assignee” for your Subscriptions. I recommend creating a security matrix identifying each user and the permissions each will have.
Without a clear and well thought out design, you will find yourself constantly re-doing your views and viewpoints which, in turn, will cause constant rework of your subscriptions. The “measure twice, cut once” adage certainly applies here!
I am a big proponent of standard, consistent naming conventions to improve the usability and end user experience. The same holds true for Subscriptions. Consider using a standard naming convention for your viewpoints so it is clear which viewpoints have a subscription. It’s not obvious – unless you Inspect the viewpoint – that a subscription exists.
One approach I’ve been using is to name my source and target viewpoints identically with a special tag or symbol at the end of the target viewpoint name to indicate a subscription is present. I’m sure there are other and probably better ideas, but I find the visual cue to be helpful.
Perhaps in the future, Oracle will display subscription details when you hover over a viewpoint name (hint hint).
Make sure your node type converters are mapping all required properties.
I ran into an issue where updates to one property in my source viewpoint were not being applied to my target viewpoint via subscription requests, but all other property updates worked fine. The reason? I had recently modified my App Registration and added this property to a dimension’s node type. But my node type converter had already been created and wasn’t mapping or recognizing the new property. Once I updated my node type converter, the problem was solved.
The request files attached to subscription requests are a valuable troubleshooting tool. Status codes and error messages are included in these Excel files that are extremely helpful to determine why your request was not auto-submitted.
I have been looking forward to the subscription functionality in EDMCS and am pleased with it so far. Subscriptions are easy to configure, can be configured to auto-submit if desired, and generate emails to remind the requester a request has occurred and to act if the request was not submitted or request items were skipped. EDMCS Subscriptions are a big step forward to enabling true mastering of your enterprise data management assets!
PCMCS…Yeah, FDMEE Can Do That!
Has Edgewater Ranzal done that before?
What “gotchas” have you encountered in your implementations and how have you addressed them?
What unique offerings do you bring?
These are all smart questions to ask your implementation partner because the answers provide insight into their relevant experience.
Edgewater Ranzal is an Oracle PCMCS thought leader and collaborates with Oracle as a Platinum partner to enhance PCMCS with continued development. To date, we’ve completed nearly 20 PCMCS (Cloud) implementations, and almost 80 Oracle Hyperion Profitability and Cost Management (HPCM – on premise) implementations spanning multiple continents, time zones, and industries. Our clients gladly provide references for us which is a testament to our success and abilities. Additionally, we frequently have repeat clients and team up with numerous clients to present at various conferences to share their successes.
As a thought leader in the industry and for PCMCS, we sponsor multiple initiatives that deliver implementation accelerators, test the latest product enhancements prior to their release, and work in tandem with Oracle to enhance the capabilities of PCMCS.
Our Product Management team is comprised of several individuals. Specifically for PCMCS, Alecs Mlynarzek is the Product Manager and has published the following blog: The Oracle Profitability and Cost Management Solution: An Introduction and Differentiators. I am the Product Manager for Data Integration and FDMEE with several published blog posts related to FDMEE.
Now let’s explore some of the data integration challenges one might unexpectedly encounter and the intellectual property (IP) Ranzal offers to mitigate these and other data integration challenges that lurk.
What gotchas have you encountered in your implementations and how do you mitigate them?
We could go into great depth when detailing the PROs for using FDMEE with PCMCS…but it is much more beneficial to instead share some of the other less obvious discoveries made. Note that we work directly and continuously with Oracle to improve the product offering.
Extracting data via FDMEE data-sync is challenging. The size of the data cube and configuration settings of PCMCS has a threshold limit – 5,000,000 records and a 1GB file size – both of which are quite often reached. As a result, we have developed a custom solution for the data-sync routine.
Large datasets directly into PCMCS via DM (Cloud-based Data Management) can exhibit performance problems due to the server resources available in the Cloud. Functionality in on-premise FDMEE (scripting, Group-By, etc.) helps reduce the number of records going into the Cloud and therefore provides a performance gain.
Patching to the latest FDMEE patch set is crucial. Cloud applications (PCMCS, FCCS, E/PBCS) update monthly. As a result, we need to consistently check/monitor for FDMEE patches. These patches help ensure that canned integrations from Oracle are top-notch.
Executing two or more jobs concurrently via EPMAutomate is quite troublesome due to the workflows needed and how EPMAutomate is designed. As a result, we have invested considerable time into cURL and RESTful routines. We discovered that the login/logout commands are tied to the machine, not the user-process, so any logout from another executing run logs out all sessions.
The use of EPMAutomate is sometimes difficult. It requires a toolset on a PC – “JumpBox” – or on-premise EPM servers. It also requires the use of .BAT files or other scripted means. By using FDMEE, the natural ease of the GUI improves the end-user experience.
Loading data in parallel via FDMEE or DM can cause Essbase Load Rule contention due to how the automatic Essbase load rules are generated by the system. Oracle has made every effort to resolve this before the next Cloud release. Stay tuned… this may be resolved in the next maintenance cycle of PCMCS (18.10) and then the on-premise update of patch-set update 230.
We all know that folks (mainly consultants) are always looking to work around issues encountered and come up with creative ways to build/deliver new software solutions. But the real question that needs to be asked is: Should we? Since FDMEE has most of the solutions already packaged up, that would be the best tool for the job. The value that FDMEE can bring is scores better than any home-grown solution.
We have redeveloped our Essbase Enhanced Validate to function with the PCMCS Cloud application. FDMEE on-premise can now validate all the mapped data prior to loading. This is great for making sure data is accurate before loading.
The Edgewater Ranzal tool-kip for FDMEE includes the ability to connect to other Cloud offerings for data movements, including DBaaS and OAC.
Can FDMEE do that…and should FDMEE do that?
Yes, you should use FDMEE to load to PCMCS, and it is an out-of-the-box functionality! As you can see, unlike DM whose feature comparison to FDMEE will be discussed in a later blog and white-paper, there are a lot of added benefits. The current release of FDMEE v11.1.2.4.220 provides product functionality enhancements and has greater stability for integrations with most Cloud products. Suffice it to say, having python scripting available and server-side processing for large files will greatly enhance your performance experience.
Contact us at [email protected] with questions about this product or its capabilities.
What is Oracle Profitability and Cost Management?
Organizations with world class finance operations generally can close in a minimal number of days (2-3 in an ideal organization) and have frequent and efficient budget and forecast cycles while also visiting different ‘what if’ scenario analysis along the way. These organizations often deliver in-depth profitability and cost management analysis reports at fund, project, product, and/or customer level, completing the picture of an accurate close cycle.
Oracle offers packaged options in support of all these finance processes, but the focus of this post will be Profitability and Cost Management (PCM).
One of the most painful and time-consuming processes for any business entity is PCM analysis. The reasons why cost allocations processes are time consuming are too many to count – from model complexity to data granularity, driver metric availability, rigidity of allocation rules, delays with implementing allocation changes, and almost impossible-to-justify results. Instead of focusing on the negative aspect, let’s focus on what can be done to alleviate such pain and energize the cost accounting department by giving it access to meaningful and accurate data and empowering users through flexibility to perform virtually unlimited “what if” analysis.
The initial Profitability and Cost Management product, like almost all Oracle EPM offerings, was released on-premise in July 2008 and is known as Oracle Hyperion Profitability and Cost Management (HPCM). 10 years later, HPCM continues to deliver an easier way to design, maintain, and enhance allocation processes with little to no IT involvement as it has since it was initially launched, but with a greater focus on flexibility and transparency. The intent for HPCM was to be a user-driven application where finance teams would be involved beginning with the definition of the methodology all the way to the steps needed to execute day-to-day processing. Any cost or revenue allocation methodology is supported via HPCM while graphical traceability and allocation balancing reports support any query from top-level analysis all the way down to the most granular detail available in the application.
Simple allocations – Detailed Profitability (a.k.a. single-step allocations. Example: From Accounts and Departments, allocate data to same Accounts, new target Departments, and to granular Products/SKU based on driver metric data. This module allows for a very high degree of granularity with dimensions >100k members, but it does not cater to complex driver calculations or to allocations requiring more than 1 stage).
Average to high complexity allocations – Standard Profitability (a.k.a. multi-step allocations of up to 9 iterations/stages, allowing for reciprocal allocations. Example: Allocations from accounts and departments to channels, funds, and other departments. Allocation of results from previous steps are redistributed onto Products, Customers etc. Driver metric complexity is achievable with this module; custom generated drivers are available as well, but there are limitations regarding driver data granularity, granularity of allocated data, and overall hierarchy sizing).
High complexity allocations – Management Ledger (unlimited number of steps, high number of complex drivers, custom driver calculations, custom allocations, more granularity, and increased flexibility in terms of defining and expanding allocation methodology). This is the last module added to the HPCM family and the only one available as SaaS Cloud Offering.
In 2016, Oracle introduced the Cloud version of HPCM: Profitability and Cost Management Cloud Service (PCMCS). PCMCS is a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, and as with many of Oracle’s Cloud offerings, PCMCS includes key improvements that are not available in the on-premise version, and enhancements are made at a much faster pace.
There is currently no indication that the two HPCM modules – Detailed and Standard Profitability – will make their way to the Cloud, since increased allocation complexity as well as increased hierarchy sizing supported by the Management Ledger module caters to most, if not all, potential requirements.
The Management Ledger module included with the PCMCS SaaS subscription has a core strength in the ease of use and flexibility to change, enabling finance users to define and update allocation rules and methodologies via a point-and-click interface. While the initial setup is advisable to be performed with support from an experienced service provider, the maintenance and expansion of PCMCS (Management Ledger) models can be achieved by leveraging solely functional resources, in most cases. “What-if” scenario creation and analysis has never been easier. Users not only can copy data and allocation methodologies between scenarios, but they can also update the data sets and allocation steps independently from a standard scenario, generating as many simulation models as they need, gaining increased insight into decision making.
Standard Profitability models perform allocations in Block Storage Databases (BSO). While BSO applications are great for complex calculations and reciprocal allocation methodologies, they have the disadvantage of being limited in terms of structure or hierarchy sizing. This hierarchy restriction is not as pressing in Aggregate Storage Option (ASO) type applications, which is the technology used by Management Ledger. The design considerations for a Standard Profitability model are also significantly more rigid when compared with the Management Ledger module, which has no limitations regarding allocation stages, allocation sequencing, or a maximum number of dimensions per each allocation step.
Detailed Profitability models heavily leverage a database repository while any connected Essbase applications are used solely for reporting purposes. Initial setup and future changes, outside of the realm of simply adding new hierarchy members, will require specialized database management skills, and the usage of a single step allocation model is not as pervasive. Complex allocation methodologies may require the usage of Detailed Profitability models in conjunction with Management Ledger, but these situations represent the exception rather than the rule.
Why Should You Choose Oracle Profitability and Cost Management?
One of the key strengths for HPCM, available since it was released, and now included in PCMCS, is transparency – the ability to identify and explain any value resulting from the allocation process, with minimal effort. Each allocation rule or allocation step is uniquely identified, enabling users to easily navigate via the embedded/out-of-the-box balancing report to the desired member intersection opened through a point and click action in Excel (using Smart View) for further analysis and investigation. The out-of-the-box-program documentation reports identify the setup of each rule and can be leveraged for quick search by account, department, segment code, or any other dimension available in the application. The execution statistics reports delivered as part of the PCMCS offering enable users to quickly understand which allocation process is taking longer than expected and identify opportunities for overall process improvement or to simply monitor performance over time. These two out-of-the-box reports – execution statistics and program documentation – are the most heavily used reports during application development, troubleshooting, and particularly when new methodologies are developed. Users can quickly search through these documents, leverage them to keep track of methodology changes, and use them as documentation for training new team members.
Performing mass updates to existing allocation rules has never been faster. PCMCS contains a menu that allows end users to find and replace specific member name references in their allocations for each individual data slice, allocation step, or an entire scenario. A quick turnaround of such maintenance tasks results in an increased number of iterations through different data sets, giving the cost accounting team more time to perform in-depth analysis rather than waiting for system updates.
PCMCS-embedded analytics and dashboarding functionality is also a significant differentiator, enabling end users to create and share dashboards with the rest of the application users through the common web interface and without the need for IT support. Reports created in PCMCS are available immediately and without time consuming initial setup or migrations between environments followed by further security setup tasks.
A comparison of On-Prem vs Cloud will be available in a future post, so please subscribe below to receive notifications for PCMCS-related blog updates.
Last time, in the Wonderful World of Enterprise Data Management Cloud Service (EDMCS), we discussed initial impressions of this exciting new Oracle Cloud product and highlighted some early functionality enhancements.
In this post, I’d like to highlight another feature that was recently added to EDMCS: enhanced request load files.
In the initial release, EDMCS provides a mechanism to perform bulk updates to EDMCS hierarchies – the Excel request load file. While the feature immediately had some advantages over its distant cousin in Data Relationship Manager (DRM) (action scripts), there were limitations. Primarily, EDMCS would only recognize the first tab or worksheet in an Excel file.
Well that has been fixed! Request load files can now contain multiple worksheets, and EDMCS will recognize all of them (provided the worksheet names match your viewpoint names of course). Additionally, EDMCS will automatically select all valid worksheets to load into EDMCS when loading a request file. This makes it very easy to download viewpoints to Excel and build a request file containing updates for multiple viewpoints to bulk upload at one time.
This also means you need to be careful! Since EDMCS auto-selects any matching worksheet name, if you were not paying attention, you could accidentally load outdated requests from a worksheet. But you can still delete any unwanted request items prior to submitting the request, if you catch them first.
While you could always load multiple request files in a single request since the initial release of EDMCS, this feature is a nice usability and productivity enhancement. It works great for situations such as adding a node to a primary hierarchy/viewpoint and inserting it into an alternate hierarchy/viewpoint, all from the same request.
While EDMCS is the new kid on the block in the Oracle EPM cloud space, it’s exciting to see how it’s quickly closing the gap with new functionality being added regularly! REST API operations, enhanced request files, and the other enhancements mentioned above show how far EDMCS has come in just 6 months.
The 18.07 release of EDMCS looks to be a HUGE release chock full of new features, including one I am especially excited for: subscriptions!
Look for more blog posts coming soon to discuss the subscription functionality and utilizing EDMCS for a Profitability and Cost Management Cloud Service (PCMCS) implementation.
Recently my team and I had the opportunity to implement Oracle’s newest offering – Enterprise Data Management Cloud Service (EDMCS). EDMCS for those of you who are not familiar provides a cloud-based solution for managing master data (also referred to as metadata) across the organization. Some like to refer to EDMCS as Data Relationship Manager (DRM) in the Cloud, but the truth is, EDMCS is not DRM in the Cloud.
EDMCS is a completely new vision of what master data management can and should be. The architect of this new cloud offering is the same person who founded Razza Solutions which was the company that developed the product now known as DRM. That is important to know because it ensures that the best of what DRM has to offer is brought forward. But, more importantly, it ensures that the learnings and wish list of capabilities that DRM should have are in the forefront of the developers’ minds.
As I highlighted in the previous post Troubleshooting Cloud Data Management Metadata Load Errors, I had developed an automation routine to upload EDMCS extracts to both PBCS and FCCS using FDMEE and Cloud Data Management. We had been eagerly awaiting the REST API for EDMCS to finalize this automation routine and provide a true end-to-end process that can be scheduled or initialized via a single action.
Let’s take a quick look back at the automation routine developed for this customer. After the metadata has been exported to a flat file from EDMCS, the automation would upload a copy to the PBCS and FCCS pods, launch Cloud Data Management data load rules which would process the EDMCS metadata extracts, run a restructure of the database after all dimensions had been loaded, and then send a status email alerting the administrator of the result. While elegant, I considered this to be incomplete.
Automation, in my view, is a process that can be executed without user interaction. While an automation routine certainly has parameters that must be generally maintained, once those parameters are set/updated, the automation cycle should not be dependent on user input or action. In the aforementioned solution, we were beholden to the fact that EDMCS exports had to be run interactively; however, with the introduction of the publicly exposed REST API in the 18.05 EDMCS patch, we are now able to automate the extract of metadata from EDMCS. That means we can finally complete our fully automated, end-to-end solution for loading metadata. Let’s review the EDMCS REST API and how we did it.
The REST API for EDMCS is structured similar to other Oracle EPM REST APIs. By this, I mean that multiple REST commands may need to be executed to achieve a functional result. For example, when executing a Cloud Data Management data load rule via the Data Management REST API, the actual execution of the data load rule is handled by a POST call to the jobs function with the required payload (e.g. DLR name, start period, etc.). This call is just one portion of a functional requirement. To achieve an actual data load, a file may need to be uploaded to the cloud, the data load rule initialized, and then the status of the data load rule be retrieved. To achieve this functional result, three unique REST API executions would need to occur.
Let’s explore each of these in a little more detail. First, we need to get the dimension IDs for the application from which we will be downloading metadata. This is accessed from the applications function.
When executing this function, the JSON object return includes all applications that exist in EDMCS (including those archived). So the JSON needs to be iterated to find the record that relates to the application from which metadata needs to be exported. In this case, the name of the application is unique and can be used to locate the appropriate record. Next, we need to query the JSON object to get the actual dimension id (circled in red). The dimension ID is used in subsequent calls to actually export the dimension.
Great, now we have the dimension ID. Next, we need to execute the REST API call to export the dimension.
The JSON object returned from this execution contains minimal information. It simply provides the URL to the next required REST API execution which will provide the status of the execution.
The JSON object returned here provides us the status of the export invoked in the prior step (in yellow) as well as a URL to the actual file to download which is our last step in the process.
Once the export job is complete, the files can be streamed using the URL provided by the REST execution in the prior step.
And there you have it, a fully automated solution to download metadata to flat files from EDMCS. Those files are then provided to the existing automation routine and our end-to-end process is truly complete.
And for my next trick…let’s explore some of the different REST API tools that are available to help you in your journey with the EPM REST APIs.
In my last post, I highlighted a solution that was recently deployed for a customer that leveraged Enterprise Data Management Cloud Service (EDMCS), Financial Data Quality Management Enterprise Edition (FDMEE), and Cloud Data Management (CDM) to create an automated metadata integration process for both Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS) and Financial Close and Consolidation Cloud Service (FCCS). In this post, I want to take a bit of a deeper dive into the technical build and share some important learnings.
Cloud Data Management introduced the ability to load metadata from a flat file to the Oracle EPM Cloud Services in the 17.11 patch. This functionality provides customers the ability to leverage a common platform for loading both data and metadata within the Cloud. Equally important, CDM allows metadata to be transformed using its familiar mapping functionality.
As noted, this customer deployed both PBCS and FCCS. Within the PBCS application, four plan types are active while FCCS has the default two plan types. A design decision was made for EDMCS to create a single custom application type that would store the metadata for both cloud applications. This decision was not reached without significant thought as well as counsel with Oracle development. While the pros and cons of the decision are outside the scope of this post, the choice to use a custom application registration in EDMCS ensured that metadata was input a single time but still fed to both cloud applications. As a result of the EDMCS design decision, a single metadata file (per dimension) was supplied with properties necessary to support each plan type.
CDM leverages its 23 “dimensions” to store metadata information for processing. Exactly like data, metadata is imported using an import format into the CDM relational repository. Each field from a metadata file is aligned to a CDM dimension field. The CDM Account dimension always represents the target application member name and the CDM Entity dimension represents the parent of the member. All other fields can be aligned to any of the remaining 21 dimensions. CDM Attribute dimensions can be utilized in the import and mapping process but are not available for exporting to the cloud application. This becomes an important constraint especially in a multi-plan type deployment. These 21 fields can be used to store any of the properties required to successfully load metadata to the target plan type.
Let’s consider this case study for a moment. The PBCS application has four plan types. If a process were to be built to load all plan types from a single CDM data load rule, then we would not be able to have more than five plan type specific attributes or properties because we would not have enough CDM fields/dimensions to store the relevant information. This leads to an important design approach. Instead of a single CDM data load rule to load all plan types, a data load rule was created for each plan type. This greatly increased the number of metadata properties and attributes that could be loaded by CDM and ensured that future growth could be accommodated without a redesign of the integration process.
It is important to understand that CDM utilizes the Planning Outline Load Utility (OLU) to actually perform the metadata load to the cloud application. The OLU loads metadata using merge (yes Planning experts, I realize that I am not discovering fire) which is important to understand especially when processing multiple metadata loads for a single application. When loading metadata, there are certain properties that are Application level. I like to think of these as being global. Additionally, there are plan type specific attributes that can align (or not align) to the application level value/setting. I like to think of these as local.
Why is this important? Well when loading a metadata file, if certain global properties are excluded from the metadata load file, the local properties (if specified) are utilized to default the global properties. Since metadata is loading using merge, this only becomes problematic when a new member is being added to the outline.
A Base Member cannot be changed to a Shared Member.
After much investigation (details to follow), I discovered that the global property should also be included in the metadata load.
While CDM utilizes the OLU to load metadata, it does not provide as much verbosity in the error information as the PBCS web interface (which also uses OLU) when loading metadata. Below is an example of the error in the CDM process log. As a tangent, I’d love to check the logs without needing to open a Service Request. Maybe Oracle will build an enhancement that allows that in the future (hint, hint, wink, wink to my friends at Oracle).
So where do I go from here? Well, what do we know about CDM loading metadata to the cloud application? We know that CDM uses the OLU to load a flat file generated by CDM. Bingo! The metadata file output by CDM is a good starting point. That file is in the Outbox of the CDM application and can be downloaded in several different ways – CDM Import process (get creative folks), CDM process details, or EPM Automate. Now we have the metadata file and can test to determine if the error is caused by CDM or the metadata itself. It’s all about ruling out variables. So, we take the metadata file and import it manually within the PBCS web interface and are able to replicate the error. But now we have an important new data point – the line number from the metadata file that is causing the error.
Now that we have actionable information, we can review each property and start isolating and eliminating different variables. We determined that this error was only occurring for new alternate hierarchy parents being added to the outline. As a test, we added the global storage property and voila, the metadata load completed successfully. Face palm!
Maybe this would have been obvious to folks with a lot of Planning experience, but there are plenty of folks learning the intricacies of Planning and Essbase (including our friends converting from HFM to FCCS), so I wanted to share a lesson learned in my journey of metadata integration using CDM.
CDM functionality for metadata represents two of the three primary operations of ETL. In my next post, we’ll dive deeper into how the extract component of ETL was accomplished to provide a seamless end- to-end ETL solution for metadata.
A friendly game of laser tag between out-of-shape technology consultants became a small gold mine of analytics simply by combining the power of Essbase and the built-in data visualization features of Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC)! As a “team building activity,” a group of Edgewater Ranzal consultants recently decided to play a thrilling children’s game of laser tag one evening. At the finale of the four-game match, we were each handed a score card with individual match results and other details such as who we hit, who hit us, where we got hit, and hit percentage based on shots taken. Winners gained immediate bragging rights, but for the losers, it served as proof that age really isn’t just a number (my lungs, my poor collapsing lungs). BUT…we quickly decided that it would be fun to import this data into OAC to gain further insight about what just happened.
This provides instant score results by player, by “Total” team, or by everybody. Combined with another dimension like Player Hit, it’s easy to examine details like number of times an individual player hit another player or another team in total. You can drill in to Red Team Player 1 shot Blue Team or Red Team Player 1 shot Blue Team Player 1 to see how many times a player shot an individual player. A simple Smart View retrieval along the Player dimension shows scores by player and team, but the data is a little raw. On a simple data set such as this, it’s easy to pick out details, but with OAC, there is another way!
Dan from the Blue team immediately stands out as does Kevin and Wayne from the Red team! This points us in the right direction, but we can easily toggle to another visualization that might offer even more insight into what went on. Using a couple of sunburst type data visualizations, we can quickly tie who was shooting and who was getting hit – filtered by the same team and then weight by the score (and also color code it by team color).
It appears that Wayne and Kevin from the Red Team are pretty good at hitting teammates, but it is also now easy to conclude that Wayne really has it out for Kevin while Kevin is an equal opportunity shoot-you-in-the-back kind of teammate!
Reimagining the data as a scatter plot gives us a better look at the value of a player in relation to friendly fire. By dragging the “Score” Essbase metric into the size field of the chart, correlations are discovered between friendly fire and hits to the other team. While Wayne might have had the highest number of friendly fire incidents, he also had the second highest score for the Red team. The data shows visually that Kevin had quite a few friendly fire incidents, but he didn’t score as much (it also shows results that allow one to infer that Seema was probably hiding in a corner throughout the entire game, but that’s a different blog post).
What Can You Imagine with the Data Driving Your Business?
By combining the power of Essbase with the drag-and-drop analytic capabilities of Oracle Analytics Cloud, discovering trends and gaining insight is very easy and intuitive. Even in a simple and fun game of laser tag, results and trends are found that aren’t immediately obvious in Excel alone. Imagine what it can do with the data that is driving your business!
With Oracle giving credits for a 30-day trial, getting started today with OAC is easy. Contact us for help!
Continuing its momentum with Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Cloud initiatives, Oracle recently released Enterprise Data Management Cloud Service (EDMCS). Here are some initial impressions of the application to provide fundamental information and spark discussion.
First, some background: these observations are based on an actual project from working with a client who was 1 of 3 selected for the EDMCS Early Adopter Program. This client is essentially going all-in on Oracle EPM Cloud, with Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS), Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud Service (FCCS), and Account Reconciliation Cloud Service (ARCS). One on-premise component, Financial Data Quality Management Enterprise Edition (FDMEE), is also in the mix. This client quickly realized its reporting structures between the Planning/Budgeting and Financial Close/Consolidation worlds, while not identical, were similar and contained a high degree of shared structures. The idea of maintaining these reporting structures in multiple tools did not make sense, leading the client to inquire about EDMCS. After an evaluation, Oracle selected them to participate in the early adopter program for EDMCS with Edgewater Ranzal as the implementation partner.
EDMCS = DRM in the Cloud, Right?
With EDMCS, you will immediately notice new functionality such as the capability to create an Enterprise Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (EPBCS) or PBCS application in EDMCS, which provides the built-in connectors, properties, and validations for those target applications. Simply step through the Register Application wizard, specify your dimensions and plan types, and EDMCS will automatically build the rest for you. The built-in properties and validations enforce constraints and business rules to ensure no changes can be made that could break EPBCS/PBCS.
For other use cases, EDMCS provides the ability to create a custom application along with custom properties. As EDMCS matures, the number of packaged connectors, applications, and validations will surely increase.
So, the Data Model is Different?
The EDMCS data model is quite different from DRM. Understanding the EDMCS data chain is crucial to effective administration, especially given new concepts such as Viewpoints, Hierarchy Sets, and Node Sets.
The diagram below, taken from the Oracle EDMCS Administration Guide, is a useful reference as you start to build out your EDMCS applications. Future blog posts will explore these key constructs in more detail.
Does EDMCS include Data Relationship Governance (DRG)?
Not yet, but workflows, approvals, separation of duties, and other data governance goodness is on the roadmap for EDMCS. But fear not! EDMCS already provides a “request” mechanism. Modifications to master data can only be performed within the context of a request. Requests can include interactive changes through the UI or batch loading of changes through an Excel request file (think of request files like automator or action scripts, but easier to use and yes, in Excel!). Comments can be included with a request and, continuing with one of the strongest features of DRM, requests provide auditability by capturing the who/what/when/where of every change performed in EDMCS.
How is the User Interface?
One of my favorite features is the visual feedback EDMCS provides as you make changes within a request. As you add, insert, remove, delete, reorder, or modify a member, visual icons and highlights are displayed for that member in real-time to capture the action being performed on that member. You basically get a preview of the change before it’s committed. Changes to properties are visually highlighted and easy to spot. Validations are performed as the request is in Draft status and instantly flag any violations with error messages highlighting the problem node and issue.
Overall, EDMCS is an exciting entry into the EPM Cloud market and a foundational tool critical to maximizing your EPM Cloud investment. While DRM administrators will experience an adjustment period as they learn EDMCS due to the data chain and new terminology, they will be pleasantly surprised with the available functionality such as pre-packaged connectors and properties for PBCS/EPBCS, the use of requests (and did I mention you can load Excel files?!), and the real-time visual feedback as you modify and validate your master data. | 2019-04-22T14:36:06Z | https://ranzal.blog/tag/cloud-services/ |
Turkish fire on Kurdish YPG and ISIL positions in Syria.
Turkey is experiencing clashes between Syrian border troops and ISIL militants.
Turkey provides weapons to the Syrian Opposition, primarily to Syrian Turkmen Brigades.
Turkey and Russia tensions strike as Turkey shoots a Russian fighter jet and Turkmen rebels down a Russian helicopter.
Syrian government forces capture most of the Turkmen Mountain with Russian military aid.
Turkey vows to protect the Syrian Turkmen and Syrian Turkmen dominated areas of Bayırbucak and Azaz-Aleppo-Jarabulus line.
Turkey, whose relations with Syria had been friendly over the previous decade, condemned its President Bashar Assad over the violent crackdown on protests in 2011 and requested his departure from office. Previously, after 1999 when Bashar Assad's father Hafez al-Assad expelled Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, the relationship between Syria and Turkey warmed. In the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, Turkey trained defectors of the Syrian Army on its territory, and in July 2011, a group of them announced the birth of the Free Syrian Army, under the supervision of Turkish intelligence. In October 2011, Turkey began sheltering the Free Syrian Army, offering the group a safe zone and a base of operations. Together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Turkey has also provided the rebels with arms and other military equipment. Tensions between Syria and Turkey significantly worsened after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish fighter jet in June 2012, and border clashes erupted in October 2012.
Turkey also provided refuge for Syrian dissidents. Syrian opposition activists convened in Istanbul in May to discuss regime change, and Turkey hosts the head of the Free Syrian Army, Colonel Riad al-Asaad. Turkey has become increasingly hostile to the Assad government's policies and has encouraged reconciliation among dissident factions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been trying to "cultivate a favorable relationship with whatever government would take the place of Assad." Beginning in May 2012, some Syrian opposition fighters began being armed and trained by the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation.
Turkey maintains a small enclave within Syria itself, the Tomb of Suleyman Shah on the right bank of the Euphrates in Aleppo Province, near the village of Qarah Qawzak (Karakozak). The Tomb is guarded by a small permanent garrison of Turkish soldiers, who continue to rotate in from a battalion based at the Turkish border some 25 kilometres (16 mi) away, even as the civil war unfolded around them. Up until Syrian forces shot down a Turkish warplane in June 2012, the garrison numbered 15 men in total. Following the incident, the Turkish government doubled the number of soldiers stationed at the tomb to 30, while then-Prime Minister Erdoğan warned that "the tomb of Suleyman Shah and the land that surrounds it are Turkish territory. Any act of aggression against it would be an attack on our territory and NATO territory." Analysts have cited the tomb as a potential future flashpoint in Turkish-Syrian relations.
Academics, journalists, and several heads of state have noted that Turkey actively works with ISIS through funding, supplying weapons, allowing fighters to freely move to and from Turkey, and providing healthcare to wounded ISIS fighters. It is also claimed that Turkey buys oil on the black market from ISIS and that Turkey smuggles weapons to ISIS fighters.
Numerous incidents along the Syrian–Turkish border have taken place during the Syrian Civil War, straining the relations between the countries. Dozens were killed, both among civilians and military personnel. Following Syria's downing of a Turkish jet in 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan changed the military's rules of engagement so that any Syrian element approaching the border would be deemed a threat and be treated as a military target. Turkey has bolstered its defenses and deployed additional troops on its border with Syria in mid to late September 2013, with convoys of military vehicles ferrying equipment and personnel and additional short range air defenses set up.
During the 5 December 2011 night, about 35 armed fighters tried to cross the border of Syria from Turkey, but were engaged immediately by the Syrian border forces who inflicted several wounds to them and were able to repel them back to Turkey. Once they were back on Turkish soil, the Turkish army allegedly picked them up in trucks and took care of the injured fighters. A further attempt happened during the night of 12 December, when 15 infiltrators tried again to cross the border. They were unsuccessful and two of them were killed by Syrian border patrols.
On 22 June 2012, Syrian air defenses shot down a Turkish F-4 Phantom fighter jet, and both pilots were killed. The incident significantly raised tensions between the two countries. Syria stated that it had shot the fighter down using anti-aircraft artillery near the village of Om al-Tuyour, while it was flying over Syrian territorial waters one kilometer away from land. Turkey's foreign minister stated the jet was shot down in international airspace after accidentally entering Syrian airspace, while it was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed retaliation, saying: "The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed ... Turkey will support Syrian people in every way until they get rid of the bloody dictator and his gang." Ankara acknowledged that the jet had flown over Syria for a short time, but they said such temporary overflights were common, had not led to an attack before, and alleged that Syrian helicopters had violated Turkish airspace five times without being attacked and that a second, search-and-rescue jet had been fired at. Assad later expressed regret over the incident. In August 2012, reports appeared in some Turkish newspapers claiming that the Turkish General Staff had deliberately misinformed the Turkish government about the fighter's location when it was shot down. The reports said that a NATO command post at Izmir and a British base in Cyprus had confirmed that the fighter was shot down inside Syrian waters and that radar intelligence from U.S. forces had disproved any "accidentally entered Syrian waters" flightpath error. The General Staff denied the claims.
Tensions were further raised later that year when Syrian mortar rounds began landing in Turkish territory. On 3 October, a Syrian mortar shell hit the Turkish town of Akçakale, killing 5 civilians. Turkey responded by shelling Syrian army positions along the border. Throughout October, Syrian mortar shells repeatedly landed in Turkish territory, and the Turkish military launched retaliatory artillery and mortar strikes, firing into Syria a total of 87 times. These attacks reportedly killed 12 Syrian soldiers and destroyed several tanks.
In the early hours of 14 January 2013, a shell fired by unknown Syrian forces landed in an olive grove near the border village of Akçabağlar, causing no casualties. On January 30, Syrian El Muhaberat agents tried to cross the border between Turkey and Syria but were turned back under fire by Turkish forces.
On 11 February 2013, a bomb exploded at the Turkısh-Syrian border crossing in Cilvegözü, killing 14. According to BBC, the deadly attack killed 17 people and injured 30 more.
On April 30, 2013, according to Syrian opposition activists, the Syrian air force raided the headquarters of a rebel camp on Syrian-Turkish border, killing 5. Activists told Hurriyet Daily News that the air attack was made on headquarters of a Salafist group Ahrar al-Sham. A Turkish aid worker said the air strike also hit a warehouse on the Syrian side of the border used by aid groups. Another Syrian activist at Bab al-Hawa said people waiting to cross the Syrian-Turkish border were among those hit. He added that at least 15 wounded were taken to hospital near the crossing on the Syrian side and among the dead were a one-and-a-half-year-old child and two teenage girls. Some Syrian activists said some of the casualties were suffering breathing difficulties but said they did not know what type of munitions had been used in the attack. "We cannot confirm that there were any chemical weapons involved," Reyhanli mayor Huseyin Sanverdi told Reuters.
On 2 May 2013, fighting occurred between Syrian anti-government insurgents and Turkish border guards at the Akçakale border crossing. One Turkish border guard was killed in the engagement, reportedly the first armed clashes between Turkish government agents and anti-Assad militants.
On September 16, 2013, Turkish jets shot down a Syrian helicopter on the Syrian-Turkish border. According to Turkish official statement, Turkish warplanes made the intercept after a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter had crossed into Turkish airspace and the government warned it had taken all necessary measures to defend itself against any further such violations. Syrian army acknowledged the helicopter had strayed into Turkish airspace for a short time, while monitoring "terrorists" moving across the border into Syria, but said it was an accident and that the aircraft was on its way back when it was shot down.
Five Syrian Kurds were killed while crossing borders into Turkey on January 20, 2014. Zahir Mulla and Muhammad Ahmad were killed along with other three men (whose identities couldn't be identified), when Turkish border guards opened fire.
On 23 March 2014, Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian MiG-23. The Syrian Arab Republic claims that its aircraft was in Syrian airspace on a mission to attack rebel held areas in the city of Latakia when it was shot down by Turkey in an act of "blatant aggression." The Syrian pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft as the aircraft was being shot down. Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan stated that Turkish F-16s shot down the aircraft for violating Turkish airspace and said that the Turkish "response will be heavy if you violate our airspace."
In the night of 21–22 February 2015, a convoy of 572 Turkish troops in 39 tanks and 57 armoured vehicles entered Syria through Kobanî to evacuate the 38-man Turkish military garrison guarding the Suleyman Shah tomb and move the remains of Suleyman Shah to a different site because of a rumored attack threat of ISIL. The Turkish military did not seek permission from Syria to carry out the mission, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying that Turkey "committed an act of flagrant aggression on Syrian land."
On 16 May 2015, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down an Iranian made Mohajer 4 UAV that had violated Turkish airspace over Hatay province entering 11 km into Turkish airspace. Initial claims by the Turkish government mentioned an intruding helicopter was shot down, but later it was admitted that the downed aircraft was an UAV as claimed by the Syrian side.
In May, there was a public scandal over video footage released by the newspaper Cumhuriyet purporting to show Turkish intelligence shipping arms to Syrian Islamist rebels. The editor-in-chief and more than thirty officers involved in the search and the attempted search of another truck of weapons some time earlier now face charges for breaking counter-terrorism laws, attempting to overthrow the government and military espionage.
Turkey has, despite national and international criticism, largely refused to directly engage militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), despite continued threats from ISIL to pursue more operations on Turkish soil. The Turkish response to the ISIL-led Siege of Kobanî as well as a series of terrorist attacks on Turkish soil allegedly linked to ISIL perpetrators, was largely subdued apart from a series of incidents on the Turkish–Syrian border. On 24 July 2015, ISIL and Turkish soldiers actively engaged in the Turkish border town of Kilis, marking a dangerous new escalation in the ties between Turkey and ISIL.
On August 25, 2015 Turkish newspaper Bugün ran a front-page story showing alleged transfer of weapon and explosives from Turkey to ISIL through Akcakale border post. A couple of days later offices of Koza İpek Media Group, the owner of the newspaper, were raided by Turkish police.
In late November 2015, Turkey started tougher controls to stop ISIL militants crossing on a 60-mile stretch of the border with Syria where ISIL had control of the Syrian side. The crossing was used for smuggling and for arms transfers. This followed Russian President Putin directly accusing Turkey of aiding ISIL and al-Qaeda, and pressure from the U.S.
With the Turkish government thinking that the declaration was enough, and with only a minimum of western airstrikes helping the defenders of Kobanî, ISIL troops edged closer to the city, eventually entering it from the south and east.
Feeling betrayed by the Turkish government and hearing that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's previous vow not to let Kobanî fall was in fact a lie, refugees on the border and citizens in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Antakya, Antalya, Eskişehir, Denizli, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Batman, and elsewhere began to protest. Turkish police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and live fire in the southern province of Adana, killing protestors.
By 7 October, ISIL militants and Kurdish defenders were fighting in the streets of Kobanî, with many dead and scores wounded on both sides. American and Arab states conducted airstrikes in support of the defense of the town. However, US officials acknowledged that airstrikes would not likely be decisive in preventing the fall of Kobanî. They described the air campaign as a broad effort to undermine ISIL's ability to operate rather than an intervention that could turn the tide of a particular battle, such as the one at Kobanî.
As the battle for Kobanî continued to rage, rioting continued in Turkey, and almost 40 people were killed in street clashes by mid-October. In late October, ISIL began shelling the border post near Kobanî.
On 11 October, Turkish President Erdogan denounced the protests, claiming that they were attacking Turkey's "peace, stability, and environment of trust." He stated that the government was already caring for 200,000 Kurdish refugees from the Kobanî area and asked, "What does Kobanî have to do with Turkey?"
By mid-October, fighting had also renewed between Turkish military forces and PKK elements in southeastern Turkey.
On 29 November 2014, ISIL fighters began attacking YPG fighters in Kobanî from Turkish territory. Kurdish sources in Kobane said that on November 29 ISIL fighters attacked Kobane from Turkish territory, and that the assault began with a vehicle driven by a suicide bomber coming from Turkish territory. During the attack, a group of ISIL fighters were seen atop granary silos on the Turkish side of the border. According to the German news outlet 'Der Spiegel', ISIL fighters also attacked YPG positions near the border gate from Turkish soil. According to the SOHR, YPG fighters crossed the Turkish border and attacked ISIL positions on Turkish soil, before pulling back to Syria. Soon afterwards, the Turkish Army regained control of the border crossing and silos area.
On 25 June 2015, fighters from ISIL launched an attack against Kobanî, detonating three car bombs. The ISIL fighters were reported to have disguised themselves as Kurdish security forces, before entering the town and shooting civilians with assault rifles and RPGs. Over 164 people are dead and 200 injured, making the attack one of the largest killings of civilians in the North of Syria.
Kurdish forces and the Syrian government claimed the vehicles had entered the city from across the border, an action denied by Turkey. ISIS also committed a massacre in the village of Barkh Butan, about 20 kilometres south of Kobanî, executing at least 23 Syrian Kurds, among them women and children.
On February 22, 2016, U.S.-Russia joint cease-fire deal announced to take effect in Syria on Feb. 27, but the “cessation of hostilities” does not include ISIL and the al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions. On Feb. 24, Turkish president, Erdoğan, during a speech said that “The PYD and the YPG need to be out of the scope of the cease-fire, just like Daesh (ISIL) is,”.
On 27 March 2014 an audio tape recording of high-level Turkish officials discussing Turkey's Syria strategy was released on YouTube. The officials discussed a false flag operation that would lead to an invasion of Syria. YouTube was subsequently blocked in Turkey.
A vote in the Turkish Parliament was scheduled for October 1, 2014 on whether or not to invade Syria as part of the war on ISIL. while preparations for a possible invasion were made. It was later delayed a day.
The de facto "declaration of war" is to take the form of two separate motions—one on Iraq and one on Syria, which would authorize Turkish troops to invade those countries. the opposition said they hadn't been able to read either motion, as the exact text had been delayed.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said that the gist of the resolutions was to extend the current mandate for "hot pursuit" against the PKK and Syrian Army into Syria and Iraq, which was to end the second week in October, and to add ISIS to the list and set up a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened the parliamentary session by saying that Turkey would fight against so called Islamic State and other "terrorist" groups in the region but it would stick to its aim of seeing Bashar al-Assad removed from power.
With the governing party losing its majority in the Turkish general election on 7 June 2015, rumors began to circulate that President Erdoğan would order an invasion of Syria to prevent the creation of a Kurdish state straddling northern Syria and Iraq.
On June 26, Erdogan said he would "never allow the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Syria". By the end of June, a number of Turkish newspapers reported that Ankara was considering a ground operation to establish a buffer zone in Northern Syria to prevent Syrian Kurds from declaring an independent state, a zone 110 km long and 33 km deep along the Turkish border.
The military demanded legal backing for such a move, and on 29 June 2015, Erdoğan chaired a meeting of the National Security Council to provide just that.
Leaked plans stated that, sometime during the first couple of weeks of July, up to 18 thousand troops would invade Syria via the Jarablus and Aazaz border crossings, areas in the hands of ISIL and the Free Syrian Army, respectively, and set up a buffer zone to which refugees could be repatriated.
Limiting intervention to airstrikes has also been discussed. The idea of going into Syria proved extremely unpopular with most sections of Turkish society, dissuading the government from invading.
On February 2016 Turkey and Saudi Arabia were pressing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and the other allies.
Hezbollah said Turkey and Saudi Arabia were using the Islamic State group as a "pretext" to launch a ground operation in Syria.
On October 13, 2014 Turkey denied the United States to use Incirlik Air Base for attacking ISIS militants in Syria. The US has been frustrated that its efforts to build an international coalition to tackle Isis forces from the air have been partly hobbled by the difficulty of getting Turkey engaged. Later, on July 23, 2015 after long negotiations with USA, Turkey has agreed to allow U.S. planes to launch air strikes against Islamic State militants. The U.S. officials declined to give details of the agreement with Turkey. On February 25, 2016, Saudi Arabian war planes began arriving at the base as part of an anti-Isis build-up being deployed over Syria. The Saudi deployment added to US, German and British aircraft already using the base.
on April 2 and 3, the families of U.S. troops and civilian personnel stationed at İncirlik Air Base left the base after an order by the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department to leave several areas of Turkey for their security.
In July 2015, relations between ISIL and Turkey deteriorated, and people on the Turkish side of the border began to get killed, leading the Turkish government to pursue military action.
On 7 July 2015, reports surfaced that Turkish security forces seized a truck bound for Syria loaded with 10,000 detonators and explosive primers with total length of 290,000 metres (950,000 feet) in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey. Five people were arrested. The detainees admitted attempts of crossing the border from the village of Aegean into Tal Abyad city in the Al-Raqqah Province.
On 20 July 2015, a cultural center in Suruç was bombed by a 20-year-old male Turkish ISIL member. 32 people were killed in the town of Suruç's municipal culture center in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, and at least 100 people were hospitalised.
One Turkish sergeant was killed by fire from ISIL forces in Syria, and four Turkish tanks returned fire into ISIL held territory in Syria. At least one ISIL militant was killed and an unknown number wounded.
Early on 24 July, three Turkish F-16 Fighting Falcons struck ISIL targets across the border from Kilis Province with smart bombs, the Turkish government announced. According to the Doğan news agency, as many as 35 ISIL militants were killed in this first air strike.
The Turkish government claimed that this was to prevent an attempted invasion by ISIL troops.
Government officials also announced that the US was allowed to use the İncirlik Airbase in southern Turkey, and the agreement by the Americans to allow Turkey to set up a no-fly zone fifty miles deep and several hundred miles wide within Syria, between Mare' and Jarabulus.
YPG (Syrian Kurds) accused Turkey that, on July 26, Turkish tanks shelled in the Kurdish-held village of Zormikhar, west of Kobane and, also, one of its vehicles had come "under heavy fire from the Turkish military east of Kobane in the village of Til Findire". Turkey said it was investigating the claim but insisted that its forces were not targeting Syrian Kurds.
On 24 and 25 October 2015, Kurds accused the Turkish military of opening fire at its forces in Tal Abyad after the majority Arab town was included into a Kurdish enclave. The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed it and he said that Turkey had warned the PYD not to cross to the "west of the Euphrates and that we would hit it the moment it did. "We hit it twice,". There were no casualties in the shooting and the Kurdish forces didn't return fire.
On October 25, Turkish forces also attacked the village of Buban. During the attack two civilians wounded.
Turkish F-16s shoot down a Russian Su-24 operating in Northern Latakia. Both occupants ejected successfully. The pilot was shot and killed by Syrian Turkmen rebel ground fire while descending by parachute. The weapon systems officer was rescued two days later. A Russian naval infantryman from the search-and-rescue team launched to retrieve the two airmen was also killed when a rescue helicopter was shot down by the rebels.
A Turkish survey has revealed that over half of Turkey’s population believe that Turkey was right in downing a Russian jet. Some 58.2 percent of respondents regard the act as a positive thing, while 41.8 percent said it was the wrong move. The majority of those who supported the move said that “it showed that Turkey was a big country,”.
On December 2015, Turkey rejected to join the anti-ISIL quartet of Syria, Iran, Iraq and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he rejected it due to the presence of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad.
On 1 February Syria accused the Turkish military of shelling a location in the country’s northern Latakia province. Because of the shelling civilians had been injured. Syrian government condemned the attack.
Also, the Russian Defense Ministry presented a video which claims that shows Turkish military shelling Syrian territory using heavy artillery positioned close to the border. According to Syria’s General Staff, Syrian opposition groups have also provided video evidence of the Turkish military shelling Syrian territory.
On 13 February 2016, Turkey began heavy artillery bombing of Kurds in North Aleppo and at Azaz as they advanced against opposition groups. The US urged Turkey to stop the shelling of the Kurds and focus on fighting the group Islamic State (IS), however, Turkey defied the US and French calls and continued the shelling the next day too. Also, in a telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey will continue to strike back at Kurdish fighters in Syria. Kurdish officials said that at least three YPG fighters have died since the shelling started on Saturday.
Syria called the Turkish strikes a violation of its territory, and urged UN Security Council action to "put an end to the crimes of the Turkish regime". It also accused Ankara of allowing some 100 gunmen to enter Syria, also, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some 350 Islamist fighters had been allowed to travel through Turkish territory on Saturday 14 February 2016 to reinforce Islamist rebels in Azaz and Tal Rifaat.
Turkish artillery also targeted Syrian forces on both days.
On 15 February, Turkey hit again Kurdish forces in Syria. A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said the strikes came after a border security outpost in the Hatay area was attacked. In addition, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Turkish troops were shelling, also, the road to the west of the town of Tal Rifaat and also the region to the west of the Syrian border town of Azaz, but failed to stop the advance of the Kurdish forces.
On 16 February, Turkish forces continued to shell the positions of Syrian Kurds in northern Syria for the fourth day. Turkish military said that it was retaliating to fire coming from the region.
Turkey urged its NATO allies to participate in a ground offensive in Syria to fight ISIS while continuing to shell YPG positions.
On 17 February, Turkish forces continued to shell the positions of Syrian Kurds in northern Syria for fifth day in a row. Turkish artillery units deployed at the border in the Kilis Province shelled the positions of the PYD at around 4.45 p.m. within the rules of engagement. The Turkish military stating it was “retaliating” to fire coming from the region.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would continue shelling Kurdish militants across the border in Syria, despite calls from Washington and other Western capitals to halt the attacks.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, after a suicide car bombing attack in Ankara, that Turkey would continue the shelling of YPG positions in northern Syria.
Opposition groups reported that over the previous few days they had brought over 2,000 reinforcements with heavy equipment from the Idlib area, through Turkey assisted by Turkish forces, to fight against Kurdish militias north of Aleppo and to support rebels in Azaz.
Turkish artillery units shelled again PYD targets in northern Syria.
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said that Turkey’s shelling of YPG forces in northern Syria would be an “ongoing topic of conversation” between USA and Turkey.
On 16 February 2016 Turkey and Saudi Arabia were pressing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and the other allies.
On 17 February 2016, as Syrian Kurdish forces advance on the Turkish border, Ankara has called for a safe zone, "free from clashes", and No-fly zone inside Syria, in order to protect border and refugees.
The proposal has not garner any real support from Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone and potentially put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies. Only, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, that such a "safe zone" would be "helpful in the current situation."
Russia with dominance over Syria's skies, come out against the idea and, also, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: "This is not Merkel's initiative, this is a Turkish initiative." In addition, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that any decision to create a no-fly zone over Syria cannot be made without the approval of the government in Damascus as well as the UN Security Council.
On 17 February 2016, in Ankara, a car bombing attack happened at night. The attack targeted a convoy of military vehicles.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed a Syrian Kurdish militia fighter working with Kurdish militants inside Turkey for a suicide car bombing, and he vowed retaliation in both Syria and Iraq. He also, said that Turkey's armed forces would continue their shelling of recent days of YPG positions in northern Syria. President Tayyip Erdogan also said initial findings suggested the Syrian Kurdish militia and the PKK were behind the bombing.
On the other hand, the political arm of the YPG, denied involvement in the bombing, while a senior member of the PKK said he did not know who was responsible. Also, the head of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) said that Turkey is using this attack as a "pretext" to intervene in Syria. The leader of the main Syrian Kurdish group Salih Muslim Muhammad said that Turkey's accusations that the PYD was behind the bombing are made up and that Turkey was trying to escalate the situation in Syria.
On February 25, Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that Turkey would not comply with the truce: "This deal is not binding for us when a party is of threat to Turkey, when Turkey’s security is at stake".
On 4 March, the YPG militia said that Turkey′s tanks had fired dozens of shells at its positions in the area of Afrin in northwest Syria. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that Turkey continues to shell Kurdish forces in Syria, hampering their operations against Al-Nusra, and at the same time funneling supplies to the militant-controlled areas at the border. Furthermore, according to the head of the Russian ceasefire monitoring center Lt. Gen. Sergey Kuralenko, militants continue to freely cross the Turkish-Syrian border and, also, Turkish trucks crossed the Turkish-Syrian border, carrying supplies and arms exclusively to the territories controlled by Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham groups. In addition, he presented a reconnaissance video which he claimed that it confirmed his accusations.
On 6 March, according to Lieutenant General Sergey Kuralenko, Head of the Center for Reconciliation, jihadist militants of Jabhat Al-Nusra in Syria shelled Turkish area in an attempt to provoke a response that could lead to Ankara sending troops into the neighboring country, a move which would inevitably lead to the disruption of the peace process.
On 8 March, Mortar shells fired from Syria in Turkey and killed 2 civilians, the Turkish military returned fire into Syria. According to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Islamic State militants were responsible for the attack.
On 13 March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia has evidence of Turkey's "creeping expansion" in northern Syria. He accused Turkey of fortifying positions hundreds of metres from the border, inside Syria and also sending its military across the Syrian border for Operation Against Kurds and to prevent Kurdish groups there from consolidating their positions. Turkey denied the Russian claims.
On 18 March, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin sent a letter to the UN Security Council saying that three Turkish humanitarian organizations (NGOs) sent weapons and supplies to extremists in Syria on behalf of Turkey's MIT intelligence agency. The three NGOs were the Besar Foundation, the Iyilikder Foundation and the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms (IHH).
On April, the U.S. has asked for Turkey’s support to the Manbij offensive, but Turkey had two demands in exchange for helping the U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition. Turkey first demanded that the Syrian Arab tribes to be included in the Manbij operation should leave the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is under the control of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and also the U.S. must increase its air strikes for groups Turkey supports.
On 4 April, according to a Turkish source, a group of U.S. military and intelligence staff traveled to Turkey to work on a plan for an operation to liberate Manbij.
On May 1, a MQ-1 modelled drone belonging to the U.S.-led coalition hit a bomb factory belonging to the ISIL and destroyed it. The drone took off from the İncirlik Air Base. Two ISIL militants were killed as a result of the airstrike and many others were trapped in the building that was hit, according to Anadolu Agency. Meanwhile, the Turkish army fired howitzers at ISIL positions in Syria and nine militants were killed as a result, after ISIL fired three rockets from Syria at Turkey’s southern border province of Kilis.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has demanded raising awareness on the Kilis to the U.S. Department of State. Turkey also demanded the deployment of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket launchers at Turkey’s Syria border. According to Turkey, such moves would push ISIL militants southwards, leaving the border province of Kilis out of battery ranges.
Two persons were killed when two Katyusha rockets fired from the ISIL in Syria hit the southeastern border town of Kilis. The Turkish military returned fire into Syria, hitting ISIL targets, according to military sources.
Four MQ-1 drones took off from the İncirlik Air Base to strike ISIL targets under the campaign of the anti-ISIL coalition. Five weapon pits belonging to the jihadist group were destroyed and 29 militants were killed in the airstrikes, according to information and images obtained from the region.
Two rocket projectiles hit the border province of Kilis. Turkish artillery units responded to the attack by shelling ISIL positions and firing multiple rocket launchers after unmanned aerial vehicles spotted where the rockets were fired. Six ISIL militants were killed and two Katyusha rocket positions were destroyed, according to the army.
Two Katyusha rockets fired by ISIL hit the southeastern border town of Kilis. The Turkish army responded by firing howitzers toward ISIL targets, reportedly destroying two ISIL Katyusha positions and killed three ISIL militants.
Nine Katyusha rockets hit Kilis. The Turkish army said that four ISIL militants were killed and the weapon launching sites that the attack was carried out from was destroyed.
The governor’s office in Kilis released an official statement declared the province a “special security area,” effective for 15 days until 5:00 p.m. on May 20.
Four rockets fired from northern Syria by ISIL hit Kilis.
A group of 20 Turkish special forces teams reportedly conducted operations in ISIL-held areas in northern Syria at around 1.30 a.m. to scout the region to help destroy missile launchers, after a 10-day intelligence and preparation process. U.S. and Russian military officials were also reportedly informed of the operation.
Also, in the morning hours, the Turkish military carried out four separate air strikes against ISIL positions in northern Syria, as part of a joint effort and intelligence with the U.S.-led coalition forces. Two Katyusha rockets were fired from ISIL positions in Syria on the southeastern province of Kilis following the air strikes. Turkish armed forces responded to the attack by shelling ISIL targets with howitzers from the border.
In the evening hours, reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles spotted ISIL positions in the Suran region north of Aleppo and the Baragidah and Kuşacık regions northeast of Tal el Hişn. Army shelled them. A total of 55 ISIL militants were killed in the shellings, while three vehicles and three rocket launchers belonging to the jihadist group were also destroyed.
A total of 28 ISIL militants were killed by Turkey and U.S.-led coalition in operations targeting positions belonging to the jihadist group in Syria, security sources have said.
Some 27 ISIL militants were killed and five defense positions and two weapon pits used by the jihadist group were also destroyed in shelling by the Turkish army and air operations by the U.S.-led coalition forces in northern Syria.
During an International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Vienna, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that if Moscow has any evidence that shows Turkey helping the ISIL then he would resign.
Russian General Staff Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy told journalists that Al-Nusra Front is receiving daily arms shipments across the border from Turkey and that Al-Nusra Front remains a major destabilizing factor in Syria. He also added that Al-Nusra Front often attack the Syrian Government forces despite the cease-fire and that the attacks are confirmed by other nations as well.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was very angry because of some photos which showed US special forces in Syria wearing insignia of Kurdish militia (patch of the YPJ), during joint operations against Islamic State (IS). He called the US "two-faced" and said the practice was "unacceptable". Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said it is common for US soldiers to attempt to blend in with local partners.
Five people were injured when rockets fired from ISIL-controlled territory in northern Syria hit Turkey’s border province of Kilis.
Two rockets were fired at Turkish territory from ISIL-controlled territory in Syria. No injuries were reported. Turkish military hit ISIL positions in northern Syria as a retaliation for the rocket attack.
According to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey has proposed to USA a detailed plan for joint military operation against jihadists inside Syria with the Americans and other allied troops. But U.S. officials denied it and said that Turkey had not offered a detailed plan but only a few basic concepts which involved joint efforts only to support non-Kurdish forces.
Satellite images confirmed that the first Syrian camps appeared in Turkey in July 2011, shortly after the towns of Deraa, Homs and Hama were besieged. By June 2013, Turkey has accepted 400,000 Syrian refugees, half of whom are spread around a dozen camps placed under the direct authority of the Turkish Government. In 2014, the number swelled over a million, as some 200-300,000 Syrian Kurds streamed into Turkey in September alone, upon the Siege of Kobane.
The population of Syrian refugees in Turkey has 30 percent in 22 government-run camps near the Syrian-Turkish border. The rest do their best to make ends meet in communities across the country.
Turkey has accepted over 1.5 million Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War. Turkey has accommodated most of its Syrian refugees in tent cities administered by the country's emergency management agency.
According to Amnesty International, Turkish guards routinely shoot at Syrian refugees stranded at the border, also, Turkey has forcibly returned thousands of Syrian refugees to war zone since mid-January 2016.
On May 10, 2016, Human Rights Watch said Turkish border guards were shooting and beating Syrian refugees trying to reach Turkey, resulting in deaths and serious injuries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denied it.
On May 18, 2016, lawmakers from the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) have said that Turkey should not use Syrian refugees as a bribe for the process of visa liberalization for Turkish citizens inside the European Union.
Turkey has been accused of supporting or colluding with ISIL, especially by Syrian Kurds. Syrian Kurds and the Turkey's main Kurdish party, HDP, accused Turkey of allowing ISIL soldiers to cross its border and attack the Kurdish town of Kobanî. They also claimed that Islamic State snipers were hiding among grain depots on the Turkish side of the border and firing on the town. In addition. the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the vehicle which is used in a car bombing attack at Kobanî had come from Turkey. According to journalist Patrick Cockburn, there is "strong evidence for a degree of collaboration" between the Turkish intelligence services and ISIL, although the "exact nature of the relationship ... remains cloudy". David L. Phillips of Columbia University's Institute for the Study of Human Rights, who compiled a list of allegations and claims accusing Turkey of assisting ISIL, writes that these allegations "range from military cooperation and weapons transfers to logistical support, financial assistance, and the provision of medical services". Several ISIL fighters and commanders have claimed Turkey supports ISIL. A former ISIS member mentioned that the ISIS groups were essentially given free rein by Turkey's army. He said: "ISIS commanders told us to fear nothing at all because there was full cooperation with the Turks,". "ISIS saw the Turkish army as its ally especially when it came to attacking the Kurds in Syria." Within Turkey itself, ISIL is believed to have caused increasing political polarisation between secularists and Islamists. A video taken in October 2014 shows Turkish soldiers fraternising with Isis fighters near Kobane. Turkish security forces dispersed Kurds who had gathered at the Turkish border with Syria to cross into Syria and fight with Kurdish militants against ISIS. Oliver North tweeted a photograph which he claimed that it shows a Turkish soldier talking friendly with an ISIS anti-aircraft unit.
In addition, Kurds accuse Turkey of using the US-led coalition against IS as a cover to attack the Kurdish PKK in both Turkey and Iraq, and now against the YPG in northern Syria. The Kurds say that Turkey 's bombardment of their positions is helping IS to attack Kurdish-held frontline areas in Syria and Iraq. IS militants attacked Syrian Kurdish villages south of Kobane a day after Turkey began shelling the YPG.
Also, authorities in Turkey have confirmed social media reports that an injured ISIL commander is being treated in a Denizli hospital, saying the militant has every right to receive medical care as he is a Turkish citizen.
Turkey has been further criticized for allowing individuals from outside the region to enter its territory and join ISIL in Syria. With many Islamist fighters passing through Turkey to fight in Syria, Turkey has been accused of becoming a transit country for such fighters and has been labeled the "Gateway to Jihad". Turkish border patrol officers are reported to have deliberately overlooked those entering Syria upon the payment of a small bribe. A report by Sky News exposed documents showing that passports of foreign Islamists wanting to join ISIL by crossing into Syria had been stamped by the Turkish government. American website Al-Monitor stated in June 2014 that Turkey, during the Syrian Civil War, by "ignoring its own border security", had allowed its Syrian border to become a "jihadist highway" for ISIL to let thousands of international jihadists, and other supplies, reach Syria. British newspaper The Guardian stated that Turkey late 2014 "for many months did little to stop foreign recruits crossing its border to Isis". An ISIL commander stated that "most of the fighters who joined us in the beginning of the war came via Turkey, and so did our equipment and supplies", adding that ISIL fighters received treatment in Turkish hospitals. After the 2015 attacks at Paris, President Barack Obama administration told the Turkish government to close its borders to ISIS fighters. A USA senior official said in the Wall Street Journal "The game has changed. Enough is enough. The border needs to be sealed,” “This is an international threat, and it’s coming out of Syria and it’s coming through Turkish territory.”.
Turkey has openly supported jihadi groups, such as Ahrar ash-Sham, which espouses much of al-Qaida’s ideology, and Jabhat al-Nusra, which is proscribed as a terror organisation by much of the US and Europe.
Turkey reported that between 1957 and 1998, Turkish forces laid 615,419 antipersonnel mines along the Syrian border “to prevent illegal border crossings,” These mines are killing Syrians stuck on the border or trying to cross near Kobani. Turkey is required under the Mine Ban Treaty, to destroy all antipersonnel mines, but has missed deadlines. Human Rights Watch claims in its report that as of November 18 over 2,000 civilians were still in the Tel Shair corridor section of the mine belt due to the fact that Turkey had been refusing entry for cars or livestock, and the refugees did not want to leave behind their belongings.
Russia told that for a long time has been aware of oil going from Syria under the control of terrorists to Turkey. The money finances terrorist groups. Vladimir Putin said that “IS has big money, hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, from selling oil. In addition they are protected by the military of an entire nation. One can understand why they are acting so boldly and blatantly. Why they kill people in such atrocious ways. Why they commit terrorist acts across the world, including in the heart of Europe,”. Also, Western intelligence officials said that they can track the ISIS oil shipments as they move across Iraq and into Turkey’s southern border regions. The Obama administration was struggling to cut off the millions of dollars in oil revenue that has made the ISIS, but they were unable to persuade Turkey. In addition, the former Iraqi member of Parliament Mowaffak al-Rubaie has accused Turkey of turning a blind eye to the black market ISIS oil trade. He said that there is “no shadow of a doubt” that the Turkish government knows about the oil smuggling operations. “The merchants, the businessmen [are buying oil] in the black market in Turkey under the noses – under the auspices if you like – of the Turkish intelligence agency and the Turkish security apparatus.” In June 2014, a member of Turkey's parliamentary opposition, Ali Edibogluan, claimed that IS had smuggled $800 million worth of oil into Turkey from Syria and Iraq. Sadik Al Hiseni, the head of the security committee in the city of Diyala in Iraq, says they have arrested several Turkish tankers trying to take ISIS oil out of the province of Salahuddin.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that most of the oil produced in Islamic State-held territory in Iraq and Syria was being smuggled through Turkey. He also mentioned that he sees no evidence that Turkey wants to fight ISIS. In addition he told that Turkey wants to revive the Ottoman Empire.
Sadi Pria, a top Iraqi Kurdish official in Irbil said: "Turkey shamelessly and openly backs IS and al-Qaeda terrorists against Kurdish freedom fighters,".
Israel's defence minister, Moshe Ya'alon, has accused Turkey of buying oil from the ISIS and funds ISIS militants. He, also, said that Turkey had "permitted jihadists to move from Europe to Syria and Iraq and back".
The Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper, said that he was not optimistic that Turkey would do more in the fight against the Islamic State. “I think Turkey has other priorities and other interests.” He also cited public opinion polls in Turkey that show Turks do not see the Islamic State as a primary threat.
Vice President of USA, Joe Biden, during a speech at Harvard accused Turkey and the Gulf countries of funding, supplying and supporting ISIL.
Donald Trump accused Turkey of being at the side of ISIS.
A senior Jordanian security official accused Turkey of training ISIS fighters. The King of Jordan, Abdullah, said that the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region” and the “fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook”.
Egypt has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being a supporter of terrorists who seek to "provoke chaos" in the Middle East. Also, an Egyptian security official said that Turkey is providing direct support to ISIS and that Turkish intelligence is passing satellite imagery and other data to ISIS. Egypt, also, claimed that Turkey provided more than 10,000 passports to ISIS members to facilitate travel of its fighters across the region. Egypt official further charged that Istanbul is serving as the “headquarters” for ISIS planning.
The Minister of Defense of Armenia, Seyran Ohanyan, accused Turkey of supporting ISIS.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis, questioned Turkey’s determination to fight ISIS.
Eren Erdem, member of the main opposition at Turkey, CHP, accused the Turkish Government that it failed to investigate Turkish supply routes used to provide ISIL with toxic Sarin gas ingredients. Because of this statement, he faces treason charges at Turkey.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, warned the Turkish government not to provide money and training to terror groups. He said, "It isn't right for armed groups to be trained on Turkish soil. You bring foreign fighters to Turkey, put money in their pockets, guns in their hands, and you ask them to kill Muslims in Syria. We told them to stop helping ISIS." He, also, said after the 2015 Ankara bombings that the Turkish Government is "protecting" the ISIL and that "the police department knows all", “the only reason for not having security measures taken or for not having them [suspects] detained is the absence of an instruction from the political authority to fulfill whatever was required. That’s to say, its [the political authority’s] protection of ISIL. This is not an observation, I’m saying this very openly and clearly,”. At 16 February 2016, Kılıçdaroğlu has repeated accusations that the Turkish government has sent arms to jihadist groups in Syria and built jihadist training camp in Turkey.
Russian anti-drug chief mentioned that ISIS is using Turkey for trafficking heroin to Europe. He, also, believes that ISIS makes about $1 billion from Afghan heroin trade.
Turkey's state intelligence agency, MIT, has been accused that it helped deliver arms to parts of Syria under Islamist rebel control. Turkish journalists who exposed it have charged with spying and “divulging state secrets” from the Turkish court. One of the journalists claimed:"Those who sent the convoy from Turkey knew that the weapons were “heading to end [up] in ISIS hands". Also, Turkish officers, who intercepted some of the intelligence agency’s weapons-filled trucks have faced spying charges. In addition, Turkish newspaper, Cumhuriyet, published a video footage which it said showed security forces discovering weapons parts being sent to Syria on trucks belonging to the MIT state intelligence agency.
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad during an interview at 2015 mentioned that military and logistic support from Turkey was the key factor in ISIL takeover of Idlib (2015 Idlib offensive), he also blamed Turkey for the failure of a humanitarian ceasefire plan in Aleppo. He told that: "The Turks told the factions - the terrorists that they support and they supervise - to refuse to cooperate with de Mistura".
Syria's antiquities chief has accused Turkey of refusing to return looted objects from ancient heritage sites in Syria or to provide information about them. Also, Turkey have been accused that she lets ISIL smuggles Syrian antiquities through her.
In an official letter to UN, the Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin stated that antiquities from Syria and Iraq are exported to Turkey. The main center for the smuggling of cultural heritage items is the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where the stolen goods are sold at illegal auctions. According to the envoy, new smuggling hubs are popping up on the Turkish-Syrian border, with the “bulky goods” being delivered by the Turkish transport companies. Smuggled artifacts then arrive in the Turkish cities of Izmir, Mersin and Antalya, where representatives of international criminal groups produce fake documents on the origin of the antiquities.
According to Gatestone Institute, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and Südwestrundfunk (SWR) ISIS was selling women and children in Turkey. Also, Consortium of Public Broadcasters in Germany (ARD) produced a footage documenting the slave trade being conducted by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Turkey. After these reports the Gaziantep Bar Association filed a criminal complaint against "Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and law-enforcement officers that have committed neglect of duty and misconduct by not taking required measures, and not carrying out preventive and required intelligence activities before the media covered the said incidents.".
Iran accused Turkey that she is the main culprits in supporting the terrorist movements of ISIL.
Katrin Kunert, a German Parliamentarian from the Green Party leaked a classified document which showed that Turkey was delivering arms to Syrian rebel groups.
Hezbollah Chief, Hassan Nasrallah, accused Turkey and Qatar for supporting ISIS.
Serena Shim, a journalist of Press TV was killed at a car crash with a heavy vehicle in Turkey in what are claimed, by her employer and her parents, to be suspicious circumstances. The car crash happened just days after she claimed that the Turkey's state intelligence agency, MIT, had threatened her and accused her of spying, due to some of the stories she had covered about Turkey’s stance on ISIL militants in Kobane. She also claimed that she had received images of ISIL militants crossing the Turkish border into Syria in World Food Organization and other NGOs trucks.
At December 2015, Turkey rejected to join the anti-ISIL quartet of Syria, Iran, Iraq and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he rejected it due to the presence of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad.
At January 2016, The Guardian obtained documents which show that ISIL ran a sophisticated immigration operation through the Syrian border town of Tell Abyad with Turkey until its defeat by Kurds. The border crossing remained open until Kurdish forces took control of the town (Tell Abyad offensive), at which point Turkey promptly sealed it. David Phillips, an academic at Columbia University and author of two recent research papers into links between Turkey and ISIS, alleges that the country “knows the movements of all persons and can control the flow across the border if it chooses”. He said there was “a steady stream of vehicles, individuals, weapons, financing, oil going back and forth”, adding: “It’s not like people are putting on their hiking boots and crossing over rough terrain. There’s an extensive surface transport network which is highly regulated and controlled ... on both sides of the border.”. Academic researcher Aymenn al-Tamimi, an expert on examining Isis documents, said he had no doubt about the authenticity of the manifests. “The documents ... coincide with other documents illustrating daily bus routes within Islamic State territory. Though private companies provide the actual transportation, the Islamic State bureaucracy is responsible for authorising and overseeing the routes,” he said. A senior Turkish government official, in response to the Guardian’s claims, said that Turkey was doing everything it could to stop the influx of foreign fighters, including cracking down on recruitment and logistic networks such as travel agents mentioned in the documents.
Anonymous launched Cyber-attacks on Turkey after accusing it of supporting ISIS by buying oil from them and treating their wounded in hospital. They have also told that they will continue the attacks as long as Turkey is supporting ISIS.
Columbia University assigned a team of researchers in the United States, Europe, and Turkey to examine Turkish and international media assessing the credibility of allegations and published a research paper entitled "ISIS-Turkey Links". The report draws on a variety of international sources and present many allegations that appeared in the media.
In an email to The Guardian, Noam Chomsky accused Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of hypocrisy. He said: “Turkey blamed Isis (for the attack on Istanbul at 2016), which Erdoğan has been aiding in many ways, while also supporting the al-Nusra Front, which is hardly different."
Jacques Behnan Hindo, the Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Hasakeh-Nisibi, accused Turkey of preventing Christians from fleeing Syria while allowing jihadists to cross its border unchecked. He said on the Vatican Radio, "In the north, Turkey allows through lorries, Daesh (ISIS) fighters, oil stolen from Syria, wheat and cotton: all of these can cross the border but nobody (from the Christian community) can pass over.". He claimed it a day after ISIL abducted more than 90 Assyrian Christians from villages.
Transcripts of telephone calls between IS jihadists and Turkish officers has been revealed.
Members of the Democratic Union Party (Kurds) accused the Turkish military of opening fire at its forces in Tal Abyad after the majority Arab town was included into a Kurdish enclave after fights with ISIS soldiers. The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed it and he said that Turkey had warned the PYD not to cross to the "west of the Euphrates and that we would hit it the moment it did. "We hit it twice,".
Turkey, at January 2016, didn't allow Kurdish groups from northern Syria to take part in peace talks in Geneva. Turkish PM said that the participation of YPG represents a 'direct threat' to his country.
On February 2016, US urged Turkey to stop the shelling of the Kurds and focus on fighting the ISIL.
On February 2016, Syria and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights accused Turkey of allowing Islamist fighters to travel through Turkish territory to reinforce Islamist rebels in Azaz and Tal Rifaat.
On February 2016, Hezbollah said Turkey and Saudi Arabia were using the Islamic State group as a "pretext" to launch a ground operation in Syria, after Turkey's suggestion to the U.S. and other allies in an international coalition against the Islamic State group for ground operations in Syria.
On 10 February 2016, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin sent a letter to the UN Security Council. He said in the letter that recruiters from ISIL had reportedly established a network in the Turkish city of Antalya for foreign fighters from the former Soviet Union. He also said in the letter that, in September, a group of 1,000 IS fighters from Europe and Central Asia were taken from Turkey to Syria through the border crossing at Gaziantep. In addition, he claimed that in early 2015, Turkish intelligence services reportedly helped move ethnic Tatars who were fighting for the Al-Qaeda aligned Nusra Front from Antalya to Eskişehir and, also, that it was helping to fly ISIL militants from Syria through Turkey to Yemen using Turkish military air transport, or by sea to Yemen's port of Aden.
On 17 February 2016, at least 500 armed fighters crossed the Turkish border heading for the Syrian town of Azaz to fight against the Kurdish forces according to the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
After the February 2016 Ankara bombing the head of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) denied any involvement and said that Turkey is using this attack as a "pretext" to intervene in Syria.
According to Human Rights Watch, Turkish border guards were shooting and beating Syrian refugees trying to reach Turkey, resulting in deaths and serious injuries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denied it.
Journalist Arzu Yildiz was sentenced to 20 months in jail and lost her parental rights after exposing a video related to a weapons-smuggling scandal denied by the Turkish government, in what her lawyer said was “an act of revenge” by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
↑ One dead, 26 wounded as rockets hit Turkish town. Reuters.
↑ Hurriyet Daily News, 11–12 August 2012, page 5, "No Misinformation on Downed Jet: Army".
This page was last modified on 31 May 2016, at 19:33. | 2019-04-24T14:44:44Z | https://infogalactic.com/info/Turkish_involvement_in_the_Syrian_Civil_War |
Today we hosted an afternoon ballroom dance in the fabulous Assembly Rooms Bath. It’s something we do more or less monthly throughout the year (details here) to give dancers a great opportunity to dance in a wonderful ballroom, to a live dance band, and enjoy what many have learning and practicing in their Ballroom and Latin lessons and classes across the Southwest. Dancers in fact travel quite some distance to come to our Ballroom dances, also for the lesson beforehand but as we spoke to several attendees today we realised how increasingly rare the combination of live dance band, large ballroom and formal dancing was, even though there are so many million ballroom dancers out there in the UK alone. So, we thought we’d drop a few notes down here for interest.
Dancing in Bath – the prime-time!
Years ago, and many reading this may well remember these times, you could go dancing in Bath and other cities every night of the week with several different hosts. These wouldn’t all necessarily have live dance music but some certainly would. Right across the UK, ballroom dancing went hand-in-hand with live dance bands whose names still permeate through to today (Victor Silvester, for example). The best venues would be packed out with dancers. So why is a live dance band becoming more of a rarity today? What has changed?
On the face of it you can easily say pre-recorded music and electronic sound systems have taken over – why should the dance host go to the expense of a live band when pre-recorded music is so much more convenient and far less of an overhead? Certainly the days have passed when you had to have a band to offer loud enough music as the gramophone just wasn’t cutting it! PA systems are so much more capable and practical now. We use a system where one of us could pick up, with one hand, a 1000W (rms) speaker, and it doesn’t take many of those to offer enough power to run a large venue for ballroom dancing.
But there is something about pre-recorded music that’s just not the same as the live experience. Imagine Blackpool without the Empress orchestra – even imagine Strictly without David Arch and the Strictly Band, but a pre-recorded sound-over instead… it’s not quite right is it? There are doubtless many articles on the web debating the DJ vs Band arguments so let’s not get into that too much, other than to say for ballroom dancing a live band clearly adds to the atmosphere.
So there is a combination of increase in capability and affordability of the electronic systems, and decrease in viability of the bigger bands for ballroom dancing that has spiralled to some extent. For example, imagine a 12-piece band working every night of the week, when some hosts take the decision to cut back and they find their workload reduced to 3 nights of the week. What do they do – double their fees, scale back their players? If dances want to remain an affordable community activity then they couldn’t face additional overheads, but musicians should still be paid correctly. This is why increasingly live dance bands are offering smaller groups of 3-5 players to try and keep a viable offering.
On top of that, there are issues with venue viability. Many of the large dance halls across the UK have given way to other commercial activity, some have even closed. Perhaps the difference here is that many are now run with business acumen at the helm and previously they had been motivated by passion for dance activity. You can sympathise with the temptation of the corporate conference or large wedding with the all of the additional business brought into the venue, compared to the affordable dances that dance teachers and hosts want to offer.
Perhaps this offers the key difference – perhaps there was a time when community venues held 100% community offerings for people whereas now they have the difficult balance to take in more commercial activity for private and business sectors. Surely this highlights the value of those venues that today remain accessible for large community uses.
Take a look at the Bath Assembly Rooms Ballroom where our monthly ballroom dances are held – a period building with substantial overheads in maintenance, staffing and operating costs, with nine chandeliers worth over £500,000 each, and each cleaned every 6 months, you begin to see how important it is for the venue to be sustainable and how much of a tough task that is. The venue is nothing short of spectacular for dancing with its magnificent sprung oak flooring and high ceilings. Ok, the acoustics are a nightmare, which makes for a very lengthy and tricky set-up just to get it within acceptable, but what a room for dancing!
Dance Teachers: It’s up to us.
So maybe the responsibility lies with us as teachers and hosts not to stop taking on these premium dancing venues and divert to the nearest school hall with an eye on the bank balance! In the commercial world maybe it would make sense, but for a dance, a real dance, where atmosphere and an enjoyable setting is important, lets take the bull by the horns and keep the glorious flags flying. Haven’t we a responsibility to keep dance bands alive, keep the venues in good use, and also to our dancers to offer them a really high quality dance? Well, we think so. Whether we’ll be able to continue looking at it like that forever, who knows, but for now we’ll work as hard as we can to keep a good standard of dance going. Its thanks to the Assembly Rooms and live dance bands like Tony and the Sapphires that we are able to do just that.
So keep dancing, and definitely keep supporting the dances as they need you just as much as you need them!
Corsham, Trowbridge, Bath Latin and Ballroom : what is it?
We’ve had several people ask us more recently as to what Latin and Ballroom is – what specifically are the dances and which do we teach. So, just a short entry from us to explain a little more of what our Latin and Ballroom classes and lessons in Bath, Corsham and Trowbridge actually feature.
Firstly Latin, or Latin American dancing, consists of 5 dances: Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. There are several variations of these dances around the world, for example many people refer to Jive and they could mean one of several different dances. The Jive we dance and teach is sometimes known as International Jive and is distinct in it’s technique – it’s the Jive you see being danced on Strictly with fast foot and leg actions, although we don’t start people’s Jive careers off with needs for Oxygen so don’t worry. Essentially the dances have both formal foot patterns to learn as well as very well developed leads, follows, actions and distinct characters. There are of course several other “Latin” dances like Salsa, Argentine Tango, Mambo, Merengue and others but these fall into a catagory of Latin outside of the Latin and Ballroom framework.
The Ballroom or standard dances consist of 5 famous styles; Waltz (sometimes referred to as Slow Waltz or English Waltz), Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Tango and Slow Foxtrot. Each of these dances commands a different technique although some do have similarities to each other. Tango, or International Tango, is different from Argentine Tango which we also teach but despite what some may tell you, there is a huge amount of commonality in the mechanisms you need to understand in order to master the Tango styles – we’re not saying they are similar but once you are aware of axes, how to move with quality, lead and follow, different requirements of posture, stance and hold, then you can carry your understanding far beyond the remit of one dance style.
This means Latin and Ballroom is a collect of dances, ten in total, and not just one style. It also means it’s quite a challenge to master all ten, especially when each one in it’s own right is well developed and requires patience to become good at. For those just starting out this is no reason to panic or run for the door! Normally you would be introduced to the easier styles first and rather than rush into a frenzy of frantic show dance steps in lesson number one, a good Latin and Ballroom teacher would take you through basic fundamentals and develop them as you gain confidence and familiarity with each of the Latin and Ballroom styles.
We hope that clarifies a little – if you need more information on each of the dances we teach then just take a look on our web page where there is a little text about each one. If you want to find out more about our classes for Corsham, Trowbridge and Bath Latin and Ballroom then just take a look on the website under Classes and you should see all the information you need. If you’re really intrigued then the only way is to come and see for yourself and probably, like most, you’ll end up never looking back.
We’ve been teaching the wonderful Argentine Tango in Bath for a good number of years now and the classes are very well established. As well as actually teaching the dance, getting complete beginners going from scratch, and then developing existing Tango dancers repertoire and technique, we also aim to highlight the origins and characters of all of the partner dancers we teach and Argentine Tango is no exception to this.
It made us think recently, as we were explaining the nature of Argentine Tango to one group, about how well suited Tango is to Bath, steeped in culture, heritage and encrusted with magnificent ballroom venues like the Guildhall, Assembly Rooms or Pump Room.
But the dance actually requires more than those things; more than the setting, more than the place. It requires a type of person to embrace it (excuse the pun), and there lies the challenge. Do we belong to a society a little more reserved for such an intimate style? In the other extreme, would we set off to the Tango Salon for the evening, smartly dressed, arm-in-arm, or would this prove to be a dignified step too far; actions that might turn the dance into a secluded society going slightly outside the norm? Maybe there is something quintessentially English about it all if that quality hasn’t long since been lost in us.
In Buenos Aires you could Tango every night of the week at different venues for several weeks before you were back to your first haunt. You could Tango in the open air with hundreds of others and the only thing that would cause a stir would be if your Tango didn’t look like it was with you from birth! There it is not just an interesting dance to learn, it is part of life’s rich pattern whereby you are exposed to the national (OK, we know there is some debate but lets not get into that here) dance, see it day-in, day-out and doubtless it will contact you at some point even if you hadn’t got in touch before then.
So while Tango in Bath sounds as though it was meant to be, and may still be, perhaps we’re not quite ready or prepared for it to become part of common culture just yet. Maybe we also have too much variety in the huge range of different dance styles and activities we can try too. We doubt it would take too much to change the norm though and all the signs are that Tango in Bath is extremely popular and growing a wider following. The city has all the credentials to be a world-class host if the dance style ever became more mainstream; perhaps the streets of Bath even deserve more frequent visits from classy, attention-grabbing dancers. Maybe we’ll have to give up a Saturday afternoon and show the shoppers some soulful, playful Tango one day? Oh, for more free time.
One thing we would add; we live in an increasingly busy society but if you’ve never experienced it, grab someone and go and try a Tango lesson, or for that matter any dance lesson. It’s an experience not to be missed and many remember forever. If you’re in Bath, then you’re lucky, but do drop in sometime soon and try it out.
Tango in Bath? Oh, yes please.
We were wondering about the history of dancing in the Guildhall, Bath, as we were teaching the ballroom and Latin classes last Monday. There are magnificent paintings around the Banqueting room with eyes that seem to follow you around, checking out your steps as you try and do them justice and we couldn’t help wondering how may pairs of dancing feet they’d all scrutinized before. Bath’s famous names gazed down on us – Ralph Allen seemed slightly entertained at one point. So we made a few enquiries regarding dance classes there and encountered the brilliantly helpful people of Bath Council’s archives group.
In the 18th and 19th centuries regular public dances (not necessarily lessons or classes) were of course advertised and held at the Assembly Rooms and Pump Room, but the Guildhall was reserved for mainly civic occasions such as banquets, concerts, lectures and the occasional grand ball although not on a frequent basis.
In the early 20th century the Council minutes record that applications to hold regular dances and whist-drives at the Guildhall were refused. In the 1920s and 1930s the Guildhall was occasionally hired for dances, each application being considered independently, one of the conditions being no smoking, which was more of an unusual restriction in those days.
During World War II many weekly dances were organised for local residents, Ministry of Defence staff evacuated from London, and servicemen stationed in Bath, but these were held at the Pump Room, Assembly Rooms, and the Pavilion, not at the Guildhall.
In post-war years there is little mention of regular dances held at the Guildhall although we are aware of several annual or occasional dances, but certainly no regular ballroom or Latin lessons or other weekly dancing classes.
As it turns out, the new classes in the Guildhall may be the first weekly or frequent lessons ever held there. We found this amazing given such a wonderful venue in the heart of a vibrant community city is just crying out to be used. It really is a world class venue to be hosting ballroom and Latin classes and dancing later in the evening so if you haven’t tried it already, or if you’re an experienced dancer looking for some more practice or social dance time, do come along and try out the atmosphere there; its something quite special.
Who knows, one day you might feature in the council archives as the time of boom for dancing when the Guildhall hosted its own vibrant dance classes.
First of all, if you’re going to watch the partnering show on Saturday, don’t read any further than here otherwise all may be spoilt for you. For those who can’t wait until then, we have our ears to the ground, this is what we believe will be revealed at the weekend for the line-up.
Well, the BBC have done it again haven’t they? A willing (?) collection of sports, soap, TV and celebrity worlds are coming together to discover ballroom dancing. No doubt some with business hats on spot an opportunity to build on their fame, and maybe see an opportunity to re-profile TV careers, but you’ve got to hand it to them, they really have put themselves forward for viewing entertainment and a fair bit of judicial review of their dance-floor skills.
Aliona with Harry : rhythm will not be a problem here one would hope! So if Harry can get those feet going like his drum sticks surely there’s some potential in this partnership. Aliona should feel pleased too, as last year’s runner-up and handed a partner with rhythm, surely she’ll be fancying her chances. Sounds like its got potential.
Anton with Nancy : the gentleman of dance turned-tv-presenter gets the lady lawyer, international lawyer (maybe there’s a line for the next James Bond movie). 50 year old Nancy has maybe landed on her feet with the charm and composed Anton. Will it be a good match-up? We’re not so sure. She’ll maybe prefer the Latin but Anton’s forte is so much for ballroom and there’s two very different characters thrust together in the pressure cooker.
Artem with Holly : Well this one looks promising for some hot Latin doesn’t it? Holly (who apparently could give Harry a run for his money on the drum kit) should be no stranger to rhythm and getting her body moving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp19UMfRkQ&feature=fvst but will she be able to take the pressure and scrutiny? Well, Russian Latin dancer Artem has a title to defend and maybe he’s just been given his chance.
Brendan with Lulu : What a pairing! Cor! Brendan has experienced surely the full force of the highs and lows of Strictly, but here what a terrific partner he’s been given and wouldn’t you think they go well together? Lulu will surely have no fear of the big stage and should bring with her great musicality if she has time to get that in to her dancing. She’s at least some small dance experience too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf7bM4_fLdM although the costume may need reworking. Whether its out first round or all the way to the final, the “bad” boy (He isn’t really bad at all is he? Just speaks his mind when he should keep quiet.) will surely enjoy this pairing if she works hard and he can hold it together.
Erin with Rory : We get the impression (!) this could go either way; will he prove the dark horse? Certainly something different for the intelligent impressionist and one might expect he would gel with Erin, herself a SCD finalist. You can’t imagine they’d be able to produce the fire-like, show-stopping latin of some of the other couples that seems to draw the audience vote though.
Flavia and Russell : Fame and fortune? Well it’s been widely reported Russell has been nursing an injured back and given we know the demands of dancing all too well, this has to be playing on his mind. Its an interesting match buy maybe not one that’s going all the way to the final unless they can get to full strength quickly.
James with Alex : If the One Show’s Alex can prove more of an Alesha than a Bridget Jones, maybe this will be a couple to watch. Certainly looking like they have potential to do well, but how will Alex cope with all the moves James will pull out? We think she might. How much poise can she remember from her ballet and theatre training? This might prove key in how far they can go. Definitely one to watch.
Katya with Dan : The key to this match up will be if Dan can be as light on his feet as he was 15 years ago. If the former professional tennis player’s foot speed is brought back into play early in training, then maybe these two will be another couple to look out for.
Kristina and Jason : The Australian actor and singer should be no stranger to musicality, and has proved to be a performer on the biggest of stages, occasionally showing off his stage dance skills too. Much like we wondered with Rory, will Jason really be able to light up a dancing stage? Maybe Kristina is the one to drag it out of him. We really hope he enjoys the experience though so hope he goes through a few weeks at least.
Natalie with Audley : Maybe this was a height match-up! Based on the past record of giant sportsmen’s success on Strictly, Audley has his work cut out. He’s no stranger to that however – one of the most stubborn boxers we’ve seen so don’t count him out too early. You’ve got to rate them as outsiders but maybe, just maybe, there could be an upset and Harrison could go a few rounds longer than we think.
Ola with Robbie : Will little Ola be able to bring this sportsman into play? Leading sports stars have had a good track record on Strictly and perhaps Robbie is likely to follow suit. He should have the pace and coordination but how quickly will Ola be able to get him into dancing shape? We hope they find form and do well.
Pasha with Chelsea : The new Siberian Latin dancer Pasha Kovalev is paired with the youngest celebrity Chelsea and surely therefore one of the more nervous novices to take to the Strictly floor? Don’t underestimate these two though – Pasha isn’t entirely new to the SCD format, finaling on the highly competitive American version of So You Think You Can Dance and making several guest and choreographer appearances. If he can adapt quickly to SCD, and prove strong for Chelsea then maybe the 23 year old should do well, at least certainly with Latin – ballroom may not be their forte. Her previous dance experience? We don’t think so. Very tricky to foresee how they will do.
Robin with Anita : You’ve just got to feel that Anita will have a good time. Who knows if she’ll be able to get enough fire in the belly to keep up with the sports stars and pocket rockets of the line-up and maybe that doesn’t matter. We think she’ll have a great time and anything on top of that is a bonus.
Vincent with Edwina : Hmm. Italian Curry? Don’t mention eggs! The BBC were clearly looking for a replacement for John Sergeant but did they find it? Possibly not, we feel. With Vincent’s engine revving like a Ferrari, it wouldn’t suit him to have a rusty truck to go racing with now would it. We feel he might just find a way of extracting some dance from Edwina in a way that never quite made it out of the very likable Mr Sergeant. Maybe this is not so much about Edwina then, but how good is Vincent and can he really work his hardest together with her to produce something expected. This is our dark horse number two but we may eat our words after show number one!
Enjoy the shows and whatever happens, whoever takes to it quickest or slowest, we hope they all have a great experience learning to dance and performing for the nation.
Last night was the first of our new weekly ballroom and Latin dance nights in the wonderful Guildhall, Bath. It’s a real treat for us to be teaching and hosting a night in such a superb venue with a magnificent, spacious floor, chandeliers fit for a Jane Austen novel and the watchful gazes of Ralph Allen, Pitt and the Prince and Princess of Wales – do their eyes really follow us waltzing around the dance floor?
Its always tricky starting new ballroom classes, especially in a new venue for us in Bath so we were pleased to see a strong turnout wanting to learn about waltz, quickstep, cha cha, jive and more. There was a good atmosphere all evening with a terrific diversity of people and dance experience.
We took them through the basics of ballroom in the first class, and after a short break whisked everyone off to Latin America to experience the jive and cha cha. We think anyone who watches the launch of Strictly this weekend will watch with new found sympathy of how hard the dancers are working; it really is terrific exercise and if the gym is not your thing, this is a fantastic alternative and a great way of spending some time together as well.
More experienced dancers came for some teaching and practice later in the evening; maybe the legs will be aching this morning but everyone, beginners included, joined in the teaching with great enthusiasm and really started to look like they’d been dancing a good deal longer than a first lesson. The first lesson is always the most daunting, not knowing what to expect but once you realise everyone is in the same boat, things get much easier and you do start to enjoy it. Well done to all; we thought you were terrific!
We hope to see you again next week, and some new faces too. The ballroom is asking to be danced in so come along and try out the beginner classes or if you dance already, come and join in the later classes and dance in this fantastic space. Help us spread the word too if you know friends, colleagues or relatives who might like to join in. We’ll both be there to help you and them through the evening.
Just a quick note to all you Argentine fans that Great Western Wine in Bath are organising a very interesting Argentine Wine tasting evening on Thursday 15th September. The link is here http://www.greatwesternwine.co.uk/argentina-wine-tasting.html and if you go along, do mention that we recommended it; we hope it’s interesting and tasty!
Of course our Thursday night dancers better not turn up to classes with rosey cheeks or we’ll know where you’ve been!
Interesting documentary on BBC2 this evening about Irish dancing’s top competitions chasing their dream of the Worlds – a World Championship title against 6000 competitors. It made us remember bringing the Senior Ladies World Champion, Cecily Charlton to Bath back in 2009 for the Dancestars Show who left a lasting impression and many people commented to us how they had stolen the show (from the likes of Vincent & Flavia too!).
Competitive dance in general seems to be continually developing and evolving. In Ballroom and Latin it used to be the case that professionals would dance both disciplines when they competed. More recently things have progressed to such a point where it is all but impossible to prepare yourselves for both disciplines consecutively; most pro couples now take on one or the other.
This coming season we’re making final preparations to enter the world of pro competition in the UK. Who knows where we’ll end up fitting in at the end of it all. We’re unusual in that we have some good pro experience behind us and can teach to a good level but haven’t yet competed as pros. Maybe we would have tried our hand (feet) earlier but bones and other things shelved earlier plans.
Its considerable work to rise to the challenge of pro dance competition, and largely unrewarded unless you make it to the unlikely very top of the field, other than, oh yes, some self-satisfaction and self-development along the way. Once you have an understanding for the dances, then you need time, a lot of it, great coaching and some space. It does give added motivation to raise you own game and in that way you can see how competitive dance has really helped to move things on.
Its tough at the top.
We’ll keep you posted and maybe see you at Blackpool.
Just the news that everyone wanted to hear we hope! We are full of energy and looking forward to restarting our evening classes and teaching in Bath, Trowbridge & Corsham next week.
The week starts with a bang as we open a brand new dance night in the Guildhall, Bath, from 7pm on Monday evening. Take a look through the classes section for full information. This is a different format to our other teaching evenings, featuring several classes and significant dance time during the evening. If you live not far from Bath then come along and join the fun on Monday.
Wednesday and Thursday will see the re-start of our popular Ballroom & Latin teaching evenings in Trowbridge and Corsham. We’ve missed you during the extended break and look forward to seeing you next week to get you dancing well again. If you know anyone, friends, family or colleagues who would like to join the new beginners classes then let them know its a week later, on 14th and 15th September onwards. Next week is only for the Novice and Improver levels!
From 15th September, Argentine Tango restarts in Claverton Hall, Bath, with another opportunity to learn this amazing dance style. Start with the basic building blocks then you can unleash those legs!
Finally, you might be looking out for the next Assembly Rooms Monthly Dance date in the ballroom – Sunday 25th September and to help you get a grip of things, the masterclass will be all about holds; how to hold each other correctly, with style and in the healthiest way to let you dance well and look good. | 2019-04-19T01:01:33Z | http://www.vivaladance.co.uk/blog/2011/09/ |
Below is a recent article I wrote for The Gospel Witness (April 2011, pp. 6-8).
There was once a time when catechisms were a common feature in the life of the church. Through a series of questions and answers people would learn the basics of theology. It so happens that at the church where I serve as Pastor we are studying through the Baptist Catechism[i] in a weekly bulletin insert to seek to grow in our knowledge of God as best understood by our Baptist forebears. It seems fitting that at this time in preparation for celebrating Easter we would be at Question 38 of the catechism which asks “What is sanctification?” Since Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and that through this we are united to Him, and through our union with Christ we receive the blessing of sanctification (cf. 1 Cor 1:30) it is only fitting to consider what exactly sanctification is, how sanctification flows out of the cross of Christ and to consider bearing it has on the Christian life.
Puritan great William Ames (1576–1633) writes that sanctification is “the real change in man from the sordidness of sin to the purity of God’s image.”[ii] What we are understanding sanctification then to be is that process where we grow more and more in holiness. We are constantly being changed and conformed to the image of Christ through a joint process of our own along with the work of the Holy Spirit in us. In particular we will consider what the answer to the Baptist Catechism question noted above tells us about sanctification. The answer to the question reads, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” There are a number of things we see about sanctification.
First, sanctification is a work of God’s free grace. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 notes that the work of sanctification is a work of the Spirit that flows out of God’s sovereign choice, and thereby, a work of His free grace. The verse reads, “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”[iii] We often act like when we are saved, our justification is done through the power of God, but our pursuit of holiness is by our own effort. In contrast, it is seen that even the ability to grow in godliness is a gift of God.
Second, we see that sanctification involves a renewing in the whole man after the image of God. In the fall, our image has been marred. It has been damaged by our sinfulness to the point that it effects all of man. We are totally depraved because of our sin. Yet, our goal is to regain that complete image of God through our pursuit of holiness. Therefore, sanctification is that process where we are being renewed into His image. Paul in addressing the Ephesian believers notes that we are to be “renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23–24). Just as one would remove a dirty shirt, we are to remove our old, sinful self, and replace it with a new self, after the likeness (or image) of God.
Finally, we see that sanctification has a result that we are more enabled to die to sin and live to righteousness. As we grow more and more in holiness and are closely matching the image of God in our lives, we are more able to resist sin and temptation and instead to pursue righteousness. In fact, Paul in Romans 6:6 identifies a close relationship between our association with the death of Christ and our ability to bring our sin under control through sanctification. He writes, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” As our old self has been taken off (or here crucified) we are no longer enslaved to sin and therefore are more able to resist it (put it to death as the catechism says) and to instead pursue righteousness. It is a life-long pursuit and we will never reach perfection this side of glory, but because of what Christ has done on the cross, we can pursue holiness and become conformed to the image of God in Jesus Christ!
On Easter it is important therefore to consider the cross of Christ. The cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith. Without either, Christianity falls apart. That is why we must have a correct understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ because our Gospel message stands or falls upon it. Yet, the cross did not simply pay for our sin and our guilt as Christ became our substitute, but it made provision for our ability to grow in Christ-likeness through our pursuit of progressive sanctification.
Romans 6 is one of the clearest passages of Scripture which connects the dots between the cross of Jesus and sanctification. Our ability to pursue holiness clearly comes as a result of the cross. Paul begins by addressing an objection that if when we sin grace increases should we continue to live in sin (v. 1)? Paul says, “By no means!” Since we have died to sin we can no longer live in it (v. 2). But what does Paul mean when he says that we have died to sin? He is speaking specifically that those for whom Christ died have too died. Just as Christ was crucified for us, we too were crucified with Him. We are united to Him in both the cross and the resurrection. In fact, Paul goes on to connect the ordinance of baptism to that of identifying ourselves with the death of Christ. All of those who have been baptized into Christ have also been baptized into His death (v. 3). Baptism is, at the heart, a public identification. If we have chosen to identify ourselves with Christ we have identified with His death. Hence, Paul can write that, as we go down under the water of baptism, it is as if we have been buried with Christ and just as we come up out of the water of baptism, it is as if we have risen to new life with Christ (v. 4). This newness of life is the key to our understanding of sanctification and the cross. Through the death of Christ and our identification with it, we have died to sin’s control and mastery over us and have been given new life and the ability to pursue godliness.
He continues to say that if we have died with Christ we too will be raised with Christ (v. 5) and that our old self (our sinful nature) has been crucified with Christ so that sin would no longer have control or dominion over us (v. 6) so that he can make the bold statement that “For one who has died has been set free from sin” (v. 7). If then we have died with Christ we then therefore live with Him and since death has no hold on Him so will it have no hold over us (vv. 8–9). In this death Christ died to sin (as death is the result of sin) and He now lives for God (v. 10) and therefore we too are dead to sin and alive to God (v. 11). As a result then of our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection we are to no longer live in sin but to be slaves to righteousness (v. 18). We are therefore to “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (vv. 12–13).
In addressing the doctrine of sanctification, Baptist Divine John Gill (1697–1771) writes of sanctification being, “grace in the soul is a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life”.[v] The pursuit of holiness is not one of drudgery as if it is obedience to the Law. Instead, it is everything of grace to the soul. The Holy Spirit, dwelling inside the believer, convicts us of sin and brings us ever closer to the image of Jesus Christ. God calls us to be holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Our goal is therefore to be like God, as perfectly manifested in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. This is not solely through our own effort as if we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps but is a joint effort through the power of God working in us that we put off sin and put on righteousness. This power in us comes as a result of being united to Christ through His death and resurrection.
This Easter, do not think that Christ’s death only made you right before God in position, but that through the cross work of Christ, you are pursuing God’s highest purpose for you: being made right before God in the actual way you live!
[i] For a brief introduction to the Baptist Catechism see the forward by James M. Renihan in The Baptist Confession of Faith and the Baptist Catechism (Vestavia Hills, AL/Carlisle, PA: Solid Ground Christian Books/Reformed Baptist Publications, 2010), pp. 89–91. For a more detailed examination see Tom J. Nettles, Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The Study of Catechisms in Baptist Life (Amityville, NY: Calvary Press Publishing, 1998), pp. 47–58.
[ii] William Ames, The Marrow of Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1997), p. 168.
[iii] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version.
[iv] David Peterson, Possessed by God: A New Testament Theology of Sanctification and Holiness. New Studies in Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1995), p. 100.
[v] John Gill, A Complete Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity, 3 vols. (London: Printed for W. Winterbotham, 1796), II, 312.
[vi] Anthony A. Hoekema, Saved by Grace (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989), p. 233.
Christianity stands or falls on the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an age of skepticism regarding the supernatural, Christians find it difficult to show people the truth of Christianity because of denials of the resurrection. This is not a new phenomenon.
During the rise of the Enlightenment period in the 18th century, it became common to embrace only what could be verified using normal human faculties. Since no one could reproduce a resurrection, logically, it was reasoned, it must be impossible. When one removes the supernatural from Christianity, particularly through the denial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of Christianity falls.
Thankfully, there were people who fought against the tide of anti-supernaturalism during the Enlightenment period. One such man was John Gill.
John Gill was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England on November 23, 1697. His parents were God-fearing individuals of the Calvinistic Baptist tradition. His early years were spent studying in the local grammar school where he excelled in languages. The church at Kettering recognized his gifts as a preacher and in 1719 Gill became pastor of the famous Horselydown congregation in London where he served for a staggering fifty-two years until his death in 1771. Gill would become a prolific author and one of the most influential theologians of the Particular Baptist cause.
Gill taught and preached frequently the doctrine of the resurrection. One such occasion was the famous Lime Street Lectures of 1731. While we cannot spend a detailed amount of time analyzing his defense, we can make some general conclusions about how he defended the resurrection and how we can learn to do the same today.
First, Gill knew his opponents and their arguments. Uneducated beyond some initial grammar school, Gill made it his goal as both a Christian and as a minister of God’s Word to be informed in the writings of the orthodox and the unorthodox alike. He was expertly versed in Jewish thought and literature, and was aware of ancient pagan authors and the arguments they made. He was aware of Christian thinking on the issue from the early church through the Reformation and post-Reformation Puritan period in which he lived. He was aware of the arguments made by those who agreed with a resurrection and those who denied it.
Second, he progressed through his argumentation in a logical way. First, he considers that the doctrine of resurrection is a “credible” thing. When one considers all of the amazing things that occur in the world and all of the things God has done in the Scriptures, resurrection from the dead is something that is not completely incredible to believe. From there he moves to more explicit references in Scripture to argue for the resurrection of the dead. Finally, he considers how the resurrection is necessary because it is connected with all kinds of other doctrines in the Bible. He clinches it with the key: If Christ is raised, so too are we. This leads the reader along the argument, slowly building the case, so that when one reaches the end, he faces an insurmountable argument defending the resurrection from the dead.
Third, the core of the defense of the resurrection for Gill comes straight from the Scriptures. When much Enlightenment thinking was turning to the other “book of the revelation of God” namely nature, to define the world, Gill still sees the lasting answers in God’s special revelation, Scripture. Our theology can only be derived from the Scriptures itself. It is God’s communication to man and thus gives us the answers we are looking for. Instead of rooting his argument in the conclusions of others, he looks to the Scriptures to defend this crucial doctrine.
It is not just the secular atheistic world that denies the core supernatural elements of our faith but also much of liberal Christianity denies the miraculous and especially the resurrection from the dead. It is imperative that we understand and defend this crucial element of our faith. If the resurrection of Christ is denied then our faith is in vain. What then can we learn from Gill when defending the truth of the elements of our Christian faith?
First, the maxim of “know thy enemy” is invaluable. If we want to honestly interact with those who disagree with our position, we need to know what they are saying. Too many Christians attempt to contend against the arguments of liberals and atheists alike without knowing what they actually believe about the subject. Study the issue, especially as articulated by those who disagree with you. A. N. Wilson’s, Jesus: A Life, Barbara Thiering’s Jesus the Man, and John Shelby Spong’s, Resurrection: Myth or Reality? are good places to start. For defenses of the resurrection which interact with detractors see Gary Habermas and Michael Licona’s The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus and N.T. Wright’s magisterial The Resurrection of the Son of God.
Second, know the Word of God. There is no more important tool in your arsenal than the Word of God. Gill demonstrates his vast knowledge of the Word of God on the subject and draws Scriptures from throughout the Bible to support his argument. Strong argument for affirming the truth of the resurrection is based on a systematic understanding of the teaching in the entire Bible. For instance, Gill considers Job 19:25–27, Isaiah 26:19, and Daniel 12:2 from the Old Testament. The clinching argument from the New Testament is that since the resurrection of Christ is true (1 Cor. 15), then our resurrection is true too!
Finally, know how to make your argument. The reality is that the unbelieving mind cannot grasp the spiritual things of God. You cannot convince them with logical arguments that the resurrection is reasonable or possible apart from the Word of God. The mind of the unbeliever is hostile to God (Rom. 8:7). Our goal is to present the truth claims of the Scriptures and pray that the Spirit of God would use this Word to draw our hearer to Christ. Gill’s approach —a systematic walk through the Scriptures—is the best and most reasonable defense of the resurrection.
Our world may seem more sophisticated today than it was in Gill’s time. Yet little has actually changed. The arguments are the same. Nothing new is under the sun. Unfortunately what has changed is how little we care about history. Many of these fights have been raging for hundreds of years. Think about how much we can learn from those who have gone before us. Gill’s comprehensive defense of the resurrection should help us in our own defense of this crucial doctrine. And there is no more important doctrine.
The whole gospel is connected with it; if there is no truth in this, there is none in that. As the doctrine of the resurrection receives confirmation from the doctrines of personal election, the gift of the persons of the elect to Christ, the covenant of grace, redemption by Christ, union with him, and the sanctification of the Spirit, so these can have no subsistence without supposing that.
You are currently browsing the Working out Salvation with Fear and Trembling blog archives for May, 2011. | 2019-04-19T00:59:51Z | https://allenmickle.com/2011/05/ |
Adorable remodeled Craftsman-style bungalow with large level backyard within walking distance to UO, shopping, restaurants, and the bike path. Updated large, sunny kitchen, spacious front porch for gatherings with friends or family, hardwood floors in living and dining areas, 2 baths on the main floor, and 3+ bedrooms!
Remodeled vintage bungalow close to downtown and the Whiteaker! It offers classic features such as gorgeous hardwood floors, period built-ins and a covered front porch. The spacious living room opens to a formal dining room. Master suite boasts skylights and exposed beams, plus adjacent den/office space with built-ins and bath with jetted tub. Deck overlooks tranquil, private yard. Separate shop space, gas furnace plus AC, and more.
Lovely four-bedroom contemporary located in the heart of Regency Estates! New carpet can be found in the bedrooms, plus the living and family rooms. Open kitchen features granite counters and cooking island. Master suite offers sizable walk-in closet and jetted tub. Charming patio, beautifully landscaped yard. Formal and informal dining, heat pump, three-car garage, and more.
Lovely contemporary situated on a quiet South Eugene cul-de-sac! Light-filled entry with skylight leads to living room with cozy fireplace and deck access. Spacious family room offers wet-bar, high ceilings and large windows with filtered views. Roomy master suite provides walk-in closet and updated bath. Newly rebuilt wraparound deck, newer siding, windows and gutters. Two-car garage, heat pump, custom landscaping w/cherry trees and sprinklers.
MARVELOUS WESTERN VIEWS boasting pride of ownership through-out this move in ready home.this is worth seeing inside. Refinished Hardwood floors on main level w/ cozy gas fireplace and updated kitchen including a fantastic bonus area and large yard. Incredible convenient University location. w/ a separate legal 1 bedroom apt.(rents for $575 a month), property zoned duplex.
Spectacular views from this gorgeous home on private, beautifully landscaped lot. Open and light entry, spacious kitchen with stainless appliances, granite counters. Adjoining family room w/gas insert, vaulted ceilings, and views. Formal dining area, fabulous Master suite with large walk-in closet and dressing area, plus luxurious bath with jetted tub. Your own private retreat!
A rare, stunning 1-level in a park-like setting at the end of the road, private sanctuary. Designed by Dan Hill of Arbor Southwith incredible attention to detail and beauty. Gourmet kitchen,open floor plan, cherrywood cabinetry, hand crafted glass doors,gorgeous master suite w/fireplace, beautiful landscaping, trulya treasure!
Exceptional custom home in Street of Dreams culdesac. Vaulted ceilings, wood floors and crown mouldings. Live on the water overlooking the pond and landscaped, spacious yard. Kitchen has Dacor gas range, granite counters and abundant built-ins. Light and open main level master suite with bay window, french doors to patio. Built with the highest level of craftsmanship. A rare gem!
Stunning custom contemporary w/magnificent views of the city! Situated on .76 acre parcel, this amazing 4 bedroom, 3 bath home offers soaring 2 story entry, high ceilings, travertine tile flooring, 2 fireplaces, a wonderful loft style 2nd story, built-ins and a fantastic media room w/home theatre. A Rare Find!
Situated close to Hendricks Park and the University, this gorgeous contemporary offers fantastic views of the city and Coast Range. Wonderful wraparound deck leads from covered front porch to lovely backyard with terraced landscaping. Spacious living room features wood floors, large windows, and deck access. Open, remodeled kitchen and adjoining family room overlook private patio.
Amazing remodeled contemporary in a quiet, established South neighborhood surrounded by nature, yet offers light and bright sun filled rooms throughout. Impressive open floor plan, hardwood floors, granite counters and cherry cabinetry. Great room opens to a sparkling gourmet kitchen w/eating bar and breakfast nook. 2 master suites, 3 car garage and views of the outdoors.
Beauty and quality are hallmarks of this custom contemporary! Great attention to detail, light filled open floor plan, spacious foyer, eye-catching gourmet kitchen offers many custom amenities, hardwood floors and fabulous unique master suite boasting soak tub w/privacy glass, separate shower, walk-in closet and patio access. Plus 7X17 shop w/cabinetry. Neat as a pin and move in ready!
Wonderful one level custom in desirable North Gilham neighborhood. Quality abounds, spacious formal and informal living areas, fabulous remodeled kitchen, granite, cherry cabinets opens to great rm, fireplace, views of outdoors. Master suite, walk-in closet and patio access. Beautifully landscaped - private backyard, covered patio, pond, oversize GA and abundant storage. A must see!
Impressive custom designed home offers style and comfort. Stunning views! Soaring ceilings, open floor plan, expansive window presentation, hardwood floors, plus beautiful remodeled kitchen, high end SS appliances, Sub Zero refrigerator, Wolf gas cooktop and beautiful cabinetry. Spacious deck w/views, plus lush greenery, surrounding this outstanding home. South Eugene schools.
Wonderful contemporary in desirable University neighborhood. Walk to University Park located across the street. Nice picture windows, wood floors, two gas fireplaces, built-ins and spacious rooms. Both formal and informal living areas, potential for separate living qtrs, plus beautiful private, fenced yard, water feature, decking and patio.
Located in a prime East Eugene neighborhood! Discover this charming treasure w/wood floors, high ceilings, cozy fireplace, spacious kitchen and dining area, family room w/french doors leading to the private back patio, lovely yard, savory fruit trees, garden area, hot tub, wrought iron fence, and classic covered porch.
Great home in desired location! Enjoy this one level, 4 bedroom, 3002 sq ft classic w/close in convenience, cul-de-sac location situated on .40 acre lot backing up to the golf course. Beautiful established yard, patios, views of the greens, built-ins, 3 fireplaces and 3 full baths. New exterior paint, roof in 08. This lovely home is waiting for your own personal touch!
EXCELLENT LOCATION! Close to U of O, Hendricks Park and Laurelwood Golf Course situated on a generous one-third acre lot. Open floor plan, large rooms, wood floors, spacious kitchen offers dining area and center island, 3 fireplaces, guest bedroom w/bath, lovely landscaped yard, garden space, patio and oversized garage w/workshop. A great home for comfortable living and entertaining!
Close to U of O! 1920s vintage offers a great opportunity. Built to last, featuring wood floors, french doors, built-ins, bright sun room, spacious kitchen, formal dining room/family room. Nice covered front portico w/fully fenced back yard and patio. Generous size basement w/laundry area, 2 office spaces, plenty of storage. Zoned R-4 on a nice corner lot.
Unique, character-filled home close to the University on nice corner lot. Charming touches such as bay windows and spiral staircase. Spacious living room with wood floors, exposed brick wall and woodstove, plus large windows overlooking private fenced patio and garden. Open kitchen features tile counters and floor, vaulted ceiling, and skylights. Great rental potential.
Fabulous contemporary situated on quiet and private lane near Laurelwood Golf Course. Beautiful views and sunny rooms from the south facing wall of windows, high ceilings, skylights and cozy fireplace, plus a convenient elevator. Newer trex decking, lovely pond and landscaping. Potential separate living quarters.
Enjoy stunning views from this beautiful home in SW Hills. Easy entertaining on multilevel decking. Spacious kitchen w/ island, double ovens, and built-in pantry opens to living room w/ custom cabinetry, high ceilings. Master features large windows and double walk-in closet. Possible separate living area w/ patio and garden. Includes add#8217;l 1.5 lots; side lot believed to be buildable.
Marvelous bungalow-style home featuring great separation of space, hardwood floors, bay windows plus updated kitchen w/cherry cabinets and skylight. Garden style front and backyard w/brick courtyard, flag stone pathways, decking and full fencing.Fabulous gardens. A rare find!
NEW PRICE! Tastefully updated gem in desirable neighborhood - Open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, skylights, formal and informal living spaces, custom entertainment center, gas fp w/granite tiled hearth, custom backsplashes, Brazilian floors, walk-in pantry, newer appliances, double ovens, utility rm w/sink, private fenced yard and RV parking. Rare Opportunity!
Gorgeous views from this private 3.65 acre parcel! Located within the gated Summit PUD of upscale premier estates. Build on top of the mountain, level building site ready for your dream home. Your plan or builders! Amazing views from the Cascades, city lights, to the coast range - Fabulous opportunity! Please reference MLS# 10076731 for lot w/ build plans.
Beautiful classic one level - remodeled and located in desirable SE neighborhood close to Tugman Park and Rexius running trail. Tastefully designed master suite, barrel ceiling, marble tiles, wood floors, spacious shower and soak tub, skylights, built-ins and a lovely landscaped easy care yard with privacy and garden beds for organic gardening, fruit trees and more!
Charming vintage bungalow in great central location close to shopping, dining, and nightlife! Wonderfully maintained owner occupied, features spacious rooms, wood floors, and numerous classic touches, plus modern updates such as tankless hot water, skylights, and gas insert fireplace. Relaxing covered front porch, cozy courtyard with brick patio. A unique, character-filled home!
Rare single-level condo in convenient Ferry Street Bridge location close to shopping and dining. Large windows fill this immaculate home with light, high ceilings accentuate open feel. Fantastic kitchen features granite counters, stainless appliances, and ample storage, and opens to living room with gas fireplace, wood floors, private balcony and elevator. Enjoy the easy life!
SE Hills contemporary home surrounded by nature. Enjoy the views from two decks and numerous windows. Master bedroom and living room both feature deck access and vaulted ceilings. Quiet, peaceful back yard backs up to green space with abundant trees and wildlife. Great opportunity!
Charming home in quiet Friendly Street neighborhood. Nicely landscaped yard featuring fenced garden with raised beds. Great separation of space. Large living room ready for movie night or the big game with built-in surround sound and cozy fireplace. Maple floors, plus new interior and exterior paint. A great find!
Stunning tour home by DC Fine Homes offers sublime blend of classic style and modern amenities. Dramatic entry, great room w/double-sided fireplace. Fabulous kitchen w/gas cooking island, butlers pantry, and built-in appliances. Master suite w/marble shower, heated bath floors, and sunny Saturday room. Vaulted entertainment room w/wet bar, theater room w/stadium seating. Spacious covered patio w/gas fireplace. Office w/hidden gym.
Stunning craftsman close to Hendricks Park and University. Extensively remodeled throughout with exceptional finishes. Gourmet kitchen with two sub-zero fridges, gas range, and custom cabinets. Spacious living room features fireplace, built-ins, and French doors to balcony. Main-level master suite offers luxurious bath and private deck. Beautifully manicured, private grounds.
Spectacular newly constructed custom home on 5 acres offering stunning views, 2-story grand entrance, solid cherry staircase, formal living area w/balcony access, cherry floors, private main level guest suite, gourmet kitchen and great room, 3 fireplaces, office w/built-ins, intercom system, and a 3-car garage. Also finished lower level features high ceilings and pool room/wet bar.
Gorgeous close-in riverfront property! Lovely contemporary, plus lovely separate guest house of 800 sq ft on almost five acres.
A gorgeous gem close to the University and Hendricks Park! This beautiful four-bedroom contemporary boasts spacious, comfortable living spaces with stylish appeal. Family room with gas fireplace opens to kitchen with sub-zero fridge and gas range. Main-level master suite features two walk-in closets and office space. Second family room on the upper level. Private, brick courtyard, covered front porch, formal/informal dining, and more.
Fabulous custom home on 95 acres with close-in convenience! Gourmet kitchen w/cooking island and built-in double ovens. Large master suite w/fireplace and jetted tub. Spacious living room, office w/French doors, sunroom, formal/informal dining, coffered ceilings. 4J schools. Large patio overlooks grounds. Lovely views of surrounding valley and hills. Possible extended living. 4-car garage, barn, raised garden beds, fenced pastures, more!
Unbelievable opportunity! This quietly understated and exceptionally beautiful custom home is located on a 4.32 acre superbly private parcel that was originally divided into a total of 9 dedicated tax lots! A rare opportunity with interesting options! Minutes from RiverBend, in a highly desired neighborhood, it was artfully designed to encompass ever changing far away views and the natural beauty of its surroundings.
Private SW Estate nestled on 10.26 AC, newly remodeled, amazing open floor plan, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, gourmet kitchen w/granite counters, crafted decking, 4J schools, meadows, walking trails + 1200 sq ft fully contained guest house, oversized 3 car garage and barn. Rare find!
Magnificent, custom built, SW Estate, open floor plan, hickory floors, den/office, gourmet kitchen w/cherry cabinetry and cook island, huge bonus/media room, elevator, 3 car garage plus additional detached 2900 sq ft garage/shop/office. Backyard backs up to 100 acres of common area.
Lovingly renovated with period fidelity to reflect its European style elegance. Detailed woodwork, built-ins, hardwood floors, leaded glass windows, high ceilings, custom window treatments, kitch w/dacor gas range and pull out baking ctr, 2-car garage + addl garage/storage, patio, large and lush lawn, garden, basketball and bocce ball courts, sweeping city views and so much more!
Spectacular views and Private! Beautiful custom Anslow and DeGeneault 4,390 sq ft, 4 bedroom contemporary, open floor plan, 11ft high ceilings, crafted built-ins, den/office, formal living and dining, 2 family rooms plus gourmet kitchen w/granite countertops, cherry cabinetry and eating bar. Master suite w/fireplace and Jacuzzi tub. Marvelous main level studio with bay window.
Stunning home situated on 2.68 private acres! This exceptional custom four-bedroom home offers cathedral ceilings, crown molding and other fine amenities. Gourmet kitchen features Dacor gas range, Sub-Zero fridge, and granite counters. Luxurious master bedroom suite is conveniently located on the main level. Relax on the spacious patio and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. Your own private oasis in town!
Wow, huge custom home on 10 private acres at the end of Green Bluff Estates. Top quality, this home has it all! Sub-0 fridge, custom cabinets, huge MB suite w/walk-in shower and jetted tub. Great for large family! 4 beds up have jack and jill connecting baths. 3 car garage, too much more!
Tastefully remodeled, architecturally-designed home! Its vaulted ceilings, skylights and windows cultivate an open, spacious feel. Open living and dining rooms feature gorgeous wood floors; adjacent kitchen provides granite counters and stainless appliances, including built-in double oven. Main-level master suite offers a jetted tub, walk-in closet and office nook. Immaculately landscaped grounds boast water feature, garden beds, patios.
Experience gorgeous valley and sunset views, along with peaceful country living in heart of wine country! This unique property offers two homes. Updated main home features fantastic master suite with deck access. Large living room with vaulted ceiling and skylight. Gorgeous kitchen offers cooking island and stainless appliances. 2nd home provides 2 bd/2 bth, plus attached 3-car garage w/shop space. Pastures, pond, RV parking, timber, more!
Classic University area home on an idyllic tree-lined street! Tastefully updates and vintage appeal, with oak floors, crown molding, and coved archways. Remodeled kitchen offers granite counters and stainless appliances, plus formal and informal dining. Master bedroom suite with walk-in closet and built-ins. Beautifully landscaped, private back yard with patio.
Amazing unique views of U of O,city and valley,quality custom blt hme,tastefully remodeled,hdwd flrs,walls of windows,2nd level balcony,island kitchen w solid surfaces,slate flooring,red oak cabinets,stainless appliances,family rm w cork floors,kitchenette, and FP,2 car garage w views,a detached 15 x 20 shop w wood stove,level yard,cobblestone patio,fully landscaped, and much more.
Awe-inspiring sunsets, and spectacular city and mountain views! Fabulous contemporary situated on 3 private acres. Extensively remodeled with highest level of craftsmanship; beautiful built-in cabinetry, stylish light fixtures, and gorgeous hardwood floors. Breathtaking kitchen with stainless appliances and granite counters. Master bedroom with luxurious bath. A truly exceptional home!
Magnificent close-in 10 acre estate, perfect for horses in tranquil Pleasant Hill location. This stunning custom 3436 sq ft 4 bedroom home offers hickory floors, formal living and dining, family room and office. Gracious main level master suite, boasts bay window, fireplace and bath w/whirlpool tub. Barn has 6 stalls, tack room and paddocks. Call for your personal showing. A rare find!
Fantastic single-level, mid-century modern home on .46 acres that backs to Hendricks Park! All the classic mid-century style with exposed beams, vaulted ceilings and large windows connecting you to the lovely grounds. Spacious living room with fireplace, generously-sized master bedroom suite, and large kitchen with island. Family room has slider leading to patio courtyard. Covered front patio with views. A rare opportunity!
Introducing a truly exquisite example of mid-modern design coupled with style & sophistication. Re-Crafted in 2017 & situated w/privacy on nearly 1/2 an acre. Entertain in style w/ the open floor plan, exposed beams & expansive windows. Stunning premium chefs kitchen, heated concrete floors & 2nd floor vaulted ceilings. Enjoy luscious gardens & pond complete w/expansive screened porch & over-sized 3 car garage.
Private, custom one-level contemporary featuring light-filled open floor plan, vaulted/high ceilings, hardwood floors, large windows, gourmet kitchen w/granite counters, great room, den/office, huge master suite w/coffered ceiling and eye-catching master bath w/jet tub plus more amenities including 3 car, deep bay garage and RV parking w/hook-ups. 4J schools.
Magnificent custom home on rare two acres! True chefs kitchen w/Wolf stove and walk-in refrigerator. Main-level master suite, large walk-in closet and custom jetted tub. Library and family room grace the second level. Indoor pool has beautiful wall of windows with views of lovely patio. Beautiful grounds with pond and outdoor fireplace. Property includes second home w/great room, two bedrooms, and large shop. Property may be subdividable.
Incredible forested retreat just minutes from town. Same owner almost 50 years. 3 legal lots. Very secluded. Panoramic valley views. Winding trails throughout the gently sloped property. Merchantible timber / open meadow. Cute, rustic cabin. Rare opportunity to own a special property.
Enjoy sunset & Coast Range views from your own private retreat on 1.73 close-in acres! Spacious living room features fireplace with custom mantle, refinished wood floors, & window seat. Gourmet kitchen boasts Wolf gas range & custom granite counters. Main-level master suite offers jetted tub & access to lovely grounds. Covered front porch, hiking trails, two guest cottages, water feature, koi pond, garden beds & more!
Gorgeous newer custom home on 1.43 acres in Applegate Meadows! Floor plan provides a great room concept with high ceilings and gas fireplace. Adjacent kitchen offers granite counters, built-in double oven and a large island. Main-level master bedroom suite features a fireplace, walk-in closet and soaking tub. Theater/family room, pool/game room, formal/informal dining, covered patio with built-in bbq, fire pit, four-car garage and more!
Beautifully remodeled University-area home! Gorgeous wood floors and crown moulding can be found throughout much of the main level, including a spacious living room with fireplace. Updated kitchen features gourmet gas range and granite counters. Large master suite offers walk-in closet and soaking tub. Formal/informal dining, family room, and sunny backyard with patio and raised garden beds. Detached apartments provide separate living space.
Immaculate, like-new home in a prime campus-area location! Spacious, light-filled living room features gorgeous wood floors and gas fireplace. Kitchen boasts stainless appliances and adjacent dining area. Floor plan offers the convenience of a main-level master suite. Upper level includes two bedroom suites, plus balcony overlooking backyard with raised beds, fruit trees, deck and patio. Finished basement with additional living/storage space.
Beautiful vaulted living room/dining room ceilings with huge fir beams. Oak hardwood floors, flower gardens, berries and fruit trees under huge oaks and maples. 2 rock fireplaces. Wrap around deck w/views of the river. 3 car carports plus garage/shop and large shop building. Huge windows!
Extraordinary close-in country estate on 1.7 level acres. Experience this magnificent 4 bedroom newer contemporary offering 2 master bedroom suites on the main level, light-filled open floor plan, great separation of space, gourmet kitchen w/granite counters, beautiful landscaping w/koi pond and mature fruit trees. A truly special find!
Lovely contemporary with Cascade views! Formal living room with fireplace off entry. Updated kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances. Main-level master suite with large walk-in closet and French doors to deck. Formal and informal dining areas, spacious family room with deck access. Expansive deck with built-in hot tub overlooks landscaped yard and offers great views.
Magnificent custom home in Ashley Estates! Stunning great room features floor-to-ceiling windows and stone hearth fireplace. Gourmet kitchen offers Dacor gas range, Sub-zero fridge, granite counters and Travertine tile. Main-level master suite provides gas fireplace, heated tile floors and jetted tub. Vaulted family room with wet bar and French doors to covered balcony. Main-level den/office, remote control blinds, golf course views and more!
Tastefully-updated mid-century modern in desirable Hendricks Park area. Vaulted living room with skylights opens to gourmet kitchen with gas cooktop & stainless appliances. Master bedroom features two en-suite baths & generous walk-in closet. Spacious family room with access to covered patio. 4th bedroom could be extended living or Airbnb. Patio room, vaulted sun room, abundant storage, water feature & more. Includes two tax lots.
Quality and excellence abound in this close-in country craftsman on 4.58 acres capturing southern exposure and sunset views! Beautiful woodland surrounds, light filled and spacious, Brazilian cherry floors, gourmet kitchen, and master suite. 4th bedroom located over garage could be family room or separate living quarters. Great view of Spencer Butte!
Gourmet kitchen w/storage galore. Gaggenau stove top, Traulsen side by side fridge, dbl Thermador ovens. Sweeping staircase and freestanding floor to ceiling fireplace are show stoppers. Built for entertaining, has private back yard, hot tub, sun room, dance studio. Wine cellar.
Newer custom home on nearly five acres provides both privacy and close-in convenience. Spacious living room offers fireplace, hardwood floors and deck access. Gorgeous gourmet kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances and cooking island. Master bedroom suite features remodeled bath with soaking tub and separate shower. Large family room/office above two-car garage. Greenhouse, raised garden beds, much more!
Executive High end home perfect for day to day living or entertaining at its best.Tile floors, Granite counters, SS Gas appliances with Builtin Refrigerator.Gourmet kitchen opens to fmly rm w/ Wetbar offering granite, sink and bar seating. 2 Mstr SUITES and additional bedroom with builtins. Covered Patio with Builtin POOL and HOT TUB, FIRE PIT. Backyard boasts of views of City, Mntns and Valley. 3 car garage with storage above.
Gorgeous custom home on two acres in a neighborhood of newer homes! Great room concept features vaulted living room & lovely kitchen with granite counters & cherry cabinets. Spacious master suite offers jetted tub & ample walk-in closet. Fabulous theater room with wet bar is perfect for movies or big games. Three-car attached garage, plus 36'x48' detached shop/two-bay RV garage. Charming covered porch, large patio, garden shed & more.
An elegant Meltebeke custom contemporary! This spacious, light-filled home features a gorgeous kitchen and great room with high ceilings and gas fireplace. Floor plan provides two master suites, including one on main with jetted tub. Large bonus room with wet bar. Gracious formal living room, heated tile floors, formal and informal dining, built-in vacuum, koi pond and much more.
Mid-Century Modern in the heart of Bridlemile/SW Hills and wonderfully designed by builder/owner. So many possibilities for living with main-level master suite and 5 bedrooms opening into fabulous family room. Modern updates with pristine features create a setting of beauty with views of nature and the valley. Floor plan offers formal living and dining, new wood floors and carpet, 3 family rooms, den, lovely decks.
Beautiful country property features wraparound decks, sunroom, fabulous master suite with balcony, and views of the Sisters. Outdoor amenities include a pool with solar heat, hot tub, and a flower and vegetable garden. Super Good Sense home. Llama can be included if you wish.
Gorgeous contemporary next to Hendricks Park features extensive updating throughout. Gourmet kitchen offers sub-zero fridge, stainless appliances, and custom cherry cabinets. Master suite features vaulted ceilings, jetted tub, and two offices. Separate guest suite on lower level. Lovely yard with two decks, patio, garden beds, and shop/storage.
Gorgeous craftsman on over a half acre in a quiet south Eugene neighborhood! Its fantastic kitchen features granite counters, gas cooking island and stainless appliances. An adjacent family room provides a gas fireplace, lovely built-in cabinetry, and deck access. Vaulted master suite offers a jetted tub, balcony and ample walk-in closet. Deck overlooks fenced back yard with raised garden beds. South Eugene schools.
Great farm minutes to Eugene. Remodeled farmhouse and multiple barns, shop. New Zealand fencing, abundant water for domestic and livestock, nicely landscaped with UG sprinkler system. Creek. Immaculate country property. Additional acreage available. Contact Broker for details and brochure.
Fabulous view property on 10 private,close-in acres. Beautiful,custom home built in 2003 w quality materials taking full advantage of the amazing views from floor to ceiling windows.Great room living w/access to a large,partially covered deck.32X36 detached garage/shop plus attached garage w/bonus room.Lovely grounds offering lush garden areas along w/ forested stands.Truly a rare opportunity for close in country comfort and privacy.
One-of-a-kind contemporary on quiet cul-de-sac! Unique home with spacious living areas and lots of windows to connect you to tranquil natural surroundings. The living room boasts high ceilings with exposed beams, wet bar and fireplace. Master bedroom suite offers jetted tub, fireplace and private balcony. Multiple decks with views and patio for outdoor entertaining. Possible separate living/currently Airbnb with own entrance.
Unique home in desirable location near Ridgeline Trail & Hendricks Park designed for comfortable living, entertaining & aging in place. Open concept includes spacious living room, dining room & updated kitchen. Versatile floor plan with main-level master suite & great separation of space. Large windows for light-filled rooms & connection to the outdoors. Great for gardeners-terraced beds, mature fruit trees & lovely perimeter garden.
PICTURE-PERFECT COLLEGE HILL. Living is easy in this 1930 Tudor-style showpiece with main level master suite, spectacular living room, formal and informal dining, well-appointed kitchen, family room/den, lower level family/play room, exquisite yard, and attached garage. Fully remodeled/upgraded with no cost spared. A chance to own the best!
Single-level living & superb views in a prime College Hill location! Enjoy sunset & Coast Range views from the front deck or the comfort of your living room. Open concept design incorporates spacious living room, dining room & updated kitchen. Numerous windows & skylights create light-filled rooms throughout. Generously-sized master suite features remodeled bath. Terraced backyard with level lawns & raised beds. Newer solar panels.
Immaculate Ashley Estates Home boasts 3+Beds +Bonus +Media room. Gourmet kitchen with Thermador 6 burner Gas range,double convection ovens,granite counters,custom cabinets. Main level master suite with Private bath,WI Closets with built ins. Formal and Informal Dining and Office. Media room with wet bar. Wired for sound throughout. Indoor utilities, Covered Patio, RV Parking. Hurry this one wont last.
Light filled custom designed retreat using beautiful woods, chinquapin floors, crafted timber framing and marvelous window presentation framing natures beauty. Spacious 2 story great room, fireplace, stained glass window accent, formal dining, gourmet kitchen w/granite counters and maple cabinets. High speed DSL. Truly a stunning home!
Beautiful close-in country, light filled, 14 acres with great separation of space, vaulted ceilings, skylights, great room plus huge shop building w/2 shop areas, office, apartments, wonderful barn w/stalls, 50x50 arena, auto water, fencing, great horse property, pastures and much more!
Exceptional custom craftsman with end of road privacy! This gorgeous home offers open concept floor plan on main level. Living room and adjacent dining room have lovely wood floors and share slate fireplace. Gourmet kitchen features Dacor gas range, Sub-Zero fridge and large island with granite counters. Spacious master bedroom suite boasts barrel ceiling and bath with soaking tub. Deck for relaxing/entertaining, water feature, two-car garage.
Gables View Estate, a lovely property with two houses and a studio on 1.57 acres. Main house features spacious living room with wood floors; updated kitchen offers stainless appliances. The East Wing features open floor plan and two bedroom suites. Studio with kitchen and full bath. Fenced, landscaped grounds with greenhouse, garden beds, and fruit trees, plus a gazebo and large patio.
Lovely custom contemporary in Braewood West! Its open floor plan includes a kitchen with stainless appliances, granite counters and wine fridge. Dining and living rooms share double-sided fireplace and gorgeous hardwood floors. Main-level master suite features two walk-in closets and bath with heated tile floors and jetted tub. Covered patio, and custom water feature with two waterfalls. Oversized three-car garage, gated RV parking.
This lovely contemporary is designed to maximize the superb city and Coast Range views. A light-filled entry and formal living room welcome you. Kitchen with stainless appliances, gas cooktop and large pantry opens to spacious great room with high ceilings. Master bedroom suite features sitting room, gas fireplace and double walk-in closets. Formal/informal dining, built-in vacuum, sound system, deck and patio for outdoor entertaining.
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PalmSource is *not* cramming a desktop/server OS into a handheld. They're using the Linux *kernal* with the Cobalt UI. Kent is smart enough to know they're not cramming KDE or GNOME into a handheld, so I don't see his point, unless it's just to find something, anything, to complain about. The fact is that the Linux kernal isn't much bigger than the kernal already used by Cobalt. PalmOS for Linux will look identical to Cobalt (they use the exact same graphics system), but should be more "cross-platform" and have better device driver support. Essentially, the key difference between the Cobalt and Linux versions of PalmOS is that in theory, I *could* run the Linux version on x86 hardware, or any of the other 31 platforms that support Linux. All versions of PalmOS will run just fine on a handheld or smartphone.
Don't you have something better to do...like play Duke Nukem on your Zodiac?
And this coming from a guy who said Bluetooth has killed WiFi! Bwahahahahahaahah!!!
> PalmSource is *not* cramming a desktop/server OS into a handheld.
Ah, but they are. Sure, they'll reduce it down to the core functionality that is needed, but Linux was designed as a desktop/server OS. There are much better designed operating system and kernels for mobile/embedded devices, including BeOS.
They are betting on the advanatages of using a more popular operating system with more developers who are familiar with its internals and the availability of more drivers for chipsets (often handled by the chip developers themselves). Oh, and it's free.
I think PalmSource is probably right with this decision, but don't let yourself believe that there are not better operating systems out there for this task.
>> "The fact is that the Linux kernal isn't much bigger than the kernal already used by Cobalt"
Sort of off-topic, but do you have any evidence to back that up?
Just because the upper level software is not present doesn't make the Linux kernal any less than what it is. It is purpose built for servers and workstations. Sure you can strip it down to bare bones, but truck is still a truck even with shiny red paint over it. And frankly if PalmOS will run on Linux as well (*sarcasm*) as QT Linux does, then this will be the last curtain call for PalmSource.
They're both about 4MB, IIRC.
"Don't you have something better to do...like play Duke Nukem on your Zodiac?"
Too busy getting actual work done on my Zod.
"And this coming from a guy who said Bluetooth has killed WiFi! Bwahahahahahaahah!!!"
Never said that. I said Bluetooth *and 3G cell data* would kill WiFi. A friend of mine is ditching his Tungsten C this weekend for a Bluetooth-enabled T5. He's tired of me being able to check my email and RSS where he can't.
There are linux distributions that will run on systems with as little as 2 MB of RAM plus 1 floppy drive. The original PalmOS 1.0 Kadak kernal was smaller, running in only a 32KB system heap + some ROM, IIRC, but was a lot more limited.
I still have a fully working Pilot 1000. It is a timeless device, remarkable even today.
Stick to "Writing on your (hairy) Palm"
I have a nearly fully working Pilot 1000 that unfortunately has a faulty digitizer. I have a PalmPilot Pro that is flawless and has the 2mb OS 3 upgrade card in it. In theory, it could still handle all of my basic PIM needs with room for an e-book or two. An absolutely classic design but still a few rungs down from the timeless V/m500s.
As far as article comments go, I'd like to hear from some ex-Palm Inc/PalmOne/Handspring staffers. Are they predicting doom & gloom like the rest of the PIC faithful?
Going back to the previous comments about the "Zen" of the older units. The other day I met with a guy who still kept a HS Edge in his briefcase. I briefly played with it. That could have been a phenomenal unit had it just had a bit more oomph under the hood and an SD slot instead of that stupid mini-Springboard. In fact, P1 should have immediately tried to shoehorn a 320*320 color screen, SD & BT into that fellow as soon as the Handspring acquisition became official. Now THAT'D be a proper T|E2!
"Sure, they'll reduce it down to the core functionality that is needed, but Linux was designed as a desktop/server OS. There are much better designed operating system and kernels for mobile/embedded devices, including BeOS"
It is BeOS that was designed, from the ground up, as a desktop operating system. Its tightly integrated design also meant that targeting it at a different device type was going to be a lot of work.
Linux, on the other hand, is widely used in embedded devices, cell phones, and handheld devices already. Linux implements the most widely used standards for embedded operating systems. Linux and its predecessors run on machines with a few hundred kilobytes of RAM. And Linux cleanly separates the GUI from the kernel, allowing Palm to do just what Palm wants to do.
"They are betting on the advanatages of using a more popular operating system with more developers who are familiar with its internals and the availability of more drivers for chipsets (often handled by the chip developers themselves)."
Yes, that's the point: Linux is already widely used in handheld and embedded applications, so it is already supported.
"I think PalmSource is probably right with this decision, but don't let yourself believe that there are not better operating systems out there for this task."
Maybe there are, but BeOS isn't one of them. BeOS was a bad design even for desktop use, and it made absolutely no sense to port it to handhelds.
>> "BeOS was a bad design even for desktop use, and it made absolutely no sense to port it to handhelds."
From a technical standpoint maybe, but it had...by far..the best GUI. If developers could have layered the BeOS graphical interface over Linux, it would have made the perfect desktop solution, rather than KDE and Gnome..which frankly aren't very appealing. BeOS was the first non-Apple/Microsoft desktop OS I used that I actually found compelling and a pleasure to use. Sadly Linux does not offer the same user friendly experience.
tompi, I responded to these comments in the "An open letter to the Palm OS community from PalmSource" thread. I'm not going to re-state them here, ... but I might blabber on for a bit. Windows is "widely used" on desktop systems. That does not make it a "better" OS for those systems.
Just so you're clear on this, BeOS was never designed to be a traditional desktop OS. When it was designed, desktop systems had the power of today's PDAs. It has a microkernel design and was specifically geared toward handling multimedia. The BeOS folks did years of work on using it for non-desktop systems.
Targeting BeOS to other device types was not a lot of work. Getting Linux to even be a reasonable possibility for embedded systems was. Go back and look at the history of it. The big difference was that BeOS was closed source and done by a handful of developers in a short period of time. Linux efforts are open and have far more effort and time behind them.
I don't specifically want to argue for BeOS here. I'm glad that we have Linux as an alternative to Windows, because it is clearly the winner there. The simple fact of the matter is that Linux won out with PalmSource because of cost and support, not because it was the best software solution (and that is not saying it is a bad solution) for the task. It was the best decision for a company that wants to make money.
Listen, Jeff, your newfound enthusiasm over this PalmNix is rather difficult for me to swallow. According to you, Cobalt was to the a "mini BeOS." Maybe that's why they've all but killed it?
Embedded Linux kernel with limited functionality can take as little as 300KB of space. Same with CE.Net. Not sure about PalmOS.
You can run Linux on an m68k device (read: an old 68K Mac) in 16MB of RAM. It also runs already on the Zaurus, etc. etc. The Linux kernel is designed to scale both up and down. Anybody saying that it's server/workstation only is spreading FUD.
The more you cut down the OS, the less compatible you will be with the rest of the linux software offerings. The value of the move can not be in all the brilliant handheld optimised linux software available, can it?
Didn't people complain long and hard about win ce being a cut down windows system, and therefore a resource hog with little optimisation for handhelds? Who's playing the same game now?
"Anybody saying that it's server/workstation only is spreading FUD."
Anybody who says it's universal is only spreading Linux fanboyism. Like it or not, it was designed first and foremost for servers, and it translates very poorly into a desktop environment for the average user.
I wish this whole thing sounded like good news for the Palm OS, but it doesn't. At best, it means that Cobalt was so unusable that they had to completely throw it out and start over after two or three years of wasted effort. At worst, it's PalmSource's death throes, blindly grasping at straws to hold on in the face of a downward spiral.
Anyone else remember how the PC market began? Apple had a large majority of the user base, including a very passionate core group of users, and was argued to be superior to PC-Compatible computers because it was so much easier to use. Slowly, Apple's lead began eroding in the face of more, more powerful, and cheaper PC-Compatibles. Eventually, despite the Apple loyalists' protests that Macs were infinitely better in every way, more customers chose PCs, and it's been that way ever since. Apple got hit by a death spiral because they didn't diversify and compete, so they lost the market leadership position. Sound familiar?
pmjoe, you made two claims.
First, you claimed that Linux was "designed as a desktop/server OS". That's simply wrong. Linux was designed to be a work-alike of UNIX, nothing more and nothing less. UNIX derivatives have been used for decades in embedded applications and have requirements that are a fraction of those for BeOS. Also, Linux is one of the most popular embedded operating systems and already powers a huge number of mobile and embedded devices; claiming that it's a "desktop/server OS" is just unreal.
Second, you claimed that BeOS is a "much better designed operating system for mobile/embedded devices". One will never be able to settle that argument definitively, but just because there is a zealous and vocal group of BeOS advocates out there doesn't make that true. To me, BeOS is a textbook example of poor engineering: it does what it does fairly well, but it does completely the wrong things.
I hope we will eventually get something better than Linux. I also hope its successor will look nothing like BeOS because BeOS got just about everything wrong.
The value, as far as Palm is concerned, is probably primarily in drivers and chipset support.
. The value of the move can not be in all the brilliant handheld optimised linux software available, can it?
Actually, that is also a benefit. There is a lot of Linux code that is useful for application writers and requires no adaptation to handheld use (libraries, scripting languages, etc.). And there is actually a sizeable amount of very useful handheld software out there, including ports of the Mozilla and Konqueror web browsers, real ssh implementations, etc.
Yes, but Linux isn't WinCE. WinCE is cut down in places that cause real problems: resource limits, string handling, file handling, networking, etc. You can't just recompile a Windows program for WinCE, even if your WinCE has the memory to run it.
Embedded Linux has the same core libraries and kernel functionality as any other version of Linux; it is "cut down" in areas like command line programs, and libraries that are included by default. But if your application needs something that isn't preinstalled, you can just include it--no code changes required.
Since Linux is already used on so many embedded devices, we don't have to guess about how useful this is. My Linksys access point runs Linux, and people take advantage of that for creating all sorts of very useful add-on software.
The relationship between Linux and desktop software is no different from the relationship between Windows XP and the Windows GUI and between Macintosh and the Macintosh GUI: it's a kernel with a separate user-mode GUI environment, composed of a window server and lots of dynamically loaded toolkit libraries.
UNIX/Linux has had that architecture from the start, while Windows (3.1->NT) and Macintosh (OS9->OSX) basically had to start over to get there because there previous systems were architected so poorly.
and it translates very poorly into a desktop environment for the average user.
There is no basis for that claim; Linux desktop usability is comparable to that of Macintosh or Windows.
Cheaper, yes, more powerful - arguable. PCs starting pulling ahead of Macs in the power stakes towards the late 90s. Prior to that it was neck and neck.
Whether it's back to neck and neck now is debateable but I don't want to turn this (yet another) PC vs Mac argument - especially in a Palm OS forum!
Ya, ya ya. I think it's more a case of PC market grew much faster than Mac market and Apple NEARLY went into death spiral as a result of their mismanagement in the mid 90s. Yes, Apple has small slice of computer market BUT, unlike PalmOne and PalmSource, it's a PROFITABLE slice and APPLE has US$4 billion in the bank - that's what counts whatever business you're in.
Compare with what's happened to IBM, the inventor of the PC. It's PC division has been offloaded unto a Chinese company; it can be said that the PC business hasn't worked out for them. Unlike Apple, many PC compatible companies have come and gone.
The only company which has CONSISTENTLY gained the greatest benefit from the PC compatible market since its creation (both of market and company) is MICROSOFT.
Relating all of this back to PalmOS, it appears that PalmSource has struggled with OS 6, in the same way Apple struggled with Copland in the 90s and Microsoft seems to be struggling with Longhorn now. It also infers that Palm's BeOS aquisition was a bad move, why didn't they make the move to Linux then instead, now they're having to throw stuff out and start anew - just as Apple did when it threw out Copland, went for NextStep/Rhapsody and transformed it into OS X.
It also suggests this is a last chance move by PalmSource in it's battle to stay alive - I ask rhetorically just how many major licensees of the PalmOS remain now?
Hey, here's an idea. Let's pretend Cobalt never happened and skip straight to OS 7. Add true multitasking, remove limitations that plague the system, but still include PACE, and find out based on well-spent R&D polling data what people like in a PDA and what they don't. Then use that data to build an operating system with the versatility to run on a smartphone or a mini-laptop.
PalmSource, I can understand you want to flee from the PDA market as soon as possible. But it appears to be stagnant because nobody is making anything desirable. Let me repeat that. Nobody is making anything desirable. I'm a gadget enthusiast and I haven't bought a new PDA in over a year and a half. That's unprecedented for me. There is nothing fresh, and that's a fault of your licensees. But you can cure that, and the solution is to build a more compelling and more convincing OS to get those unsure PPC licensees to jump ship. There was a nice slot for Toshiba in the high-end here, while in the WinMob market it was crammed. Now they're gone, never to return again. We already scared off Sony, but what about Sony Ericsson? Hell, get Henry Kissinger to convince them your OS has more support than Symbian, which is controlled by Nokia. There are a disgusting amount of ways to spread your reach, PalmSource, but the ways you are choosing truly are .. well .. disgusting.
In summary, Cobalt and Linux won't get you back your marketshare. Resting on your laurels won't get you back your marketshare. Beating Microsoft to the punch will.
More than 4MB?!? I had no problem finding a Linux kernel that was below 400k. 1MB would probably fit the Linux kernel, TCP/IP networking, a web server... and you'd still have half the space free for web pages.
"The more you cut down the OS, the less compatible you will be with the rest of the linux software offerings. The value of the move can not be in all the brilliant handheld optimised linux software available, can it?"
I'm sure the last thing that PalmSource is thinking about is getting PalmOS smartphones to run existing linux software. They want people to develop to their OS layer--not everyone elses.
Actually, if we look at the history of Unix (not Linux), it was designed for a spare DEC PDP that was lying around (Ken Thompson wrote it to run a game in which he was interested). The Unix V6 code fit into 64K (I've got the Lyons book).
Linus wrote Linux because he wanted an OS that he could tinker around. That it has evolved into workstations and servers is just one market path. I've had a Sharp Zaurus for several years and the startup time and battery life are real pain points (and QTopia isn't so hot an environment, either, IMHO). If mLinux has solve those problems as they claim then they have a good jump on the Linux/Palm OS experience (well, at least the old Palm OS experience, maybe ;) ).
Cramming an inefficent, buggy desktop/server OS design into a handheld *is* a flawed, inferior design decision. The problem with CE is that MS used Win32 along with its shared-DLL, registry, and memory-management nightmares as well as its general temperamental nature.
Using a more modular, stable, efficient desktop/server OS as the foundation still has some disadvantages over designing an OS from the ground-up to run on a handheld. But with mobile hardware as advanced as it is, that's no longer the issue it used to be.
> and have requirements that are a fraction of those for BeOS.
LMAO! You're kidding right? If you said over the past decade, you'd be pushing it. Decades??? Hilarious!
Yeah, you might of seen some "embedded" systems running Unix derivatives in the 1990's, but they were running on relatively high-end hardware for the time. Maybe even in the 80's but once again, it would've been on very high end hardware for the time. Hardly what I'd call an embedded system, and most Unix derivatives at the time didn't have much support for real-time stuff either.
Requirements-smirements ... who cares about requirements. Any decent OS today from a company other than Microsoft should be able to run circles on today's 100-400MHz PDA processors. I'm talking about pluggable micro-kernel achitectures, consideration in the design for low power requirements, real-time support, etc. Things you want for mobile/embedded devices. I can't think of one Unix-related OS that goes (or at least had its origins) in those directions. Sure Linux, with A LOT OF EFFORT, has gone in those directions, but just imagine that kind of effort behind an OS that was designed that way from the start.
> out there doesn't make that true.
Well, I'm actually NOT one, but you probably think I am. I'd just like to see a mobile device with an OS that was designed for the task, and Linux isn't it. I hadn't had a chance to take a look at Cobalt yet, but I had been hoping PalmSource would use that opportunity to put together an OS designed right for handheld devices.
> what it does fairly well, but it does completely the wrong things.
Well, get your textbook out and educate us about what's wrong with BeOS (or Cobalt for that matter). When you keep telling me that Linux is better because everyone else is using it, your argument doesn't hold much weight.
One correction to abosco's posting: Palm OS Cobalt does have "true multitasking" at the OS level, and the API's are exposed to third-party developers. There is still a single main application, but that's a UI decision, based on the Zen of Palm design philosophy, not an OS limitation. We don't expect this to change in PalmNix/Palm OS on the Linux Kernel/Palm OS for Linux/whatever our marketing department decides to call it.
Disclaimer: I'm a PalmSource employee (the QA lead for the Cobalt Arm Native C/C++ Compiler), but you can check this out yourself by downloading PODS from our developer site. On the broader issues, I'll defer to hackbod's posts; but on this issue, she argued strongly that we should expose our multitasking to developers. I argued against it at the time, on testing grounds, but I'm glad she won.
I know Cobalt has the capability to multitask. The problem is, developers need to recode their apps to be able to do so! What if I wish to run an old 68K version of AIM 1.1 for Palm OS and multitask it with Blazer Web Browser since I'm using a cell phone and the page trimming features of Blazer are ideal for minimal downloads? I'll be stuck doing it the same way I've been doing it for years - task switching.
Cobalt should have an option to inefficiently multitask two applications with notification of activity in a background process, so long as the user desires. This issue can be addressed by allowing the people to turn on and off multitasking in Preferences for individual applications. That would kill two birds with one stone - it would allow true (inefficient) multitasking to those of us who demand it, and turn the feature off for those of us who lack the system resources on their device. This, in my opinion, should be the types of things PalmSource should be investing R&D into - how to give customers what they demand.
>> and have requirements that are a fraction of those for BeOS.
>LMAO! You're kidding right? If you said over the past decade, you'd be pushing it. Decades??? Hilarious!
QNX was originally created by Dan Dodge and Gordon Bell in 1980 and ran on prototype, wire-wrapped 8088 and 6809 machines. The QNX community benefits tremendously from the fact that Dan and Gord still play an active role in the development and coding of the QNX operating system.
The OS was originally called Qunix, "Quick UNIX", until they received a polite letter from AT&T's lawyers asking that they change the name"
"UNIX derivatives have been used for decades in embedded applications and have requirements that are a fraction of those for BeOS."
UNIX has been used as an embedded OS for communication switches, network switches, high-end printers and copiers, industrial devices, and high-end machinery for more than 20 years. POSIX arrive in 1988 and was quickly adopted by embedded OS vendors.
"Well, get your textbook out and educate us about what's wrong with BeOS"
Do you drive a Lamborghini or some more sensible car? I assume, like most people, you drive a more sensible car. Likewise, most people only care about seeing one video at a time; the fact that BeOS thirty meant that they had optimized the wrong thing. And that's why companies like Lamborghini and BeOS are always near bankruptcy.
"(or Cobalt for that matter)."
Pretty much the same thing, only worse. BeOS might have been led a quirky side-line existence, but Palm is a mainstream business and they can't afford to mess around with that sort of nonsense. Palm needed a mainstream, industry standard kernel.
Yes, and if you looked any further into it, QNX isn't a "UNIX derivative" despite the name.
> and high-end machinery for more than 20 years.
Well if you want to call what was essentially a computer with the latest and greatest CPUs stuck in a $10,000+ switch or printer an "embedded device", that's up to you.
And if you looked even a little further, you'd see that both QNX and Linux implement the UNIX APIs.
"Despite its decidedly non-UNIX architecture, QNX Neutrino implements the standard POSIX API."
So, out of all of you "experts" who are so sure of what Linux can and can't do and what memory footprint a kernel can and can't fit into, how many of you have actually ever done any Linux system programming, esp. at the kernel level?
" you'd see that both QNX and Linux implement the UNIX APIs [LINK] "Despite its decidedly non-UNIX architecture, QNX Neutrino implements the standard POSIX API."
POSIX = standard defining UNIX APIs. So, yes, you proved it yourself: QNX implements the UNIX APIs.
But, in any case, you don't have to in order to see how well Linux runs on embedded devices: lots of devices already use them. It's the OS for many MP3 players, access points, webcams, etc., usually created by companies with far fewer resources than PalmSource to run on devices with far less power than a PDA.
Almost all of you are deluded and misinformed, and sadly, so are most of the people who were quoted in the above story. This is much ado about nothing. I guess that's what you get when you ask a bunch of webmasters and amateur journalists to comment on technical issues.
All that's changing is the kernel, and that pretty much only affects the people who have to design the rest of the OS and the hardware manufacturers, and that's it. The only reason this would affect the user at all is if developers start writing software that takes direct advantage of the Linux API's, and this will probably have to be limited to only power tools. Does anyone here know anything about the current kernel? For those of you with networking routers at home, do you know what kernel the OS of your router runs on? I thought not. The reason is because it doesn't matter to the user.
All of the subsystems on top of the kernel are going to remain the same, i.e. the UI, the multimedia framework that Be designed, etc. Other PDA's have used Linux and made it the central part of their platform with much lower quality home-built userland utilities, but Palm plans to continue to make their already-highly-developed OS still the main piece of the puzzle, so the analogy simply isn't there.
For all of you running your mouth about Linux not working well on the desktop, that has Nothing to do with the kernel, and everything to do with what's on top of it. Palm already has the winning UI and applications, so it's going to be a non-issue.
After some pondering, Ive come to realise palm has long ago stopped competing against just pocketpc's. Windows CE is now turning up in all kinds of devices, such as media players, DVD players, gas fill-up terminals, mobile phones, pay points and (on slashdot today) in a radio transmitter for r/c devices. It is turning into a device platform just like embedded Linux. The funny part is it is the pocketpc gui which is usually left out.
This whole story smacks of riding the Linux wave, as if it is 1999. Unfortunately the stock-market is not buying it this time, and Palmsource is a whole 2 dollars down in the last 5 days. In fact the stock appears to be nose diving.
I paid about $40 for my first copy of Microsoft OS in the 1980's. Today, I pay $200 for a copy of Microsoft Windows XP Pro.
We need more choices and competitions in the mobile OS space, not less.
Oh God..not the Copland issue again.
It's from 1995 and it pertains to Apple's failed Copland project. Translation = HISTORY. If you're arguing that Nagel isn't the best captain to stear PalmSource..you'll get no argument from me. Is history repeating itself? Perhaps, but lets concentrate on the matter at hand, not some ancient Businessweek article about Apple from 1995.
In fact Nagel's Copland experience has motivated some of the PalmSource execution. Palm OS 5 was released to get them quickly to the ARM platform instead of plan of action before Nagel came on board. While we might have gotten a new OS with multitasking and more goodies it would have also pushed out the move to the ARM base by a year or more. According to people I know Nagel pushed the PACE-centric model specifically because he could see history repeating itself. I have to give him credit there.
What's the old saying, those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it? I think Gekko is quite right in bringing up the Newsweek article.
Again, like Copland, something must have gone wrong somewhere with PalmOS 6 - why haven't we seen ANY OS 6 devices after one year of waiting?
Anyone want to instruct me how to filter out comments by certain users? Sometimes you just realize how useless a whole forum can be with so much noise and so little signal put out from those people.
The very big difference between Copland and Cobalt: Cobalt exists, today, and you can download it and run it and see for yourself. Go to www.palmsource.com and download the simulator if you don't believe me.
Yes I realize, it is not yet shipping on any devices, and that really needs to change. There are a lot of factors feeding into this situation, including us not being the ones doing hardware, a mobile OS like PalmOS being much more tied to specific hardware rather than us being able to release updates for existing hardware, etc. However one factor not causing this is Cobalt being in the same situation as Copland was, and you can be sure when we sat down and started working on Cobalt we were aware of the lessons learned from the failure of Copland (as well as the success of MacOS X, and the struggle Microsoft is having with Longhorn).
The situation isn't that much different. Copland did exist and was running on Mac hardware. It made it to a "limited beta" release before Gil Amelio canned it. No-one disagrees that Cobalt exists, the problem is, that just like Copland, no-one seems keen to release anything that uses it.
Now if you can't even get PalmOne to use it, then it can't be really a surprise when folk start saying that Cobalt is stillborn.
2/. APIs and the GUI running on top of a Linux kernel. Let's call it PalmBox.
So, you are going to continue development of TWO operating systems? I don't see it myself; you are obviously following Apple's MacOSX plan to the letter, which doesn't include developing two OSs now and forever, for a single class of device.
> "Again, like Copland, something must have gone wrong somewhere with PalmOS 6 - why haven't we seen ANY OS 6 devices after one year of waiting?"
Because no one wants it, plain and simple. And judging from my experience with the Cobalt 6.1 Simulator I'm running on my desktop right now, it's not hard to see why. In a word this OS is a DISAPPOINTMENT; or at least that's the impression it gives. Very little has changed from an end user perspective (which has its pros and cons), and even the "new" interface is just a basic topical change from what we have now in Garnet..which dates back to 1997. The only real innovation I've seen in Cobalt so far is the new Date Book app, which is really nice.
Kind of makes you wonder if this CMS acquisition wasn't a bailout strategy, or Plan B if you will. Imagine the reaction if Microsoft unveiled Longhorn...and none of the major PC makers licensed it. It would be huge PR disaster. The only reason why that isn't the case with PalmSource is because the situation is being kept quiet behind closed doors. If only those walls could talk.
First new Cobalt device announced!!! BeVilla.
2) the current PalmOS GUI is already pretty good. I think a LauncherX style tabbed environment with sidebar shortcuts to a "Today" screen, pop-up analog clock (like the UX50), etc would be more functional, but that's splitting hairs and can easily be added later by end users.
I'm probably PalmSource's most vocal critic here, but I'll be the first to admit they have (had?) a lot of good ideas forming the foundation of PalmOS 6. Cobalt may be late, buggy and DOA, but don't pretend it's not a good attempt at a PDA OS given what they (unrealistically) tried to accomplish in the time frame.
Cool - but what about improvements in PIM functionality?
It'd be great to have unix under the hood. Fun to play with, etc.
PIM happens to be what I got a PDA for - and Palm is so lacking here that I'm considering a PPC/Blackberry.
Yes, the Treo looks great. But, why the hell doesn't it show appointments & due to dos on the default screen, just like a XDA does? This is not about innovation, it's about just thinking a bit..
Photographer, using Palm M515 and can't decide on what next..
RE: Cool - but what about improvements in PIM functionality?
The PalmSource answer to this questions seems to have become "buy third-party apps".
Are there incredible PIM applications for the PalmOS? You betcha. DateBk3, Beyond Contacts, the Chapura suite, etc, etc.
most users just use the built in stuff. No surprise there, considering how difficult it is to install applications.
Why PalmSource has not bought all these litle companies is beyond me, as they are the only thing keeping the OS alive.
I understand there are apps for windows outlook users that provide all the sync/functionality.. That's of no use to me.
Anybody have any experience with blackberry/pocketmac conduit/entourage? Ditto for ppc?
2) Large 1640 mAh battery.
1) It can take your CF or SD card, to review your pictures on a larger screen.
2) You can connect it to a USB hard drive (like the ipod or iriver drives, or dedicated photography portable hard drives) and review their contents, and show them to clients in the field.
3) By using a combination of the CF slot and a USB 40 Gb ipod, you could dump all your pictures from the card to the hard drive and reuse your card.
4) You could use wifi to upload selected pictures to your office, for print out while you are in the field, If there is no wifi available you could do the same using bluetooth and a 3G mobile phone.
5) You could use a bluetooth GPS unit and software to guide you to your next engagement, and it could warn you of speed-traps along the way. Tomtom also included real time traffic warnings over GPRS in the UK, so you can avoid delays.
There is plenty of excellent photo viewers available on the pocketpc platform, and one included in the OS. All of the scenarios outlines above are very practical, and are used in one form or another by professional photographers. It could easily replace a laptop if you were already carrying one, and do it slightly cheaper. You will certainly be more mobile. Press photographers are already using solutions similar to this.
Please reply to this thread if you have any questions or criticisms.
Screen quality comparison, including the loox 720.
Posts which show that you can connect the Loox to an iriver 40Gb mp3 player, and another which shows you can connect it to Olympus cameras directly.
A fast and friendly photo viewer.
Maybe this seems a bit crazy to peeps, but the biggest reason I'm sticking with the Palm OS after a long ride (Palm III in 1998 -> Vx -> m505 -> T1 -> T3, sticking with that:unimpressed with the E2/T5) is that, whatever the PDA OS, synching with desktop MS Outlook is *not* where I want to go today, or any day.
I freaking *hate* Outlook, as well as the rest of the crappy MS Office suite, especially MS Turd. I'm an early adapter attorney who's used computers since my first CP/M machine in 1982, and am quite happy with the Palm Desktop side of things, which integrates very well with other desktop programs (using 3rd party apps like AddressGrabber, the Shoreline VOIP control panel, etc.).
I hate the Outlook UI and find its integration even with MS apps laughable, with the klunky Active-X or VB of *.net templates being called and filled out...half of which break and don't work.
So...if I have to go to the dark side to get a handheld which suits my needs on a hardware/software platform which is still developing rather than stagnant, can I find a desktop host side that interfaces with a more robust PIM like ACT (or does the Mobile Windows OS or whatever they call it have a Palm Desktop NON OUTLOOK simple desktop component?
> "As a photographer the choice should really be very simple. You need a Loox 720 pocketpc."
It fits in your front pocket, back pocket, shirt pocket, and sock if you're afraid of getting mugged. This is one serious advantage.
I will say this in Surur's defense: photographers have been completely neglected by software developers on the palm platform for 9+ years! There is NO IMAGE EDITOR SOFTWARE at all on the POS. I found one for my clie - Clie Photo Editor - that lets you adjust brightness/contrast. But that's it. DO YOU HEAR THAT SOFTWARE PEOPLE?
Yes, size does matter and I'm after PIM functionality first and foremost. And I think I'd like to have a phone built-in as well.
Thus, if there was a complete Entourage (BTW, it's nicer than Outlook I believe) - PPC syncing solution, I'd be going for the X(M)DA II. I really love the standby screen that shows.. well..everything at a glance. Finally, only one screen to check/look at during the day.
Entourage is actually a pretty good program if one does a lot of email. Very flexible and scriptable. It's by far not the best time management program, but useable. Again, the problem is to get the desktop PIM sync with the PDA PIMs.
I wrote above and just realized that there probably are integrated PIM/PDA solutions on the Windows platform.. So you might want to stay after all.
It sure is refreshing to get a summary of the reactions from actual experts in the field. This provides a good thumbnail sketch of this recent PalmSource move from people with an actual informed opinion, and provides a nice counterbalance to the rantings of the small band of yayhoos who bring little more to the table than an internet connection, lots of free time, and random, misguided, and ill-informed indignance.
Please do this again, PIC! | 2019-04-20T14:17:46Z | http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/7392/ |
PIG. Human beings eat more meat of the pig than any other domesticated livestock on earth, even with pig being a food forbidden to more than one billion followers of Islam or Judaism. This lowly beast, whose intelligence and cleanliness has been underestimated for centuries, is a prolific animal that quickly converts a variety of feeds to a mild-flavored meat. One of the first domesticated animals, the pig appears in oriental and Greco-Roman mythology as well as in the Torah, the Bible, and the Qurʾan. Despite its utility as a source of food, leather, and pharmaceuticals, the word, pig, is an insult or gentle rebuke in many cultures. While the pig itself may not have grown more controversial, its modern, industrialized husbandry draws criticism from an array of opponents.
The pig, Sus scrofa domestica, is a subspecies of Sus scrofa, the Eurasian wild boar. It is in the order of mammals, Artiodactyla, which means even-toed and hoofed. That order includes ruminant livestock such as cattle. Bacteria in the rumen help these animals digest cellulose in grasses. Sus scrofa is a member of the Family Suidae, or swine. These animals do not ruminate and cannot digest grasses. They are omnivores. In the wild, their diet is fungi, leaves, roots, bulbs, tubers, fruit, snails, earthworms, small vertebrates, eggs, and carrion. The Suidae family includes African bush pigs and African warthogs.
In common usage, most people make no distinction between a pig and swine, but the precise meaning of pig is "a young swine." The experienced swine breeder Kelly Klober notes that "what really separates the pros from the tenderfeet is how the word 'pig' is used. To be country correct, it is the term for a very young pig. A hog is a swine that weighs over 120 pounds" (Klober, p. 24). A mature female swine is a sow. A mature male is a boar. Barrows are castrated male pigs raised for slaughter. Gilts are immature females. Both are sold as "market hogs" at five to seven months of age and at weights of between 220 to 260 pounds. Mature hogs can grow much larger. Boars have topped one ton.
Use of the meat of the pig, known as pork, is also not without controversy. Until the early twentieth century, the hog was bred for fat, or lard, just as much as for meat. Later in that century, the saturated fats found in many types of meat were targeted as contributors to coronary heart disease. Breeding and changes in the way hogs are fed has made modern swine 30 to 50 percent leaner than in 1950. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the lard-type hog, nicknamed "cob rollers," was so fat that its stubby legs were barely visible.
For all of modern pork's improved qualities, the pig is still a source of less desirable calories. As much as two-thirds of each slaughtered hog is used for processed meats—hams, sausages, and bacon. These meat products can be much higher in fat and salt than the amounts considered healthy by the medical profession.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest in the United States characterizes bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, all of which can contain pork, as among the most unhealthy foods available, recommending that consumers buy bacon and sausage that has no more than 45 percent of its calories from fat and no more than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving. In a recent survey of products sold in grocery stores, typical pork bacon (which comes from a pig's belly) had a whopping 9 percent of its calories in the form of fat. Only certain brands of turkey bacon were truly "low fat." The pork bacon was lower than turkey bacon in sodium, however, with only 170 milligrams.
The pig is one of the first domesticated animals: its remains in some archeological excavations have been found to date earlier than the bones of cattle. Agricultural settlements raised pigs in the Middle East at least nine to ten thousand years ago. In Jericho, one of the world's most ancient cities, archeologists unearthed domesticated pig bones in soil layers predating 7000 b.c.e. Archeological excavations in the East Indies and Southeastern Asia show evidence of domesticated swine at about the same time. The East Asian pig arrived in China around 5000 b.c.e. Some of the first written recipes for pork are from China, where the pig has been an integral part of agriculture for thousands of years, feeding on garden waste and table scraps in pens next to farm huts. Recent archeological evidence suggests that Neolithic farmers rapidly spread agriculture, and pigs, along the Mediterranean shore of Europe before 5500 b.c.e.
The pig appears again in the writing and art of first recorded history. Pork was a popular food in early dynasties of Egypt. The ancient Greeks ate pigs. The Romans were masters of smoking and salting pork. From the time of medieval Europe through colonial North America, pigs were allowed to forage for acorns, nuts, and other foods in the forest in a semi-wild state. In the fall, they would be rounded up, slaughtered, butchered, and preserved by smoking, salting, and curing. In the United States, the pig was the most popular source of meat through the nineteenth century. The westward migration of American settlers into what would become the Corn Belt in America's Midwestern states was the perfect marriage of an Old World livestock with the grain of native Americans. The diet of swine shifted ever more from woodland forage and scraps to corn. Not until the 1950s did beef surpass pork as the most popular meat in America. Increased beef consumption coincided with the rise of industrialized cattle feedlots and post-World War II affluence. With suburbanization came the popularity of backyard grilling of steaks and hamburgers.
Until the late twentieth century, pigs were weaned from their sow from about thirty-five to fifty-six days after they were born. From a birth weight of about three pounds, they would reach a weaning weight of about forty to fifty pounds by fifty-six days. After a short period of receiving a rich "starter feed" of grains, milk products, and perhaps medication, the pigs were ready to sell to another farmer who specialized in "finishing," or feeding hogs to market weights. Sometimes the farmer whose sows produced the pigs would keep the pigs and move them to another barn or pen to feed them to market weight in a method of production called "farrow to finish." (Farrowing refers to the action of a sow giving birth.) Farrow-to-finish production was typical of small-and medium-size "family farms" in North America. On some farms, farrowing took place in small huts big enough for one sow, placed in a pasture of alfalfa or other digestible forage. After 1950, farrowing more commonly took place in specialized buildings or modified barns.
In large commercial farms, swine production is even more complex, having moved beyond the traditional one-site or two-site production system. On these farms, pigs are weaned at much earlier ages, sometimes when only ten to fourteen days old. This technique, called medicated early weaning, was developed in Britain in the 1980s by veterinary medicine professor Tom Alexander at the University of Cambridge. Alexander discovered that very early weaning could prevent a sow from passing certain swine diseases to the next generation of piglets. Weaned pigs are moved to separate nursery buildings, at enough distance to lessen the chance of infection by wind-born disease agents. The pigs are usually held in the nursery for seven weeks. before they are moved to another set of buildings for the "finisher-production" stage, where they reach slaughter weights.
This multisite system of production has existed along with the more traditional ones, in which farmers raised only a few hundred or a few thousand pigs for slaughter. But at the start of the new millennium, multisite production was rapidly taking over the industry. In Corn Belt hog-producing states, individual families that ran grain farms still fed hogs, but only in the second and third stages of multisite production. The families no longer owned the pigs. Instead, they raised them for large companies, much as local entrepreneurs run franchise outlets for fast-food chains. The pigs were owned, from birth through slaughter, by large companies, including packers. The parent animals in this system are complex proprietary mixtures of breeds owned by a handful of multinational companies. By the late 1990s, more than half of U.S. production was in some stage of this "vertical integration," meaning that each step in hog raising is owned or controlled by one company. The multisite pig production system was becoming global, existing not only in the United States and Britain, but also in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy, China, and France.
Many of these countries are also the top producers and consumers of pigs. China is the leader, producing 43.2 million metric tons of pork in 2002, more than half of the global production of 85.2 million tons. The European Union was a distant second, with 17.8 million tons. The United States ranked third, producing 8.7 million metric tons of pork. China's livestock practices supply the main reason the world eats much more pork than other meats. Of the world annual beef production of about fifty million tons, China raises only 5.8 million tons of beef.
In the United States, one company, Niman Ranch of San Francisco, California, hires farmers to raise pigs without antibiotics or growth hormones for sale to natural foods stores and upscale restaurants. These farmers raise pigs in pastures or on straw bedding in barns and sheds and periodically submit samples of meat to a taste panel to make sure that it is not too lean to be palatable. They use swine breeds that are not quite as lean as the crossbred hogs in large multisite hog businesses. After tasting this type of pork, New York Times food writer Marian Burros reviewed it as "so delicious it needed no seasoning beyond salt and pepper. . . . [The] meat was superior heirloom pork, suffused with a bright clean flavor, with none of the unpleasant aftertaste that pork often has" (September 1999).
As beloved as pork is in many cultures, the pig is despised in the traditions of others. Many theories exist to explain why Islam and Judaism consider the meat of pigs unclean. To some followers of these faiths, the abhorrent nature of pigs is obvious. The animals often wallow in mud and look dirty. But pigs, unable to sweat, wallow in mud as an efficient way to stay cool. Nevertheless, their breeding conditions may have created a social stigma. Animal scientists M. Eugene Ensminger and R. O. Parker point out that because "close confinement was invariably accompanied by the foul odors of the pig sty . . . early keepers of swine were often regarded with contempt" (Ensminger and Parker, p. 1 ).
Anthropologist Marvin argues that the pig's downfall in the Middle East was economic. Pigs are costly to raise in the climate of the Middle East. They are more difficult to herd than the sheep and goats favored by the desert nomads who quickly adopted Islam. And there is evidence that over the past ten thousand years, the environment in the Middle East grew less hospitable for animals originally adapted to foraging in forests.
Harris contends that for Jews, "the food laws of Leviticus were mostly codifications of traditional food prejudices and avoidances" (Harris, 1985, p. 79). A book of the Torah, Leviticus was written in 450 b.c.e., long after swine herding and consumption had lost prestige in many other ancient near eastern cultures as well as in ancient Israel. He finds even more support for his theory in China, where pork-disdaining Islam failed to penetrate far. There, the pig complemented an agrarian ecology, eating stems, leaves and scraps from many vegetable crops, and in turn, being eaten.
Archeological digs in the Middle East give evidence that the pig was once worshipped as well as eaten. In early stages of Phoenician, Egyptian, and Babylonian civilizations, people freely ate pork. But as those civilizations matured, pork fell from favor. When the Greek historian Herodotus visited Egypt before 430 B.C.E., he saw that "the pig is regarded among them as an unclean animal so much so that if a man in passing accidentally touches a pig, he instantly hurries into the river and plunges in with all his clothes on" (quoted in Harris, 1985, p. 83).
In the future, the economic relationship to cultural and religious taboos may be tested if pigs become more than a source of meat and go on to save more lives. Besides providing pigskin leather and byproducts with industrial uses, pigs are already a source of pharmaceuticals, such as insulin. Since 1971, pig heart valves have been used to replace damaged human heart valves. Pig valves are treated and contain no living cells, preventing rejection by the human immune system. Soon, genetic manipulation may allow transplants of whole, living organs from pigs to humans. Pigs offer an advantage over other animalsby closely matching those of humans.
In China, the pig is one of twelve animals symbolizing a year in a twelve-year lunar calendar. According to Chinese mythology, all animals were invited to race for this honor. A year was assigned to the first twelve winners, as each one finished. The pig came in twelfth. Just as westerners who believe in astrology tie personality traits to signs of the Zodiac, the Chinese attribute personality traits to the year in which they were born. Those born in the Year of the Pig (also called Year of the Boar) are said to be easygoing, sincere, tolerant, and honest. They are also considered naïve. Naïveté was linked to pigs in Homer's Odyssey, when Ulysses' men were turned to pigs by the sorceress Circe. While the men themselves were naïve, their behavior even before their conversion was almost piglike. They were attracted by Circe's sweet voice and lulled to complacency by her rich meal. Homer seems to use this tale to impart a sensuality to pigs, as well as a pig-likeness to the mariners. The pig was sacred to Aphrodite and an important image in Celtic mythology.
Modern confinement appears clean compared to hogs wallowing in outdoor pens. The use of metal crates to restrict sow movement is humane, say the system's defenders, because it prevents newborn pigs from accidentally being crushed by a heavy sow. The U.S. National Pork Board's position on animal welfare is that "because the welfare of their animals directly affects their livelihood, pork producers work to ensure their animals are treated humanely. Anything else would be self-defeating." Some farmers are, in fact, beginning to revise their methods.
Straw bedding must periodically be moved onto farm fields to keep pig buildings clean. This requires labor that larger intensive farms may not have. Large farms flush manure with water into lagoons or tanks. That manure is also spread onto farmland as fertilizer. But critics charge that current environmental standards in the United States do not require the manure to be spread over a wide enough area and allow it to eventually build up excessive amounts of nutrients in soils that can wash into streams or contaminate groundwater. Spills of manure have already caused fish kills and stream pollution in Midwestern states. In 1999 a large hog-producing company in Missouri, Premium Standard Farms, agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of violating the state's Clean Water Act.
See also Cattle ; China ; Folklore, Food in ; Food Safety ; Goat ; Judaism ; Livestock Production ; Mammals ; Meat ; Middle East ; Packaging and Canning ; Sheep .
Brennan, Jennifer. The Cuisines of Asia. New York: St. Martins/Marek, 1984.
Dohner, Janet Vorwald. The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock Breeds. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2002.
Ensminger, M. Eugene, and R. O. Parker. Swine Science. 5th ed. Danville, Ill.: Interstate Printers, 1984.
Harris, D. L. Multi-site Pig Production. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 2000.
Klober, Kelly. A Guide to Raising Pigs. Pownal, Vt.: Storey Publishing, 1997.
Rath, Sara. The Complete Pig: An Entertaining History of Pigs. Stillwater, Minn.: Voyageur Press, 2000.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultual Research Service. 2001. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 14. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, available at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.
Perhaps nowhere on earth is the pig so honored and well treated as in the highlands of Papua New Guinea—at least until it is eaten.
The great anthropologist Margaret Mead visited the Stone Age tribes of New Guinea and noticed that pigs there acted like dogs. "They assume all of the characteristics of dogs—hang their heads under rebuke, snuggle up to regain favor, and so on," she wrote in Letters from the Field: 1925–1972.
In this still primitive island nation south of the equator and north of Australia, the women of highland tribes rear pigs and treat them as well as their own children. They will even nurse a pig if it is orphaned. Women, children—and pigs—eat and sleep in huts that are separate from those of the men. The pigs are named, handfed, groomed, and fussed over if they become sick. Not until they are large are the pigs kept in a separate pen in the hut.
Eventually, though, the men slaughter some of these pigs in a ritualized sacrifice. Then the pigs become a feast for the tribal village. Pork and sweet potatoes cooked on hot stones add flavor to weddings, funerals, festivals, and other special events.
To Westerners, this may seem like bizarre, almost schizophrenic behavior. But within the context of New Guinea's tribal cultures, it is a bit more logical.
Pigs have great economic, political, and even mystical importance in New Guinea. They are symbols of wealth. They are used to buy a bride, for example. Pigs are sacrificed to appease ancestral spirits. Some tribes consider them humanlike—and humans, piglike.
Eating one's best friend does not seem so strange in New Guinea, where only a few decades ago cannibalism was practiced. And breast-feeding pigs is just a low-tech version of U.S. sheep ranchers bottle-feeding orphaned lambs. Valuable animals often receive loving care in many livestock-rearing cultures.
Even today, decades after Margaret Mead lived in New Guinea in the 1930s, the tribes there prize their pigs. At the turn of the twenty-first century, Jeff Tyler traveled to New Guinea for The Savvy Traveler, a public radio travel program and Web site in the United States.
Tyler joined a group of American and Australian tourists who visited a mountain village where a sow was ritually slaughtered. Village men, covered with black and ceremonial paint, clubbed the sow and cooked her for their guests.
Tribal warfare still continues in New Guinea. A local guide tells Tyler, "There is a reason for tribal warfares. The main reason is we fight for land. We fight for woman. And we fight for pigs."
Spam might be described as the Woody Allen of the meat world. Like the American film actor, this small 12-ounce can of pork is a commercial success thriving on self-deprecation. In enticement, the rectangular block of pink processed meat sliding from the can onto a platter cannot contend with a juicy steak or a real ham. Consumer advocates cite it as an example of a high-fat food. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the adjective, spammy, as "consisting or tasting chiefly of 'bland' luncheon meat. . . mediocre, unexciting."
Spam drew widespread ridicule in the 1970s in a comedy skit on British television's Monty Python's Flying Circus when a Spam-pushing waitress was drowned out by a group of Vikings singing "Spam, spam, spam, spam. Lovely Spam! Wonderful Spam!" More recently, this trademarked brand of canned meat received a dubious tribute in the adoption of the term "spam" to denote unwanted e-mail, or unsolicited electronic mail messages. The association of the term with a food product may, in fact, have been overwhelmed by its new slang definition.
Even so, Hormel Foods Corporation, the maker and inventor of the original Spam, has profited on the sale of some five billion cans of the stuff, marketed in roughly one hundred countries, since its introduction in 1937 as "Hormel Spiced Ham." The Austin, Minnesota–based food company, founded in 1891 as Geo. A. Hormel & Company, pioneered the production and sale of canned hams in the 1920s. A New York actor, Kenneth Daigneau, won a naming contest by calling it Spam.
Spam is made from ham, pork shoulder meat, and a secret mix of spices. World War II turned this depression-era canned luncheon meat into a global product. Spam helped keep Russian troops from starving. It cheered the British palate. And it drew ribbing from U.S. forces in the South Pacific, where they named one encampment "Spamville." After the war, U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower admitted that he, too, ate his "share of Spam along with millions of other soldiers" (Hormel website).
In recent years, Hormel reports selling one hundred million cans of Spam annually in the United States, and another forty-two million overseas. Hawaiians are the top per capita consumers of Spam in the United States, at more than four cans per consumer a year. South Korea and the United Kingdom are the top overseas buyers of Spam.
In 2001 Hormel opened a 16,500 square-foot SPAM Museum in Austin, Minn. The following summer, it planned a media event with television stars; Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver on the series Leave It to Beaver, was invited to present her favorite Spam recipe, "Overnight SPAM & Broccoli Cheese Strata."
Spam's notoriety has achieved recognition. An original Spam can is in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Spam inspired a book of haiku poetry, Spam-Ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf. Meanwhile, the company valiantly fights misuse of the word "spam" for what it calls "unsolicited commercial email (UCE)." Hormel's "official SPAM Home page. The one in good taste," gives company policy: "We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term." Hormel also prefers that the name of its trademarked food be capitalized as SPAM, while "spam" as junk e-mail should be lowercase.
The company seems to recognize that its original Spam is high in fat. With 140 of a serving's 170 calories coming from fat, those eating half of a can would have nearly exceeded the recommended daily intake for saturated fat and sodium. In response to these concerns, Hormel began offering SPAM Oven Roasted Turkey, SPAM Smoke Flavored, SPAM Lite, and SPAM Less Sodium with "the same great taste."
Cho, John Nagamichi, comp. SPAM-Ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf. New York: HarperPerennial, 1998.
Hormel website. "The Role of SPAM in World War II." Available at http://www.hormel.com.
Wyman, Carolyn. SPAM: A Biography. San Diego, Calif.: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
"Pig." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
pig / pig/ • n. 1. an omnivorous domesticated hoofed mammal (numerous varieties of Sus domesticus) with sparse bristly hair and a flat snout for rooting in the soil, kept for its meat. The pig family (Suidae) also includes the warthog and babirusa. ∎ a wild animal of this family. ∎ a young pig; a piglet. ∎ the flesh of a pig, esp. a young one, as food. ∎ inf. derog. a greedy, dirty, or unpleasant person. ∎ inf. derog. a police officer. 2. an oblong mass of iron or lead from a smelting furnace. See also pig iron. ∎ a device that fits snugly inside an oil or gas pipeline and is sent through it to clean or test the inside, or to act as a barrier. • v. (pigged , pigging ) [intr.] 1. inf. gorge oneself with food: don’t pig out on chips. 2. inf. crowd together with other people in disorderly or dirty conditions. 3. (of a sow) give birth to piglets; farrow. 4. operate a pig within an oil or gas pipeline. PHRASES: bleed like a pig bleed copiously. in a pig's eye inf. expressing scornful disbelief at a statement. a pig in a poke something that is bought or accepted without knowing its value or seeing it first.
"pig." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
pig the pig is proverbial as a type of obstinacy and greed.
A pig is the emblem of St Anthony of Egypt (see also tantony pig).
pig in a poke something that is bought or accepted without knowing its value or seeing it first (a poke here is a bag).
Pig Latin an invented language formed by systematic distortion of a source language; a secret language formed from English by transferring the initial consonant or consonant cluster of each word to the end of the word and adding a vocalic syllable (usually -ay): so igpay atinlay.
squeal like a stuck pig squeal or yell loudly and shrilly; a stuck pig is one that is being butchered by having its throat cut.
"pig." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
pig Any of numerous species and varieties of domestic and wild swine of the family Suidae. The male is generally called a boar; the female, a sow. A castrated boar is usually known as a hog. It is generally a massive, short-legged omnivore with a thick skin. Wild pigs include the warthog, wild boar, bush pig and babirusa. The domestic pig (Sus scrofa) is reared for human consumption. For pork they are slaughtered at 70–90kg (155–200lb) and for bacon at 80–100kg (175–220kg).
"pig." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
pig young of swine XIII; swine of any age; oblong piece of metal, ingot XVI. ME. pigge :- OE. *picga, *pigga, of unkn. orig.; for the formation cf. DOG.
Hence pigtail twist of tobacco XVII; plait of hair XVIII.
"pig." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"pig." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"pig." A Dictionary of Zoology. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"pig." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
PIG (Heb. חֲזִיר, ḥazir). Included in the Pentateuch among the unclean animals prohibited as food is the pig which, although cloven-footed, is a nonruminant (Lev. 11:7; Deut. 16:8). It is the sole unclean animal mentioned as possessing these characteristics. There are archaeological evidences (figurines and relics of bones) that the pig was eaten by the inhabitants of Canaan before the Israelite conquest. It was also offered as a sacrifice in idolatrous worship, provoking a protest from Isaiah (66:3), while those "eating swine's flesh, and the detestable thing, and the mouse" (66:17) apparently did so in a cultic ceremony. The pig symbolized something repulsive, and hence "as a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman that turneth aside from discretion" (Prov. 11:22). Other peoples, too, such as the Egyptians and the Sidonians, refrained from eating pig, which was also later prohibited to the Muslims. Abhorrence of the pig entered so deeply into the consciousness of the Jews that the expression davar aḥer ("another thing," i.e., something not to be mentioned by name) was used for it, at least as early as talmudic times (Ber. 43b; Shab. 129a) and in Aramaic as "that species." As early as *Antiochus Epiphanes it was decreed that the eating of swine's flesh was to be a test of the Jews' loyalty to Judaism (ii Macc. 6:18). Following the incident in the days of Hyrcanus ii when, instead of an animal fit for sacrifice, a pig was sent up the walls of Jerusalem during a siege, it was decreed: "Cursed be he who breeds pigs" (Sot. 49b; tj, Ta'an. 4:8, 68c), and this prohibition was incorporated into the Mishnah (bk 7:7). Since the pig eats everything and finds its food everywhere, there arose the saying: "None is richer than a pig" (Shab. 155b). The pig suffers from various maladies: "Ten measures of diseases descended to the world, of which the swine took nine" (Kid. 49b). During a plague that afflicted pigs, R. Judah decreed a fast in Babylonia since "their intestines are like those of human beings," the fear being entertained that the plague would spread to people (Ta'an. 21b).
The domesticated pig, Sus scropha domestica, is descended from the wild boar, Sus scropha. Its domestication was a lengthy process, going back to ancient times. The pig formerly found in Ereẓ Israel differed from the present-day one whose various breeds were developed from strains brought from China about the middle of the 18th century. The wild boar (ḥazir ha-bar), which is found in Israel especially in Upper and western Galilee, damages plants and vegetables, and uproots the bulbs and tubers of wild flora. It is the "boar out of the wood" in Psalms (80:9–14), where reference is made to the ravages it causes to vines. The Tosefta (Kil. 1:8) states that "although the pig and the wild boar resemble each other, they are heterogeneous."
In a baraita mentioned three times in the Babylonian Talmud (Sot. 49b; bk 82b; Men. 64b), the prohibition against rearing pig is joined with the prohibition against studying "Greek wisdom," and some scholars have queried the trustworthiness of this tradition and tend to the opinion that the incident referred to there – when the besiegers of Jerusalem sent up a pig to the besieged in place of the two lambs for the daily sacrifices – occurred during the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, when the subsequent prohibition against rearing pigs was decreed (cf. tj, Ber. 4:1, 7b, where a similar story occurs about sending up a pig at "the time of the wicked kingdom"). It seems, however, that the prohibition against rearing pigs was already known in the days of the early Hasmoneans; it is possible that its source is to be found in a reaction to the decrees of Antiochus Epiphanes, who ordered a pig to be offered as a sacrifice (i Macc. 1:47) and pig's flesh to be eaten (ii Macc. 6:18–7:42) and that the incident in the time of the Hasmonean brothers caused the prohibition to be stressed with greater emphasis.
The phrase "Cursed be the man who rears" is worthy of attention. It would appear that, with the increase of the non-Jewish population, Jews in Ereẓ Israel apparently engaged in the business of pig rearing. Of interest is the combination "pig-breeders and usurers" (Ber. 55a, and Rashi, ad loc.) both of which were regarded as providing an easy means of livelihood. Although there are many references in the aggadah to a feeling of revulsion and disgust toward swine flesh, the rabbis refrained from connecting the prohibition with this feeling. Eleazar b. Azariah expounded, "Whence do we know that a man should not say, 'I have no desire to eat swine's flesh,' but rather should he say 'I would like to eat it, but what can I do seeing that my Father in Heaven has decreed against it'" (Sifra, Kedoshim, Perek 11:22). A substitute was even given in a fish called shibuta "which resembles the pig" in taste (Ḥul. 109b; Tanh. Shemini, 12).
In the Midrash the Roman kingdom is called ḥazir ("pig"). It is possible that the name originated in the fact that the symbol of the Roman legion in Ereẓ Israel was the boar (see arn1, 34:100: "'The… boar out of the wood doth ravage it' [Ps. 80:14], refers to the Roman kingdom"; and cf. Mid. Ps. to 80:6). The Midrashim explain the name with reference to the characteristics common to Rome and to the pig: "and the swine because he parteth the hoof ' – why is [Rome] compared to a swine? – To teach that just as a swine when it lies down puts out its hooves as if to say, 'see, I am clean,' so too the kingdom of Edom [Rome] acts arrogantly, and plunders and robs under the guise of establishing a judicial tribunal" (Lev. R. 13:5). Another "etymological" explanation states: "Why is [Rome] called ḥazir ['pig']… because it will eventually restore haḤazir ['the kingdom'] to its rightful owner" (Eccles. R. 1:9; Lev. R. 13:5). This statement was quoted in the Middle Ages by the people with the reading, "Why is it called a pig? – Because the Holy One will restore it to Israel" (i.e., declare it clean), and in this form it became a topic in Jewish-Christian polemics.
The raising of pigs in the Holy Land was always regarded with abhorrence not only by Jewish religious circles but also by many outside the strictly religious camp. The Jewish National Fund's leases forbade pig raising on its land. The religious parties pressed for the prohibition of pig breeding by law, but in the early years of statehood it was left to local authorities to pass their own bylaws in this matter. When the Supreme Court, in a test case, ruled that such regulations were ultra vires, the religious parties pressed for, and secured, the passage of a special authorization law (5717/1956) to give the local authorities the necessary authority. There was still pressure for the prohibition of pig breeding on a national basis and in 1962 a law was passed forbidding the breeding, keeping, or slaughtering of pigs, except in Nazareth and in certain other named places with a sizable Christian population. In the early 2000s Kibbutz Lahav and Kibbutz Mizra were among the few Jewish pig breeders in the country.
in the bible: Lewysohn, Zool, 146–8 (nos. 170–2); F. Blome, Die Opfermaterie in Babylonien und Israel, 1 (1934), 120–5, nos. 117–21; F.S. Bodenheimer, Animal and Man in Bible Lands (1960), 51, 103. in halakhah and aggadah: S. Kraus, in: rej, 53 (1907), 15–19; Ginzberg, Legends, 5 (1925), Y. Baer, in: Sefer Zikkaron le-Asher Gulak ve-li-Shemu'el Klein 294; idem, Perushim ve-Ḥiddushim ba-Yerushalmi, 3 (1941), 35–40; (1942), 40, note by J.N. Epstein: Ḥ. Al-beck, ibid., 49; E. Wiesenberg, in: huca, 27 (1956), 233–93. in israel: M. Elon, Ḥakikah Datit (1968), 20–23. add. bibliography: Feliks, Ha-Ẓome'aḥ, 228.
"Pig." Encyclopaedia Judaica. . Encyclopedia.com. 9 Apr. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>. | 2019-04-19T08:39:52Z | https://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/animals/agriculture-animals/pig |
8 The Distortion Effect – What Is a Distortion Pedal Used For?
A distortion pedal is just what you need if you’ve already got an overdrive pedal and you want that little extra kick to your music. Particularly advantageous for the metal guitarist, good distortion pedals are sure to create impressive and aggressive sounds when you push them to the max. Distortion pedals are not only great for adding a distortion effect to your music, but they can also be added to existing equipment set ups to enable you to have even more choice of effects and to build on your existing sounds.
This buying guide will take a look at some of the best distortion pedal reviews so that you can get a better picture of the products that are available out there. Whether you have a low or high budget and whether you know exactly what you want or if you have no idea, you will be able to find some useful information about choosing great distortion pedals in our buying guide.
The Boss DS-1 distortion pedal has been a popular choice amongst guitarists for over 30 years. Since the 1970s, guitarists around the globe have been choosing this distortion pedal to add to their music setup. If you’re a rocker, you’ll be pleased to know that this is one of the best pedals to provide those awesome distorted rock tones. You will be able to play all genres from indie to darker heavy metal numbers.
Although this pedal is really versatile, what users like is the way that it is also affordable. If you’ve never owned a distortion pedal before, this may be the best one to choose for your first pedal. Despite the low price tag, you can be sure of great quality tone from this best distortion guitar pedal.
There are three different controls on this guitar distortion pedal that you can use to alter the distortion effects from the pedal. These three control knobs are for the tone, level and distortion. Thanks to these 3 separate control dials, you will be able to create a multitude of sounds from subtle distortions to all out metal. Many players especially like the scooped midrange, which gives you the best and most distinct tones. If you’re wondering how great this pedal really is, all you have to do is listen to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by popular grunge band Nirvana, as the moody melody that you’ll hear on that track was created by the DS-1.
Boss really is a brand that you can rely on when it comes to great sounding effects pedals. Whether you play guitar or bass, you’ll certainly benefit from a Boss pedal. This is the brand of choice by many musicians including bands such as The Killers and Muse and has been chosen by guitarists such as Steve Val and Joe Satriani. The reason why professionals prefer Boss pedals such as the DS-1 is because they not only produce the best sounds, but they can also take the greatest usage too. You can use these pedals over and over again knowing that they are robust enough to withstand many gigs.
The RAT2 is one of a great range of distortion pedals from Pro Co that have gained major popularity due to the sounds that they produce. These pedals have become something of a benchmark for other distortion pedals to show what distortion effects should really be able to do.
The RAT2, just like with many of the other RAT models of distortion pedals has some special qualities that you’ll notice across the range. An instantly recognizable RAT chassis and enclosure houses all the electronics for the unit whilst the three control knobs give the user the ability to completely customize the sound. The distortion sound itself has a fuzzy effect to it and this is highly characteristic of the RAT distortion pedals too. The fuzziness of the sound is a fitting touch, especially as Pro Co developed from their early days of fixing Fuzz Faces before moving on to offer the RAT.
Improvements made to the RAT2, which was developed after the success of the RAT original distortion pedal, include a power indicator LED to let you know whether it is on or not and a battery compartment that is simple to access. You’ll also get the same great true bypass switching that you’d expect from Pro Co’s RAT and the much sought after filter control.
The RAT2 is everything that you need when you want to be heard. What’s more is that the versatility of the pedal offers you all the effects that you’ll require for the ultimate rock classics from subtle overdrive boosts to maximum fuzzy distortion.
Either a 9v battery or an AC power adapter can power this pedal. Whilst neither is included when you buy this pedal, you can always purchase either power option when you buy your pedal. The AC power provides you with continuous use, never having to worry about replacing the batteries whilst the battery powered option gives you the ability to cut down on power needs and to have greater portability.
Bring some life back to your performances with the help of the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Distortion Pedal. This earthy sounding distortion pedal will not only bring you the quality that you can expect from it’s predecessor, the Big Muff Pi, but you can also enjoy the particularly punchy bass sounds and no loss of sound quality at the lower end of the register. In a nutshell, this is the Big Muff for bass players!
There are three knobs and a 3-position toggle switch integrated into this distortion pedal. This will enable you to get the most out of your performances.
A volume control is included so that you can set the level of volume that you want the distortion to play at. If you’ve got the toggle switched to DRY mode, you should be aware that there is no effect of the volume control on the sound of your bass.
You can use the tone control knob in order to control the treble and bass output of the switch. Overall however, the tone of the Bass Big Muff has been set to provide the best possible tone for your bass.
Of course, the sustain control knob will allow you to adjust the sustain and distortion that the pedal creates.
Finally, there is a 3-position switch that allows you to switch between Bass boost, Normal and Dry. This creates three completely different and unique sounds so that you can completely change the sound of your instrument if you wish. In order to get the most out of the bass frequency boost, you should ensure that you keep the tone knob to the higher part of the treble tones. The normal mode gives you sounds similar to that of the Big Muff Pi. The Dry mode allows you to mix the dry input signal from your bass with the distortion setting.
When you want to create a truly badass sound with your distortion pedal, nothing else comes close to the MXR M75 Super Badass® Distortion pedal. Manufactured by MXR, a leading team when it comes to amazing guitar gear, this super distortion pedal provides you with pure analog distortion in one easy to use pedal.
You’ll love the controls that come integrated with this pedal, which allow you to effortlessly and simply alter the distortion settings. With just the turn of a knob, you will be able to recreate the low gain overdrive sounds of the 70s or the scooped modern metal distortion with any distortion level you can imagine in the middle.
Thanks to the controls, once you’ve set up the right amount of distortion, you’ll be able to play with the bass, mid and treble controls until you’ve shaped your sound perfectly. This active EQ section is just what you need when you want to have full control over your sound as well as the accompanying distortion.
This is a pedal that features all the additional features that you would expect from a great distortion pedal, including true bypass switching. In addition to this, it is built to last with housing that features sturdy and solid metal construction and long wearing internal parts. You can be sure that whether you are using this pedal for practising at home with or if you will be travelling performing full gigs daily, the pedal will last you for ages.
This is the only pedal that you will need when you want to create great distortion and the analog operation means that there’s less to go wrong in comparison to electronic based circuits. You will make a huge impression and the easy to use pedal is certain to make your performances more fun.
For the greatest metal sounds, you should definitely check out the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff Distortion Pedal. This is perhaps the best metal distortion pedal, which has been designed to give you that awesome, over the top distortion that is so deserving of metal music. This is a distortion pedal like nothing you’ve ever heard before. The crushing distortion that it offers is impressive and you can be sure that it will fit well with your sound as it is tailored to suit metal music.
A top boost controller is integrated to provide you with that metal bite. It does this by boosting narrow bands of high frequencies. Make sure that the Top Boost setting is activated in order to be able to use this effect.
Using the treble knob, you can provide up to a 10db cut so that you can really boost the treble. The mid control knob controls the middle frequencies and cuts out up to 15db. Finally, the bass control knob is able to cut up to 14db in the bass range.
A distortion knob is included and this controls the amount of gain that is added to the music. You can also increase or decrease the volume level with the volume control.
If you want to activate or disable the pedal’s effects, you can do so using the footswitch. It is built with strong metal and the chassis is strong, so you can be sure that even with the most heavy of uses, it will remain reliable for years to come.
If you want complete portability with this distortion pedal, you’ll be pleased to know that it runs on a 9v battery. The battery isn’t included but you can purchase them at most hardware stores. If you’d prefer to have consistent power without needing to worry about the battery, you could use an AC power adapter instead.
If you’ve got one of those new tube amps that don’t seem to provide much gain or special effects, you may benefit from choosing the Donner Morpher High Degree Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal. By creating a distortion effect, this pedal can ensure that you’ll never need to purchase a more powerful amp ever again.
When you want to perform with distortion, you should be able to operate your distortion pedal with ease. The high degree of distortion ensures that you can create some heavy sounding metal tones and perform impressive solos. The strong expression of the pedal and the dynamic echo sound can give you the most natural sounding distortion effects around.
You can be sure that this pedal will last for as long as possible. The chassis is built form strong metal so that you can stomp on the distortion pedal as much as you like without causing damage. The metal is an allow aluminum so it is also lightweight and makes the pedal easy to transport form one gig to another.
You can enjoy great tone with this guitar distortion pedal thanks to the true bypass. It also features a power indicator to let you know if the pedal is turned on or not.
This Morpher distortion pedal is one of the top rated distortion pedals and it provides you with hi-gain style distortion whilst being built to a high standard. With standard input and output ports, you can be sure that there are enough ways of connecting your existing decides to this pedal.
The Distortion Effect – What Is a Distortion Pedal Used For?
A distortion pedal is used to add dramatic effects to a musician’s performance in order to provide enhancement and character to the sound. If you have an amplifier that comes with a gain control, you may be able to turn the amp all the way up to maximum volume and then change the gain setting to reflect the genre that you want to play, but this can be impractical. If you are practicing at home for example and you simply want to create a better sound, you should choose a distortion pedal instead of trying to play an amplifier at full volume when you have neighbors who may not appreciate that.
Distortion pedals can be made to be suite simple or more complicated, offering you more features. You should bear in mind however that many distortion pedals are made to suit one particular genre or instrument. If you are a bassist, you should look out for the distortion pedals that are created for bass, whilst the ones that are created for metal shouldn’t be used for country for example. If you choose the best match to your genre, you can be sure that you’ll get the sound that you’ve wanted.
When you are trying to find that perfect tone from your guitar, you need to make sure that you’re getting one of the top distortion pedals. There are a whole host of pedals that you can choose from but the main two kinds are the distortion pedal and overdrive pedal. Lets take a look at these two pedals so that you can make the best decision.
Overdrive pedal – If you want to produce the kind of sound that you’d expect form a vintage sounding amp, you should choose an overdrive pedal. With an overdrive pedal, you’ll be able to create the great harmonics along with the deep overtones that come with overdriving an amplifier. Overdrive pedals were created in the advent of solid-state amps. These amps are reliable and high quality, but due to their electronic and accurate sounds, you just don’t get the same sounds that you’d experience with the vintage amps.
Distortion pedal – In comparison to overdrive pedals, using distortion pedals provides you with more gain. You can usually choose from different gain levels. In the higher gain levels, you’ll be able to experience breakup effects and some great sustain effects too. Distortion pedals often have a boost controller so that you can increase your volume when you are playing solos.
If you are a blues guitarist, you may prefer the sound that is produced by an overdrive pedal. A distortion pedal is better for guitarist who play metal or hard rock music. The more extreme sound effects from a distortion pedal suit the rock genre better.
Finding the right distortion pedal for your music is important. Distortion pedals add character and effect to your instrumental voice, so you need the right sounds to deliver the music that represents you. Getting the right distortion pedal will mean that you’ll enjoy your performances more and you’ll be able to create the sound that you want.
Genre – You will need to think about which genres you are most likely to play. Thrash metal and country music will require completely different kinds of reverb for example. When you purchase your distortion pedal, it is important to know that most models of distortion pedal have been specially designed to work with a certain kind of genre. Although there are some pedals that are not specific to only one genre, most of them are better with some genres than others.
Fuzz Pedals – If you want a classic sounding distortion sound, you can recreate music from the likes of Hendrix and the White Stripes. Before the days of fuzz pedals however, artists were creating fuzz distortion by defacing their amplifiers. Ike Turner is reported to have dropped his amplifier whilst walking to the recording studio, whilst others such as The Kinks used to take a knife and physically damage the speaker to create the sound.
Overdrive – If you enjoy playing blues rock, you should definitely check out overdrive pedals. Stevie Ray Vaughan was a huge fan of these pedals. Overdrive refers to a smoother kind of sound distortion that sounds like the distortion produced by tube amps being turned up so loud that the tube almost shattered. Now, distortion pedals create the screaming overdrive sound that is so recognizable.
Distortion – Where overdrive ends, distortion begins. Think Van Halen when you think of true distortion. Distortion pedals emulate the amps that have high gain and can produce huge walls of sound. When small amps just aren’t up to creating the kind of distortion that you’re looking for, a distortion pedal is a must.
When you have decided on a pedal that you think fits the bill, you should try to trial it first so that you can be sure that it’s exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re unable to get to a store locally that has the pedal for you to try out, you should check out other user’s reviews, watch videos of people performing with the pedal and see how the pedal performs for other people.
A distortion pedal is a must if you have a modern and small amplifier that is incapable of creating distortion on its own. As you can tell from these distortion pedal reviews, there are a few different choices available to you so that you can find the one that matches your needs the best.
Make sure that you choose the distortion pedal that has been designed for your particular genre if possible so that you can be sure that you’ll be able to do what you need to with it. Turning up the distortion is a great way of really making your instrument stand out.
You should consider all the points that we have suggested when you’re looking for the best distortion pedal for your needs. The best pedal for you will be able to do what you need it to as well as being able to offer you functionality for many years to come, which means ensuring that it is future proof with plenty of expansion options. | 2019-04-19T23:16:52Z | https://www.guitarmesh.com/best-distortion-guitar-pedal-reviews/ |
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a technique we have been doing for almost 27 years at McDonagh Medical Center. It is a technique in which we place a patient in a sealed chamber (see picture of a chamber to the right) and increase the pressure to a level that is up to twice the normal atmospheric pressurre. The net effect of this is that we can drive or force oxygen into the liquid part of the blood called the plasma and since this liquid can go farther into an artery and cells than a red blood cell (which usually carries 98% of the bodys oxygen) can go. We can deliver oxygen to once unreached tissues and save them from dying wile we are waiting for the circulation to be restored.
We have written an informative pamphlet entitled, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. If you would like to go to the pamphlet and read about prolotherapy simply click on the book.
On the other hand, if you have questions about HBOT, please scan the questions below and you will be transferred to an area that will provide you with a, sometimes illustrated, answer.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical therapy using 100% oxygen, administered at greater than normal atmospheric pressure, for the treatment of specific disease conditions. The route of administration may be by means of a mask, head tent, or endotracheal tube in a compressed air chamber or in a monoplace chamber completely pressurized with oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is simply intermittent, short-term, high dosage oxygen therapy. The patient is generally placed in a specially designed chamber and the oxygen is administered either by means of a mask or directly into the chamber. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber may vary in size from a small one-person unit to a large multi- place unit capable of housing an entire surgical team.
What is the History for Using HBOT in Medicine?
The use of hyperbaric systems in the treatment of disease is not new to the field of medicine. The British physician Henshaw is said to have been the first to use compressed air in a specially equipped room called a domicilium about the year 1664. His facilities were crude and his results are unknown. He believed that his contraption promoted good health by improving digestion and respiration. During the next two centuries, a variety of experiments were conducted by English, French, and Dutch workers using various types of diving apparatus. One important development during this early period was the discovery of oxygen by the English chemist Joseph Priestly in 1771. The early physiological studies of Paul Bert (1833-1886) on the barometric pressure effects on animals and man gave considerable impetus towards establishing a scientific basis for clinical HBO. Although numerous investigators were involved in one aspect or the other of what might be loosely termed hyperbaric medicine, one of the most serious clinical studies was conducted by the French physician J. A. Fontaine in 1879 at which time he constructed an operating room which provided hyperbaric conditions. The hyperbaric chamber was a mobile unit, placed on wheels, and used a manually operated compressor. During this period hyperbaric chambers met with a great deal of enthusiasm in Europe, and then gradually the interest waned. The reasons for this demise of hyperbaric medicine are still not clearly understood.
About the time that hyperbaric medicine in Europe was on the decline, interest in this new area of medicine started to catch on in the United States. The first hyperbaric chamber for therapeutic use on the North American continent was built and used in 1860 in Oshawa, Canada. The first chamber in the United States was in Rochester, New York, in 1891. Noteworthy in the early American scene was the work of Dr. Orval J Cunningham, who was probably one of the foremost of the American investigators. With the financial backing of Henry H. Timken of roller bearing fame, Dr. Cunningham constructed the largest hyperbaric chamber ever built, a steel sphere, 64 foot in diameter, containing 36 rooms, and with the usual amenities of a hotel. As a result of the depression, opposition by the American Medical Association, and a series of other unfortunate circumstances, Dr. Cunningham’s project was ultimately scrapped. The history of hyperbaric medicine over the years has been an up and down affair; but after World War II with an intensification in diving medicine and other submarine activities, hyperbaric medicine has achieved respectability and the scientific stature which it deserves. A recent upsurge in hyperbaric oxygen therapy followed the work of the Dutch surgeon I. Boerema and his associates who in 1956 began using it in cardiac surgery. Serious interest in the broad therapeutic applications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy started in the United States about 1961.
In September 1961, the First International Congress on the clinical application of hyperbaric oxygen was held in Amsterdam. The Second International Conference on HBO was held in Glasgow in September 1964. In general, this meeting concentrated on the basic physiological mechanisms of HBO. The Third International Congress was held at Duke University at Durham, North Carolina, in November 1965. The Fourth International Congress was held in Sapporo, Japan, in September 1969. The Fifth Congress was held in Vancouver, B. C. in 1973. The Sixth Congress was held at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in August 1977. The next International Congress was held in Moscow in 1981. These Congresses presented an extensive series of investigative reports dealing with basic physiology, oxygen toxicity, animal experiments, and a broad spectrum of therapeutic applications of HBO to human disease, viz.: actinomycosis, air embolism, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, cerebral vascular impairment, crush injuries, cyanide poisoning, drowning or asphyxia, electrocution, gas gangrene, gastric ulcer, head injuries, intestinal obstruction, myocardial infarction osteomyelitis , peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary insufficiency, senility due to cerebral insufficiency, sickle cell anemia crises, skin grafts, skin ulcers, smoke inhalation, stroke, and in certain other disorders where oxygen impairment is a causative factor.
Unfortunately hyperbaric chambers are quite costly to construct and to operate, and limited in their distribution. Hyperbaric chambers are presently maintained by the U. S. Navy, U. S. Air Force, U. S. Army, NASA, Veterans Administration, and a number of universities and larger medical centers. Most of the hyperbaric oxygen units are involved in clinical investigational studies or are used for special purposes and are frequently not available to the general public.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy accomplishes its beneficial results by means of the basic respiratory functions of the body. A simple explanation of respiration is as follows: The air we breathe is comprised of oxygen, 20.96%; carbon dioxide, 0.04%; and nitrogen, 79%. When air is breathed into the lungs about one- fourth of the oxygen passes into the blood and is replaced in the expired air by an equal amount of carbon dioxide. The expired air contains about the same amount of nitrogen as the inspired air. Thus, nitrogen serves largely as a bulk vehicle for oxygen and carbon dioxide. This process of breathing is referred to as external respiration.
As a person inhales, the air enters the lungs and is drawn into minute microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. The walls of these alveoli are ultrathin and are in immediate contact with the capillary blood vessels. The thin walls of the alveoli and the capillaries are semi-permeable and permit the rapid passage of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the blood stream. Under normal circumstances oxygen is transported in the blood only by the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Oxygen molecules have such an affinity with the hemoglobin in the red blood cells that the hemoglobin is always about 98% saturated with oxygen.
However, a fact of importance in hyperbaric oxygen therapy is that the red blood cells constitute only 45% of the blood volume, and that the colorless plasma transports very little oxygen under normal atmospheric pressure. The transport of oxygen by the blood from the lungs to the tissues is due mainly to the ability of hemoglobin to combine reversibly with oxygen. The exchange of these gases between the blood and other tissues or organs of the body is sometimes referred to as internal respiration.
Finally, the respiratory process also involves the cells of the body which make up the various tissues, and this phase of the process is known as cellular respiration. Respiration is essential for life. All living cells require oxygen to carry out their necessary functions. These functions cease when oxygen is no longer available. The cells of the body produce carbon dioxide as a waste product. Oxygen is required to produce energy in the cells of the body, and in so doing there is a chemical exchange resulting in the production of water, heat, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is released into the veins to be carried back to the lungs to be exhaled. When you take your next breath, this complex respiratory cycle is started all over again.
What Does the Doctor Mean when They Prescribe 1 or 2 Atmospheres?
There is another aspect that must be considered on and beyond the usual physiological role of oxygen in the body. This other aspect relates to the delivery of oxygen to the body under hyperbaric pressures. The term hyperbaric literally means high pressure. A person living at sea level is at one atmosphere of air pressure absolute (ATA). This can be expressed as 760 mm (or 29.9 inches) or mercury, or 14.7 pounds per square inch of air pressure. These numbers express the weight (or measure) of the vast envelope or “ocean” of air that surrounds the globe. We live at the bottom of this air layer. This air pressure is not noticeable because it is equally distributed over the body.
Because of the various physical laws governing temperature, pressure and volume of gases, it was discovered that if the partial pressure of oxygen coming in contact with alveolar capillaries was increased there was a corresponding increase in the amount of oxygen that will be forced into solution in the blood. Since the hemoglobin of the red blood cells is already 98% saturated, the only place the additional oxygen can go is in the plasma. At one ATA* of pressure (the standard air pressure or sea level), the partial pressure of oxygen in alveolar air amounts to about 673 mm of mercury (mmHg). However, when a person is placed in a hyperbaric chamber and delivered pure oxygen at 2 atmospheres (ATA)1 (or 1520 mm of mercury) the alveolar oxygen pressure will increase to about 1433 mm of mercury. At 3 ATA or 2280 mmHg the alveolar oxygen pressure increases to 2193 mmHg. Theoretically, arterial and tissue oxygen pressure closely follow alveolar oxygen pressure. This is a dramatic increase in the amount of oxygen going into the blood.
When the body is at rest, it normally consumes about 6 ml of oxygen per 100 ml of blood, but of this amount only 0.3 ml is transported by the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. When the hyperbaric pressure is raised to 2 ATA of pure oxygen, the plasma oxygen is raised to 4.4 ml. Thus, oxygen saturation of the tissues is considerably enhanced with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. At 3 ATA approximately 6.4 volumes per cent of oxygen are physically dissolved in the plasma, which is sufficient to sustain life even in the absence of hemoglobin.
*ATA is a term used to define the amount of pressurization used within a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber and refers to Atmospheres of pressure.
Absolute: In a space where a vacuum exists the pressure is spoken of as zero Atmospheres Absolute. At sea level the air pressure is one Atmosphere Absolute.
What Laws of Chemistry Make HBOT Possible?
The clinical use of H80 therapy is governed to a great extent by physical gas laws interacting with biological systems.
Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures: The total pressure is the partial pressures of the two components gases,(Pt =P1+P2) that would be exerted by each of the gases if it alone was present and occupied the total volume.
Henry’s Law: The degree to which a gas enters into physical solution in the body fluids is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas to which the fluid is exposed. However, the absolute amount of gas entering solution is determined by its solubility coefficient. The solubility coefficient varies with the fluid, and is temperature dependent, with the solubility inversely proportional to the temperature. Thus, the combination of H80 with hypothermia is advantageous because more oxygen can be dissolved than at normal body temperature and the metabolic demand would be reduced.
Boyle’s Law: If the temperature remains consant, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure. Therefore, at 1 ATA the volume in a cavity is at 100%, at 2 ATA at 50%, and at 3 ATA at 33.3% (Table 1).
What is a Monoplace and Multiplace Chamber?
There are two types of Chambers: Monoplace that holds a single person and Multiplace which is a large chamber where 5 or 6 patients (hence the name multiplace) can be treated at once.
The Muliplace Chamber is difficult for many elderly, disabled and children because the Oxygen is delivered by wearing a mask and the chamber is pressurized with room air.
The Monoplace chamber is about 8 feet long and about 3 feet in diameter, permitting only single occupancy and is pressurized with oxygen. The patient is moved in and out of the chamber by means of a sliding stretcher cart with which it interlocks. The chamber walls are of clear heavy duty acrylic plastic. This plastic provides the patient with almost unlimited visibility and helps to reduce the feeling of claustrophobia. A communication system is provided which permits the patient to communicate any discomfort to the operator, and helps to reduce confinement anxietyy. The temperature within the chamber can be easily controlled. The monoplace chamber can be operated from the usual hospital oxygen supply system, bottled oxygen, or from a cryogenic system. Monoplace chambers are ideally suited for the treatment of most chronic conditions. Removal from a monoplace chamber can be accomplished is less than one minute. A good monoplace chamber is safe, easy to operate, and provides a 100% oxygen delivery system to the entire body.
At the Clinic we have two Monoplace Chambers as can be seen to the side.
Is Oxygen Toxic in these High Doses?
Oxygen for all practical purposes can be considered as a drug, and is capable of producing toxic effects. Just as in most other drugs, oxygen administration follows a dose response curve. Too little oxygen can be lethal, just as too much can be toxic and produce death. Unfortunately, the precise mechanisms involved in oxygen toxicity are not completely known. However, it is believed that the cause of oxygen toxicity is probably due to the increased formation of superoxide, H2O2 or other oxidizing free radicals. It is believed that the major elements attacked are sulfhydrl-containing proteins, lipoic acid and coenzyme A. The end result is damage by means of excessive oxidation of intracellular membranes and other essential cellular constituents.
Oxygen poisoning may also affect the central nervous system, causing muscle twitching and grand mal convulsions. Continued exposure after the onset of these symptoms can result in paralysis and even death. Untoward effects can also involve the eye, causing retinal damage and blindness. Other toxic effects have been described involving heart muscle, liver, and the endocrine organs.
One of the characteristics of oxygen poisoning is that the early effects are completely reversible. However, toxic effects of oxygen poisoning are generally the result of prolonged exposure at high pressures, generally greater than 3 ATA. This is one reason that most HBO treatments are given at 3 ATA or lower for periods of time not to exceed 2 hours. Under these conditions only the beneficial effects of HBO treatment are realized.
Further protection from hyperbaric oxygen toxicity is provided by maintaining adequate nutritional support of glutathione peroxidase, vitamin E (d-alpha- tocopherol), selenium, and vitamin C.
How Can I Tell if I am a Candidate for HBOT?
The eligibility of a patient for HBO depends to a large extent upon the seriousness of the illness and the critical need for such therapy. In emergencies, such as gas gangrene or gas embolism, inability to clear the ears can be managed by tympanostomy, and pneumothorax can be handled with a chest tube that is carefully vented during decompression, if a multiplace chamber is used.
Elective patients, such as in osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis, burns, wound-healing problems, senility, etc., should be instructed as to the nature of the therapy. Elderly patients should have a pulmonary function test. If significant obstructive pulmonary disease is present it will require very slow rates of decompression, such as one foot per minute or less. The patient should be examined to make certain that the patient can equalize middle ear pressure, Decongestants can be used, and when necessary, polyethylene tubes can be placed in the tympanic membranes for the duration of the treatment.
What Conditions Do You Treat with HBOT?
4. Carbon Monoxide and cyanide poisoning.
d. Bone and skin graft enhancement.
HBO has been found to exhibit antimicrobial properties on a broad range of microbial organisms. HBO has been found to be useful in the treatment of Hansens disease (Leprosy) and tuberculosis. However, each bacterial infection must be carefully considered, because in some instances hyperbaric pressures may enhance the infection.
HBO has also been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and senility (including Alzheimers disease) as an adjunct to nutritional measures with varying degrees of success.
The use of HBO in cancer therapy is a matter of controversy. The rationale for the use of HBO in cancer therapy is based on the concept of Otto Warburg and others that anaerobiosis (oxygen deficit) is one of the characteristics of malignant growth. When hyperbaric oxygenation is administered at high pressure levels (above 3 ATA) and oxygen toxicity is present, cancer growth may be enhanced due to free radial pathology. If HBO is being used in cancer therapy it should be used cautiously at low levels (below 3 ATA) and should be for short intermittent periods of time.
Disagram illustrating the metabolic dysfunction of the arterial wall in atherosclerosis. The use of EDTA and HBO helps to reverse a vicious metabolic cycle and restores enzyme function of the arterial walls.
A new therapeutic approach has been instituted using chelation therapy with HBO for the treatment of atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations of senility due to cerebral vascular insufficiency, stroke, heart disease, and peripheral vascular occlusive disease. The clinical therapeutic results have been most encouraging.
Atherosclerosis involves a build-up of calcium complexes of mucopolysaccarides, lipoproteins, elastin and collagen in the arteries. This results in the development of insoluble substrates which tend to depress a number of enzyme systems concerned with the oxygenation and energy mechanisms of the arterial wall. The end result is a state of hypoxia in the arterial wall which encourages further calcification.
Chelation therapy is a form of treatment aimed at reducing calcium deposits in the arteries and reversing some of the degenerative processes in the body. The treatment involves injecting small amounts of a synthetic amino acid, disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), into the blood stream. This amino acid has the unique and valuable property of being powerfully attracted to ionic calcium. When EDTA comes in contact with ionic calcium in the body, it binds itself to it. The EDTA-calcium complex is then excreted through the kidneys into the urine and through the liver into the intestinal tract, and finally passes out of the body. This binding property of EDTA provides the basis for chelation therapy. Figure 1 represent how EDTA helps out in the cycle.
The word chelate is derived from the Greek chele which refers to the claw of a crab or lobster, describing the firm, pincer-like binding of certain chemical substances to a bivalent metal or some other mineral. Chelation is specifically defined as the incorporation of a metal or a mineral ion into a heterocyclic ring structure.
Certain chemicals are used in chelation to grasp metals or calcium with this claw-like action so that these elements are encircled or sequestered by a complex ring structure, thereby losing their physiologic and toxic properties. Thus when chelation takes place calcium or some other metal ion comes in contact with the chelating agent (EDTA), becomes imprisoned in the EDTA molecule, and is then excreted from the body in a bound and inert form.
The purpose of the HBO is to increase oxygen to oxygen-starved tissues. By removing ionic calcium with EDTA and providing oxygen with HBO the deranged metabolic processes of the arterial wall are reversed and enzyme function is restored.
Do I Need Tests Before I Can Start HBOT?
Before either chelation or hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be started, the patient must be carefully evaluated. This entails a comprehensive history and physical examination, various laboratory tests, and a series of other diagnostic procedures in order to determine the general health status of the patient. In the case of senility it is important to determine the extent to which brain damage has resulted. No treatment can restore dead brain cells. Persons suffering from chronic sinusitis, seizure disorders, emphysema, uncontrolled high fever, history of ear surgery, spontaneous pneumothorax, asymptomatic pulmonary lesions, and viral infections are frequently not acceptable for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. However, final determination of the acceptability of the patient can be determined only after careful clinical examination of the candidate by the physician.
How Does HBOT/Chelation Compare with Surgery in Arteriosclerosis?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is employed by metabolic physicians primarily for the treatment of atherosclerosis and related disease conditions, i.e., senility, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and heart disease. The question is frequently raised as to whether or not there are other forms of treatment for these disorders. In some cases – yes. In other cases, such as senility involving cerebral vascular insufficiency, there is no treatment generally practiced today in the United States that offers as much promise as the combined chelation-hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In the case of atherosclerotic involvement of the coronary, carotid, femoral and some of the other larger vessels, surgery has been used with varying degrees of success. This procedure involves surgical excision or stripping of the atheromatous intimal lining of some of the larger arteries. By-pass surgery can sometimes be performed on the heart by creating a new vascular blood supply in order to circumvent a constricted or blocked coronary artery. Similar procedures have been used in the femoral arteries in the legs. If there is a severe localized blockage of a major artery, surgery may be the treatment of choice. Surgical procedures may also be needed in some cases for conditions which are unresponsive to chelation-hyperbaric therapy. However, if there is a generalized atherosclerotic condition, surgery may be only a temporary palliative measure. It should be kept in mind that surgery is only effective in those specific sites which are reached by the surgeon’s knife. The surgeon’s treatment extends no further. Chelation-hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves the entire body, including such areas as the brain, which cannot be surgically repaired.
Finally, chelation-hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally safer than surgery, less expensive, and a more rational approach, since it promotes the health of the entire circulatory system, whereas surgery is limited to a single segment of the arterial system. | 2019-04-18T23:19:25Z | http://mcdonaghmed.com/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/ |
Partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL) markedly increased glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity (GFAP-IR) 1 week after lesion in the L4–L5 spinal dorsal horn of wild-type, but not in dynorphin knock-out, mice lacking κ opioid receptors (KOR−/−) or in wild-type mice pretreated with the KOR antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (norBNI). A direct effect of KOR on glial cell proliferation was suggested by the findings that primary cultures of type II GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes isolated from mouse spinal cord express KOR. Sustained treatment with the κ agonist U50,488 (trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrolytinil)-cyclohexyl]-benzeneacetamide methane sulfonate) significantly increased the proliferation rate of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes isolated from wild-type mice, and this effect was blocked by norBNI pretreatment. Proliferation of cultured type II astrocytes may have been stimulated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation by KOR because (1) U50,488 treatment increased phospho-p38 MAPK-immunoreactivity 247 ± 44% over untreated cells, (2) the increase in phospho-p38 induced by U50,488 was blocked by norBNI and not evident in KOR−/− cultures, and (3) GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte proliferation induced by U50,488 was blocked by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole]. Similar mechanisms of astrocyte activation may also be responsible in vivo because intrathecal injection of SB 203580 blocked the increased GFAP-IR in lumbar spinal cord induced by pSNL. Although the relationship between κ-stimulated astrocyte proliferation and neuropathic pain mechanisms was not directly established in these studies, the results support the hypothesis that KOR activation induces spinal astrocyte proliferation, which may contribute to cellular reorganization after sciatic nerve damage.
Induction of painful peripheral neuropathy results in anatomical changes within the dorsal horn, including an increase in expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an indicator of reactive gliosis after CNS injury (Kajander et al., 1990; Ma and Quirion, 2002). Although studies suggest that reactive gliosis is a major impediment to reestablishing neuronal pathways, little is known about the cellular and molecular signals controlling this process (Murray et al., 1990; Ma and Quirion, 2002). We reported previously that chronic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL) caused sustained dynorphin release that resulted in prolonged κ opioid receptor (KOR) activation in astroglial cells in the mouse spinal cord (Xu et al., 2004). Wang et al. (2001) have shown that dynorphin released in the spinal cord contributes strongly to the neuropathic pain response; however, the role of astroglial KOR activation after nerve damage remains unclear.
The type of glial cell responding to dynorphin release and subsequent KOR activation after pSNL was not established. Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are the major classes of neuroglial cells in spinal cord and can be distinguished morphologically and antigenically (Hirano and Goldman, 1988; Misson et al., 1991; McMahon and McDermott, 2001). KOR is a member of the heptahelical, G-protein-coupled receptor opioid receptor family, and previous studies have shown that KOR is expressed by astroglial cells and can induce glial cell proliferation in vitro (Stiene-Martin and Hauser, 1991; Barg et al., 1993a; Eriksson et al., 1993; Ruzicka et al., 1995; Stiene-Martin et al., 1998). Accumulating evidence further suggests that KOR-selective agonists stimulate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 phosphorylation, activate phospholipase C in C6 glioma cells (Bohn et al., 2000; Belcheva et al., 2005; Bruchas et al., 2006), and increase DNA synthesis in cultures of mixed glial cells derived from fetal rat brain or rat spinal–dorsal root ganglion cocultures (Barg et al., 1993b). Nerve injury is known to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and this mechanism may mediate the response to opioids within the spinal cord during neuropathic pain (Jin et al., 2003).
MAPKs are a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins that play a critical role in cell signaling by transducing extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses (Chen et al., 2001). They are involved in cell proliferation and differentiation during development, neuronal plasticity, and injury responses (Ji and Woolf, 2001). Peripheral nerve lesions result in activation of MAPKs in microglia and astrocytes in the spinal cord, leading to the production of inflammatory mediators that sensitize dorsal horn neurons (Ma and Quirion, 2002; Jin et al., 2003; Zhuang et al., 2005). The primary objective of our study was to determine the cellular consequences of endogenous κ opioid system activation in mouse spinal cord after partial sciatic nerve ligation. κ receptor activation after chronic nerve injury produces sustained antinociceptive effects (Xu et al., 2004), and understanding the underlying mechanisms may have therapeutic implications.
Male C57BL/6 mice (Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA) weighing 22–32 g were used in these experiments. Homozygous KOR, dynorphin, and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) knock-out (−/−) mice were prepared by homologous recombination as described previously (Peppel et al., 1997; Hough et al., 2000; Sharifi et al., 2001) and provided for this study. Animals were backcrossed for >10 generations with C57BL/6 mice, and heterozygote breeding pairs were used to generate homozygotic “knock-out” mice of each type and paired wild-type (WT) littermate controls for this study. Individual mice were genotyped using DNA extracted from tail samples as a PCR template as described previously (Xu et al., 2004). The dynorphin, KOR, and GRK3 gene-disrupted animals show no discernible differences from WT littermates in growth, lifespan, or overt behavior. All mice were housed in groups of two to four in plastic cages (28 × 16 × 13 cm, length × width × height) using Bed-A-Cob for home bedding within the Animal Core Facility at the University of Washington and were maintained in pathogen-free housing units. Mice were transferred 1 week before training into a colony room adjacent to the testing room to acclimatize to the testing environment. The housing rooms were illuminated on a 12 h light/dark cycle with artificial lights on at 7:00 A.M. Lab chow and water were available ad libitum. All protocols with mice were approved by the institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in accordance with the 1996 National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and guidelines for the International Association for the Study of Pain (Zimmermann, 1983). Mice were inspected regularly by veterinary staff to ensure compliance.
The pSNL model of neuropathic pain used in this study has been described previously (Seltzer et al., 1990). The animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (80 mg/kg, i.p.). The right hindlegs were shaved, and the skin was sterilized with iodine. All surgical instruments were sterilized before surgery and then washed and heat treated (glass beads at 250°C) between animals. The right sciatic nerve was exposed, and approximately one-third to one-half the diameter of the nerve was tightly ligated with 7-0 silk suture (Surgical Specialties, Reading, PA). After checking hemostasis, the muscle and the adjacent fascia were closed with sutures, and the skin was closed with clips. The mice were killed by CO2 asphyxiation when experiments were completed.
To minimize the inflammatory response triggered by intrathecal implantation of a polyethylene catheter (DeLeo et al., 1997), a spinal cord puncture was made with a 30 gauge needle between L5 and L6 level to deliver the drug and vehicle to the spinal space around lumbosacral spinal cord (Hylden and Wilcox, 1980). A brisk flick of the tail was considered to be an indicator of the accuracy of each injection. The injection volume was 5 μl for intrathecal injection. One or 3 μg SB 203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole] (specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK) or saline was given 30 min before pSNL surgery and then once per 12 h after surgery for 7 consecutive days. SB 203580 HCl is water soluble, and the doses were based on previous studies (Zhang et al., 2005; Cui et al., 2006).
Behavioral tests for allodynia and hyperalgesia.
The mice were habituated to handling and testing equipment at least 20–30 min before experiments. Threshold for tactile allodynia was measured with a series of von Frey filaments (Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments; Stoelting, Wood Dale, IL). The mice stood on a metal mesh covered with a plastic dome. The plantar surface of the hindpaws was touched with different von Frey filaments having bending force from 0.166 to 3.63 g until the threshold that induced paw withdrawal was found. According to the specifications of the manufacturer, a 1 g filament induces a force of ∼9.8 mN. Unresponsive mice received a maximal score of 3.63 g. To assess thermal sensitivity (hyperalgesia), paw-withdrawal latencies to a radiant heat stimulus were measured using the paw-flick test apparatus (IITC Life Science, Woodland Hills, CA). Paw-withdrawal latency was determined as the average of three measurements per paw. The stimulus intensity was adjusted to give 8–10 s withdrawal latency in the normal mouse (baseline). The cutoff time in the absence of response was 15 s to prevent tissue damage.
Using sterile instruments and conditions, postnatal day 1–3 mice were decapitated, and spinal cords were rapidly dissected and placed in 2 ml culture medium (Neurobasal A supplemented with GlutaMAX, 2% B27, 50 U of penicillin, and 0.05 μg/ml streptomycin) (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), at 4°C in a 35-mm-diameter dish. The spinal cord tissue was coarsely cut and transferred to sterile culture medium containing 40 U/ml active papain (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) at a volume of 1.5 ml/animal. The solution was then incubated at 30°C for 30 min on a platform rotating 120 rpm, keeping the segments suspended. The papain solution was then replaced with 2 ml of 30° culture medium and then triturated 15–20 times. After settling for 2 min, the supernatant was passed through a 70 μm nylon cell strainer (BD Biosciences, Bedford, MA). Twice more, the remaining sediment was suspended in 2 ml culture medium, triturated, and settled with the supernatant strained.
Cells were plated in 0.5 ml culture medium at a density of 2.5 × 105 cells/ml on 12 mm glass coverslips (PGC Scientifics, Gaithersburg, MD) placed in 24 well plates (BD Biosciences). Coverslips were acid washed, soaked in ethanol, and rinsed in sterile distilled water before a 24 h treatment with 50 μg/ml poly-d-lysine (135 kDa; Sigma). One hour after plating and incubation (5% CO2/95% air, 37°C; Forma Scientific, Marietta, OH), unattached cells and debris were aspirated and new culture medium was added. Cultures were initially shaken at 200 rpm overnight (VWR-OS-500 orbital shaker) to enrich for adherent cell types (e.g., astrocytes) and against neurons and microglia. Three days after plating and every 3 days thereafter, medium was replaced with complete medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (Gemini Bio-Products, Woodland, CA). Coverslips were used for immunohistochemistry or immunoblotting 1–2 weeks after plating.
Mice were injected intraperitoneally with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) (Sigma) solution in saline (100 mg of BrdU per kilogram of body weight) once a day for 7 d starting from the day of sciatic nerve ligation. BrdU is a thymidine analog that is specifically incorporated into DNA during DNA synthesis that can be used as a marker for proliferation. Mice were then anesthetized with isoflurane (Sigma) and intracardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffer (PB) (0.1 m sodium phosphate, pH 7.4). The lumbar spinal cords were dissected, cryoprotected with solution of 30% (w/v) sucrose in PB at 4°C overnight, cut into 40 μm sections with a microtome, and processed for BrdU and GFAP immunostaining. Briefly, sections were washed three times in PBS, treated with 2N HCl for 60 min at 37°C, followed by two 10 min washes in 0.1 m borate buffer, pH 8.5, washed again three times in PBS, and blocked in PBS containing 0.1% Triton X-100 and 4% normal goat serum. Sections were then incubated overnight with primary BrdU monoclonal antibody (6 μg/ml; Millipore, Bedford, MA) and each of the following primary antibodies for double labeling: astroglia marker guinea pig GFAP (1:1000; Millipore), neuronal-specific nuclear protein NeuN (1:1000; Millipore), stem cell marker nestin (1:500; Abcam, Cambridge, MA), oligodendrocytes precursor marker NG2 (1:500; Millipore), and microglial marker Iba1 (ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1) (1:300; Wako Pure Chemicals, Osaka, Japan). For double labeling of phospho-p38 and different cell type markers, the primary antibodies were as follows: phospho-p38 (1:200; Cell Signaling Technology, Beverly, MA), astroglial marker GFAP (1:1000; Millipore), microglial marker CD11b (1:500; Serotec Oxford, UK), and neuronal marker NeuN (1:1000; Millipore). Sections were then washed with PBS and then incubated (1 h, 37°C) with the fluorescent secondary antibodies FITC and rhodamine conjugate (1:250; Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, PA) diluted in PBS containing 0.1% Triton X-100 and 4% normal goat serum. The sections were rinsed in PBS for 30 min and then mounted on gelatin-coated slides with Vectashield mounting medium (Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA) and sealed with nail polish for microscopy. The sections were viewed with a Nikon (Tokyo, Japan) Eclipse E600 fluorescence microscope or a Leica (Nussloch, Germany) confocal microscope located in the W. M. Keck Imaging Facility at the University of Washington. The BrdU-labeled astrocytes were counted in at least three cross sections. Data were presented as the average numbers of BrdU-labeled astrocytes per section.
Immunocytochemistry in spinal astrocyte cultures.
Spinal astrocyte proliferation was assessed using 10 μm BrdU incorporation into cells continuously exposed to the κ agonist U50,488 (trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrolytinil)-cyclohexyl]-benzeneacetamide methane sulfonate) (1 μm), U50,488 with the κ antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (norBNI), or U50,488 with the p38 inhibitor SB 203580 (100 or 500 nm) for 3 or 6 d. Freshly prepared drug solutions (dissolved in water) were added when the medium was changed every 3 d, and norBNI was added 30 min before U50,488. Cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PB for 20 min, washed three times in PBS, treated with 2N HCl for 30 min at 37°C, followed by three 3 min washes in 0.1 m borate buffer, pH 8.5, washed again three times in PBS, and blocked in PBS containing 0.25% Triton X-100 and 0.3% gelatin. Cells were incubated with a mouse anti-BrdU monoclonal antibody (6 μg/ml; Millipore) and astroglial marker guinea pig anti-GFAP antiserum (diluted 1:1000; Millipore) overnight at 4°C. Sections were then washed with PBS, and detection was performed using the fluorescent secondary antibody FITC anti-mouse IgG (1:250; Jackson ImmunoResearch) and donkey anti-guinea pig IgG rhodamine conjugate (1:250; Jackson ImmunoResearch). Four to six coverslips were chosen in each group. The BrdU-labeled GFAP-positive cells were counted in at least four randomly chosen fields on each coverslip. The mean value of these fields was taken as the number of BrdU-labeled GFAP-positive cells on each coverslip.
Astrocytes express GFAP and can be divided into type I astrocytes, which are large, epithelioid cells, and type II, which have stellate processes and express a surface antigen (A2B5). Type II astrocytes and oligodendrocytes develop from O-2A progenitor cells (Raff et al., 1983); however, oligodendrocytes are not GFAP positive and can be identified by monoclonal antibody O1 (Sommer and Schachner, 1981). To identify type II astrocytes, we used primary antibodies directed against the cell surface marker A2B5 (5 μg/ml; Millipore) and the astrocyte marker GFAP. FITC anti-mouse IgG and donkey anti-guinea pig IgG rhodamine conjugate were used as secondary antibodies. To assess KOR activation in astrocytes, we used phosphoselective KOR antibody KOR-P (rabbit) (McLaughlin et al., 2003) and GFAP antibody (guinea pig) for double labeling, and FITC anti-rabbit IgG and donkey anti-guinea pig IgG rhodamine conjugate were used as secondary antibodies.
Phospho-p38 labeling of astrocytes was detected using a 1:200 dilution of mouse phospho-p38 monoclonal antibody (Cell Signaling Technology) and a 1:1000 dilution of guinea pig anti-GFAP antibody (Millipore). The secondary antibodies were FITC anti-mouse IgG (1:250; Jackson ImmunoResearch) and donkey anti-guinea pig IgG rhodamine conjugate (1:250; Jackson ImmunoResearch). The staining intensity was measured with NIH ImageJ on four to six coverslips in each group.
Three days after culture in serum-free neurobasal media supplemented with B27 (Invitrogen), primary cultures of postnatal day 1–3 mouse astrocytes were plated on 35 mm Falcon dishes (Becton Dickinson, Franklin, NJ) in 10% fetal bovine serum (Sigma) for an additional 7–10 d until plates reached near-confluence. Astrocytes were treated for at least 24 h hour in serum-free DMEM/F-12 media and then treated for 10 min in vehicle (DMEM/F-12 media) or U50,488 (1 μm) in DMEM/F-12. Lysis and immunoblots were performed as described previously (Belcheva et al., 2001). Cells were immediately placed on ice, and media was aspirated and lysed in 650 μl of ice-cold lysis buffer (20 mm HEPES, 10 mm EGTA, 40 mm β-glycerophosphate, 2.5 mm MgCl2, and 1% Nonidet P-40) with protease inhibitors [50 μg/ml PMSF, 1 μg/ml aprotinin, 1 μg/ml leupeptin, and 1 μg/ml pepstatin (Calbiochem, San Diego, CA)], a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor (0.1 mg/ml, α-bromo-4-hydroxyacetophenone; Calbiochem), and a protein serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor cocktail (Calbiochem) containing 2.5 mm (−)-p-bromotetramisole oxalate, 500 μm cantharidin, and 500 nm microcystin-LR. After 5 min on ice, lysates were scraped from each well by rubber policeman and then spun at 4°C for 20 min at 10,000 × g. Protein concentration was estimated using a bicinchoninic colorimetric assay kit (Pierce, Rockford, IL). Lysate concentration was estimated from a bovine serum albumin (BSA) standard curve generated by spectrophotometer at a visible absorbance of 562 nm. Lysates were diluted in lysis buffer to a final concentration of 15–20 μg/lane. Samples were boiled for 2 min in 20 μl of Laemmli sample buffer (100 mm Tris, pH 6.8, 2% SDS, 20% glycerol, 10% β-mercaptoethanol, and 0.1% bromophenol blue), resolved by SDS-PAGE using 10% bis-acrylamide nonreducing gels (Invitrogen) and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. Blots were soaked in blocking buffer (5% BSA, 0.1% Tween 20, and TBS, pH 7.4) for 2 h at room temperature and incubated overnight at 4°C with a monoclonal primary antibody raised in rabbit recognizing phosphorylated p38 MAPK (Cell Signaling Technology) at a dilution of 1:500 in blocking buffer. Blots were washed, incubated for 1 h at room temperature in HRP-conjugated goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA) diluted 1:1000 in blocking buffer. Blots were washed, and then antibody labeling of proteins was visualized with an enhanced chemiluminescence detection kit (ECL; PerkinElmer, Boston, MA) on Eastman Kodak (Rochester, NY) BioMax XAR film. Blots were stripped by incubation for 60–90 min in erasure buffer (2% SDS, 62.5 mm Tris-HCl, pH 6.8 at 20°C, 100 mm β-mercaptoethanol) at 70°C, washed two times (10 min each) in TBS/0.1% Tween 20, blocked as described, and incubated overnight in total p38 MAPK (Cell Signaling Technology) diluted 1:1000 in dilution buffer. The secondary antibody used was HRP-conjugated goat anti-rabbit (Promega, Madison, WI) diluted 1:1000 in dilution buffer. Both primary p38 MAPK antibodies labeled a band of ∼50 kDa, consistent with a control cell lysate for phospho-p38 MAPK provided by Cell Signaling Technology.
Microglial staining in rat spinal cord sections.
As a positive control for p38 activation in microglia, peripheral nerve ligation was performed on two adult male rats (Sprague Dawley; Harlan, Livermore, CA), and spinal sections were double labeled with phospho-p38 and OX42 (microglia marker, purified mouse anti-rat antibody, 1:50 dilution; BD PharMingen, San Diego, CA).
norBNI was obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse drug supply program (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). U50,488 and BrdU were from Sigma. SB 203580 HCl was from Calbiochem.
In the immunohistochemical studies, cell numbers were counted and presented as the percentage of the control (e.g., contralateral side, sham, or vehicle treatment) for between-group differences. Similarly, the intensity of immunolabeling was compared for sections with the same optical parameters for the NIH Image or MetaMorph quantitation software (Molecular Devices, Palo Alto, CA). Significant results were demonstrated either by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test or Student's t test for significant pairwise comparisons. Response data are presented as means ± SEM of all groups, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Consistent with previous results, GFAP immunoreactivity (IR) in lumbar spinal cord (L4–L5) was markedly increased in the lumbar spinal cord 7 d after pSNL (Fig. 1A,D) compared with sham-ligated mice (p < 0.05) (Fig. 1B,E) or untreated mice (data not shown). The GFAP-positive cells were located primarily in the lamina I–IV of the dorsal horn. Although an increase in GFAP-IR occurred bilaterally, staining appeared greater on the side of the spinal cord ipsilateral to the pSNL (right side). The GFAP-IR appeared to more fully fill the cells in the pSNL sections, suggesting that GFAP expression increased per cell (Fig. 1D). The increase in GFAP-IR in WT mice was blocked by pretreatment with the κ antagonist norBNI (10 mg/kg, i.p.) (Fig. 1C). In addition, mice lacking the dynorphin gene (DYN−/−) did not show increased GFAP-IR after pSNL (Fig. 1F) compared with sham-operated mice (Fig. 1B). Mice lacking κ opioid receptors (KOR−/−) also did not show increased GFAP-IR after pSNL (Fig. 1G). The consistent results from norBNI pretreatment and gene deletions of dynorphin or KOR suggest that the effect of pSNL on GFAP-IR induction was mediated by endogenous dynorphin peptide activation of the κ opioid receptor.
GFAP-immunoreactive staining is increased in WT lumbar spinal cord 7 d after pSNL but not after sham ligation. The increase is blocked by norBNI and does not occur in Dyn−/− or KOR−/− mice. Transverse sections were taken of the lumbar spinal cord 7 d after pSNL. A–C,GFAP staining was significantly increased in WT pSNL mice compared with WT sham-operated mice (A, B), and this increase in GFAP-IR was blocked by the κ antagonist norBNI (10 mg/kg) (C). Mice lacking the dynorphin gene (Dyn−/−) did not show upregulated GFAP staining after pSNL (F). D and E are higher-magnification images of A and B, respectively. G, Graph showing mean ± SEM pixel intensity of GFAP staining in lamina I–IV of lumbar spinal sections. Image analysis of astrocytes expressing GFAP after pSNL, demonstrating approximately twofold higher signal intensity [114 ± 8.71 arbitrary units (AU); n = 4] than that of sham-ligated mice (57.9 ± 6.26 AU; n = 4) (*p < 0.001). In contrast, image analysis of sections from pSNL mice pretreated with norBNI (NBNI) did not show a significant increase over sham and were significantly lower than WT pSNL signal intensity (norBNI, 46.5 ± 0.85 AU; n = 4). Similarly, pSNL of Dyn−/− or KOR−/− mice did not result in significant increases in GFAP-immunoreactive pixel intensities over sham-ligated mice (Dyn−/−, 54.3 ± 0.84 AU, n = 4; KOR−/−, 48.0 ± 0.62 AU, n = 4). Scale bars: A–C, F, 400 μm; D, E, 100 μm.
To determine whether the apparent increase in the number of GFAP-positive cells was caused solely by increased GFAP expression in existing cells or by astrocyte proliferation, mice were injected with BrdU (100 mg/kg, i.p.) once daily for 7 d after pSNL. Seven days after pSNL, the number of BrdU-positive cells was increased 4.4-fold in the ipsilateral side of the spinal cord compared with contralateral side (p < 0.05) (Fig. 2A,D). The results suggest that pSNL induced both astrocyte proliferation and increased GFAP expression. Approximately 15–20% of BrdU-positive cells were GFAP positive (Fig. 2C,F), suggesting that only a portion of the proliferative response after pSNL was attributable to GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte proliferation. Although κ antagonism completely blocked the increase in GFAP-IR (Fig. 1G), the pSNL-induced increase in BrdU staining was not fully blocked by norBNI or KOR−/− (data not shown). The results suggest that KOR-independent mechanisms were simultaneously occurring in other cell types.
The increase in GFAP-IR after pSNL is caused by astrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy. Transverse sections through the lumbar spinal cord segment were taken 7 d after pSNL. BrdU was administered 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally once daily for 7 d. Double-immunohistochemical labeling was viewed by laser-scanning confocal microscopy. A, BrdU-positive cells (green) were markedly increased on the ipsilateral side (right) of the spinal cord compared with the contralateral side (left). The immunoreactive cells were preferentially located in the lamina II–IV and VII. B, GFAP staining occurred on both sides, with a significant increase on the ipsilateral side. F, GFAP staining was more pronounced in astrocyte processes, whereas staining for BrdU was more pronounced in cell bodies (nucleus). D–F, Some of the dividing BrdU-labeled cells were GFAP-positive astrocytes (arrows), and others were not GFAP positive (arrowheads). The increased GFAP staining in astrocytes that were not BrdU positive suggested that these cells only increased their sizes (hypertrophy). G–I, Many BrdU-positive cells were obviously double labeled with nestin, a stem cell marker (arrows), but a small fraction of BrdU-positive cells were not nestin-positive stem cells (arrowheads). J–O, Similarly, a small fraction of BrdU-labeled cells were colabeled by antibodies against NG2, an oligodendrocyte precursor marker (J–L, arrows) or colabeled by antibodies against Iba 1, a microglial marker (M–O, arrows). Scale bars: A–C, 400 μm; D–O, 50 μm.
To further characterize the BrdU-positive cells that did not express GFAP-IR, we performed dual-labeling of BrdU and nestin (stem cell marker), BrdU and NG2 (oligodendrocytes precur-sor marker), BrdU and Iba1 (microglia marker), or BrdU and NeuN (neuronal marker). The majority (∼70%) of the BrdU-positive cells were nestin-positive stem cells (Fig. 2G–I). Only a very small portion of BrdU-positive cells (<10%) were double-labeled microglia (Fig. 2M–O) or oligodendrocytes (Fig. 2J–L). We did not detect BrdU-positive cells that double labeled with NeuN (data not shown), suggesting that proliferation of neurons was not evident 7 d after pSNL.
Primary astrocytes cultured from spinal cord were used to determine whether κ-opioid activation directly induced astrocyte proliferation. Previous studies showed that κ opioid receptors are expressed by brain and spinal cord astrocytes (Barg et al., 1993a; Ruzicka et al., 1995; Xu et al., 2004), and we found that primary astrocytes isolated from mouse spinal cord expressed functional κ opioid receptors. Treatment of primary astrocyte cultures using the κ agonist U50,488 (1 μm for 1 h at 37°C) significantly increased κ opioid receptor labeling detected by a phosphoselective antibody KOR-P compared with vehicle control (p < 0.05) (Fig. 3A,B). KOR-P is an affinity-purified antibody shown previously to detect KOR phosphorylated on serine 369 by GRK3 after agonist activation (McLaughlin et al., 2003; Xu et al., 2004). Coincubation with norBNI (10 μm) blocked the U50,488-induced increase in KOR-P labeling of astrocytes (Fig. 3C). Preabsorption of the KOR-P antibody with the corresponding cognate phospho-peptide prevented antibody labeling after 1 μm U50,488 treatment (data not shown). Treatment with norBNI alone had no effect on KOR-P labeling (data not shown). The results suggested that cultured spinal cord astrocytes express functional κ opioid receptors.
KOR activation increases KOR-P staining in astrocyte culture. A–I, Astrocyte cultures were pretreated for 1 h at 37°C with vehicle (A, D, G), 1 μm U50,488 (B, E, H), or 10 μm norBNI with 1 μm U50,488 (C, F, I). Cells were fixed, double labeled with affinity-purified KOR-P antibody (10 μg/ml) and anti-GFAP antibody (1:1000), and then visualized with a confocal microscope. The KOR-P antibody did not label untreated cells (A), whereas incubation with U50,488 (1 μm) for 1 h produced an increase in KOR-P antibody labeling that colocalized with the GFAP labeling (B, H). Coincubation with the KOR-selective antagonist norBNI (10 μm) blocked the U50,488-induced increase of KOR-P labeling (C, I). GFAP staining did not change significantly after 1 h U50,588 treatment (D–F). J, Mean ± SEM pixel intensity of KOR-P staining in astrocyte cultures. Image analysis of the astrocytes expressing KOR-P treated with U50,488 demonstrated a 2.3-fold higher signal intensity (62.48 ± 4.52 AU; n = 4) than that of untreated cells (27.56 ± 1.2 AU; n = 4) (*p < 0.001). Image analysis of the astrocytes expressing KOR-P coincubated with both U50,488 and norBNI showed no significant difference in signal intensity (23.8 ± 2.04; n = 4) compared with untreated cells. K, Dual labeling of anti-A2B5 (green) and anti-GFAP (red) showed that these astrocytes were type II astrocytes. Scale bars: A–I, 100 μm; K, 50 μm.
The cultured cells expressing κ opioid receptors were also immunolabeled by an antibody (anti-A2B5) specific for type II astrocytes. These type II astrocytes showed a stellate process-bearing morphology in culture (Fig. 3K) and closely resembled radial glia in the spinal cord (McMahon and McDermott, 2001). Incubation with 1 μm U50,488 for 3 or 6 d caused a robust increase in BrdU labeling of type II astrocytes compared with untreated cultures (p < 0.01) (Fig. 4). This increase was blocked by the inclusion of norBNI (10 μm) in the culture medium (Fig. 4C,F), suggesting that exogenous κ agonists can activate KOR on type II astrocytes and induce proliferation. Treatment with norBNI alone had no effect on BrdU labeling (data not shown).
KOR activation increases the rate of astrocyte proliferation in culture. Cells were pretreated with the drugs listed above each image. A, D, In cell culture with vehicle treatment, there was a greater increase in the number of BrdU-positive cells after 6 d culture than after 3 d culture (A, D), and some BrdU-positive cells were not GFAP-positive (D). B, E, When the cultures were incubated with U50,488 (U50) (1 μm) in media for 3 or 6 d, there was a significant increase in BrdU labeling in type II astrocytes at 6 d compared with that of 3 d. C, F, This increase was blocked by the addition of 10 μm norBNI (NBNI). G, Graph showing mean ± SEM BrdU labeling of type II astrocytes per square millimeter in the astrocyte culture. BrdU labeling of type II astrocytes after 6 d of U50,488 treatment (16.64 ± 2.6; n = 4) was 1.6-fold at >3 d of treatment (11 ± 2.45; n = 4) (*p < 0.05). The U50,488-induced type II astrocyte proliferation was also blocked with cotreatment of the p38 inhibitor SB 203580. Scale bars: A–F, 100 μm; K, 50 μm.
The U50,488-induced type II astrocyte proliferation was blocked by cotreatment with the p38 inhibitor SB 203580 (100 or 500 nm) (Fig. 4G), suggesting that KOR activation induced astrocyte proliferation through the p38 MAPK pathway. Consistent with previous reports, Western blotting experiments demonstrated that both 100 and 500 nm of the selective p38 inhibitor SB 203580 (Gallagher et al., 1997; Young et al., 1997; Bhat et al., 1998) were sufficient to block anisomycin (50 μm, 15 min) induced p38 activation in primary spinal cord astrocytes (data not shown). To test whether KOR mediates p38 activation in spinal cord astrocytes, we assessed the effects of U50,488 treatment on phospho-p38 MAPK levels in primary astrocyte cultures. A low basal level of phospho-p38 MAPK-IR was evident in the absence of agonist (Fig. 5A), and phospho-p38-IR was markedly increased after 1 μm U50,488 for 10 min (Fig. 5B,D). The U50,488-induced increase in phospho-p38 staining was blocked by 10 μm norBNI (Fig. 5C). Treatment with norBNI alone had no effect on phospho-p38-immunoreactive labeling (data not shown). The cultured cells responding to U50,488 with an increase in phospho-p38-IR were also GFAP-IR as shown by the double labeling (Fig. 5D–F). Quantitation of phospho-p38 staining intensities showed that the significant increase in intensity caused by U50,488 was blocked by norBNI (Fig. 5G). The in vitro results suggest that the increase in GFAP-IR caused by pSNL may have also been mediated by a p38 MAPK mechanism.
U50,488 activates phospho-p38 MAPK pathway in spinal astrocyte cultures. Cells were pretreated for 10 min at 37°C with the drugs listed above each image. A, B, In vehicle-treated cultures, some basal phospho-p38 staining was evident (A), and cells treated with 1 μm U50,488 (U50) showed a marked increased in the level of phospho-p38-IR (B). C, The increase in phospho-p38 staining was not evident in cultures incubated with both norBNI and U50,488. D–F, Double labeling with phospho-p38 and GFAP using laser-scanning confocal microscopy revealed that phospho-p38 MAPK staining was localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes. F, Mean ± SEM pixel intensity of phospho-p38 staining in astrocyte cultures. Image analysis of the astrocytes treated with U50,488 demonstrated a 1.6-fold higher signal intensity of phospho-p38 (47.85 ± 3.16 AU; n = 4) than in untreated cell cultures (29.85 ± 1.94 AU; n = 4) (*p < 0.01). Image analysis of the astrocytes coincubated with U50,488 and norBNI showed no significant increase in phospho-p38 signal intensity (28.38 ± 2.98; n = 4). Scale bars: A–C, 100 μm; D–F, 30 μm.
Although several studies have shown that p38 was activated in different pain models in rats and p38 is activated exclusively in microglia (Jin et al., 2003; Svensson et al., 2003), p38 MAPK activation in mice during neuropathic pain has not been demonstrated previously. In this study, we used phospho-p38 antibody staining in mice lumbar spinal sections 7 d after pSNL. Phospho-p38 antibody staining was increased in the ipsilateral dorsal horn compared with the contralateral dorsal horn (Fig. 6A, inset). Most of the p38 MAPK staining was in the nucleus of astrocytes (Fig. 6A–C) or neurons (Fig. 6K–L). There was no evidence of phospho-p38 staining in CD11b-positive microglia (Figs. 6D–F); a series of 80 sections obtained from five mice at 7 d after pSNL were scanned. As a positive control for microglial double labeling, we showed the phospho-p38 staining in microglia in rat spinal cord tissue after chronic nerve injury (Figs. 6G–I), suggesting that there may be important differences in the cellular responses of rats and mice. Nevertheless, the present study was focused on the role of κ receptors in GFAP-immunoreactive type II astrocyte activation and did not attempt to further resolve this apparent microglial discrepancy.
p38 MAPK was activated in astrocytes after pSNL in lumbar spinal sections. Transverse sections through the lumbar spinal cord segment 7 d after pSNL were labeled with antibody against phospho-p38 (p-p38, red) and double labeled with GFAP, CD11b, OX42, or NeuN antibodies (green). Double-immunohistochemical labeling was viewed by laser-scanning confocal microscopy (Leica SL). A, Phospho-p38 staining was increased on the ipsilateral side dorsal horn (left) of the spinal cord compared with the contralateral side (right) (inset). A–L, The phospho-p38-immunoreactive staining was preferentially located in the nucleus of GFAP-positive (A–C) and NeuN-positive (J–L) cells. A–C, Some of the phospho-p38-labeled cells were GFAP-positive astrocytes (arrows), and others were not GFAP positive (arrowheads). J–L, Many phospho-p38-labeled cells were clearly double labeled with NeuN antisera, a neuronal marker (arrows), although some phospho-p38-labeled cells were not NeuN-positive neurons (arrowheads). D–I, No colocalization was detected for phospho-p38 and CD11b, a microglia marker (D–F, arrowheads) in mouse tissue, but, as a positive control, colocalization was detected for phospho-p38 and microglia marker OX42 in rat spinal cord sections (G–I, arrows). The insets for G–I show a two times enlargement of the double-labeled microglial cell indicated by the arrow. Scale bars: A–L, 50 μm.
We intrathecally injected either saline or SB 203580 (1 or 3 μg) in a volume of 5 μl once per 12 h for 7 d after pSNL. Paw-flick latency and von Frey hair force sensitivity was measured 30 min before the intrathecal injections on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. On day 7, the mice were fixative perfused, and GFAP-IR was assessed in the spinal cord sections. Astrocyte proliferation within the lumbar spinal cord caused by pSNL was inhibited by 1 μg (Fig. 7A–F) and 3 μg (data not shown) of SB 203580. As evident from A and B, SB 230580 treatment substantially reduced the GFAP-IR in the lamina I–VI. There was no effect of SB 230580 on the GFAP-IR in the ventral white matter. Higher-magnification images show that the SB 230580-sensitive phospho-p38 staining was predominantly in the deeper lamina of the spinal cord (Fig. 7C–F).
pSNL-induced GFAP proliferation was reduced by a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB 203580. Mice were intrathecally injected with either saline or 1 μg of SB 203580 in 5 μl, 30 min before pSNL and twice per day after pSNL for 7 d. After perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde, lumbar spinal sections were stained with GFAP antisera. A, B, The GFAP staining was significantly lower in the SB 203580-treated mice (B) compared with the saline-treated mice (A). A, C, There was a significant increase of GFAP staining in the deeper layers on the ipsilateral side (left) compared with contralateral side (right) in saline-injected mice. C, E and D, F are higher-magnification images of A and B, respectively. SB 203580 significantly reduced the increase in GFAP staining after pSNL in both ipsilateral and contralateral regions of the deeper layers of the spinal cord (B, D, F). Scale bars: A, B, 800 μm; C, D, 400 μm; E, F, 800 μm.
On day 7 after pSNL, the saline-injected mice showed significantly increased sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimulation in the ipsilateral hindpaw compared with the baseline values before lesion (Fig. 8A,C) (p < 0.05). The intrathecal administration of SB 203580 at either 1 or 3 μg/dose modestly reduced the allodynic effects of pSNL in both the ipsilateral (Fig. 8C) and contralateral (Fig. 8D) paws. The significantly increased threshold response to mechanical stimulation suggested that there were anti-allodynic effects of this compound (p < 0.05). The higher dose of SB 203580 (3 μg) increased paw-withdrawal latency in the thermal analgesia assay (an anti-hyperalgesic effect), whereas the 1 μg dose of SB 203580 did not significantly affect paw-withdrawal latencies (Fig. 8A). Similar to our previous findings (Xu et al., 2004), pSNL did not induce hyperalgesia in the contralateral paw (Fig. 8B), but robust allodynia developed that was significantly reduced by 1 and 3 μg of SB 203580 on day 7 (Fig. 8D).
Intrathecal injection of SB 203580 partially blocked pSNL-induced hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Paw-flick latency or von Frey hair force mechanical threshold were measured on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after pSNL for mice injected with saline or 1 or 3 μg of SB 203580. A, On day 7 after pSNL, the saline-injected mice showed hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral hindpaw as evident from the significantly decreased thermal latencies compared with before pSNL; this hyperalgesia was not evident in mice injected with 3 μg of SB 203580. B, The contralateral hindpaw did not develop hyperalgesia, and SB 203580 did not affect the thermal sensitivity of the contralateral hindpaw. C, D, However, both ipsilateral and contralateral hindpaws developed mechanical allodynia after saline intrathecal injection, and this allodynia was significantly reduced by both 1 and 3 μg of SB 203580 (*p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett's multiple comparisons test). Unlike the hyperalgesic response to pSNL, the allodynic response was not completely blocked by SB 203580 treatment.
Western blotting experiments in primary mouse spinal cord astrocyte cultures were used to extend the immunohistochemistry analysis. Cell lysates prepared 10 min after 1 μm U50,488 addition in vitro showed increased phospho-p38 MAPK-IR (195 ± 32% of vehicle-treated cells). The increase in phospho-p38 induced by U50,488 was not evident in KOR−/− cultures (Fig. 9A,B). Because we showed previously that KOR activation induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in transfected cells and primary cultured mouse astrocytes by GRK3 and arrestin-dependent mechanism (Bruchas et al., 2006), we next asked whether pSNL of GRK3−/− mice would show increased GFAP-IR. Basal phospho-p38-IR in astrocytes from GRK3−/− mice was significantly lower than in astrocytes from wild-type mice (54 ± 20% of vehicle-treated controls) (Fig. 9B). Furthermore, U50,488 treatment of GRK3−/− astrocyte cultures did not increase phospho-p38-IR compared with vehicle-treated controls. Equal protein loading was confirmed by stripping each blot and reprobing with a monoclonal antibody raised in rabbit to total p38 MAPK protein (Fig. 9A). Consistent with the lack of U50,488-induced increase in phospho-p38 in cultured astrocytes from GRK3−/− mice, pSNL did not cause an increase in GFAP-IR in GRK3−/− mice (Fig. 9C).
agonist activation enhances phospho-p38 MAPK-IR in primary astrocyte cultures by a mechanism requiring GRK3. A, Representative gels showing phospho-p38-IR after U50,488 (U50) treatment in cell lysates prepared from spinal cord astrocytes cultured from WT (+/+), KOR−/−, or GRK3−/− mice. Top, Phospho-p38-IR; bottom, loading control; Anis, anisomycin. B, U50,488 treatment of WT astrocytes (left bars) increased phospho-p38 MAPK-IR to 195 ± 32% of vehicle-treated controls. In contrast, phospho-p38-IR in KOR−/− astrocyte cultures did not change after 1 μm U50,488 treatment (middle bars). Basal phospho-p38-IR in GRK3−/− astrocyte cultures was significantly lower than in GRK3+/+ astrocytes (*p < 0.05), and phospho-p38-IR did not significantly increase in GRK3−/− cultures after U50,488 treatment [right bars, 54 ± 20% (black) and 43 ± 37% (gray) of WT (+/+) vehicle-treated controls, respectively] (*p < 0.05 compared with vehicle-treated WT (+/+) controls; n = 6–10 replicates). C, Consistent with the lack of U50,488-induced increase in phospho-p38 in astrocyte cultures, GRK3−/− mice did not increase GFAP-IR in lumbar spinal cord 7 d after pSNL.
The principal finding of this study is that κ opioid receptor activation mediates a component of pSNL-induced reactive gliosis in mouse spinal cord. Proliferation of type II astrocytes after pSNL was blocked by pretreatment with the KOR antagonist norBNI and did not occur in mice genetically lacking either prodynorphin-derived peptides or κ opioid receptors. Numerous studies have established that the endogenous dynorphin opioid peptides are released by neuropathic pain and contribute to the pain response (Wang et al., 2001; Xu et al., 2004). In addition, considerable evidence supports the idea that enhanced expression of endogenous dynorphin within the spinal cord promotes morphine tolerance (Vanderah et al., 2000) and is pronociceptive (Wang et al., 2001). The dynorphins act as endogenous agonists at the opioid receptors (KORs) (Chavkin et al., 1982), and the increased dynorphin expression in neuropathic pain also leads to a sustained activation of KOR (Xu et al., 2004). Several studies have documented antinociceptive effects of κ agonists (Nakazawa et al., 1991). Thus, the endogenous dynorphin-derived opioids seem to have both antinociceptive and pronociceptive actions. In our previous report, we showed that neuropathic pain induced a sustained release of endogenous prodynorphin-derived opioid peptides and increased KOR phosphorylation in GABAergic neurons and astrocytes (Xu et al., 2004). These results suggested that pSNL activated the KOR system in mouse spinal cord and induced opioid receptor tolerance. Similar results in the μ opioid system have shown that μ opioid receptor (MOR) phosphorylation increased after induction of neuropathic pain (Narita et al., 2004b), and MOR tolerance caused an increase in GFAP-IR in the spinal cord of both rats and mice (Song and Zhao, 2001; Narita et al., 2004a). However, the consequences of κ receptor activation on astrocyte function and how astrocytes may mediate the effects of dynorphin in the neuropathic pain condition remained unclear.
Among the hallmarks of reactive gliosis is an increase in GFAP-IR, hypertrophy of astrocytic cell bodies, and proliferation of astrocytes (Faulkner et al., 2004). Reactive gliosis is likely to play an important role in neuronal survival and functional recovery after central or peripheral injury (Murray et al., 1990; Liu et al., 1998). pSNL induced a proliferation of GFAP-immunoreactive cells in the dorsal and ventral spinal cord ipsilateral to the lesion. The ligation-induced proliferation was not restricted to type II astrocytes, and ∼80% of the BrdU-positive cells were not GFAP positive; these other dividing cells might be progenitors or microglia (Ishii et al., 2001; Tanga et al., 2004). In this study, we found that ∼70% of the BrdU-positive cells were stem cells (nestin staining positive), suggesting that these dividing cells were still in their early development stage. The ultimate differentiation states of these progenitors were not established in this study. The astrocyte activation observed is consistent with previous findings showing that astrocytes in the spinal cord become activated after spinal nerve injury. The novel observation was that endogenous κ opioid receptor activation played a key role. Other mediators have also been shown to be important, and previous reports demonstrated that interleukin release from both astrocytes and microglial cells results in reactive astrogliosis after spinal cord injury that can be blocked by interleukin-6 receptor antagonism (Okada et al., 2004). Although studies have suggested that the reactive gliosis in response to injury is important in reestablishing neuronal pathways, little is understood about the cellular and molecular signals that regulate this process.
Primary spinal astrocyte cultures are potentially less complex, and in vitro studies allow clearer resolution of the underlying mechanisms; however, these cultures are still heterogeneous, and cells in culture derived from neonates may represent a less differentiated state. Nevertheless, in our in vitro preparation, we demonstrated that κ opioid receptor activation could directly stimulate proliferation of type II astrocytes expressing both KOR-IR and GFAP-IR. These results are consistent with previous studies showing κ receptors are expressed by astrocytes (Barg et al., 1993a; Eriksson et al., 1993) and are consistent with a previous study demonstrating that κ agonists increased thymidine incorporation in spinal cord–dorsal root ganglion cocultures (Barg et al., 1993b). κ opioid effects differ from μ opioid effects, which have been shown to inhibit type I astrocyte proliferation in cultures derived from rat brain (Hauser et al., 1996).
The astrocyte proliferation caused by U50,488 treatment was blocked by cotreatment with SB 203580, suggesting that p38 MAPK activation was required. The three MAPK pathways identified to date include ERK (1 and 2), p38 (α, β, γ, and δ), and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) (encoded by three genes, JNK1, JNK2, and JNK3) (McDonald et al., 2000). All three pathways have been implicated in pain transmission and mechanisms of opioid analgesic tolerance in the spinal cord (Ji, 2004; Narita et al., 2004a, b; Obata and Noguchi, 2004). ERK is involved in both cell proliferation and differentiation during development and in neuronal plasticity. p38 and JNK are stress-activated protein kinases and participate in the injury responses (Ji and Woolf, 2001). ERK and p38 both have distinct roles in response to pain (Watkins et al., 2001). Ozaki et al. (2004) recently found that basally active p38 in the ventral tegmental area of the brain can be suppressed by sciatic nerve ligation. Other evidence has shown that p38 and ERK were activated within microglia and astrocytes after peripheral nerve injury (Jin et al., 2003; Zhuang et al., 2005). Results from the present study suggest that KOR activation of p38 contributes to the proliferative response of type II astrocytes after pSNL. Numerous publications have shown that intrathecal administration of SB 203580 significantly reduced neuropathic pain behavior, including hyperalgesia and allodynia (Obata et al., 2004; Zhang et al., 2005), which is similar to our finding. No previous anatomical studies have shown the effects of p38 inhibitors on astrocyte proliferation. In our study, we demonstrated that 1 μg of SB 203580 intrathecal administration twice a day for 7 d significantly inhibited the astrocyte proliferation induced by pSNL. These results suggest that p38 MAPK pathway may play an important role in pSNL-induced astrocyte proliferation. However, the effect of p38 MAPK activation on cell proliferation in vivo may also function indirectly through the activation of microglia. Studies have shown that p38 was activated on microglia after inflammatory pain (Svensson et al., 2003) and neuropathic pain (Jin et al., 2003), and it is possible that SB 203580 may have inhibited astrocyte proliferation indirectly.
The results showing that GRK3 contributes to the phosphorylation of p38 in primary astrocyte cultures are intriguing. GRK and β-arrestin mediate receptor desensitization and resensitization (Liu and Anand, 2001). When KOR is activated by agonist, the receptor becomes a substrate for GRK that specifically phosphorylates the serine 369 residue in the C-terminal domain of the receptor and initiates arrestin-dependent receptor internalization and desensitization (Appleyard et al., 1999). There are currently seven known GRKs and four arrestins (Pitcher et al., 1998; Miller et al., 2003). Previous results from our laboratory suggest that GRK3 and β-arrestin mediate κ opioid receptor phosphorylation and subsequent homologous desensitization in response to sustained endogenous opioid release (McLaughlin et al., 2003; Xu et al., 2004). GRK is activated by opioid receptor stimulation and phosphorylates the agonist-occupied receptor, a process that further induces desensitization and tolerance (Pitcher et al., 1998).
Evidence suggests that GRKs are targets for MAPK signaling. For example, GRK2 can be inactivated by ERK-dependent phosphorylation of serine 670 of GRK2 (Pitcher et al., 1999). GRK2 was also shown to be a target for the ERK MAPK cascade by studies demonstrating that ERK inhibition impairs phosphorylation and desensitization of A3 adenosine receptors, possibly by impairing translocation of GRK2 to the plasma membrane (Trincavelli et al., 2002). Conversely, GRKs can activate ERK1/2 MAPK, contributing to the development of opioid tolerance and withdrawal (Liu and Anand, 2001). β-Arrestin association with β2 adrenergic receptors after their phosphorylation by GRK resulted in c-src recruitment, thereby initiating ERK1/2 MAPK pathway activation (Luttrell et al., 1999), a result applicable to other G-protein-coupled receptors (Ahn et al., 1999). Thus, in addition to their traditionally acknowledged role in desensitization, GRKs and arrestins may also serve as adapters for the initiation of alternative signaling routes (Luttrell et al., 1999; Miller et al., 2003). For instance, angiotensin receptors use arrestin scaffolds to couple to MAPK family members, including ERK and JNK (McDonald et al., 2000).
An association between p38 MAPK and GRK is also suggested by previous studies as well (Bruchas et al., 2006). The human cytomegalovirus receptor US28 is a Gq-coupled receptor that is hyperphosphorylated by GRK5, resulting in constitutive β-arrestin association at the plasma membrane and resulting in maximal p38 MAPK phosphorylation and activation (Miller et al., 2003). If a similar mechanism may be involved in the KOR activation of astrocytes observed in the present study, the GRK3 gene deletion might result in basally lower p38 MAPK phosphorylation and may prevent the KOR-mediated activation of p38 observed.
A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain is likely to suggest therapeutic strategies that could benefit the many people with this condition. Results from the present study suggest that endogenous κ opioids induce the activation of astrocytes within the spinal cord. How that contributes to the neuropathic pain response is not yet clear, but astrocytosis is likely to result in persistent changes in neuronal function and may contribute to the expression of the spontaneous pain, mechanical and thermal allodynia, and hyperalgesia responses characteristic of chronic pain syndromes.
This work was supported by United States Public Health Service Grants R37DA11672, PO1DA15916, and F32DA20430 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. We thank Dr. John Pintar for KOR knock-out mice, Dr. Uwe Hochgeschwender for prodynorphin knock-out mice, and Drs. Marc Caron and Robert Lefkowitz for the GRK3 knock-out mice. We thank Drs. Megumi Aita and Margaret R. Byers for help with chronic nerve injury in rats.
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As reported in the Wall Street Journal today in a front section article titled, “ER Visits Rise Despite Law“, once again the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has not lived up to promises made prior to passage.
The April 21, 2014, WSJ article discussed the recently released email survey of 1,845 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) members conducted in April, 2014 which stated over half of ER doctors say they are seeing more patients since key provisions of the ACA took effect on January 1 and 86% expect visits to rise over the next 3 years.
This is in contrast to the government’s argument to help sell passage of the ACA that ER visits would go down. Supporters had predicted that expanding insurance coverage would reduce costly emergency room visits because people would go to primary care doctors and not emergency rooms, for medical concerns that could more efficiently be delivered in a doctor’s office or other setting, especially for patients who previously were uninsured.
Based on the ACEP survey and other articles, including an Oregon study published in January, 2014 in the journal, Science, clearly Obamacare has not fulfilled the promise that ER visits, and therefore costs, would be reduced.
The online poll follows ACEP’s 2014 State-by-State Report Card released in January, 2014, which gave the nation a dismal D+ grade for its lack of support of emergency patients. Forty percent of emergency physicians polled say their state policymakers are doing a poor job of addressing the issues raised in their state’s recent Report Card, which looked at the issues of Access to Emergency Care, Quality and Patient Safety, Medical Liability Environment, Public Health and Injury Prevention and Disaster Preparedness.
In a separate but related article in the April 21, 2014 issue of the LA Times, the Obama administration has quietly adjusted key provisions of the ACA healthcare law to potentially make billions of additional taxpayer dollars available to the insurance industry if companies providing coverage through the Affordable Care Act lose money. The move was buried in hundreds of pages of new regulations issued late last week. But, there is no provision to assist physicians and health care providers who are overburdened by regulations, red tape and paperwork taking care of all the additional patients thus, effecting quality care and the patient physician relationship. It is time for Congress to take action to resolve the effects of the law’s impact, including the deleterious effect on emergency rooms.
At a ceremony in Corpus Christi at the Omni Hotel on April 25th, the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation presented Dr. Russell Kridel with the prestigious Texas Bluebonnet Award.
Dr. Kridel received the award for his contributions to health care, including his efforts to reduce obesity throught the Shut Out Sugar campaign developed during his tenure as President of the Harris County Medical Society.
Dr. Kridel created the HCMS Personal Responsibility Committee dedicated to helping address the obesity epidemic. The committee provides physicians across all specialties with tools to communicate the importance of diet and nutrition to their patients to prevent obesity, diabetes and other diseases, with emphasis on sugar sweetened beverages. Through Dr. Kridel’s leadership, the committee developed a brochure called “Shut Out Sugar” for physicians and health providers. The brochure clearly outlines simple and easy steps people can take to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to improve their health. He also participates in key roles at the state and national level on health care issues that positively promote the role of diet and nutrition in the ever-changing landscape of health care.
Texas Academy President, Carol Bradley, PhD, RDN, LD presented the Texas Bluebonnet Award to Dr. Kridel along with Jennifer Cash, MS, RDN, LD, the Texas Academy Nominating Chair.
Dr. Kridel also received the local Houston Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Bluebonnet Award in 2013.
Dr. and Mrs. Kridel recently held a reception to support the re-election campaign for Congressman Ted Poe. The campaign event was well attended by members of the medical community. Several physicians in attendance shared their own experiences with red tape getting in the way of delivering quality care to their patients. Congressman Poe also shared remarks including his interest standing up against regulations that are over-burdensome to physicians and detract from patient care.
“Ted is a US Congressmen with common sense. He believes in the free enterprise system without overregulation. He has also been a great champion of medicine and his efforts will go a long way to preserve the patient-physician relationship,” said Dr. Kridel.
Russ has worked with US Congressman Ted Poe and several key US Congressmen from Texas as they introduced bills to help resolve the SGR and ICD-10 crises and reduce over-burdensome rules that hamper the practice of medicine.
During his tenure as President of the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) and as current Past-President, Dr. Kridel has worked with physicians across all disciplines to address critical issues affecting their ability to maintain practice viability while preserving the highest standards of patient care.
Russ is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Houston and has long been an active member of the AMA, TMA and HCMS. He is the immediate past president of the Harris County Medical Society and is currently a Member of the AMA House of Delegates and Chair of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health.
Dr. Russ Kridel is in our national’s capital at the National Advocacy Conference (NAC) to take part in discussions that will help maintain the patient-physician relationship and improve the health of the nation.
Russ is meeting with members of Congress, political insiders and other industry experts on current efforts being made in health system reform refinement and implementation.
This year’s NAC conference is just weeks before Congress’ March 31 deadline to pass a bipartisan SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) repeal bill that has been in the works for a year. A 24% payment cut is scheduled to take place April 1.
Dr. Kridel and other conference participants will personally call on members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill (H.R. 4015/S. 2000) and vote for repeal before the deadline.
Russ is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Houston and has long been an active member of the AMA. He is currently a Member of the AMA House of Delegates and Chair of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health.
In addition to payment cuts, our government is now penalizing us more frequently for not buying into their new plans. In order to comply with Medicare “Meaningful Use” requirements, we have to purchase expensive electronic health records (EHR) systems.
These EHRs often are not “physician friendly” and require a large investment in time and money for data input, as well as physician and staff training. This is in addition to physicians being required to meet each of the three stages of meaningful use criteria to avoid penalties. Beginning in 2015, non-compliant physicians will receive payment penalties of 1 percent and additional 1 percent decreases each subsequent year until the total fine equals 5 percent. Medicare physicians who do not participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) will receive a 1.5 percent penalty on all traditional Medicare fee-for-service payments (Part B) in 2015, which increases to a 2 percent penalty in 2016. Similar penalties are already in effect if we are not e-prescribing.
All physicians were required to convert from Version 4010 to Version 5010 of the HIPAA electronic claims standard or face payment disruption from Medicare and commercial payments. Beginning in September 2012, we also had to put into place the Texas House Bill 300 regulation, governing patient privacy, which is more stringent than federal HIPAA requirements. These compliance mandates and payer administrative burdens have required us to hire more staff, pay for numerous Electronic Health Records (EHR) and billing software upgrades, and in some cases completely overhaul how our office operates, all based on the supposition of increased efficiency.
To read Russ Kridel’s Electronic Health Records editorial.
Russell Kridel, MD is a leading facial plastic surgeon in private practice in Houston, TX. Dr. Kridel founded Facial Plastic Surgery Associates in 1981.
Thank you for the great honor in allowing me to serve you and the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) this year. We have had many challenges but have faced them squarely. Rather than meekly accepting the intrusive and over-reaching mandates and regulations foisted on physicians, our patients and medicine, your county society has been actively in the forefront speaking out, anticipating and working on leading future change and sharing the perspectives that only practicing physicians experience.
As the country’s largest county society (We are larger than 37 state medical associations.), the HCMS has played a huge role in the dialogue of health care system reform on all levels and in a myriad of venues. In January, the physician leadership of the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) undergoes its yearly team renewal. HCMS members should feel privileged to know they have elected a strong and energized cohort of physicians, bolstered by an incredible hardworking and insightful staff, poised to continue and expand upon past accomplishments and inroads and ready to continue our necessary role to preserve the patient physician relationship, practice viability, and a scientific, compassionate, and patient-based approach to health care delivery.
By the time this newsletter goes to press, Congress may have decided the fate of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment system to physicians that was never sustainable, never a growth rate and always unfairly discriminatory against physicians. How physicians have been able to keep their doors open to Medicare patients for so long while under a 13-year price freeze when practice expenses have skyrocketed is only answerable by the altruism and personal commitment that doctors have for their patients. We are so fortunate that U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady from Houston has listened to our plight and the deleterious effect on patient access that might ensue. Congressman Brady has met with HCMS over four times in this last year, and, in his role on Ways and Means, he is trying to bring sense to future legislation. With the Congressman, we met with the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board and two editorials were published supporting this vital issue.
The problem going forward with Congressional compromise and wheeler/dealer arrangements in replacing the SGR is simply that future reimbursements may be based on compliance requirements and so-called quality measures that have unproven clinical relevance and may be more costly than helpful. It is laudable that when Congress passed the Medicare Act (Title XVIII) in the 1960s, the original language specifically said: “Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize any Federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine or the manner in which medical services are provided, or over the selection, tenure, or compensation of any officer or employee.” It is distressing to see the absolute disregard of that principle as Congress and the Executive Branch take every opportunity to interpose themselves between the patient and the doctor. Those who have neither a license to practice medicine nor the education to deliver medical care seem to take pleasure in the erosion of physician autonomy and medical decisions, which should be based on the individual needs of the patient rather than on a bureaucratic practice or cost parameter.
This past year, as an HCMS priority, we have been fighting the burgeoning regulatory burdens and red tape that contract the time physicians can spend with patients. We have spent substantial time educating our U.S. Congressmen and Texas Legislators about the accumulation of compliance issues that are overwhelming physicians’ offices. They all seem receptive, but Representatives Brady and Poe have particularly embraced our causes. The opening of health insurance marketplaces and all the new rules and regulations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have increased our challenges. Physicians are right in the center of the paths of multiple, colliding fronts in the form of more federal and state regulatory requirements. U.S. physicians commit about 20 percent of their time to administrative tasks. Wouldn’t that time be better spent delivering health care?
We have made progress in Texas. This legislative session, we successfully advocated for six bills that will reduce Texas physicians’ regulatory burden. Physicians now can renew their controlled substances registration at the same time that they are renewing their medical license through the Texas Medical Board. Other bills passed that will create uniform prior authorization forms for medications and medical services, allow patients to sign in to physician offices simply by swiping a driver’s license, and will greatly simplify compliance with the state’s medical privacy law.
To assist you in meeting the regulatory and compliance burdens, HCMS created an incentive/penalty calculator, identified vendors to assist with “meaningful use” certification and IT support, submitted comments on delaying “meaningful use” Stage 2, and worked with Greater Houston HealthConnect. We also began working closely with TMA to develop a service organization to assist physicians with compliance and non-clinical office functions. At a national level, we continued collaborating with AMA on developing payment policy, administrative simplification and a national e-preauthorization for medical services and medications.
We physicians are now being mandated to take on patient risk in our practices, as if each of us individually were an insurance company, making our reimbursements dependent on patient outcomes. Somehow someone neglected to understand that we as physicians don’t create disease. We are not responsible for the body’s systems that fail and shut down. We are valiantly doing our best to decrease ill health and the suffering and pain that often accompany illness. We cannot be financially or morally responsible for patient outcomes when we are being crippled by mandates on how to deliver care from those who hold the purse strings but no license or by patient non-compliance. This year, in order to highlight the role that patients can play in their own health, HCMS started a Personal Responsibility Committee. It is estimated that more than half of all our U.S. health care expenditures are for self-induced medical problems that could be prevented if individuals took better care of themselves and their families. Obesity alone has taken on epidemic proportions, with the U.S. spending hundreds of billions a year to treat diabetes, obesity and overweight problems. And, yet, there are little if any Congressional legislative initiatives that incentivize patients to practice healthy lifestyles. Our Committee developed a brochure, soon to be distributed, to increase patients’ awareness of how sugar-sweetened drinks not only add to the waistline but also increase their risk of diseases. HCMS has received grant funding from the Texas Medical Association Foundation to assist with the Shut Out Sugar campaign. Go to www.hcms.org or www.sugarshutout.org for more information.
As your new officers, committee and council members take the wheel of this great organization we cannot view the future of medicine and the role we have to play by looking through the rear view mirror of yesterday. The view ahead belongs to those who face the fact of change and move forward to shape it. And change is here, often obstructing our progress forward and causing many detours, which frustrates physicians as we try to provide the best care for our patients and advance science. We used to be solely in the driver’s seat, helping our patients arrive at healthy destinations. But now, the person paying for the gas is no longer the patient, having been replaced by the government and third-party payers; they used to be just back seat drivers, annoyingly telling us where to make our turns. But more recently, they’ve made passengers of physicians; and they are behind the wheel. Unfortunately for patients and physicians alike, they don’t have a license and haven’t even had drivers’ education. Your new leaders will be working harder than ever to put you back in the driver’s seat to lead the health care car safely in the right direction.
Dr. Russell Kridel is a facial plastic surgeon in Houston.
See all of the exciting community and physician resources available at the Harris County Medical Society.
Read the full text of Dr. Russell Kridel’s President’s Page in the December 15, 2013 issue of the HCMS Physician’s Newsletter.
We know of the classic art museums in the world, famed not because of their structure, but because of the diverse unique works on their walls. The greatness of these institutions expands only as do their collections. Unlike the fleeting end of a relay race, the artwork survives centuries, for all to view, praised or damned. And, so should our physician leaders see their mandate to put their own brush marks on the canvas; not everyone will like our art, but our effort and thoughts will be reflected.
Artists are a suffering brood, usually impoverished and unknown, but always innovative and gutsy, and generally not afraid to offend or delight. Out of their adversity and needy realities spring their creativity and social commentary. Recognition, if at all, may come decades after death, so the driving force must be an inner turmoil or exuberant expression. There must be a passion, a vision of an image to place upon that canvas. If we have no passion, no desires or goals, we should let others take our place at the easel, because the oils don’t belie mediocrity.
Just like artists, physician leaders need to have a fired passion for their organization and need to be allowed to be different, to be proactive agents of change, lest their organizations stagnate. Leaders also need an experienced basis in adversity to temper naïve and youthful illusions of reality. Often an electorate shies away from the innovator, away from the squeaky wheel, when indeed that is what membership may need the most. We are living too much in a time of acceptance when perhaps we should be back in time, like the sixties, daring to be controversial, not afraid to make others uncomfortable if we disagree. Growth does not take place unless we challenge the mind, our beliefs, and ourselves. We must increase the debate, not make it less.
Personal Responsibility is an important element of addressing rising health care costs. Obesity alone has taken on epidemic proportions, with the United States spending $174 billion a year to treat diabetes, and at least $147 billion on health problems related to overweight and obesity. Tobacco still costs this nation more than $150 billion a year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 75 percent of Americans report they do not always take their medications as directed; one in three never fill their prescriptions; and proper adherence approaches only 50 to 65 percent in patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.
An article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reported that poor medication adherence contributes significantly to medication-related hospital admissions in the United States, at an estimated cost of at least $100 billion annually.
Lifestyle behaviors are difficult to change, and solutions to effect behavioral modification have been largely unsuccessful to date, despite huge community efforts and even legislation. Some patients have developed a sense of entitlement of care, taking no responsibility for abusing their health but expecting every conceivable means of treatment be used to cure them, no matter the expense. They, in turn, blame the health care delivery system for its high costs. This is unfortunate, since there likely would be more than enough money in our health care system to help patients with illnesses that could not be prevented if the rest of our population practiced healthy living. Other patients would like to change but need to be taught what to do. Others face economic and cultural obstacles that prevent wellness, which we must address.
Physicians can help patients help themselves. But, we also need the government’s support to help us do that.
Click here to read Russ Kridel’s full editorial.
The Bluebonnet Award of the Houston and Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is intended to recognize an individual who is not a dietitian, but who has contributed significantly to the advancement of nutrition and dietetics in Texas.
Dr. Russell Kridel is a passionate advocate of the importance of nutrition and diet in our community. As the President of the Harris County Medical Society for 2013, one of his primary goals during this year is to help target the obesity epidemic in our community.
He created the HCMS Personal Responsibility Committee dedicated to helping address the obesity epidemic. The committee provides physicians from all specialties with additional tools to communicate with their patients about the importance of diet and nutrition to prevent obesity, diabetes and other diseases, with specific emphasis on sugar sweetened beverages. Through Dr. Kridel’s leadership, the committee developed a brochure called “Shut Out Sugar” for physicians and other health providers to hand out to patients. The brochure clearly outlines simple and easy steps people can take to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to improve their health.
He also participates in key roles at the state and national level on health care issues that positively promote the role of diet and nutrition in the ever-changing landscape of health care.
Dr. Kridel is in his sixth year and the current Chair of the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH). CSAPH provides information and recommendations on medical, scientific, and public health issues. Reports during Dr. Kridel’s tenure on the CSAPH, have covered such issues as: sugar sweetened beverages, obesity and bottled water safety.
As the immediate Past President of the TMA Foundation, Dr. Kridel also raised funds for initiatives that enable physicians and their families to give back to their community and improve the health of all Texans. The foundation supports TMA’s health improvement programs that address the association’s public health priorities.
Dr. Kridel will be presented with the Bluebonnet Award at the annual Houston Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics member’s dinner in May, 2014. He will also be placed into consideration for the statewide designation. | 2019-04-21T18:32:24Z | http://kridelonhealth.com/page/2/ |
Mammalian cilia are ubiquitous appendages found on the apical surface of cells. Primary and motile cilia are distinct in both morphology and function. Most cells have a solitary primary cilium (9+0), which lacks the central microtubule doublet characteristic of motile cilia (9+2). The immotile primary cilia house unique signaling components and sequester several important transcription factors. In contrast, motile cilia commonly extend into the lumen of respiratory airways, fallopian tubes, and brain ventricles to move their contents and/or produce gradients. In this review, we focus on the composition of putative ion channels found in both types of cilia and in the periciliary membrane and discuss their proposed functions. Our discussion does not cover specialized cilia in photoreceptor or olfactory cells, which express many more ion channels.
A single cilium is about the size of a bacterium protruding from the surface of a cell (Fig. 1). Only 200–300 nm in diameter, cilia grow from periplasmic membrane centrioles and extend 1–15 µm into the extracellular space. Their hallmark structure is the axoneme, a rigid structure of microtubule doublets: in both primary and motile cilia, nine microtubular doublets form an internal cylindrical backbone that extends most of the length of the cilium. In motile cilia, two central doublets are also present, much like in the tail of spermatozoa (Fig. 1, A and B) or the cilia of unicellular organisms. In contrast, primary cilia lack fast motility and do not contain central doublets (Fig. 1 C). Nodal cilia are an exception to this rule, as they are motile but lack central doublets.
All eukaryotic cells have subcellular compartments, but the ciliary compartment differs from other organelles by its lack of a continuous membrane isolating it from the cytoplasm. However, this is not conceptually distinct from the nucleus, in which large nuclear pores allow ions and many proteins to exchange readily between compartments. In rough analogy to nuclear pores, cilia have a highly structured transition zone at the base of the cilia linking it, the plasma membrane, and the cytoplasmic centriole in the cytoplasm.
The fact that the primary cilium protrudes from the cell has evoked much speculation about it sensing flow force, the proximity of other cells, or chemical gradients. However, it is also noteworthy that the cilium is a semi-isolated cellular compartment with restricted protein trafficking, diffusion, and membrane lipid composition. Many cilia, such as those on adult neurons, are in tight intercellular spaces and do not experience high levels of flow. The volume of a cilium (e.g., ∼0.5 fl) is 10,000-fold smaller than that of the cell and has a >1.5-fold larger surface/volume ratio. Any or all of these properties may be significant to the regulation of ciliary function.
In this review, we will discuss the various ion channels proposed to function in mammalian cilia and the experiments leading to such conclusions, as well as the potentially unique environment the cilia provides for ion channel function. The types of channels differ between primary and motile cilia. Primary cilia channels so far appear to be predominantly members of the polycystin family (e.g., PKD2, PKD2-L1), but investigators have reported other channels in or near cilia, including other transient receptor potential (TRP) channels such as TRPM4 and TRPV4, as well as the calcium-activated chloride channel ANO1. Ependymal motile cilia appear at present to be largely autonomous motors without significant regulation by the few voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channels present in their membranes. Voltage-gated potassium channels, TRP channels, and epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) are also reported on motile cilia. Sperm flagella, although similar to motile cilia, have cationic channels of sperm (CatSper) channels that are unique to sperm flagella and crucial to their motion and force generation. In addition, numerous other channels and transporters function or are proposed to function in sperm flagella, including P2X2, Slo3, and sNHE in mice and KSper and Hv1 in humans (Miller et al., 2015).
Scientists once considered primary cilia in mammalian cells to be vestigial with no clear function. The discovery that the absence or mutation of proteins that reside in cilia or are required for their assembly causes genetic disorders has dramatically altered this view (Novarino et al., 2011). To date, there are more than 50 known diseases, called ciliopathies, affecting primary or motile cilia. Because some of these proteins are present in both cilia and cytoplasm, or change in localization during cell division, this definition has some ambiguity.
Microtubule-based cilia and flagella were present in the ancestor of animals, the Urmetazoa, and their closest living relatives, the Choanoflagellates, more than 600 million years ago (Richter and King, 2013). Choanoflagellates are typically single-celled organisms that can form multicellular colonies and provide a template for understanding the development of multicellularity in animals. In these organisms as well as in the choanocyte cells of sponges, which are highly similar, the flagella are used to drive bacterial prey toward feeding collars for ingestion. Molecular phylogeny shows that the evolution of multicellular forms happened during a relatively short period during which signaling receptors and ligands (Wnt, Frizzled, Notch, Hedgehog [Hh], tyrosine kinases, and G protein–coupled receptors [GPCRs]) as well as adhesion (lectins and cadherins) and extracellular matrix receptors (integrins) greatly expanded (Richter and King, 2013). Because many of these transmembrane proteins and signaling pathways are found in cilia in modern-day animals, it is conceivable that this arrangement increased Urmetazoan fitness by acting as a chemosensory apparatus or trapping bacteria prey for ingestion. The fact that mammalian primary cilia retain many of these molecules and pathways might thus indicate that they preserve some essential functions required for formation of multicellular organisms.
Cilia play crucial roles even at the earliest stages of life. During embryogenesis, vertebrates establish a left–right axis that determines the development of organs such as the heart (Basu and Brueckner, 2008). Central to this early change from bilateral symmetry is a transient structure called the embryonic node, which contains several primary cilia. Although primary cilia are typically considered nonmotile, nodal cilia are known to be motile and beat in a stereotypic motion (Okada et al., 2005). This induces a leftward (viewed dorsally) fluid flow that is critical to the establishment of left–right asymmetry through poorly understood mechanisms (Nonaka et al., 1998; Buceta et al., 2005; Lee and Anderson, 2008). That the flow itself is essential has been proven by experiments in which reversal of the fluid flow leads to reversals of organ patterning (Nonaka et al., 2002). Popular hypotheses are that flow either leads to asymmetric distribution of secreted signaling components or that mechanosensors sense the flow and open a Ca2+-permeant pathway (Tanaka et al., 2005; Yoshiba et al., 2012). In either case, this eventually leads to asymmetric gene expression.
The Hh pathway is the clearest illustration of the intimate coupling between cilia and cell signaling. Crucially, vertebrate Hh signaling requires a primary cilium (Huangfu et al., 2003; Huangfu and Anderson, 2005; May et al., 2005; Goetz et al., 2009). In the absence of a ligand, the receptor (and potential transporter), Patched (Ptch), is concentrated in the cilium (Rohatgi et al., 2007). Upon activation with an Hh ligand, Ptch exits the cilia to be replaced by the GPCR-like receptor, Smoothened (Smo; Corbit et al., 2005). Smo activity then leads to release of Gli transcription factors from the cilium that can be processed and translocated to the nucleus to activate target genes (Haycraft et al., 2005). Ciliary membranes house other GPCRs such as SSTR3 and GRP161, as well as growth factor receptors (Hilgendorf et al., 2016). The ion channels present in the primary cilium that may also effect signal transduction are just beginning to be elucidated.
Cilia present an interesting context for ion channel function. If we assume a 7-µm-long cylindrical cilium with a diameter of 300 nm (Delling et al., 2013), these dimensions would yield ∼6.8-µm2 surface area and a 0.5-fl volume. Compared with the cell body, this constitutes a larger surface area to volume ratio, conceivably exposing a larger proportion of ion channels to the same spatially limited extracellular stimulus (e.g., secreted ligand). As is true for other subcellular organelles, the same density of ion channels or transporters could alter the state of the small cilioplasmic volume much more rapidly than in the cell. Indeed, in primary cilium, resting concentrations of calcium ([Ca2+]) are approximately sevenfold greater than in the cytoplasm (∼700 vs. ∼100 nM; Delling et al., 2013). Ca2+ changes in the cytoplasm propagate into the cilia, but the inverse is not true (Delling et al., 2013): the large cytoplasmic volume buffers and dissipates the number of free calcium ions diffusing from the small cilioplasmic volume.
To drive home the small size of a cilium, consider that 100 nM [Ca2+] corresponds to ∼30 free Ca2+ ions in the 0.5-fl volume of a cilium. This is an approximation, as the details of geometry, buffers, and transporters in the cilium will affect this estimate. Because there is no membrane to delay the Ca2+ diffusion (Fawcett, 1954), it appears that large ciliary [Ca2+] influx into the limited volume of the cilia is a sufficient mechanism to maintain a [Ca2+] gradient. Thus, the cilium is a distinct compartment from the cytoplasm. An analogy is that of a freshwater outlet into the ocean; the ocean’s waves and concentrations of saline affect the cove more profoundly than the cove’s waters can affect the ocean. Different ionic concentrations in the cilia would have consequences for cellular signaling (especially in the case of [Ca2+]) as well as for the electrochemical gradients that determine ion flux through ciliary ion channels. This is not the case for all cilia however; motile cilia have similarly small dimensions, but ciliary [Ca2+] is only slightly elevated over cytoplasmic [Ca2+] (Doerner et al., 2015). The difference may lie in the ion channels present in these different cilia.
The small dimensions of the cilium also introduce a considerable electrical resistance between cilioplasm and cytoplasm, thus creating another condition of nonuniformity. In another such case, the sharp geometric transition from the neuronal soma to the axon initial segment (AIS) is critical to the function of ion channels in the AIS membrane, which initiate action potentials (Baranauskas et al., 2013). In that situation, isolation of Na+ channels from the capacitive load of the cell body allows the channels to effectively change the membrane potential of the axon. Cilia are fivefold narrower than axons and thus could provide even higher resistance (assuming similar internal resistance). Currently, we do not know whether this is relevant to the physiology of ion channels in ciliary membranes. In the section on primary cilia, we discuss an interesting case in a unique population of neurons.
Cilia have unique protein and lipid compositions (Verhey and Yang, 2016). As with any other protein class, the local ionic environment, binding proteins, and lipids all affect ion channels. Proteins are shuttled in and out of cilia by the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system (Mourão et al., 2016; Taschner and Lorentzen, 2016) but may also migrate into the cilia membrane from the plasma membrane (Milenkovic et al., 2009) or exchange via simple diffusion in solution. Ciliary ion channels would most likely be subject to sorting, trafficking, and endocytosis (Pedersen et al., 2016) similar to other ciliary transmembrane proteins. The motors, adaptors, and fellow travelers in this system may regulate ciliary ion channels spatially and temporally.
Finally, the lipid content of cilia is also distinct from that of the plasma membrane. PI(4,5)P2, is a known modulator of many ion channel and transporter functions (Hille et al., 2015), but phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) predominates over PI(4,5)P2 in cilia (as it does in Golgi). One hypothesis is that cilia could also contain significant PI(4,5)P2 at times (by diffusion from plasma membrane), which is switched to PI(4)P by Tubby-like protein (TULP3)–mediated trafficking of InPP5E (phosphoinositide 5-phosphatase) into cilia. Thus, this switch in the PIP state of the cilia may favor certain GPCRs or channels within cilia (Chávez et al., 2015; Garcia-Gonzalo et al., 2015). Lipid remodeling is a crucial part of sperm physiology, and cholesterol efflux is a marker of sperm capacitation (Cohen et al., 2016; Stival et al., 2016). Except for sperm flagella, the relative abundance of other lipids in the cilium’s membrane, such as cholesterol, is not well known.
In several primary cilia measured to date, basal levels of [Ca2+] are higher (Delling et al., 2013; Yuan et al., 2015), and membrane potential is ∼30 mV depolarized relative to the cell body (Delling et al., 2013). Because most cells contain a nonmotile primary cilium, this may represent an important signaling environment within the cell. An interesting but unproven hypothesis is that ciliary calcium concentrations affect calcium-dependent adenylyl cyclases to regulate the known potent PKA-dependent inhibition of the Hh pathway (Tuson et al., 2011). Current experiments are only beginning to address links between ciliary calcium and cAMP levels (Moore et al., 2016). Other signaling pathways within primary cilia are present, and thus, many other possibilities exist.
Several proteins (e.g., TRPM4, TRPV4, TRPC1, PKD1, and PKD2; Tsiokas et al., 1999; Pazour et al., 2002; Yoder et al., 2002; Gradilone et al., 2007; Köttgen et al., 2008; Flannery et al., 2015; Kleene and Kleene, 2016) have been proposed as ciliary ion channels. With the exception of polycystin-1 (PKD1), these proteins are members of the TRP family of ion channels (Ramsey et al., 2006). PKD1s are a family of putative 11-transmembrane–spanning domain proteins of unknown function (The International Polycystic Kidney Disease Consortium, 1995; Hughes et al., 1995; Yuasa et al., 2002). PKD1 has been proposed to be a GPCR (Parnell et al., 1998, 2002), an integral component of a channel complex via its last six transmembrane domains (Ponting et al., 1999; Hanaoka et al., 2000), and a novel receptor (Kim et al., 2016). The PKD1 family member PKD1-L1 (L1 for Like-1) differs from PKD1 primarily in its N-terminal domain. Within this 1,748–amino acid N terminus are multiple extracellular recognition domains and an autocleavage domain known as the GAIN domain (Yuasa et al., 2002; Araç et al., 2012).
In contrast to the mysterious function of PKD1s, PKD2 family members have primary sequence and putative structure similar to TRP channels. PKD2-L1 was identified by homology to PKD2; mice with PKD2-L1 deletions have kidney and eye deficits (Nomura et al., 1998). PKD2-L1 has also been implicated in the detection of sour taste (Horio et al., 2011). Direct patch clamp of primary cilia from retina pigmented epithelium and embryonic fibroblasts (Fig. 2 A) showed that genetically ablating PKD1-L1 or PKD2-L1 reduces the constitutively active ciliary current (DeCaen et al., 2013). However, given the huge variety of cells that have cilia, other channels are likely to be present. Indeed, PKD2 has recently been identified as a subunit of the ciliary ion channel in the inner medullary kidney collecting duct (IMCD3) cell line (Kleene and Kleene, 2016), with a conductance similar to PKD1-L1/2-L1 heteromers but with distinct cation selectivity. The ciliary PKD2-dependent conductance prefers potassium over calcium and sodium ions, with relative permeabilities PK/PCa/PNa of 1:0.6:0.1 (Kleene and Kleene, 2016). PKD2’s preference for potassium over sodium is supported by the recent report of the PKD2 single partial cryo-electron microscopy structure (Shen et al., 2016). Here, grafting the pore helices of PKD2 onto the PKD2-L1 channel suggests that PKD2 is more permeant to K+ and Na+ than Ca2+, with PK/PCa/PNa of 2:0.5:1. In contrast, PKD1-L1/2-L1 channels were more selective for calcium with PK/PCa/PNa of 1:6:1 (DeCaen et al., 2013). These important developments confirm that PKD2 is a ciliary ion channel and challenges the view that PKD2 is a calcium-selective channel. Future work will determine which channels are present in the cilia of native epithelial cells within the lumen of the kidney-collecting duct. Interestingly, although heterologous expression of PKD2-L1, but not PKD1-L1, is capable of supporting currents in the plasma membrane, the full complement of ciliary ion channel features depends on their coexpression in cilia (DeCaen et al., 2013). PKD2-L1 coimmunoprecipitates PKD1-L1 and mice lacking PKD2-L1 lack the constitutively active current (Fig. 2 A; DeCaen et al., 2013). The exact composition/stoichiometry of a putative PKD1-L1/PKD2-L1 ciliary ion channel is unknown.
Extracellular uridine and adenosine phosphates (Fig. 2 B), as well as the calmodulin blocker calmidazolium, potentiate the PKD2-L1 channel in recordings from cilia (DeCaen et al., 2013). Whole ciliary currents are more calcium selective and outwardly rectify, reminiscent of other TRP currents (Fig. 2 C). Estimates place channel density in the cilium at 30 channels/µm2, which is comparable with other specialized ion channel signaling domains in intracellular organelles such as lysosomes and mitochondria (DeCaen et al., 2013). As discussed previously, [Ca2+] permeability may explain how the cilia maintains [Ca2+] higher than in the cytoplasm (Delling et al., 2013). Intriguingly a mechanism for negative feedback may exist in the PKD2-L1 protein itself. Patch clamp experiments of heterologously expressed PKD2-L1 showed that at high internal [Ca2+] levels, the channel inactivates (DeCaen et al., 2016). Thus, this channel may help to ensure a desired range of ciliary [Ca2+] by allowing Ca2+ into the cilium when levels are low and by inactivating to prevent further Ca2+ entry when levels are high.
The fact that nucleoside phosphates and calmodulin antagonists potentiate the ciliary current (DeCaen et al., 2013) may be useful in dissecting out the function of the PKD2-L1 complex. The primary question is the functional significance of PKD2-L1 activation and subsequent alteration of primary cilia [Ca2+], [Na+], and the ciliary membrane potential. Although the most common hypothesis is that cilia are mechanical sensors that lead to Ca2+ influx (Praetorius and Spring, 2001; Nauli et al., 2003; Kindt et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2015; Grimes et al., 2016), no such changes in ciliary Ca2+ are detectable in primary cilia of various tissues over a wide range of mechanical force (Delling et al., 2016). In contrast, stereocilia (actually actin-based microvilli despite the name) exhibit a threefold increase in local Ca2+ upon physical deflection (Fig. 3; Delling et al., 2016). Unlike the higher density of Ca2+ permeant channels in primary cilia (DeCaen et al., 2013), the truly mechanosensitive stereocilia contain only a handful of mechanosensitive channels per stereocilium (Denk et al., 1995; Beurg et al., 2009). PKD2-L1 openings were not very sensitive to changes in membrane pressure (DeCaen et al., 2013), and thus, this channel is unlikely to be a physiologically relevant mechanosensor.
A recent study of cerebrospinal fluid–contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) contains a possibly important consequence of PKD2-L1’s large conductance. These neurons line the central canal of the nervous system with primary cilia on their cell bodies (Orts-Del’Immagine et al., 2014). Mathematical estimates indicate that a single PKD2-L1 opening in the primary cilium may be sufficient to trigger an action potential (Orts-Del’Immagine et al., 2016). Because PKD2-L1 is present throughout CSF-cNs, whether the cilium is the primary site for PKD2-L1 function in these neurons remains an open question.
Based on immunocytochemistry and colocalization analyses with PKD2, TRPV4 (Köttgen et al., 2008) and TRPC1 (Bai et al., 2008) have been proposed to be ciliary ion channels. Taken as further evidence are reports that both TRPV4 (Köttgen et al., 2008; Stewart et al., 2010) and TRPC1 (Bai et al., 2008; Kobori et al., 2009; Zhang et al., 2009) form heteromeric channel complexes with PKD2 that give rise to unique ion channel properties. But as we discuss, it is not clear that PKD2 channel current has been correctly identified. Most important, there are no direct ciliary measurements of TRPV4 and TRPC1 activity. One study in renal collecting duct cells indicates that TRPV4’s function may be more important in cells that do not have cilia (Zhang et al., 2013).
Whole cilia recordings have proposed that TRPM4, a Ca2+-activated, voltage-dependent channel, is active in cilia as well as in the apical membrane (Flannery et al., 2015). However, these whole cilia recordings encompassed the entire, intact cilia with the pipette forming a seal at the ciliary base, similar to methods used to measure from olfactory cilia (Kleene and Gesteland, 1991). Because these recordings were not confined to the cilia tip, it is possible that TRPM4 is located at the regions of the cilia near or in the plasma membrane. Further work should settle this issue.
Thus far, we have focused on channels present in the ciliary membrane. Interestingly, the ANO1 (TMEM16A) calcium-activated chloride channel is found on the apical membrane of cells before the formation of cilia. Loss of ANO1 function interferes with ciliogenesis (Ruppersburg and Hartzell, 2014), suggesting that this channel may regulate vesicle fusion at the site of future cilia formation.
Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is caused by mutations in the Pkd1 (∼85%) or Pkd2 (∼15%) genes (Wu and Somlo, 2000). Morbidity is associated with primarily renal, but also liver and pancreatic cysts, and vascular abnormalities such as intracranial aneurysms and aortic artery defects. ADPKD is a common monogenetic disorder for which there are no effective therapies at present (Harris and Rossetti, 2010). Prior evidence suggests that ADPKD is associated with malfunction of cilia (i.e., ciliopathies) presumably caused by dysfunctional or mislocalized PKD1 and PKD2 proteins in the cilia membrane of IMCD epithelial cells (Qian et al., 1997; Grimm et al., 2003). Several studies show that PKD1 and PKD2 require each other for proper localization and function (Bertuccio et al., 2009; Chapin et al., 2010; Cai et al., 2014b; Kim et al., 2014; Gainullin et al., 2015; Trudel et al., 2016). A popular hypothesis is that PKD1 and PKD2 form a heteromeric ion channel that conducts Ca2+ through the ciliary or plasma membrane (Hanaoka et al., 2000). Observations of mechano- or chemically induced Ca2+ transients in kidney-derived Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and IMCD cells support this hypothesis (Praetorius and Spring, 2001; Nauli et al., 2003). However, these measurements do not resolve the origin of the Ca2+ transients, which are likely propagated from the cytoplasm (Delling et al., 2016). Indeed, cilia removal from MDCK cells did not abolish flow-induced Ca2+ transients, which instead were dependent on autocrine purinergic receptor activation (Hovater et al., 2008; Egorova et al., 2012; Rodat-Despoix et al., 2013). Interestingly, two groups have reported activation of cationic currents by purinergic activators when recording from the primary cilia of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and IMCD cells (Kleene and Kleene, 2012; DeCaen et al., 2013). Based on single channel measurements in the primary cilia, channel modulation by ATP and ADP was shown to be indirect, possibly downstream of the activation of an unidentified GPCR.
Heterologous PKD2 ionic currents measured from the plasma membrane are controversial. Results vary with respect to PKD2 membrane localization or function in the absence of PKD1 (Hanaoka et al., 2000; Bertuccio et al., 2009) and whether a ligand is required for activity (Le et al., 2004; Ma et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2016). In some cases, PKD1 is reported to be a putative channel independent of PKD2 (Babich et al., 2004). In another study, heterologous expression of PKD1 and/or PKD2 did not enhance plasma membrane currents (DeCaen et al., 2013). Multiple studies suggested that heterologous PKD2 (or PKD1 + PKD2) produces a small ohmic current, but it is worrisome that they were not clearly distinct from endogenous channels found in host cells (Hanaoka et al., 2000; Feng et al., 2008), or indeed from leak current.
A recent study expressing a mutant form of PKD2 (F604P) in Xenopus laevis oocytes suggests that the WT PKD2 is not constitutively active, is cationic nonselective, and is blocked by Ca2+ (Arif Pavel et al., 2016). Furthermore, the recently identified PKD2 current recorded from IMCD cilia is most selective for potassium (Kleene and Kleene, 2016). These results contrast with reports that heterologous PKD2 (PKD1 + PKD2) is selective for calcium. The proposed location of F604 is in the fifth transmembrane helix of PKD2, and thus, the activating F604P mutation may create a bend in the activation gate, opening the pore and activating the channel (Arif Pavel et al., 2016). Given the lack of function of WT PKD2, these data suggest a significant conformational change must occur for the channel to open as supported by recent structural studies (Shen et al., 2016). In particular, the large extracellular “PKD domain” may function as a “lid” on the channel (Shen et al., 2016). It is possible that ligand binding or heteromerization with another channel subunit might surmount this energy barrier.
The most well understood role of ion channels in vertebrate cilia is that of the CatSper Ca2+-selective channels in sperm flagella (CatSpers 1–4 and additional subunits, β, γ, δ; Ren et al., 2001; Kirichok et al., 2006; Liu et al., 2007; Qi et al., 2007; Chung et al., 2011). A change in sperm environment (pH, voltage, progesterone; Ren et al., 2001; Kirichok et al., 2006; Lishko et al., 2011; Strünker et al., 2011) triggers the CatSper channels to allow Ca2+ influx into sperm. Calcium sensors linked to phosphorylation cascades alter the shape and frequency of flagellar motion, a process called hyperactivated motility. This process is essential for mammalian sperm to traverse the oviduct and fertilize the oocyte. Mouse sperm express CatSpers, Slo3, and P2X2 channels, whereas human sperm express CatSpers, Slo3, and Hv1 channels. Although motile cilia and sperm flagella have many structural similarities, they have diverged significantly in their regulation, perhaps because of the significant evolutionary pressure on sperm (Cai et al., 2014a). To date, none of the sperm channels appear to be present in mammalian motile or primary cilia. A thorough discussion of CatSpers and the other ion channels in mammalian sperm has been recently published (Miller et al., 2015).
Although sperm are the only flagellated mammalian cells, motile cilia are present in ependymal cells lining the brain ventricles and epithelial cells lining respiratory airways and fallopian tubes. Whereas sperm use their modified cilium to propel themselves through fluid, somatic cells use their cilia to propel fluid through luminal spaces (Enuka et al., 2012; Faubel et al., 2016). As is the case in primary cilia, members of the TRP family of ion channels (TRPV4, PKD1, and PKD2) have been reported to be present in motile cilia (Bloodgood, 2010).
Immunohistochemistry suggests that TRPV4 localizes to the cilia of tracheal cells and epithelia of reproductive organs (Teilmann et al., 2005; Lorenzo et al., 2008). Activation of TRPV4 with stimuli such as agonists, warm temperature, or increased fluid viscosity led to increased cytosolic Ca2+ and ciliary beat frequency (Andrade et al., 2005; Lorenzo et al., 2008). At present, there are no recordings of TRPV4 currents from these cilia. PKD1 and PKD2 have also been localized by immunohistochemistry to epithelial cells of reproductive organs, but their function there has yet to be clarified (Teilmann et al., 2005). Given the frequency of inaccurate identification of proteins by antibodies alone, we place more credence in definitive functional measurements of ion channels under voltage clamp to establish localization.
Whole-cilia patch clamping of brain ependymal cells revealed that they contain a large potassium conductance and CaV channels, although the precise identities are not established (Doerner et al., 2015). Unlike sperm flagella and TRPV4 activation in tracheal cells, depolarization-induced increases in ciliary [Ca2+] did not lead to any significant changes in ciliary beating (Doerner et al., 2015). Moreover, CaV channels do not seem to be enriched in the ciliary membrane compared with the rest of the cell membrane (Doerner et al., 2015). We suspect that the membranes of ependymal motile cilia are more similar to the cell’s plasma membrane, unlike primary cilia. Motile ependymal cilia have similar resting [Ca2+] levels and membrane potentials as cytoplasm. Currently, it is unknown whether similar observations will hold true for motile cilia in the respiratory tracts and fallopian tubes.
Immunohistochemical experiments have identified abundant and uniform expression of ENaCs on the motile cilia of the fallopian tubes and bronchi (Enuka et al., 2012). However, functional measurements have not yet confirmed these findings.
Ciliary ion channels are topics of active investigation. Although several channels localize to cilia via antibody labeling, the direct measure of function is patch clamp of these channels in their native environments (Fig. 4). Correlation of phenotypes of knockout animals with cilia-specific function will further corroborate results of functional and structural studies. The large body of research on ciliopathies will greatly aid this endeavor. Much more work is required to understand how ion channels regulate these subcellular structures’ functions. Thus far, different types of cilia (primary vs. motile) seem to possess different ion channels. Another area of future research will be to determine the true diversity of ion channels, or lack thereof, in cilia of different organs during development and in adults.
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. 2016. The native TRPP2-dependent channel of murine renal primary cilia. Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 10:2016. | 2019-04-21T21:08:41Z | http://jgp.rupress.org/content/149/1/37.full |
Complainant is Unibanco – União de Bancos Brasileiros S.A., Avenida Eusebio Matoso 891, São Paolo, 05423-901, Brazil.
Respondent is Vendo Domain Sale, 18 Silverdale Ct.. St. Charles, Missouri, 63303, U.S.A.
The domain name at issue [hereinafter the Domain Name] is "unibanco.com".
The registrar of the Domain Name is Network Solutions, Inc., 505 Huntmar Park Dr., Herndon, Virginia, 20170, U.S.A.
On June 23, 2000 the Complainant filed a complaint [hereinafter the Complaint] with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center [hereinafter the Center], receipt of said Complaint being acknowledged by the Center in a letter to the Complainant dated June 29, 2000. In a letter dated on the same date the Center informed the registrar, Network Solutions, Inc., that the Complaint had been submitted to the Center regarding the Domain Name.
The Center then proceeded to verify that the complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the Rules for Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy [hereinafter referred to as the ICANN Rules and the World Intellectual Property Organization Supplemental Rules for Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy [hereinafter referred to as the WIPO Rules], including the payment of the requisite fees. The verification of compliance with the formal requirements was completed in the affirmative on July 4, 2000.
The Panel has reviewed the documentary evidence provided by the parties and the Center and agrees with the Center’s assessment that the Complaint complies with the formal requirements of the ICANN Rules and the WIPO Rules.
In a letter dated July 4, 2000 the Center informed the Respondent of the commencement of the proceedings as of July 4, 2000 and of the necessity of responding to the Complaint within 20 days. Evidence provided by the Center supports the finding that the Center acted diligently in its attempts to inform the Respondent of the proceedings.
On July 4, 2000 the Center received a reply from the Registrar confirming that the Domain Name was registered with the Registrar by the Respondent.
In a letter August 1, 2000 the Center informed the Respondent that he was in default pursuant to the Rules and Supplemental Rules and that an administrative panel would be appointed. The Panel is satisfied that it was constituted in compliance with the ICANN Rules and the WIPO Rules and has also issued a Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence.
On August 8, 2000 an e-mail was received by the Center in which the Respondent requested an extension to the delay in which he would be allowed to submit a response to the Complaint.
On August 9, 2000 an e-mail was received by the Center from the Complainant wherein the Complainant requested that the Respondent’s request be denied and that the Panel issue a decision without the benefit of a response to the Complaint.
On August 10, 2000 the Respondent through his representative requested an extension until September 15, 2000. The Panel reviewed documentation provided by the Respondent and felt it would be equitable for both parties if the Respondent was allowed an extension to file a response. The Panel judged that 20 days from the date the Respondent first received notice would be equitable under the circumstances (see the discussion below under Procedural Issues). Therefore, the Panel extended the delay within which the Respondent could reply to the Complaint until August 23, 2000. On August 23, 2000 the center received an e-mail from the Respondent containing the Response.
On August 28, 2000 the Panel received, via the Center, a Reply to the Response [hereinafter the Reply] from the Complainant.
The Panel is obliged to issue a decision on or prior to September 1, 2000, in the English language and is unaware of any other proceedings which may have been undertaken by the parties or others in the present matter.
The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy [hereinafter the ICANN Policy] does not provide a mechanism for determining whether or not a respondent should be allowed to file a response after the 20 day delay following notice has expired.
The Respondent provided some evidence that he had been out of the United States and returned only after the 20 day delay had expired in the form of an airline passenger itinerary. It is of note, however, that the itinerary corresponds to an airline ticket which does not provide any evidence as to whether or not Respondent was out of the United States since the date the Complaint was first served, only that the Respondent reentered the United States on August 3, 2000. However, the Panel has chosen to accept the Respondent’s contention and, as an arbitration proceeding should not sacrifice equity and fairness for the sake of technicalities, has therefore decided that it would be fair and equitable under the circumstances to provide the Respondent with a further 20 days to file the Response from the day the Respondent claims that first had actual notice of the Complaint (i.e. the deadline to file the Response was extended until August 23, 2000).
In the same vein, the Panel has also chosen to include the Reply in its deliberations.
The Complainant is a legal person incorporated under the laws of Brazil. The Complainant was founded in 1924 and is engaged in businesses related to the banking sector.
UNIBANCO is a registered trademark of the Complainant in a number of countries including the United Kingdom, France, Brazil and Mexico and a number of other South and Central American and Caribbean countries. The Complainant has been offering a full range of financial services and products under the mark UNIBANCO for over 25 years. The Complainant has also been operating offices in the United States since the early 1980s.
The Complainant operates a number of web sites providing its corporate profile and offering a number of its banking services. Included among these is the Complainant’s main site operating with the domain name "unibanco.com.br". These web sites prominently display the UNIBANCO mark. The Complainant’s websites are all accessible via domain name addresses which have been derived from the UNIBANCO mark which they all contain as part of the domain name.
No information has been provided which indicates the nature of the activities of the Respondent. However, according to evidence submitted by the Respondent, the Respondent registered the name "Universal Banners Cooperative – UNIBANCO" with the Venezuelan authorities on January 1, 1998.
According to the Registrar the Domain Name was registered by the Respondent on or around November 2, 1998.
The Respondent when contacted by a representative of the Complainant offered to transfer the Domain Name for a sum in excess of $50,000 U.S.
At paragraph 14 to the Complaint, the Complainant maintains that approximately $US30 million is spent on various types of advertising over the last five years including print advertising in The Economist, Latin France and Fortune magazines. Additionally, at paragraph 15 to the Complaint the Complainant also alleges that the UNIBANCO mark has been the subject of extensive media coverage for at least the last five years. As a result, continues the Complainant at paragraph 16 to the Complaint, the UNIBANCO mark has come to be recognized as identifying the Complainant and its financial services.
At paragraph 18 to the Complainant the Complainant states that an inquiry made by e-mail into the possibility of purchasing the Domain Name the Respondent offered to sell it for $50,000 and claimed he had interested buyers in both Brazil and New York.
At paragraph 20 to the Complaint the Complainant maintains that the Respondent has not used and is not using the Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of services.
At paragraph 21 to the Complaint the Complainant summarizes and maintains that based on the above the Respondent’s intention when registering the Domain Name was to capitalize on the value and goodwill of the UNIBANCO mark.
In the Response the Respondent maintains that he registered the Domain Name as part of his legitimate business activity for a company incorporated in Venezuela known as Universal Banners Cooperative – UNIBANCO.
The Respondent maintains that he did not register the name in bad faith as he had a legitimate business interest.
The Respondent continues by maintaining that he did not contact the Complainant and offer the Domain Name for sale but rather was contacted by a representative of the Complainant (who did not identify himself as such). The Respondent maintains that his offer to sell the Domain Name to the Complainant for $50,000 under the circumstances does not amount to an offer to sell in the context of the ICANN Policy.
The Respondent also maintains that his registration of the domain name mariaconchitas.com (not an object of this proceeding) does not show a pattern of cybersquatting but rather that if that had been the case he would have registered the domain name mariaconchitasalonso.com (which was free at the time) and in any case, Maria Conchitas is the name of a good friend of the Respondent.
iii) that the Domain Name was registered and used in bad faith.
The Panel is of the opinion that the evidence provided by the Complainant supports a finding that the Complainant has registered the trademark UNIBANCO. Given that the Domain Name is for all intents and purposes identical to the registered trademark, the Panel is of the opinion that the Complainant has readily met the burden of proof as established by paragraph 4(a)(i) of the ICANN Policy.
Paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the ICANN Policy asks whether the respondent has any rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name. Paragraph 4(c) provides examples of circumstances that can demonstrate the existence of such rights or legitimate interests: (1) use of, or preparations to use, the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services; (2) the fact that the respondent has commonly been known by the domain name; and (3) legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name.
The Respondent maintains that he registered the Domain Name for use in conjunction with a legitimate business, Universal Banners Cooperative. The Respondent has provided evidence that he registered a company with the Venezuelan authorities with the name Universal Banners Cooperative – UNIBANCO prior to registering the Domain Name. However, the Respondent has failed to supply any evidence nor made any statement whatsoever regarding the area of business within which this company, Universal Banners Cooperative, is involved, nor the extent of their business.
While the Respondent has provided a number of affidavits from local businessmen attesting that the Respondent’s business has been operating since at least November, 1998. However, again no mention is made as to the nature of the business nor as to the extent of the business of the Respondent or Universal Banners Cooperative.
The Panel is of the opinion that that it would have been simple for the Respondent, once confronted with the evidence of the complainant, to provide some indication and evidence of the areas and the extent of the business within which he is involved in, as this is a necessary element to meet the burden for establishing whether or not the business is bona fide (see this Panel’s decision in the case of Pivotal Corporation v. Discovery Street Trading Co. Ltd., Case No. D2000-0648, for a discussion of the burden placed on a Respondent once confronted with an allegation of no legitimate right or interest). Therefore, the Panel concludes that the Respondent has failed to establish that the Domain Name was being used in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services. The Panel is also of the opinion that the Respondent is not commonly known by the Domain Name nor that he has a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the Domain Name.
Furthermore, the Panel finds that the argument to the effect that the Domain Name was registered for use in conjunction with Universal Banners Cooperative difficult to maintain given that the Domain Name was registered under the name VENDO DOMAIN SALE. It is also of note that the Respondent has not addressed this point in the Response.
Therefore, the Panel finds that that the Respondent has no legitimate rights or interests in that (i) Respondent is not a licensee of Complainant, nor has he received any permission or consent to use the UNIBANCO mark; (ii) Complainant has prior rights in that trademark which precede Respondent’s registration of the Domain Name; and (iii) the Respondent has not demonstrated to the Panel’s satisfaction his rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. In this latter respect, it is noteworthy that the Respondent has made no use of the Domain Name. At this point in time it serves only as a terminating address for a place marker website.
Incidentally, the Respondent’s argument to the effect that the domain name mariaconchitas.com was registered not to appropriate but rather as he had a good friend with this name, the Panel on one hand is unsure if this gives the Respondent a legitimate right or interest in the domain name and on the other hand is of the opinion that it would have been very simple for the Respondent to provide an affidavit from the friend to this effect. Therefore, the Panel has chosen not only to disregard the Respondent’s statements regarding this domain name but is also of the opinion that such a simplistic denial lacks credibility.
Pursuant to paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the ICANN Policy the Complainant is required to prove on the balance that the Respondent has registered and is using the Domain Name in bad faith.
The use of the name VENDO DOMAIN SALE as the name under which the Domain Name was registered provides some indication as to the Respondent’s state of mind at the time of registration. Furthermore, the Panel has carried out some research propio motu which has revealed that the Respondent in his guise as VENDO DOMAIN SALE had registered at least 25 domain names that remain registered under this name at this time (it should be noted in this regard that the Panel is only aware of those domain names which remained registered under the name VENDO DOMAIN SALE at the time of research and points out that there may have been considerably more originally which have been transferred, abandoned or otherwise dealt with in the interim). Many of these domain names were registered around the time that the Domain Name was registered. Additionally, when contacted by the Complainant’s representative the Respondent offered to transfer the registration to the Complainant on payment of a sum in excess of $50,000 (a sum substantially in excess of documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the Domain Name) and that he had a number of other parties who where interested in the Domain Name. Although if taken separately none of the above might provide conclusive evidence to this effect, when taken together and on the balance the Panel is of the opinion that the Respondent is engaged in the business of registering domain names with the intent of selling them to the highest bidder.
Furthermore, the Panel is of the opinion that the evidence provided by the Complainant supports a finding that UNIBANCO is well known and associated with the Complainant, at least through out South America, and therefore the Panel is of the opinion that the Respondent as a Venezuelan national had notice of the Complainants trademark at the time of registration.
Therefore, the Panel is of the opinion that the terms of paragraph 4(b)(i) of the ICANN Policy have been filled, i.e. that the circumstances indicate that the Respondent registered the Domain Name primarily for the purpose of renting, selling or otherwise transferring the Domain Name registration to the Complainant or to a competitor for valuable consideration in excess of documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the Domain Name.
Furthermore, the Panel is of the opinion that the Domain Name is obviously connected with the Complainant and its products and therefore its very use by someone with no connection with the Complainant suggests opportunistic bad faith (again, see this Panel’s decisions in see this Panel’s decision in the case of Pivotal Corporation v. Discovery Street Trading Co. Ltd., Case No. D2000-0648).
Accordingly, pursuant to paragraph 4(i) of the ICANN Policy, the Panel requires that the registration of the domain name "unibanco.com" be transferred to the Complainant, and so directs Network Solutions, Inc., to do so forthwith. | 2019-04-26T11:41:59Z | https://internet-law.ru/intlaw/udrp/2000/d2000-0671.html |
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9781522965794 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 30, 2015, cover price $9.99 | also contains Eugenics And Other Evils, Eugenics and Other Evils, Eugenics and Other Evils | About this edition: G.
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9781505540567 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 31, 2014, cover price $5.99 | also contains The Superstition of Divorce | About this edition: With this classic text, G.
9781409931119 | Dodo Pr, January 31, 2009, cover price $12.99 | also contains The Superstition of Divorce | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century.
9781602068643 | Cosimo Inc, November 30, 2007, cover price $9.99 | About this edition: British writer GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON (1874-1936) expounded prolifically about his wide-ranging philosophies-he is impossible to categorize as "liberal" or "conservative," for instance-across a wide variety of avenues: he was an arts critic, historian, playwright, novelist, columnist, and poet.
9781110557981 | Bibliolife, June 30, 2009, cover price $30.99 | also contains Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781530441570 | Createspace Independent Pub, March 8, 2016, cover price $9.99 | also contains Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy | About this edition: Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G.
9781530033638 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 13, 2016, cover price $7.75 | About this edition: Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G.
9781530034130 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 13, 2016, cover price $7.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton better known as G.
9781522860914 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 21, 2015, cover price $9.99 | About this edition: Excerpt from Chapter 1: âThe only possible excuse for this book is that it is an answer to a challenge.
9781515241393 | Createspace Independent Pub, July 27, 2015, cover price $6.99 | also contains Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy | About this edition: “Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged.
9781514850244 | Large print edition (Createspace Independent Pub, July 6, 2015), cover price $8.48 | also contains Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy | About this edition: Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G.
9781511912846 | Createspace Independent Pub, April 27, 2015, cover price $6.94 | also contains Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy | About this edition: This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative.
9781103761692 | Bibliolife, April 30, 2009, cover price $32.99 | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781103622757 | Bibliolife, March 30, 2009, cover price $32.99 | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781604591637 | Wilder Pubns Ltd, January 30, 2008, cover price $19.99 | also contains Heretics | About this edition: In Heretics, Gilbert K.
9781435363823 | Indypublish.Com, October 12, 2007, cover price $62.99 | About this edition: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original.
9781530039821 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 14, 2016, cover price $8.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (29 May 1874 â 14 June 1936) better known as G.
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9781522861966 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 21, 2015, cover price $9.99 | About this edition: Excerpt from Introductory Remarks: âNothing more strangely indicates an enormous and silent evil of modern society than the extraordinary use which is made nowadays of the word "orthodox.
9781522800415 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 17, 2015, cover price $6.00 | also contains Heretics | About this edition: Though he was on the whole a fun loving and gregarious man, during adolescence Chesterton was troubled by thoughts of suicide.
9781517453275 | Createspace Independent Pub, September 23, 2015, cover price $10.99 | About this edition: Heretics is the companion volume to the previously published Orthodoxy in Hendrickson s Christian Classics series.
9781610451949 | Unabridged edition (Echristian, August 1, 2011), cover price $21.98 | also contains Heretics | About this edition: Nothing more strangely indicates an enormous and silent evil of modern society than the extraordinary use which is made nowadays of the word orthodox.
9781586172916, titled "Orthodoxy: Read by Dale Ahlquist" | Unabridged edition (Ignatius Pr, September 30, 2008), cover price $34.95 | About this edition: It's been 100 years since this dazzling work was first published.
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9781519666147 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 3, 2015, cover price $9.00 | About this edition: Chesterton, as a political thinker, cast aspersions on both Progressivism and Conservatism, saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives.
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9781514874479 | Createspace Independent Pub, July 7, 2015, cover price $6.99 | also contains The Trees Of Pride | About this edition: Squire Vane was an elderly schoolboy of English education and Irish extraction.
9781505541496 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 21, 2014, cover price $5.99 | also contains The Trees Of Pride | About this edition: This classic text from G.
9781490534466 | Createspace Independent Pub, June 25, 2013, cover price $6.99 | also contains The Trees Of Pride | About this edition: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original.
9781519665997 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 3, 2015, cover price $14.00 | About this edition: Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an "orthodox" Christian, and came to identify this position more and more with Catholicism, eventually converting to Catholicism from High Church Anglicanism.
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9781511994644 | Createspace Independent Pub, May 2, 2015, cover price $5.99 | also contains What's Wrong With The World, What's Wrong With the World | About this edition: G.
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9781507862568 | Reprint edition (Createspace Independent Pub, February 6, 2015), cover price $6.75 | also contains What's Wrong With The World, What's Wrong With the World | About this edition: Chesterton's treatise on the world's problems.
Product Description: 1903. A volume in the English Men of Letters series. On the subject of Browning's work innumerable things have been said and remain to be said; of his life, considered as a narrative of facts, there is little or nothing to say.
9781110384716 | Bibliolife, May 30, 2009, cover price $28.99 | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781523787630 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 2, 2016, cover price $5.99 | also contains Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning | About this edition: G.
9781514874004 | Createspace Independent Pub, July 7, 2015, cover price $6.99 | also contains Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning | About this edition: On the subject of Browning's work innumerable things have been said and remain to be said; of his life, considered as a narrative of facts, there is little or nothing to say.
9781508642572 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 26, 2015, cover price $6.99 | also contains Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Browning | About this edition: This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.
9781103905775 | Bibliolife, April 30, 2009, cover price $28.99 | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781530037933 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 14, 2016, cover price $7.50 | also contains Irish Impressions | About this edition: Written at the defining moment when Ireland was heading toward complete national independence, Chesterton's study of the Irish question demonstrates that if both the English and the Irish had modified their attitudes slightly, subsequent Anglo-Irish relations could have been radically improved.
9781505529463 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 29, 2014, cover price $5.99 | also contains Irish Impressions | About this edition: Personal impressions of the author's visit to Ireland under the direction of the War Aims Committee.
9781103905690 | Bibliolife, April 30, 2009, cover price $17.99 | About this edition: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
9781409931218 | Dodo Pr, October 30, 2008, cover price $12.99 | also contains Irish Impressions | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century.
9780548822159 | Kessinger Pub Co, January 31, 2008, cover price $24.95 | About this edition: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original.
9781443732826 | Lightning Source Inc, November 30, 2008, cover price $39.45 | also contains Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare | About this edition: This antiquarian book contains G.
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9781522909712 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 24, 2015, cover price $5.99 | also contains Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare | About this edition: G.
9781517517182 | Createspace Independent Pub, September 24, 2015, cover price $7.83 | About this edition: At first read, G.
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9781519725783 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 6, 2015, cover price $12.00 | also contains Miscellany of Men | About this edition: Chesterton, as a political thinker, cast aspersions on both Progressivism and Conservatism, saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives.
9781519686800 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 5, 2015, cover price $13.00 | also contains Miscellany of Men | About this edition: Chesterton, as a political thinker, cast aspersions on both Progressivism and Conservatism, saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives.
9781519600387 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 2, 2015, cover price $7.99 | also contains Miscellany of Men | About this edition: Notice: This Book is published by Historical Books Limited (www.
9781530032570 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 13, 2016, cover price $8.50 | About this edition: The Man Who Knew Too Much and other stories (1922) is a book of detective stories by English writer G.
9781523900701 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 6, 2016, cover price $6.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton,(29 May 1874 â 14 June 1936) better known as G.
9781523900282, titled "La sabidurÃa del padre Brown/ Wisdom of Father Brown" | Createspace Independent Pub, February 6, 2016, cover price $7.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (29 May 1874 â 14 June 1936) better known as G.
9781523900510 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 6, 2016, cover price $6.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (29 May 1874 â 14 June 1936) better known as G.
9781523900459 | Createspace Independent Pub, February 6, 2016, cover price $6.00 | About this edition: Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (29 May 1874 â 14 June 1936) better known as G.
9781519318862 | Createspace Independent Pub, November 15, 2015, cover price $5.49 | also contains The Victorian Age in Literature | About this edition: G.
9781514229118 | Createspace Independent Pub, June 4, 2015, cover price $6.99 | also contains The Victorian Age in Literature | About this edition: A section of a long and splendid literature can be most conveniently treated in one of two ways.
9781514217429 | Createspace Independent Pub, June 4, 2015, cover price $5.99 | also contains The Victorian Age in Literature | About this edition: The Editors wish to explain that this book is not put forward as an authoritative history of Victorian literature.
9781505455830 | Createspace Independent Pub, December 10, 2014, cover price $5.99 | also contains The Victorian Age in Literature | About this edition: This book is not put forward as an authoritative history of Victorian literature.
9781502550217 | Createspace Independent Pub, September 29, 2014, cover price $6.99 | also contains The Victorian Age in Literature | About this edition: This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them. | 2019-04-26T16:52:45Z | https://isbn.nu/authorx/chesterton_g_knhod |
You enter December with perhaps a great deal more clarity, but do bear in mind that Mercury will retrograde from the 3rd to 22nd, likely causing the “organization” you hope to achieve in your life, to be redone several times. While there is much to be done, a more conservative approach will suit you better now, doing only that which is necessary, and reserving your more creative energies for January. Enjoy the festivities of the many holidays in which you may partake, but there is a caution here not to go overboard with anything. Coming across as dull and boring may work in your favor in the long run. The balance you seek in your life appears to be coming your way courtesy of Saturn moving on into Capricorn on the 19th.
There is much work to be done this month, as you work out the details of some of the items on your list to which you must tend now. Relationships, and various other commitments, will be a mixed bag in December, courtesy of Mercury retrograde. What could appear to be your hopes and dreams could very well turn out to be a temporary illusion. There has been a period of great sacrifice which will be coming to an end, as the Universe conspires to bring you what you need.
December holds a great deal of potential for manifestation, and, for many, this may turn out to be work related, or, at the very least, some sort of financial gain. Remain grounded through the changes which are coming your way, and especially strive to keep everything in moderation during this season of celebration. Consider any opportunities being offered now, but do remember the rules of Mercury retrograde, as you try to decide what will work in your life. Whether you actually drink, or not, you may wish to toast the Universe providing you receive at least one of your wishes during this month.
There is much to do, so do your best to focus on your priorities now, but maintain a balance between work and home life, etc. Change is in the air, but some progress may feel slowed for now, even with Mars returning home to Scorpio on the 9th. While you may be chomping at the bit to use all of this great energy to move forward, it is in your best interest to pace yourself until you have reached January 10th.
Aries, December is a month where things begin to turn for you, and fate steps in to show you the way. You are being guided in your choices, particularly in the area of a relationship with a female in your life. Where there were once struggles, there will be creative changes coming into play, and fruitful ideas will abound to bring you greater abundance in the future.
Success is yours, Taurus, at the time the Winter/Summer Solstice arrives on the 22nd. Saturn is hatching a plan to free you of a situation where you have struggled for quite some time. You are surrounded by the potential for tremendous change now, and stability will be a large part of your focus. This comes through relationships, as you enter a new era of your life.
Gemini, if you are wishing for some clarity with your direction right now, you may be out of luck, as Mercury your ruler, will be retrograde for three and a half weeks. Do your best to power through it, and remember to double and triple check everything, lest a mistake cause you undue aggravation. You are closing out a chapter this month, and happiness will be your goal for 2018.
True to form, you will be giving a great deal of thought to home, family, and loved ones in December, Cancer. Something, or someone, in your life, may be moving on, perhaps even you. It may be difficult to find your center this month, with regard to this; do you best to let it go for now. When Saturn moves into Capricorn, you will begin to feel as though you can make the right choices. Do not let anything from your past stand in the way.
Leo, you wish to protect yourself from any future hard times, and, in December, you will possess the powers to manifest your heart’s desires. This has been no easy task, but you will be thankful for the changes you have been able to make, and the life you are working on creating. Uranus may have a few tricks up its sleeve, as it prepares to go direct on January 2, so keep your focus balanced, as you continue to pursue your hopes and dreams.
Finally, your karma is on the move, with regard to relationships, Virgo. Now is the time to go over the list of changes which you need to make in the coming months. If you have been feeling sad, you will feel glad again, but there is much to be done, in the realm of financial matters. They seem to need to come first before personal happiness can be achieved.
Libra, everyone knows you are all about the balance and relationships. This month will be no different, as you do your best to take charge of at least one, possibly even strong-arming the situation through sheer determination. Justice is served at the time of the Solstice and a very stressful period is lifting, leaving you feeling freer to take on 2018.
December comes in many phases for you, Scorpio, as you strive to see through the illusions of Mercury retrograde and get to the bottom of things. Expect the possibility of at least one past relationship being on your radar; there is still karma attached to this one, but do not expect resolution just yet. You will be successful in December, in spite of riding its ups and downs, so long as you remember to go with the flow, the downs will be few.
Sagittarius, December finds you ready to move on and check out your future. On the 21st, Saturn will finally leave your sign and move on into Capricorn until 2020. Be aware of words flying as Mercury retrogrades the 3 through the 22; communication, especially in important relationships, can be misconstrued. Be prepared to take control of your changes, as the karma bus rolls through and you go from feeling powerless to powerful.
Saturn is about to take up residence in your sign on the 19th, Capricorn. Finish up with its stint in Sagittarius, and work toward manifesting the new identity you wish to create for yourself. Through all challenges, remain grounded, in order to ensure success. You do come out the winner, but at what cost? Base any upcoming plans which you may have in reality, not on pipe dreams.
Aquarius, December will bring a great deal up for review with Mercury retrograde for the first three weeks. There is a saying which may apply here. When in doubt do nothing. A careful review of the status quo may find you holding your position for now. There is worry around a relationship of importance, but you are not backing down. Take your time with things, and do try to keep things balanced, so as to err on the side of wisdom.
The unknown awaits you just on the other side of December, Pisces. Your new beginning is here this month, and you will pull out all the stops to create the abundance you desire. Hopes and dreams, here you come. Success is a given. However, once the changes come, your mind turns to what comes next. You have come so far, but you wish for so much more.
As October begins, with so much Libra energy in the air, maintaining balance in your life will come with greater ease. You will be able to juggle your personal, work, and home priorities, perhaps even find the time to engage in activity which will benefit your health, all while keeping your focus on your hopes and dreams. It appears to be no small feat, for what you are creating is for the long haul; do not rush it, for you will find an incredible opportunity awaits you between the Full and New Moons.
This month, you are tackling whatever barriers remain between you and what you have been longing for in your life. You are securing a better position for yourself against all struggles, and the mind shall have the clarity to achieve the desires of the heart. At the time of the Full Moon, do not allow your fears to stand in the way of your journey; release them, and dare to embrace the changes which await.
Around the third week of the month, you will achieve a major coup when it comes to manifestation. The pain and heartache of recent years will be dead and buried, as you close that door and take back your power. Your future is calling you, and it is cozy, secure and inviting. You will feel as though the Universe finally passed you the keys to begin unlocking the doors which have failed to open for you in the past.
Fairy godmothers, magic lamps with genies, whatever myth or deity you choose, you will feel the light coming in and the warmth and compassion of the Universe bestowed upon you. You are free to go now; perhaps it does not seem real and you still fear the Universe will take back all those keys. It will not. Forget about what was, and focus toward what is coming. Never take for granted what you have; for now, you have driven the major challenges away. You have recovered and it is time to see what lies behind door number one.
Aries, it is time to take charge of your life! Your fears about the future should begin to dissipate around the Full Moon in your sign on the 5th. Structure, at times, may seem too confining and rigid to you, but building solid relationships can lead to bigger and better things. Focus toward the new memories you can make and know that you can not win them all, but there will be commitments worth treasuring and keeping. Make your goal to surround yourself with the right people to help you meet any challenges which come your way.
This is a month of immense change for you, Taurus. If there has been a picture in your mind of how life should be, and you can’t seem to break into that picture, rather feeling like you have been on the outside looking in, then you are going to choose to move on from it. The hard times of recent years have challenged your goals, but, this month, the doors finally start opening. You will need to make a choice in direction somewhere around the 10th of the month; luck turns in your favor and the Universe bestows upon you that which would make you happy. Do not allow the past to get in your way; be ready to go for it at a moment’s notice.
Gemini, conceivably, October is probably the biggest month to strive for some balance in your life. Whether it has been all work and no play, or vice versa, the Universe prompts you to take time out to smell the roses. Learn to balance the fun and the hard work, and maintain a generous and compassionate demeanor, if you wish to overcome any difficulties you have been facing. Remain grounded, for, by the time the Sun is leaving Libra, and moreso when you have entered November, you will feel as though you are back in the saddle again, and the balance you are seeking will have found you.
There appears to be a great deal at stake this month, Cancer. Change, as daunting as it may seem to you, is inevitable, and will ultimately provide you with the means to create the life for which you have been secretly wishing. Do not let your fears stand in the way of your hopes and dreams. This is a time of creation, and you are the one doing the creating. Put your head down and simply power through to victory; you will still be able to nurture those you love from this new vantage point which is coming.
Leo, the time has come to achieve balance over the hard times. A visit with the realities of cause and effect will help you determine what types of changes would be in your best interest at this time. Your hopes and dreams sail straight ahead in October, and you may feel, no matter how heavy the load, that you are racing to the Finish Line. Tears of joy may consume you at some point, as you encounter the possibility of manifesting some true, down-to-earth security for yourself. You are finally seeing things in a different light, and freeing yourself from outdated ways of being. New beginnings are on the horizon.
You are going to clean house in October, Virgo. Not your literal house, but the issues of your life which have been holding you up, you shall be tackling with a vengeance. Biting your tongue may be in your best interest, as you work in a behind-the-scenes fashion to achieve your victory. Don’t let the cat out of the bag, and you will definitely come out on top, just in time for the New Moon on the 19th. Hopes and dreams here you come; do not allow any disappointments over what was just lost to weigh you down. Shift your focus to what you do have and begin to look at life from a totally new perspective.
Libra, this is indeed your month. Any relationships attached to hard times you have experienced are coming to an end. It is time for you to close the door. Perhaps it has taken you a while due to a desire to achieve balance, but you have learned valuable lessons and will have the clarity to cut yourself loose from any union which does not serve your best interest. There is not a great deal of time to be spent mourning the loss; you have so much work to do, choices to be made, and roads to be traveled.
October feels much like a tempest in a teapot, Scorpio, but in a good way. You creatively find a way to make things happen, and life feels like it goes from zero to 60 in an instant. You are striking a balance in your favor at the time of the Full Moon on the 5th, and by the time the Sun is entering your sign, you are celebrating the elimination of the hard times. You may find yourself sitting and pondering how achieving your heart’s desire could have been so painful, but you are finally setting yoursel free. The time has arrived to take back your life and move on to the next adventure.
Sagittarius, cue a little SNAP, ‘I’ve Got the Power’, as the month of October begins! You are bursting with creativity in the first three weeks, and will surely hit your mark, with a little help from the Univese. Do your best to rein in your impulses and stay even keeled, using the Libra energy available to you. Do not overextend yourself, for, by the time the Sun enters Scorpio, you may very well crash and burn.
Do not allow your doubts and fears to get in the way of your hopes and dreams, Capricorn. If you have a day where you feel as though you have been through the wringer, then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go reclaim your power. Patience may be required with solutions for the changes you seek, but you are winning in the long run. Do not let idle gossip infuriate you, or put you in the middle of a heated argument. Look past the smokescreen, and the deceptive masks everyone wears. Do your part, and do your job to the best of your ability. Do not engage in the fight, and continue to hold your head high and bite your tongue.
Aquarius, if something did not work out, forget about it. So much more awaits you, and it is possible to achieve a new beginning in more than one area of your life. Think of it all as your karmic due, as you see good luck come rolling in your direction. Appreciate the divine timing of the Universe, and its system of checks and balances. You are making an important decision toward your goals, which is playing out between the Full Moon and the New Moon. You will feel more at peace by the end of October, as you manage to put an issue to rest, once and for all.
Keep on doing what you are doing, Pisces. The Universe recognizes your hard work and care which has been expended toward your goals. The stars align in your favor this month, allowing your wishes to win out over the hard times. Between the Full Moon and the New Moon, you are closing a very heavy door. This is fate knocking, telling you it is time for the next great adventure. This is a very powerful, energetic time for you; do your best to remain grounded and keep all important projects in your life on your radar.
This entry was posted in Astro-Tarot, Full Moon, General Tarot, Love and Finance, New Moon, Patreon, Readings, YouTube Videos and tagged Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Tarot, Taurus, Virgo.
In spite of erratic events which can seemingly create chaos, this is a very positive eclipse season. Your main focus has been your security for some time now, and not only for yourself, but within home and family, where perhaps things were a bit strained for a while. Your beliefs have really head you steady and guided you through this; that one issue which looms over you will bring a reality check, prompting you to figure things out in order to move on toward a new beginning. The Universe has a very big hand in this, setting you up to celebrate your freedom from any issues by some time in November. Maintain clarity and keep your priorities straight when bringing in the changes which propel you toward the new identity you seek.
Diagramming everything, or basically laying it all out before you, will enable you to bring your wishes to fruition. That issue which keeps jabbing at you will require that you set aside enough time for yourself to deal with it, no matter how much of yourself you are accustomed to giving to others. Your wishes do come true, but not at this eclipse. However, your actions at this time are what bring them to you, allowing you to breathe and relax in a few months.
Stand up, take charge, and see everything as it truly is; do not allow yourself to be mesmerized by potential choices and any confusion they may create. This month, you will see that this Full Moon allows you to turn your back on something significant related to your past. At one time, it may have been important to you, but its use is done, and it is time for you to see what is out there waiting for you. The Universe is helping to set these things up for you, and you will feel much more grounded in the coming weeks as you take a practical approach to the changes you are trying to effect.
This entry was posted in Full Moon, General Tarot, Love and Finance, Patreon, Readings, YouTube Videos and tagged Aquarius, Full Moon, Guidance, Lunar Eclipse, Path, Reading, Tarot. | 2019-04-21T19:35:11Z | https://tarotbycecelia.com/tag/aquarius/page/2/ |
While roaming profiles might sound like nirvana to some, they are a real and tangible problem to others. In particular, users of mobile computing tools, where often there may not be a sustained network connection, are often better served by purely local profiles. This chapter provides information to help the Samba administrator deal with those situations.
Roaming profiles support is different for Windows 9x/Me and Windows NT4/200x.
Before discussing how to configure roaming profiles, it is useful to see how Windows 9x/Me and Windows NT4/200x clients implement these features.
Windows 9x/Me clients send a NetUserGetInfo request to the server to get the user's profiles location. However, the response does not have room for a separate profiles location field, only the user's home share. This means that Windows 9x/Me profiles are restricted to being stored in the user's home directory.
Windows NT4/200x clients send a NetSAMLogon RPC request, which contains many fields including a separate field for the location of the user's profiles.
This section documents how to configure Samba for MS Windows client profile support.
where “%L” translates to the name of the Samba server and “%U” translates to the username.
The default for this option is \\%N\%U\profile, namely, \\sambaserver\username\profile. The \\%N\%U service is created automatically by the [homes] service. If you are using a Samba server for the profiles, you must make the share that is specified in the logon path browseable. Please refer to the man page for smb.conf regarding the different semantics of “%L” and “%N”, as well as “%U” and “%u”.
MS Windows NT/200x clients at times do not disconnect a connection to a server between logons. It is recommended to not use the homes metaservice name as part of the profile share path.
To support Windows 9x/Me clients, you must use the logon home parameter. Samba has been fixed so net use /home now works as well and it, too, relies on the logon home parameter.
then your Windows 9x/Me clients will dutifully put their clients in a subdirectory of your home directory called .profiles (making them hidden).
Not only that, but net use /home will also work because of a feature in Windows 9x/Me. It removes any directory stuff off the end of the home directory area and only uses the server and share portion. That is, it looks like you specified \\%L\%U for logon home.
Windows 9x/Me and NT4 and later profiles should not be stored in the same location because Windows NT4 and later will experience problems with mixed profile environments.
The arguments to these parameters must be left blank. It is necessary to include the = sign to specifically assign the empty value.
From the start menu right-click on the My Computer icon, select Properties, click on the User Profiles tab, select the profile you wish to change from Roaming type to Local, and click on Change Type.
Consult the MS Windows registry guide for your particular MS Windows version for more information about which registry keys to change to enforce use of only local user profiles.
The specifics of how to convert a local profile to a roaming profile, or a roaming profile to a local one, vary according to the version of MS Windows you are running. Consult the Microsoft MS Windows Resource Kit for your version of Windows for specific information.
When a user first logs in on Windows 9x, the file user.DAT is created, as are folders Start Menu, Desktop, Programs, and Nethood. These directories and their contents will be merged with the local versions stored in c:\windows\profiles\username on subsequent logins, taking the most recent from each. You will need to use the [global] options preserve case = yes, short preserve case = yes, and case sensitive = no in order to maintain capital letters in shortcuts in any of the profile folders.
The user.DAT file contains all the user's preferences. If you wish to enforce a set of preferences, rename their user.DAT file to user.MAN, and deny them write access to this file.
On the Windows 9x/Me machine, go to Control Panel -> Passwords and select the User Profiles tab. Select the required level of roaming preferences. Press OK, but do not allow the computer to reboot.
On the Windows 9x/Me machine, go to Control Panel -> Network -> Client for Microsoft Networks -> Preferences. Select Log on to NT Domain. Then, ensure that the Primary Logon is Client for Microsoft Networks. Press OK, and this time allow the computer to reboot.
Under Windows 9x/Me, profiles are downloaded from the Primary Logon. If you have the Primary Logon as “Client for Novell Networks”, then the profiles and logon script will be downloaded from your Novell server. If you have the Primary Logon as “Windows Logon”, then the profiles will be loaded from the local machine a bit against the concept of roaming profiles, it would seem!
You will now find that the Microsoft Networks Login box contains [user, password, domain] instead of just [user, password]. Type in the Samba server's domain name (or any other domain known to exist, but bear in mind that the user will be authenticated against this domain and profiles downloaded from it if that domain logon server supports it), user name and user's password.
Once the user has been successfully validated, the Windows 9x/Me machine informs you that The user has not logged on before and asks Do you wish to save the user's preferences? Select Yes.
Once the Windows 9x/Me client comes up with the desktop, you should be able to examine the contents of the directory specified in the logon path on the Samba server and verify that the Desktop, Start Menu, Programs, and Nethood folders have been created.
These folders will be cached locally on the client and updated when the user logs off (if you haven't made them read-only by then). You will find that if the user creates further folders or shortcuts, the client will merge the profile contents downloaded with the contents of the profile directory already on the local client, taking the newest folders and shortcut from each set.
If you have made the folders/files read-only on the Samba server, then you will get errors from the Windows 9x/Me machine on logon and logout as it attempts to merge the local and remote profile. Basically, if you have any errors reported by the Windows 9x/Me machine, check the UNIX file permissions and ownership rights on the profile directory contents, on the Samba server.
If you have problems creating user profiles, you can reset the user's local desktop cache, as shown below. When this user next logs in, the user will be told that he/she is logging in “for the first time”.
Instead of logging in under the [user, password, domain] dialog, press escape.
You will find an entry for each user of ProfilePath. Note the contents of this key (likely to be c:\windows\profiles\username), then delete the key ProfilePath for the required user.
Search for the user's .PWL password-caching file in the c:\windows directory, and delete it.
Log off the Windows 9x/Me client.
Check the contents of the profile path (see logon path described above) and delete the user.DAT or user.MAN file for the user, making a backup if required.
Before deleting the contents of the directory listed in the ProfilePath (this is likely to be c:\windows\profiles\username), ask whether the owner has any important files stored on his or her desktop or start menu. Delete the contents of the directory ProfilePath (making a backup if any of the files are needed).
This will have the effect of removing the local (read-only hidden system file) user.DAT in their profile directory, as well as the local “desktop,” “nethood,” “start menu,” and “programs” folders.
If all else fails, increase Samba's debug log levels to between 3 and 10, and/or run a packet sniffer program such as ethereal or netmon.exe, and look for error messages.
If you have access to an Windows NT4/200x server, then first set up roaming profiles and/or netlogons on the Windows NT4/200x server. Make a packet trace, or examine the example packet traces provided with Windows NT4/200x server, and see what the differences are with the equivalent Samba trace.
When a user first logs in to a Windows NT workstation, the profile NTuser.DAT is created. The profile location can be now specified through the logon path parameter.
There is a parameter that is now available for use with NT Profiles: logon drive. This should be set to H: or any other drive, and should be used in conjunction with the new logon home parameter.
The entry for the NT4 profile is a directory, not a file. The NT help on profiles mentions that a directory is also created with a .PDS extension. The user, while logging in, must have write permission to create the full profile path (and the folder with the .PDS extension for those situations where it might be created).
In the profile directory, Windows NT4 creates more folders than Windows 9x/Me. It creates Application Data and others, as well as Desktop, Nethood, Start Menu, and Programs. The profile itself is stored in a file NTuser.DAT. Nothing appears to be stored in the .PDS directory, and its purpose is currently unknown.
You can use the System Control Panel to copy a local profile onto a Samba server (see NT help on profiles; it is also capable of firing up the correct location in the System Control Panel for you). The NT help file also mentions that renaming NTuser.DAT to NTuser.MAN turns a profile into a mandatory one.
The case of the profile is significant. The file must be called NTuser.DAT or, for a mandatory profile, NTuser.MAN.
Log on as the local workstation administrator.
Right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties.
Click on the User Profiles tab.
Select the profile you wish to convert (click it once).
Click on the Copy To button.
In the Permitted to use box, click on the Change button.
Click on the Look in area that lists the machine name. When you click here, it will open up a selection box. Click on the domain to which the profile must be accessible.
You will need to log on if a logon box opens up. For example, connect as DOMAIN\root, password: mypassword.
To make the profile capable of being used by anyone, select “Everyone”.
Click on OK and the Selection box will close.
Now click on OK to create the profile in the path you nominated.
Done. You now have a profile that can be edited using the Samba profiles tool.
Under Windows NT/200x, the use of mandatory profiles forces the use of MS Exchange storage of mail data and keeps it out of the desktop profile. That keeps desktop profiles from becoming unusable.
This should be set to Enabled.
Does the new version of Samba have an Active Directory analogue? If so, then you may be able to set the policy through this.
On the XP workstation, log in with an administrative account.
Click on Start -> Run.
A Microsoft Management Console should appear.
Click on File -> Add/Remove Snap-in -> Add.
Click on Finish -> Close.
In the “Console Root” window expand Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> User Profiles.
Double-click on Do not check for user ownership of Roaming Profile Folders.
Close the whole console. You do not need to save the settings (this refers to the console settings rather than the policies you have changed).
There are certain situations that cause a cached local copy of roaming profile not to be deleted on exit, even if the policy to force such deletion is set. To deal with that situation, a special service was created. The application UPHClean (User Profile Hive Cleanup) can be installed as a service on Windows NT4/2000/XP Professional and Windows 2003.
The UPHClean software package can be downloaded from the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service web site.
Sharing of desktop profiles between Windows versions is not recommended. Desktop profiles are an evolving phenomenon, and profiles for later versions of MS Windows clients add features that may interfere with earlier versions of MS Windows clients. Probably the more salient reason to not mix profiles is that when logging off an earlier version of MS Windows, the older format of profile contents may overwrite information that belongs to the newer version, resulting in loss of profile information content when that user logs on again with the newer version of MS Windows.
If you then want to share the same Start Menu and Desktop with Windows 9x/Me, you must specify a common location for the profiles. The smb.conf parameters that need to be common are logon path and logon home.
If you have this set up correctly, you will find separate user.DAT and NTuser.DAT files in the same profile directory.
There is nothing to stop you from specifying any path that you like for the location of users' profiles. Therefore, you could specify that the profile be stored on a Samba server or any other SMB server, as long as that SMB server supports encrypted passwords.
Unfortunately, the resource kit information is specific to the version of MS Windows NT4/200x. The correct resource kit is required for each platform.
On your NT4 domain controller, right-click on My Computer, then select Properties, then the tab labeled User Profiles.
Select a user profile you want to migrate and click on it.
I am using the term “migrate” loosely. You can copy a profile to create a group profile. You can give the user Everyone rights to the profile you copy this to. That is what you need to do, since your Samba domain is not a member of a trust relationship with your NT4 PDC.
Click on Change in the Permitted to use box.
Click on the group “Everyone”, click on OK. This closes the “choose user” box.
Follow these steps for every profile you need to migrate.
You should obtain the SID of your NT4 domain. You can use the net rpc info to do this. See The Net Command Chapter, Other Miscellaneous Operations for more information.
The Windows 200x professional resource kit has moveuser.exe. moveuser.exe changes the security of a profile from one user to another. This allows the account domain to change and/or the username to change.
This command is like the Samba profiles tool.
You can identify the SID by using GetSID.exe from the Windows NT Server 4.0 Resource Kit.
Under the ProfileList key, there will be subkeys named with the SIDs of the users who have logged on to this computer. (To find the profile information for the user whose locally cached profile you want to move, find the SID for the user with the GetSID.exe utility.) Inside the appropriate user's subkey, you will see a string value named ProfileImagePath.
A mandatory profile is a profile that the user does not have the ability to overwrite. During the user's session, it may be possible to change the desktop environment; however, as the user logs out, all changes made will be lost. If it is desired to not allow the user any ability to change the desktop environment, then this must be done through policy settings. See System and Account Policies.
Under NO circumstances should the profile directory (or its contents) be made read-only because this may render the profile unusable. Where it is essential to make a profile read-only within the UNIX file system, this can be done, but then you absolutely must use the fake-permissions VFS module to instruct MS Windows NT/200x/XP clients that the Profile has write permission for the user. See fake_perms VFS module.
For MS Windows NT4/200x/XP, the procedure shown in Profile Migration from Windows NT4/200x Server to Samba can also be used to create mandatory profiles. To convert a group profile into a mandatory profile, simply locate the NTUser.DAT file in the copied profile and rename it to NTUser.MAN.
For MS Windows 9x/Me, it is the User.DAT file that must be renamed to User.MAN to effect a mandatory profile.
Most organizations are arranged into departments. There is a nice benefit in this fact, since usually most users in a department require the same desktop applications and the same desktop layout. MS Windows NT4/200x/XP will allow the use of group profiles. A group profile is a profile that is created first using a template (example) user. Then using the profile migration tool (see above), the profile is assigned access rights for the user group that needs to be given access to the group profile.
The next step is rather important. Instead of assigning a group profile to users (Using User Manager) on a “per-user” basis, the group itself is assigned the now modified profile.
Be careful with group profiles. If the user who is a member of a group also has a personal profile, then the result will be a fusion (merge) of the two.
MS Windows 9x/Me and NT4/200x/XP will use a default profile for any user for whom a profile does not already exist. Armed with a knowledge of where the default profile is located on the Windows workstation, and knowing which registry keys affect the path from which the default profile is created, it is possible to modify the default profile to one that has been optimized for the site. This has significant administrative advantages.
To enable default per-use profiles in Windows 9x/Me, you can either use the Windows 98 System Policy Editor or change the registry directly.
To enable default per-user profiles in Windows 9x/Me, launch the System Policy Editor, then select File -> Open Registry. Next click on the Local Computer icon, click on Windows 98 System, select User Profiles, and click on the enable box. Remember to save the registry changes.
To modify the registry directly, launch the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and select the hive HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon. Now add a DWORD type key with the name “User Profiles.” To enable user profiles to set the value to 1; to disable user profiles set it to 0.
When a user logs on to a Windows 9x/Me machine, the local profile path, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProfileList, is checked for an existing entry for that user.
If the user has an entry in this registry location, Windows 9x/Me checks for a locally cached version of the user profile. Windows 9x/Me also checks the user's home directory (or other specified directory if the location has been modified) on the server for the user profile. If a profile exists in both locations, the newer of the two is used. If the user profile exists on the server but does not exist on the local machine, the profile on the server is downloaded and used. If the user profile only exists on the local machine, that copy is used.
If a user profile is not found in either location, the default user profile from the Windows 9x/Me machine is used and copied to a newly created folder for the logged on user. At log off, any changes that the user made are written to the user's local profile. If the user has a roaming profile, the changes are written to the user's profile on the server.
On MS Windows NT4, the default user profile is obtained from the location %SystemRoot%\Profiles, which in a default installation will translate to C:\Windows NT\Profiles. Under this directory on a clean install, there will be three directories: Administrator, All Users, and Default User.
The All Users directory contains menu settings that are common across all system users. The Default User directory contains menu entries that are customizable per user depending on the profile settings chosen/created.
Default User settings (contains the default NTUser.DAT file).
The user's account information that is obtained during the logon process contains the location of the user's desktop profile. The profile path may be local to the machine or it may be located on a network share. If there exists a profile at the location of the path from the user account, then this profile is copied to the location %SystemRoot%\Profiles\%USERNAME%. This profile then inherits the settings in the All Users profile in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles location.
If the user account has a profile path, but at its location a profile does not exist, then a new profile is created in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles\%USERNAME% directory from reading the Default User profile.
If the NETLOGON share on the authenticating server (logon server) contains a policy file (NTConfig.POL), then its contents are applied to the NTUser.DAT, which is applied to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER part of the registry.
When the user logs out, if the profile is set to be a roaming profile, it will be written out to the location of the profile. The NTuser.DAT file is then re-created from the contents of the HKEY_CURRENT_USER contents. Thus, should there not exist in the NETLOGON share an NTConfig.POL at the next logon, the effect of the previous NTConfig.POL will still be held in the profile. The effect of this is known as tattooing.
In this case, the local copy (in %SystemRoot%\Profiles\%USERNAME%) will be deleted on logout.
Under MS Windows NT4, default locations for common resources like My Documents may be redirected to a network share by modifying the following registry keys. These changes may be made via use of the System Policy Editor. To do so may require that you create your own template extension for the Policy Editor to allow this to be done through the GUI. Another way to do this is by first creating a default user profile, then while logged in as that user, running regedt32 to edit the key settings.
The above hive key contains a list of automatically managed folders. The default entries are shown in the next table.
The default entries are shown in Defaults of Profile Settings Registry Keys.
MS Windows XP Home Edition does use default per-user profiles, but cannot participate in domain security, cannot log onto an NT/ADS-style domain, and thus can obtain the profile only from itself. While there are benefits in doing this, the beauty of those MS Windows clients that can participate in domain logon processes is that they allow the administrator to create a global default profile and enforce it through the use of Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
When a new user first logs onto an MS Windows 200x/XP machine, the default profile is obtained from C:\Documents and Settings\Default User. The administrator can modify or change the contents of this location, and MS Windows 200x/XP will gladly use it. This is far from the optimum arrangement, since it will involve copying a new default profile to every MS Windows 200x/XP client workstation.
When MS Windows 200x/XP participates in a domain security context, and if the default user profile is not found, then the client will search for a default profile in the NETLOGON share of the authenticating server. In MS Windows parlance, it is %LOGONSERVER%\NETLOGON\Default User, and if one exists there, it will copy this to the workstation in the C:\Documents and Settings\ under the Windows login name of the use.
This path translates, in Samba parlance, to the smb.conf [NETLOGON] share. The directory should be created at the root of this share and must be called Default User.
If a default profile does not exist in this location, then MS Windows 200x/XP will use the local default profile.
On logging out, the user's desktop profile is stored to the location specified in the registry settings that pertain to the user. If no specific policies have been created or passed to the client during the login process (as Samba does automatically), then the user's profile is written to the local machine only under the path C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%.
Modify the registry keys on the local machine manually and place the new default profile in the NETLOGON share root. This is not recommended because it is maintenance intensive.
Create an NT4-style NTConfig.POL file that specifies this behavior and locate this file in the root of the NETLOGON share along with the new default profile.
Create a GPO that enforces this through Active Directory, and place the new default profile in the NETLOGON share.
There is also an entry called “Default” that has no value set. The default entry is of type REG_SZ; all the others are of type REG_EXPAND_SZ.
It makes a huge difference to the speed of handling roaming user profiles if all the folders are stored on a dedicated location on a network server. This means that it will not be necessary to write the Outlook PST file over the network for every login and logout.
in which case the default folders are stored in the server named SambaServer in the share called FolderShare under a directory that has the name of the MS Windows user as seen by the Linux/UNIX file system.
Please note that once you have created a default profile share, you must migrate a user's profile (default or custom) to it.
In this case, the local cache copy is deleted on logout.
The following are some typical errors, problems, and questions that have been asked on the Samba mailing lists.
With Samba-2.2.x, the choice you have is to enable or disable roaming profiles support. It is a global-only setting. The default is to have roaming profiles, and the default path will locate them in the user's home directory.
If disabled globally, then no one will have roaming profile ability. If enabled and you want it to apply only to certain machines, then on those machines on which roaming profile support is not wanted, it is necessary to disable roaming profile handling in the registry of each such machine.
With Samba-3, you can have a global profile setting in smb.conf, and you can override this by per-user settings using the Domain User Manager (as with MS Windows NT4/200x).
A profile unique to that user.
A mandatory profile (one the user cannot change).
A group profile (really should be mandatory that is, unchangable).
I know of no registry keys that will allow autodeletion of LOCAL profiles on log out.
As a user logs onto the network, a centrally stored profile is copied to the workstation to form a local profile. This local profile will persist (remain on the workstation disk) unless a registry key is changed that will cause this profile to be automatically deleted on logout.
These are typically stored in a profile share on a central (or conveniently located local) server.
Workstations cache (store) a local copy of the profile. This cached copy is used when the profile cannot be downloaded at next logon.
These are loaded from a central profile server.
Mandatory profiles can be created for a user as well as for any group that a user is a member of. Mandatory profiles cannot be changed by ordinary users. Only the administrator can change or reconfigure a mandatory profile.
A Windows NT4/200x/XP profile can vary in size from 130KB to very large. Outlook PST files are most often part of the profile and can be many gigabytes in size. On average (in a well controlled environment), roaming profile size of 2MB is a good rule of thumb to use for planning purposes. In an undisciplined environment, I have seen up to 2GB profiles. Users tend to complain when it takes an hour to log onto a workstation, but they harvest the fruits of folly (and ignorance).
The point of this discussion is to show that roaming profiles and good controls of how they can be changed as well as good discipline make for a problem-free site.
Microsoft's answer to the PST problem is to store all email in an MS Exchange Server backend. This removes the need for a PST file.
If each machine is used by many users, then much local disk storage is needed for local profiles.
Every workstation the user logs into has its own profile; these can be very different from machine to machine.
The network administrator can control the desktop environment of all users.
Use of mandatory profiles drastically reduces network management overheads.
In the long run, users will experience fewer problems.
There must be a [netlogon] share that is world readable. It is a good idea to add a logon script to preset printer and drive connections. There is also a facility for automatically synchronizing the workstation time clock with that of the logon server (another good thing to do).
To invoke autodeletion of roaming profiles from the local workstation cache (disk storage), use the Group Policy Editor to create a file called NTConfig.POL with the appropriate entries. This file needs to be located in the netlogon share root directory.
Windows clients need to be members of the domain. Workgroup machines do not use network logons, so they do not interoperate with domain profiles.
# This requires a PROFILES share that is world writable.
Roaming profiles and domain policies are implemented via USERENV.DLL. Microsoft Knowledge Base articles 221833 and 154120 describe how to instruct that DLL to debug the login process. | 2019-04-18T21:22:43Z | http://www.kc4sw.com/docs/samba/Samba3-HOWTO/ProfileMgmt.html |
The average American battles seven to 10 years with a hearing loss prior to getting the help he or she needs. Individuals commonly do not know who to look to for assistance. They are reluctant to do anything regarding their hearing since they do not understand who to depend on. The primary step in seeking better hearing is to confess you may have a hearing issue. The second step is to have a detailed hearing examination. This testing is ruled out a clinical evaluation. Ought to your case history or initial hearing examination show a clinical issue, you would instantly be referred to a medical professional for clinical interest. The hearing test is normally done as a free service with no charge to the customer. Listening devices are commonly fit through a retail model of giving.
Audiologists, on the various other hands, are extensively educated for analysis testing. Several however not all audiologists hold 2 licenses one for diagnostic testing as well as the various other for the fitting of listening device. The cost of this screening varies from $75-$ 150, and also are usually fit with a clinical version of giving. Whether you choose to work with a certified hearing aid dispenser or an accredited audiologist, I will describe them both as Hearing Health Providers for the remainder of the column, the success of your fitting calls for 4 essential active ingredients. The active ingredients for a successful fitting are.
A determined as well as enlightened customer.
The best hearing aid technology.
A completely experienced and caring expert.
If one of these components is missing out on or perhaps weak, it endangers your installation. Allows review each so that you can be notified! Discover all you can about hearing loss your particular hearing loss. Attend regional seminars or classes and also check out up on hearing loss in general. Be sure to obtain at least 2 opinions prior to you spend in hearing instruments. The right hearing aid innovation choosing the best hearing aid circuit for your hearing loss is crucial. In the past, too many individuals were fit with hearing aids that were pure amplifiers, making whatever louder but not always more clear. Choosing the proper technology considers your one-of-a-kind hearing loss, your way of life needs and also even your budget. Check here for more useful information hearingaidknow.com.
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How to check you are getting the Cheapest Electricity Prices?
A good friend who operates in the securities market when told me he would keep an eye on the weather forecasts along the Rhine in Germany to see how difficult it was going to rain. If the yearly rains dropped below a certain level at the height of summertime, then the Rhine dries up, sometimes decreasing the deepness of water along the river by several meters. If the water degree goes down also significantly then oil tankers cannot travel far sufficient along the river to transfer their cargo; consequentially, the oil supply is restricted. Need remains consistent but now there is insufficient supply to please need, which pushes gas and also power costs up. The level of water in the Rhine can have a trickle-down impact on the power rates in the UK – that is the truth of the international energy market.
For the average customer, maintaining an eye on the local weather projections in Cologne is not a functional remedy to judging how finest to make financial savings and find the finest electrical power prices. In truth, this type of professional understanding is best left to the specialists and consumers need to stick to a less rigorous set of standards to watch. Among the very easy things you can do is keep track of when power service providers transform their tariffs for electricity rates. These are seldom introduced in extensive ad campaign yet are much most likely to happen on a firm press release that will certainly go mainly unnoticed to the reckless onlooker. Registering to the cost-free e-newsletter from the leading energy suppliers in the UK is an easy way to obtain routine updates sent out to your email address from providers announcing the new tariff modifications.
If you do not want to be spammed with regular e-mails from energy companies, you can choose to inspect by hand by going to each company’s internet site. Each service provider will have an information or media area devoted to their press releases which you can check as often as you like to remain on top of which company presently has the best power rates. Obviously, you can save yourself time by using a price contrast site in order to filter via the existing prices of the day to see which service provider is the least expensive. When you find an inexpensive carrier with affordable power costs, get yourself switched on to a brand-new tariff and take pleasure in more affordable energy, without needing to stress over the water degrees in the Rhine. Click to read more strompriser123.wordpress.com and gain ideas.
In today’s interactions market, customization and targeting of unique services to individual subscribers ultimately drives success. MNOs are exploring ways to leverage their assets, mostly client information, to produce very tailored mobile solutions like customer data management. The smart phone has actually come to be a highly valuable product for the end-user for the storage space of their get in touches with, messages and favorite content; it is an important part of their individual & service life. The phone and its data are susceptible to loss or burglary, endangering business that it generates for the MNO.
Whether it is for individual or service communication, over 4 billion mobile phone users worldwide are benefiting from the constant networked connections available to them through mobile operator solutions. The mobile phone and SIM have ended up being vital devices to manage your get in touches with and arrange daily tasks. Nowadays, our mobile phone typically shops not just our calls’ telephone number, however also images, Mp3 data, birthday celebrations, and far more. What takes place if the mobile phone and consequently the SIM Card are damaged or lost?
According to studies, it takes about 6 months on a standard, for the client to completely restore the contacts and have the very same usage level as before the loss. This causes considerable loss of income that the mobile operator can have gained. Reliable customer data management is for that reason vital for a mobile driver’s continued revenue generation. The 안전놀이터 Data Management solution covers numerous vital areas of data sharing, defense and management to relieve client concerns and provide optimized performance and solution reliability from the mobile operator.
SDM software helps with the collection and gathering of client data throughout a series of networks, applications, and databases, and functions as a central database for aggregated subscriber data. This is a remote backup solution that allows individuals to conserve their call numbers and pictures and other data from the Mobile and SIM card over the air to a streamlined, safeguarded storage site.
The option uses Sync, the mobile data synchronization (DS) standard made use of by mobile device producers worldwide, to integrate the mobile device data with the backend web server. When the subscriber registers, the mobile phone is detected and SyncML setup is sent to configure the tool. Beyond, there is a Java ™ applet on the customer (U) SIM cards, which detects any kind of changes in the (U) SIM phone book and enables to integrate with the backend web server. As client mobile data usage and quality assumptions expand, the capacities that SDM technology uses, combined with innovative policy controls and customer data analysis, will certainly be important for drivers to proactively satisfy client needs, take care of network resources, and maintain premium solution.
The reason why you surely want VPN?
VPN is surely an abbreviation for virtual private group. For quite a few individuals, these are somewhat puzzling affairs. An online exclusive community essentially is available to be sure that individuals could possibly get to shield resources over unprotected relationships. The obvious example of this is accessing a secure community from a remote control position utilizing the Web as the types of hyperlink. The VPN would fundamentally work as the passage that would certainly protected each of the information and facts becoming dealt and cover the job from snoopers in so doing.
Whilst small VPN option providers have basically been out there for instead a while, there has not yet continuously been a need for solutions amidst daily consumers. By and large, VPN alternatives were utilized by staff getting access to business web machines as well as other info over the internet before. Should you be freelance as numerous people inside the technologies field are, developing a VPN offers you with a technique to entry your house host details if you are in the offices of consumers. You happen to be generally making use of the VPN web server from the opposite of the means it is generally used in this sort of situations.
A VPN can provide a means to access your computer without positioning it out on the internet. Should you demand so as to accessibility personalized details if you are out contributing to, a VPN will offer you together with the capacity? The principal benefit of a Express VPN that firms have really been appreciating for many years is definitely the truth that you can use it as a way of making use of openly easily available networking sites to we blink private places. This is a big cost conserving determine and, if you want to have the opportunity to gain access to goods from your computer that becomes upon an special group however that you do not need to share with you publicly, a VPN is considered the most obvious remedy provided for you.
The organization offering VPN alternatives permit a number of forms of balances, data transfer use sums and also other factors. You need to have the capability to locate anything from within the a number of products that suits your small business or private specifications relatively effectively. These types of services are really cost-effective at present and having them accessible methods you continuously have accessibility to vital particulars on a unique resource, no matter where you have location to be situated.
While running a company Folks feel the need of a complete campaign that is the agencies are increasing in number. However small your requirements, you would need your investment to turn into a one. There are a number of businessmen who make the mistake of opting for a graphic designer or a marketer to get their job done. However, a individual cannot take care of every detail a creative agency’s necessity. Agencies come in all Sizes and shapes that are sufficient to show that their prices would differ. Whatever be the sort for it is critical to make sure it is a complete staff which you go. The design bureau is preferable for you would be offered scope of communication your requirements by them. An important sort of web is of which number of business people is enjoying professional services, the business.
It is the Power of the Web which is dominant. Internet has the capability to reach out to masses in no time and with increased efficiency. That is why a growing number of people capitalize on the power of Internet for their advantage. The digital web design service can help to raise each company’s brand power online. They have the capability to create a marketing strategy and design it. They make the layouts that it suits every and each kinds of business.
The power of professional web design agency singapore and the digital creative agency is truly high and is perceived by all people who’ve used these services. Every marketing need of these sites is catered with these agencies. They design appropriate ‘digital’ package that are good for procuring a presence on the internet. This can be done from marketing to New York web design – with the support of various kinds of media techniques. An individual can chose any of these techniques based on the recommendation of the agency and his business requirements.
Often it Folks make investments that are tremendous they do not derive the profits they expect. It is because of the failure of the media that they wind up getting nothing in exchange for the work. Both marketers and companies have realized that clients are interested in media on the internet 21, as everything has moved. Most internet men and women prefer doing their job from the convenience of their dwelling through means. Hence of the web design agency that is digital that is online. These agencies have proved to be effective at the job of directing the firms in the proper direction with marketing strategies and their site.
Currently a digital agency that is creative Has varied responsibilities and it can execute any type of technical development processes and internet creative. Not all of them would provide a package your company would need though you would find an array of agencies who would claim to be good at this. Hence it is seen that a company takes the assistance of an agency while seeking another agencies guidance for developing its marketing strategies. But convenience is required by everyone, and that is precisely what you are given by a excellent agency.
A mobile phone has grown to be easily accessible today, as it can certainly easily fit into most pockets. (pun intended!) a significant mobile phone will be accessible commencing Rs. 2000/- and naturally, the sky is the reduce if you wish a high priced model. Another thing to be aware is the fact cell phone costs are heading down because the market becomes more very competitive.It might have took place that you simply gave your phone in your little niece to experience with and she accidentally erased all your relationships. You now are deprived of all of your crucial associates and you freak out. Well this example could have been averted if you had all of your connections within a back with the company. All providers use a backup vault to store your contacts also it can be current immediately as a result preserving your connections in cases of robbery of the phone or this kind of mishaps. All GSM phone have got a special IMEI which you could find by dialing *#06#. You must preserve this variety and in case there is burglary you just need to supply this quantity to the company of your phone as well as your phone is handicapped which makes it no perception to the stealer to promote it. A lot of phones also provide the center of any safety lock that may conserve your personal documents or perhaps won’t uncover your phone before the code is provided.
There are many crucial health methods for utilizing a mobile phone. You need to make use of kept ear canal while getting in touch with because the proper ears has immediate poor consequences for your human brain. It is really not recommended to use your mobile phone even though it is on charging you since it is connected by way of are living contacts along with the phone could possibly get heated up immediately due to combined relationships.
It is important that you uncover your phone only while using the it. In the event the phone is kept att phone unlock it could cause needless phone calls or deletion of real information and keep in budget or bag. One should be mindful the Wireless Bluetooth is switched off although not being utilized. There are numerous computer viruses producing rounds and one never knows when one of them could strike your phone and disable it. Also it is important to consider data files from a trusted resource. Unquestionably, being mobile hands free although driving will save life by reducing the volume of mishaps concerning reckless car owners who simply are unable to wait around to create a contact or perhaps to write sms messages. They enjoy the convenience that comes with a Wireless Bluetooth mobile headset since they can easily tap about the minuscule product attached to their ears to reply to or end a call. | 2019-04-19T17:00:31Z | http://www.skinnedpuppy.com/category/technology |
The Building Urban Resilience in Southeast Asia project, funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), supports Red Cross Movement partners in Cambodia, Lao, Viet Nam and the Philippines to build the capacities of National Societies, government, school teachers and children, Red Cross youth and volunteers, and partners, through a coherent, regional strategy drawing on good practice and innovation. The action emphasizes gender equity and social inclusion of poor, vulnerable people, including people with disabilities and older people.
The IFRC, in partnership with Finnish, German and Spanish Red Cross societies, brings to the project extensive experience in school safety, public awareness and public education, and risk mapping, with strength in peer support and learning.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Baseline Survey activity is aimed at determining baseline data to develop project activities and to be comparative with the endline survey at the end of project to measure an improvement of the knowledge/awareness and behaviors of people in the communities.
Public awareness and public education for disaster reduction seeks to turn available human knowledge into specific local actions to reduce disaster risks. It mobilizes people through clear messages, supported with detailed information. Hazard awareness alone does not lead directly to people adopting risk-reduction measures.
Documentation of the recommendations to build on DRR in Southeast Asia, which includes priority actions, advocacy messages and strategies to enhance the investment in DRR in the region.
Around 50 participants from various agencies, governments and National Societies took part in the workshop.
Three case studies on School Safety, PAPE and QGIS have been published and ready to be shared with participants attending the Regional Lessons Learned Workshop as well as national and local levels for cross learning.
KAP consultant conducted interview and group discussion with BUR volunteers.
Result 2- Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behaviour, improved preparedness and social change in five wards of Vientiane.
The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice end-line survey was conducted in five target communities during November 2017. On the 4th and 5th November 2017, students from 2 schools (Nasaiythong school and Donnoun school) have been trained on data collection of the KAP survey in order to practice and review questionnaires before going to the field.
The sample site was selected of every unit of village through the list of resident record totaling 348 households, which consists of 54 households from Chanthabuly, 36 households from Sikhodtabong, 50 households from Nasaiythong, 164 households from Donnoun and 32 households from Bo-Oh village.
Volunteers and village office staff have been interviewed by KAP consultant in the field. The result of the KAP End-line Survey will be reported in November.
During the last week of November, the Lao RC DM Team distributed some equipment to five schools to enable them to mitigate identified risks such as fire, mosquito borne diseases, flooding. The assistance consists of some tools for water clogging clearance, garbage cleaning and fire extinguishers.
Result 2- Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behaviour, improved preparedness and social change in five wards of Quy Nhon City.
End of October, the end line KAP survey was conducted in the five project wards and in November the first results were compiled. The results demonstrate that the Behavior Change Communication Campaign meet its objectives. 65% of the targeted population known/ have heard of the campaign. The results show that when the respondents were asked what they would do in case of fire, 37% have quoted five safer behaviors and stated they have started to adopt those behaviors or would adopt them in case of fire. The behaviors listed by the respondents are (i) staying calm in case of fire (37%), (ii) turning off electric devises (46%), (iii) alerting other (63%), (iv) evacuating safely (45%) and (v) extinguishing fire with available materials (44%). Moreover, almost 80% of the population know the correct number to call Fire fighters (they were only 50% at the beginning of the project) and they know the basic information to provide when calling them.
The results also show that the population have adopted (or plan to adopt) the appropriate behaviours for providing first aid to persons affected by fire: for instance, 60% of the respondents answered that they have wrapped or will wrap a person who catch fire with clothe/ cover to kill off the fire, and 81% of the respondents answered that they have or will put the burned limbs of the person under water for 20 minutes.
Result 3- Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in five wards of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh.
The key achievement is the finalization of the QGIS Multi-Hazard risk Mapping Methodology based on the feedbacks gathered from the three piloting countries (Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam).
DANA Training: A Damage and Need Assessment training was organized in Quy Nhon city from 30 October to 2 November involving 33 persons from the Committees for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue (CNDPC&SR) from province, city and ward levels (21 persons, 6F,15M) and the VNRC Provincial Disaster Response Team (13 persons, 3F, 10M). The training was facilitated by two experienced VNRC experts in DANA and 01 staff from the provincial CNDPC&SR and 01 Technical support group at ward level trained in the new QGIS mapping methodology. The participants built their capacity in conducting a Damages and Needs assessment as per VNRC standard and have learned how QGIS risk mapping could contribute to the preparation and reporting phases of the assessment.
PEER CADRE Training: Two PEER CADRE trainings (Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response -Community Action for Disaster Response) were organized in in Nhon Phu and Ghenh Rang wards from 11 to 13 and from 17 to 19 of November involving 2 persons from the city authority and 44 members (13F,31M) of the ward Emergency response Teams. The trainings provided the participants with technical knowledge, demonstrations and practical applications of 03 key skills for emergency response: (1) securing families and preparing for response, (2) Organizing and managing Incident Command System and Triage, (3) Search and Rescue. The trainings also highlighted the added value of QGIS maps for supporting efficient Emergency Response.
Additional QGIS training: an additional training on the new QGIS Multi-Hazard risk Mapping Methodology was organized on the 16-18 Nov involving 32persons (5F,27M) from 16 wards and communes of Binh Dinh Province and 4 persons (2F,2M) from City CNDPC & SC. This additional training was requested by the Province CNDPC&SR in support to a Provincial programme which aims that by 2020 70% of the commune/wards will have develop their Disaster Response Plans. The training was facilitated by 01 staff from the provincial CNDPC&SR and 01 Technical Support Group (TSG) member from the targeted ward. At the end of the training 90% of the participants have increased their skills in QGIS mapping and have acquired the basic skills to develop multi-Hazard risk maps in their own ward/commune.
A Lessons Learned Workshop was organized in Quy Nhon on the 21th of November. The main objectives were to share experiences on (i) the application of QGIS participatory multi-hazard risk mapping methodology for Disaster Prevention and Control planning in Urban Context and (ii) on effective behaviour change communication processes. More specifically, 21 Provincial level staffs (4F, 17M), 3 city level staffs (1F,2M) and 23 ward level authorities (8F,15M) have learned from the project experiences in using the new mapping methodology and have exchanged feedbacks and perspectives upon this new methodology. The workshop also explored how this new methodology will be scaled up at Provincial level. The maps of the five targeted wards were officially handed over to the Provincial standing committee of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue. The workshop was co-facilitated by the VNRC /GRC with the contribution of Quy Nhon wards authorities and TSGs who had used the new methodology.
Official handing over of QGIS maps and methodology to Mr Phan Xuan Hai- Chief of office of Binh Dinh CNDPC & SC . Mr Phan will hold additional trainings to replicate QGIS methodology to 11 remaining districts of Binh Dinh Province with the purpose of developing a DRR map of the whole Binh Dinh province by end 2018.
National Workshop on Urban DRR- 27th of November- Hanoi: On the 27th of Nov, 75 DRR practitioners from the provincial CNDPC&SR and VNRC chapters from 16 disaster prone provinces, the Disaster Management Policy and Technology Centre (DMPTC), the Vietnam Disaster Management Agency (VNDMA), PNS, IFRC, VNRC HQ, INGOs, mass organizations, UNDP, University, and national media (VTV1) attended this event. The morning sessions aimed at sharing the experiences on the application of QGIS participatory multi-hazard risk mapping methodology for Disaster Prevention and Control planning in Urban Context. The participants have learned from the experiences in using the new mapping methodology in Quy Nhon city and have exchanged feedbacks and perspectives upon this new methodology. The workshop also explored how this new methodology will contribute to the National CBDRM Programme and to its revision. The workshop was co-facilitated by the director of the DMPTC, VNRC and GRC with the contribution of Quy Nhon wards authorities and Technical Support Group who had used the new methodology. Madame An, vice President of the VNRC and Mr. Dang Quang Minh acting director of CBDRM department under VNDMA attended the morning sessions and expressed their interest in the replication and scaling up of the methodology. The methodology and the maps developed in the five wards were handed-over to the VMDMA and DMPTC and will be uploaded on the DMPTC’s VinAWARE data base.
The afternoon session aimed at sharing experiences on effective behaviour change communication processes. The session was co-facilitated by the VNRC and GRC with the contribution of lecturer in Behavior Change Communication (BCC) from RMIT University.In October, the Disaster Preparedness Plan and the QGIS maps of each ward have been tested through drill exercises. Each ward organized its drill (5 in total) based on a flood and storm scenario and involving 200-250 persons from local community, authorities, volunteers and Red Cross. The fire brigades also participated as the scenario included a fire in an at-risk household. Thus, it was an opportunity to further promote the safer behaviours of the communication campaign.
Throughout this month, a clear progress has been made towards the completion of key activities of the Project as the VCA reports, the cross visit to Valenzuela City and the PAPE campaign. At the same time, on November 9, ECHO visited Brgy Tatalon and Carlos L Albert High School. Particular emphasis has been placed in showing the main accomplishments of the project, by presenting a simulation table exercise together with the VCA Action Plans.
Result 1: Children and youth are more resilient to disasters and have a safe and secure learning environment in 8 urban public schools in The Philippines, through improved Red Cross contributions to the ASEAN Safe School Initiative (ASSI).
1.3.4 Conduct endline survey in 8 schools. District IV had started implementing the endline survey using ODK. The aim of the endline survey was to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior of school children in relation to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management taking into consideration the three pillars of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework and in line with the ASEAN Safe School Initiative (ASSI). Each school assigned 15 focal students who were previously oriented and supervised by 3 RCY and 1 staff. District II will start the endline survey by December 2017.
1.4.1 Conduct (or update) a comprehensive Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment through a participatory approach. Batasan Hills National HS is already finished with the VCA report, and is currently being supervised by Quezon city Chapter. KAP Endline Survey using ODK in Betty-go Belmonte Elementary School held last November 20, 2017.
1.5.2 Identifying and setting up school early warning system. Early Warning Systems are still under procurement process.
1.5.3 Provision of first aid kits and minor equipment for training, drills, and simulation exercises. The First Aid kits and the equipment were finally distributed last November 29, 2017 in Pres. Corazon C. Aquino ES, Batasan Hills Elementary School, Bagong Silangan HS and Bagong Silangan ES. The project has introduced a monitoring and control system that will be validated during the exit strategy workshop in December 2017.
1.2.8 Set-up School DRRM Teams and provide further specialized training such as DRR, CCA, health and hygiene promotion, child protection, gender and diversity. Throughout this month, specialized training was conducted at Bagong Silangan Elementary School on Nov 30 and Oct 3, attended by 108 teaching and non-teaching personnel (92 female and 16 male). Topics discussed were Disaster Management, Psychosocial Support and Fire Management. Speakers were invited from PRC and Bureau of Fire.
Result 2 – Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behaviour, improved preparedness and social change in 15 at – risk urban and pre – urban areas in four countries.
2.2.2 Development, reproduction, and distribution of innovative and inclusive PAPE and IEC materials. In District II, Barangay Batasan Hills has finalized the video screening for youth while Barangay Bagong Silangan promoted DRR orientations and flyer handout at school and community level.
2.2.3 Conduct KAP end line survey using ODK. Conducted KAP end-line survey in District IV last November 27-30, 2017. The survey will be completed by the end of December 2017 in both districts.
Result 3 – Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in 4 barangays in Quezon City, the Philippines.
3.2.1 Participatory development of risk maps involving representatives on local people, including vulnerable groups, government authorities, and PRC staff. Barangay Batasan Hills ´s risk map was already uploaded while Barangays Bagong Silangan is still on process. Some information related to infrastructures and capacities are pending. For Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan data collection was finalized late this month.
3.5.1 Conduct (or update) a comprehensive Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment through a participatory approach. Bagong Silangan and Batasan Hills completed the VCA reports. Both are under revision of Philippines Red Cross (NHQ).
3.6.2 Carry out research study to select an area with a successful urban DRR model within the country and organize a study visit on November 10, 2017, to Valenzuela City, in order to share knowledge, experiences and good practices related to recovery facilities. 5 representatives of Barangays Doña Imelda, Tatalon, Batasan Hills and Bagong silangan attended together with 15 chapter staff and volunteers (total number of participants: 35 -24 male 11 female).
Seek action on how to apply best practices in their own Barangays.
3.7.6 Provision of first aids and minor equipment for training, drills, and simulation exercises. The First Aid kits and the equipment were distributed last November 2, 2017 in Brgy. Tatalon and November 3, 2017 in Brgy. Doña Imelda. The Chapter Administrator of Quezon City Chapter, Ms. Amparo Perez, was present in the ceremony. Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan will distribute the First Aid Kits by December 2017.
Save the date for the workshop was sent out early October to relevant partners. For further details about the workshop refer to the link.
Final draft of three case studies on School Safety, PAPE and QGIS have received significant contributions and inputs from partner national societies and ready to be shared with ECHO for feedback and comments. It is expected that all three case studies will be published late November before the regional lessons learned workshop.
On 14-15 October 2017, Community Campaign was conducted in four communities including Nasaiythong village and Sidamduan village on 14 October 2017 Sithan neua village and Donnoun village stared on 15 October 2017.
The campaign was led by trained students (Lao Red Cross volunteers), village staff, LRC staffs. The campaign was conducted through door to door visit, parade in some markets and group focus discussion supported by some awareness raising materials such as comics of 7 disasters, posters (hygiene, disaster and climate change), hand fan 6 disaster (flood, hygiene, road safety, drought, storm and climate change). It is estimated that the campaign has reached at least 1,963 people (1,088 female).
In October, the campaign on four behaviours related to the risks of fire in households came to an end. The Facebook page which was setup in July by and for young people as the main mean to inform the young audience about the campaign has been very successful. At end of October, the Facebook page counted more than 100,000 reach posts (= number of people the Facebook posts were served to), and more than 38,000 persons have been directly reached from which 63% are from Binh Dinh Province, 36% from the rest of Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh), 1% from abroad. The contents of the page include key messages and illustrations on the four behaviors, short reports, interviews, and live broadcasts of all the campaign events. The large majority of the people reached are between 18 and 24 years old (85%), 43% are women and 57% men. The short movie contest launched in September also came to its end in October. A movie developed by youths from Quy Nhon was selected and uploaded on the Facebook page to showcase the four key behaviors that the campaign promoted. This is one of the illustration about the participatory approach used by this project to encourage peer to peer awareness building and promotion of safer behaviours.
Mr Phan Dang Khoa – Chairman of Thi Nai ward People’s Committee and Head of the Natural Disaster Prevention Committee – coordinating a drill exercise using QGIS multi-hazard map (17 October 2017). Photo by German Red Cross.
On the 25 and 26th of October 35 students and ward authorities staff have been trained in conducting a KAP survey. This training facilitated by GRC included practical sessions to test the questionnaire and the sampling methodology. Then the trained enumerators conducted the survey in the five project wards. More than 800 respondents were selected randomly through a strict methodology: about 400 women and 400 men from which about 50% are aged between 18 and 60 years old and 50% are over 60 years old. This will allow the comparison of answers in order to evaluate the campaign impacts for each gender and age group. The results of the KAP survey will be documented in November.
In October, the Disaster Preparedness Plan and the QGIS maps of each ward have been tested through drill exercises. Each ward organized its drill (5 in total) based on a flood and storm scenario and involving 200-250 persons from local community, authorities, volunteers and Red Cross. The fire brigades also participated as the scenario included a fire in an at-risk household. Thus, it was an opportunity to further promote the safer behaviours of the communication campaign.
1.2.7 Conduct orientation sessions with teachers and students in Diosdado P. Macapagal ES (Barangay Tatalon) in YADAPT participated by 90 co-teachers (81 female and 9 male).
1.2.8 Set-up School DRRM Teams and provide further specialized training such as DRR, CCA, health and hygiene promotion, child protection, gender and diversity. This month, specialized training was conducted in one of the project schools: Bagong Silangan Elementary School on Nov 30 and Oct 3. Attendees: 108 teaching and non-teaching personnel (92 female and 16 male). Topics discussed were Disaster Management, Psychosocial Support and Fire Management. Speakers were invited from PRC and Bureau of Fire.
1.4.1 Conduct (or update) a comprehensive Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment through a participatory approach. This month, Bagong Silangan ES, Pres. Corazon C. Aquino ES and Bagong Silangan HS have completed the VCA reports, the documents are currently under revision of PRC (NHQ). Whereas, Batasan Hills National HS is in 1st revision at Chapter level while Carlos L. Albert High school submitted to Division Office.
1.6.1 Distribution of updated IEC materials. Second batch of IEC materials are waiting for delivery in Quezon City Chapter.
Y-Adapt re-echo session at Diosdado Macapagal ES (barangay Tatalon) on October 28, 2017. Attendees: 91 participants (84 female ad 7 male). This activity was facilitated by one of the focal teachers.
1.7.1 Identify small mitigation based on SDRRM Plan and conduct technical assessment; Coordinate with stakeholders for support/co-funding. Proposals are being finalized by the schools. Procurement process is ongoing.
2.2.2 Development, reproduction, and distribution of innovative and inclusive PAPE and IEC materials. Barangay Batasan Hills has implemented some of the activities on PAPE campaign, which started early this month.
Doña Imelda and Tatalon completed the tools for PAPE campaign in a form of video presentation to be conducted in 7 consecutive activities in the coming month. In Barangay Tatalon, only one activity was conducted on October 12 for elderly and people living with disability. The collected recommendations will be used for the coming activities.
3.2.1 Participatory development of risk maps involving representatives on local people, including vulnerable groups, government authorities, and PRC staff. Presently, 3 maps had been completed: Brgy Tatalon (Fire), Brgy Tatalon (Flood), Brgy Doña Imelda (Flood), with the last 2 maps tested through simulation last October 27. Brgy Tatalon and Doña Imelda final versions are ready for printing. Barangays Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan are still in the process of plotting the collected information on their risk analysis, infrastructures and capacities.
3.3.1 Conduct simulation exercise (table-top or live drill) including participants from government authorities, PRC staff and volunteers, and target different vulnerable groups.
Successfully completed the tablet-top simulation exercise of Flood Risk Maps of Brgy. Doña Imelda and Tatalon participated by different stakeholders with a total of 30 participants (22 males and 8 females).
3.6.2 Carry out research study to select an area with a successful urban DRR model within the country and organize a study visit. On October 27, a learning cross visit to Barangay Santo Cristo (Quezon City) and Barangay 176 Bagong Silang (Caloocan City) was conducted, as suggested by the Office Civil Defense (OCD) and Philippines Red Cross. The activity was attended by 24 participants from each barangay together with PRC.
3.7.6 Provision of first aids and minor equipment for training, drills, and simulation exercises. Later this month, First Aid kits were distributed to the District IV: Brgy. Doña Imelda on 28 October and Brgy. Tatalon on 30 October.
A review of the project budget was finalized at the end of October 2017, as there was an extension of the project, and the full project team by 1 month.
CCA Training for sub-branch officers. This training included the participation of CRC sub-branches from other districts in Bantey Meanchey (not only the capital district). This is seen as a means to contribute to the overall capacity of the CRC Bantey Meanchey Branch.
Workshop to conclude the drafting of the the District Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, together with local authorities: PCDM, DCDM, CRC Branch, etc.
Preparation of school fire evacuation plans together with Bantey Meanchey Police Department (responsible for fire safety). The plans were finalized in 2 of the 3 schools; with the last one pending preparation.
Continuation of dissemination of key DRR messages in schools and communities; focusing on flood awareness, drought, and first aid.
Finalization of community risk maps in 6 communities/villages belong to the two target Sangkats.
Continuation of implementation of small scale mitigation measures in schools; and preparation for implementation of community mitigation measures. Most of these measures relate to water and sanitation practices as a means for community resilience and preparedness for emergencies.
A mock-up of the case study has been consulted with partner national societies and ECHO for inputs and feedback. In addition, two other case studies on innovative and participatory risk mapping and school safety have been drafted and shared among partners for further inputs. It is expected that all three case studies will be finalized early November for publication before the regional lessons learned workshop.
Lao Red Cross received an ECHO auditor team who spent three days (20-22 September) in Laos to visit to three schools of Nasaiythong, Donnoun and Vientiane. The visit attended by the project targeted students and teachers who have been trained and part of the project since its onset. The auditors had chance to listen to student presentation sharing their knowledge on disaster and training they participated in. The students also shared their school disaster risk reduction plans and hazard/risk mapping to the visitors.
The first PAPE campaign was conducted in Bo-Oh Village on 23 and 24 September with the aim to disseminate key messages of disaster (flood, storm and road safety) to over 100 households in the community level. The campaign was led by 17 students (LRC volunteers), 1 village staff, 1 IFRC staff and 2 DM staffs. The campaign was conducted through door to door visit and group focus discussion supported by some IEC materials such as comics of 7 disasters, posters (on hygiene, disaster and climate change), and hand fan of 6 disaster (flood, hygiene, road safety, drought, storm and climate change). It is estimated that the campaign has reached at least 525 people (274 female).
On 29 September, a joint event was organized with the Lao RC Health department to celebrate the World First Aid day in Chanthabuly school, Chanthabuly district, Vientiane Capital city. During the event, approximately 200 students participated together with Lao RC staffs, school teachers and other partners. There were 24 students to support the First Aid booth and disaster risk reduction booth during the event in order to share knowledge and information that they have learnt from building urban resilience project through posters, handmade banners, comic and hand fans in the booth, also had a quiz activities on disaster booth to let participants learn and share knowledge on disaster.
the Facebook page which was setup in July (https://www.facebook.com/dapluaantoan/) has reached around 80,000 people mainly from the Binh Dinh province. The Facebook page displays illustrations on four key behaviors: (i) being able to appropriately extinguish fire in households, (ii) being able to perform appropriately first aid for dealing with burned skins, (iii) calling the right number (and providing the fire brigade with right information when calling), and (iv) evacuating when there is fire. The contents of the Facebook page are developed by youth volunteers from the five target wards of Quy Nhon city with the support of one young representative from the VNRC chapter, and one student volunteer from the RMIT University from the Communication department in Hanoi. The content includes key messages on the four behaviours, short reports and interviews of all the campaign events taking place in Quy Nhon and live broadcasts of those events. In September, a short movie contest has also been launched on the Facebook page. Individuals and groups of youths are invited to develop short movie to illustrate the four key behaviors that the campaign promote. This is one of the illustration about the participatory approach used by this project to encourage peer to peer awareness building and promotion of safer behaviors.
All the project wards have finished the communication events that they have planned. This included knowledge contests on Fire Safety and theatre plays. The fire brigade and the ward and hamlet authorities were actively involved in each event to judge the theatre performances and distribute prices to the contest participants (families and youth). In parallel, Key messages on Fire Safety were broadcast through wards’ loudspeakers radio programmes reaching potentially the entire population of the five wards. Moreover, as in Thị Nại ward in August, Hai Cang and Thi Nai have also set up mobile loudspeaker teams with 25 cyclists for each team including youngsters and elderly persons. The messages conveyed by those mobile teams are similar than those shared via loudspeakers and this aimed at ensuring that most of the population has been reached.
The distribution in the five wards of 20,000 leaflets with illustrations of four behaviours, and the setting up of 8 billboards in key public spaces also ensured the campaign outreach.
In September, the five wards have finalized their Disaster Preparedness and Response plans using the QGIS maps and database developed with the new DPR mapping methodology. Those plans have been approved by the ward authorities. Based on this achievement, the city and province authorities have expressed their willingness to replicate the approach in other city wards.
Thus, the new mapping methodology has demonstrated its relevance for enhancing local government capacity in Disaster Preparedness and Response (DPR). Using a free software, the methodology is adapted to staffs with limited computer skills and the DPR maps provides georeferenced and easy to understand information to local authorities and people. Data base also list down the most vulnerable groups so this provides an excellent foundation for developing realistic and actionable DPR plan. In September, feedbacks on the methodology has also been gathered from the three implementing countries (Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam). Those feedbacks will be used in October and November to finalize the DPR mapping methodology.
Efforts have focused on the provision of further specialized trainings mainly related to disaster management, psychosocial support and fire management, together with two significant workshops on Participatory Approach for Safe Shelter Awareness (PASSA) Youth and Youth Action on Developing Plans for Tomorrow (Y-ADAPT). Furthermore, it has been taking the first steps towards the completion of the cross visits and exchange experiences within the Philippines, as six (6) different areas had been visited.
1.2.5 Red Cross Youth formation and orientation and Leadership Development Program (LDP): On September 23 & 24, 2017, another Leadership Development Program was conducted in Badging Silangan High School in coordination with the Red Cross Youth department. It was attended by 105 participants (28 male and 77 female).
1.2.7 Conduct re-echo sessions with other teachers and students: Later this month, the installation of DRR Corner Bulletin Boards for four schools were completed as well as distribution of materials to be used.
1.2.8 Set-up School DRRM Teams and provide further specialized training such as DRR, CCA, health and hygiene promotion, child protection, gender and diversity, etc.
Bagong Silangan High School (on September 16 & 17, 2017) attended by 87 teaching and non-teaching personnel (26 male and 61 female).
Batasan Hills National HS (on September 23 & 24, 2017) attended by 132 teaching and non-teaching personnel (25 male and 107 female).
The main topics discussed were disaster management, psychosocial support and fire management. Speakers were invited from PRC and Bureau of Fire.
1.4.1 Conduct a comprehensive Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA): The VCA for Bagong Silangan ES (Brgy. Bagong Silangan), Pres. Corazon C. Aquino ES (Brgy. Batasan Hills), and Bagong Silangan HS (Brgy. Bagong Silangan) are currently being reviewed at NHQ (PRC) and all of them are at an advanced stage of revision.
1.5.2 Identifying and setting up school early warning system: The total amount for the implementation of the Early Warning System had been increased (from Php 40.000 to Php 80,000).
Bagong Silangan ES w/ HS, Pax: total population of both schools have participated in the drill on September 13, 2017.
Activity: Lifesaving exhibit through recycled materials, Pax: 400 people participated in the activity, on September 27, 2017.
Activity: Y-ADAPT Training, Pax: 1 focal teacher and 1 focal student from different schools with a total of 32 participants (10 male and 22 female) had participated, on September 4 – 6, 2017. This YADAPT initiative aimed to increase awareness and sharing experiences among school population towards climate change by taking concrete actions.
1.7.1 Identify small mitigation based on SDRRM Plan and conduct technical assessment; Coordinate with stakeholders for support/co-funding: Proposals are being finalized by the schools. City Engineering is working on the Programs of Works of each project.
2.2.2 Development, reproduction, and distribution of innovative and inclusive PAPE and IEC materials: Different activities related to PAPE campaign had been implemented later this month. The latest activity was on September 23, 2017 in Barangay Batasan Hills, which saw the participation of more than 84 people. This activity was implemented in coordination with barangay personnel and volunteers.
On September 19-21, 2017, the Participatory Approach for Safe Shelter Awareness (PASSA) Youth Training was held with 4 youth representatives from the 4 barangays. There was a total participation of 30 persons (14 males and 17 female). The goal of PASSA training is to develop local capacity to reduce shelter-related risk by raising awareness and developing skills in joint analysis, learning and decision-making at community level.
Result 3 – Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in 4 Brgys in Quezon City.
3.2.1 Participatory development of risk maps involving representatives on local people, including vulnerable groups, government authorities, and PRC staff. The barangays Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan are currently in the process of plotting the collected information regarding their risk analysis, infrastructures and capacities. Barangay Tatalon and Doña Imelda are ready for final revision of the table-top activity.
3.5.1 Conduct (or update) a comprehensive VCA through a participatory approach: The barangays Tatalon, Doña Imelda, Bagong Silangan and Batasan Hills are on the process of completing the step 5 (reporting).
3.6.2 Carry out research study to select an area with a successful urban DRR model within the country and organize a study visit: Later this month, a visit was conducted to potential barangays, suggested by the Office Civil Defense (the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Philippines Red Cross, to be considered for the cross visit and experience exchange in relation to DRR good practices that can been replicated to the project barangays.
Implementation of PAPE campaign at community level (fire prevention) through radio messages/radio shows.
At Regional Level: Regional Forum on “Demystifying of the Global Agenda Frameworks into Practice” took place from 29-30 August 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 2-day Forum aims to identify the challenges, linkages, and potential key entry points for integrating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement on Climate Change Adaptation, and the World Humanitarian Summit towards achieving a common goal of making communities resilient to disaster and climate risks in the Asia-Pacific region. For further details, refer to the link.
A mock-up of the case study has been prepared and consulted with partner national societies for inputs and feedback on the design, a fine-tune version will be available in September for further consultation with ECHO. In conjunction with the case study development, a Troika discussion was conducted among IFRC CCST, German RC and ADPC on the possibility of complementing and overlapping each other during the process.
In Laos: Lao RC has conducted a 3-day Youth in School Safety (YSS) training of facilitators from 25-27 July to further enhance the student’s facilitation skills and VCA assessment to come up with needs based mitigation measures. The training attended by 36 participants (23 females) including 5 teachers, 20 students, and Lao Red Cross staff. The training consists of two parts (i) facilitation skills and (ii) demonstration and assessments at their schools to come up with risk informed mitigation planning. Eventually, five school based risk informed mitigation plans were drafted with strong participation of their parents and school teachers including their commitments to providing funding to address some identified risk reduction measures. Read more about the event here.
Result 2: Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behavior, improved preparedness and social change in five wards of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh.
In July & August, the GRC, the Binh Dinh chapter, the ward authorities and the volunteers have finalized the preparation of the campaign on the four behaviours related to the risks of fire in households: (i) Being able to appropriately kill fire in households, (ii) Being able to perform appropriately first aid for dealing with burned skins, (iii) calling the right number (and providing the fire brigade with right information when calling), and (iv) evacuating when there is fire.
Thus, the design of the key visuals, symbols and icons has been finalized. They will be displayed on billboards, flyers, Tee-shirts and Facebook page.
An agreement between the Binh Dinh Chapter and the Binh Dinh fire brigade has been signed to support the communication campaign. The fire brigade participated in the review of scenarios and scripts for theatre events and for key messages for radio programme at ward and hamlet levels. They also provided comments for the design of leaflets demonstrating the four behaviours.
The ward authorities have agreed on the dates for their communication campaign activities ((1) Hamlet meetings, (2) broadcasting key messages through Ward’s radio programmes and through mobile loudspeakers, (3) distribution of flyers and display of billboards, (4) theatre performances). A monitoring team has been set up to follow the implementation of the campaign and to gather information (pictures, quotes…) for documenting the PAPE approach in the Urban context of Quy Nhon.
A Flashmob in Quy Nhon city on the 20th of August with the participation of 52 young people from 5 wards. The aim was to attract the population interest on the campaign and to invite them to visit the Facebook page which has been setup in July (https://www.facebook.com/dapluaantoan/). The Facebook page displays illustrations on four key behaviors: (i) being able to appropriately extinguish fire in households, (ii) Being able to perform appropriately first aid for dealing with burned skins, (iii) calling the right number (and providing the fire brigade with right information when calling), and (iv) evacuating when there is fire. A video of the Flashmob has been posted on the page and has reached nearly 3000 people online since its upload on the 1st September and a total of nearly 6000 people have visited the Facebook page so far.
Three project wards organized 15 hamlet’s events and 02 ward’s events (Thị Nại, Nhơn Bình and Ghềnh Ráng). All the events included a Knowledge contest on Fire Safety and theatre plays. The Hamlets‘events attracted a total of around 623 participants mainly families, and the event at ward level about 190 people. The fire brigade and the ward and hamlet authorities were actively involved in each event to judge the theatre performances and distribute prices to the contest participants. More events at ward level are planned in September and similar events in Hải Cảng and Nhơn Phú wards will take place also in September. In parallel, Key messages on Fire Safety were broadcasted through wards’ loudspeakers radio programmes during the whole month. Thị Nại ward also set up 01 mobile loudspeaker team with 25 cyclists including youngsters and elderly persons. Hải Cảng and Nhơn Phú wards will also convey Key messages on Fire Safety through wards’ loudspeakers radio programmes in September.
Result 3: Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in five wards of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh.
In the 5 targeted wards, by end of June the Technical Support Groups (TSG) have finalized their Disaster Preparedness and Response maps with the methodology developed by the project. In August, they developed the budget and plan for sharing those maps with all the relevant stakeholders from local to national levels. This includes uploading the DPR maps on the DMC’s VinAWARE data base and printing and displaying the maps on the Ward People’s Committee offices and other government and public buildings. The TSGs and the Binh Dinh chapter also prepared the agenda and budget for a Disaster Preparedness and Control planning workshop which took place the 8-9th August. Based on the DPR maps, ward level Disaster Prevention and Control Plans were developed by each ward using the DMC guidelines for planning (2014) and in line with the National CBDRM Programme.
Recent work under this project has focused on strengthening the strategy of the project though the implementation of number of trainings related to leadership, disaster management, psychosocial support, fire management and participatory video. Furthermore, there had been clear advances in the completion of the VCA process at school level, as of now six (6) of them are at an advanced stage of revision. In addition, first steps have already been achieved with the identification and setting up of school EWS. Four (4) out of eight (8) proposals had been submitted and discussed with the project team. All in all, the project is progressing according to schedule and continue to be on track toward project completion in December 2017.
1.2.5 Red Cross Youth formation and orientation (for students) and Leadership Development Program (LDP): On August 19 & 20, 2017 another Leadership Development Program was conducted in Batasan Hills National HS. The training was closely coordinated with RCY department (at Chapter level), and was attended by 105 persons (28 male and 77 female).
1.2.7 Conduct re-echo sessions with other teachers and students: The procurement for the installation of DRR Corner Bulletin Boards still on process.
1.2.8 Set-up School DRRM Teams and provide further specialized training such as DRR, CCA, health and hygiene promotion, child protection, gender and diversity, etc.: On August 26 & 27, 2017 a specialized training was conducted at Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School (Brgy. Batasan Hills). It was attended by 76 teaching and non-teaching personnel (14 male and 62 female) and the main topics discussed were disaster management, psychosocial support and fire management. Speakers were invited from PRC and Bureau of Fire.
The VCA reports were completed in Bagong Silangan Elementary School (Brgy. Bagong Silangan), Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School (Brgy. Batasan Hills), Batasan Hills National HS (Brgy. Batasan Hills) and Bagong Silangan (Brgy. Bagong Silangan HS. These reports are currently being reviewed at NHQ (PRC) and all of them are at an advanced stage of revision. Furthermore, Diosdado P Macapagal ES and Dr. Josefa Jara HS (Brgy. Tatalon) VCA reports are been reviewed at Chapter level. Betty-go Belmonte ES and Carlos L. Albert High School´s VCA reports (Brgy. Dona Imelda) are officially finalized and submitted to NHQ (PRC).
1.5.2 Identifying and setting up school early warning system. As for now, 4 out 8 proposals had been submitted to PRC.
1.6.1 Distribution of updated IEC materials: Procurement on process for second batch (new version) is still ongoing and once complete, the distribution will be expedited by September 2017.
2.2.2 Development, reproduction, and distribution of innovative and inclusive PAPE and IEC materials: Brgy. Batasan Hills´s PAPE Activity Plan was finalized by barangay officials and youth representative while the finalization of plan is still ongoing in Brgy. Bagong Silangan.
As part of PAPE campaign, on August 16-18, 2017 was conducted a participatory video training in the 4 barangays that was attend by 24 participants. The main goal was to produce new materials for the target group at community level.
3.2.1 Participatory development of risk maps involving representatives on local people, including vulnerable groups, government authorities, and PRC staff. The barangays Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan are currently in the process of plotting the collected information regarding their risk analysis, infrastructures and capacities.
On August 8, 2017, a re- echo session about Quantum Geographic Information System was conducted at Barangay Doña Imelda, attended by 5 representative of Doña Imleda and Tatalon barangays.
Continued revision of project outputs, i.e. School Risk Assessment Reports, Community Vulnerability Matrixes, School DRR Plans, Community DRR Plans, etc.
Implementation of Dissemination Workshop on Cambodian Law on Disaster Management of DCDM and CCDM, including the districts of Poipet and Svay Chek of Bantaey Meanchey Province.
At Regional Level: The 3rd Regional Coordination Meeting hosted by Lao Red Cross in Vientiane, Laos from 11-12 July. The meeting brought all partners of Lao RC, Finnish RC, Spanish RC, German RC and IFRC together to review the project progress and future planning as well as challenges faced vs. solutions. In addition, the meeting has agreed to work on three case studies which are in line with the following themes (i) School Safety; (ii) Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE); (iii) Behavior Change Communication for DRR; and (iv) Innovative GIS-DPR mapping method. At the end of the meeting, a first draft of case study on PAPE was sketched and additional information as well as its impacts need to be captured during and after PAPE campaigns in all targeted communities. The meeting suggested that a request for extension of two months is needed to enable national societies as well as IFRC to complete all activities. As a result, the IFRC has submitted the request to ECHO and it has been approved for ONE month extension till the end of December 2017.
Regional Forum on “Demystifying of the Global Agenda Frameworks into Practice” will take place from 29-30 August 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 2-day Forum aims to identify the challenges, linkages, and potential key entry points for integrating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement on Climate Change Adaptation, and the World Humanitarian Summit towards achieving a common goal of making communities resilient to disaster and climate risks in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Laos: Lao RC has conducted a 3-day Youth in School Safety (YSS) training of facilitators from 25-27 July to further enhance the student’s facilitation skills and VCA assessment to come up with needs based mitigation measures. The training attended by 20 participants attended the training. They had a two-day practice and conducted one-day programme in five targeted schools. For more information see the Lao Red Cross Youth in School Safety Facilitators Training.
Students from Bagong Silangan ES demonstrating the proper handwashing techniques held last July 7, 2017 at the school. Photo by Philippine Red Cross.
A Leadership Development Program was conducted in Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School (Batasan Hills) in coordination with the chapter Red Cross Youth, with 26 male and 30 female for total attendees of 56 attendees.
Newly recruited School Batang Emergency Response team in Carlos L. Albert High School (Brgy Doña Imelda) conducted refresher course on Junior First Aid held last July 11-14 with 25 male and 47 female for a total of 72 attendees.
Distribution of workbook and porsters in Carlos L. Albert High School as teaching IEC materials last July 13, 2017. Photo by Philippine Red Cross.
During the month of July, 4 sessions of hygiene promotion and proper hand washing were conducted, and 1 session of hygiene Promotion and HIV Aids prevention education, and 1 session of hygiene promotion and DRR. The sessions were conducted in Brgy Bagong Silangan and Brgy Batasan Hills.
VCA process was completed for Bagong Silangan Elementary School (Brgy. Bagong Silangan) and Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School (Brgy. Batasan Hills). Bagong Silangan ES presented the VCA result to their school teaching personnel. Bagong Silangan HS, Batasan Hills National High School, Betty-go Belmonte Elementary School, Carlos L. Albert HS, Dr, Josefa Jara HS and Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School completed the fifth step (reporting).
An orientation on School DRRM Manual was conducted in coordination with the School Divisions Office of Quezon City at the Interactive Center, Quezon City Science HS. Two representatives from each target schools were invited as well as one representative from all elementary and high schools in Quezon City.
In identifying and setting up school early warning system, discussions were held in each school and proposals were submitted to PRC. While for the provision of first aid kits and minor equipment for training, drills, and simulation exercises, the purchase order is ongoing, the distribution of which is expected by August 2017.
Distribution of workbooks and poster was held in Betty-go Belmonte Elementary School, Carlos L. Albert High School, Dr. Josefa Jara High School and Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School.
Result 2 – Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behavior, improved preparedness and social change in 15 at – risk urban and pre – urban areas in four countries. A consultation session regarding the PAPE workshop outcome was conducted in all Brgys to validate the results and come up with an action plan on the implementation of PAPE in each community. Participants were Brgy officials and representative from different sector such as Persons with Disability, elderly and youth.
QGIS Re-Echo Workshop held last July 7, 2017. Brgy staff and volunteer are working on the identification of the critical infrastuctures in their Brgy prior plotting it in the application. Photo by Philippine Red Cross.
Result 3 – Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in 4 Brgys in Quezon City, The Philippines. After the City Level QGIS Training last April, a re-echo workshop was conducted in Brgy. Batasan Hills and in Brgy. Bagong Silangan.
At Regional Level: IFRC has worked with Lao Red Cross to prepare for the 3rd Regional Coordination Meeting which will be taken place in Vientiane, Laos from 11-12 July. The meeting expects to bring all partners (Lao RC, Finnish RC, Spanish RC, German RC and IFRC) together to review the project progress and future planning as well as challenges faced vs. solutions. In addition, the meeting will spend significant time on identification and development of case study based on four themes (i) School Safety; (ii) Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE); (iii) Behavior Change Communication for DRR; and (iv) Innovative GIS-DPR mapping method.
For the research of two decades of DIPECHO contributions to DRR in Southeast Asia, it has move to the third phase out of four phases including three country visits to Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The visits contained of one day workshop with selective ECHO partners; key informant interviews partners and NDMOs. In addition, several interviews were conducted in June with regional partners such as UNESCAP, UNISDR, ADPC and Oxfam.
In Laos: Lao RC has conducted two technical knowledge trainings on DRR, Road Safety, Health and Care including Water and sanitation during the first and second week of June. The trainings aim to further equip participants with solid knowledge on various issue and it will be an add on PAPE campaign design skills to make better impact on campaigns to different groups of people. In addition, a Youth in School Safety (YSS) training of facilitators to be conducted from 24-28 July to further enhance the student’s facilitation skills and VCA assessment to come up with needs based mitigation measures.
In Cambodia: the following activities and achievements have been made: ECHO conducted a monitoring visit to Serei Soaphoan, Banteay Meanchey province between 26 and 27 June. The visit was facilitated by Cambodian Red Cross and Finnish Red Cross.
Installation of visibility and awareness raising (flood preparedness) signboards in communities and schools.
Continued implementation of awareness raising activities in schools and communities by RCYs and RCVs. Sessions focusing on health and DRR (8-9 June).
Result 2– Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behavior, improved preparedness and social change in five wards of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh. The behaviors selected for the campaign are directly related to the risks of fire in households.
Each activity will be organized in a way to complement the others activities and in order to implement a comprehensive campaign from July to end of September. Thus, in June an activities timeline has been developed.
Result 3 – Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in five wards of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh.
In the 5 target wards, the Technical Support Groups (TSG) have finalized their Disaster Preparedness and Response maps with the methodology developed by the project. The maps were developed at hamlet and ward levels and they display information organized in different layers. Those information layers are built on databases which include (1) the capacities in disaster prevention and control, (2) the vulnerabilities and (3) the risks that the community can encounter. In total for the 5 wards (and 39 hamlets) about 660 persons (PwD, children, Hamlet and ward representatives) have been involved in the implementation of the phases 2 and 3 of the methodology.
Basic training for Red Cross Volunteers (RCV) and Youth (RCY), and school teachers on DRR, first aid, and road safety in 8 targeted schools in Quezon City and repeat sessions with other teachers and students were conducted; School DRR and Management Teams (School DRRM Teams) were set up.
Conduct, review or update comprehensive hazard, risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments for each of the 8 targeted urban schools (school risk assessments). School DRR Plan, a School DRRM Plan, and/or a Fire Evacuation Plan for 8 selected urban schools were drafted in Quezon City this includes setting up school early warning.
Result 2 – Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behavior, improved preparedness and social change in 15 at – risk urban and pre – urban areas in four countries.
City level training workshops were organized to share the results of the baseline KAP surveys with local government authorities, National Society NHQ and city staff, design and develop PAPE for DRR in the urban contexts, and train selected RCY and RCV on PAPE strategies and skills in the urban context.
At Regional Level: A meeting between ECHO and IFRC has been conducted to provide progress updates of the project in various countries and discuss about the remaining activities toward the end of the project. The discussion resulted in an agreement that if extension is needed to complete all committed activities, notification to ECHO should be sent as soon as possible. On this note, IFRC will be thoroughly discussing with the partner national societies during the third coordination meeting which is scheduled during the second week of July in Vientiane, then final decision will be made.
ECHO also articulated their expectations that the project interventions should be able to show tangible outcomes at the end of the project, something is different and unique in comparison to other “traditional” initiatives.
In the meantime, ECHO expressed its willingness to conduct M&E visits to our project sites in conjunction with other partners, so it would be appreciated if we could propose something in Cambodia and Laos between mid-June to mid-July. In this connection, a project site visit to Bantey Meanchey, Cambodia has been under arrangement where three schools are to be visited on 26 June with the support of the Finnish RC and Cambodian RC.
In relation to the case study identification and development, the IFRC has initially discussed and agreed with the partner national societies on the process by collating as much information as possible then to bring them to Vientiane during the third coordination meeting to further interrogate and shape them up from there.
For the research of two decades of DIPECHO contributions to DRR in South-East Asia, it has move to the third phase out of four phases including three country visits to Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The visits contained of one day workshop with selective ECHO partners; key informant interviews partners and NDMOs. This process is crucial to identify good practices, key challenges, gaps and recommendations under each thematic area. There are six thematic areas identified including (i) Disaster preparedness and response; (ii) DRR in Education Sector; (iii) Innovation and appropriate technology; (iv) Institutional embedment/mainstreaming of DRR into policies; (v) Consortium Mechanism; and (vi) Advocacy and public awareness.
In Laos: Lao RC has updated its workplan from May to October 2017 in which the focus will be on conducting technical knowledge trainings on DRR, Road Safety, Health and Care including Water and sanitation during the first and second week of June. The trainings aim to further equip participants with solid knowledge on various issue and it will be an add on PAPE campaign design skills to make better impact on campaigns to different groups of people. In addition, a Youth in School Safety (YSS) training of facilitators to be conducted in July to further enhance the student’s facilitation skills and VCA assessment to come up with needs-based mitigation measures.
Result 1– Children and youth are more resilient to disasters and have a safe and secure learning environment in 8 urban public schools in the Philippines, through improved Red Cross contributions to the ASEAN Safe School Initiative (ASSI).
617 participants (437 female and 180 male) were provided with simultaneous orientation sessions during their In-Service Training (INSET). The training covers the following topics (i) Mass Casualty Incident; (ii) SBDRRM (Relief & PSP); (iii) Fire Prevention & Management; (iv) First Aid; (v) Early Warning System; and (vi) Evacuation.
In addition, four out of eight schools have conducted VCA process to define common hazards, risk factor and capacity to inform the school leaders of school-based DRR plan in which recommendations toward risk reduction measures/interventions are highlighted. From the assessments and reports that fire evacuation plan and early warning enhancement are likely prioritized in urban context. In this connection, meetings were conducted with the focal teachers regarding the Early Warning System in the targeted schools with the aim to review the concept of early warning system, in order to prepare them to create/improve existing EWS in their schools.
Result 2– Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group brings about positive, safer behaviour, improved preparedness and social change in four at-risk urban and pre-urban areas in the Philippines.
A PAPE KAP Survey was carried out in four Barangays from 2-10 May with a total of 1,200 respondents (400 in each Barangay). The process was facilitated by ten 10 RCs’ 143 volunteers from each barangay.
Two barangays from District II are in the process of completing VCA Process. In District IV, VCA reports are still for finalization. In addition, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for the inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in the Mapping process were conducted in Dona Imelda and Tatalon with participation of 50 elders (33 F and 17 M); 15 PWDs (8 F and 7 M) and 44 Youths (28 F and 16 M).
In order to strengthen RC143 DM Teams and First Aid and Safety Teams, procurement of first aid kits and minor equipment is still ongoing. Delivery is estimated by July 2017.
The youth group is working on the slogan for the target audience – the youth in the campaign.
In Viet Nam: Between 13-14 May, an additional workshop in Quy Nhon to finalize the design of the PAPE campaign was conducted. The workshop was attended by 37 people (18 females and 19 males, including three GRC facilitators) and contributed to the design of the campaign). This includes staff of the People’s Committee, heads of hamlet, Ward Red Cross, Youth Union, inhabitants from the five wards and 2 members of the fire brigade. The workshop was supported by an expert in behavioral change communication (BCC) and also a teacher in RMIT University in Hanoi (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). She provided advises on the design of the campaign. The cost of her involvements has been shouldered by another GRC project.
The behaviors selected for the campaign are directly related to the risks of fire in households: (i) being able to appropriately kill fire in households, (ii) being able to perform appropriately first aid for dealing with burned skins, (iii) calling the right number (and providing the fire brigade with right information when calling), and (iv) evacuating when there is fire.
– have understood the planning steps of a campaign and are able to create a communication plan for future communication campaigns.
– have planned for the communication campaign for their wards and city in order to improve knowledge, attitudes and to change the behavior of the population for fire prevention.
The campaign will focus on two main target audience: (i) the middle-aged (30-50 years old) and (ii) the youth (16-25 years old). For each target audience, based on their motivational characteristics for changing behaviors and on their preferred channels of communication, the workshop participants have developed slogan, key visuals and campaign activities plans.
For the youth audience, the campaign activities will include (i) setting up a Facebook page, (ii) organizing a Flash mob to attract attention on the campaign, (iii) organizing a short movie contest, and (iv) organizing theatre performances.
For the middle-aged audience, the activities will include (i) hamlet meetings, (ii) broadcasting key messages through Ward’s radio programmes (including songs), (iii) distribution of flyers and display of billboards, (iv) broadcasting key messages through mobile loudspeakers.
Each activity will be organized in a way to complement the others activities and in order to implement a comprehensive campaign from June to September. For instance, the Facebook page will be the main mean to inform the youth of the flash mob, the movie contest and the theatre events. Moreover, the Facebook page will also be used for collecting and sharing the movies produced by local youth and for presenting to the young audience the information displayed on the flyers. For the middle-aged audience, while the hamlet meetings will be the opportunity to distribute flyers and quiz, and theatre performances will also be organized aiming at attracting a larger audience.
Also during May, GRC and VNRC were collecting quotations from the designers to finalize the key visuals, symbols and icons which will be displayed on the billboards, flyers, t-shirts and Facebook page. As the Facebook page will have to be jointly managed by an administration team composed of five young people from five wards, one young representative from VNRC chapter, the GRC project officer, GRC/VNRC is also currently considering the opportunity to involve one to two student volunteers from the RMIT University Communication Department. Those students could provide technical and advisory support to the Facebook Administration team.
In terms of progress under Result 3, in the five targeted wards, the Technical Support Groups (TSG) have carried out the initial phase and the second phase of the mapping methodology. The VNRC chapter has signed a volunteer agreement with five students of the University of Quy Nhon in Master’s Degree in QGIS. They have conducted the monitoring of the QGIS mapping phases using the monitoring form developed by the consultants (COMICs). The mapping is expected to finished by mid-June for all the five wards. GRC Project Officer has also conducted monitoring and gathered information for the development of a case study.
Implementation of 3rd FRC monitoring visit from 23 April to 4 May; including visits to all target schools and communities; and facilitation of internal (FRC procedure) project risk management analysis.
Result 2– Innovative PAPE for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable group, brings about positive, safer behavior, improved preparedness and social change in two Sangkats in Serei Saophoan in Cambodia.
Result 3 – Increased capacity of local government authorities and Red Cross for disaster preparedness and response in three Sangkets of Serei Saophoan in Cambodia.
Due to the communal elections, activities in the project are reduced and implemented in a very low profile. However, it is not expected that the elections will seriously affect the project’s timeframe.
At Regional Level: The regular Skype Meeting for all 4 countries was held on 20 April 2017 and the study plan of ECHO 20 years research has been finalized and agreed by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) in Bangkok, including the data collection plan. The consultant will start to collect the primary data in 3 selected countries; Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia during 1-20 May 2017.
In Lao PDR: The national workshop on Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE): a guide and key message in Vientiane Capital City was conducted for 5 target schools with 90 students and 5 teachers including Lao Red Cross’ staffs on 1 and 2 and 8 and 9 April 2017. The objective of this workshop was to train the students (Red Cross Volunteers) about the guide and tools and key messages of public awareness and public education for disaster risk reduction, health and hygiene promotion in terms of developing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.
In the Philippines: The training on multi-risk maps using QGIS (Quantum Geographical Information System) was conducted during 24-26 April 2017 in Quezon City, Manila. This training was facilitated by three Philippines Red Cross (PRC) staff and the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) Delegate, with a total of 17 participants from Barangay Batasan Hills, Barangay Bagong Silangan, Barangay Tatalon, and Barangay Dona Imelda. Besides, the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey questionnaires for the communities were translated and encoded in Open Data Kit (ODK) program and a mock survey creation was organized on 20-21 April 2017 within the 4 Barangays of District 2 and 4, with 5 respondents each. Prior to the interviews, Purok leaders from the Barangays and PRC staff and volunteers were orientated about the survey.
In Vietnam: The Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE) workshop was held in Quy Nhon during 20 – 22 April 2017. It aimed at planning the communication campaign based on the results of the Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey and on qualitative research (Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews). The sessions of the workshop included (i) an introduction of project’s objective, project indicators and related activities, (ii) the presentation of the results from research on Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior and (iii) a detailed description of the Planning Process. The behaviours selected for the campaign are directly related to the risks of fire in households: (i) Being able to appropriately kill fire in households, (ii) being able to perform appropriately first aid for dealing with burned skin, (iii) calling the right number (and providing the fire brigade with the right information when calling), and (iv) evacuating when there is fire.
At the regional level: The Regional Team Meeting for all four countries was held in Hanoi on 24 March 2017 and the key discussions were about the review and revision on the 6-month plan of action including the progress update and challenges on the project implementation.
In the Philippines: As of March 2017, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the schools had conducted the Earthquake Drill last 3 March 2017 during the AM session of classes. Mr. Rick Castillo from Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (QCDRRMO) was the evaluator. 3,089 Female and 2,913 Male, totalling 7,002 students with 240 teaching personnel participated. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Learning materials (board games, flipcharts, posters and workbooks) for the schools were already delivered to PRC. IEC materials were also distributed to the eight target schools: Five Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) flip charts and five board games for each school.
In Vietnam: From 21 to 23 March in Hanoi took place the regional training on Quantitative Geographical Information System (QGIS) on the new QGIS methodology. 34 people participated to the event from which 18 were trainees and 16 observers and supporters. Seven trainees were from Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) headquarters (three males and four females) and nine were from Myanmar, Philippines, Lao PDR and Cambodia National Societies and from Partner National Societies (PNS) (Spanish and Finnish) (three males and six females), two were from PNSs from Viet Nam (American Red Cross and German Red Cross) (1 male and 1 female). Observers and supporters were from VNRC, local Technical Support Group (TSGs) from 2 wards of Quy Nhon, and from PNSs/IFRC based in Viet Nam and in South-East Asia (9 males and 7 females). The training included formal and practical sessions on laptop to learn the basic skills to develop base maps and to upload data using QGIS.
In Lao PDR: The Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey final report was finalized and shared to the project team at the end of March. The project had been doing document preparation for the national workshop on Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE): a guide and key message in Vientiane Capital City and there was a meeting with the project team on organizing the workshop. To design the PAPE workshop, the project team coordinated with the five target schools the project team had a meeting . The objective of this workshop was to train the students (Red Cross Volunteers – RCVs) about the guild and key message of public awareness and public education for disaster risk reduction in term of developing the IEC materials.
At the regional level: The preparation meeting with the Partner National Societies (PNSs) and Lao Red Cross (LRC) on the quantitative geographical information system (QGIS) pre-workshop tasks was held on 17 February 2017 via Skype and all participants agreed to prepare the information as required.
In the Philippines: As of February 2017, Information, Education, Communication (IEC) learning materials (board games, flipcharts, posters and workbooks) for the schools were being already delivered to Philippine Red Cross (PRC). Distribution in the schools started in the first week of March. A coordination meeting with Plan international (moved up project) was conducted last 7 February to plan out coordination on the same covered areas. A workshop was conducted on 28 February and was participated by all staff to share, and distinguish activities were conducted to complement and avoid duplications in terms of Redevelopment and Realignment Manual (BRRM), which is contingency and action plans of Barangay. PRC also attended Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting last 7 February, initiated by Quezon City’s Deployment of Pasay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (QCDRRMO) and other stakeholders, PRC shared the activity output of Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE) workshop and asked for insight/ comment of the TWG.
In Cambodia: The three school risk assessment exercises wereconducted with the active participation of Red Cross Youth (RCY) and RCY Advisors, with the support of Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) project staff. By the end of the reporting period, the risk assessment reports were in the process of being finalized. After the finalization, they will be presented and validated with the respective schools and authorities.
In Vietnam: On 22 February to 3 March in Quy Nhon taken place the training on the new QGIS methodology. 25 wards authorities’ members of their Technical Support Group learned and put in practice the new methodology during this 8-day training. The training included formal and practical sessions on laptop to learn the basic skills to develop base maps and to upload data using QGIS. Practical sessions also provided the opportunity to learn the process to collect data from the population in a gender-sensitive and participatory way.
In Lao PDR: The National workshop on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey result sharing in Vientiane Capital City was conducted on 21 February 2017 in order to share the results of KAP survey to all stakeholders which consisted of government agencies and NGOs who work on disaster risk reduction. More than 40 people including teachers and students from five schools participated in this meeting to better understand the community knowledge in the target areas of the project and this KAP survey aimed to be determined as baseline data of the project and could create project activities.
At Regional Level: The recruitment process of the regional consultant for the study on two decades of DIPECHO contributions in South East Asia was completed – The successful candidates from ADPC were on board in early of January. The consultation meeting among ECHO global DRR Coordinator, Regional Project Manager and the consultants team was held on 11 January 2017 in order to discuss the research methodology and expectations of this study.
In the Philippines: As of January 2017, two schools have restructured their existing school DRR team (Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School and Carlos Albert High School), whereas Bagong Silangan High School, Betty-Go Belmonte Elementary School and Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School are still forming their DRR teams. In order to prepare for the Plan of Action for the Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE) tool in the community, the team conducted a city-level PAPE workshop on 31 January 2017 in the Quezon City DRR Management Office premises. Representatives from the Communications Department, Quezon City DRRMO, Environmental and Sanitation Department participated in this activity.
• In Cambodia: Progress in the implementation of PAPE Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey centred on the development of the survey questionnaire. The definition of the survey’s target population and methodology, and the training of Cambodia Red Cross personnel in the development and implementation of PAPE-related initiatives were completed. The Cambodian Red Cross staffs were trained in PAPE and Behavioural Change Communication, while the survey questionnaire was prepared and transferred to MAGPI.
• In Vietnam: The new QGIS mapping methodology was developed in a way it can supplement CBDRA and VCA and maximize the use of DPR mapping for DRM planning and for Damage and Need Assessment at ward level. Thus, GRC and VNRC following the recommendation of the DMC Deputy Director decided that it was relevant to organize a first training in Quy Nhon for Technical Support Group (TSG) members at ward level to refresh their knowledge on the CBDRA approach and the linkage between CBDRA and DRM planning. A 3-day training was held on 6-8 January 2017, and contributed to enhance the TSGs understanding about the principles for gender mainstreaming in CBDRA and DRM planning, and about the concepts of vulnerability and disability.
In Lao: The National Orientation Workshop on KAP Baseline survey was held on 14 January 2017 for 85 students from 5 schools in Vientiane Capital City. It aimed to provide the common understanding on hazards and disasters in the local context and to understand the questionnaires and simulation exercise. The survey objective was to determine baseline data to develop project activities and also to use it to be comparative with the endline survey at the end of the project to measure improvement of the knowledge/awareness and behaviour of people in the communities.
At the regional level: The recruitment process of the regional consultant for studying two decades of ECHO contribution in South East Asia has been completed. The successful candidate will be on board in the beginning of January.
In the Philippines: ECHO regional coordinator for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) proposed the project site in Quezon City on 6-7 December. The teams are organizing the activity and inviting the primary key partners involved like the QCDRRMO, Barangays and Department of Education. Besides, the national PAPE Workshop was conducted among 143 Red Cross focal teachers on 6 December 2016 at Philippines Red Cross Social Hall and was attended by RC 143 focal teachers from district 2 and 5 in Barangay. It was a multi-sectoral approach. The focus of the said workshop is to have concrete and strong “key messages” which promote safety of children in schools and in their homes and the community.
In Cambodia: The draft of the PAPE KAP survey, and Survey Implementation Plan (including identification of target population) was finalized. The final draft of the PAPE KAP survey was pending results from the community’s VCAs. There was implementation of the school risk assessment in three public high schools making use of the adapted VCA tools. The final draft of the project communication and visibility plan was presented to Cambodian RC Management for endorsement. The main general key messages were identified – to be shared with ECHO Bangkok.
In Vietnam: The draft questionnaire for the KAP survey was shared with PAPE national consultant for consultation. She added and revised some questions to get the information related to communication issues. The training on PAPE was held in Quy Nhon from 16 to 18 December 2016.It was co-facilitated by the national consultant, and GRC and VNRC project officers who previously participated in the Regional PAPE training in Manila.
In Laos: The project team coordinated with the Vientiane City branch in order to appoint the district coordinator for implementing the project activities. The target areas in five communities were identified and the team agreed to divided into two clusters including Risk and Hazard in urban and peri-urban, i.e. disaster, road safety, health and hygiene promotion. Besides, the team agreed to hire a KAP consultant to conduct KAP survey in Vientiane capital city.
Refresher sessions on first aid already started in Batasan Hills National High School (BHNHS) last Oct. 25-26, 2016, with 500 participants.
At Regional Level: KAP survey questionnaires for schools in Cambodia and the Philippines are being finalized, with a view to align the KAP survey questionnaires for communities in all four countries. the recruitment process of a regional consultant for the study on two decades of ECHO contributions in Southeast Asia is underway.
In the Philippines: In District 2, refresher sessions on first aid already started in Batasan Hills National High School (BHNHS) last Oct. 25-26, 2016, with 500 participants. In District 4, a Focal Teacher’s workshop to plan-out the session activities for their co-teachers and students was conducted, with 17 attendees (12 females, 5 males).
In Cambodia: Schools KAP survey in 3 targeted schools in Serei Soaphoan has been conducted. The total of 224 surveys were conducted by 21 Red Cross Volunteers (RCVs). However due to technical difficulties in the data transfer of incomplete questionnaires, only 189 questionnaires were processed by the mobile application (85% of target). Baseline analysis will be done on the basis of those results, as it is not possible to redo the 35 pending questionnaires because it is exam period in schools and both RCVs and respondents are not available. On 23 November, Finnish Red Cross and Philippine Red Cross presented in the Cities for All Conference in Phnom Penh. The conference was organized by People in Need (an ECHO partner in Cambodia).
In Viet Nam: The PAPE training package has been adapted to the Vietnam context, which includes a draft package, agenda and training contents in Vietnamese, which have been shared with GRC and VNRC focal points. In November, several working meetings among partners staff trained in the PAPE Regional training in Manila. In addition, the consultant has adapted the IFRC PAPE guidelines and messages. 3 target groups have been identified for the awareness campaign which will focus on flood/storm and on fire risks: (i) the general population of the 5 wards, (ii) the households living in temporary shelters, and (iii) the small businesses. KAP questionnaires and sampling strategy have been designed by GRC and shared with implementing partners.
In the Philippines: The activities for this month focused on strengthening and building capacity to the chapter based Red Cross Volunteers (RCV) and conducting training to the focal teachers and students, with the main purpose to increase the level of awareness, skill and knowledge of the volunteers and RC 143 focal teachers in terms of disaster preparedness, managing and retention of Red Cross Youth (RCY) volunteers in the schools and eventually response in any emergency cases when the need arises.
In Cambodia: Second technical support visit was conducted by Finnish RC, Cambodian RC Head of Disaster Preparedness, and IFRC Project Coordinator. The visit was highlighted by discussions on technical implementation and financial management. On 7 October, a briefing was conducted to ECHO Bangkok Representatives visiting Cambodia.
In Viet Nam: Launching Workshop of the “Building Urban Resilience” project was conducted in Quy Nhon City by Mr. Tran Sy Pha, Vice Director of the VNRC Disaster Management Department on the 15 -16th October 2016. The workshop was attended by 38 participants from Ward, City and Provincial authorities, schools and VNRC and German RC staff. Project staff and stakeholders have gained knowledge about the project objectives and indicators, and an implementation plan has been drafted. Finalization of contractual arrangements between GRC and VNRC: signature of the project agreement by VNRC leadership on the second week of October. Appointment of the VNRC Project Management Unit (PMU) at Headquarters and in Binh Dinh chapter.
At regional level: The regional project profile including 4 targeted countries has been published and distributed to program countries (Cambodia, Philippines and Lao PDR). The project agreements among IFRC and Spanish, German, Finnish and Lao Red Cross have been signed and completed the first payment to all PNSs. A regional public awareness and public education workshop will be held on 18-20 Oct, 2016 in Manila. A consultant on Behavior Communication for Change has been recruited to facilitate and design, together with two co-facilitators from the Philippine Red Cross ,the appropriate tools and session for participants.
In Lao PDR: The project team has developed the Details Implementation Plan (DIP) and prepared as well as coordinated with stakeholders to organize the Project Kick Off Meeting in country on 4 October 2016.
In Cambodia: The team organized RCY and RCV groups in schools and communities, and conducted the initiation of activities in Schools – orientation and trainings for RCVs and RCYs (Red Cross Movement and First Aid), by coordinating with District and Provincial Authorities in Bantaey Meanchey and Serei Soaphoan.
In Viet Nam: a consultant was hired to support GRC/VNRC in the development a training package about public awareness and public education adapted to Vietnam, and to design communication campaign. The selection of the five implementation wards in Quy Nhon City has been conducted. The selection involved a national consultant, GRC, VNRC chapter staffs and ward authorities’ representatives. A consultancy team for the development of the GIS Disaster Preparedness Mapping methodology has been recruited in August: the team consists in two experts in Community Based DRR and two experts in GIS mapping who previously supported the national DMC (Disaster Management Committee).
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in partnership with Finish, German and Spanish Red Cross societies, brings to the project extensive experience in school safety, public awareness and public education and risk mapping, with strength in regional sharing and learning, and peer support.
The workshop went well with 30 participants from the National Societies of Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Philippines including the Red Cross Youth and Red Cross Volunteers in Quezon Chapter who implemented the project in the Philippines. The workshop was facilitated by team members from IFRC Bangkok CCST, IFRC Viet Nam Country Office, Spanish and Philippine Red Cross, and Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center.
In addition, the Philippine RC General Secretary delivered the opening remarks with the Chairman of Quezon Chapter to all participants and hoped that the participants can enhance their knowledge and skills on the public awareness and public education especially in urban context and share their experiences to each other as peer-to-peer approach.
In Vientiane, Lao PDR, the national kick-off meeting of Building Urban Resilience Project was conducted on 4 October 2016.
This meeting was started with the project overview at regional and national level. Participants came from the French Red Cross, Vientiane Capital Red Cross branch, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education and Sport, Ministry of Human Resources and Environment, Care International and target schools. The project team shared the project implementation plans and opened session for discussions and comments from participants. | 2019-04-21T12:28:01Z | http://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/disaster-risk-reduction/urban-disaster-risk-reduction/building-urban-resilience-in-southeast-asia-project/ |
July started on a full moon and ends on one too. The second full moon of any month is called a blue moon, but the term originally applied to an extra full moon in a season, not in a month, which gives us 13 full moons in a year instead of 12. The concept behind blue moon is rarity – as in “once in a blue moon”. And now you know.
Look up at the evening sky and take in the feast. Venus and Jupiter in Leo are at maximum brilliance as July opens.
Canada’s birthday coincides with a full moon in Capricorn. It’s an aptly descriptive solar return chart for Prime Minister Harper’s conflict ridden regime, our current political state of affairs, and Canada’s upcoming fall election. On a happier note, the sun’s trine to Neptune makes for a good day to relax, enjoy, and to give in to moment.
Whether it’s an inner dilemma or an outer circumstance, we are all working through something major. There are a lot of planetary contributors to this critical juncture along the timeline. Most notably there’s Venus to talk about.
Jupiter is a much slower mover than Venus. Jupiter in Leo was in tension aspect to Saturn from September through the start of Dec 2014 but the duo will finally perfect the square aspect from Leo (Jupiter) to Scorpio (Saturn) on Aug 3, two days after Saturn ends retrograde. If you are wondering why Jupiter hasn’t matched your expectations, now you know why.
With Venus about to turn retrograde, (July 25 to Sept 6) expect whatever is firing up to have a dynamic life force. It is a karmic cycle of major significance. Venus is the planet of net worth and self worth, it is a creator archetype, a survival archetype, and constitutes one half of the relationship duo. Venus in Leo brings us to the heart of the matter. We are embarking upon a heart journey, one that is meant to create an important re-centering, to put us back in touch with the light – our own inner light.
Venus dips into Virgo from July 18 to Aug 31. It will station to retrograde at 0 Virgo on July 25. This is the last time it will do so for the next quarter millennium. 0 Virgo is also the degree of the fixed star Regulus, the royal star. It is a suggestion of a critical healing mandate for the planet and humankind, of “the meek inheriting the earth”, of the need to return to a philosophy of service to the whole, rather than to the self-serving.
Usually when Venus stations to retrograde, circumstance come to a halt, but also on this same day, July 25, Mars in Cancer squares off with Uranus in Aries. Just 24 hours later, on July 26, Uranus stations retrograde. Mars/Uranus can be a volatile, sudden, eruptive, and fast forward influence. Uranus is an awakening archetype. To the negative, Mars/Uranus can bring revolts, revolutions, demonstrations, marches, riots, etc. The weather can be extreme too (fire, lighting, etc.) Both Venus and Uranus in retrograde uncover something specific. It is sure t could be a shatter through weekend or a break- point of significance. There are good transits in the week that follows and on August 1, Saturn ends the retrograde it began in the middle of March. No matter how it shapes up for you, expect to be on the move-along with something of critical significance to you.
**I am available for private consultations throughout the summer. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to set one up.
Mars in Cancer keeps it fired up on the home & family front through the start of August. The transit is also appropriately timed for putting fresh energy into personal wellbeing, security matters (actual and emotional), and creative projects.
What does happiness look like to you? How close are you to obtain what your heart desires? Whether travel or a special event is in the works or not, Venus trine Jupiter opens July with something important on the go.
By the time Venus advances into Virgo on July 18 and turns retrograde on July 25, you may find that you aren’t as finished or as far along as you have previously thought. The few days before and around July 25 when Venus retrograde begins can make for difficulties with money, work, or health. Mars square Uranus on the same day can make for a sudden snap or eruption, for equipment breakdown, accidents, the unexpected, etc. It’s hard to maintain control, consistency or influence. On the other, things happen for a reason. See the moment as an exceptional opportunity.
The productive side of this transit is about making a purposeful sacrifice or taking a difficult or challenging step. To the plus, the sun is in good shape, forming several strong alignments. You could stumble upon something quite useful.
Thanks to Mars in emotional Cancer, you’ll feel everything with greater intensity. Venus/Jupiter can start the month on a high note, especially if you are at the start of a trip or a vacation.
Live it up and make good use of the first two weeks of the month. The stars are about to flick a major switch. Watch the days leading up to the new moon on July 14. Mars conjoins Mercury and both oppose Pluto. It could bring you to a sharp and abrupt edge. Even though a new moon is usually a quiet time, this one could be eruptive or disruptive.
The days around July 25 are also ones to watch out for as both Venus and Uranus station retrograde. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Do aim for purposeful upgrades, and vote in the direction of reinvention.
Venus retrograde is an important cycle for getting back in touch with yourself. Are you running along a successful personal track? Are you happy, well, and thriving? Have you got a good handle on life? If not, what upgrades do you need to make? Although it could take time to figure out, Venus in Leo urges you to love yourself better, to aim for better and more.
The start of the month dishes up a great time to travel, vacation, or get on the move. Perhaps there’s special news to share, a special event to attend, or a special someone to see.
The month ahead could see you burn through plenty of money too. Financial, health, or relationship wise, the decisive new moon on July could thrust the switch on something major. Fast action is called for.
Venus in Virgo, starting July 18, and retrograde from July 25, can see you revisit a health, home, or a family matter. A renovation project, trip, plan, or business matter may require a major rethink. Too, you could have more paperwork, talking, negotiating or repair work to do. It’s good when things get uncovered. See it as a blessing in disguise. It’s the beginning of an important fix, healing, or correction.
You’ll gain plenty of extra get-up-and-go from Mars in Cancer through the start of Aug. Mars is particularly hotwired on the new moon July 14 and on July 25, the day of Venus’ station to retrograde and the day before Uranus does the same. Mark these dates on your calendar and watch what builds in the preceding days as they may give you a heads-up.
Venus in Virgo and retrograde can force you to rethink your plans or to have another talk with yourself. It can show you where you’ve made a wrong turn or incorrect estimate. You may choose or be forced to back-out of something. It could bring relief and/or prove to be a saving grace. No matter what it looks like in the moment, Venus retrograde is meant to open a portal to and accelerate an improvement.
Your birthday isn’t July 1 (we all know its Cancer’s day), but thanks to Venus/Jupiter in Leo you could feel like it is. Whatever you get up to, it’s not a little, it’s a lot. Yes, go ahead, indulge, celebrate, shine, and aim for major mileage.
By mid month, you’ll feel a major energy shift or move on to other things. The July 15 new moon or the days leading up to it could be a cut-off or kick-start time. The good roll continues in the following week, but watch the weekend of July 25/26 for added action and/or excitement. That’s when both Venus and Uranus begin retrograde. While it is a good time to start a vacation, Mars square Uranus and Uranus retrograde can fire up the unexpected. The month ends with a full moon in Aquarius and Venus retrograde on a revisit to Leo.
Now through the middle of September, Juno, the contract asteroid, tenants your sign. On the bigger picture level, Juno’s tour through Virgo suggests it’s a time of personal renewal; that you are at the start of signing a new agreement/covenant with yourself. You’ll feel it instinctually and you’ll witness it outwardly too. This new cycle is one that is directed to repair, healing and self improvement at all levels. You can be at the start of a new job, work cycle, or training program. Simultaneous to your inner growth, you’ll see circumstances improve too. July 12 to 15 can be a turn-the-corner, move ahead, or break-through time.
From July 18 through the full moon on July 31, Venus says a quick hello to your sign. This Venus transit can be accompanied by a sense of promise or destiny to this next stage of your life. Perhaps you’ll feel like it’s your last chance, or that you have one last thing to do, say or accomplish in order to feel complete, resolved, ready etc. These statements will be felt the strongest if your birthday falls on Aug 23.
The last weekend of the month can be quite notable. This is when both Venus (July 25) and Uranus (July 26) turn retrograde. Mars also strikes flint (squares Uranus) on July 25, so try to maintain a vigil re safety measures. A disruption, eruption, accident, or surprise is within the range of possibilities. Venus at station is usually a stall-out influence but Mars square Uranus is anything but.
A new life adventure is calling. Mars in Cancer, Cancer month, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus put you on a major move along. Life, career, relationships, or ambitions can be heading in a new direction. Whether it’s sprung on you or you’ve been working toward it for awhile, the start of July hits full steam ahead.
Venus in Leo is great influence for pleasure-seeking, play, new love, socializing, exploring, discovering, and for reinventing yourself. It’s also great for vacation time and for enjoying the local happenings.
July 18 through July 31, Venus dips into Virgo. Use this time to pull back from spending or over-activity. Stop the inner critic, catch-up with yourself, relax and replenish. Tend to a short project, to take stock, to fix, revise, and improve as necessary.
Venus retrograde in Virgo is a good time to get off the hamster wheel, to take a vacation or time out. Another purpose of the cycle is to show you where you may have taken a wrong turn. It can make you question more so that you can edit, delete, or at the very least, minimize on the wrong turns or time wasters. If it’s too weak to survive, it probably won’t. Venus retrograde in Leo can see you get back into the swing of things, but you’ll do it with more conscious awareness and intention. Venus retrograde is a time to be more selective about what you show and to whom. It can also take you through a karmic interval with a specific someone or specific circumstance.
July 12 through the end of the month is an ideal time for a get-away, or switch-track. Time off or away is great, but don’t expect to be sitting still, at least not for long. The new moon on July 15, Venus into Virgo on July 18, and the start of retrograde for both Venus (July 25) and Uranus (July 26) are all strike-flint, switch-track dates. All are good for a getaway but know there’s also a potential for a shakeup, an added expense, or an inconvenience.
Venus conjoined with your ruler Jupiter at the month’s start makes it a great time to be a Sagittarius – especially so noting that both planets are energized by Uranus (by trine). Freedom, it’s a great feel. It’s what your sign lives for; – well, that and love, of course.
While Jupiter and Venus in Leo continue to keep your spark well lit, Saturn’s influence brings an awareness of a shifting reality and/or growing need. There’s a limit or end to the road ahead and it can’t be downplayed or ignored. July 6, 12, 13, and 15 are action dates; one way or another they move you further along.
Venus dips into Virgo from July 18 to 31. You could find that the timing isn’t quite right, that you aren’t quite ready, or that you aren’t quite free yet. A new necessity or reality could appear abruptly. Although the start of Venus retrograde can typically bring a stop or a stall out, the weekend of July 25 (and the days leading up to it) are sure to be catapulting, thanks to Mars in dynamic tension (square) with Uranus which turns retrograde on July 26. Something important is building. It has a life of its own. You can’t stop it. It’s likely you don’t want to either.
July opens on a Capricorn full moon, but rather than a day of conflict, it looks like a good one to indulge and enjoy. Do it your way and take delight in the reward it brings. If there’s tension to be found, you’ll see it into the evening or the following day, but overall you should feel that you are gaining on yourself and that life is also on a good move-along.
A vacation or change of pace hits it right anytime in July. There are three peaks to the month, the start, the middle, and the end of the month. All mark switch-track thresholds. The new moon on July 15 can be an especially emotional push come to shove time. It could feel like a full moon instead.
If you can’t get away, aim to pick up the slack with something fresh. If you don’t have a focus, a project, or anything specific on the backburner, watch for destiny’s plan to reveal itself. The start of Venus retrograde on July 25, and Uranus retrograde on July 26 can kick it into action.
Canada Day coincides with a full moon in Capricorn. A day off can be put to good use; perhaps there’s someone special to spend time with or something special to do. If it’s a day of work, it’s one to get through, but overall, you’ll stay on top of what you need to.
Venus and Jupiter in Leo continue to shine in your people and lifestyles sector but both progressively tighten an aspect with Saturn. Venus turns the corner on July 13; Jupiter squares off with Saturn on Aug 3. Both suggest that you gaining an awareness of the wear and tear on the system, this regarding finances, time, and matters of the heart. You are correct to be more selective regarding who, what, where, and when. Too, these transits suggest you are outgrowing a particular circumstance, and/or that you feel a growing need/desire to get moving in a new direction regarding career and personal life priorities. You are quite aware of the advancing hour. Venus/Saturn and Jupiter/Saturn keep you working your way toward a wrap-up, a goal post, or an important transition. As Venus dips into Virgo from July 18 to July 31, it can provide you with a clearer sense of what’s missing. It can also point toward what would be more useful and productive in terms of correcting, healing or fixing. Venus retrograde, July 25 through Sept 25, provides you with a time extension to observe and to re-evaluate. Venus retrograde in Leo helps you to get back in touch with your own creative centre, your own creative process. It’s all about figuring out what’s best for you.
While the day that Venus stations retrograde often produces a stall out, the weekend of July 25, 26 is likely to do just the opposite. Mars squares Uranus just after Venus turns retrograde, and just a day later, Uranus stations retrograde too. This is sure to give a significant kick to something. A vacation break or change of scenery is ideal. The days that immediately follow suggest a good deck clearing. The month ends on another energy surge, thanks to a full moon in Aquarius and Venus retrograde backtracking into Leo.
A full moon in Capricorn opens the month; a full moon in Aquarius ends the month. Between July 1 and 31 there’s a lot going on with Venus and the rest of the stellar gang. The full moon on July1 is accompanies by the sun’s trine to Neptune; overall it’s a good day to take in Canada Day, or to enjoy it your way.
Mercury advances into Cancer on July 8, which is a good transit for family and personal enjoyments. It’s also good for lovers. July 13, Venus surpasses Saturn (by square aspect) and by the Cancer new moon on July 15, Mercury will catch up Mars in Cancer. This new moon marks an action peak of the month. You may have started on it a few days prior; July 12 & 13 are both move-along dates. The next action peak is the last weekend of the month when both Venus (July 25) and Uranus (July 26) turn retrograde in your health and work sector.
Once Venus turns to retrograde, it will put more on brew inside of you. Allow yourself to monitor the thoughts and feelings, to consider your options. Try it on for size inside your heart and mind and wait for the answers or urge to build a life of their own. | 2019-04-19T07:07:39Z | https://rosemarcus.com/july-2015/ |
A mother sits with her young daughter on the banks of a river, possibly the Bogotá River. They would not have suspected that decades later, their admiration for the beauty of the river would be replaced by feelings of disgust and fear towards the polluted stream.
During the first decades of the twentieth century, serious health problems were common in the city of Bogotá. Public squares, markets, hospitals, and city streets were persistently filthy. One of the reasons for it was the design and the city’s location. Bogotá was built at the foot of nearby mountains and the streets were designed to carry sewage and garbage down their slopes through shallow, open-air gutters that ran down the center. Understandably, the streets tended to become water canals of rain and sewage, which, along with the local rivers and rivulets, collected filth and garbage as they flowed, so becoming channels for waterborne diseases.
This became a matter of great concern for the public and city officials. Physicians, engineers, and architects—influenced by European and North American hygienism—began to demand transformations of public and private spaces. Filth in the city was perceived as a source of, and breeding ground for, countless microbes, germs, and bacteria that posed serious threats to human health. To remedy this, hygiene programs were adopted to solve garbage and health problems within a framework of measures that aimed to modernize the city.
The urban hygiene movement of the Colombian physicians, engineers, and architects, just like the one in Europe and North America, did not question the condition of public spaces only; it also turned its attention to people’s homes. The living conditions in Bogotá that inspired so much criticism were directly related to municipal deficiencies in providing basic services such as running water, sewage management, and garbage disposal for low-income neighborhoods, whose streets were usually unpaved. These neighborhoods, called barrios obreros, were comprised of groups of houses that—despite their small size, poor lighting, and inadequate ventilation—were homes to large families who lived in cramped and unsanitary conditions. Many of these houses were actually huts with dirt floors, straw roofs, and only a single main living space whole families used for sleeping, eating, working, and often keeping animals.
Bathrooms were not a common feature in these kinds of houses, which sprang up along the periphery of the city. In the late nineteenth century that included the slopes of the Eastern Mountains, the unoccupied western side of the northern railroad tracks and to the south along the roads leading to what were then the towns of Usme and Bosa (which are today both incorporated as districts within the greater Bogotá area). Instead of proper bathrooms, makeshift holes or latrines excavated around the house were used by residents to relieve themselves. It was also common for people to resort to relieving themselves and disposing of their waste on the neighborhood streets, where it was expected that rainwater would eventually carry off the filth to the nearest sewers; these, in turn, would deposit the waste in the streams crossing the city.
The city’s rivers and rivulets thus became a multipurpose water network across the city that took away human waste from its point of origin, dispersing a foul stench throughout its course, and propagating infestation and diseases. Skin infections, typhoid fever, dysentery, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and cholera, all of them to be contracted by ingesting contaminated water.
Concerns over the spread of diseases drove the experts’ attention to people’s personal hygiene, which was considered absent or inappropriate. To combat this, manuals, posters, and public service announcements were used to teach people satisfactory methods of washing their faces, hands and bodies. These public service announcements had an important predecessor in the well-known etiquette handbook “Manual of Urbanity and Good Manners for Young People of Both Sexes” (Manual de Urbanidad y Buenas Maneras para Uso de la Juventud de Ambos Sexos).
“Bodily cleanliness should play an important role in our daily routines and we must never cease to dedicate to it the time it requires of us, no matter how large our workplace or how numerous our tasks.
Just as we must never lay ourselves to sleep without first praising and thanking God for all he gives us, what could be considered a kind of spiritual cleaning, that cleanses the soul from the stains of daily passions, we must never lay on our beds without first cleansing our bodies. We do this not just for the satisfaction that cleanliness provides in itself but also so that we may be decently prepared for any happenstance that may occur in the middle of the night.
Upon waking we must do the same. After filling our spirits by dutifully praising God and asking for him to lead us in our day, we must clean our bodies even more carefully than we do before going to bed.
Written by the Venezuelan diplomat and teacher Manuel Antonio Carreño, this handbook became popular in Latin America upon its publication in New York in 1854. Issued for the first time in Bogotá in 1871, it influenced the daily behavior of citizens in private and public spaces where socializing took place. Personal hygiene was included in Carreño’s manual as an essential daily regimen for anyone wishing to stay healthy and to accomplish social prestige. According to Carreño, upon waking in the morning and before going to sleep at night, it was necessary to wash one’s face, eyes, ears, neck, and head. The hands should be washed several times a day, especially before eating, and the whole body should be washed at least once a week in a bath or shower.
Illustration in a newspaper article entitled The Child’s Bath: General Guidelines for this Fundamental Health Practice, written by the National Health Directorate in 1946. This illustration shows the method by which a mother should bathe her baby, and the increased number and quality of toiletries to use.
All rights reserved. Courtesy of El Tiempo Casa Editorial.
Guidelines for personal hygiene in these types of manuals were gradually adopted by families who managed to get copies of them, or whose children were taught its basic lessons in school. However, the most disseminated information came from public service announcements made by government agencies like the Directorate for Hygiene and Health of the Bogotá Municipality (Dirección de Higiene y Salubridad del Municipio de Bogotá). These announcements were meant to promote healthy habits and practices, and were adopted so as to mitigate the effects of infections and contagious illnesses. Physicians Manuel N. Lobo, Luis Zea Uribe, Cenón Solano, Tiberio Rojas and Pedro M. Ibáñez, who were linked to the Directorate for Hygiene and Health, made regular use of the monthly publications of the Municipal Hygiene Registry (Registro Municipal de Higiene) to disseminate information detailing how public bathrooms functioned, to recommend a length and temperature for baths and showers, and to educate people as to the importance of washing their hands in order to avoid contagious illnesses like typhoid fever.
Further instructional publications included manuals specifically targeting mothers, with information on infant health and cleanliness. Among these were the “Manual of Infant Hygiene and Medicine for Mothers” (Manual de Higiene y Medicina Infantil al Uso de las Madres de Familia), written by pediatrician José Ignacio Barberi, and published for a second time in 1905. It recommended that mothers bathe their children every day with warm water for no longer than five minutes. In part, this daily bathing routine was to ensure that the child’s pores would not be clogged by dirt since they helped eliminate toxins—much like exhalation and urination—and thus kept internal organs healthy.
“Bathing is, for me, such an essential element for good health that I have children bathe even when they have fevers, using baths as a kind of medicine. General concerns about bathing come from the fact that among us, it is associated with rivers or rainwater and therefore cold water. As I have stated before, bathing should be done with warm water to avoid any ill effects. If a child cannot sleep, bathe him before going to bed and he will sleep all night long. Compare a child who bathes regularly to one that does not, the clean child’s skin will be clean and terse in contrast to the rough and potted skin of the one that is not bathed regularly.
Babies requiring special care were to be washed with glycerin soap and a soft sponge in small tubs, with water heated to body temperature. Rainwater was recommended for these baths since the city’s water supply was not trusted to be potable. This type of instructional information for child hygiene was also included in newspaper and magazine articles such as the one published in 1946 by the National Health Directorate (Dirección Nacional de Salubridad) with the title “The Child’s Bath: General Guidelines for this Fundamental Health Practice” (El Baño del Niño: Normas Generales para Realizar esta Tarea Medular de la Salud). Using illustrations and a plain writing style, the National Health Directorate insisted that the child’s tub, soap, mineral oil, cotton balls, towels, and blankets never be used for anything other than bathing the child so as to avoid cross contamination. The article also gave mothers special tips for bathing newborn babies during their first week due to the tendency of soap and water to dry out their delicate skin.
“A daily bath—or better still, bathing twice a day—is one of the most powerful ways of preserving our youthful beauty. Taken in almost-boiling water like the Japanese, or in freezing water as some nature fanatics do, bathing is always a gratifying refuge for our fatigued bodies”.
Advertisement for a coconut oil shampoo for cleansing the hair by removing dandruff and natural oils. In the early twentieth century body cleansing began to be perceived as a need rather than a privilege. Shampoos, soaps, and other cosmetic products advertised in newspapers and magazines were used together with water to eliminate dirt, oil and odor from hair and skin in favor of health and beauty.
All rights reserved. Courtesy of Revista Cromos.
In the early twentieth century, when bathing became an increasingly popular practice among Bogotá citizens, bathing was associated with certain health benefits and risks. Perceived health risks associated with long hot baths such as tiredness, heart problems, and dry skin waned within decades as people started following guidelines given by doctors. Bathing gradually became an essential daily practice because it helped to keep people healthy and also facilitated the feeling of being young and beautiful on account of the resulting moisturized, softened, and clean skin. The cosmetic aspects of bathing quickly inspired advertisements for related products such as soaps, shampoos, bath salts, skin tonics, deodorants, and perfumes, all of which complemented the cleansing effects of water. These products, now basic elements in daily hygiene regimens, quickly became staple consumer goods for all families.
With bathing established as a daily practice, proper bathrooms became essential domestic spaces that provided adequately hygienic conditions along with comfort and privacy. Modern bathrooms had characteristic features such as floors made of easily washable materials, cement walls that were waterproofed using lime plaster, oil-based paint, and ceramic tiles. They also included fixtures like bathtubs, showers, hand sinks, toilets, and bidets. All of these features permitted the easy disposal of human waste and hygienic washing by taking advantage of running water from pipes connected to the municipal aqueduct and sewage drains.
Advertisement for Montoya Patiño and Co., a company selling bathtubs, toilets, sinks and showers for completely hygienic bathrooms. Having bathrooms inside homes bolstered the ongoing domestication of water in the city, but also became evidence of the socially differentiated relationship between people and water, as not everyone could afford to have one.
However, modern bathrooms like these were absent from most Bogotá homes until the mid-twentieth century. Those houses built in the colonial period or the early Republican years did not include bathrooms in their architecture, and nor were bathrooms built in more recently constructed homes because of the owners’ economic restrictions. It was not until the second decade of the twentieth century that municipal officials, private developers, and workers’ cooperatives began building housing projects with bathrooms, regardless of the socioeconomic status of the neighborhoods in which they were located.
Having bathrooms inside homes bolstered the ongoing domestication of water in the city. This correlated both with the desire for modern health practices and new conceptions of bodily cleanliness as a discreet and private routine. The domestication of water meant that most of the city’s inhabitants no longer had to use the local rivers or collect rainwater for bathing: water was now available from the municipal aqueducts and pumped into homes through pipes directly into faucets for showers, bathtubs, and sinks. People only needed to turn on a faucet and water would pour with a steady, adjustable, and continuous flow all year round. This new approach to water use not only increased the amount of water demanded, used, misused, and polluted, but also demonstrated how humans could sometimes control what had previously been subject to natural cycles, even though nature never became a passive actor completely submitted to human will.
Despite the increasing use of bathrooms in private homes, some people could not afford the costs to build one and had to rely on showers and tubs in public bathhouses. These public washrooms were regulated according to standards set out by municipal authorities. On 30 April 1915, the Bogotá City Council (Concejo de Bogotá) approved a proposal made by the Directorate for Hygiene and Health to draw basic regulations for public bathroom services, which until then were being offered in inadequate and rudimentary facilities that indeed increased the risk of disease propagation. The new regulations stipulated that public bathroom facilities had to be spacious and clean—meaning washable cement walls, paved floors with drains, and doors and windows constructed so as to prevent strong cold breezes coming from outside. Furthermore, any business owner wishing to operate a public bathhouse had to hire employees to sanitize tubs before clients’ use, and were obliged to provide them with towels.
“Without counting the bathrooms in private homes, whose use is correct from the point of view of private hygiene and which are almost exclusively used by the city’s moneyed classes, Bogotá has no other public bath and washrooms than the waters from the Tunjuelo River and distant Bogotá River, the Fucha River which receives all of the runoff from the San Cristóbal hamlet, the scarce water from the Arzobispo stream, and the rivulets that cross the Chapinero neighborhood that are just as tainted as the waters from the Fucha River.
Various private companies have bathroom services for the public, although they are insufficient for public demand. These have yet to adopt the level of cleanliness, comfort, and affordability found in other cities. The showers and faucets are well established.
Public bathrooms, however, were scarce and pricey for the general public. In 1919, physicians Tiberio Rojas and Pedro M. Ibáñez claimed that public bathrooms benefited only wealthy citizens, while poor people continued to rely on natural but often contaminated water from local currents—including the Bogotá, Tunjuelo and Fucha Rivers, and rivulets such as La Vieja and Las Delicias. The Bogotá City Council addressed the problem by approving its Accord No. 11 of 1919, which gave the Board of Relief (Junta de Socorros) a permit to build public bathrooms in new areas using city funds. Nevertheless, this utility never coupled with the population growth, and in 1936 the City Council ordered the construction of 26 new public bathhouses, which were designed like kiosks and located near public squares and open to all.
To view the caption and the source information, please click on the i in the upper left part of the image.
Group of people enjoying a picnic in the countryside. A small stream at the lower right of the photograph reminds us that riverside landscapes were places to enjoy recreational activities, before the rivers themselves were consumed by the urban expansion of Bogotá over the western savannah.
Source: Bogotá, Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango, Virtual Library, Collection Gumersindo Cuéllar Jiménez, Reference FT1726.
Group of people swimming in a natural pool formed by water from a river in Útica (497 m. above sea level), a temperate town located 119 kilometers from Bogotá (2640 m. above sea level) on the route down the mountains to the Magdalena River.
Source: Bogotá, Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango, Virtual Library, Collection Gumersindo Cuéllar Jiménez, Reference FT1736 brblaa1042991-4.
An example of watersports associated with recreational activities around rivers and lakes, this picture shows regattas sailing in the artificial lake formed by the Muña Dam, located south of Bogotá and used since the 1940s for hydropower generation.
Source: Bogotá, Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango, Virtual Library, Collection Gumersindo Cuéllar Jiménez, Reference FT1724 brblaa925921-4.
Bathing in rivers continued, however, remaining a long-held custom for people regardless of their socioeconomic background. Those who no longer needed rivers for personal hygiene still enjoyed rivers as recreational zones. It was common for Bogotá families to take trips on weekends or holidays to nearby rivers and natural pools on the Bogotá Savanna, or those located in the warm climates of towns along the route down the mountains to the Magdalena River. These trips to rural areas outside the city were ideal opportunities to enjoy picnics on grassy pastures, sometimes stopping along the riverbanks to stare at the tranquil flow of water or engaging themselves in watersports and refreshing swims.
The shifting use of rivers from bathing to recreational activities shifted the perception of water into a source of entertainment, and reinforced the bucolic idea of the countryside as a contrast to the dirty and restless city streets. Around the mid-twentieth century these family trips to nearby rivers began to disappear from the repertoire of common Bogotá customs as the city itself began to expand into the surrounding wetlands and rural savanna. Wetlands dried out, fertile farmland was covered by construction, and some of the nearby rivers used for recreation were absorbed into the new urban landscape. Such was the case of the Fucha, Tunjuelo, and Bogotá rivers: once perceived as sites of leisure and contemplation, they were transformed throughout the twentieth century into streams that ran through the city, receiving wastewater discharges, and often flooding the neighborhoods next to their courses during rainy seasons.
On 19 June 1928, the El Tiempo newspaper published a public service announcement that included the prices of goods and foodstuffs sold in the stores owned by Eduardo Laverde and Luis F. Pinilla that were located in Bogotá. This list demonstrates the importance of certain foodstuffs such as barley, oats, rice, potatoes, beans, peas, chickpeas, chocolate, coffee, sugar, and panela—solid blocks of sugar made from unrefined sugar cane juice—in Bogotá homes. It also enabled people to compare the price of a bar of soap to common foodstuffs as a means of demonstrating its affordability: for example, one bar of soap could cost 5 cents while a pound of sweetened chocolate could reach as much as 40 cents.
Easy access to cosmetic soaps towards the end of the 1920s shows how widely spread personal hygiene practices had become in Bogotá. Bathing had shifted from being perceived as an extravagant and distinguished exercise, exclusive to high society, to a routine practice for working-class people interested in staying healthy, clean, and attractive.
Infographic showing a comparison of the price of cosmetic soaps with the price of several groceries in 1928.
“Precio de los víveres”, El Tiempo, June 19, 1928, 8.
Created by Mónica Páez Pérez and María José Castillo Ortega. Tangrama, 2013.
Homes with bathrooms began to appear in large numbers in Bogotá during the second decade of the twentieth century. These new buildings were regulated by normative standards meant to promote the construction and maintenance of hygienic homes. Among these were: Accord No. 10 of 1902 released by the Bogotá City Council, Accord No. 40 of 1918 by the Central Board of Hygiene (Junta Central de Higiene), and Resolve No. 16 of 1919 by the National Health Directorate (Dirección Nacional de Higiene).
These building standards defined architectural requirements that homes in modern residential neighborhoods had to fulfil, and also tried to mitigate health problems caused by unhygienic conditions within homes in working-class neighborhoods on the peripheries. Poorer neighborhoods like the Paseo Bolívar—which was located on the slopes of the Eastern Mountains—were known to be unsanitary and precariously constructed. Homes, which were more like shacks, had no public utilities, were notoriously cramped, lacked separate living spaces, suffered from poor lighting and ventilation, were usually built from low quality materials, and had no bathroom at all.
After years of unsuccessful proposals, the city authorities finally decided to demolish the homes of the Paseo Bolívar as part of a sanitation project led by the Viennese urban planner Karl Brunner, who in 1933 had been named chief of the brand new Department of Urban Planning for Bogotá (Departamento de Urbanismo de Bogotá) after his successful experience as an urban planner in Santiago de Chile. His mission was to plan future urban development based on legislation, focusing on urbanization and road construction. The Department of Urban Planning for Bogotá compiled and published norms for hygienic buildings while also proposing building plans for working-class housing that conformed to hygienic building codes, thereby increasing the living standards of inhabitants.
Comparing an average home in the unplanned Paseo Bolívar neighborhood in the 1920s with one of the planned working-class neighborhood proposed by the Department of Urban Planning for Bogotá in the 1930s, enabled consideration of the differences between building standards in the two timeframes, and the role of homes like spatial projection of hygienic discourse.
Please click on this image to start the presentation on working-class housing.
Architectural renderings designed by William Sarria Calderón. 2013. | 2019-04-23T14:03:54Z | http://www.environmentandsociety.org/exhibitions/water-bogota/bathrooms-and-personal-hygiene |
All our R/C products are designed and built to exacting standards of quality and reliability. This fact will be music to your ears if you're frustrated with the "cheap and nasty" products which are all too abundant in the world of R/C models. The quality and reliability of our products is perfectly demonstrated by the extremely few warranty returns that we receive -- all of our R/C products get less than one-twentieth (5%) of the industry average rate of warranty returns... which, looked at another way, indicates that Dawnmist R/C products are typically at least 20 times more reliable than the industry average. Furthermore, now that so many products include microprocessors -- and therefore also software -- the quality of this embedded software is critical, and many R/C modellers have had bad experiences with software 'bugs' in some companies' products; we at Dawnmist have more than 30 years of professional software engineering experience, and none of our R/C products has ever had a software 'bug' reported!
As well as quality and dependability, our products give top-notch performance -- for example, our Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs) are renowned for their smooth control, excellent torque even at low speed, and unrivalled energy-efficiency. Safety and proper fail-safe behaviour are also vital parts of our design philosophy.
All our products are designed and manufactured in the UK using top-quality materials -- for example, all our Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are made from virtually unbreakable military-grade GRP material, whereas many competitors' products use cheap and fragile SRBP, which can easily develop cracks (and hence faulty operation, often intermittent in nature, which makes diagnosis very difficult) under the vibrations and shocks common in R/C model applications.
All our product design is performed in-house, here in the UK; we do not subcontract any design work. This allows us to rigorously apply our philosophy of design excellence, and also means we offer unrivalled technical support for our products: Dawnmist is probably the only company in the industry where you can actually contact the engineer who designed the product and/or wrote its software if you need detailed technical advice or help!
All in all, you can buy our R/C products in total confidence that you are getting industry-leading quality, reliability, performance and support.
To help you make an informed choice about our products, this web page includes full PDF copies of all our products' User Manuals for you to browse or download... so you can find out all about our products before you buy. And if you have any queries not covered on this webpage or in the PDF manuals, simply get in touch with our dedicated technical support line: [email protected]..
Dawnmist R/C Products are available directly from us, or from selected model shops and dealers.
Dealer Enquiries are Welcome from model trade distributors/retailers -- please contact us for details.
All Dawnmist Electronic Products are designed and made in Great Britain... and are used by modellers Worldwide!
Best of British Quality -- Dawnmist Studio is an approved supplier of electronics to Britain's Army and Air Force.
ESC and RevESC Electronic Speed Controllers State-of-the-art DC motor control!
HyperBEC: High-power Battery Eliminator Circuit Say Goodbye to BEC problems!
Lithimon: The Lithium Battery Problem Solver Our best-selling R/C product!
UltiMix: Add Computer-R/C functions to a basic R/C! A 'must-have' for every R/C model!
Throttle Minder: The Easy-to-Use Failsafe! Simple, economical anti-crash solution!
ReverSafe Servo Reverser with Failsafe Instant cure for that 'wrong way round' servo!
This brochure describes Dawnmist Studio's range of Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs) for DC motors, a range covering 20 to 50 Amps at up to 30 Volts, giving a maximum power of a stunning 1500 Watts, with built-in failsafe and start-up interlock. The ESCs use technology developed for multi-Gigahertz computers to achieve unprecedented efficiency levels of over 99.5%, allowing the units to be small and run cool. All this is available at a very competitive price.
All our speed controllers are also available configured for non-radio-control applications: the "VR" option (at no extra cost) specifies that, in place of the usual data lead and receiver (Rx) plug, a potentiometer (control knob) is supplied, and this adjusts the motor speed. The knob can also be replaced by an external signal -- a simple zero-to-five volt input controls the motor speed. These options make our ESC/RevESC family ideal for all manner of non-R/C applications, everything from robotics to low-voltage power tools, buggies, narrow-gauge trains, fairground rides and lab equipment. If you require the VR option, please select VR in the 'Special Options' menu of the Add-to-Basket button.
Every application, whether an R/C model or any of the numerous other applications of Dawnmist ESCs, benefits greatly from the performance of Dawnmist's proprietary ESC technology: extremely smooth speed control, excellent torque even at low speeds, high stability, unequalled efficiency (minimising energy wastage and heat generation), safety interlocks, compact size and much more. And all this is available at a very attractive price/performance point.
The ESC range is microprocessor-based with quartz crystal timing for superb speed accuracy, and will work with any standard R/C receiver (in place of a servo). The models available encompass three non-reversing models for aircraft use -- ESC-20/30/50, handling up to 20/30/50 Amps respectively -- and two reversible models for car/boat use -- RevESC 20 and 30 (20A and 30A respectively). Additionally, there is a reversible model for low-voltage use (down to 4.8 volts), the RevESC-20-LV. Unlike many competing products, the ESCs are continuously rated for operation at full current, and will tolerate short-term surges (up to 5 seconds) at twice the rated current.
The RevESC (reversing) units configure the throttle stick in a 'centre zero' mode, as is usual for reversing ESCs. The foward range covers the full zero to 100% range, while the reverse range is restricted to half speed (0--50%) for better control in reverse -- which is just right for the commoner types of model. For special applications where equal forward and reverse ranges are required, we offer the 'EQ-R' option to special order at no extra cost -- if you require this option, please select EQ-R in the 'Special Options' menu of the Add-to-Basket button. (Please note that on the standard (non-EQ-R) version, the current handling capacity in reverse mode is still the full rated capacity of the unit (e.g. 30 amps for RevESC-30), only the motor speed is halved -- just as if the throttle stick was only moved half as much when in the reverse range; while with the EQ-R option, the forward and reverse ranges are equal).
The Dawnmist ESCs also feature a multi-purpose diagnostic LED to assist with trouble-shooting. This indicates safety lockout mode, loss of signal, glitches and motor on/off status at a glance. The ESCs are normally supplied programmed with a linear throttle curve (which can, of course, be modified using either a computer R/C or a Dawnmist Ultimix), but custom throttle curves can also be programmed -- please contact us if you require such a curve.
The on-board microprocessor provides fail-safe operation, by continuously monitoring the signal from the receiver. In the event of signal loss or corruption, the motor is brought quickly but not violently to a halt for safety, unlike many other makes of ESCs which will operate unpredictably under these conditions. Additionally, a false-start interlock is provided: upon power-up, the motor is not enabled until the transmitter stick is placed in the STOP position. This feature can avoid potentially dangerous accidents when the system is powered-up with the throttle stick in the wrong position.
The Dawnmist ESC range are compact, cool-running and highly reliable solutions to the need for speed control of DC motors up to 1.5kW in rating. For applications where R/C equipment is to be powered from the motor battery, the ESC range are designed to work alongside Dawnmist's HyperBEC range of Battery Eliminator Circuits (BECs).
The ESCs are packaged in a shrink-fit plastic sleeve to give a lightweight but fully insulated unit, as depicted above. The ESC-50 alone has a small external heatsink made of brass, which can be seen in the picture. Generously-rated cables are supplied with the ESCs and can be cut to any desired length up to 25cm.
Includes delivery anywhere in the United Kingdom by Royal Mail, 2nd class Post.
Includes delivery anywhere in the European Union or European Economic Area by Airmail.
Includes delivery anywhere in the World by Airmail.
Supply Voltage (ESC): 7.2V min, 30V max.
Supply Voltage (RevESC): 8.4V min, 30V max.
Supply Voltage (RevESC20LV): 4.8V min, 14V max.
If you use a BEC, read this!
Many R/C modellers today use Battery Eliminator Circuits (BECs) to power their receiver and servos from the same battery as is used to drive the model. For electric-powered models, this makes a great deal of sense -- it removes the need for a separate receiver battery and the attendant need to keep it charged. The theory is that even when the main battery becomes too weak to power the model, the BEC will still supply enough power to operate the R/C equipment properly.
But practice does not always live up to theory, and BEC problems are commonplace. The British Model Flying Association warns that "you should not use BEC in an installation where servo battery drain may be high or prolonged, for instance with four or more servos..." . Many experienced modellers will tell horror stories of crashes caused by BEC failures, and a study by Dawnmist has demonstrated that there are still many BECs on the market that are not capable of driving the R/C load claimed. One well-known model sold to helicopter modellers cannot even drive four micro-servos reliably. Some BECs even generate radio glitches, while others cut the power to the R/C while there is still enough power in the main battery to fly -- needless to say, this is disastrous!
As a result of these worries, many experienced modellers do not trust BECs, and prefer to use a separate R/C battery. This adds a great deal of weight, and makes it difficult to ensure that the R/C battery is adequately charged throughout a long flying session.
The Dawnmist HyperBEC 555 was designed to remedy all these problems once and for all. It uses the latest integrated PNP pass-element technology to provide a generous current (up to 5 Amps continuous, 7 Amps on surges) without compromising the output voltage. Its 'drop-out voltage' is in a class of its own, meaning that the power fed to the R/C will still meet the minimum 4.5 Volts required, even when the main battery is as low as 5.0 Volts and with a full 5 Amp current drain. No other BEC on the market comes close to this specification.
The Dawnmist HyperBEC 555 is also robust. Unlike most BECs, it will survive accidental reverse connection to the battery ( and will protect the R/C from damage!), and withstands output short-circuits. A generously-sized heatsink keeps the BEC cool even under the most demanding conditions. Low-noise linear circuitry avoids any possibility of generating radio glitches, and protects the delicate R/C from conducted noise generated by the motor and speed-controller.
The standard HyperBEC 555, suitable for inputs up to 16 volts, measures just 34 x 28 x 16 mm and weighs around 15 grams -- a remarkable size for such a powerful device. The HyperBEC 555HV is an up-rated version for use up to 27 volts, equipped with a larger heatsink and higher-rated input capacitor but otherwise identical to the standard model. HyperBEC is easy to install, too: two wires for the battery, and two wires to the receiver. A common need is to replace the in-built BEC of a speed-controller with a higher-performance BEC, and with the HyperBEC this is easy. Comprehensive but simple instructions show how to interconnect the R/C, HyperBEC and speed-controller.
Any number of parallel cells.
Low-battery Performance: 4.5 V out for 5.0 V in at 5 Amp.
Lithium-Ion (LiIon) and Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries are set to revolutionize the world of electric-powered models. They offer an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio, offering greatly extended flight times compared with NiCd or NiMH batteries.
However, Lithium batteries can be temperamental and have limitations that must be understood.
There are two principal sources of trouble: firstly, there's what is known as the Peak Pulse Effect. This is a result of the way that electronic speed controllers (ESCs) work. Instead of presenting a constant load to the battery, an ESC switches very rapidly between full-on and full-off, varying the motor speed by changing the ratio of on-time and off-time. This presents a pulsating load to the battery, and Lithium batteries object to this much more than other types. The result, if the problem is left uncorrected, is that the battery appears to go flat prematurely, but if rested for a minute or two will start providing power once again, just as if the battery were overloaded. The reason is that the battery is sensitive to the peak , not average, load. For example, Lithium Ion batteries are typically rated for 3.5-4.0 C , implying that a 1.4 Ah battery could drive a load of 5 Amps -- but the Peak Pulse Effect means that an ESC drawing 5 Amps (average) will actually be drawing peaks of typically 10 Amps, and these peaks overload the battery.
The second limitation of Lithium batteries is that they are easily damaged by over-discharging, and must never be discharged below a specified value (usually 3 Volts per cell, off load). Excessive discharge will permanently ruin the battery.
Dawnmist Studio's best-selling Lithimon product family solves these problems and transforms the Lithium battery from a technical curiosity into a trusty workhorse.
The compact, lightweight Lithimon unit is simply connected in parallel with the speed controller, and has two functions. Firstly it uses a pair of energy-storage capacitors to 'smooth out' the peaks of the ESC's energy demand -- thus presenting an average, rather than peaked, load to the battery (these are purpose-designed capacitors, since regular 'over-the-counter' types cannot meet the demands of Lithium batteries). Lithimon supplies an extra burst of current to the ESC during the peaks to assist the battery, while recharging in between the peaks. This happens automatically, thousands of times per second. As well as curing the Peak Pulse Effect and allowing the battery to work right up to its full rated current without going flat prematurely, Lithimon also greatly extends the service life of the battery by avoiding overload conditions during every peak, and furthermore, reduces the heat generated in the battery (wasted power).
Tests in real models have shown reductions of over 50% in the wasted power, 50% less heat generated in the battery, and up to a doubling of flight duration.
Without the Lithimon's energy-smoothing function, the only way to deal with the Peak Pulse Effect would be to use a much bigger battery, negating the principal advantage of Lithium technology -- its light weight. The Lithimon's special energy-storage capacitors yield a pulse impedance below 0.04 Ohms, which means that the Lithimon can provide the battery with assistance at an impressive 25 Amps per volt dropped, making the Lithimon family easily powerful enough for large models while still small and light enough for use on indoor helicopters.
The second function of the Lithimon is a sophisticated battery monitor which helps prevent over-discharging of the battery and consequent battery damage.
Three ultra-bright LEDs, visible at a distance even in daylight, show the battery status, and an 85 decibel audible 'Land Now!' alarm activates when the battery reaches its limit. The Lithimon 234 covers batteries of 2, 3 or 4 series cells (7.2, 10.8 or 14.4 Volts nominal), while the Lithimon 5678 covers 5, 6, 7 or 8 series cells (18, 21.6, 25.2 or 28.8 Volts nominal) and the Lithimon 9012 covers 9, 10, 11 or 12 series cells (32.4, 36, 39.6 or 43.2 Volts nominal). All versions offer three selectable discharge responses for moderate, heavy or very heavy current drain applications. An on-board microprocessor uses a sophisticated measurement technique (10-bit ADC with 64x oversampling and a specially-developed DSP algorithm) to obtain an accurate, stable battery level measurement -- despite the peaks and surges from the ESC and motors, which would defeat a simple voltage monitor.
The Lithimon 234, 5678 and 9012 can pay for themselves many times over by preventing damaged batteries and by allowing Lithium batteries to be used to their full capacity without the ravages of the Peak Pulse Effect.
Technical Report -- Click here for proof that Lithimon really works!
All three units can handle any number of parallel cells.
Computer functions on basic R/C!
Many modellers are attracted by the facilities of micro-computer R/C systems (particularly the mixing and failsafe functions) but put off by the price. UltiMix upgrades a standard R/C to computer-R/C functionality and beyond for a fraction of the cost by putting a micro-miniature, but fully-featured, computer system aboard the model itself. This novel solution is made possible by the very latest microprocessor technology, which has allowed us to pack previously-unimaginable levels of computing power and on-board software into a package weighing just 17 grams, complete with the controls needed for programming and setup. And despite its power and flexibility, it's very easy to set up and use. UltiMix is built for reliability, using design techniques drawn from aerospace research.
UltiMix combines a range of mixing, scaling and failsafe functions, and is entirely user-configurable. It is ideally suited for helicopters -- a helicopter that would normally require a 5-channel computer R/C can be flown from a standard 4-channel set using our Collective and Tail mixing functions (CPM or CCPM programs, supporting 90 or 120 degree swashplates), or it can replace the clumsy and inaccurate mechanical mixers used on some helicopters. Varying degrees of 'Exponential' may also be selected for easier cyclic control. An additional feature is provided by the ability to connect the gyro between the Rx and UltiMix, in effect making the tail-pitch mixing take place after the gyro correction, and thus preventing the gyro from trying to fight against that change. This option, which is not possible on computer R/C systems which perform the tail mixing at the transmitter, can make a tremendous improvement to the helicopter's performance, especially with heading-lock gyros -- this is of great benefit whether you're a beginner or a 3D champion!
UltiMix is equally at home in an aeroplane, where it can support control configurations including V-Tail and Elevons (combined elevator/ailerons, used on delta-wing models especially), or may just be used as a failsafe and/or exponential control in a standard airframe. Ultimix also supports differential steering, as used on tracked vehicles (tanks) and some water craft. Additionally, UltiMix can be programmed to reverse, 'scale' and/or offset (trim) different channels, functions often lacking at the transmitter but extremely useful for ease of mechanical setup. Even if your model doesn't need the mixing functions, the powerful exponential control, failsafe and easy adjustment facilities make the UltiMix 5000 a very worthwhile performance-enhancing addition to any R/C model.
UltiMix has four servo inputs from the receiver and/or gyro, and drives up to five servos (the 5th output allows Throttle/Collective tracking in helicopters). For R/C systems with more than 4 channels, the additional channels simply drive servos directly, independent of the UltiMix. All channels passing through the UltiMix, even if the unit is not programmed to change them in any way, are subject to failsafe operation. The UltiMix constantly examines the input signals from the receiver to verify that radio reception is OK, and detects glitches, interference and loss of signal. When such an event occurs, the unit will hold the controls in the last valid position for a selectable length of time, and then adopt user-programmed 'failsafe' positions. Typically, the time interval might be set for a second or so, to prevent momentary glitches from changing the flight path, while ensuring that the aircraft is quickly put into a safe configuration if signal is lost. All failsafe actions are totally user-programmable, so that the most appropriate failsafe behaviour for your model may be chosen.
The failsafe action alone can easily pay for itself by avoiding damaging crashes, and could even save a life. A failsafe unit is required by law on larger models, and is a very worthwhile addition to any model. The UltiMix is a worthwhile investment for its failsafe function alone, let alone the mixing and exponential functions. Correctly used, exponential control can make a model very much more controllable, both adding to your enjoyment of the hobby and reducing the risk of crashes.
The UltiMix can store five user-defined programs, so the unit can be moved from model to model along with the Tx and Rx, if desired. This means that once all the details for a given model are stored in the unit's memory, they can be recalled at the touch of a button -- just like a computer R/C. Four miniature buttons are used for programming the unit, which also has five multicoloured LEDs to indicate status. The unit does not require an external power source, deriving the very small amount of power it requires to operate from the receiver battery. Use of special non-volatile memory means that stored programs remain intact indefinitely, without a battery -- so there's no risk of the unit 'forgetting' your programming.
Our products are backed up with a comprehensive e-mail technical support service, and we have a policy of continuous product improvement, responsive to customers' requests and suggestions. UltiMix is designed so that its internal software can be upgraded by us for a nominal handling charge, so you can take advantage of future additions to the functionality of the unit. Details of latest version numbers, new features and how to upgrade are posted here.
When you compare the cost of the UltiMix with that of upgrading to a full computer-controlled R/C system, you will see that it represents excellent value for money. It is much less expensive to purchase a basic R/C and an UltiMix than to purchase a microcomputer R/C; not only that, but the UltiMix offers much superior functionality to many microcomputer R/C's.
UltiMix Upgrades Available -- Click Here!
The Throttle Minder from Dawnmist Studio is an economical, simple-to-use failsafe system for radio controlled models such as boats and cars. It is based upon the very sophisticated technology of Dawnmist Studio's successful UltiMix 5000, but trimmed down to just a single-channel failsafe and optional voltage monitor, and available for a fraction of the price of the UltiMix. Throttle Minder's advanced microprocessor technology provides the modeller with industry-leading protection and peace of mind at a very attractive price.
While UltiMix caters particularly to the high-end of model aircraft applications, many modellers have felt a need for a much simpler device that is sufficient to bring a non-flying model (e.g. car or boat) to a safe halt in the event of R/C malfunction, signal loss or battery weakness. Throttle Minder addresses this niche perfectly.
Throttle Minder is available in two models: the basic model, Throttle Minder 100 , provides the ability to detect a loss or corruption of the radio control signal and gives an immediate response by moving the throttle servo (or electronic speed controller) to a pre-designated 'safe' position in order to bring the model to a safe stop, thus avoiding possible damage or injury. The more advanced Throttle Minder 200 , although no larger than the -100, provides all of the features of the -100 plus a battery voltage monitor and 'brown-out detector'. This provides a second safety feature: should the receiver's power supply drop low enough (due to a flat battery or faulty Battery Eliminator Circuit) to jeopardise proper operation of the receiver, the unit will also switch the throttle to the 'safe' position.
Throttle Minder is user-configurable: when first installed in a model, it's a simple matter to program in your chosen 'safe' servo position, and (for the -200 model) equally simple to adjust the voltage at which the battery alarm trips (if the factory-set level is not suitable). Once 'taught', the unit retains this information, even in the absence of power, using a special memory. You can re-program the unit as many times as you like, so you can even move it from model to model.
Throttle Minder is very simple to install. It consists of a tiny, lightweight unit which connects in between the Receiver (Rx) and throttle servo (or speed controller) -- just one input and one output lead. The unit has a daylight-visible LED to show when a failsafe condition occurs, and a miniature push-button which is used for 'teaching' the unit. Setting-up takes only moments when installing the Throttle Minder; after that, your configuration is remembered indefinitely.
Needless to say, it requires a fair amount of computing power to continuously monitor a radio control signal for signs of glitches, interference or faults. Despite its tiny size and low price, the Dawnmist Throttle Minder contains a 20 MHz RISC microcomputer and sophisticated software. Advanced DSP software techniques enable it to reliably detect interference that could escape the attention of a less sophisticated failsafe unit and lead to a crash.
All Dawnmist R/C products are backed up with an Internet-based technical support service and a full warranty, and come with comprehensive instructions. The low price of the Throttle Minder makes it a very wise investment -- it can pay for itself many times over the very first time it averts a crash.
How often have you been cursed with a servo that rotates the wrong way? Or needed a pair of servos that turn in opposite directions?
The ReverSafe 100 from Dawnmist Studio is an economical, simple-to-use single servo reverser for radio controlled models such as aircraft, boats and cars, which also features a built-in failsafe device. It is closely related to Dawnmist Studio's successful Throttle Minder 100, but with an added reverser function.
Even if your application does not demand a failsafe, the ReverSafe 100 provides a simple cure for wrong-way-round servos at a very attractive price. For more complicated setups requiring more than a single-channel reverse and failsafe unit, we also manufacture the very sophisticated Ultimix 5000, which offers 4/5 channel operation and adds all the features of the best microcomputer R/C systems to any 'conventional' R/C. UltiMix 5000 provides total user programmability and a wide range of failsafe, reversal, mixing and exponential options, making it ideal for high-end aircraft/helicopter applications. ReverSafe 100 provides an inexpensive solution when only basic reversal/failsafe features are required.
ReverSafe 100 takes one input from a receiver and drives one servo. The signal output to the servo is the exact reverse of the input signal, so as to reverse the direction of rotation of the servo but not its angle of movement. This provides a simple cure for a problem that might otherwise require a complicated reversing mechanical linkage, or a solution when opposed pairs of servos are required. In the latter case, which is often found in aileron systems, the relevant receiver output drives one servo directly and, by means of a 'Y-cable', drives the opposed servo via the ReverSafe.
The principal purpose of the ReverSafe 100 is of course reversing a servo, though a simple failsafe is included at no extra cost. This provides for the detection of loss or corruption of the R/C signal, and when this occurs, moves the servo to a user-defined position.
ReverSafe 100 is user-configurable: when first installed in a model, it's a simple matter to program in your chosen 'safe' servo position. Once 'taught', the unit retains this information, even in the absence of power, using a special memory. You can re-program the unit as many times as you like, so you can even move it from model to model.
ReverSafe 100 is very simple to install. It consists of a tiny, lightweight unit which connects in between the Receiver (Rx) and the relevant servo -- just one input and one output lead. The unit has a daylight-visible LED to show when a failsafe condition occurs, and a miniature push-button which is used for 'teaching' the unit. Setting-up takes only moments when installing the unit; after that, your configuration is remembered indefinitely.
All Dawnmist R/C products are backed up with an Internet-based technical support service and a full warranty, and come with comprehensive instructions. The low price of the ReverSafe 100 makes it an unbeatable solution to the age-old problem of the 'wrong-way-round servo'.
Are you a Dealer, Reseller or Retailer? If so, please contact our sales desk for details of reseller (trade) pricing and quantity discounts, marketing/promotional support and other benefits available to Authorised Resellers of Dawnmist products.
[email protected].; for technical enquiries and product technical support please email [email protected].. | 2019-04-26T10:28:58Z | http://dawnmist.org/rcm.htm |
This week on the Truth for Teachers podcast: How to become an organized teacher with Organize 365’s Lisa Woodruff.
I’m speaking today with Lisa Woodruff. She is a former classroom teacher who now owns her own business and teaches organizational skills for a living. I am a subscriber to her Organize 365 podcast, which I highly recommend if you enjoy learning about the mindset of organization, as well as practical tips. Most are focused on the home but she does also have episodes on classroom organization.
Click here to learn more about Lisa’s Teacher Workbox.
Lisa, tell us about what you’re really passionate about and what your mission is right now in your work.
Angela, thank you so much for having me on! I am passionate about helping women get out from behind the laundry and the dishes so that they have more time to do whatever they were uniquely created to do, which is different for every single person.
What is it about organization that you’re so passionate about? Why do you think that’s such a transformational thing for women to find their path with?
I think that to live an organized life frees up your time. I often say that there’s both time and money and it’s kind of like yin or yang. Often, we will sacrifice our time to save money, when if you just spend a little bit of money you would get a lot more time back. I see organization the same way. I would find that if I was doing something repetitively, but I stopped and I really analyzed and thought about what I was doing, I could streamline it a bit and save myself 5 or 10 minutes, which over time, would gain me a lot more time.
I knew that I was successful in a lot of the things I did because I was organized. Most specifically I saw it in the direct sales field. I’d been in a lot of direct sales companies, and the people who were organized and able to replicate what they were doing with their down line, always made like 10 times what everybody else made. It didn’t matter what they were selling. The fact that they were organized and able to create a system that other people could replicate, would boost their income. I knew that organization was a way to get more money and time. If I could teach people that organized way of thinking, then they could use that for whatever they wanted to get more time and money for.
Everyone wants to be organized, but some people probably would describe themselves as not naturally organized people. Do you think that there’s such a thing as naturally organized?
Yeah. I think we definitely have natural tendencies. Like I’m an analytical math person. I’m dyslexic — you could teach me spelling for the rest of my life. Spelling is just not automatic for me. I’m naturally organized, and I always thought you either are or you aren’t organized. What I found over time was that as a teacher, I was teaching them what I was doing as I went through it, and I would get these cancellations. I was like, why are they canceling? Their house is a hot mess.
What happened was that they were learning and they didn’t need me to finish the house. If I did a couple of rooms with them, they could finish because they saw the process I went through — it was a systematic process. This was probably the middle of 2012 after I had started Organize 365 that I realized that this is teachable. I knew that I would professionally organize people because that’s how I was earning my money, but then I knew that the Organize 365 blog was going to work, because I just needed to figure out what I was teaching and how to do that over the internet so people could get their homes organized somewhere else.
How much of what you teach is tactical and how much is based on mindset?
In the beginning, it was all tactical because I was a teacher. I didn’t know how else to do it. Now I would say it’s 90% mindset.
That to me is really interesting, and that’s where I really see the parallels between what you do and what I do. If teachers come to me somewhat for organization (more so for productivity, organization is a piece of that) I often find that there’s some sort of limiting belief of something else that is holding them back from creating change or from having the life that they want. If you want to get organized, there’s a gazillion articles out there about how to do it. If it were simple as just someone giving you a plan and then you just follow the plan, then everyone would be organized. If it was as simple as me just saying, “Here’s how to have more work/life balance, do these things, don’t do those things,” then every teacher would have a reasonable workload. There’s obviously more to it than that and it has something to do with that mindset or core beliefs they hold.
Yes. Also, I want to say that there’s an order to organization. I have determined that the order is decluttering, organizing, productivity.
Everyone wants productivity, but you cannot have productivity without organization, and you can’t have organization without decluttering. It has to go in that order. Even if you’re looking at your 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club, the first thing you have to do is what can you get off of this list? What can you totally declutter 100%?
After you figure out what you can declutter, then you look back at your 62 hours that are left and you go, “Okay, if I combine all the grading on Thursday night, I could take five hours of grading and turn it into three hours just by organizing it in a certain pod. Or I could take all of our copies and only go to the office on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, so that eliminates Tuesday, Thursday. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I not only go for copies, but I also go for supplies and anything that needs to be dropped off there.” Then you start to organize your tasks into batches, that’s the organizing part.
I never quite thought about it in that frame, but you’re right. The first thing that I try to get teachers to do is to figure out what can I eliminate? If you have too many things on the list, it doesn’t matter how efficiently you get them done. You’re still not going to get them all done, and the truth is that a good third of them probably don’t even need to be done to begin with. They need to be eliminated — which is the word that I would use — but you’re saying declutter, which is the same thing. Declutter that to-do list, get rid of some stuff first, then organize it. Then focus on productivity.
Yes, and if you follow anyone that focuses on only one of those three, it’s because they’ve figured out the other ones intuitively. If you’re going to follow a true productivity expert who’s not going to teach you the decluttering and organizing steps, you end up frustrated because you understand that they are productively using this checklist and to do this less in these operating systems, but you didn’t do the decluttering and organizing parts, you never get the result that they had.
Likewise, if you only focus on decluttering and minimalism (that’s really popular right now, as in I’m just going to have less) it gives you an immediate reward because all of a sudden you see less because you’ve just gotten rid of a whole bunch of things. Decluttering is an immediate kind of a high, you can get really addicted to it. If you don’t then organize and increase productivity, then you just keep trying to declutter more to get that high back again. You don’t get it because what’s left really shouldn’t have been decluttered. Now you’re decluttering things that should not have been decluttered, trying to get more organized just from the act of decluttering alone as opposed to grouping like with like, and then productively figuring out where that best fits in your schedule and in your life.
Let’s talk about some of these mindset shifts then. The first step is decluttering. What are some of the beliefs or the mindsets that a teacher would need to have in order to effectively declutter?
First of all, as teachers, we can find a use for anything and we want to save it just in case. If it’s paper, we might as well laminate it so it will last forever. My husband would know, when we were dating, I was a preschool teacher. All I did was color, laminate, and cut out lamination for two years straight. I’d laminate stuff from home, and he would say, “Why does everything have to be laminated?” I was like, “Oh, because this lesson I’m doing now, I’m going to do for the next 20 years.” But, you’re not. I spent so much time coloring and laminating, I can’t even tell you.
The number one thing I would say now being in my mid-40s as a teacher is that, I never taught the same grade twice. If you’re making everything permanent so it will last for three to five years, but you’re never going to teach the same year twice, some of that you might not need to do. Also, we would keep (and of course this was in the 90s) but we would have these teacher closets of literally everything. Bottle caps and toilet paper rolls and extra crayons and all of that stuff.
Part of decluttering is realizing that today, Amazon Prime delivers. I know that costs money. But also, you can send an email out — all of your parents in your classroom have all of this stuff in their house, too. You can replenish your whole toilet paper roll stash in 24 hours. Don’t save any more toilet paper rolls until you actually know you have something coming up next week where you need those.
The decluttering is, having more of a “just in time” inventory or what you have planned in the next month even. Not what you might need for the rest of your life.
Yes. “Just in time” instead of “just in case.” That’s it. You know what, now I think back on my own teaching practice and I was exactly that teacher. I remember writing all the new state standards on chart strips because we had to display them. Laminating them all which cost the school probably 80 gazillion dollars and then they change the standards three years later.
I think we all laminated them!
I think about all the learning materials I made them, like this is going to be the best thing ever. I’m going to use this for years and then I wouldn’t, because even if I stayed in the same grade level in the same school and the curriculum all stayed the same–which are a whole lot of ifs–I wouldn’t want to do it the same way the next year. I would think of something better or some sort of twist on it. I spent a ton of time trying to make things perfect and make everything super durable and organized so it would last forever. The truth was, I just did not need to have that amount of stuff.
I’m just thinking, if instead of all of the preparation we make for the week to go into teaching, where we make everything as new and bright and perfect as it could possibly be, what if we flipped it? We still did the lesson plans and all of that, and we had all of the materials and we taught it. Then at the end of the week we’re like, “Okay, of those 20 lessons I taught, these five were really good and these two were amazing. I am going to take an extra two hours and take the two that were amazing and collect all the samples and put them in a binder and know that that I’m going to replicate next year.” Versus, doing that with all 20 on the front end.
I love that, really being intentional about what worked, what didn’t work, and being reflective. Just preserving the things that really deserve to be preserved, instead of starting off the planning process, assuming that everything should be kept and therefore needs to be amazing. That’s so good. Any other mindset shifts around decluttering that we need to think about? It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the classroom, just anything that you think that a teacher would need to know in order to move forward?
Decluttering is easy, it’s fast. It should not take you a year and a half to declutter your classroom, your house, whatever. You can literally grab black trash bags, turn on really good high powered music and declutter any room in 30 minutes or less. The only question you’re asking yourself is, do I need this? Really you should be asking, donate or trash? See how much you can get out of that room, not how you’re going to use stuff, but is there anything in here that’s trash? Then is there anything in here that’s worth donating to give yourself that space before you get to the organizing stuff.
What do you do if you are the type of person who looks around the room and panics and thinks, “I need all of these things”? What do you tell yourself then?
In that case, I would only do one subject or one shelf or the master bathroom or the laundry room in your house. Like an area that isn’t as emotionally charged and much smaller, and then just do that one space.
Okay, so start with decluttering in a place that’s easier. You just declutter this one area, so then you’re going to move into organizing that area that’s already been decluttered? You’re not going to ever do this out of order? Would you want to have all of your areas decluttered and then do all the organization or?
You could definitely do that, like if you want to take a weekend and just power through and declutter everything. Or do one room at a time.
Okay, so let’s say that you have decluttered this one area of your classroom and now you’re ready to move into the organization point, what are the mindset shifts that you would need to make here? Or maybe some of the limiting beliefs that you would need to watch out for?
Okay, so the first thing with organizing, I’m just thinking of this gigantic middle school classroom closet that we had. We taught Montessori, so we had a bazillion, million, trillion manipulatives. My co-teacher was amazing, she was wicked smart and such a fun teacher, but not organized at all. I swear I got the job just to organize this closet. In this closet were all of these materials, but there was no rhyme or reason to it whatsoever.
Now, there are a couple different ways you could do organizing. One would be to just do one bookshelf at a time. I would say this closet was the size of a really small bedroom. It was not a small closet at all. You only want to organize the space that you have the amount to actually organize and put it back. In this case, I started on a Saturday morning and I cleared out the closet, sorted everything “like with like” in the classroom, and then I built it back into the closet. I actually think I did it in the summer because it took me a week.
I would put all the science stuff on one table and all the math stuff somewhere else. Then once we pulled it out of the closet, we then saw more things that were broken or could be donated. And then we designated bookshelves in the closet for each of the subjects or each of the levels and put them back in. That would be a huge organizing job that you would do in the summer or maybe you would do it over winter break.
What about in terms of getting organized at home?
You’re not going to have time right now to organize your house if you’re actively teaching, so don’t buy my program. Do not do my 100-day program right now. It’ll just leave you frustrated. The one thing I would say to do is the Sunday basket and we also have a teacher box. Those two things organize paper only.
The Sunday basket was created in 2002 when I had two babies and I had paper everywhere and couldn’t get anything done. I’m a productive organized person, but I was paying my bills late because I couldn’t find the bills to pay them. I had this stack, 14 inches high of papers on the end of my kitchen counter, adoption paperwork, medical paperwork, direct sales paperwork, just all of it was mixed in there. I had no system whatsoever. One Sunday, I divided all my paper out on the floor and I had 40 distinct piles of things that needed action. I had slash pockets because I was a teacher, so I put them all in 40 different slash pockets. You know those plastic things that go in binders that have tabs on the end and they’re colored? I put those in a long rubber basket and then I started doing that every single Sunday night and I called it my Sunday basket.
I would go through all of those, decide what had to get done this week, because here’s the thing, you always have more to do than you have time to do it. It doesn’t matter if it needs to be done. The only questions is, does it have to be done this week? If I don’t get it done this week, it’s late or we miss the registration or something bad happens, and I would keep those out. Then I would keep the rest in there, and as I got mail or notes or ideas, I would throw them in the Sunday basket because they could wait until Sunday. This Sunday basket system and the teacher box system is similar: Anything that comes at you, like you get a paper from your administrator and you have to make some change in your future lesson plans, where do you put that paper? You put it in the Friday teacher box and then on Friday, you go through all those random notes and assignments that have been handed to you. You go through them and you make decisions: Am I going to do this? Am I going to do it now? Or can it wait until next Friday?
Often for us women, we are doing so many things especially during the school year that you need to delay everything as long as possible. Here’s the thing, you know this is true, you get a note from your administrator. They’re like, “You have got to make this change, you need to implement this change by this date.” What I would do is implement it immediately, because I’m a good girl and I want to get an A and I want to be obedient. By the time that day comes around, they change their mind. Sometimes when we take action right away so that we don’t forget, we end up doing work that we wouldn’t have to do if we waited until it was due. We would have known about that if it’s in a Sunday basket at home or the Friday box at school, it gives you a place to put all of those things instead of trying to remember them. I have nothing in my head anymore. I don’t have a to-do list because I have these boxes that I drop all my notes in and I set time every week that I go through them.
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I really like what you’re saying here about delaying something, and that is going to be just music to people’s ears who already procrastinate. Yes, I’m doing something right.
I think for people like you and me who want to get things done right away, it’s really imperative to learn that because I learned that the hard way. I think of it as doing double work. You do it right away and then you find out something changed and so you end up having to redo it later. Or it’s something that you also have to get involvement from others, so maybe your co-workers also have to do something, and now you’ve done your part and they haven’t done theirs, so you’re waiting around for them. Again, it ends up with double work.
This idea of not necessarily doing it right away, but thinking about when is the optimal time for this? Then either writing a to-do list or putting it into that slash pocket so you can then deal with it at a better time. Or maybe all those things come on Sunday. Having this system where you’re not just reacting to things — that’s something that I hear a lot from teachers, is they had this great plan for the day and it’s constantly being thrown off because there are all these other things coming at them.
While it seems everything is urgent and important, not everything really has to be done immediately. Sometimes we just do it immediately, because we’re afraid we’re going to forget.
Right, and as you get those requests brought to you during the day, the reason why you’re doing it right away and interrupting your own plan is because you have your own plan written down. You know what you were going to do, but if you don’t act on this thing that was given to you, when are you going to do it and are you going to remember to do it? Where do you put it? On your desk? There’s no place to put it. If you have a place to put it, like a Friday box, then you go, “Can this wait until Friday?” If yes, that goes in the Friday box.
If you do all of your grading on Thursday and all your planning on Thursday, then call it the Thursday box and then you could put all of your grading in there too. Everything that can wait until that night where you’re going to do the work before you go home is all in that box in one place. We know that if we sit down and we do all the grading at one time or go through all of the notes at one time or call all the parents at one time, we save so much time from task switching, which can cost up to 20 minutes of time. It may not take you 20 minutes because you have your lesson plan written in front of you. But in offices, it does take 20 minutes for people to come back around to what they were working on. It costs us so much time.
Really having the system that allows you to delay things intentionally can keep you from feeling you have to try to remember everything or just take action right away.
Yes, and I have index cards which you know as teachers we have everywhere. They are like basically a penny for a pack in August, I buy so many of them. I have them in my car, in my purse, in my kitchen, in my office. Whenever I have an idea I write it on an index card and I drop it in the appropriate box. My big thing is books, I’m sure many people love books. Anytime I hear a podcaster talk about a book, when I get to my Sunday basket they’re usually seven book titles in there. Before this what I would do is I would go on Audible and I would buy the book.
Half the time, I didn’t actually want to read the book, but I didn’t know how else to remember the book. Now I look through it and then on Sundays I look at all of their reviews on Amazon. I’m like which one do I want to read now? I’m able to make a more thoughtful choice, but not forget about the book, and I didn’t put it on a to-do list anywhere. It’s just a note card in my Sunday basket. If reading is a big thing, which it is for me, then I just have a slash pocket called, “books I want to read someday.” If it’s one I don’t buy now, but I think I still might want it, it just goes in that pocket and stays there.
I do something sort of similar, but I keep it in a list, and I do it digitally. I use the notes app which syncs across my computer and my phone. I have a note called “books to read.” When I hear about a book, and a friend’s recommending it, I just put the title there and then next time I know that I’m looking for a new book or I’m already on Audible or I know I’ve got my new Audible credit for the month, I can go to that list and it’s already there.
I mean, there’s no one right way to do it, but I think experimenting to find something that works for you is really, really important. There’s just no way you can hold all this stuff in your head.
Are there any other mindset shifts or core beliefs that teachers need to have in order to get them to get the results that they want with organization?
Yeah, to believe that it’s progress over perfection. You’re not going to end up with a perfect system and then there’s no more work after this. Give yourself more grace and just realize that you’re doing the best you can and that organization is a lifelong skill. It’s a learnable skill and you’ll get more productive every day. I often tell people to take pictures before they start my program because they forget what it looked like, or because they’re striving for a magazine or a Pinterest image or perfection. They’re not realizing how much massive change they’re making in their functional organizing every day.
Yeah. I notice that with club members too. They’re so busy focusing on what could be possible and what they’re working towards. They don’t realize how far they’ve come. And when you really take that step back (which we try to do at the end of every month and then do a deeper dive reflection every quarter) and they think about it …”What were the changes that I implemented? I realized I did a lot on top of running a household, being a parent, being a full-time teacher. I did a lot of stuff and so much of this is going to be done in baby steps.” It doesn’t have to be this gigantic overhaul that you do all at once. It really can be spread out over time. It’s always going to be a work in progress as you said.
Yes. Definitely. Just giving yourself the credit that you give your kids in the classroom … like give yourself some of that.
That’s so good. Anyone who’s joined the club is listening to this thinking, “Oh my gosh, Lisa and Angela say the exact same thing.” We totally do! I’m so glad someone introduced us because we really are just preaching the same gospel here and it’s so fun to watch people’s lives be changed because of this. I mean, this is something that comes naturally to me like it comes naturally to you. It took me a long time to even figure out that other people didn’t know this stuff. The things that you just sort of see as solutions, and I didn’t realize that not everyone sees it. That this was actually like a gift and a talent I had to help people in this way. It’s just really cool to be able to use that and to not make every single person reinvent the wheel from scratch for themselves.
Let those of us who enjoy thinking about this stuff figure it out so that you don’t have to. You can think about all the stuff that you’re really good at.
Yeah, and I think for teachers, sometimes it’s better because you can walk around the building and find another teacher and ask them how they’re doing it and learn from them. In another way, you want to have it all together so you don’t want to necessarily let anybody know that you don’t know what’s going on or you don’t have it as together as you think other people do, which by now you’ve probably figured out they don’t either.
Then in diving into organizing the home like I do, all they see is the Instagram images that are put up or the Pinterest images or the magazine images, and they think that everyone else has it together and they don’t. It is a gift to reach women and help them realize that we’re all the same.
Often my podcast listeners, as I’m sure yours do too, will say, “It’s like you have a camera in my house, and you’re watching me.” It’s just because we are teachers and so you are our students. We watch you as much as you watch the students in your classroom and you know where they are starting to struggle. Or when you’re teaching a certain lesson, the whole class tends to struggle at this time with this concept, and we get it.
That’s right. Your podcast is really structured in that way. I’ve noticed that you do a lot of seasonal things like the topics that come up, which is exactly what people need. Tell us a little bit about the Organize 365 podcast, because I know that everyone listening to this is obviously an avid podcast fan and is looking for more great audio content. I get requests all the time for good audio podcast recommendations. If you are interested in organization, Lisa has some really great topics that she covers.
Well, thanks! It is kind of like a classroom, and I am a big thinker and a questioner like you are, Angela, and also a teacher. I find that the best lessons or the best teachers that I loved to learn from were not the ones who were just like, “Okay, do X, Y, Z,” but the ones that really made you think about it a different way, struggle with something in your mind, and then help you come to a resolution on it.
I help you with how to organize your home. You know the women’s movement is really big right now in women’s empowerment. What I think is holding us back is not men, but our homes. I know that’s kind of controversial to say that, but we have these expectations for ourselves and our homes that we will not let go of. We are trying to do all of those things and all of the work things and all of the personal things and all of the parenting things … We’re just trying to hold too tightly to all of these things.
I help you think bigger about why are you organizing your house the way you are. If you live in your house a long time like I do — I’ve lived there 22 years, bought the house before kids, then babies, grade school, middle school, high school, and college, and soon to be empty nesters — you do not organize your house the same way in all those stages of life. What stage of life are you in? What size house do you have? What are your income requirements and the amount of money you can or can’t spend on organizing your house right now? Then along those 22 years, I’ve battled with infertility, depression, and family members with ADHD. I dive into all of those different topics as they relate to how our households run.
That’s really fascinating and I’ve heard you say that before about how it’s really our households that are holding us back. Can you say more about that? It’s the expectations that we’re creating for ourselves?
Yeah, here’s a great example. Growing up and I do think it is generational — I’m Gen X and 46 years old — my parents are the oldest of the baby boomers and my dad loved that you vacuum the whole entire house. At 5 PM every night, somebody in the family would vacuum the house that my dad would come home to a perfectly vacuumed house. So I got married and thought married equals perfectly vacuumed house, right? I vacuumed the house, three or four times a week and then we had one baby. Then we had two babies and I was working from home earning a full-time paycheck. Every day at 5 PM, I was trying to vacuum the whole house and have a beautiful meal on the kitchen table, which is hilarious because I can’t cook! We were probably seven years into our marriage, the kids were toddlers and Greg would come home and I’d be like, “Do you see I’ve vacuumed? Look what I did.” He said, “Yeah.” I was like, “You know I vacuum like three to four times a week for you.” He said, “Yeah, well you know it’s nice, but it’s not necessary.” I was like, “Nice, but not necessary?” For seven years, do you know how many hours of vacuuming that is?
What are we doing because we think that it needs to be done? There is so much in our house that we are doing that completely does not need to be done, or we’re trying to please our parents or spouse, or we’re trying to prove we’re a good mother. I organized this lady who was divorced who had six children and was working full time when I was organizing for her. She had every single paper saved for every single child. Every math test, every spelling test, you guys know how much stuff this is right? It wasn’t the kids’ expectation or anybody’s expectation, but her own expectation on herself.
Okay. That’s great. Any final parting words that you want to leave teachers with? Anything that they should really remember and think about in the week ahead to sort of digest all that we’ve talked about?
What do you want to use your free time for? What’s uniquely you? What is the thing that you were uniquely gifted and created to do which is scary? Then what’s the first step you can take towards spending your time in that? It can be teaching — it doesn’t have to be something different — but maybe within teaching like creating your own curriculum, creating a blog, or coordinating an after work teacher activity once a month so that your school has better community together. It could be teaching related, but it is the burning desire you’ve always wanted to do or something you know you were created for, and then take the next step to do that.
This episode is sponsored by Brains On. Ever listen to podcasts with your students? It’s a great way to engage their minds and spark their imagination without relying on screens.
The kids’ history show Forever Ago dives into the fascinating backstory of everyday things like clocks, shoes, and skateboards to teach kids to think critically about the past. Forever Ago use games, skits, and real kids to keep kids engaged while teaching important lessons along the way.
You can listen for free to Forever Ago as well as a kids science podcast called Brains On at brainson.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for an awesome podcast! I love the Sunday basket idea. What notes app do you use?
So glad this was helpful! I use the Notes app that comes standard on Apple products so it syncs across my phone and computer.
I loved this podcast! Two great minds coming together. My life has been changed for the better because of the 40 Hour Workweek Club (I am so proud to say that in 5 months I went from working 60+ hours a week to 45 hours a week).
I have also organized my home through Lisa’s program. I have so much more time in just 5 months.
I have more time for myself and to connect with my family more often and with more intention.
Lisa mentions that a teacher can’t do her 100 day home organization program. You can! Combined with the 40HTW club! It is life changing. You will declutter, get organzied and be so productive… you WILL have so much more time!
That’s so awesome! I’m impressed with your discipline and stick-to-itiveness. Your success gives me hope! Congratulations on your success!
I’m so glad that you and Lisa got together. I’ve been listening to her podcast off and on for a few years now. I’ve recently restarted my Sunday Basket, and I setup my Teacher Workbox yesterday. I already feel less stress knowing that I’ve got a plan! | 2019-04-19T10:32:18Z | https://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/how-to-be-an-organized-teacher/ |
The first International Workshop on "Visual Interfaces to Digital Libraries" was held at the first ACM+IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries in Roanoke, Virginia, USA, on June 28, 2001. This one-day workshop drew an international audience of 37 researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in the areas of information visualization, digital libraries, human-computer interaction, library and information science, computer science, and geography.
The primary aim of the workshop was to raise the awareness of several interconnected fields of research related to the design and use of visual interfaces to digital libraries, especially in information visualization, human-computer interaction, and cognitive psychology.
The workshop started with Katy B�rner's introduction and overview, followed by an invited talk from Stephen Eick of Visual Insights, entitled "Visualizing On-line Activity". Eich explained how their eBizInsights software provides a rich visual interactive workspace for analyzing user access to a given website and discovering browsing patterns.
Eight papers were presented in two sessions. The topics ranged from literature visualization and spatial hypertext, to geographic information systems.
Workshop attendees enjoy one of the workshop demonstrations.
Time was provided for two interactive demonstration sessions. Demonstrations included one of VRCO's VGeo system and several others by workshop attendees. An expert panel discussed the future of research and development and started formulating top-ten research challenges for visual interfaces to digital libraries to help focus and guide research. In his concluding remark, Chaomei Chen outlined promising areas for future information visualization research: Visual Information Retrieval, Visual Information Exploration, Visual Information Organization, Accommodating Individual Differences, Supporting Collaborative Work, Information Visualization for Bibliometrics, Information Visualization for Scientometrics, Knowledge Tracking, Knowledge Discovery, Designing and Deploying Tangible and Meaningful Visual-Spatial Metaphors in Digital Libraries.
The workshop achieved its goal of bringing people together across disciplines and stimulating interest in this multidisciplinary research. In response to the enthusiastic audience, the high-quality inputs, and many promising works in progress, we plan to hold the workshop again at the next JCDL Conference in Portland, Oregon, US, July 14 - 18, 2002.
Papers, presentation slides, and other information are available from the workshop's homepage <http://vw.indiana.edu/visual01>.
The workshop was sponsored by Virtual Reality Software & Consulting. Their homepage is <http://www.vrco.com>.
The Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER) for universities and colleges in the UK <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/pub99/dner_desc.html> has set ambitious targets for the development of online resources, in a way that will be co-ordinated and collaborative, but not centrally controlled.
Project ANGEL (Authenticated, Networked, Guided Environment for Learning) is building essential infrastructure components to enable easier access to this wealth of learning resources. The project is led by the London School of Economics Library, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, De Montfort University, South Bank University, Sheffield Hallam University and the EDINA data service.
A tempting (but naive) approach that could have been taken to this task would have been to build "the ANGEL portal", and then waited for every university and college in Britain (...and tomorrow, the World?) to adopt and use it. However, this would simply have led to competition with leading commercial "Managed Learning Environment" products (which are being actively marketed as "primary portals" for students, and adopted as such by a number of institutions), and with the increasing number of in-house projects initiated by universities to develop their own institutional web portals (or "Interfaces To Everything", as ANGEL has broadly classified such developments). Instead, ANGEL will produce a layer of middleware services that can be used by such end-user portals to simplify and manage access by an increasingly diverse range of end-users, to an increasingly diverse range of online materials. Protocols supported by ANGEL services will range from the long-established Z39.50, to those just emerging such as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol <http://www.w3.org/TR/SOAP>).
The ANGEL project team will collate and develop unified or hybrid metadata standards and other methods of inter-operability for resource discovery and access, bridging the gap between the two domains of 'learning' (pedagogically guided) resources, and 'library' (unguided reference) resources to create a practical implementation of standards-mapping work such as that of Dan Brickley, Mikael Nilsson et al. < http://xml.coverpages.o rg/ni2001-03-30-a.html>. The most promising descriptive standard for the former is the IMS metadata proposal <http://www.imsproject.org/>, whilst RDF (Resource Description Framework) <http://www.w3.org/RDF> is now an accepted world standard for the latter, with the potential for further extension. ANGEL will also work with what has traditionally been thought of as 'management' information about participants in Further and Higher Education, extending the eduPerson < http://www.educause.edu/eduperson/ > LDAP specification so that portals using ANGEL services can offer a high level of personalisation and personal customisation to end-users.
Many of the resource collections involved restrict access to users from licence-holding institutions, and the number of licensed, income-earning, access-protected resource collections is certain to increase as more opportunities to exploit a market in learning materials are discovered by commercial players (old and new), and by education institutions under increasing pressure from government to replace subsidies with other revenue sources. The UK JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) <http://www.jisc.ac.uk>, which is the main funder of Project ANGEL, has recognised this impending problem, and tasked ANGEL to deliver a working implementation of its Sparta specification < http://www.jisc.ac.uk/pu b00/sparta_disc.html> - a national access management infrastructure which will eventually replace the currently successful Athens <http://www.athens.ac.uk/> service. The Sparta implementation is likely to be based on the model developed by RedIRIS for PAPI < http://www.rediris.es/ap p/papi/index.en.html>, with the aim of also being inter-operable with resource vendors who adopt the Internet2 Shibboleth < http://middleware.interne t2.edu/shibboleth/> system.
One particular problem that ANGEL faces is the speed of development and lack of coordination of all the commercial and public-sector initiatives that are exploiting these fields. We have dedicated project staff time to actively maintaining a technology-watch on standards and developments in the areas of Learning Resource Metadata, Education User Metadata, Authentication and Resource Access Authorisation. Of course, this is a problem shared with many fellow researchers so, rather than keeping this information to ourselves, in the spirit of Open Source development we will maintain it on the public side of our website and as a RSS news-feed. We would also appreciate email contact from those involved in relevant developments that we haven't yet found and listed.
Full information about Project ANGEL, including our Technology-watch updates is published at <http://www.angel.ac.uk>.
The City of Los Angeles has placed just over 600,000 images on the Internet. The 75 megapixel images are indexed using the City GIS (Geographic Information System). The images were scanned from 35 mm film at an optical resolution of 10,000 by 7,500 pixels. The project is scanning approximately 7,000 images per day and plans to reach the goal soon of putting 800,000 to 1,000,000 images on the Internet. In the scanning process, automatic index conversion is done using the existing integral metadata record in the aperture cards that hold the images. Most images are scanned at 1 bit per pixel, but the scanning system supports 8 bits per pixel and, in next month's planned ease-of-use site update, the storage and display system will support 24 and 36 bits per pixel as well as multispectral imaging.
The system has an extensive relational database that can be used in conjunction with the GIS system of over 250 layers of vector information for over 900,000 parcels to locate the images. The images are of City maps and blueprints of the existing infrastructure. Examples of layers of GIS information include: Graffiti Zones, Geologic Faults (Earthquake Faults), Hillside Grading (Landslide and Mudslide areas), High Potential Methane, High Wind Area, Liquifaction/Subsidence, Potential Methane, Fire Brush Clearance, Street Resurfacing, Flood Plains, Storm Pipes (Drains), Storm Drain Inlets, and Truck Routes (High and Heavy Loads). There is a more detailed description at <http://www.ArchiveBuilders.com/whitepapers/22031p.pdf>. Archival and disaster availability issues are addressed at <http://www.ArchiveBuilders.com/whitepapers/22025p.pdf>.
While the City GIS and the 600,000 images it indexes have evolved over time, and will continue to evolve, very substantial recent additions in both content and syndetic structure, as well as an expansion of the materials available on the Internet, establish a new qualitative level that provides a substantially complete expression of its final form.
The City of Los Angeles GIS (Geographic Information System) is a highly integrated set of spatial (geographic) indices, including a composite and digitally rectified (the pixels are in the right place) digital orthophoto <http://mapping.USGS.gov/www/ndop> to represent images of things (such as buildings) in their true location. (The City is using a specially flown and processed image rather than the USGS image.) (City image: 50 gigapixel 8 bit image, 316,000 by 474,000 pixels optical resolution, irregular border, 6 inch pixels, 468 square miles, 2 foot contour lines, virtual reality pan and zoom).
Like other forms of indexing, geographic indexing can be combined with other indices. For example, one might ask for all books of fiction that were written in the twentieth century, with stories that take place in upstate New York in the nineteenth century.
USC has a project on the Internet in which archival records are indexed geographically: <http://www.USC.edu/isd/locations/cst/IDA/prospectus.html>.
The website <http://navigatela.lacity.org/> gives everyone a chance to try out a fully developed spatial index. This index could be easily integrated with the USC project. For example, both systems use the same <http://www.ESRI.com> (Earth Sciences and Resources Institute 'esz-ree') software and cover approximately the same geographic area. Linking the two would be something like cataloging books by looking up the Library of Congress classification (that is, easy and deterministic, yielding the same results for almost anyone doing the process).
Unlike traditional library cataloging, spatial indexing receives funding from sources such as real estate, civil engineering, environmental planning, disaster planning, and tax collection. Spatial indexing provides a method of synergistically extending the benefits of indexing expenditures, provided by various business activities, into other areas such as the humanities.
The system catalog links extensive background information with interactive updates, creating a real-time library that can respond effectively to the information needs of emergency personnel, businesses, and the public during and after earthquakes, mudslides, floods, fires, and other urgent occurrences. Interactive redlining of stored documents and the GIS-based index allows field workers to input data, via the Internet, creating maps, descriptions, and catalogs of field incidents, events, and situation status that can be displayed on the Internet. Though not currently linked to the GIS system, similar real-time maps can be found at <http://www.lainsider.com/autos/traffic/latraffic.html?//x>, at <http://trafficinfo.lacity.org>, at <http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/html/4303880606.html> and at <http://www.scecdc.scec.org/recenteqs/Maps/Los_Angeles.html>. Because these maps are updated automatically, the maps respond to events in under one minute.
The websites presented are: Internet GIS indexed documents and digital orthophoto: <http://NavigateLA.LACity.org> and interactive Internet permitting and plancheck redlining: <http://Eng.LACity.org/demos>. There is a planned ease-of-use site update in the next month, so if you have any problems, please try back in a few weeks. The City of Los Angeles has a monthly meeting to coordinate GIS and document management plans. If you would like to get the meeting announcements, topics, websites presented, and meeting recaps via email, please send your email address to <[email protected]>.
Eric F. Van de Velde, PhD.
CAV2001 is the conference proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Cavitation. This repository contains 110 scholarly papers.
CaltechCSTR is a repository of technical reports of the Caltech Computer Science option. The repository currently contains 237 reports, but this is an ongoing effort, and we expect to continue adding reports as they become available.
Both OAI-registered repositories can be found at <http://library.caltech.edu/digital>.
Educated various library staff in a variety of electronic-publication skills.
Identified faculty, options, and research groups willing to be pioneers in freeing the research literature.
In addition to the two repositories just registered, we are currently preparing technical-report repositories for several other options. We are also well under way to make available our first batch of Electronic Theses.
INSPIRAL (INveStigating Portals for Information Resources And Learning, (http://inspiral.cdlr.strath.ac.uk) is a six-month JISC / DNER funded project running from 1 May to 31 October 2001 to investigate the issues surrounding the linking of virtual learning environments (VLEs) / managed learning environments (MLEs) and digital libraries. The research is being carried out in collaboration with the Centre for Digital Library Research (http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk) and the Centre for Educational Systems (http://www.strath.ac.uk/ces/). INSPIRAL's focus is on institutional and end-user perspectives, with the aim of identifying priority areas for future JISC strategic planning and investment within the higher and further education sectors. INSPIRAL events are an integral part of the final analysis and consist of three half-day forums and two full-day workshops to be held at locations around the United Kingdom.
On June 12, 2001, INSPIRAL held its first forum at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. A specific aim of the forum was to discuss, identify, and gather information on the problems and barriers to successful linkage of VLEs / MLEs and digital libraries. The topics discussed gave particular attention to the considerations of the learner and the institution. Attendees represented institutional departments that are likely to be involved with VLE / MLE and digital library linkage, providing library, academic, and technical perspectives in the identification of barriers, problem areas, and possible solutions.
The forum began with a presentation by Sarah Currier (INSPIRAL Research Fellow) who gave an overview and update of INSPIRAL's research to date. Participants were then invited to introduce their own and their institution's involvement in VLEs / MLEs and digital library integration. These discussions provided important information on the current situation in various institutions around Scotland, including Caledonian, Edinburgh, Stirling and Strathclyde universities, regarding linkage, as well as identifying some of the more specific problems and barriers to linkage at the institutional level. The forum continued with group and general discussions on the chosen topic and also identified ideal situations that could solve the barriers to linking VLEs / MLEs and digital libraries within the higher and further education sectors.
Issues raised at this forum have already proved valuable to INSPIRAL's research objectives, and have indicated three areas that require further and more detailed investigation, namely institutional, technological and social levels, within the teaching and learning environment. A full report on these findings is included on the INSPIRAL web site at <http://inspiral.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/documents/forumrep1.html>.
The UK Collection Description Focus launched on 1 June 2001 (http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cd-focus/) is a national post, jointly funded for a twelve-month period by the Joint Information Systems Committee/Distributed National Electronic Resource (JISC/DNER), the Research Support Libraries Program (RSLP) and the British Library.
The Focus aims to improve co-ordination of work on collection description methods, schemas and tools, with the goal of ensuring consistency and compatibility of approaches across projects, disciplines, institutions and sectors. The Focus intends to provide support both for UK projects actively involved in collection description work and for those investigating or planning such work.
The Focus is located within UKOLN, (The UK Office for Library and Information Networking) which is based at the University of Bath.
The Focus will be run jointly by Pete Johnston and Bridget Robinson with support from their partners in the CD Focus initiative, the Archives Hub and the mda. The Focus will be informed by work carried out by other members of UKOLN, including the work of Andy Powell on the RSLP CLD schema, and the broader work on the effective exchange and reuse of information resources carried out by Paul Miller as Interoperability Focus. The Focus will also liase with the Collection Description Working Group within the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
The Focus will look into the development of simple tools to facilitate the creation and management of collection descriptions including: tools to support transformations between different collection description schemas; enhancements to data creation interfaces; the use of a schema registry to publish and share CD schemas; and mechanisms for "harvesting" distributed descriptions.
The CD Focus team will draft a questionnaire that will be sent out to relevant projects and stakeholders within the UK. The questionnaire will be used to gather information on project activity, standards and metadata schema adopted, implementation issues, software in use and areas where guidance is needed. The data gathered will inform subsequent visits, briefing papers, event agendas and other Focus activities.
Three regional workshops will be held during the project. There will also be two briefing days. The first one will be held in the autumn and then a second briefing day will be held at the end of the project.
The CD Focus website can be found at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cd-focus>.
The UK Data Archive has recently released a number of major datasets that are available for browsing, exploring and downloading via a suite of Internet-based tools, known as NESSTAR.
Many government departments, research institutes, companies, and other kinds of organisations collect social and economic data. Many of these data are available for re-use, particularly for research and education, typically via data archives and libraries. The UK Data Archive is a specialist national resource containing the largest collection of accessible computer readable data in the social sciences and humanities in the United Kingdom. The full UKDA catalogue can be searched at: <http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/ourDataHoldings.asp>.
together with some other individual popular UK-based datasets such as the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey. This online service will be extended to other data collections within the UKDA on a continuous basis, with more datasets being mounted on the system over the coming months.
Who can access these data?
Anyone can search for and view full information about the survey and the data (metadata in the form of a catalogue record and codebook in XML). Non-commercial users registered with UK Data Archive can also explore, analyse and download the data. If you are interested in becoming a registered user, please see the UKDA Web pages at: <http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/orderingData/introduction.asp>.
NESSTAR is a set of internet-based tools providing an enhanced online service for data providers and data users, that gives easier and quicker access to data and information about that data.
A common scenario for a user of a data archive is identification of a dataset of possible interest through an Archive's online catalogue, through which the user can also read about the survey design and contents, and possibly view the codebook and associated user guides. However, at this stage the user does not usually have immediate access to the data or to any frequencies or percentages. She may then need to contact the archive to ascertain its suitability, order the data and then wait to receive it, for example on a CD. NESSTAR radically facilitates the data access process, allowing users immediate access to frequencies and percentages and allowing registered users to perform exploratory online analyses (at no cost) and then download the data for offline analysis immediately.
The three screen shots below show that from browsing the metadata at the variable level (i.e., the questions asked in a survey) a user can quickly carry out a basic tabulation and then display this as a graph with only 4 clicks of a mouse. The table can be added to an existing list of favourites or bookmarks in the user's Web Browser, where the user can refer to it later or mail it to a colleague.
Screenshots from NESSTAR. Copyright 2001 UKDA. Used with permission.
The NESSTAR project was funded by the European Commission to the sum of �2 million under the 4th and 5th Framework IT Programmes. The three main partners collaborating in this innovative R&D project have been the UK Data Archive, the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD), and the Danish Data Archive (DDA). NESSTAR Explorer also provides the option of simultaneous access to catalogues from the Danish and Norwegian data archives. It is planned that catalogues from other data archives will be available in the near future.
Finally, NESSTAR is also being used by other data communities as a powerful Intranet service for accessing their own data sources.
Further instructions on using NESSTAR to access datasets at the UK Data Archive can be found at: <http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/usingData/nesstar.asp>, and there is an online guide to using NESSTAR light at <http://www.nesstar.org/light/userguide/1-1.asp>. More about the R&D and technical developments of NESSTAR may be found at: <http://www.nesstar.org>. Specific enquiries are handled by the User Support team at <[email protected]>.
Bethesda, Md., USA � (June 29, 2001) During the ALA 2001 Annual Convention, NISO, the National Standards Information Organization and BASIC, the Book and Serial Industry Communications, jointly presented a forum on the challenges of integrating electronic journals into library collections and the standards now in development that will enable publishers and librarians to deliver better access and more information about these resources. These presentations are now available on the NISO web site at <http://www.niso.org/Ejournal-web.html>.
In a presentation entitled "Rights & Content: Full Text Databases", Deborah Loeding, VP Sales & Marketing for the H.W. Wilson Company provided an overview and introduction to the challenges and opportunities that electronic journals bring by allowing us to connect to content and a variety of supporting information about that content.
The presentation by Brian Green, Managing Agent BIC/EDItEUR (Book Industry Communication) entitled "Developments in Metatdata: ONIX for Serials" reported on Onix for serials, an international standard for communicating a variety of metadata elements including comprehensive product description and bibliographic detail, reviews, author biographies, extracts pricing and availability in different markets and more as it relates to e-serials.
Eric Van de Velde, Director of Library Information Technology, California Institute of Technology and Chair of NISO's OpenURL Standards Committee, explained how the OpenURL can connect information seekers to the appropriate copy of any chosen resource by passing along bibliographic or descriptive information about the resource in his presentation "Developments in Linking: OpenURL".
NISO is the only U.S. group accredited by the American National Standards Institute to develop and promote technical standards for use in information delivery services providing voluntary standards for libraries, publishers and related information technology organizations. All NISO standards are developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in the field to meet the needs of both the information user and the producer. For information about NISO's current standardization interests and membership possibilities, please visit the NISO website at <http://www.niso.org>.
For additional information contact NISO Headquarters at (301) 654-2512. Email: <[email protected]>.
Special Projects Associate Council on Library and Information Services Washington, DC USA.
Pioneers who once experimented with solitary digital-access projects at the campus library's periphery are increasingly building systems for managing online information at its core. Increasing chunks of library budgets are spent on digitizing collections, acquiring such computer-accessible research materials as e-journals, and maintaining online public access catalogs. Moreover, campus librarians are applying electronic-information technologies to the management of their holdings in all formats -- books, manuscripts, and other traditional materials as well as digital collections. And by relating rather than separating traditional and electronic resources, they are developing more efficient and economical services for students and faculty. More on such changes is available in a report from the latest forum of the Digital Library Federation (DLF) at <http://www.clir.org/pubs/issues/issues22.html#digital>.
Increasingly the Web is full of material of value for higher education and research that can be accessed for free. Why shouldn't campus libraries pull it into their own digital collections for use by scholars and students? No reason not to -- but don't imagine that there won't be costs. For one thing, staff investment is needed in identifying, evaluating, and selecting Web material of real worth for study. Origin, site integrity, ease of navigation, and rights restrictions also must be considered, and investments must be made in cataloging, data management, and search functions. How libraries can recognize and deal with the problems and opportunities in using "free" Web resources is explained in a new publication from the Digital Library Federation and the Council on Library and Information Resources, Building Sustainable Collections of Free Third-Party Web Resources, is available in print and at <http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub98/pub98.pdf>.
Will all the scholarly journals now published electronically stay accessible electronically over time? Can the property rights of publishers, the long-term access responsibilities of libraries, and the reliability assurances that scholars need be reconciled in agreements to create archives of electronic journals? Seven major research libraries -- Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Penn, Stanford, Yale, and the New York Public -- have received grants from the Mellon Foundation to find out. The Digital Library Federation, which helped develop the program, is tracking progress at <http://www.clir.org/diglib/preserve/presjour.htm>.
Building in part on work on imaging practices conducted with the Research Libraries Group (RLG), the Digital Library Federation is investigating methods for evaluating the quality of digital images. Such methods will help assess claims that are made about images by their producers or vendors. A report from a meeting convened to identify standard criteria for assessing the quality of digital images and digital imaging systems is available at <http://www.clir.org/diglib/standards.htm>.
The DLF has initiated a process to identify standard structural, administrative, and technical metadata needed for the successful, consistent, and interoperable management of digital objects. The process builds upon and extends the work of the Making of America II project, which developed a documented set of metadata elements for a limited range of digital objects. The draft scheme is available from <http://www.clir.org/diglib/standards/mets.xsd>. A report on the meeting is at <http://www.clir.org/diglib/standards/metssum.pdf>.
Universities are investing heavily in digitization to make information from and about their library collections available to scholars and students by Internet. But the limitations of commercial search engines, and the uneven quality of what they turn up, often make it difficult for researchers to find all the important material that's pertinent to their projects. The Digital Library Federation (DLF) is working with the Open Archives Initiative to make possible Internet gateway services through which scholars can find more material more readily in their specialties: <http://www.clir.org/diglib/architectures.htm>.
Everyone knows that digital technologies are enabling scholars and students to find, evaluate, and use information in new ways, but what are they? A concerted effort to find out has been called for by a group of college and university library directors convened by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the Digital Library Federation (DLF) to scrutinize changing patterns in the operations and use of campus libraries. The proposed study would cover all resources, not just those of libraries, consulted by students and faculty when they need information. For more information please see the May/June 2001 issue of CLIR's newsletter, CLIR Issues, in print or at <http://www.clir.org/pubs/issues/issues21.html>.
While not directly related to digital libraries, two additional new books just published by the Council on Library and Information Resources will be useful to librarians: Folk Heritage Collections in Crisis, a report on a conference and a survey, and A Collaborative Approach to Collection Storage: The Five-College Library Depository, may be purchased in print through CLIR's Web site, <http://www.clir.org>, or located online through <http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/reports.html>.
The University of Maryland, College Park, and Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Inc., (FFH&S) of Princeton, NJ, signed a far reaching agreement earlier this month (June 6, 2001) enabling the campus libraries to distribute approximately 1,000 selected titles from the FFH&S collection of educational videos over the university's state-of-the-art digital video-on-demand delivery system.
Signing the agreement at a ceremony held in the new Performing Arts Library at the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts were Charles Lowry, Dean of Libraries at the University of Maryland, and Betsy Sherer, President and CEO of FFH&S.
Commenting on the significance of the agreement at the signing, Dean Lowry said: "Since I installed my first mainframe library system 20 years ago, we have been talking about how to build digital or virtual libraries. In that time the world of information technology has been transformed. As I look around the landscape of academic and research libraries today, I find that they too have been transformed. With the opportunity presented by our partnership with FFH&S, we take a giant step in 'multi-mediation' and the use of digitized audio and full motion video which is an integral part of our sense of content for teaching and research."
In her remarks, FFH&S's Sherer said: "This is an age in which education's needs are increasingly diverse and specialized. Films for the Humanities & Sciences will continue to seek ways to provide quality programs in formats that are compatible with new learning environments. We are pleased and proud to participate with the University of Maryland in this pioneering and exciting effort."
What this agreement means, according to Allan C. Rough, Manager of the University's Nonprint Media Services Department, is that students and faculty will soon be able to access a wide variety of video programming, much of it in the performing arts area, from almost any location on campus. This includes libraries, classrooms, offices and dormitory rooms. Rough explained that the goal is to allow users to instantly access a program directly from the Libraries' online catalog.
He added: "Digital video-on-demand systems have been a reality for a number of years, but copyright and intellectual property constraints have made most academic institutions reluctant to purchase expensive video server technologies. Universities were faced with a classic dilemma: if we purchase a server, will we be able to find video programming we can legally put on the system? This agreement answers that question with a resounding �yes'!"
Carleton Jackson, Nonprint Media Reference Librarian, noted that "until recently, universities were divided by buildings and campuses; collections were segregated by subject, discipline, format and walls. This agreement breaks down those walls to unleash the full potential of sound and image for teaching."
A Primedia company, Films for the Humanities & Sciences is the leader in distributing high quality video and multimedia programs to colleges, schools and libraries. Their collection of more than 9,000 titles represents the best from the most prestigious producers from around the world, including the BBC, ABC News, the Discovery Channel, and many others. This agreement with the University of Maryland Libraries marks their first collaboration with a Higher Education institution.
With many of the 1,000 selected titles related to theatre, dance and music, a sampling of the collection includes the following: "Shakespeare's Plays", performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company; "Glenn Gould on Gould"; "Georg Solti; Making of a Maestro"; "Edward Elgar: Hope & Glory"; "Art of Conducting" series; "Empire of Dreams: Bolshoi Ballet"; and "Great Arias" series. Bruce Wilson, Head of the Performing Arts Library, said that "thanks to this agreement, we now have access to some of the most relevant and exciting programming to go with one of the most technologically advanced Performing Arts libraries in the country."
The FFH&S collection of documentaries secured by the UM Libraries also contains a number of titles related to world history, literature, education, computer science, art, communications, science, business, etc. The University of Maryland Libraries expect to launch a pilot project in the fall, enabling users to access a limited number of titles in the collection, according to Jeff Bridgers, Head of Digital Libraries.
June 22, 2001, Library of Congress, Washington, DC: The Library of Congress and Alexa Internet announce the Election 2000 Collection, the first large-scale collection of date-searchable Web sites to be archived and made available online.
The Election 2000 Collection <http://www.archive.alexa.com/collections/e2k.html> developed for the Library of Congress by the Internet Archive, Alexa Internet, and Compaq Computer, is an Internet library containing archived copies of more than 1,000 election-related Web sites. The collection, searchable by date, by Web site, and by category via Alexa's new "Wayback Machine" technology, contains more than 2 million megabytes of election-related information gathered between August 1, 2000, and January 14, 2001, including what was published on the candidates' Web sites, political party sites and major news sites.
The Election 2000 Collection is important because it contributes to the historical record of the U.S. presidential election, capturing information that could otherwise have been lost. With the growing role of the Web as an influential medium, records of historical events such as the U.S. presidential election could be considered incomplete without materials that were "born digital" and never printed on paper. Because Internet content changes at a very rapid pace, especially on those sites related to an election, many important election sites have already disappeared from the Web. For the Election 2000 Collection, rapidly changing sites were archived daily, or even twice and three times in a day, in an attempt to capture the dynamic nature of Internet content.
"This was the first presidential election in which the Web played an important role, and there would have been a gap in the historical record of this period without a collection such as this," said Winston Tabb, Associate Librarian for Library Services of the Library of Congress. "The Library of Congress worked with the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building digital libraries, to create this digital collection for researchers, historians and the general public."
Compaq Computer undertook the major task of collecting and archiving sites for the collection. "Compaq Research was able to "deep crawl" hundreds of Web sites each day to build an unprecedented record of the changing nature of the Web. It was tricky, because finding all the images, videos and computer scripts associated with each page required developing specialized technology," said Brewster Kahle, President of Alexa Internet.
Alexa Internet created Wayback Machine technology, which allows users to browse this huge collection and other Internet libraries like it. "By enabling users to retrieve Web sites out of the past, Alexa's Wayback Machine technology adds a time dimension to the Internet and creates the first 'time browser' for the Web," said Mr. Kahle.
The Library of Congress's mission is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. Founded in 1800 to serve the reference needs of Congress, the Library of Congress is the world's largest library, containing nearly 121 million items in all formats on which information is recorded. It serves Congress and all Americans through its 21 reading rooms on Capitol Hill as well as through its popular Web site at <http://www.loc.gov>.
Alexa Internet, the Web Information Company, gathers, stores, indexes and makes available multi-terabyte digital libraries, collections of Web sites and other Internet information. The company's Archive of the Web has been growing since 1996, and now contains more than 40 terabytes of data. Alexa also offers a free Web navigation service (available at <http://www.alexa.com>), which gives Internet users access to the Archive as they surf, as well as detailed information about Web sites such as related links, contact information, site statistics and reviews. The company donates a copy of its Archive of the Web on a continuing basis to the nonprofit Internet Archive, which is endowed to preserve the digital heritage for scholarly access. Alexa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, is located on the Web at <http://www.alexa.com>.
The Internet Archive (<http://www.archive.org>) is a 501(c)(3) public nonprofit organization that was founded to build an "Internet library," with the purpose of offering permanent access for researchers, historians and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format. Founded in 1996 and located in the Presidio of San Francisco, the Archive has been receiving data donations from Alexa Internet and others.
British Library, June 13, 2001: "This week the British Library launches New Strategic Directions, which outlines our plans for the next five to seven years. The responses of staff, readers, customers, visitors and all those who use library services in the UK will be sampled to give us an insight into the balance of opinion among our user and stakeholder groups. There is a survey at the Library's website www.bl.uk, which we hope that our users (and potential users) will complete. All respondents will be entered in a draw to win �20 Amazon vouchers to spend on books and music."
"The consultation survey is being widely promoted into all UK libraries by mail-shots, posters, information leaflets and e-mails to users. There will be a PC dedicated to the web survey in the Front Hall of our London building and PCs for access in the Reading Room at Boston Spa in Yorkshire."
"One of the Library's core values is that access to knowledge and information empowers and enriches people. From that belief comes the Library's vision of 'making accessible the world's intellectual, scientific and cultural heritage. The collections of the BL and other great collections will be accessible on everyone's virtual bookshelf- at work, at school, at college, at home.'"
"In order to realise the vision, the Library will concentrate on understanding the changing needs of users, creating opportunities to work in partnership with other libraries, and bringing the Web centre stage in our activities."
Access strategy: making the collections more accessible to a wider audience, reshaping services where there are alternative sources of supply, and contributing to making library provision more effective in the UK."
"The text of New Strategic Directions and the survey are available on the Library's website www.bl.uk. Users and stakeholders without their own PC can use one of the Open Access PCs in the Library's main buildings to complete the survey. If you would prefer print copies of either document, please email <[email protected]>.
"If you have further questions about New Strategic Directions, please e-mail <[email protected]> or <[email protected]>. "
The British Library, 2 July 2001: "The British Library has appointed its first e-Director as part of a wider restructuring of its top tier of management."
"The appointment of Dr Herbert Van de Sompel as Director of e-Strategy and Programmes was announced today and he will join the Library on 1 September 2001 completing the BL's new streamlined senior management team."
"Charged with extending access to resources, both for customers and members of the public, the team will implement strategy across a broad range of activities of the UK's national library. The post of e-Director in particular will be central in taking forward the British Library's vision of a digital future for its collections and services."
"'Our e-Strategy will be at the core of the Library's work and will underpin many of our priority developments,' said the British Library's Chief Executive, Lynne Brindley. 'As Director of e-Strategy and programmes, Herbert will be the driving force behind the development of the British Library's e-strategy, pushing forward the role of electronic media and services in providing public access, opening up collections, creating productive partnerships with the library and scholarly network and developing new enterprises.'"
"Lynne Brindley continued, 'Herbert Van de Sompel brings an international reputation in the digital library field, a deep understanding of what is technically possible, combined with a real sense of service mission. With his European and North American links he will ensure that the British Library plays a leading role internationally in creating our digital future.'"
"Dr Van de Sompel joins the Library having spent the past year as Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University. For 17 years he was head of the library automation department at the University of Ghent, Belgium where he led an ambitious programme to create an outstanding electronic library and planned and implemented a range of innovative services."
"More recently he worked at the renowned Research Library at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, on a PhD focusing on open reference linking (OpenURL and SFX) and the Open Archives Initiative. The Ph.D. was awarded in Spring 2000, following examination by two key figures in digital library developments: William Y. Arms (Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University) and Clifford Lynch (Director of the Coalition for Networked Information, USA)."
"Dr Van de Sompel's work has received much recognition in both the digital library community and in the academic world. He has also acted as a consultant to many key information industry companies on strategy and on the conceptualisation or evaluation of new digital services."
"As e-Director he will lead the BL's transformation to an e-centric organisation, pulling together historically discrete and disparate programmes, acting as champion and advocate for e-strategy and leading an integrated Digital Library development programme. Major transformational developments to be supervised and driven forward by the e-Director include the digitisation of many of the Library's collections as well as the archiving of materials that are 'born digital'. Working in close collaboration with the rest of the executive team, Dr Van de Sompel will ensure the implementation of a fully integrated e-programme across all Directorates � adding the essential e-ingredient to the British Library's strategies for progress."
"Commenting on his appointment, Dr Van de Sompel said: 'Research libraries around the world are trying to define their identity in the digital domain. With its recently released New Strategic Directions document, the British Library has made a clear statement regarding the e-position it wants to be in; I am very excited about being able to play a role in the genuinely challenging process of getting there. Currently, www.bl.uk welcomes users to the website of the British Library. A few years from now, the same URL should welcome them to the whole British Library.'"
"Offering Dr Van de Sompel warm congratulations on his appointment, Lynne Brindley added, 'This new role represents a more coherent and strategic approach towards the various strands of activity that comprise the British Library's programme of digitisation. It will also lead the way in the development of the Library's wider e-strategy. The e-Director will oversee the transformational changes to the Library's culture and working practices that are necessary in order for us to fully embrace the digital and wider e- revolution � adapting our collections and services to remain at the leading edge of research and reference worldwide.'"
"For further information, please contact Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office on 01937 546126, or email <[email protected]>."
"DUBLIN, Ohio, June 19, 2001--The OCLC Users Council unanimously ratified changes to the OCLC Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations recommended by the OCLC Board of Trustees following a year-long study of strategic directions and governance."
"Under new bylaws adopted May 21, Users Council changed its name to Members Council and added six new delegates from outside the United States to better define its role in strategic planning and extend global representation."
"Action came May 20-22 during the third and final meeting of the 2000/01 Users Council with the dual themes of 'The Library as a Virtual Place' and 'OCLC Strategic Directions and Governance Study.'"
"The OCLC Board of Trustees retained the Arthur D. Little consulting firm in January 2000 to conduct an independent study of OCLC's strategic directions and related issues of governance. An advisory council of distinguished librarians and other leaders in the information professions and academe interacted with the consultant and prepared recommendations. The Users Council spent a great deal of time during its 2000/01 meetings discussing these issues before the May vote."
"In addition to changing its name, council bylaws were amended to read that the 'Members Council shall advise the Board of Trustees and OCLC management of emerging, critical issues that require OCLC tracking, planning, or other responses so that OCLC's own strategic planning is informed by this input.'"
"Council voted to add delegates from the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, France, Mexico and China to serve for the next three years while a group of representatives from council, the Board of Trustees, regional networks and service centers continue work on a new algorithm to help define new standards for membership and council representation..."
For the full press release, see <http://www.oclc.org/oclc/press/20010615a.shtm>.
"June 16, 2001 - Inwood, WV. TLC/CARL � a leader in library automation and personalized web portal services announced today that the company�s state-of-the-art interlibrary loan toolkit has been selected by Ex Libris."
"The TLC software, named Library�Connect, is a middleware solution that powers ILL management functions. The product allows developers to build ISO standard ILL applications on heterogeneous platforms with hardware, operating system, network and protocol level independence. Library�Connect enables the fast and efficient development and deployment of ILL management, document delivery and resource sharing applications."
"The Ex Libris group is a leading worldwide supplier of software solutions and related services for libraries and information centers. The company is known for using advanced technologies and innovative programming techniques to create a system that accommodates any language, script and directionality. Ex Libris� approach is flexible, scalable and based on open standards -- making it extensible to other systems."
"Users of TLC�s ILL toolkit range from major libraries to other automation vendors, notably The National Library of Medicine, The National Library of Canada, CISTI, and Mankato State University (MNSUC-PALS), and automation vendors Pigasus and RLG."
For the full press release, see <http://www.exlibris-usa.com/news1.asp?categoryId=118&admin>.
"June 16, 2001 - Los Angeles, CA: Infotrieve, a global leader in commercial document delivery, today announced an arrangement with Ex Libris Inc. to provide access to Infotrieve's document delivery services through links from Ex Libris' SFX context-sensitive linking software. As Infotrieve's newest Platinum-level service partner, SFX users can request articles directly from Infotrieve's pay-per-view, complete-text delivery service."
"SFX permits context-sensitive linking within a library's entire electronic collection, providing seamless integration of heterogeneous resources for management by the librarian. The librarian defines the conceptual relationships between different information resources to enable users to fully exploit the collection and link to appropriate services, such as Infotrieve."
"Templates for creating links between SFX and Infotrieve are included with the SFX server software, making it easy for librarians to offer Infotrieve document delivery services across a wide range of the library's resources. These Infotrieve links can be selectively provided when an article is not available from the library's collection, for delivery either in electronic or print formats."
For the full press release, see <http://www.exlibris-usa.com/news1.asp?categoryId=115&admin>. | 2019-04-25T04:56:37Z | http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july01/07inbrief.html |
Not to be confused with Profadol, Propanol, or Propranolol.
Propofol, marketed as Diprivan among other names, is a short-acting medication that results in a decreased level of consciousness and lack of memory for events. Its uses include the starting and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. It is also used for status epilepticus if other medications have not worked. It is given by injection into a vein. Maximum effect takes about two minutes to occur and it typically lasts five to ten minutes.
Common side effects include an irregular heart rate, low blood pressure, burning sensation at the site of injection, and the stopping of breathing. Other serious side effects may include seizures, infections with improper use, addiction, and propofol infusion syndrome with long-term use. It appears to be safe for using during pregnancy but has not been well studied in this group. However, it is not recommended during cesarean section. Propofol is not a pain medication, so opioids such as morphine may also be used. Whether or not they are always needed is unclear. Propofol is believed to work at least partly via a receptor for GABA.
Propofol was discovered in 1977 and approved for use in the United States in 1989. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. It is available as a generic medication. The wholesale price in the developing world is between 0.61 and 8.50 USD per vial. It has been referred to as milk of amnesia (a play on milk of magnesia) because of the milk-like appearance of the intravenous preparation. Propofol is also used in veterinary medicine for anesthesia.
Propofol is used for induction and maintenance (in some cases) of general anesthesia, having largely replaced sodium thiopental. It can also be administered as part of an anaesthesia maintenance technique called total intravenous anesthesia using either manually-programmed infusion pumps or computer-controlled infusion pumps in a process called target controlled infusion or TCI. Propofol is also used to sedate individuals who are receiving mechanical ventilation but are not undergoing surgery, such as patients in the intensive care unit. In critically ill patients, propofol has been found to be superior to lorazepam both in effectiveness and overall cost. Propofol may be more expensive in the short term but ultimately decreases ICU stay length, thus overall lowering costs. One of the reasons Propofol is thought to be more effective (although it has a longer half life than lorazepam) is because studies have found that benzodiazepines like midazolam and lorazepam tend to accumulate in critically ill patients, prolonging sedation.
Propofol is very commonly used in the ICU as a sedation medication for intubated people. It can be run through a peripheral IV or central line. Propofol is commonly paired with fentanyl (for pain relief) in intubated and sedated people. Both are compatible in IV form.
Propofol is also used for procedural sedation. Its use in these settings results in a faster recovery compared to midazolam. It can also be combined with opioids or benzodiazepines. Because of its fast induction and recovery time, propofol is also widely used for sedation of infants and children undergoing MRI. It is also often used in combination with ketamine as the two together have lower rates of side effects.
The Missouri Supreme Court decided to allow the use of propofol to execute prisoners condemned to death. However, the first execution by administration of a lethal dose of propofol was halted on 11 October 2013 by governor Jay Nixon following threats from the European Union to limit the drug’s export if it were used for that purpose. The United Kingdom had already banned the export of medicines or veterinary medicines containing propofol to the United States.
Recreational use of the drug via self-administration has been reported, but is relatively rare due to its potency and the level of monitoring required for safe use. Critically, a steep dose-response curve makes recreational use of propofol very dangerous, and deaths from self-administration continue to be reported. The short-term effects sought via recreational use include mild euphoria, hallucinations, and disinhibition.
Recreational use of the drug has been described among medical staff, such as anesthetists who have access to the drug, and is reportedly more common among anesthetists on rotations with short rest periods (as rousing is to a well-rested state). Long-term use has been reported to result in addiction.
Attention to the risks of off-label use of propofol increased in August 2009 due to the Los Angeles County coroner’s conclusion that music icon Michael Jackson died from a mixture of propofol and the benzodiazepine drugs lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam on June 25, 2009. According to a July 22, 2009 search warrant affidavit unsealed by the district court of Harris County, Texas, Jackson’s personal physician, Conrad Murray, administered 25 milligrams of propofol diluted with lidocaine shortly before Jackson’s death. Even so, as of 2016 propofol was not on a U.S Drug Enforcement Administration schedule.
One of propofol’s most frequent side effects is pain on injection, especially in smaller veins. This pain arises from activation of the pain receptor, TRPA1, found on sensory nerves and can be mitigated by pretreatment with lidocaine. Less pain is experienced when infused at a slower rate in a large vein (antecubital fossa). Patients show great variability in their response to propofol, at times showing profound sedation with small doses.
Additional side effects include low blood pressure related to vasodilation, transient apnea following induction doses, and cerebrovascular effects. Propofol has more pronounced hemodynamic effects relative to many intravenous anesthetic agents. Reports of blood pressure drops of 30% or more are thought to be at least partially due to inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity. This effect is related to dose and rate of propofol administration. It may also be potentiated by opioid analgesics. Propofol can also cause decreased systemic vascular resistance, myocardial blood flow, and oxygen consumption, possibly through direct vasodilation. There are also reports that it may cause green discolouration of the urine.
Although propofol is heavily used in the adult ICU setting, the side effects associated with propofol seem to be of greater concern in children. In the 1990s, multiple reported deaths in children in ICUs associated with propofol sedation, prompted the FDA to issue a warning.
Diminishing cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolic oxygen consumption, and intracranial pressure are also characteristics of propofol administration. In addition, propofol may decrease intraocular pressure by as much as 50% in patients with normal intraocular pressure.
Propofol is also reported to induce priapism in some individuals, and has been observed to suppress REM sleep stage and to worsen the poor sleep quality in some patients.
As with any other general anesthetic agent, propofol should be administered only where appropriately trained staff and facilities for monitoring are available, as well as proper airway management, a supply of supplemental oxygen, artificial ventilation, and cardiovascular resuscitation.
Because of its lipid base, some hospital facilities require the IV tubing (of continuous propofol infusions) to be changed after 12 hours. This is a preventative measure against microbial growth and infection.
The respiratory effects of propofol are increased if given with other respiratory depressants, including benzodiazepines.
Propofol has been proposed to have several mechanisms of action, both through potentiation of GABAA receptor activity and therefore acting as a GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator, thereby slowing the channel-closing time, and at high doses, propofol may be able to activate GABAA receptors in the absence of GABA, behaving as a GABAA receptor agonist as well. Propofol analogs have been shown to also act as sodium channel blockers. Some research has also suggested that the endocannabinoid system may contribute significantly to propofol’s anesthetic action and to its unique properties. EEG research upon those undergoing general anesthesia with propofol finds that it causes a prominent reduction in the brain’s information integration capacity at gamma wave band frequencies.
Researchers have identified the site where propofol binds to GABAA receptors in the brain, on the second transmembrane domain of the beta subunit of the GABAA receptor.
Propofol is highly protein-bound in vivo and is metabolised by conjugation in the liver.
The half-life of elimination of propofol has been estimated to be between 2 and 24 hours. However, its duration of clinical effect is much shorter, because propofol is rapidly distributed into peripheral tissues. When used for IV sedation, a single dose of propofol typically wears off within minutes. Propofol is versatile; the drug can be given for short or prolonged sedation, as well as for general anesthesia. Its use is not associated with nausea as is often seen with opioid medications. These characteristics of rapid onset and recovery along with its amnestic effects have led to its widespread use for sedation and anesthesia.
John B. Glen, a British veterinarian and researcher at ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries ) spent 13 years developing propofol, an effort which led to the awarding to him of the prestigious 2018 Lasker award for clinical research. Propofol was originally developed as ICI 35868.
Clinical trials followed in 1977, using a form solubilised in cremophor EL. However, due to anaphylactic reactions to cremophor, this formulation was withdrawn from the market and subsequently reformulated as an emulsion of a soya oil/propofol mixture in water. The emulsified formulation was relaunched in 1986 by ICI (now AstraZeneca) under the brand name Diprivan. The currently available preparation is 1% propofol, 10% soybean oil, and 1.2% purified egg phospholipid as an emulsifier, with 2.25% glycerol as a tonicity-adjusting agent, and sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH. Diprivan contains EDTA, a common chelation agent, that also acts alone (bacteriostatically against some bacteria) and synergistically with some other antimicrobial agents. Newer generic formulations contain sodium metabisulfite or benzyl alcohol as antimicrobial agents. Propofol emulsion is a highly opaque white fluid due to the scattering of light from the tiny (about 150-nm) oil droplets it contains.
However fospropofol is a Schedule IV controlled substance with the DEA ACSCN of 2138 in the United States unlike propofol.
By incorporation of an azobenzene unit, a photoswitchable version of propofol (AP2) was developed in 2012 that allows for optical control of GABAA receptors with light. In 2013, a propofol binding site on mammalian GABAA receptors has been identified by photolabeling using a Diazirine derivative. Additionally, it was shown that the hyaluronan polymer present in the synovia can be protected from free-radical synovia by propofol.
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Several months ago, in a piece written for Vocabula Review, I sharply criticized George Orwell’s famous rules for good writing—something no one else, so far as I know, has done. I mention this otherwise irrelevant fact to make the point that I am not an Orwell worshipper, and do not by any means regard him as beyond criticism. I want to establish this at the outset, because I am going to defend him against some arguments made by Louis Menand in a review 1 of Christopher Hitchens’ Why Orwell Matters, and I don’t want it thought that I’m rushing to his rescue because I think him sacrosanct or infallible.
Menand is ordinarily a good writer and a good critic, and it is not clear why he attacks Orwell and gets him so wrong in this review (it’s much more an essay on Orwell and his reputation than a review of Hitchens’ book). I conjecture that, like any intellectual, he is under constant temptation to take a contrary-to-the-fashionable-view position—even when the fashionable view is right—and has succumbed to that temptation here. And it may well be that he, like a few other critics recently, has just gotten irritated by hearing Orwell endlessly praised; if so, it would be understandable even if not commendable—Orwell has received so much adulation, on all sides, since his death in 1950 that one can feel a little sympathy for someone who wants to push him off his pedestal, or start the pendulum of reputation swinging the other way. An Athenian got tired of hearing Aristides called “the Just,” and voted to ostracize him; perhaps Menand is tired of hearing Orwell called ‘the conscience of his generation,’ and has determined to take him down a peg. But he does so poor a job of it that the effect of his piece on a moderate Orwell admirer like me is to make me think, if that’s the worst anyone can say about him, he must be even better than I thought.
One tiresome consequence of the weakness of Menand’s review-essay is that it makes for a pedestrian dullness all around. Menand’s method is to throw everything he can get his hands on at Orwell in the hope of making a lucky hit, and since he just keeps missing, it is hard to be very exciting when refuting him—all one can do is keep pointing out all his errors and exaggerations and misinterpretations, and this does not make a sparkling exposé. It is much more satisfying to attack and expose an anti-Hedgehog, who makes one huge mistake, than an anti-Fox, who makes many small ones, but one cannot force one’s opponents to make the kind of mistakes that are exhilirating to expose. We must resign ourselves, then, to a bout of nit-picking—but one in which the nits are quite real, and constitute the bulk of the specimen under investigation—and get down to the job.
Note, to begin, Menand’s title: “Honest, Decent, Wrong.” So the gravamen of the case against Orwell is that he was wrong—about what, we shall see. Within his first paragraph, Menand tells us, speaking of Animal Farm, that Orwell “had trouble finding a publisher for” it, but he neglects to mention the reason. That is a missed opportunity, because the reason is quite interesting, and has something to tell us about the atmosphere in which Orwell had to work, and the price he paid for his independence—he had trouble because so many of the publishers of the time were unwilling to offend the Soviet Union. During the war, those who refused to tell any truth that might offend the U.S.S.R. had the excuse that it would be imprudent to criticize that country while their armies were fighting against our enemy, and saving us from taking a great many casualties. That excuse was very thin—did the apologists really think that if some English or American writers offended the Russians, they would stop fighting to expel the Nazis from their country?—but at least it was something to say; by the time Orwell was trying to get Animal Farm published, the war was effectively over, and even that pitiful excuse was unavailable.
The publishers who rejected the book for that political reason were not just the usual suspects, like Victor Gollancz; they included Faber & Faber, where T. S. Eliot was the presiding spirit. This is especially interesting in view of Menand’s later remark that.
Orwell was against imperialism, fascism, and Stalinism. Excellent. Many people were against them in Orwell’s time, and a great many more people have been against them since.
Leaving aside the irrelevant observation that many have been against them “since,” it would be good to have a list of those intellectuals, writers, and other members of the opinion-forming class in England and the United States who were equally against all three , and against them all at that time —the list should not require a very large sheet.
And why is the third member of this trio of bad things not communism , but Stalinism —are we still trying to redeem communism by postulating that Stalin somehow hijacked that wonderful idea, and that the period during which he ruled the U.S.S.R. was an aberration, to be disregarded in evaluating communism? That desperate effort at redemption worked for a while, but too much is now known of the period when Lenin ruled the U.S.S.R. for that canard to fly. Now it is the entire Russian “experiment” that has to be considered an aberration if communism is to be salvaged; indeed, the history of communism seems to consist principally of aberrations. (And perhaps the reference to those who have come around to Orwell’s position “since” is not totally irrelevant, after all; perhaps some of them came around to it because they’d read him.).
Having uttered this general disclaimer, Menand goes on for column after column relating how Orwell’s words have been used and abused by members of every political party and shade of opinion, and keeps implying that Orwell is somehow responsible for all of them. At one point, he gets almost fully explicit about this; talking about Orwell’s reputation for clarity, he asks, “In what sense, though, can writings that have been taken to mean so many incompatible things be called ‘clear’?” Take this as a warning, if you would avoid Menand’s scorn, against writing and living so well that you get to be taken as a sort of secular saint, and claimed by everyone; if too many fight over your bones, Menand will say you must have written turgidly.
One small but nevertheless significant item: Menand, giving a thumbnail biography of Orwell, says parenthetically “The family name was Blair, and Orwell’s given name was Eric.” This tidbit shows that Menand is standing on quicksand—he doesn’t know who he’s writing for. Does he really think that his long review-essay on a book about Orwell and his reputation is going to be read by many who need to be told that “Orwell” was a pen name?
Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia is regarded by historians of the Spanish Civil War as remarkable both for its integrity and for being a first-hand report by someone who was actually on the scene; Menand concedes that it was “brave and iconoclastic”—but immediately undercuts this by adding “though not the only work of its kind.” Orwell is not to be given unqualified praise under any circumstances, it seems. But Menand does not name the other works of “its kind”; what are they? I know of only one that is directly comparable to Orwell’s, Franz Borkenau’s The Spanish Cockpit . Later, of course, there were others, such as Burnett Bolloten’s The Grand Camouflage , but we’re talking, presumably, of books published in the same era as Orwell’s.
Sometimes Menand offers a point so petty that one feels diminished in having to deal with it, even for the purpose of flicking it away. Trying to tear Orwell down in any way he can, he calls him “a man who believed that to write honestly he needed to publish under a false name”—like that other swindler and phony who tried to cheat us by calling himself “Mark Twain”? The adoption of a pseudonym may reflect some deep anxiety or other problem in a writer, but Menand offers us no hypothesis about Orwell’s motive in doing so, just a general sneer at anyone who’d do such a thing, with an implication that it reflects not just on his ability to write, but on his integrity. And his sneer, if justified, would apply as well to all the many reputable writers who’ve done as Orwell did.
Menand is not even a reliable guide to simple bibliographical information. “Orwell’s essays have recently been collected…” he tells us, referring to the Everyman volume edited last year by John Carey. This is true but misleading; his essays were collected back in 1968, along with many of his letters 2. Carey’s edition contains a few items that the earlier edition missed, and corrects a few errors in it, but nothing of importance, and it’s less convenient for comfortable reading because it packs everything into one fat, 1,408-page volume rather than the four moderate-sized ones of the earlier edition.
Turning to Orwell’s quality as a writer, Menand says that he achieved in his writing an “impression of transparency” (not, one gathers, real transparency), and remarks that this is an effect Orwell had “identified as the ideal of good prose” in an essay called “Why I Write.” Here Menand is simply confused. The transparency that he is saying Orwell achieved an “impression of” is a transparency of character , showing oneself to be candid, honest, open—something accomplished by being modest and self-critical. Whether or not Orwell achieved this, and whether he really was transparent in this sense or was faking it, it is not the transparency that he talked of in “Why I Write.” That transparency is one of technical mastery , rather than a presentation of oneself as a regular chap; it means writing so well that readers never even notice your words, but instead see through them at what’s being talked about. “Good prose is like a window pane” is the key sentence of that essay, and he meant prose that never distracts the reader from its meaning even for a moment.
Menand tells us that two of Orwell’s biographers, Bernard Crick and Jeffrey Meyers, suspect that Orwell made up some details in a few of his early pieces. “Suspect” is the right word here; the phraseology Menand has to use in making this charge is “found it difficult to corroborate some of the incidents in Orwell’s autobiographical writings” and “has doubts that the event Orwell recounted … ever happened” and “suspect that ‘Shooting an Elephant’ has fabricated elements.” Relating another story about a supposed Orwell whopper, he ends with “Orwell is supposed to have replied…” In not one instance is it known that Orwell invented anything that he presented as fact, even in his earliest writings, where he was experimenting and learning his craft.
Another Orwell sin: he doubted that an independent India would be a success, Menand tells us, or that small nations could be really independent. To which there is a double reply, of which the first half is, is it certain that Orwell was wrong? India today often seems to be coming apart at the seams; it is embroiled in an apparently endless fight with Pakistan over Kashmir, and is having trouble suppressing internal fighting between its Hindu and Muslim citizens. It may survive these problems—one hopes so—but it is too early to say that we know Orwell was wrong. And the impossibility, as Orwell saw it, that small nations, incapable of self-defence, could be truly independent is even more likely to be proven true as the few great powers extend their “spheres of influence.” This may be deplorable, but Orwell wasn’t asking us to like it, he was simply saying that that’s how he saw the matter. The second and more important reply to make to Menand’s scolding of Orwell on this point is, so what? Orwell’s role was not that of prophet (not in the vulgar sense of prognosticator, at least), and if his views on what the future held were wrong, how should this affect our view of him? Orwell’s claim to fame is that he saw his own time clearly, and—at great cost to himself—wrote about it honestly and well.
Next Menand charge against Orwell: he disliked Gandhi. And what’s shocking about that, except to the members of a few little coteries, mostly found on campuses? Even many who admire Gandhi’s strategies against the British, and think that non-violence is a viable strategy against other oppressive regimes, have confessed that Gandhi was personally not everyone’s cup of tea. But Menand does not think it necessary to explain why a dislike of Gandhi is a black mark against Orwell; evidently Gandhi is the Orwell of Menand’s own milieu—a secular saint who is not to be questioned.
Noting that Orwell thought the method of Satyagraha might have been effective against the British, but doubted that it was a promising method for political struggle in general, Menand points out tartly that “a few years later, Martin Luther King, Jr., would find a use for it.” As it is to many of Menand’s cute little points, the retort is, so what? Orwell thought non-violent resistance would work only when used against highly civilized or decadent societies; does Menand think its success in the United States constitutes a counter-example? It was shrewd of Gandhi to see how the mood of Britain at the time—a combination of regret for the misdeeds of some of her Empire builders, distraction due to severe shortages of consumer goods, and general war-weariness—could be exploited to hasten Indian independence, but the success of that strategy was due to British defeatism, not to its general applicability. Would Menand suggest that it should have been used by internal dissidents in Nazi Germany or Communist Russia?
Furthermore, Menand tells us, Orwell liked Hitler; at least he said (in 1940) “I have never been able to dislike Hitler.” All he seems to have meant by that, as Menand himself shows us by the passage he has quoted, is that he thought that Hitler at least “grasped the falsity of the hedonistic attitude to life,” which Orwell too saw as false. And Menand goes on to spin a thread connecting this notion to one that “is not that far from the response of … people … who actively endorsed fascism.” If this remark about Hitler were the only evidence we had about the political views of an otherwise unknown Mr X, we might conjecture that Mr X had fascist sympathies; but we are talking of Orwell, about whom we know a great deal—so was he or was he not a fascist? If Menand thinks he was, he ought to have the courage to say so; if he does not, it is indecent of him to insinuate it.
Rather more damning than Orwell’s remark—but I do not call Gandhi a fascist or near-fascist.
Tracing the progress of Orwell’s political views, Menand tells us that “…with the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact, he flipped completely.” This statement is true, but it means exactly the opposite of what an innocent or careless reader would think. Many on the left had been urging war against the Nazis until that pact was announced, whereupon they overnight—literally—turned around and claimed that any such war would be an imperialistic one, with the working class as victims. Orwell’s course was exactly the reverse of this; up until the pact he was for peace, thinking a war would turn Britain itself fascist; when the pact was announced, he became a warlike patriot.
Menand tells us no lies, but he presents the story of Orwell’s political trajectory as if it were the usual left-wing one, rather than the very opposite. Is he unaware of the significance of the story he is telling? That’s hard to believe, but the only alternative is that he is aware, but doesn’t want his readers to be. I wonder, too, if it’s just carelessness, or something worse, that makes Menand say that Orwell “flipped” in his views. That verb is a rather contemptuous one; it’s used, for example, by the police to describe what criminals do when they betray their accomplices, and turn state’s evidence to win themselves a lighter sentence. Menand knows nothing discreditable about Orwell’s change of view after the pact, but for him, Orwell cannot change his mind for good reason; any switch is suspect.
Continuing his campaign to find Orwell responsible for what later generations have done with his work, Menand points out that many of the terms he invented are, today, conversation-stoppers—“Big Brother,” “doublethink,” and “thought police,” for examples. They are, says Menand, parallel to “liar,” “pervert,” and “madman” in being frequently abused to stifle criticism and rational argument. But if they are like such standard terms, what have they been convicted of? Are not “liar” and “madman,” at least, perfectly valid terms? And even if one doesn’t approve of the most common application of “pervert,” are there many who would deny that anything is perverted? All this is so obvious that a few lines later, Menand acknowledges it; he agrees that “there are Big Brothers and thought police in the world, just as there are liars and madmen.” So there is nothing wrong with the terms Orwell invented; in fact, we are indebted to him for them. Then what is wrong?
What really is wrong, Menand tells us, after tacitly withdrawing his charge against Orwell’s neologisms, is that in 1984 he portrayed a world in which all states were tyrannical, with no decency anywhere; a picture so depressing that it amounted to “encouraging people to see totalitarian ‘tendencies’ everywhere,” to see conspiracies everywhere, and throw terms like ‘thought police’ around indiscriminately. In fact, what all this shows is that Menand is not alone in being unable to read satire correctly. If it is true that ‘people’ commonly read Orwell’s deliberate extrapolation of current trends to their most nightmarish ‘logical’ conclusions as if they were sober, literal predictions of what the future is going to be like, then we have just another proof of the need for remedial reading classes.
In the penultimate sentence of this piece, where he is presumably trying to summarize his argument and bring it all to a logical conclusion, he makes a remark that only leaves me puzzled: he says of Orwell “It is no tribute to him to turn his books into anthems to a status quo he hated. If he is going to be welcomed into the pantheon of right-thinking liberals, he should at least be allowed to bring along his goat.” (Orwell at one point kept a goat; its political significance is unknown.) The “status quo” that Orwell hated, if Menand is to be believed and his syntax to be trusted, is that of right-thinking liberalism (I don’t know just which strain of it is “right-thinking”; clearly it must be despicable, but apart from that its identity is obscure.) But if liberalism is what Orwell hated, what is it he loved?
As Menand tells us, Orwell called himself a socialist all his life, but he was one who spent most of his time arguing with and criticizing socialists; in this respect he was like that other life-long socialist, Sidney Hook, who found no inconsistency in being a socialist, and being a proud Cold Warrior and an ornament of the Hoover Institution. And like Hook, Orwell believed in a Democratic Socialism in which the adjective was more important than the substantive; if he identified with any group today, it would be with one strain of those who, in America, used to be called liberals; he would be closest, if we’re trying to place him in the American political spectrum, to a Henry Jackson Democrat.
Having slogged our way through his essay-review, we should now be in a position, if we ever will be, to decide what Menand meant by calling Orwell “wrong”—and so far as I can see, he can only have meant that Orwell was wrong to think that bad people stank, and wrong to let the CIA exploit his books after his death. I concede both points, but argue that even two such weighty counts against him are not enough to condemn Orwell. And I conclude that of the three claims made about Orwell in Menand’s title—“Honest, Decent, Wrong”—he is right in the first two, wrong in the last. Perhaps two out of three is good enough for anti-government work.
1 Louis Menand, “Honest, Decent, Wrong: The Invention of George Orwell,” The New Yorker (January 27, 2003), pages 84-91.
2 The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell , ed. Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus . Four volumes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1968.
3 Quoted in Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Thy Hand, Great Anarch! (Addison-Wesley, 1989), page 536. | 2019-04-26T05:44:43Z | http://rules-of-the-game.com/lin008-orwell.htm |
Radio NZ ran a story last week with the startling admission that funding for two Whangarei based charter schools was about to fall as they converted into Designated Character State schools from 2019.
The revelation will not be a surprise to opponents of the charter school initiative, as it has been clear from the outset that the original funding model was based on bold assumptions that have simply not come to pass.
Unfortunately the piece did not clarify how much the funding was expected to fall by when they convert.
He Puna Marama, as Sponsor of the two charter schools, will receive nearly $4 million this year for the two schools: $3,074,521 for the secondary school and $883,073 for the primary school. These figures are published on the Ministry of Education website and are based on the projected opening rolls. Actual quarterly payments could vary depending on the student rolls as the year progresses.
Under the contracting out theory of the charter school initiative, the Sponsor may deal with the funding it receives in whatever way it feels is appropriate. So they can hire more teachers, more support staff, mentors etc. if they wish. Charter school supporters claim this bulk funding approach is one of the main features of the initiative. But the real issue has always been the quantum of funding they are receiving and not just how it is delivered.
Charter school supporters have hidden behind the narrative that the Ministry tried to make the original charter school funding model produce a level of funding that was “broadly comparable” to that of a “similar” State school. But this modelling approach was flawed from the outset.
First, making comparisons with State school funding is problematic, as State schools have many different sources of funding. The modelling had to try and reduce all of these to a simple approach that could be written into a commercial contract.
Second, State schools’ property is provided by the Crown but charter schools need to rent (or buy) their premises. So how this component was cashed up has caused problems from the outset, especially if the charter school did not reach the maximum roll on which the property funding was based, or took a long to get there.
Third, it also ignored the reality that the choices parents make are “local” and not “comparable”. So the problems with the original funding policy mean that the early charter schools have enjoyed far more funding than the local schools they were set up to compete against.
Save Our Schools NZ analysed the 2015 financial statements of South Auckland Middle School and compared these to Manurewa Intermediate. What we saw was that SAMS received funding per student of $11,740 after paying the cost of the premises it rented from the Elim Church. In contrast, Manurewa Intermediate received $5,907 in Teachers Salaries and Operations Grants funding per student, with its premises provided by the Crown.
This means the charter schools have been able to offer advantages such as hiring more teachers, which reduces class sizes, hiring more support staff, such as mentors and community liaison staff, or offering support to parents by way of free uniforms, free stationery and so on.
The National government changed the charter school funding model in 2015 but the revised model applies only to charter schools which commenced operations in 2017 and 2018. The government is therefore locked in by contract to the original funding model for the early schools.
Ensuring that the property funding flow is aligned with the current enrolment”.
The impact of the change in funding model is clear when we look at the funding for the closed First Round school, Whangaruru, in 2015 (its second year of operation) compared to that for the new Third Round school, Te Aratika, in 2017.
In 2015, Whangaruru received operational funding of $412,148 per quarter, or $41,215 per student p.a. based on 40 students. In the 4th quarter of 2017, Te Aratika received quarterly operational funding of$126,580, or $15,343 per student p.a. based on 33 students.
So two “similar” schools – in this case small secondary schools – have received vastly different amounts of funding per student under the two funding models.
The initial policy mistake of fully funding the cost of creating and operating small schools has meant the charter school initiative has cost the government more. This is why Bill English and Hekia Parata changed the funding model – over 3 years ago!
Whether this additional cost has paid off is arguable, as the formal evaluation failed to draw any meaningful conclusions as to the impact of the initiative.
But either way, one could just as easily assert that the Government should be prepared to invest more and help all students who need more support, not just those in an ideologically motivated experiment.
National’s support for reinstating the American charter school model shows not only that the privatisation bias that Bill English pursued over recent years is alive and well, but also that they are struggling to develop sound Education policy.
As far back as the 2008 general election, National committed to “increasing educational choices”. But everyone knows that the phrase “School Choice” was first coined by economist Milton Friedman and is the code used to drive the privatisation movement in the USA. The pure form of the privatised market model is vouchers, but in practice the charter school model has been adopted as the most practical privatisation route in most States.
The irony is that there is a wide variety of choice already available in the New Zealand public education system. One leading American commentator, writing in the Washington Post, made the remark that “…the most aggressive school choice system in the world is probably New Zealand”.
Surveys over many years by the NZ Council for Educational Research confirm that around 90% or more of New Zealand parents feel they send their child to the school of their choice. This high degree of satisfaction with choices available is underpinned by the variety of schooling options available, both within the State system and across the State-Integrated model.
Every State and State-Integrated school is governed by a parent-elected Board of Trustees, under a charter, the defining document that sets out the school community’s Vision and Values. It is this inconvenient fact that requires “charter schools” to be called something different in New Zealand!
The State system includes the set of schools operating as Kura Kaupapa, under s. 155, and the set of Designated Character schools under s. 156. These schools are complemented by over 330 State-Integrated schools, with religious character, such as Christian values or even Muslim values, as well as a variety of teaching philosophies, such as Montessori or Rudolf Steiner.
Indeed, anyone who tries to claim that New Zealand has a “one-size-fits-all” public education system is either very poorly informed of the variety of options available or is being deliberately misleading.
As a former Minister of Education, Nikki Kaye knows this only too well. So, we can conclude from this release that she has just nailed her colours to the mast of the privatisation movement.
National hid behind the ACT Party first time around and needed the support of the Maori Party to get the initial charter model legislation through the House. The convenient marriage of the ideology of privatisation and the ideology of self-determination was therefore born.
Given that the formal evaluation of the charter school model, carried out by Martin Jenkins, failed to draw any genuine conclusions as to the impact of the model to date, National is clutching at straws to claim that the model has already proven to be successful.
And we know from the financial statements of the Sponsors that this has been a lucrative business for them to enter. Bill English rushed to change the funding model after only one year but the first and second round school Sponsors have scored well out of the policy and away from the watchful eye of the Auditor-General.
No wonder they don’t want to let it go!
Labour has launched several reviews across multiple fronts to try and get to grips with the challenges of reinvigorating the New Zealand public education system after 9 years of flawed policies, such as National Standards.
It is early days yet but National’s knee-jerk reaction to bring back an American model that doesn’t even work there reveals how shallow National’s approach to developing Education policy is proving to be.
The 3-part evaluation of charter schools has failed in key respects to deliver on what Banks promised.
First, there is absolutely no attempt in the final report to evaluate the most important outcome, which is student achievement.
So, if these schools had agreed objectives in their contracts from the outset, where is the rigorous analysis of how they have performed? And why would the Ministry of Education still be “defining and agreeing contracted outcomes” if the schools are in their 3rd or 4th year of operation?
The real answer is simple: they have not performed as expected.
The primary content of this expensive exercise was not a strong evaluation of impact and effectiveness but instead they turned to a weak gathering of “survey” data from students and whanau.
But even this part was an embarrassment for charter school supporters.
Five schools (out of eight) were included in the surveys of students, but the responses from three of them were so low that they were excluded. So, instead, they resorted to merely including the responses from the two Villa Education Trust middle schools as a “case study”. Wow!
But the problems did not stop there.
The comment about the attendance data was interesting, given David Seymour’s press release only last month that charter schools outperform state schools on attendance.
There are numerous other problems and gaps with the MartinJenkins report and they can be discussed more fully in due course.
Overall, it is clear that this exercise has simply not produced the thorough examination that was promised by John Banks, let alone enabling informed decisions before opening further such schools.
It was clear from the outset that the charter school policy was driven solely by political ideology, and Mister of Education, Chris Hipkins, was right to dismiss the evaluation report as being of no real value to policy makers.
Maybe the very poor survey response rates – even from those closely involved in these schools – send a clear message: it is time to move on.
The charter school model is being closed down. The model. Not the actual schools currently operating as charter schools, necessarily.
The charter schools currently running have opportunities to remain open, in that they will be able to negotiate to become state schools or special character schools.
Some of the charter schools have got poor academic results. Some have not met their roll targets. Some are doing okay. Each school will be looked at individually. And if a charter school is doing okay, they surely can do the same job as a state school.
will legally be schools as opposed to businesses and therefore open to exactly the same scrutiny as other state-funded schools, including the Official Information Act.
Truly, if – as they assert – a charter school is doing a good job, has qualified teachers, can cope on the same funding as a state school, and has nothing to hide, why the fuss?
Nikki Kaye calls for transparency on charter schools? Yeah Right!
Nikki Kaye has taken the early lead in the “You must be joking” stakes with her ridiculous press release calling for transparency on charter schools.
Nikki Kaye and her government played an active role in holding back information during her time in office. She is in danger of becoming the hypocrite of the year as she now calls for transparency. And, just for good measure, she is supposedly now worried about the cost to the taxpayer of dealing with the mess that she has left behind!
• The charter school model does not have a proven track record as Ms Kaye claims. See our release on the poor School Leavers stats across the model as a whole, which shows charter schools underperforming the system-wide benchmarks used by the government.
• In particular, the charter school sector results are below those of both Decile 3 schools and those for Māori students across the NZ school system.
• Ms Kaye delayed the release of the second Martin Jenkins evaluation report from late 2016 until June 2017. Furthermore, the report could not discuss the true level of student achievement given the problems the Ministry of Education had uncovered in how the schools had incorrectly reported their School Leavers results.
• Ms Kaye took until June 2017 to finally release her decisions on the performance-related funding for the 2015 school year. That’s right – it took 18 months to evaluate only 9 schools and then she fudged the decisions on 3 of those schools.
• As for the new schools that were announced to open in 2018 and 2019, Nikki Kaye takes the cake with these. Not one single piece of official information on any of these 6 proposed schools has yet been released. When the Third Round schools were announced in August 2016, the supporting documentation, including the signed contracts, was released that afternoon.
• The biggest concern we have is how much taxpayer money has already been paid to the Sponsors of the 6 proposed schools and is this recoverable? In the early rounds, the Sponsors received the one-off Establishment Payments within 20 days of signing their contracts. So, Nikki, how much taxpayer money have you wasted?
Nikki Kaye has joined her colleague David Seymour in making misleading statements about charter schools.
In a stuff.co.nz story, written by Jo Moir and published on Tuesday 7 November, she is quoted as saying that the six new charter schools were “publicly notified in February”, meaning the wheels had been in motion for many months for those schools.
The public announcement of the two Fourth Round schools, due to open in February 2018, was made on Tuesday 11 July this year.
The public announcement of the four Fifth Round schools, due to open in February 2019, was made on Thursday 7 September, only 16 days before the election.
No documentation relating to either the Fourth or Fifth Round schools has yet been released. This is in contrast to the Third Round schools, when documentation such as the applications, evaluations and contracts was released publicly on the day of the announcement.
Further scrutiny of the minutes of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board confirm that at the meeting held on 11 April 2017, the Board agreed to delegate to the Chair and Deputy Chair the authority to make the final decisions on the outstanding due diligence matters for the Fourth Round applications. The Ministry of Education was to then confirm the communications plan ahead of the Round 4 contracts being signed. So, that implies that as at April, the final decisions had not even been made and the contracts had not yet been signed. But without any documentation, who knows?
22 June: Final recommendations meeting.
According to that timetable, the Fifth Round recommendations were not even going to be finalised until late June!
So, Nikki, where does the “publicly notified in February” comment come from?
Not so, as least as far as the Wairakei community is concerned, where one of the Fourth Round schools is due to open next year.
Two recent articles in stuff.co.nz have covered the anger and frustration that Wairakei residents have expressed about the proposed new school. In the second article, dated only 2 days before the election, Taupō Mayor David Trewavas called for a halt to plans for a partnership school at Wairakei Village, saying the complete lack of consultation is “unacceptable”.
But the article also quoted David Seymour, who responded to a query from local MP Louise Upston, saying that while community consultation was not required to establish the school it was an “essential component” of a school’s preparation for opening.
So, Mr Seymour, why do you now say that demonstrating community support for the school was required before the application was accepted?
The appalling lack of transparency has been an unfortunate feature of the New Zealand charter school experiment from the outset.
Save Our Schools NZ calls on the new government to instruct the Ministry of Education to release all documentation relating to the Fourth and Fifth Round applications with immediate effect.
Only then can the false and misleading statements of opposition politicians be called out as they should be.
This compares to a system-wide figure of 80.3% across all schools within the system in 2016.
Looking more closely at specific groups, the system-level result for decile 3 schools was 74.3% and for Maori students, across all deciles, it was 66.5%.
“There is to be no compromise on the system level benchmarks”.
Worryingly, even this poor performance masks a weak set of results overall.
The proportion of School Leavers attaining NCEA Level 3 or above was 23.4% compared to 53.9% for the system as a whole.
UE attainment is low, with a mere 15 students, or only 12.1% of School Leavers, attaining University Entrance, compared to a system-wide figure of 40.7%.
* Note: There were no contract performance standards set above NCEA Level 2. The contracts for primary and middle schools are based on performance standards using National Standards for years 1 to 8.
2. However, there are significant differences between vouchers, the pure market model usually promoted by ACT, and charter schools, which is privatisation by way of contracting with private sector providers. Treasury calls this “Contracting for Outcomes”.
7. This purely quantitative analysis is then subject to further criticisms of many aspects of US charter school practices, including: student selection, including the effect of “self-selection” amongst parents; the proportions of English language Learners and special needs students; student attrition; school discipline and behaviour management practices; the apparent lack of backfilling, i.e. the tendency to not replace students as they leave; and the drive for what is commonly called “test prep”, in contrast to a genuine focus on the quality of education.
12. The original funding model has already been changed, as it soon became clear how much operational funding these schools were receiving compared to their local state schools. Small schools are expensive and the government was fully funding the First and Second Round schools with no Sponsor capital input required.
14. The Third Round funding model now uses an approach more oriented to funding the student than funding the school, as the roll grows. But the government still provides the property and insurance funding for what is essentially a private sector organisation.
16. This promise has not been carried out. The roll-out of the model has proceeded well ahead of the release of any evaluation. At the time of writing, the Third Round schools have opened this year and applications are being processed for the Fourth and Fifth Rounds!
17. The first two reports from the Martin Jenkins Evaluation Programme are weak and do not rigorously examine school performance or the impact these schools have had. The Evaluation has also completely ignored the failure of the First Round school at Whangaruru.
18. Student achievement outcomes to date have been mixed but difficult to analyse thoroughly given the delays in the Ministry releasing accurate information.
19. By May 2017, the Minister has still not announced her decision on the release of the performance based funding for the 2015 school year! No operational reports for the entire 2016 year have yet been released, along with supporting documentation such as contract variations and Ministry advice to the Minister.
23. Some schools, including Vanguard and the two Villa middle schools, have failed to meet their Student Engagement contract standards relating to stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions. This is of concern, given the US charter school practices noted above.
24. Charter schools are not more accountable than public schools, simply because they operate under a contract. Whangaruru was not closed for failure to achieve contract standards; it was dysfunctional from the start.
25. Public school accountability includes parent-elected Boards of Trustees, which must hold open meetings, maintain open records and be subject to the Official Information Act. Board finances are subject to audit under the supervision of the Auditor-General.
26. No such requirements apply to charter schools, which are organised under a commercial contract between the government and the private sector Sponsor.
27. Public funding must go hand in hand with public accountability. State and State-Integrated schools both abide by this principle but charter schools do not.
The cover up of the true picture of student achievement in charter schools continued today with the belated release of the second Martin Jenkins Evaluation Report.
The report, with a final publication date of 28 November 2016, was released on Friday 5 May 2017, a delay of over 5 months.
However, even now, the report contains a massive caveat in the section discussing student achievement, which indicates there are still major problems behind the scenes.
The ratings in the May 2016 advice were based on the best information available to the Ministry at that time (and are indicative of the reports that the Ministry had received from schools/kura by then). They reflect the most up-to-date information provided to the evaluation team at the time of writing this report, but are not the Ministry’s final assessments of schools’/kura performance for 2015.
So, a formal policy evaluation signed off in November 2016, cannot go to print in May 2017 with a clear statement of exactly what represents the “Ministry’s final assessments of schools’/kura performance for 2015”?
The same problem is holding back the Minister of Education’s decision on whether or not to release the retained operational funding that is performance related, in respect of the 2015 school year. And this is now May 2017!
The major problem relates to the issue which surfaced last year, when the Ministry acknowledged that the interpretation of the secondary schools’ contract performance standards had been incorrect. As a consequence, the schools had also reported incorrectly against their contracts.
These incorrect figures had been used to determine the Ministry’s ratings in its May 2016 advice, referred to in the footnote. While the Ministry has now acknowledged that these figures are incorrect, nothing further has since been released.
The poor performance of the primary and middle schools is also evident in the Evaluation Report. Of the five primary and middle schools, which have contract targets set against National Standards, only one school, the Rise Up Academy, was assessed as having met its contract targets.
And problems are also clearly evident in the assessment of performance against the Student Engagement standards. Vanguard Military School and Middle School West Auckland performed very poorly against the standards for Stand-downs, Suspensions, Exclusions and Expulsions.
Overall, the main takeaway from the Evaluation Report is a fairly damning indictment of performance to date.
But the continued cover up of the true picture should not be tolerated any longer.
Where is the Charter School data?
For a Minister so obsessed with data and, in particular, the sharing of data, it is interesting how little we know about charter schools.
The game of delaying the release of a vast range of information on the charter schools continues.
The Ministry has promised to release a lot of material, including the formal evaluation of 2015 student achievement, in “April” but has refused to state exactly when. They also need to release all of the 2016 quarterly reports, the 2016 contract variations and the second “annual” installment of the Martin Jenkins evaluation of the charter school initative.
In short, lots of information is being withheld for no apparent reason.
When it is finally released, we will go through it and post our thoughts on what it reveals.
In the meantime, propaganda and marketing material fills the void.
This is the second in a series of postings following up an op-ed written by Don Brash published in the NZ Herald.
Our first response discussed what motives might lay behind what we feel is a concerted PR push by Villa Education Trust, the Sponsor of South Auckland Middle School.
In this piece we will look at the statement made in the op-ed about funding, as this remains one of the real sticking points about the early charter schools.
Ah yes, critics argue, but partnership schools get a lot more money from the taxpayer than other schools do. Absolute nonsense.
Sorry, Dr Brash, but charter schools do get more OPERATIONAL FUNDING than the local schools get. Especially when their funding is compared to the larger schools in South Auckland, where SAMS is located.
In a nutshell, SAMS received total operational funding of approx. $12,800 per student in 2015 compared to Manurewa Intermediate (the intermediate school used in the article) which received approx. $5,600 per student.
To understand how this large discrepancy arises, we need to look at the original charter school funding model. The single biggest policy mistake it made was to try and work out the equivalent funding that a stand alone State school of the same size and type might receive.
But, in practice, the charter schools are being created in places like South Auckland where there are larger, more established schools that receive much lower average per student funding. This means that the larger schools could not possibly recreate the conditions such as class sizes of 15 that the smaller charter schools can.
One recent story on Radio NZ described the pressure on some South Auckland schools that saw many of them using their libraries and halls as teaching spaces. One school had plans to start teaching next year in the staffroom!
So, is it any wonder that when given the option of class sizes of 15, free uniforms and free stationery, that parents may be choosing the charter school?
Let’s look briefly at the original charter school funding model, noting that this model has already been changed for the third round schools that have just been announced.
The original model had two essentially fixed components per school: Base Funding and Property & Insurance. The property component is fixed for the first 3 years (unless the school changes size or teaching year levels) and the base funding component varies by type of school (secondary, middle or primary) and is indexed each year.
Variable Funding comes in two parts: a Per Student Grant and Centrally Funded Services. The two variable components are then multiplied by the number of students on the roll or the Guaranteed Minimum Roll (“GMR”) whichever is the greater. So, if the actual school roll is less than the GMR, the Sponsor gets paid for at least the GMR number of students.
In 2015, SAMS operated at its Maximum Roll, which was originally 120 students.
So, putting all the components together the SAMS financial statements show revenue from Government Grants of $1,536,016, or an average government funding figure of approx. $12,800 per student, in 2015.
So let’s walk through the SAMS financial statements for 2015 and see what Villa does with its $1.5 million of funding.
First, it pays the rent, which is $150,000 per annum. If we are generous, and include all Property expenses, including utilities, we find these amounted to $194,776 in the 2015 financial statements.
This would then leave a total of $1,341,240, or $11,177 per student after we have acquired and maintained the school premises.
What do we do next? We would look to hire the teachers necessary to deliver on the 1:15 class size ratio.
For a school of 120 students, we would need 8 teachers, at a round number cost of $75,000 per annum each. That should cost us approx. $600,000 and we find that teacher salaries in the 2015 SAMS accounts came out at pretty much that amount: $584,883. Add in the other curriculum related costs, such as classroom resources – including those free school uniforms and stationery – and total Learning Resources amounted to $869,846.
That leaves us with $471,394 to pay for the administration of a 120 student school.
Plenty of money to pay for a full-time Community Liaison Manager – nice if you can afford it – pay for all the office and other admin costs and allow for depreciation and you spend a total of $263,906.
And what does that leave room for?
That’s right: the Management Fee payable to the Sponsor of $140,000. That’s the cost of hiring a full-time principal at a much larger school!
For comparison, let’s see how Manurewa Intermediate is getting on.
The Find A School application on the Education Counts website has summary financial information for State and State-Integrated schools.
In 2015 Find A School showed Manurewa Intermediate’s Staffing Entitlement figure was $2,510,958 and its Operations Grant figure was shown as $1,431,808. So, let’s cash this all up and make an OPERATIONAL FUNDING total of $3,942,766.
But straight away we have a problem. Manurewa Intermediate has 704 students. So we start our comparison with average per student government funding of only $5,600 per student.
Its property is owned by the Crown, so it doesn’t pay rent in cash. So we can skip straight to the teacher costs.
To engineer class sizes of 15, we would need to buy 47 teachers. At a cost of $75,000 each we would need $3,525,000.
That would leave us with only $417,766 or $593 per student to pay for everything else necessary to run a school of 704 students which is nearly 6 times the size of SAMS!
Out of that amount, we would need to pay for all classroom and curriculum resources, all the non-teaching staff, all the administration costs, the utilities and property maintenance costs and the depreciation to cover the replacement of all the furniture, equipment and ICT resources.
Hopefully you can see from this comparison that it would be virtually impossible for Manurewa Intermediate to have class sizes of 15 with the level of government operational funding it receives.
You could also arrive at the same conclusion with a simple rule of thumb calculation.
Based on a teacher cost of $75,000, in a class size of 15 each student needs to contribute $5,000 to pay for their teacher. SAMS had $11,177 after paying for the premises; Manurewa Intermediate started with $5,600.
In summary, what readers interested in understanding charter schools funding need to appreciate is the significant influence of the fixed cost components of their funding model.
Even at its initial maximum roll of 120, the fixed components of SAMS’ funding comprise 57% of its total funding: base funding was $578,021 and the property component was $303,681. That is why the charter schools are proving to be more expensive than their local counterparts: they are small schools with high fixed cost funding.
But they are being compared to larger, longer established schools where the fixed costs are spread over a much greater number of students.
This is what economists call economies of scale.
It is a major reason why direct comparisons between schools with significantly different funding streams should be treated with real caution.
Research shows that the effects of smaller class sizes are positive and of real help, especially when dealing with students who need more intensive support.
Smaller class sizes are an expensive policy to engineer; but wouldn’t it be great to see class sizes of 15 in all our low decile schools, not just those favoured by the flawed charter school funding model.
The Education Ministry reported that some of last year’s new charter schools are not doing so well, but says there are good reasons for this.
The reasons given include students arriving at school far behind age-appropriate levels, student transience, the high rate of referrals from Child Youth and Family and the Police and referrals of difficult students from other schools.
Indeed, those are valid reasons for any school struggling to help students.
What I would like the Education Minister and the Undersecretary for Education to explain is how these factors are considered sound reasons for charter schools to struggle to help students and yet are considered excuses for public schools.
The two charter schools operated by Villa Education Trust have achieved only 3 of their 12 student achievement targets for the 2015 year, according to analysis by Save Our Schools NZ.
According to the 2015 annual reports to the public released by the two schools, South Auckland Middle School achieved 2 of their 6 targets and Middle School West Auckland achieved only 1 of their 6 targets.
Detailed results are set out below.
Held to Account for Performance?
Charter schools are supposedly going to be held to account for their performance against clearly specified performance standards set out in their contracts, including student achievement and student engagement.
In its first year of operation, South Auckland Middle School failed to meet its student engagement performance standard when it missed the required standard for stand downs, suspensions and exclusions.
But the Minister of Education still approved the release of the 1% performance retention funding retained under the contract, even though the contract wording required the school to reach all of its performance standards before such a payment could be made.
The clear underperformance in 2015 of both schools in the most important contract area, which is student achievement, should make the Minister’s decision this year clear cut.
But as charter schools are ultimately a political initiative anything can happen! | 2019-04-25T18:28:58Z | https://saveourschoolsnz.com/tag/partnership-schools-2/ |
– in Westminster Hall at 9:30 am on 10th April 2019.
has considered pension transfers and the British Steel pension scheme.
For many of us, pensions are a distant, complex and opaque topic. Everyone hopes that their pension will provide financial security for their family’s future. It is often the single biggest pot of money that anyone will have, but that makes pension pots ideal targets for mis-selling. Unfortunately, in recent years pensions mis-selling has got worse. Since further pension freedoms were brought in four years ago, it is easier to transfer out of defined-benefit pension schemes. More than 200,000 people have done that, but as transfers have increased, so have the problems. The compensation paid out for poor transfer advice increased to £40 million last year.
I called for this debate because of a specific mis-selling crisis that affected hundreds and potentially thousands of people across south Wales in particular. Two years ago, the British Steel pension scheme began to restructure its fund after a difficult period for the industry. Scheme members had a hard deadline to make a critical decision: they could go into a new scheme, be defaulted into a lifeboat fund or transfer out. They had to decide against a backdrop of serious uncertainty about the scheme and the industry. The scheme’s administrators were under enormous pressure, with 4,000 calls a day. Vital information about pension advisers from the Financial Conduct Authority was often highly technical. All that helped to create a perfect storm.
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate and commend the work that he is doing in this area. He has mentioned the Financial Conduct Authority. Does he agree that one issue here is regulation and that too often those who suffer a loss are pushed in the direction of a civil remedy when actually we need stronger enforcement and tougher criminal sanctions?
I agree. I think that the FCA has the right teeth but is not using them and that the police need to intervene much earlier.
I, too, congratulate the hon. Gentleman on initiating the debate. I do not have any people with steel pensions in my constituency, but I am here to support the hon. Gentleman and to do so on the record. He mentioned that 4,000-plus people a week were trying to get details and advice on how to move forward. Is not the onus on the FCA and, ultimately, the Government to ensure that the necessary advice is there and available? The volume of contacts being made clearly indicates that the system is unable to respond in the way it should.
The advice is there. The difficulty is that for many people it is too technical and complicated; working through it is really very hard.
Transfers were talked up, and pension sharks soon began circling around the key steelworking sites across south Wales and the rest of the UK. They were often facilitated by unregulated introducers, through word of mouth. For example, constituents of mine were approached by a rogue financial adviser at their caravan while they were on a family holiday. Wider possibilities were common currency: a place in the sun, a conservatory and a deposit for a son’s or daughter’s new home were all said to be within reach.
The pension changes meant that it was easier to transfer from a stable fund into investments that were far riskier, on the promise of better returns. Unfortunately, it meant that a safe bet could turn into a bad bet, and a high fee was often part of the deal too. It was the case that 7,800 steelworkers transferred out altogether, of whom 872 had transfers arranged by firms that were eventually ordered—ordered—to stop advising by the FCA. One steelworker lost £200,000. Many others lost tens of thousands of pounds. Many suffered incredible stress and anxiety. I heard yesterday that £1.8 million has been paid out in compensation to steelworkers so far. I emphasise the words “so far”. Because that might not grasp the full scale of the issue, the FCA has now reviewed the files of 2% of the nearly 8,000 steelworkers who transferred out. It found that 58% of the advice was not suitable, which means that the tally of those who lost out could run to several thousands. To deal with that possibility, the FCA now needs to set out a clear programme of how it will identify the steelworkers affected, how it will let them know and what practical support it will provide to help to get them through this process.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for securing this debate and leading on this issue, as he has now for several years. On how the FCA now informs steelworkers, does he agree that part of the problem is that lots of steelworkers will simply not know that this has happened and will not understand that they have received bad advice? Given that these are complicated issues, as he has mentioned, that means that they will often just ignore the issue in the hope that it will somehow resolve itself. This could be yet another pension scandal waiting to happen, purely because people do not wish to face up to the realities of what is happening.
My hon. Friend makes a really good point. The FCA is a large organisation based in London. I believe it does not have sufficient resources to help consumers on the ground in places such as Port Talbot or Shotton, or across the country, where pensioners need support at their homes.
The concerns that my hon. Friend has raised are valid in north Wales among steelworkers who used to work at the Shotton plant, many of whom live in my constituency. A cursory look at the FCA website reveals that there are 17 firms that the FCA is currently examining. I did not know that until I looked at the site in preparation for this debate. How are steelworkers supposed to know who those 17 firms are?
My right hon. Friend gets to the nub of the situation. Who does one trust when one has a pot of gold and people want access to it? He poses a really important question. The FCA has got to help our steelworker pensioners and their families.
It can be argued that this was a unique situation, but many of the underlying problems that allowed it to happen are still there. Rogue financial advisers do not face sufficiently tough consequences from the regulators. The FCA’s register has been improved, but consumer information sometimes remains unclear. The support for people who might have been mis-sold pensions is insufficient.
I recognise that some steps have been taken to improve co-ordination between regulators. That is welcome, but much more needs to be done. At the moment, the pension sharks have generally received administrative sanctions only, but I think they need to face serious penalties. Will the Minister scrutinise the effectiveness of the FCA’s enforcement regime? Steelworkers say the FCA needs to impose heavy financial penalties on bad financial advisers. I think it needs to employ its powers much more often, as it seems this has not been done sufficiently.
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate and pay tribute to him for his work for our constituents in this important area. At our recent meeting with the FCA, the issue of mandatory insurance wording came up. Those unscrupulous financial advisers are not taking out proper insurance—when they go bust, there is no source of compensation for the steelworkers who have been ripped off. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Minister needs to take urgent action to improve the regulatory framework, not least in the area of mandatory insurance wording?
My hon. Friend makes an important point. Given reports that the FCA is investigating so-called introducers in connection with a major scam, the Government should now ensure that they, too, are regulated. The Treasury has to take action to ensure that financial advisers always have—this comes to my hon. Friend’s point—sufficient insurance to pay out, should they go into administration.
Will the Minister ensure that the FCA updates the Treasury on how it is supporting the potentially several thousand steelworkers who might have received poor transfer advice in this instance? The Treasury needs to co-ordinate with the Department of Work and Pensions and other key bodies in order to help victims of mis-selling to access the support they need. Although BSPS members have been supported by a strong team in Port Talbot, including a financial adviser and a lawyer, there needs to be a single initiative, aimed specifically at people who may have been mis-sold in cases such as BSPS.
I am very grateful to my good friend for giving way and congratulate him on securing the debate and on the powerful case that he is making. In the consultation on the changes, concerns were raised that the burden could fall too heavily on scheme members, and we worry that that is the case. Our mining and steel communities built this nation. Does my hon. Friend agree that they should be looked after in retirement?
My hon. Friend is a champion for miners’ pensions, on which she has done some great work, and I think she is absolutely right.
I press the Minister on the Treasury’s response to recommendations that others have made about the crisis. The Rookes review suggested that the FCA needs to look at how it handles advisers who have had regulatory issues in the past. Phoenixing, as it is called, has allowed some advisers to reinvent themselves to sell anew. There must be greater scrutiny to stop rogues re-emerging in the marketplace. The review also suggested that the FCA work with the Treasury and the DWP to use digital channels to help to communicate important information to pensioners and to help them.
Finally, the review suggested that the Pensions Regulator work with BSPS, trustees and trade unions—Community and Unite have been particularly good in south Wales—to select a panel of reliable financial advisers that members can use. Those advisers must be able to deal with the scale of the problem with BSPS and with the insurance needed. Can the Minister explain how the Department is progressing those recommendations and when we can expect the changes to be fully implemented?
In his valedictory speech, Mark Neale, the outgoing chief executive of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, strongly advocated increasing the compensation limit in cases of poor transfer advice. They were powerful remarks, so let us listen to him. I ask the Treasury to actively support that proposal and to investigate how many people are currently suffering uncompensated financial losses because of poor advice.
We need justice for steelworkers who are ripped off. If the FCA will not do that, local police forces in south Wales need to pursue what appear to be complicated cases of fraud. The crimes are committed locally; the losses are clear and often substantial; and those responsible are identifiable. I call on the police forces across south Wales to open files and thoroughly investigate whether those cases amount to fraud. Criminal investigations have to start. If they do not, I call on the forces to state publicly why not.
The financial and emotional toll that this crisis has taken on my constituents and many others has been heavy. They worked hard for decades to earn their pensions, and they expected a secure pot to provide for them and their families. That was put at risk because of the wrongdoing of a few bad actors and a weak response from the regulators. Steelworkers and their families have been let down. The Government and the FCA must improve their act and support those people better. The rogues who ripped off steelworkers and their families must be held to account. If the regulators cannot do that, the police need to step in. We need to make sure that good people see their hard-earned money better protected in future.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. I pay tribute once again to my hon. Friend Nick Smith for securing the debate and for all the work that he does. He and I have worked on the transfer of steelworker pensions out of BSPS since 2017, which was when all Tata Steel workers were forced to decide whether to move into the BSPS 2 or transfer out into another pension scheme. Given that trust between employees and employer at that point was fragile to say the least, it is not too surprising—completely understandable, in fact—that about 8,000 of the steelworkers decided against joining the BSPS 2. Little did they know that the vultures were circling.
The behaviour of the unscrupulous financial advisers who ripped off these men and their families was completely inexcusable. The sheer size of the pension transfer exercise, the high level of publicity that the transfer received, and the workers’ deep-seated mistrust of the employer at that time, the trustees and Tata made for fertile territory for the parasites. The trade unions, steel MPs and the BSPS trustees all called on the Government to introduce a system of deemed consent regarding the transfer of BSPS 2. I was one of those MPs; I sent a letter to the then Pensions Minister, Mr Gauke. However, we were ignored and those hard-working, honest men were targeted, despite the fact that in only a very small number of cases was transferring out their best option.
These unscrupulous advisers are not stupid; they have behaved in a manner that is cunning, morally bankrupt and in many cases criminal. These events have had a dreadful effect on steelworkers in my constituency and their families. One man transferred £560,000 out on the strength of a 40-minute phone call with an “adviser”, who convinced him that it was what everyone was doing —40 years of service reduced to 40 minutes on the telephone. He believes that he was charged £11,000 to transfer out and for a 40-minute consultation. A man’s entire life plan was ruined by one phone call. Another was advised by one of the local advisers to transfer £348,858 out. He is now paying in excess of £3,500 a year in various costs and charges, as well as exposing himself to the risk of shortfall and dying after his pension pot runs out. That adviser played on the fear that BSPS was going to go into administration. They did not present my constituent with the facts or evidence, but approached the situation from the starting point that he wanted to transfer out, and facilitated that transfer without checking that it was in his best interest to do so.
Who were those unscrupulous financial advisers? The main culprits have been Active Wealth (UK) Ltd and a man named Darren Reynolds, who account for all but a couple of the 77 cases that have so far been taken up with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The FSCS has so far paid out £1.8 million to 61 of the 77 claimants, 16 of whom exceeded the £50,000 compensation limit—a limit that has since risen to £85,000. For those who have not been granted compensation, it is purely because they have not suffered a loss, not because they were not badly advised. I think I am right in saying that every single claimant was judged to have been badly advised.
It has been clear for some time that Active Wealth was just the tip of the iceberg. Several other advisers have been acting inappropriately; one did a lot of work in concert with a financial adviser who did not have the required permissions. The transfers were going through in about one hour, and some steelworkers never even met with an adviser. In another part of the country, in west Wales, an adviser had the required permissions, but by the end of 2017 had had their permissions to do pensions transfers revoked. Scores of steelworkers were days away from the transfer cut-off when that adviser circled in. Other advisers saw the writing on the wall and went into voluntary liquidation a few months ago. Those two advisers took their clients with them, literally next door.
Other sales tactics were entirely risible. In one case, steelworkers were turning up at an adviser’s office over the weekend because he had told them that on Monday the pension company would be stopping distribution in the UK. He was literally telling them to hurry up and buy; he spent 30 minutes talking to each steelworker about their pension. It is notable that those financial advisers are finding it easier to simply lock up shop, close their business down and walk away than to face up to what they have done. That, in effect, then limits the redress that steelworkers can receive to £50,000—now up to £85,000—under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and from £150,000 under the Financial Ombudsman Service. In effect, we have a deep structural problem in the system, with financial advisers able simply to lock up shop and walk away, rather than give redress to the people they have ripped off. That is a fundamental question for the regulator.
These men were let down not just by rogue financial advisers, but by the authorities: the regulator, namely the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Government. The FCA was far too slow to see the obvious risks and act to protect steelworkers from these vultures. It knew from its investigation in 2017 that more than half of the transfer advice being given was not up to its own standards, but even that, apparently, did not raise any alarm bells or red flags. Most shockingly, certain financial advisers who were under investigation still appeared on the FCA website. The fact that that information was unavailable to the steelworkers feels utterly unjust.
The focus now is to raise awareness among steelworkers who have not spoken up but are due compensation, and to ask them to come forward and seek advice. Something that we have all observed is the role of shame in that. Many steelworkers are deeply embarrassed and ashamed that they have been ripped off. They have found it extremely difficult to share that difficult information with their families and spouses—one of the reasons that more men have not come forward.
I recognise that this is an emotionally sensitive matter for those involved, who may be reluctant to overturn the rock and look at what they might find underneath. However, it is right that we do everything that we can to get justice for these men. Investment companies and self-invested personal pension providers must no longer be able to look the other way and adopt a “see no evil, ask no questions, tell no lies” approach as long as the money continues to roll in. That approach is morally bankrupt.
Since the end of 2017, I have been working with my hon. Friends the Members for Blaenau Gwent and for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi), lawyers and independent financial advisers in order to bang the drum and get these steelworkers the justice that they deserve. In November, 18 steelworkers came to Westminster to meet the regulators and the FSCS. We were pleased that the FSCS was able to revisit some of those adviser charges. We have also had very welcome promises from the FCA to run seminars in Port Talbot. Tata has also shown a willingness to facilitate meetings with the men—all in the cause of raising awareness. That means that we can at least be optimistic that getting these men some of the justice that they deserve may be possible.
Looking forward, our main focus must be, first, to continue to raise awareness among the steelworkers who may be affected. All firms that gave advice to transfer should verifiably send out a letter written by the FCA, strongly advising them to get the advice looked at and reminding them that they may be entitled to a form of financial top-up if they come forward. We will keep pressing the FSCS and FCA to offer the level of compensation package that the men who have come forward deserve and are due. We will also focus relentlessly on ensuring that unscrupulous advisers are exposed for what they are, and that every bit of insurance that they owe is claimed.
Secondly, we must do all we can to achieve legislative change. We need to ensure that individuals are automatically enrolled in new schemes, not left to be picked off mercilessly by rogue financial advisers in an environment that is characterised by uncertainty. Thirdly, we need to ensure that regulators do their jobs. Why the advisers that I mentioned were allowed to remain on the FCA website while under investigation seriously needs looking into.
Finally, it is worth noting that this issue does not affect steelworkers alone, and that pension mis-selling pay-outs in 2018 hit a whopping £40 million—double the figure for 2017. This is a national issue across many sectors, and it is up to the FCA and the Government to stand up and stick by workers and pensioners who have been wrongly advised, and do all they can to improve regulation and legislation for future generations. I look forward to working with those in this room on all of those challenges, and I thank hon. Members for their attention.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. I congratulate Nick Smith on securing this important debate. I should also declare that I have a steel plant in my own constituency, although it is not as badly affected as those in Port Talbot.
About 40,000 members of the British Steel pension scheme, the Tata Steel retirement fund, had the choice to trade their guaranteed pensions for a cash lump sum and transfer to a riskier plan as the scheme was restructured. To date, there have been about 8,000 transfers worth about £2.8 billion. Last year, as transfers from the British Steel scheme ramped up, the Financial Conduct Authority intervened to halt the activities of advice firms because of concerns that dubious advisers, incentivised by commissions and high fees, were descending on steel towns, especially Port Talbot in Wales, and enticing BSPS members to transfer their pensions.
It is clear that there was widespread mis-selling to members of the BSPS. The FCA found from a sample of those members that nearly half had been given unsuitable advice or advice that was unclear.
In its findings, the review into those pensions transfers recommended that pension scheme trustees should compile a list of recommended advisers for pensions transfers. Indeed, it seems strange that that is not already the case. I know that unions such as Community and Unite have done their best, but it is a complicated set of circumstances in which people have been shamelessly robbed of their pension funds. It is right that scheme members should not be left out in the wilderness when it comes to advice on what to do with their retirement savings. There must be more clarity for scheme members, so that they are not lured in by dodgy and self-interested firms, as illustrated by Stephen Kinnock.
The Scottish National party is keen to support steel communities across Scotland. First and foremost, workers must be put at the heart of solutions to put pension funds on a sustainable footing. The SNP Scottish Government took urgent action to ensure that steel plants were attractive to potential investors, to save workers from losing out. An investment of almost £200,000 was made by the Scottish Government to keep key workers on standby to safeguard full manufacturing capability, ensuring that plants could get back up and running as quickly as possible. The Dalzell works in my Motherwell and Wishaw constituency was the prime beneficiary of that policy, which also helped to safeguard Clydebridge works in the neighbouring constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
When the UK Government were dealing with the matter of the British Steel pension scheme, my hon. Friend Neil Gray expressed concern to the then Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills that workplace pensions and incentives to save must not be undermined by any deal. In Parliament, my SNP colleagues and I have expressed solidarity with the workers at those plants, and I must thank the all-party parliamentary group on steel and metal related industries, which has done outstanding work in that regard as well. Hon. Members should rest assured that we will continue to press the UK Government to take meaningful action on issues that threaten the viability of industrial premises across the UK and their workers. This entire episode reaffirms the need for an independent pensions and savings commission to put the pensions landscape on a sustainable footing.
People have a right to know and understand their pension savings. At the moment, the UK Government’s extremely complicated pensions and savings landscape—made all the more confusing through the introduction of pension freedoms and vehicles such as lifetime ISAs—is making it more likely that consumers will make the wrong choices for their circumstances.
The BSPS members were in an extremely difficult and vulnerable situation that was exploited by greedy firms to the detriment of normal working people, who deserve the retirement that was promised to them. I can speak personally of the difficulties of realising that the pension being looked forward to will not materialise, because it happened in my husband’s case. We were not in anything like extreme circumstances, but it was still a shock to us that the future we had been promised and were looking forward to did not happen.
The SNP has long called for the establishment of an independent pensions commission to ensure that employees’ savings are protected and a more progressive approach to fairer savings is considered as we move to a period where defined benefit schemes are becoming a thing of the past. Now that the UK Government are battling with the chaos caused by the Brexit vote, the need for such an independent commission is more important than ever. This also highlights that the Government’s initiatives to improve consumer support and pensions are playing catch-up. More action must be taken urgently.
The Government have dragged their heels on the introduction of the pension dashboard, but there is absolutely no reason why this needs to be dragged out. It certainly should not be watered down. Consumers need a unified dashboard that includes their state and private pensions. The SNP was broadly supportive of the creation of a new single financial guidance and claims body that would merge independent financial and pensions advice bodies and the Minister should update the House on the progress of the establishment of this body. Is it up and running? How can it be used to ensure that people in vulnerable circumstances, such as BSPS members, can be armed with the facts to be able to make the right choices for their retirement?
I again congratulate the hon. Members for Blaenau Gwent and for Aberavon on their outstanding work in this field. In the past, I have had dealings with the Financial Conduct Authority on pensions matters and with the financial ombudsman and have found them to be reactive, dilatory and unable and uncertain about how they can best help constituents who have been tricked and duped in terrible circumstances. The idea that a man, and it is nearly always men, who worked in a hard and sometimes dangerous job should end up being duped by financial advisers—to their complete detriment—and unable to look their families in the eye and say, “I made a mistake, I am sorry, but nothing can be done”, is unacceptable to everyone in this place.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. First, I congratulate my hon. Friend Nick Smith on securing the debate. I praise my hon. Friend Stephen Kinnock, who has played a major role in the drive for justice for those who were cheated on their pensions, the work of the APPG and the co-operation of colleagues from the SNP. I also welcome to her first Westminster Hall debate the newly elected Member for Newport West, my hon. Friend Ruth Jones, who will, I know, be a strong champion of the people of Newport West.
A good pension is about security and dignity in retirement. The people of Britain deserve nothing but security and dignity in retirement. People work hard, build our country and, when they come towards retirement, plan ahead for the holiday they had always dreamed of, or of helping their kids to be able to buy their own home. There can be nothing more painful than to be cheated out of what they have worked for all their lives.
I sometimes say I have been around since Churchill was a boy. I remember the era back in the 1970s and 1980s, when half the population of Britain was in good final salary DB schemes. We have made some progress—for example, the battle on auto-enrolment that we fought and won when Labour was in power, and which I welcome being carried forward by this Government—but to be frank, there has been a depressing direction of travel for good final salary schemes. There have been too many scandals, but none more scandalous than that of British Steel, and that is emblematic of the problem we face with the regulation of DB pension schemes in the UK.
As my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent stated, when a deal was struck to keep Tata afloat, members belonging to the £15 billion British Steel pension fund were given the option to shift their assured benefits to the pension protection fund, to join a new retirement scheme backed by Tata, or to transfer to personal pension funds. That led to what was called a “feeding frenzy” at the site in Port Talbot, as dodgy introducers preyed on workers who were more than likely confused about the position of their pension, and who may not have had the financial support or education needed to make such an important decision. Some advice was available, but often it was simply not good enough, or it was technical and unintelligible. Those rogues, those introducers, should be utterly ashamed of themselves. They bought meals for workers in local pubs, and convinced them to transfer their pensions into totally unsuitable schemes. Some people could have lost up to six figures from their pension total.
The Financial Conduct Authority has been probing concerns that pension changes that involve 130,000 members of the Tata retirement fund appear to have been affected. A study of the 8,000 people who transferred their pension demonstrated that 58% received advice that was simply not suitable, and the Pensions Regulator calculated that in 2017, the average loss was £94,000.
I will never forget the heartbreaking story that I was told by the chief executive of the Pensions Advisory Service during the passage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill that introduced the Single Financial Guidance Body. The Pensions Advisory Service set up an advice facility on site, and one of the first people to come in was a big burly steelworker and shift supervisor. He sat down and burst into tears. It turned out that he had been duped by one of those introducers, and it had cost him tens of thousands of pounds. The main reason for his grief, however, was not what he had suffered and would endure for the rest of his life, but the fact that the 20 guys on his shift had all followed his lead. He said to the Pensions Advisory Service, “I’ll never, ever be able to forgive myself, because the mistake that I made has had catastrophic consequences for the people I’ve worked with for 10, 20 or 30 years”.
The British Steel case was central to our work during the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, and I pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friends the Members for Blaenau Gwent and for Aberavon, and many other Members, particularly from Wales, who played a noble role in strengthening the legislation to crack down on the outrageous. Real progress was made. Cold calling more generally was central to the debate on the Bill, and the ban on pension cold calling was a significant step in the right direction. However, we must now go further and introduce a ban on all cold calling—there were constructive discussions about that, and it would helpful if the Minister would update us on the Government’s thinking—and we must also ban the work of introducers. From January this year there has been an end to pension cold calling, but more needs to be done.
More generally, the introduction of the Single Financial Guidance Body is a welcome step towards greater financial education and security. It brings together the three previous bodies, which all did good work, into a new, more effective body for the next stages. Crucially, it needs to be adequately resourced, not least because of the role that it will play in the oversight of the dashboard process, but it is welcome that it has been established.
That is a powerful indictment of what happened, and a call for further action to be taken. That is essential because—I say this with some sadness—British Steel is not the only outrageous case of pension mishandling. We have seen too many other scandals, most notably BHS and Philip Green, who ought to be utterly ashamed of the way he has conducted himself over the years, and what happened with the collapse of Carillion, which I will never forget.
On the pensions issue, Carillion has been centre stage in our discussions, including with the Government, about the further steps that need to be taken. Some of the proposals in the DB White Paper are welcome, such as stronger criminal sanctions for directors neglecting pension schemes—although I will come on to the fact that the possibility of criminal action is there in the here and now—stronger powers for TPR, and clearer standards on scheme funding.
On the issue of further action, particularly regarding legislation, is it not vital that the Government recognise the huge risk in divesting pensions? If people are not defaulted into the new scheme that is being set up, and it is left completely open to them, there is a real risk that they will be easy prey for unscrupulous financial advisers. Should the Government not bring forward a statutory instrument that makes it the default to go into a new scheme, rather than to go into the Pension Protection Fund? That is particularly important when all the actuarial advice is that it would be best for the vast majority of those pensioners to have gone into the new scheme and that they should have just been defaulted into it. That can be done by statutory instrument.
My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. In the debate over the last 12 or 18 months, we have called that the progressive default option. There is no question but that it has enormous merits and it would be helpful if the Minister were to comment on it in his response.
The experience with Carillion pointed to more general problems that started with the Government’s lamentable non-intervention. Despite the fact that the company was getting into greater and greater difficulty, and despite repeated profit warnings, they continued to let contracts to Carillion. The regulators were aware of the risks at a relatively early stage, but they did not use the full extent of their powers to avoid unnecessary burdens on business. I kid you not. I quote from what was said at the time.
The board, which failed in its duties to workers and pension scheme members, continued to pay out large salaries, bonuses and dividends, but did not pay into the pension deficit. The trustees did not alert regulators to the extent of the problems early enough. Asset managers continued voting through large pay packages despite profit warnings, and the auditors did not spot the signs of trouble early enough. There is a raft of problems associated with the scandals that have befallen too many workers in our economy. The lessons from Carillion in terms of the need for action more generally are powerful indeed.
At the next stage it is vital that the regulators act to make sure that such events never happen again. They need to become more people-focused, ensuring that workers’ pensions are protected at all costs. Rogues in the industry must be sought out and punished, ensuring that they never work in the industry again, and the law needs to be strengthened. To that end, there have been constructive discussions with the Government on presenting a Bill as soon as possible to introduce the stronger powers contained in the DB White Paper to go after rogues. Perhaps the Minister will comment on where that legislation is. It is important for two other reasons, including the introduction of the pensions dashboard—for example, the compulsion on providers to provide the necessary information to the dashboard—and the collective defined contribution pension scheme that has been agreed between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union.
There are welcome measures on pensions that can and should be taken where there is a degree of consensus, even if we argue that the Government should go significantly further. The sooner they are introduced into legislation, the better.
In conclusion, this is little comfort to the workers of British Steel or those in Carillion, but the tragedy that befell them was at the centre of the drive for changing and strengthening the law last year. It is at least something of a legacy, even if it is cold comfort to them. At the heart of it were MPs such as my hon. Friends the Members for Blaenau Gwent and for Aberavon, who played a major role in highlighting the scandal and demanding that action be taken.
At the next stages, I stress again that it is important that lessons are learnt by all those I have referred to and that the law is strengthened. I will finish by referring to something that my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent said, and he was absolutely right. Is it necessary to change the law in the ways that I have argued for? Yes, without hesitation, but there are powers that exist now in criminal law, and those powers should be used. I know the workers of Port Talbot would say that those evil men and women who cheated them on their pensions need to be investigated, tracked down and put in the dock. An unmistakable message must be sent: if you rob workers of their pension scheme, you are an utter disgrace, will end up in the dock, and, in extreme cases, in prison.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr Howarth. I thank Nick Smith for securing this important debate. I know he has engaged extensively and constructively with the Financial Conduct Authority on these matters over the past year. I was pleased to meet him in February to discuss how we can avoid a repeat of the unfortunate circumstances that occurred in the British Steel pensions scheme case. I am aware of the extensive work he has undertaken with Stephen Kinnock and others from south Wales, and I know that the FCA has valued immensely that interaction to try to improve communications and other aspects raised in the debate this morning.
Many issues have been raised in the debate, and I will seek to respond to them all—particularly the importance of a well-functioning financial advice market. I have listened carefully to all those who have made observations about the aspects of that that are not functioning well.
I will refer to the lessons that have been learned specifically in the British Steel pensions case; the actions the FCA has taken to address unsuitable pensions transfer advice; the protections in place for consumers; and the issue of so-called phoenix firms—an outrageous situation where individuals seek to leave behind responsibility for a previous, failed enterprise, recreate a new enterprise and therefore absolve themselves of responsibility.
I am here as the Minister responsible for financial services. I note the questions that have been raised by Jack Dromey concerning the status and other aspects of the pensions Bill. I was in front of the Work and Pensions Committee last week with my colleague, the Minister for Pensions, so I have some observations on that, but he has lead responsibility in that area, so I shall seek to secure a response from him.
As the Minister responsible for financial services, I am committed to ensuring that a well-functioning financial advice market exists to support people to make the right decisions for them and their families. In 2015, as has been mentioned, the Treasury and the FCA launched the financial advice market review, with the goal of improving the accessibility and affordability of financial advice. The Government and the FCA have now implemented all 28 recommendations from that review and will be reviewing the advice market again over 2019 to monitor progress and report back next year.
The Government have also made financial advice mandatory for people considering a defined-benefit pension transfer where the value of the pension is over £30,000. That threshold is purposely low, given the dire consequences of taking poor advice and making unwise decisions—as has been said in relation to a number of cases this morning. That is to ensure that people consider the fact that they may lose guaranteed income in retirement and are aware of all the options available before they make such a complex decision.
Turning to British Steel, although most financial advisers offer sound advice, unfortunately there are cases where the advice people receive is not right for them. The British Steel case was one such instance and resulted from a unique set of complex circumstances. A minority of advisers were responsible for giving unsuitable advice, which resulted in losses for scheme members. The restructure of the British Steel pension scheme occurred at a time when there was considerable concern over the future of Tata Steel, and members were understandably worried about whether they were about to lose their jobs and pensions. Several public bodies were involved in supporting scheme members to decide what to do with their British Steel pension, and it would be helpful to outline their different roles, because that will bring clarity to where the issues lie and how we can address them.
The Pensions Regulator is responsible for negotiating and agreeing arrangements where an employer is unable to continue to support a defined-benefit scheme, as was the case for Tata Steel and the British Steel pension scheme. That includes guidance and oversight of the trustees and scheme administrators. As such, the Pensions Regulator was also responsible for the options available to BSPS members, the communications sent by the trustees and the deadlines for decisions to be made.
The FCA is responsible for the regulation of the financial advice market. Financial advice firms must be authorised by the FCA before they are permitted to provide advice, including on pension transfers, and advisers are required to provide financial advice that is suitable for the individual’s personal circumstances.
The Pensions Advisory Service was an independent service offering free-to-consumer guidance on pension matters. As has been mentioned, it has recently been merged with Pension Wise and the Money Advice Service to create a new single financial guidance body, which is now known as the Money and Pensions Service. The hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington asked from the Opposition Front Bench about the status of that body. The chief executive is now in place, and work is going on in this financial year to set up the processes for bringing those three entities together. There will be a series of announcements over the coming months about their intentions, but the body will operationalise in the course of the coming financial year.
As to the lessons learned from the experience in south Wales with the British Steel scheme, the independent Rookes review, which considered the communication exercise that supported members of British Steel to take decisions on their pension, reported in January. It noted that there are important lessons for organisations to learn to prevent such a case from happening again. There are, I think, 18 recommendations, and they include earlier intervention and intelligence sharing between the regulators and the Money and Pensions Service; improved support for members considering cash transfers out of defined-benefit schemes; improved guidance for trustees facing restructuring and other major changes; and improved message content clarity and channels.
The Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Money and Pensions Service have publicly committed to addressing the review’s remaining recommendations. They have agreed a joint protocol to work together to ensure that consumers are appropriately protected. It includes ensuring that support and communications are in place for members of defined-benefit pension schemes, ahead of any restructures and consultations—something manifestly different from what happened in the regrettable case that we are considering. Another aim of the protocol is that there should be better co-ordination of the involvement of different public bodies through early intervention, expedited approval processes and improved information sharing. The bodies have also developed branded written materials for trustees, to ensure that there are better communications with pension scheme members, including letters to alert them to the risks of transferring out of DB pension schemes, and the giving of practical information.
I will now talk about action on unsuitable pensions transfer advice, because the British Steel case has also raised many questions about quality.
The Minister has set out some of the structural and institutional issues and the lessons to be learned, but does he agree that when 8,000 members transfer out there is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed at source? Flagging up risks is all very well, but this is a case of shutting the door after the horse has bolted. We need a system that prevents such mass migration out, because once those kinds of numbers are involved it is highly likely that people will be going against actuarial advice that is in their best interests.
I have listened carefully to the hon. Gentleman’s interventions, and he is right to say that 6.6% of the 122,000 individuals who had those pensions did transfer out, and that, in general, the default option would not be to transfer out of a DB scheme. There is work going on to develop pathways. I am not clear, given that it is not my direct area of responsibility, about the status of that work. I think, however, that there is a challenge, in the context of the policy on freedoms that is now well under way, about how to reconcile that freedom with making the decisions in question. Perhaps I might pivot over to consider the DC schemes. I think what is happening is that many people decide to take the 25% tax-free lump sum and then do not necessarily make appropriate, or the best, decisions on the remainder of that pot of money. Work is being done on that, but with respect to the specificity of the default option, I cannot give the hon. Gentleman a definitive response now.
I think we are moving to a point where there will be default pathways that people will need to be advised on when they take advice. I think that is probably a sensible compromise that deals with the fact that, in some instances, not coming out of the DB scheme would not be the right thing to do. The hon. Gentleman will agree about that, although he is also perfectly correct to say that, generally, not coming out would be the right thing to do. There is work to be done, but I think progress is being made, and I acknowledge the sensible point he has raised.
I want to focus on what the Minister calls the 6%—perhaps nearly 8,000 people—who may have been badly advised in this case. What is he going to do to get the FCA to up its game, contact those people and help them, in case they have been badly advised?
Following our meeting, I undertook to speak to Andrew Bailey, the chief executive. We are due to meet every few months, and our next meeting is imminent. I will speak to him about that. A number of live investigations are under way; I do not have investigative power myself, but I will take a close interest in those investigations. Individual companies—I will not name them—are being actively investigated now, and I expect the FCA to make announcements and recommendations consequent to those investigations imminently. I am not privy to the detail, but I am taking a close interest and will be speaking to the chief executive, because I realise that time is pressing on. This morning we have heard vivid accounts of individuals and families ruined by these decisions, and I take the matter seriously.
To get back to my script, the FCA leads on financial advice and has considerable power to act against firms and individuals who provide negligent advice. To be clear: the FCA can impose a financial penalty on a firm, require the firm to pay redress to its customers, restrict the firm’s permissions, or prohibit individuals from operating in financial services. The FCA can bring criminal prosecutions. I hear the enthusiasm for that action being taken, and I think the FCA hears it too, but it works closely with other organisations to support criminal prosecutions. Both the Government and the FCA are targeting their attention on the effective regulation of financial services and wider work to tackle scams, including the recent implementation of a ban on pensions cold calling.
That is helpful, but in the case of British Steel, I think it would send absolutely the right message to the workers concerned if the Minister said today that a sense of urgency is needed on the part of the FCA and the South Wales police about investigating potential criminal wrongdoing and taking action. The workers back at the plant would welcome that.
I am happy to respond to that intervention by saying that it is absolutely imperative that the FCA works with all bodies to hold those individuals to account and to take the appropriate action in the light of the evidence presented to it. This is urgent; the individuals who have suffered this experience expect that of the FCA, and I believe the FCA is keenly aware of that.
The hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent talked about the regional presence of the FCA. It has more than 3,000 employees and runs an annual programme of regional supervisory workshops under its “Live and local” banner, in which it educates firms and gathers intelligence from across the country. That has included recent workshops on DB pension transfers. Although the FCA does not have a series of regional offices, there is a clear expectation on the part of the Government and the FCA itself that it will go out into communities across the country, to ensure it has a presence among the 35,000 IFAs that operate.
The regulator is also undertaking further work on the pensions transfer advice market. The FCA is analysing responses to a recent data request from firms that undertake pensions transfer advice and is planning a programme of work, which is likely to include further engagement with stakeholders, targeted education for firms involved in providing pension transfer advice, and assessment of those firms significantly involved in the provision of DB transfer advice. The FCA has already announced a requirement for all pension transfer specialists to obtain the same qualifications as fully regulated investment advisers, alongside their existing qualifications, by October 2020. In relation to the BSPS, the FCA intervened to stop 11 firms from providing pensions transfer advice, and several firms are still under investigation.
It is important to ensure that consumers are protected from poor-quality and unsuitable advice, and there are proper mechanisms for redress when they receive poor advice. The first port of call for consumers to seek compensation is to approach the firm itself. If they cannot resolve the issue, consumers can take their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The FOS is a free, independent service that provides an alternative to the courts. The maximum award it can recommend was increased at the beginning of this month from £150,000 to £350,000 per individual. If firms go into liquidation and cannot provide compensation to individuals, a second tier of protection is open through the financial services compensation scheme. The FSCS is mainly funded by an annual levy on the financial services industry. Since its founding, the FSCS has helped millions of people and paid billions of pounds in compensation.
It is important to note that in the British Steel case, only a very small minority of former steelworkers who have taken their claims through the FOS and the FSCS have not been fully compensated. That group were all clients of one firm, and the Government’s decision to make financial advice mandatory for those seeking to transfer their DB pension has therefore guaranteed a crucial layer of consumer protection to those individuals.
“Phoenixing”—firms or individuals seeking to avoid liabilities arising from poor investment advice by re-emerging as a different legal entity—can leave consumers and taxpayers out of pocket and tarnish the reputation of the industry. The FCA has a range of tools to identify and act against firms or individuals who try to avoid responsibility in that way. Those seeking to liquidate firms must provide information about outstanding complaints, and the assets of collapsed firms cannot be sold on or passed back to former directors without the prior consent of the regulator. The FCA has already used those powers to prevent several individuals and businesses from avoiding their liabilities, and other cases are under investigation. This has caused some individuals to withdraw their applications, knowing full well that they will not get through. Although I acknowledge that this will not give absolute comfort to those who have suffered, I believe that we now have in place a regime that will prevent the practice in future.
On the issue of compensation, phoenixing and rogue financial advisers’ ability to just shut up shop and walk away, surely there is also a question of insurance. In our recent meeting with the FCA, which I found absolutely extraordinary, it was made clear to us that there appears to be no mandatory level of insurance that financial advisers must take out so that they can be held to account and insurance pay-outs can be made. My understanding is that, as soon as these advisers see the writing on the wall and know that people will come after them for compensation, they shut down, and there is no backstop—perhaps safety net is a better term—so that people who have been ripped off can go after them through an insurance process. Does not that extraordinary situation require a policy and legislative shift so that the FCA has a chance of doing its job in this area?
I have been trying to find the note that one of my officials kindly sent me on the quantum of insurance. My understanding is that FCA authorised and regulated firms must have insurance in place; if they do not, the FCA has it in its armoury to de-authorise. I listened carefully to the hon. Gentleman, and his point seemed to be on the amount of that insurance. I am happy to take that matter away and consider it. On the practice of phoenixing, I am given to understand that the FCA has done a significant amount of work in that area. It launched a programme of work in April 2018 to strengthen authorisations, and I have given some of the details. I do not want to waffle further on this point, but I will give consideration to the amount and level of insurance required. The hon. Gentleman has discussed the matter with the FCA; I will do so as well and write to him. If it is not fit for purpose, it is not fit.
I thank the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent for bringing to the House this debate on a very important topic. I was pleased to hear that he is committed to supporting the communications work with the FCA to raise awareness among former BSPS members of their rights to complain and to seek justice. The Government, regulators and other organisations are strongly committed to monitoring the market for financial advice and defined-benefit pension schemes, and to taking decisive action to ensure that these events cannot be repeated. I recognise that Ministers often say that at this point, but I have listened sincerely and carefully to the points that have been raised.
A lot can be done as a consequence of the excellent work of the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues, and through my interaction with the FCA. I accept that there have been some differences of opinion in the Chamber this morning regarding the amount that can be done by regulatory intervention and legislative action. However, I will do all I can to ensure that we exhaust reasonable opportunities for the FCA to tighten up in all these areas. The example given by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington of an individual who inadvertently, unwittingly and tragically led his 20 colleagues to make certain decisions, and the multiplier effect of those, was heartbreaking, and one that the Government need to respond to. I thank Members for the opportunity to respond to this morning’s debate.
Thank you, Mr Howarth for chairing what has been a productive debate on an important issue. There have been some strong contributions about some of the key problems that steel pensioners have had to work through in the last 18 months or so. In particular, my hon. Friend Stephen Kinnock spoke movingly about the human impact on his constituents, who were at the epicentre of these problems. I have seen the impact too, and it has been heartbreaking.
My constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend Nick Thomas-Symonds, emphasised the importance of looking at the possibilities for criminal proceedings. I strongly endorse that point, which needs to be taken on urgently by the South Wales police or the FCA.
Other contributors spoke clearly about these serious issues, and about what needs to be done to help in the future. It is clear that a lot of things went badly wrong, and hard-working people found their life savings put at risk. The problems that have been highlighted today need to be addressed as a matter of urgency so that we do everything we can to prevent this from happening again further down the line. I hope the Minister will see through the changes that are needed, given the problems that we have identified today. We will work with him to do that. | 2019-04-24T08:08:16Z | https://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2019-04-10a.89.0&p=24728 |
both of us, and please keep them up.
BOO and RO --my prayers are with you and yours concerning this ebola thing in TX.
Also, you mentioned antivert for the dizziness, would dramamine do the same?
ASA, GF--what is a blow-down?
October 09, 2014 - Msg 99325: I didnt think the porch looked that dirty, but I guess Floyd had other ideas!
October 09, 2014 - Msg 99326: Well mercy me MDC. If I knew you could sweep up this good I'd a hired you at the bank years ago. That Mrs. McGruder ain't so dedicated in the corners. And her cousin who fills in for her is even worse.
A blow down in our talk at least MDC is using screw air compressors for blowing water out of sprinkling systems. I imagine in your climate that isn't an issue, but here it's a yearly job to go around and do that to all our systems. Saves a ton of repairs come spring. Can I get an amen GF?
Well I'm about ready to call it a day. Didn't sleep more than a few hours last night and I'm beat right down to my socks. Go home, take a shower, kick back in the La-Z-Boy and watch some tv. Hey, I forgot there is a game on tonight. Cool beans. Home, shower, watch football. Yep, that's the plan.
October 09, 2014 - Msg 99327: MDC, It's what you call it when the wind would "blow-down" your tree haha...No, really it is what you do when you remove the water from pipes for the winter so they don't freeze.
October 09, 2014 - Msg 99329: Asa, If you are resting in your "Wheeler" waiting on the football game, maybe if you caught the "Waltons"? Our "Skippy" is on a episode where John-Boy enters a dance contest. She is one of the contestants..(Guess she had a lot of practice at the Kit-Kat Club).
October 09, 2014 - Msg 99330: Now you boys don't be blowing up any bees' nests. Our honeybees are becoming a threatened species, and they're vital for pollinating crops. When you find a beehive, call a professional to come and remove it. My brother had a huge beehive in a dead tree in his yard. He called this man who came out, all dressed up in beekeeper gear. He pumped smoke into the hive, all the bees got real quiet, and he just vacuumed them up. The vacuum was very gentle, and deposited them into a net container. He pulled out a lot of the honeycomb too, and said it would be put in the new hive he was moving them to, to sustain them until they got established. Very interesting. Takes more nerve than I possess, messing with those bees like that, but interesting nonetheless.
You're right, Asa, we don't really have to clear out our sprinkler lines. Our ground doesn't freeze, and with the lines buried a few inches down, they're safe. There are advantages to being in the south, except in July and August. Then we pay.
Well, guess I'll go rustle up some dinner. It's late, because I went out to feed the fish in the pond, and ended up replacing bulbs in several landscape lights, putting out critter feed, washing out birdbaths and refilling them and pulling a few weeds. Seems like there's always something to do.
A slow friday on the porch.
family we grew up with in the old neighborhood.
patriarchs and matriarchs are all passing away. My dad is one of the last still standing, so to speak.
It was a neat time tonight tho because the family members who talked, voiced their memories of those times when Phx was much smaller, and how we used to play outside so much together, etc.
Well, I'm off to bed. Hope all is well in mayberry.
October 11, 2014 - Msg 99333: MDC, I know what you mean, when my Mom passed a whole lot of "the old neighborhood" folks and my friends came by to pay their respects. We also talked of the neighborhood memories, wasn't it the best of times back then? Life was simpler and the rules were easy, when your whistle blew it was time to come home. Thanks for the memory blast!
October 11, 2014 - Msg 99334: Good Saturday morning all.
October 11, 2014 - Msg 99335: Good sermon Asa, would be a good topic for tomorrow, I'm sure your sermons arn't "dry as dust" ha! Hope you had a RELAXING time in your "Wheeler" the other day, sometimes when your socks are beat that IS the best thing to do..
Spot is off in his camper, but I'm not sure where everyone else is.
a topic that was preached. Not so today!
Well, I'm off to dad's. Have a good Saturday all.
October 11, 2014 - Msg 99337: Good morning, everyone. It's a beautiful day here today! Very cloudy, light mist, looks like a good chance for some real rain. Yep, that's a beautiful day, for sure. I'd appreciate it if we don't get any more of that strong wind, but the rain would definitely be welcome.
Yep, you fellers are so right. I think I'm the senior porchster (75 last July, can anyone beat that?) but I know some of you are just around ten years behind me, so we share a lot of memories. I remember having drills in school, when we would have to cover our heads with a book and duck under our desks! This was supposed to protect us in the event of a bombing raid. Can you imagine? I even had one teacher who encouraged us to wear white or light-colored clothing, because she had read somewhere that it would reflect the flash from A-bombs and provide some protection from burns. How naive we all were!
MDC, your concerns and prayers are always appreciated, but honestly, we have far more to fear all over America than the Ebola virus. That man was under extremely strict isolation, all his known contacts are now sequestered, and (we would hope) more security measures have been taken at the airports to identify potential carriers. Meantime, according to the CDC, in 2012, there were 10,322 people killed in alcohol-related accidents on our highways. That's just the deaths, not to mention the injuries and ruined lives.
We can jump on a suspected virus carrier like white on rice, and we should, but meantime, we slap the wrist of a drunk driver, and release him or her to go do it again, because so often, they do. Here in Dallas, a 16-yr old drives drunk and kills four people. Read it: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/texas-affluenza-teen/ He will be on probation whenever he gets out of the rehab facility, and honeys and dears, you mark my words. He will do it again. He will drive drunk again, at some time in the future. Statistics will bear that out. Check out this link: http://duijusticelink.aaa.com/facts. It will tell you that: "Drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher involved in fatal crashes were seven times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) than were drivers with no alcohol." That's pretty scary, and is a good predictor that this "affluenza" kid will do it again.
It's a sad case, with many lives lost or ruined, and yet as a nation, we just do not learn. A sober person thinks "Just one drink, and I'll still be fine." After that drink, his judgment is a tiny bit impaired but he feels a bit more powerful, so one more won't hurt. This continues until he's badly impaired, but feels like Superman. The drunker he gets, the more invincible he feels. Oh, we used to get them in all the time at the hospital. Roaring drunk, had the snot beaten out of them in some bar, but still ready to fight. They'd inform us nurses that they were gonna whip us, and get out of there! That's when we'd call security, and they'd send Charles up. Charles was 6'7", weighed at least 300, and wasn't fat, either. All he had to do was walk into the room and stand there like a brick wall, and amazingly, the drunk had sense enough to know he couldn't whip Charles. Female nurses, yeah, but not Charles. It was so funny.
Where has Possum been? it's not time to hibernate yet!
October 11, 2014 - Msg 99339: Well-said, Romeena. Drunk and texting drivers are about the biggest threat in Texas. Boy, I wish people would wise up.
I agree with you, Asa. Trying to stay positive but hard to do these days.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99340: Boo, I was never officially assigned to ER, but I did get floated there now and then from my home unit, and during the five years that my job was to float the house, it happened more often. Most of my experience with the drunks came on my home unit, though. When ER would fill up, we would start getting their patients long before they had been stabilized. For several years, our ER was far too small, and they just had no place to put them. So, they'd make sure they weren't bleeding to death, and then ship them to us. It wasn't an ideal situation, having a screaming, cursing drunk on the same floor with a bunch of sick and delusional elderly people, but it happened now and then. Usually, we'd have an order for some haloperidol, and we'd just put their lights out, so to speak.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99341: Good Sabbath porch pals. I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Sabbath.
Romeena, like you, I am not a drinker. But it seems most of my life I have lived next to heavy drinkers. When I was a kid, the father of the family that lived next door was an drunk. He never drunk anything but beer (as far as I could see) but he drank it by the gallon. And he got mean when he drank. Very mean. I still remember vividly how the entire family would kind of go into a very cautious mode when he came home blitzed. One memory I have is him getting in an argument with his wife one time. I was in the back yard playing with their kids and could hear them yelling. Well him yelling. She wasn't really saying much. I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 and their kids said maybe I better go home now. But before I could leave, she came out of the house in tears, he, right on her heels. Then he hauled off and kicked her in the rear. And I mean hard. So hard it dropped her to the ground. I had never seen anything like that before, but it has stayed with me my entire life. I don't know, maybe that is part of why I have never been a drinker. That and my religion teaches the evils of drink. Today my neighbor to my east is a drunk. At least he doesn't get mean when he drinks. And our houses are far enough apart that I don't really interact with him to much. But he is suffering with a lot of serious health issues due to years of heavy drinking and I am pretty sure he will not be around to much longer. It's really sad because he is a very good guy, and a good neighbor in many respects. I have tried talking to him him frankly about it. I don't why, but I seem to be able to talk to him in a direct manner, and he at least listens. He is 10 years older than me, a retired Air Force Corp., kind of gruff and hard nosed to most folks. But to me at least, he sheds his rough exterior and we are able to talk. Maybe he respects my big sidearm and moldy bullets. lol. I am just glad I have never had the desire to drink. I have seen the misery and grief it usually brings to individuals and their families.
So Boo, you all better. Erin? Sean? Sure hope so.
Well best get ready for preachin.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99342: That's right Asa, it is too early for Possum to go into hibernation, we haven't even had Indian Summer yet. Yes, I agree when you experience all the heartaches that drinking brings, a wise man learns from that, I may not be rocket scientist, but I am a wise man not to have indulged in that either.
I am making beef jerky today (Mrs. G-F hates it when I do) she says it "stinks up the house" so I do it early while she sleeps.
I Might watch the Steelers-Browns game later today....Might not!
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99344: GF, I saw Danica compete on an episode of Chopped and I believe she won it. She is a very competitive woman and I guess she can cook too.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99345: Oh, and congrats to Tom and GF for the Browns big win over the Steelers. Big ain't the word for it!
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99346: Hi All.
Now look here G F, I was going to overlook some thing but now thing has mess it up for you.
31 10 and one in Nov you will be out just for the day and all your family and friend that day.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99347: ...But TOM, I only cheered a little bit, does that knock a few days off? Otis is getting used to me being there, he wants ME to read him Jack the Giant killer now instead of Andy.
Asa, I think you may be next, even tho TOM lived in Cleveland the Steelers are his team.... But don't worry, like Tom Bodet says: "I'll leave the light on for ya"!
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99348: ...Looks like Barney may get his wish for the expansion plans for the jail. TOM is keeping them full.
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99349: ASA 1 mont in jail for using a stick to poke possum out.
Where your lice to hunt with?
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99350: I wasnt' hunting possum Tom. Just poking holes. And sorry, I thought you were a Browns fan. So congrats to GF and sorry for you.
Lefty (GF) you and me is busting out tonight!
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99351: Thank you,Tom for sticking (bad pun!) up for me!
Yeah,lock 'em up for possum hunting!
I'm right here,just have a lot going on,as we're getting ready to move my mama into an Assisted Living Facility later this week.She's been in a Rehab facility since having her lower left leg amputated in June and it's time for her to leave.
Most of y'all know I was married to an alcoholic and we'll just let "was" say it all. It's a terrible way of life & I am so glad I'm not living it anymore.
Well,guess I'll go back to doing what I was doing,whatever that was-ha!
Y'all take care,have a good evening & don't get in any more trouble with Officer Tom!
I have tasted beer just one time. I might drink champagne or wine about once every five years. But I have never been drunk.
Alcohol abuse has resulted in family hardships and breakups, and death and injury to the abuser as well as their victims. Why it is not as strictly controlled as other narcotics is beyond me. When my American Legion post asked me to work as a bartender, I refused. I did not want to be responsible for serving liquor to someone who would be driving home later.
Now on a happier note; Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians. Yes, Monday, October 13, is our Thanksgiving day here in Canada. The turkey has been cooked and will be reheated on Monday before our guests arrive.
Too bad I can't visit the USA during the American Thanksgiving so I could eat more turkey.
The Beverly Hillbillie's "Possum Day" episode aired on October 13, 1965. Does this make Monday, October 13, 2014, the anniversary of Possum Day as well?
October 12, 2014 - Msg 99355: Good evening, porch. PH, I would ask that same question, about controlling alcohol, were it not for two facts. One - it was tried in the U.S. from 1920 through 1933, as I'm sure you know, and was a dismal failure. It failed because it had been legal for too long, and people were not about to give up their booze. By that time, it was too deeply entrenched in the fabric of daily life for the majority of the population. The second fact is - drugs are only barely controlled here, mostly just "on the surface" control, but we all know they're widely available and most school kids could tell you where to buy them. The only reason we have any control at all is because they've never been legal. Now, with the creeping legalization of drugs, starting with marijuana, we're going to have the same situation we had with alcohol. Once it's legal, there's no turning back.
I probably shouldn't keep beating this drum, but I guess I started it, so might as well finish it. We will never really control alcohol abuse in this country, because too many members of our judicial system are abusers themselves, and are therefore reluctant to really crack down on anyone else.
I've lived a long time, and in all those years, I can truthfully say I have never, ever, seen any situation, whether social, business, family, whatever - that was improved because alcohol was present. Admittedly, sometimes it's neutral, if everyone observes limits, but I've never seen any interaction that was better because someone was drinking. However, I've surely seen many, many situations that were made worse, from just uncomfortable to downright impossible, because of the presence of alcohol. There's really just not very much to recommend it, and a whole lot of reasons to avoid it.
A year or so ago, my cardiologist just remarked that a small glass of red wine at bedtime might be good for my heart. I asked him just what the benefit might be, since I don't drink and never have. He said, "Never? Like never ever?" I said yes, and he said, "Then by all means, don't do it. Just drink a glass of grape juice, it will have the same benefit." Huh. How about that. Seems it's not so much the alcohol that's beneficial, but rather the anti-oxidant resveratrol that seems to be the good guy. Who knew?
when one thinks about it. I admit that when I was first married, and had neighbors over, we'd make a "hi-ball" for them but over the years I just outgrew it so to speak.
AZ Cards beat the Redskins today!
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99358: Amusing thing when we talk about vices, some people think of it as a boring life, I don't drink,smoke,gamble,golf,bowl,run around, or most of the things that are not good for you and cost a lot of money. I guess my only vice is my collecting Mayberry stuff and going to the Mayberry events. I remind Mrs. G-F of that fact when I purchase something new for my collection. (Which I just did, I got one of the films that they would sent to the TV stations to air.) It is the "Darling's Fortune" episode. The case is signed by Charlene Darling, Doug & Rodney Dillard.
Yep, it is my only "compelsion"..I could be doing far worse things.. Amen?
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99360: Good morning, porch! We had a good rain during the night, and from the looks of the sky, it's not over yet. It can just rain all day, as far as I'm concerned. It's 63�, I'm loving the "sound of silence" as my a/c isn't running, and now the rain means my water bill will drop as well. God is good.
Good observation about people's definition of "boring" lives, G-F.. Personally, I think waking up with a hangover, or wondering what I did or said last night, or living with the knowledge I had hurt someone would be worse than being "bored." Anyway, I'm not bored. My life is very full, and I enjoy every minute of it. What's more, I never have to wonder what I did or said last night.
As for why TAGS had a "town drunk" - I actually think it was brilliant. It's true, they portrayed him as lovable and funny, and drunks rarely are, but they still showed some of the consequences. They played it lightly, but the consequences were there. Aunt Bee worried about him, and prayed for him. He got swindled when a man sold him what he thought was a horse, and it was a cow. He realized he couldn't drive a car safely. When Andy put him to bed in their guest room, he accidentally dumped a vase of water over himself. (My granddaughter reacted to that scene with "Oh, how sad.") He usually looked a bit seedy, and wasn't exactly considered trustworthy by most of the town folks. They liked him, but they didn't give him much responsibility. Even Andy got exasperated with him a couple of times. His wife looked tired and careworn. No, they made him lovable, because of the kind of show it was, but the consequences of his behavior showed through.
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99361: Me again. Well, the home health office just called, and gave me a good assignment. I've evolved into a "PRN person" - for you non-medical types, PRN means "as needed", and that's what I've been doing. I'm not doing admissions and taking on the full responsibility of a patient. I've been seeing somebody else's patients when they can't, or want to take time off or whatever. I love it! Much less responsibility, but I'm still paid the same per visit. For example, this patient is an 84 yr old man in an assisted living facility, the same one my dad was in, just a few blocks from my house. He has a deep diabetic ulcer on his ankle, which requires daily dressing changes. He also goes to dialysis three days a week, so he can't be seen until about 6 pm. His primary nurse has small children and the late evening call is hard for her. So, I'm seeing him on his dialysis days, and will see him over the weekend as well, as she wants to go somewhere with her family. It works well for the other nurses, gives them a safety valve, and it works great for me. I'm not responsible for interfacing with the doctor, or jumping through all the Medicare hoops for recertification for care, or any of that stuff. I just go change the dressing, and chart my observations. Easy stuff, and this particular patient is a sweetheart. Sharp as a tack mentally, but his poor little body is just worn out. He's so patient, and so pleasant about it all.
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99362: ...Bless her tiny little heart! Yep Romeena, pretty sad when a persons measure of a "good time" is the level of their hangover the next day...Just call me a bore, but just don't call me late for dinner!
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99364: G- F, you'd better watch out sneakin' peeks at "my"link-Tom might lock ya up again! He is a good possum protector!
Thanks for the kind words and the link, MDC. Sure miss John Denver.
Well, "The Voice" just came on,so gonna go watch it-y'all have a good evening! Love to all!
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99365: I sure could use Miss Edwards but I'll settle for anyone here to answer a gardening question. What exactly is the sort of chalky substance I'm seeing on my perennial and weed stems? Had a wet night, and I went to pull some thistles this morning and saw the stuff. White, chalky looking, almost pasty, never saw it before. Anyone?
of your storms there and in RO's area too! Be careful you two.
RO--hope your caddy has good wipers!
Good sermon yesterday. Pastor touched on the ebola thing, isis, etc, and how a metal cover on a pocket Bible saved a WWII vet that he knows.
He brought it all together with the whole idea of living each day for God, and how he'll take it from there.
October 13, 2014 - Msg 99367: Good evening, porch. Billy Ray, my top-of-my-head answer to your question would be - it sounds like powdery mildew. Nasty stuff. Will get on roses, and just loves crape myrtle. Usually shows up after a rain, or overhead watering. That's why my rose island has a different watering system. Everything else just has standard spray heads, but for the roses, there's a little "bubbler" beside each bush, that just waters beneath the bush and doesn't wet the foliage. Even then, sometimes one of them will suddenly have the powdery stuff. There are good commercial sprays available for it, or you can soak horticultural cornmeal in a bucket of water, strain it through a piece of cloth, and spray the resulting "tea" on the affected plants. When I do that, I finish up by spreading the soggy cornmeal loosely on the ground around the plants.
There is another kind of mold, but it's not powdery. It's kind of light tan colored, wet and nasty looking. It's slime mold, there are hundreds of varieties of it, and it's basically harmless. Ugly as sin, but really does no harm, and can even be helpful as it consumes viruses and bacteria along with decomposing mulch. You don't have to treat it, as it's self-limiting. It just dries up! However, it doesn't sound like that's what you saw. I would bet it's powdery mildew. Oh, another plant that's very prone to mildew is the zinnia. I've never been able to successfully grow zinnias, they always break out in powdery mildew and just faint and fall over, the sissies.
Apparently we got about two inches of rain last night, but the clouds have moved out of the area, so I guess that's it for a while. Had a lot of high winds today again, more branches down in the yard, but they're small, and their leaves are dead. Apparently they're leftovers from the storm last week. They must have been hung up in the trees, and today's wind brought them down. There aren't very many, and they're all small enough that I can drag them out to the street myself.
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99368: Hey Romeena, Better tell "Joe" to check the "T's" in the sprinkler line, seems to be where Asa was having all his problems this year. Funny you should bring up the flu shot thing, I have been pondering if I should get one or not. Every year when I did get one I ended up getting sick, and the years I did not, I did not get the flu. We always were offered them at work since we worked around so many "Seniors". I'm not saying the shots MADE me sick but it sure seemed like a coincidence. What's your take?
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99369: Morning all.
MDC, Is your Dad doing any better? Sure hope so.
Well GF, Of all the vices you mentioned, the only one I have is golfing. I do enjoy that, although I have not done much of it this year with my gimpy back. But me and my buddy are going out on Thursday and play all day. We do that once a year before winter hits. Usually play 36 holes on two different courses. We have a blast. He's a good friend I've known for 30 years now, and we have always shared each others burdens and joys. A good friend is a rare gem.
Well better get rolling. Tomorrow is my Friday so I have a ton to do.
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99370: Good morning, porch. Thanks for the advice, guys, and I would definitely be following it, except in this case I know what the problem is. My lawnmower guy, Eddie, was digging out a nandina shrub that came up voluntarily alongside the garage, and it's not a good place for it. I forgot to warn him about the water line along there, and he just sliced that line in two with his shovel. It feeds the drip line alongside the garage, but right now, it's just shooting water straight up in a geyser. I've turned that zone off, of course. There's no rush, since we've had all that rain, and it's a good thing. Joe called, and his car's transmission has gone out, so he won't be coming today. I'm okay, but how frustrating for him!
As for the flu shots, I got sick after taking one about twenty years ago, and avoided them after that, until the hospital started more or less requiring them. They couldn't legally force us to take them, but they found a way. First, the shots were free, didn't cost us anything. Second, we had to sign a waiver that if we didn't take the shot, and got sick with the flu, the time off would be unpaid. Not sure how legal that was, but they have a whole stable of lawyers, so I guess it was. Anyway, I started taking them, never got sick from any of them, and never got the flu. I wasn't very sick the time I did get it, and my doc said I was probably already taking it, too late for the shot to prevent it, but it may have lessened the impact. Made sense. Now, at my age, and with a cranky heart, I don't take any chances. I take the flu shot and the pneumonia shot, and furthermore, I'll be getting a tet@nus shot soon. Working outside like I do, in the yard, it's a good idea. I don't want anybody singing about digging my grave with a silver spade, or anything like that!
RO, 20 years ago werent they still using the "live" shots? I think they did make a lot of people sick. Now they use a "dead" shot if I'm not mistaken.
ASA- dad is doing OK, good days, bad days.
then yesterday dad was as spry as could be, all smiles, etc., so I just say ""His will be done."
One of these days I hope my wife and I can "hit the road" and visit some of you good folks!
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99373: Ok,Ok, I guess you convinced me...Flu shot it is! Now if I get sick can I expect soup from ya'll?
Tonight I have calling hrs. for the Boss who hired me way back when, I appreciated him taking a chance on hiring a "young punk" right out of school with little experience. He had told me several times over the years he made the right decision. Makes me feel good that I met his expectations and hopefully exceeded them too.
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99374: GF, I'm not sure I know what you mean by "calling hours". Is that a viewing kind of thing? If so, sorry for the loss of a friend.
October 14, 2014 - Msg 99375: just checking before bed. Been a busy week so far and will start my clinical work in the nursing home tomorrow. Hope I am ready for this..prayers appreciated.
in the upper arm area, and their 5/8" needle dont "jab" so bad, as ole Rafe would say.
BOO- all the best to you...prayers indeed.
October 15, 2014 - Msg 99378: I never get flu shots. I have said this 1000 times, and feel like I'm tempting fate each time, but I've never had an illness with a fever, and I am pretty sure I can't. My normal temp is 96.8. If it ever got up to 98, I'd run to the ER. As for shots, I don't mind them at all, although I do have to look directly at the spot I'm about to get jabbed. I can't imagine looking away or closing my eyes.
October 15, 2014 - Msg 99379: Asa, That is what we call it in these parts, it is sorta a time to meet and console with the family. In most cases it is the viewing, but not in this case it was a service of remembrance for him. I'm sure he did not want to be "viewed".. It is where I stand too, I don't want to be "viewed" but have folks just remember the "good times" we had.
That was the case here, a lot of former co-workers friends & family got together to remember a good man's life....Sorta like the dash between birth----death. What we do between, that's our legacy. I think there is a country song that speaks on that.
MDC, I think I'll go to Walgreens, I suppose since I'm "short" they'll use the short needle.. ha!
Billy Ray, that low body temp probably come from being out in the rain,sleet,heat, and snow all the time. Postman have a built-in regulator, but they do get sore feet!
October 15, 2014 - Msg 99381: Good morning, porch! Wow! It's 53� here in the Dallas area. That's cool, danged cool! Fall is in the air for sure, and it surely does feel good. The little wild things are just loving it! The squirrels are all fuzzed up, and running around acting all, well, squirrelly. One young female just arrived in the yard, carrying two big pecans in her mouth. She holds them by the common stem, so the pecans stick out on both sides of her face, like big swollen green cheeks. Their husk hasn't even dried yet, it's still green and closed. The nut inside would be quite bitter at this point, so she's burying them now, to wait for them to ripen. She just put one in a planter box, and is putting the other out in the middle of the yard. I've also seen her snooping around the peanut vines that grew in a flowerbed, where somebody planted some peanuts I had put out. She, or her buddies, will dig those peanuts up before long, but not yet, the vines are still green. It's so much fun to sit at this window and watch the critters, as they follow instinctive patterns for behavior. God is taking care of them. The most fun comes in watching them problem-solve, when something or someone (me) does something to thwart their natural patterns. They can all get very creative, even the birds.
The birds are traveling in packs, and check my feeders regularly. Right now, I've mostly got doves, bluejays, sparrows, wrens and the occasional flicker. If I'm lucky, I'll be by the window when the goldfinches migrate through. They'll pass through in a big flock, looking more like canaries than wild birds, and they won't stay around but a few hour, and then will move on, but they're so beautiful, if I'm lucky enough to see them. Same with the cedar waxwings. They're so gorgeous, they almost don't look real, and they don't hang around either, but I usually get to see them as they pass through. There are still a few berries left on my American Beautyberry bush. If they discover them, they'll get every single berry before they leave. That's okay, that's why I planted the thing. I may plant a couple more.
Well, I'd better get moving. Today is ESL class, and I like to get there early and get the room set up the way I want it. The custodian always sets it up like a classroom, with my table at the far front of the room, about fifteen feet away from the tables where the folks sit. Some of them are so timid, and their voices so soft, that I can't hear them, and it seems so formal. I like to drag my table closer to them, so we can just talk like friends. I had twelve last week, biggest class so far. They're trying so hard, and really doing quite well.
Oh, welcome, Medwin Bill Medwin. Glad to have you visit, and we hope you'll come again.
I sure hope they dont put ya in the cargo bay SPOT! have a fun trip. Say howdy to the linemen for me!
Greetings to Medwin Bill Medwin. As a reminder to everyone, he was the bookie barber who took horse race bets instead of giving haircuts in Mayberry. So tell us why you chose that name as well a little about yourself including why the last name twice.
A trivia question for everyone except our newcomer. Herb Virgan is the actor who played the bookie barber Bill Medwin. But he also had one other speaking role on The Andy Griffith Show. What character did he play and in what TAGS episode?
Billy Ray the Postman, I hope you are satisfied with the answers given by MDC and Romeena about your gardening question. If you still need more information, I can research it for you. Don't hesitate to ask again.
October 15, 2014 - Msg 99389: Good afternoon, porch. So, Medwin Bill Medwin, you have a new puppy? What kind? How old? Name? Most of us here on the porch are pet people, and like to know about the furkids. Mostly we seem to have dogs, but I'm sure there are some beloved cats as well. I like cats. I have a dog, but I like cats too. My daughter has a little mama kitty, sweetest little thing you ever could meet. She was feral, had kittens under my daughter's front steps, and didn't seem too concerned about people being around. So, they found homes for the kittens, got Mama Kitty spayed, and she waltzed into the house and settled in like she had been there forever. When they have company, she comes in the living room, sits her little self down, and just joins in the conversation. She looks at anyone who speaks, and will occasionally add a polite little "meow" to the conversation. She's a sweetheart. I've threatened to kidnap her.
As PH indicated, some of us have been on the porch for a long time. I've been here almost from the first, since shortly after my husband passed, and that was in 1996. Some of us have met in person, which is always neat, but most of us haven't, and it doesn't matter. We've been together on the porch for long we feel like family.
Poor Horatio, I believe Herb Vigran was the man at the studio gate when Andy and Aunt Bee and Opie went to Hollywood. Am I right?
I saw my cardiologist this morning. He said everything looks great, and my pacer is barely being used. I can tell when it kicks in, and I very rarely feel it, so I guess that's a good thing. I've decided to live to be at least a hundred, and just drive my kids crazy.
Well, this has been a busy day. ESL class this morning, then the doctor, then a home health visit, and I still have another visit to do, at 6. Sweet old fellow, 84 years old, and sharp as a tack. I enjoy my visits with him. | 2019-04-26T04:56:48Z | http://tagsrwc.com/chitchat/archive/2014_10_15_99390.html |
Spence is en route to the BlogPaws conference in Salt Lake City. Or will be. He’s the kind of guy who needs his sleep, and not just because it knits up the raveled sleeve of care.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at 7:55 pm and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Spencer!…Looks like someone doesn’t want to miss one minute of the Western Conference…snort!…Sleep tight Spence – Don’t let all the Bed Bugs in that Utah hotel bite!…chorkel!
Maybe you can pick up a certain pug ( or two) and their friend, so they can hear you talk, and sign a certain pug’s copies of your books!
Man, it is hot in NY already!
Greetings to all, and stay cool!
Rebecca, I just read last night’s posts and I am so sorry to hear about Bridger. Sob,sniff. Just as he will always be in your heart, so you, will always be in his.
Have a safe trip, and although I will not be able to come to your talk, I will be there in spirit! Knock it out of the park!
Few tears this morning. Bridger, as OTAS (when he was very young) soft landing for you. If you see any Newfs hanging around be sure to say hi.
Dawson, it’s a good thing you said something about the videographer, because this one completely forgot she didn’t have the Flip and has now sent an email to OTAS and GLAD that I need it.
Bella, YOU are coming that is good enough for us!
The people in charge of the weather have now tacked on another day of heat. YIKES!
Good morning. We just caught up on last night’s blog. Bridger! Sniff…we sent messages to Boris and Misha to be on the lookout for Bridger so they can greet him at the Bridge.
Is Rebecca going to Salt Lake City before she goes to Atlanta and then FloMa? Wow…lucky her. We didn’t know this.
Do we need ID for the BDHW Big Event?
Hmmm, OleyHowlers, I’m thinking I might actually spring for a new shirt that I can put my Iditarod patch and Chet the Dog patch on and wear my ID. If I don’t get a new shirt I will get stomped and trampled on by a pink bulldozer.
Our CTD patch is on Mom’s winter coat. We can use our Iditarod patch, but Mom can’t sew. Maybe we will have our Snowhok shirt? Doesn’t sound like it though. We’re thinking the only way youse guys will recognize us is by looking for the bestest looking husky at the Big Event. (whispering)…T&G, no other huskies will be there, right?
Putting on my wish list, along with safe travel for everybody and Maggie’s house selling and everything else we know about – a contact Bella makes at BlogPaws will give Snowhook some new sponsorship.
Howlers!… Send your photo’s to Staff!…snort!…She makes us all special Badges so you will be recognised by the other Plunderers…grunt!
The Blog is buzzing with News!!!
Rebecca will be at Blogpaws to see and talk to our favorite author.
Plunderers preparing for the Big Event next Friday. A few Lucky Dogs will actually BE there in furson to see history made. How cool is that?
Dear Bridger: You are the Best of Dogs. Goodbye for now. All who love you will see you again. In the meantime there are many to welcome you over the Bridge.
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle.
May favorite lines from Macbeth.
Oley Howlers, and anyone else who wants a ChettheDog ID. You can send me a photo or you can post it on the blog. Either way I can grab it and make your ID and repost it on the blog for you to grab. Just let me know.
Staff – Mama says thanks for the offer, but she has no good pictures of herself. She will see if Melanie can find and Photoshop a picture that is part Rita Heyworth, part Sophia Loren and part Barney the Dinosaur. Voila! Mama!
Sure hope Princess Sammie reads last nights third page posts.
Tell Mama that we (Staff and Mr.Staff) used pics of Alice and Abbie theKitty for our ID’s. Most of us do.
By the way Rebecca, Here is your badge. Maybe someone will grab it and print it out for you.
Staff!…Can you post Rebeccas ID badge here? That way if she checks the blog before meeting Spencer maybe she can copy it and print it somewhere in UTAH…snorkel!
Staff!…Doh! You read my mind!…yippee!
Whew, back from picking up the Subaru. It is happier now. Notice I didn’t say Tip Top, but it is happier.
Melanie, please check your SDD.
Sniffling here. This link was on OTAS’s Facebook. He is so cool . . .
Licking!…Beau recently started licking my friends hands …sniff!…The other day he jumped on her lap during a baseball game and gave her a big ole smooch right on the face…heh!heh!…His breath is so bad that she said it was like having a cow-pie smeared on her face…chorkel!
Thank Dog we will have a talented reporter, Rebecca, at the BlogPaws conference. Spence never tell us much of anything except that no one threw anything at him.
Stover, MacBeth, That is bleak enough that mom likes it.
Rio – that is good new about Beau. It means he is really starting to forget his old life and trust his happy, new forever home.
Either that or he was being rotten and “sharing” his cow-pie breath.
SH: Macbeth is bleak–the story of what greed and ambition can do to one.
I landed in Pheonix a few moments ago. Soon I will catch my connecting flight to SLC.
Staff: thank you for posting my badge. Alas, I won’t have access to a printer. Grump.
Thanks to all for your comforting words about Bridger. AJ will take him in during the frst part of July, but I had to say my good-byes yesterday. AJ has promised me that he will remind Bridger that I love him when the time comes.
I packaged up all other hoodie and t-shirt orders last night. AJ will ship them out today.
Rebecca!…Spencer should get to SLC today too!…heh!…You should email him and meet him for some Cahors in the hotel bar…snort!…Thats what I would do anyways, if I were lucky enough to be jetting around to places like Salt Lake City…heh!
Do you think Spence will consider me unruly and hide. I will look for a man wearing a masquerade mask.
A while ago I mentioned my friends Mom, Joyce, who was a pro baseball player in the Women’s league many years ago. One of the plunderers wanted to know the name of her team. Joyce’s daughter tells me that Joyce was a member of the Minneapolis Millers. She also noted that the name of the team changed several times after that.
Exercise in futility . . .
Lost the deck screws, found the deck screws when putting groceries away. Found the electric drill. Went outside. Found loose board. Put deck screw on board to drill in. Wood too old. Find drill bits. Ummm, nephews have not put drill bits back in case. Now have a bit that MIGHT work. Start putting hole in. Drill quits. Drill needs a different battery, can’t get the drill bit out. Have to undo drill from bit and put another battery in and take first battery to charge. Drill now has full charge. Have to try to put drill back on to bit. Jeez. Drill hole!!!!! Put screw in hole. Start drilling.
Now I purposely bought the more expensive screws that you can’t strip. WRONG!
The screw is now stripped completely and still has 1 inch showing. SNIGLEFRITZ! Go to get hammer. We have three hammers none of them are where they are supposed to be. Get heavy mallet. WHAM, WHAM, WHAM. Heh, heh . . . in and NO ONE will ever get that sucker out. Then I whammed some more just to take my frustrations out!
Now I have to wait until Zoë gets back from the great JonnyG’s to go to our local lumber yard for the correct drill bit.
I think I’ll have lunch now . . .
Plunderers, Mom is so wishy washy that she can’t make a decision to save her soul. She now wants the Plunderers to vote for the winner of the roadtrip to see the BDHW Big Event.
Bella – doncha just hate the games airlines play? Why should it be $90 if your suitcase weighs 51 pounds and your backpack is 19 pounds- but if your suitcase weighs 50 pounds and your backPack weighs 20 pounds it’s free????
Jeeze Louise – it’s still all going on the same plane and weighs the same total!!!
We hate sneaky pricing and fees that make no sense!
Fellow Sibers, That would be fun…voting. I am assuming that we would have the choice of 3 Sibers, two girls and one guy.
I’d still like to know if the “tomorrow” in today’s title means yesterday’s tomorrow (since it was posted yesterday) or tomorrow’s tomorrow.
Howlers – we always say, when in doubt, go with the known quantity. You mentioned that Dima is a great traveler.
Besides which, if Meashka the Hot One stays home without your Mom’s watchful eye, maybe Siber can blur in for a quick rendezvous under the stars.
Howlers: I vote for Kat.
T&G: That was my devious plan!
Easy. Which Howler has their license and can help with the driving?
Riö: Sneaky way to get on the blog first pal.
Today, on the longest day of the year, it is sunny and warm. More purrfect it could not be.
Do I have a badge? If not I must.
Alice: Tell Staff to expect photos from us asap.
(whispering) Are you doing modeling work on the side?
Staff: We were the ones asking what team your friend’s mom Joyce played on. Minneapolis Millerettes. Heh. Right out of A League of Their Own.
B: Although more often than not gloomy prose, I love quotes from MacBeth.
Bella: If you will be wearing your pink SK hat Spence will recognize you no problem.
Strange to have to fly south to Phoenix and then turn around and fly north back to SLC.
Siber: yes it is between Dima, Meashka, and Kat.
Gosh, what a busy day on the blog. Barb doesn’t have much time, due to the CL being somewhat busy today.
We wish safe travels and mild temps all around.
Barb has started reading The Dog Who Dances. Loves it, although she thinks a certain trucker (yes, we did say trucker) needs to be worked over with a baseball bat (sorry Bee), or perhaps a cattle prod! Barb got very, very mad at that character!
Spencer!…I’m so excited I can’t think of a single thing to have Rebecca ask or say to Spencer…wuffle!sneeze!…This is one Big, Big Day for all of us!…WOOOOOO! Wheeeee!…Rebecca is going to meet our Author!…snort!
I vote for the pup who will make Mom’s life easiest.
B.Stover, perhaps it’s for two days. Yesterday and Tomorrow’s yesterday.
O.Howlers: Road Trip! Let’s see…you could always draw straws for the honor, but then there’s that darn opposable thumbs problem.
As Tupper&Gilly pointed out, your mom would be safest with the one who has been on long road trips in the past. On the other paw, if she remains at home, Meashka could indeed have a rendezvous with Siber-H under the Full Moon, which is coming up shortly.
But…What’s that I see? Kat is raising her paw saying Me, Me, Me.
Melanie: We sympathize with all you are going through getting the pool ready for the Pack. Nothing like a stress filled morning to wear you out before the day is even half over.
If I am saying “the Royal’s Mom” where do I put the apostrophe…if I should put one. This one always confuses me….
Kat!…I vote for Kat…snort!…And I don’t mean Alice…grunt!
OK, this is what I think it right. If I am wrong I will correct them…..
Note: Kat is used to drives to her kamp, which took ~1 hr 15 mins each way. She sleeps as soon as she is in the car.
Meashka has had her hands full this year, taking care of her aging sister Sasha, and then raising Kat. So she could use the break. On the other paw, what would Sasha and Kat do on their own without Mama-Meash?
Dima is a good calm guy, but he does tend to worry when his routine is unterrupted. Although, if Rebecca were to get nervous, he would sit stoically by her side so that she could keep a hand on his head. He has a very calming presence.
And, of course, as you have been doing all day, you beat me to it!
Howlers, I couldn’t get all the dogs in one photo so each of you gets two of them…..
Thanks, Staff! Now youse will recognize our mom (and Pop if he ever gets to go anywhere) and US US US!
Oh yeah, Mom says to tell Rebecca that she will print her ID and bring it along to the BDHWBE.
I’m waiting on you Masquers. Guess I will go have lunch and see what is here when I return.
I vote for Dima because us guys need to stick together. This has already been mentioned, but us guy Sibers tend to be somewhat calmer than girl Sibers and, well, less squirrely.
Siber – less “squirrel-y”?!?! Mama laughed out loud at that one.
If Dima is that easy going- we really think he should be the one to come. Rebecca is going to be on a stage with an upholstered chair, a side table and lamp and maybe a coatrack with coats. Kind of a living room set. Mama would love to have a dog on stage with her – you know- just kind of hangin’ around the living room.
Staff – the ID badges are wonderful , but we are going to ask Melanie if she has the Wrotten Kats picture that she took. They really are Dad’s Kats.
Tupper!…Does Rebecca know she will be doing a One-Woman Play…heh!heh!…Damn I wish I could be there…snort!
yup, she knows. We are doing it this way so she will be more comfortable than just standing in the middle of a stage all by her lonesome.
We’re so sorry to hear about Bridger. Isnt he the dog that refused to go the way AJ wanted him to go until you told him to do it, Rebecca? Mom thought she remembered that story bring about him . Safe passing, Bridger.
Tupper!…You and Gilly could join her on that big lonely stage…snort!
Bella, your hotel may have a printer you can use.
T&G, will there be a couch for me? I live for my “sofa time”.
Check-in!…I wish Rebecca would check-in and tell us what is happening right now!…grunt!…This waiting around is for the Kats and Birds…sniff!
Sorry Staff–I’ve been away from the computer. The badges are correct: If more than one thing is involved, the apostrophe goes after the “s.” (Royals’ Mom) Good job!
By the way, the “b” in Macbeth is not capitalized.
House update – one couple from last night said rooms were too small, so they are out. Lady from Tues. wants to bring brother tomorrow to get his opinion. Strongly interested, has gone to the bank already to get financing lined up.
Dima – we may not be able to have a couch for you. Would you settle for a nice comfy floor pad?
Rio – I, Tupper, would behave on stage as long as there werent any sudden noises like applause or bursts of laughter. And as long as I was being petted. And as long as Mama was in sight.
Gilly wouldn’t behave under any conditions. Remember, she is Silly Gilly, the Show Off Dog.
The pug has burped. In other words, I have landed in SLC! The best part so far—-no mosquitoes.
Rose, Send your photo to Melanie or post it here. Either way works.
T&G, I will be happy to put those wrotten kats on Dad’s badge. He is my kind of guy!
And woohoo for Barb’s Tuesday Lady!
Rebecca!…Take a good look around the airport!…snort!…If you see a short guy with a pointy head, thats Spencer!…wheeze!…Offer to carry his luggage for him…heh!
Okay, Rio, but I will say that I have received a lot of strange looks when I examine the pointiness of ther cranium. It I a worthy cause so I will continue with the task.
Staff: Ooops…I sent my picture to you before I read this e-mail…..
Rebecca!…He might be riding around and around on the luggage convey belt so pay special attention at that point…grunt!
Rebecca!…Watch out for Chet too!…snort!…This is not Chet, but it could just was well have been…sniff!
Melanie, Check your SDD please.
Rose, No problem, I see you found my email. snicker. I am working on something special just for you….
Staff: A certain pug supplied your e-mail to me. Uh oh, somethin special? Should I be afraid?
Rose, Check your SDD. By the way I usually print these out 3 x 4 for maximum effect.
But do them any size you want.
Heh, Rose, I don’t know. Do you trust Melanie?
Rio: There was a commotion at the airport. It seems someone was trying to go up on the down escalator. I thought I spotted someone meeting SQPAs description, but it was difficult to tell given the black rimmed glasses with the fake nose. By the time I got close enough security had apprehended the assailant and hauled him off for general ne’er do welling. Could it have been Spence? We may never know.
Rose: Belle Starr says she would recognize you anywhere, anytime even in March in Alaska without your CTD badge.
Rio, I had to push Staff off the laptop.
I KNEW you would appreciate my lap picture. I really liked your “GAH” response. It made me chortle.
Staff!…We all want to see Rose’s ID Badge….snort!
Rebecca!…heh!snort!…Going UP the DOWN, that could have been Spencer but it also sounds a lot like Admin…sniff!
Rebecca is doing a splendid job of reporting from SLC. I knew we could count on her.
T&G, The badge…that is a really cute photo of the two of you.
I’m with Rio. We want to see Rose’s badge.
Staff – Here’s the picture for my badge. Thanks for doing this.
Awww Molly. So good to see her. That will make a nice ID.
Meashka is ticked off that nobody is voting for her. The rest of us told her thats better than a tick on. Heh heh!
She suspects a conspiracy led by the Borzoi.
Melanie, we finally got to view the awesome pictures from OTAS’ fb. Heartwarming.
SiberH and Rio: Youse guys!
Such a lovely picture of MollyPop!
Someone here has been twirling himself silly since yesterday. It seems the mailman brought a very special package. There has been much ohing and ahing over the contents. Now he has the camera out. I will leave it for him to tell you all about it when he returns to the blog tomorrow morning.
Meashka: I don’t think it is the Borzoi. A certain Siber may have reasons of his own.
A beautiful photo of Mollypop for the badge.
Now waiting to see Rose.
Melanie: Just saw the photos from OTAS’ F/b page. Lots of sniffling here. Good to know there are positive things going on in this mad, mad world.
T&G, I have the meanest family in the world. They all say I can’t take the trip. I would be so good. They’re just plain mean.
Sammie – offer to eat kibble without complaining for the whole trip.
Mom’s ID and Rebecca’s ID are both printed and put in some old ID holders that hang on lanyards. They are double-sided. Everybody will recognize them at the BDHWBE. Too bad Rebecca doesn’t have it for SLC..
And Bear, Mom says you are just as wishy washy as she is.
Meashka, I just don’t want to listen to you know who, and I want Natasha to keep her mind on her mission…selling Barb and Maggie’s house.
Bear has gone to bed already?
I just want youse guys to know that The Royals’ Mum is doing everything to get ready for this BIG event. Well, as far as I know she hasn’t written Bella’s talk . . .
I am just making it here. Trying to get the pool ready. Finally got the stairs and dock put back together except for one piece. Have to get up early and over to the lumber yard and get more screws. I am recruiting nephews with good backs to put it back in the pool.
Zoë and I are scared to death and happy that Dan is coming home. He is extremely frail and has the temperament of a young child. His brain works most of the time and if he takes the medication he’s supposed to (which he will because I’ll stand over him and stroke his throat) he does not have hallucinations and is in a good mood.
(aside) I really feel that we have let our elders down when it comes to the later years. Each state is different, but all of you whose parents are getting older make sure you understand your state’s laws when it comes to elder care.
Jesse has not been here for over a week. He ruptured a disk. So we are trying to keep up with things and make sure the west wing is safe for Dan.
If I seem distracted it is because I am. I cry about once every two days and that seems to help. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to being with friends I have never met face to face.
I give The Royals’ Mum a standing ovation.
All hail the royals’ Mum!
Just heard about a State of Emergency in Duluth, MN due to flooding. Maybe Dawson and Staff know more.
Melanie: We will join you in that standing ovation.
Mom has a late appointment.
Blog Paws!…I sure hope Rebecca is having a good time or resting, I can’t decide which one she needs more…heh!…I wonder if she has run into Spencer yet…hmmmmm?
Lost! I forgot how to drive in a big city with hoards of people. AJ and I went to school in SLC and I can’t believe I used to drive these roads. Things seem a little familiar, but I’ve spent most of the day wandering about. I saw our old apartment and other places we looked at renting. Boy, he have come along way. It is not that our finances were a mess then, they were just nonexistent. I remember how overjoyed when we both got full time jobs that paid over $10 per hour.
Tomorrow is the day that I go the Blogpaws to meet Spence and Admin if I am lucky.
I am staying the night at my aunt and uncle’s house. I don’t think they have wifi so I may be MIA tonight. Rio, I am in the same time zone as you and SiberH. I love t when that happens.
Standing ovation for Golinka and a standing I for Melanie for holding it together as well as she does.
Aww – gosh, golly, gee willikers….
Woo Woo Rebecca is on our time. Get some rest girl.
We appreciate all the Royals’ Mum is doing. She is another one we don’t know how she does it all. The same goes for Melanie. We hope Jesse feels better soon, not only for his sake but also for Melanie’s.
Rose used her own photo for her ChettheDog ID so I am leaving it to her if she wants it on the internet or not. I am sure Rio’s friend will understand.
Here is the ID for Mollypop’s Mom.
Earlier I said I printed them out a larger size than I actually did. I decided to measure and they are 3 X 5. Just so you know. Whatever you want works.
I wish more of us could get together but isn’t it wonderful that so many of you can meet? I am sorry I can’t be there. Sniff.
thank you Amalia for getting this all organized. What an exciting time ahead!
Have fun all you Plunderers.
Excitement!…Abounds! Tomorrow at some point Rebecca will get to hear all of Spencer’s old stories and quilting tails…heh!…I wonder if she is going to ask any questions?…sniff!…Whatever she does, she better keep us updated because I will be on pins and needles all day long…snort!
Game!…The Rockies are actually ahead by one in the 8th inning…sniff!…This doesn’t mean much given their latest history…wuffle…But there is still a glimmer of hope….
There is a glimmer, but we thought this last night.
Evidently Duluth had 8-10 inches of rain. Duluth is on the hillside over Lake Superior.
Off to do a few more ID’s. Rose says I can post her ‘mug’.
SiberH!…Do I detect a hint of bitterness in your tone?…sniff!…It is now the 9th inning and the Rocks are hanging onto their one run lead….wheeze!
Wooooo!…A one run HOMER!…snort!…Now they are up by 2 runs…heh!heh!
Rose!…I really like that photo of Rose. I think she posted it before…wuffle!…She looks so happy there on those steps. The only thing missing is ME!ME!ME!…heh!
Rio, not bitterness, just sadness.
Rose’s ID is great! Love that photo of her.
Can the Rockies hold this 3 run lead through the bottom of the ninth. I say they can.
Betancourt!…He will Save Us!….Wooooooo!…Why am I scratching all over?…itchy!
Head-shot!…That guy in the stands who just got hit in the head – it’s a good thing he had enough beer so he hardly felt it….snort!…Tomorrow, is another story…heh!…His glasses flew off but he found them…heh!
Barb, Is it possible to get a different pic of Masquers? Perhaps the one he uses as an avatar? The one you sent is too white to look good.
I can use it if you have nothing else.
Hey, y’all! I’ve been outta the loop for a few days. Mom has been extra busy at the library — summer reading always brings lots of business! — plus she had to do Vacation Bible School, so she hasn’t been around much to turn the computer on for me. 🙁 But now I’m back. I’ve caught up on today’s blog, but I still have to go back and catch up on all the days I missed. I wish I could head up to Massachusetts, but at least Mom’s still trying to get to Atlanta!
Staff: Mom says the name of your friend’s team reminds her of her 4-H club back in the day — she was a member of the Franklin Friendly Farmerettes!
OMG!….The Experiment is starting to work!….WoOOOOooooOOOOooooOOooo!…The Rocks winnit 4 – 1…snort!snort!…This means we have to go on our walk now…grunt!sneeze!….Oh Happy Day!
WOO WOO The Rockies won!!!
Staff – We LOVE all the ID badges! Bear – you are one handsome dog! Rose – you look like an adorable little pixie on those big stairs. And Agent MollyPop was truly a beautiful lady – she really is the reason that we stopped making poodle jokes and learned to appreciate what smart pups poodles are. Kirby – good luck with the getting to Atlanta!
This is how Masquers badge will turn out. It is OK, but I would rather use a better pic if you have one.
Wonderful badges! Wish we could be there to share in the excitement. The Royal’s Mum is amazing. Hope there will be a ton of pictures.
Bear, We are still not sure what is supposed to happen to the Dog Who Dances book next. Are we to ship it on to anyone?
The book is calling us.
Rockies Win, Twins lose. Rats.
I had to redo the Royal Mum’s badge to match Leonards. She can choose which one to use.
No new emails. I think the badges are done for today anyway. Time to go chase Raccoons out of the garden.
At the risk of incurring the wrath of Stover, my boy’s school is playing in the college world series right now — they’re the defending champions and are trying to make it three national championships in a row. The Gamecocks have to win tonight’s game to keep playing. Right now they’re leading 2-0. Paws crossed, everyone!!!
Love all the badges. Mom still has hers attached to a lanyard waiting for the next time SQ comes to Houston. It hangs on display with our other Chet the Dog and Snowhook stuff.
Good times will be had by those lucky ones getting to attend the special functions. Please keep posting the updates and any pics you might take.
Maskers!…That is the WORST ID Badge EVER!….grunt!…Can you really be proud to wear That? You my Sax=Playing Kat need a NEW PHOTO Pronto!….grumble!…You will only bring shame to the Plunderers with that there photo…sneeze!
Kats!….Thats wot The Herbs look like?…heh!snort!heh!
Kirby!… All eight paws crossed for you college team right now…snort!…Although, Beaus are crossed involuntarily – he is sleeping so I just crossed them for him…heh!
Thanks, Rio. I think it’s helping. Going into the eighth, it’s still 2-0. By the way, even though the University of South Carolina’s official mascot is the Gamecocks, the baseball team has an unofficial mastcot and a new slogan: Fear the Fish!
Fish!…heh!snort!heh!…Please tell me the teams name is not “The Fish”….grunt!…Although, if they are winning, who cares…heh!…Fear The Fish!…We cannot watch the video because we are upstairs…sniff!….Her mother is trying to sleep.
Rio: How about this? No noise involved! By the way, the fish is in Omaha for the CWS!
Kirby!…LOVE IT!…heh!snort!…Reptar is a very lucky fish indeed. It just goes to show what baseball teams will do to win a game…snort!…Your guys are in the World Series! So do you think the Rockies can borrow Reptar the Fish after they are finished using his good-luck charm?…heh!…I think Jim Tracey is open to all possibilities right now…wuffle!
Winners!…We are going to sleep Winners tonight for a change…heh!…Goodnight and sleep tight!…gruffle!
Rio: Hopefully, they’ll need Reptar for a few more days! They’re going into the bottom of the 9th now — still 2-0 — so if the Gamecocks can hold Arkansas off, they’ll be playing them again tomorrow. And then if they win tomorrow, they’ll face Arizona in the finals.
Yippee! Gamecocks win! Fear the fish!!!
Or maybe I should say later today!
Gah! Who sent in that photo of me to Staff? That’s my special Halloween kat suit.
Looks like everyone is snug in their beds. Me too.
Blog-Paws!…Live streaming is on – they are all at breakfast right now…heh!heh!
So why can’t we have a new post today?
Breakfast is fruit and bacon and other goodness for breakfast at the conference. No sign I a certain pointy headed author, but I have spotted a dog in a tutu and a cat in a shopping cart.
Can’t wait until Spence finally wakes up to do today’s post. We HAVE to tell you.
There is a 3×3 picture of an Alaskan Beauty with the details about a certain presentation for next Friday night in today’s newspaper. Oh, and the beauty is being cuddled by Rebecca!!
Rebecca!…Go stand in front of the buffet line behind the table with the little white dog…heh!…Then we can see you on LIVE STREAM..heh!
Good Morning Everyone! They weren’t joking about no new post today.
Kirby! Congratulations! Your team won!
I’m going to check out Rio’s link while Mom rushes around to get stuff done so she can watch the soccer game with me this afternoon and the baseball game tonight. The Rockies will play the Rangers at Texas. This should be good.
Sammie!…Is that you at Blog Paws begging for breakfast in front of the web-cam?.,..snort!…That lil’ girl will do anything to be on kamera…heh!
Rio: A starlet has to start some where.
Rebecca!…If you go pet Sammie in her Green Tutu we will be able to see you on Kamera!…snort!…Go to the back by the buffet in the right corner facing the stage…heh!
Spence: Wake up! A complete breakfast to help you get over that hangover is now being served.
SQPA is soon a book signing as well at the conference. Silly me, I didn’t bring a book for him to sign, but I did bring him something to give him.
Boy, this is confusing! Have to bypass all the posts from yesterday. Rebecca, hope you are having fun.
We are heading out shortly to drive around in circles so the lady can bring her brother back to look at the house. Hope he gives her a thumbs up! Later….
T&G: Can you post the newspaper article with Bella’s picture?
Kamera!…I hope Rebecca remembered her kamera so she can get some photos of her and Spencer…snort!…And I hope she can upload those pictures today…heh!
Good Luck Barb. Sounds like things are moving right along in Illinois.
Saw the end of the college Baseball game last night. Didn’t know it was your family’s school. We will be cheering for them today.
Spence posted a new post for today. CHobbit was first!
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One must be cautious when writing about religious leaders, as they have mastered the art of speaking to an audience. Humans have a penchant for self-deception and self-justification; when mixed with religious language manipulation is easily manufactured, even if unintentionally advanced. People who seek to represent God may be the best of all possible men; they may also be among the most devilish.
With this caveat I would like to introduce a man with a remarkable history, Sheikh Osama al-Qusi. There is a third category of religious leader, that of the innocent. With a heart given to the study of God, such a man may be naïve in the ways of the world. It is in this light I experienced Sheikh al-Qusi, following the lead of his testimony. The proper rendering of his life may be possible through further experience, but is known ultimately only to God.
Sheikh al-Qusi was born in 1954 in Cairo, after his father moved from their family home in Qusa, from which his name is derived, a village thirty kilometers outside of Luxor. He enrolled in the faculty of medicine at Ain Shams University, but instead of diligently pursuing his studies, he became attracted to the religious life of the campus.
These were the 1970s, and Egypt was undergoing a religious indoctrination following the ascent of Anwar al-Sadat to the presidency. In an effort to solidify his policy to open up Egypt to Western capitalism, he appealed to religion to counter the socialist ideology of his predecessor, Gamal Abdel Nasser. Sadat gave wide space for Islamists to operate, and one of their chief fields was the university campus. Osama al-Qusi was swept up in their enthusiasm.
He had never seen this type of Muslim before, one so dedicated and public in his faith. Their claim of persecution added to their aura, as many spoke of previous imprisonments under Nasser. Furthermore, as some of their literature remained banned, the nature of a young man almost always makes the forbidden attractive. The works of Sayyid Qutb were handwritten on notes of paper and passed around campus. His sermons on cassette tape were distributed likewise. Osama al-Qusi began to be radicalized, without even knowing it.
Sheikh al-Qusi makes the case that to him at this time, these campus evangelists were simply Muslims, albeit abnormally active in their faith. He later learned that they belonged to ‘groups’, and these groups were many. Among them was the Muslim Brotherhood, but to these were added others like Islamic Jihad and other more militant associations, but all of which were political. In time he began to sense something not quite right, especially given the multiplicity of groups. If all of these claimed to be Muslims, dedicated more than the average Egyptian, which group represented Islam correctly?
By now Osama al-Qusi had lost almost all interest in medicine, wishing to discover correct religion. In 1978 he decided to take the umra pilgrimage to Mecca, but instead of staying the permitted two weeks or so, overstayed his visa and studied Islam. This was not in any of the approved universities, however; rather, he moved from mosque to mosque under individual Islamic scholars. He lived the simplest of lives, working odd jobs just to make enough money to survive. He poured himself into the study of Islamic texts, especially the hadith, and eventually found himself in the company of a certain group of students, likewise dedicated.
By this time Osama al-Qusi came to believe that all groupings of Muslims were of deviant Islamic practice. He became convinced that Islam was practiced best in devout imitation of Muhammad and his early companions, the followers of these companions, and those who came after them. These three generations of Muslims knew Islam best, recorded the traditions as found in the hadith, and crafted the sharia law schools still foundational today. This is the core belief of what is known as Salafism, though in Saudi Arabia, it is interpreted largely through a Wahabist lens.
The students surrounding al-Qusi, however, had a different lens. These were influenced by the idea of the coming mehdi, a messiah-like figure who would appear at the end of the world. They were led by a man named Juhayman al-Utaybi, who would later lead his group to storm the Ka’aba of Mecca, the holy sanctuary visited by millions of Muslims each year. In 1979 his siege was violently put down, though not before shaking the Muslim world through this provocative action.
Osama al-Qusi was not among them, and states he knew nothing of their political/eschatological conspiracy. He did study with them of their unique interpretations, and wondered if their faith was too political, or if they had grievances with the House of Saud. In any case, he was expelled from Saudi Arabia a few months before their campaign began.
At that time the students attracted the attention of the authorities, who arrested them en masse. When the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn al-Baz, examined them after a month and a half in prison, he believed them to be harmless, and allowed them to be released. Osama al-Qusi, however, as a foreigner was forced back to Egypt as he had no legal residence permit. His personal teacher, though not a ringleader of the group, was also fingered as a foreigner, having come from Yemen.
This teacher was Sheikh Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wada’i. Though a foreigner, he did possess a legal residence permit, having enrolled in the Islamic University of Medina obtaining a degree in the science of hadith, and in pursuit of his Masters degree. Upon intervention of Sheikh ibn al-Baz, he was allowed time to complete his Masters, passing with high marks, and then immediately returned to his native country.
Back in Egypt, Osama al-Qusi thought only of returning to his religious studies under the tutelage of Sheikh Muqbil. Yet he desired also to marry, and left for Yemen with his new wife, praising God that he did not wind up involved in the scandal of the Ka’aba. Little did he know he was leaving just in time to avoid another.
Following his marriage his family was disappointed that he was not returning to his medical studies. Osama al-Qusi, however, was still quite extremist in his thought. Though he had learned to dismiss the varieties of Muslim groups as contrary to Islamic teaching, through his uncle his name was passed on as one qualified to join in the band of Abdullah al-Samawi, a lesser influential group dedicated to greater Islamization of society. He listened to the sermons of Abdel Hamid al-Kishk and Hafez Salama, and still considered strongly the ideas of Sayyid Qutb. For Qutb, the concept of a nation was paganism, and the flag of a nation was an idol. Furthermore, given the mixing of sexes university study was impossible, and besides, al-Qusi’s only interest was religion.
During that time female relatives from his wife’s family were approached by two suitors from the army. Osama al-Qusi found them to be pleasant people, but they discussed at length whether or not service in the military was fitting for a Muslim. In the end, he convinced one to discharge, while the other remained. Shortly thereafter, both became his in-laws.
In 1979 Osama al-Qusi left for Yemen, found Sheikh Muqbil, and settled into the very simplistic life of a devoted Islamic student. Sheikh Muqbil had several students, for whom he provided out of his own means. Yemen was a very poor country, and the disciples lived with their teacher in a mud brick compound with a garden. Sheikh Muqbil received a small stipend for his teaching from Saudi Arabia. He and his students also received in kind gifts for teaching the village children. Teaching during the day, learning at night, eating from the garden, Osama al-Qusi, his wife, and all lived in near subsistence.
From 1979 to 1985 Osama al-Qusi remained in Yemen, never once returning to Egypt. He arrived on a student visa, which permitted his stay for one year, but again overstayed due to the joy of his religious learning. In 1981, however, he learned of another reason why it might be best to stay put.
In May of that year President Sadat conducted widespread arrests of his political opponents. Over 1500 people were arrested for being part of what were deemed ‘treasonous’ groups. These came from all sectors of society, and included intellectuals such as Mohamed Hassanain Haykal. The vast majority, though, were Islamists, and Osama al-Qusi was informed his name was on the list, due to his nominal association with Abdullah al-Samawi. The police visited his parents’ home, but they convinced them he was in Yemen. They also urged him to stay, for the time being.
Five months later Osama al-Qusi learned that the sweep was not wide enough. President Sadat was assassinated during a military parade; listening to the news on a simple radio, he was shocked to hear the names of his assailants. Khaled Ahmed Shawki al-Islamboly, the chief assassin, was the husband of his wife’s cousin and the one who remained in the army, while Abdel Hamid Abdel Salam Abdel-Al Ali was the one he convinced to leave.
Osama al-Qusi asked God’s mercy on Sadat, who had now reaped the fruit of his error in letting loose the Islamist current earlier in his presidency. He also praised God that he was kept from involvement in such error.
Meanwhile in Yemen, the group of Sheikh Muqbil began running afoul of the local Muslim Brotherhood. To help ease financial pressures the sheikh tried to gain employment for his students in the nearby universities. This effort, however, was denied administratively by Brotherhood members who occupied key posts. Osama al-Qusi explained that Yemen depends on Saudi Arabia for substantial economic support, and would naturally lean toward the Salafi/Wahabi interpretation of Islam, as opposed to the politics of the Muslim Brotherhood. Nevertheless, as the Brotherhood does elsewhere, members seek each other out, trying to infiltrate key positions in society. They seek to rule; and this, not for the good of the nation, but for their own good.
Having established themselves in university administration, the Muslim Brotherhood frustrated Sheikh Muqbil’s attempts to establish his students on firm financial footing. Soon thereafter came another opportunity, though far less suitable to the desires of Osama al-Qusi, devoted disciple.
Sheikh Muqbil’s reputation was growing, and from thirty kilometers away came leaders from a nearby village asking for a teacher. Three times Osama al-Qusi refused his sheikh, but in the end he acceded. He knew the challenges Sheikh Muqbil endured in providing for his disciples, but lamented the distance that would be between them. In those days due to Yemen’s poor infrastructure, the thirty kilometers meant an hour and a half journey by car.
During this period Osama al-Qusi finally succeeded in gaining basic financial independence, though through a circuitous route. After getting established in the village Sheikh Muqbil introduced him to the Yemen Minister of Islamic Endowments, who appointed him as village imam and provided him with a salary. Sheikh Muqbil would return on regular visits, but eventually, Sheikh Osama al-Qusi became beloved by the people of his village.
This was fortunate, as the Muslim Brotherhood proceeded to cause more trouble. Though unable to cancel his contract with the ministry, they interfered and forced his transfer to another village, much further away. For Sheikh Osama, he was loathe to be at such distance from his teacher, which would make his itinerant visits impossible. Furthermore, the villagers came to love their sheikh, and did not want him to leave.
Sheikh Osama therefore refused this assignment, which led to the loss of his contract with the ministry. The villagers agreed to provide for their sheikh, but this meant a return to the simple living off the land which he had grown accustomed to on first arrival. Soon thereafter, however, the village mayor was able to make amends. He traveled to visit the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh ibn al-Baz, and arranged for Sheikh Osama to receive a stipend directly from him. It is admitted that the competition between Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood played a role in the mufti’s support.
Sheikh Osama’s life continued so on until 1985. Though he loved his life and learning, the absence from Egypt was especially difficult on his wife. Towards the end her psychological difficulties resulted in the semi-paralysis of half her face. Hoping that the political difficulties in Egypt had subsided, they returned home. Passing through Suez Sheikh Osama was interrogated at the police station, but was allowed to proceed without incident.
He settled with his wife in the Ain Shams area of Cairo, wishing to stay in the path of religion but wishing also to avoid regular employment which might curtail his time. Before too long he agreed with the imam of the nearest mosque to provide evening lessons, and as his reputation spread, he began teaching in more and more locations.
In terms of finance, however, life was more complicated. The situation was stable since he saved most of the money he had earned in Yemen. This he used to begin small projects – he bought a taxi, he bought a microbus, and was a managing partner in a religious publishing house – but none succeeded. Sheikh Osama readily admits he is not a businessman, nor did anyone in his family growing up have any business sense; they were all scholars. He managed as best he could and provided for his family, but there was little money in religion.
Certainly this was true of the religion he espoused. Upon his return to Egypt he sought out others of the Salafi trend, but found even the word ‘Salafi’ was not widely known. Only in Alexandria was there a following, but he found these too closely related to the Muslim Brotherhood. They called themselves Salafis since Sayyid Qutb had used the word, as indeed the Brotherhood does as well. Yet while they claim to be Salafi they also admit they follow the path of the Brotherhood. Sheikh Osama did not find a home with them.
Neither did he find common cause with other Muslim trends in Egypt, and grew increasingly frustrated. By 1996, though he was teaching regularly about Salafism in the mosques of Ain Shams, he felt isolated and alone in society. Everywhere he looked was bid’a – innovation – which went against the practices of the first three generations of Muslims. He feared especially for his children, finding their Islamic education in schools to be insufficient. Eventually he made the decision to withdraw entirely.
With basic savings from his earlier projects Sheikh Osama bought a small farm on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, and purposed to live off the land with his family, homeschooling his children. He maintained his weekend teaching in Ain Shams, but otherwise lived in seclusion. Like all his business enterprises, the farm eventually failed.
It was this crisis that helped make Sheikh Osama into the man he is today. He realized he had been living his whole life ‘in the book’. Now, he knew he must live life in light of reality, ‘by the book’. Religion is life, and God’s ways must be known. Yet these ideals cannot sustain life on their own; they must be lived out, taught, and practiced, so that society is transformed to enable life by the ideal. Cursing its failures to reach this goal, however, only lead to extremism.
Sheikh Osama came to realize that as he preached the Salafi way, he must also preach against the extremism practices by so many of his community. Extremism is based on hatred and rejection of the other. Its natural extension is terrorism, which is an attack upon the other, either in word or deed.
Pursuing that path, Sheikh Osama nearly lost his family. Oddly enough, when abandoning the path, he wound up in prison for the second time.
He sold the farm and moved back to Ain Shams, with some funds but needing work. He immediately began teaching in earnest, and associated himself with an effort to build a new mosque in Ain Shams. The land upon which the mosque would be built was zoned agricultural, however, and a resident of the community raised issue against it.
Ain Shams at that time was known as an area deeply ingrained in extremist Islamic thought. He, however, enjoyed a good reputation with the authorities, given that he did not preach against the government. All the same, Egypt was ruled by the emergency law, and once arrested over the illegal mosque construction, he was bound for prison. The policemen responsible apologized, and they even made it possible for him to receive favorable reviews within prison, so that he was able to leave after only two months. He personally was not mistreated, but admits the horrible condition many prisoners endured. Yet upon his release his reputation in the area suffered a minor blow, as he was deemed to have received preferential treatment. He became known in the area, falsely he claims, as belonging to the hated state security apparatus.
Yet among Salafi tendencies his reputation continued to grow, and was about to explode, stumbling upon the best opportunity he had to date. Finally, he could earn money through religion.
Proving the corruption endemic to Egypt, the ‘agricultural’ land purposed for the mosque was eventually turned into a Suzanne Mubarak Public Library. He, however, became established at another mosque, becoming its imam. There was no salary from the Ministry of Islamic Endowments, however, as the Mohamedian Guidance Mosque, as it was named, was not registered.
Today, after lengthy and ongoing campaigns, the Ministry of Islamic Endowments claims 95% of all Egyptian mosques are registered and under its supervision. This has been done in response to extremism, which has issued so frequently from small community mosques beyond the reach of the more moderate government license. Sheikh al-Qusi’s mosque remains unregistered, but the government gave greater space to Salafi mosques, as they tended to be nonpolitical, not threatening the legitimacy of the state.
Yet this mosque, through Sheikh al-Qusi, began to attract several foreign Muslims. One of these was a Canadian of Jamaican descent, who invited Sheikh Osama to preach for one week at an Islamic conference in his home country. He did, and as fame often leads to fame, he began to receive further invitations, including in the US, Europe, and the UK. It was not unusual for him to receive $1000 for a week of work. From 1998-2001, he made over forty such trips.
2001, of course, is the year of September 11, and though Sheikh al-Qusi does not believe his name to be on any blacklists, he deemed it wise to cease his international travel. This decision was confirmed as he watched numbers of Muslims held in detention in Guantanamo Bay, and furthermore when he learned that the ‘shoe bomber’ Richard Reid, attended one of the mosques in Britain at which he had delivered lectures. Since 2001, Sheikh Osama has remained in Egypt.
Also, in 2001, his teacher Sheikh Muqbil passed away. Today, Sheikh Muqbil is considered the founders of one of the most influential Salafi schools in the world, located in Dammaj, Yemen, not far from the Saudi border. Sheikh Muqbil studied directly under Sheikh Mohamed ibn al-Uthaymeen, and attended lectures of Sheikh ibn al-Baz and Sheikh al-Albani. These three are considered the chief Salafi scholars of contemporary Islam.
Sheikh Muqbil has been clear in rejecting political Islam such as of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as terrorism, such as adopted by al-Qaeda. He did receive envoys from Osama bin Laden, seeking his help in contacting the tribal leaders of Yemen to purchase weapons and spread influence. He rejected them, however, and told them never to visit him again, labeling bin Laden as the head of all religious ignorance. Nevertheless, several detainees in Guantanamo Bay are held specifically due to their association with Sheikh Muqbil, who was deemed to be a supporter of the Taliban and armed jihad.
Sheikh Osama, meanwhile, needed to find another source of income. From 2001-2005, he relied on donations from wealthy Egyptian businessmen who supported his Salafi preaching. Eventually, however, he found that the reception of money often brought along with it additional pressures. On one occasion a businessman offered to build Sheikh Osama a mosque, provided that he would always come and give lessons. This was easy to agree with, as he regularly provided lessons in his itinerant ministry. Sheikh Osama enjoyed the support of this businessman for a good while, up until the interference of state security demanded he stop moving about and remain in one mosque only. The businessman felt betrayed, but Sheikh Osama argued there was nothing he could do. Their relationship deteriorated thereafter.
Such experiences convinced Sheikh Osama to once more seek to rely on himself for income. Re-entering the world more and more, he decided to return to university to complete his medical studies and in 2008 received his degree. He is now a medical practitioner, though he does not make much money from this field. Instead, he offers free medical care from his mosque two days a week, and hopes this may develop eventually a separate paid clientele.
He has also begun studying for a psychology degree, but closer to his heart is his religious education – now pursued through the High Institute of Islamic Studies run by the Ministry of Higher Education. Upon graduation he will receive a diploma, which will be the first official certificate in religion he has ever possessed.
Sheikh Osama has currently become newsworthy for the promotion of his relatively liberal Salafi viewpoints. While many Islamists are calling for an Islamic state, Sheikh Osama believes that anyone, even a Copt, should be able to become president, as it is an administrative position, not a spiritual one. Though he maintains the long beard characteristic of Salafis, he now feels free to wear contemporary clothing, eschewing the long, white robe donned by most of his co-religionists. He speaks frequently on Arabic satellite news programs, though apart from al-Arabiya and ART, who gave him $100, they do not pay anything.
The big money in religion comes from traditional Salafi satellite programming, such as al-Rahma and al-Nas, from which Egypt’s major Salafi preachers have become known. Sheikh Osama has no place here, however, as his line of thought differs considerably from what he believes to be the extremism of these contemporaries.
Sheikh Osama now lives in a comfortable though not luxurious apartment in Nasr City, a middle-to-upper class neighborhood of Cairo, not far from one of the largest malls in Egypt, City Stars. He continues to follow the way of religion, but has done well enough with his money earned to carve out an existence honorable to his family. In all interactions with him, he appears to be an honorable man.
At the same time, so many questions surround him. How is it possible to have been in association with so many violent, extremist individuals, and yet maintain innocence about knowing their true intentions?
Sheikh Osama does admit his previous extremism, reformed gradually over many years. Yet could he possibly have been ignorant of all he professes? Furthermore, though he was completely open about the sources of his money at each stage in his life, short of opening up his checkbook, can it be believed he provided for his family over the past thirty years on failed businesses, in addition to greater sums earned in Yemen and through his travels?
Currently, what is to be made of Sheikh Osama’s Salafi liberalism? Is it a conscious decision in light of Egypt’s changing times? Or could it be an effort to put a modern, acceptable face on a still ultraconservative ideology? Or, by the hard edge of experience and reality has he truly experienced a personal reformation?
It is impossible to say at this point in my relationship with him, which has been thoroughly enjoyed. I currently lean toward the sincerity of his testimony, which was shared with openness and humility. Above all, he struck me as kind.
This text is not the place to examine the Salafi question, its impact on Egypt, or its stance toward Christians. It is not to examine if wholesale reform can come to the movement, if this is necessary, or how it is to be achieved. Perhaps some of these topics will be addressed through subsequent interviews.
One thing that was remarkable from Sheikh Osama’s testimony, however, was the impact of family. The anecdote of his own was given above, and the share it had in moving him away from extremism. Yet he also mentioned his father and mother, with their Upper Egyptian values of acceptance and morality. However much he was indoctrinated in extremist theology, and however much he espouses Salafism today, he notes he was inoculated against violence through proper, traditional upbringing.
Societies are liable to change, for better or for worse. There is a sentiment current in Egypt these days that may tend to give rise to extremism, in any number of directions. The best antidote to protect Egypt may simply be to be Egyptian. These remain the vast majority; may all ongoing political developments give rise to their great voice. May they be the ones to govern Egypt.
Click here for an interview with al-Qusi: On the Caliphate, Conversion, and Brushing your Teeth, and here for his explanation on the science of Islamic traditions. | 2019-04-26T02:50:39Z | https://asenseofbelonging.org/2012/05/12/a-salafi-life-given-to-god-intersects-with-others-given-to-trouble/ |
McGlamorous – Page 9 – Dance . Design . Glamour .
As Spring approaches, the soft pastel shades of the season start to appear. Everything begins a slow movement towards life. Flowers push from below, beautifully developed in color. The Easter candy is youthfully wrapped in baby-like hues of pink and blue, yellow and green. Even though the seasons seem to almost birth too soon, as according to the store shelves, it is hard not to anticipate. It has always been a favorite time of year. Memories of new attire and hats for church come to mind. Not to be left behind is the dancer’s Spring Recital, and event every little or big girl in dance looks forward to.
The memory of such performances brings to mind a certain ballet almost performed at one of my old schools Le Spectre De La Rose. I never got to see the ballet performed due to a lead dancer’s injury, but I have observed it through photographs and art, and recently found an old copy of Cyril W. Beaumont’s Complete Book of Ballets , which contains personal reviews on these old gems. With the recent anticipation of the release of the movie on Nijinsky, it seemed a great time to put all my (Easter) eggs in one basket for a nice and informative post on all of the above.
In a short synopsis, Le Spectre De La Rose is an adaptation of a poem by Gautier which I have pleasantly researched here and would like to share below. The ballet interprets the story of a young girl at a ball, to whom a rose is given. The excitement of the ball, which has also been set to Carl Maria von Weber’s Invitation to the Dance, has left her weary, and as she sinks into a deep sleep, the object of her dream appears through the open window in her room. He is the spirit of the rose, dancing with abandonment, similar to a rose petal in the wind. In one magical moment she is waltzing with him, her spirit lifted into heavenly realms of dance with his company. In the next moment, she is awake in her chair as if it were just her imagination. The spirit hovers for a brief instant, disappearing through the open window just as the sun rises. She stirs from her slumber enough to recall and question if it were a dream or reality. Still doubting in her empty room, she picks up the rose in remembrance, pressing it to her heart with a sad half-smile.
Like most visual art I suppose, it presented itself so beautiful with these two performers that when it ended you were uncertain as to whether you had just seen what you did. Beaumont expresses that it was so linked to Nijinsky and Karsavina that all revivals failed to impress.
You wore last night upon your breast.
You bore me proudly ‘mid your peers.
Will linger till the break of day.
Which pure from Paradise I bear.
Who would not die as I have done?
Your bosom fair to lie upon?
E’en kings are jealous of its bliss.
Ballet in 1 Act. Book : J.L. Vaudoyer. Music : Weber. Scenery and costumes Leon Bakst. Choreography Michel Fokine. First produced Theatre de Monte Carlo, 1911.
It is pleasantly doubtful that the story of our time with Rhedd would begin any different than those love stories in the guise of kitty encounters. I never knew Angels had red hair and fur, but I am solidly convinced.
They usually begin with an appearance, a discovery, or just a pleasant surprise. Out of nowhere these little spirits can manifest, like they are coming from some other time or place, right smack into your life. The introduction period is oh so brief. It is always love at first for my family, Rhedd here being no exception.
His visit was a back door rub that caught my eye late one night last winter around March. I had seen a few other cats come up for food and wildly scatter, but for some unknown but gut stirring reason I melted enough to scurry to the kitchen for emergency morsels. In all honesty I , maybe we – carried subconscious grief and love for Charlie, an indescribably gently red tabby that was previous to Rhedd, which motivated my attention and concern towards him. It felt as though Charlie was visiting in another form, or had sent a reminder.
The cinnamon swirl markings where visible through the glass patio door. Tail dancing, he rubbed closely for attention and I opened the door and placed the bowl out for him to munch. I went out to visit and with no fear he wailed with a passion that I nor my Mom and Grandmother had ever heard. His cry was so desperate that it was tempting to laugh, but you didn’t. He was sad and lonely, yet strong.
The next few months proved his affection and extreme protection for us. He had tried to befriend our other kitty, Lily, and it was a somewhat comical flirt that proved him a dud with the ladies, so it seemed. It was like Billy Joel meeting Christie Brinkley, but what we later discovered was that he desperately needed a friend. Our dog chased him, his own species seemed to have no loyalty, and he could not get a date across the branch during the high season – if you know what I mean.
His visits were sporadic at first. Nightly romps would leave him beaten and scarred the next morning. I applied castor oil to his coat and gradually saw improvement. The more we cared for him the more we noticed an uncomfortable stance, but it did not bother him. I felt humbled by his strength and we held common issues with bad alignment. He lived with short front legs which caused his spine to curve when he sat down. Still, he walked with pride and an incredible leadership. He had no name, but surely a strong presence.
The more he stayed the day, the more friendly we became with him. After all, who could ignore those cries? Garden chores were accompanied by his presence and evening swinging with the sunsets held a place for conversations and kitty hugs. What a boy. So much love and appreciation was evident. I shed tears with him over losses and pain, and at night when I went out to see the stars he was there guarding me. Yet he still had no name. I tried to make it manifest but it did not. Somehow I felt it would come and on that night I blurted it out….”RED. No….RHEDD!” Yes, yes, yes, I thought, just like Rhett Butler the southern gentleman from the classic film Gone With The Wind! Boasting with excitement, I re-entered the house telling the family of the discovery. My Mom agreed that it fit this little protector’s personality. She labeled him the Red Warrior. Wow was that spot on. It seemed as though he grew stronger and more confident in his role as protector the longer he stayed. Cries were replaced with morning and evening walks. We silently invited him in for nights on the recliner with popcorn and movies, and he was a regular consolation in times of despair. Just a true gentleman and a true friend. I joked that had he been human, we would have been married.
Sadly, he could not stay with us and left in August. We were already attached and hoped for more time, but his job was done. Breaking up is so hard to do. His loss was as such and I choose to leave only his love story behind. That once dirty and dingy coat was slick with gentlemanly sheen, and it even smelled of powder. It was as though a sweet scent floated from his happy soul. He had found love, friendship, and had given so much more than he got. He taught us strength, and protected our vulnerability at the same time.
Rhedd was answered prayer. I believe that is why he was so beautiful in every way.
One of my crazy past times characters as a teenage tom-girl was in the role of the girl skater, or “Skate Betty” as they called us. While going through storage this weekend I found various stickers, clothing, and skateboard hardware that inspired me to write an article on this past time activity.
Most purchases of the emotionally driven artist seems to go in the direction of graphics, color, and the “Oh I want this now!” approach. Yep, that was the case when I decided to copy the high school skater guys before braces or Homecoming queen transitions, and buy my first skateboard deck complete with truck guards, rails – the whole package. It was one of my first lay-aways and fully supported by my parents who provided protective gear like any good parents would.
We fantasized of half-pipes, getting air, or street skating around the city, and everywhere we looked was an opportunity to just skate over it. It was a bond between me and the guys, or an attempt at getting through those awkward years. Since we were all in art class together it was another creative venture to discuss. I imagined getting air on huge half-pipes but ended up entertaining my solo self in the parking lots of Crisp County. Every rail and parking marker was to be dominated. No curve or slope of concrete unexplored. The Ollie was my undefeated foe, and along with my skating cousins, we would prevail!
Skating and swimming were a huge part of my teen years, just as the existing generation, and I now look on those times with warmth. Collecting was a hobby. I still have my favorite Powell Peralta shirt, probably the softest T ever owned at this point due to so many washings.
Through the eyes of an artist those bright graphics were super alluring. Some of my first skate pieces were painted in lime or pink. There were no rules. The guys wore color too, and that was exciting. A nearby Albany, Georgia store provided for our passions. The small space was tucked back in a shopping center moved into the Albany Mall, an even better place for teens to meet. I don’t know what those guys thought of the skater girl, but I was determined to make a mark.
Alas, time moved on and as graduation approached I sensed our parting and growing up. Braces were expensive and I wanted to keep my new straight teeth in, so as time passed the boards ended up in storage. Energy was devoted to dance and a new phase of life. I had something else to work hard at, so it was ok.
So, onward to the most recent item out of storage. A Jim Thiebaud original deck from the late eighties early nineties. It is not a re-issue, but not the original artwork that caused a cease and desist. I have done a little research here in an article That will help explain the board’s history. The board that I have is for sale in hopes that the right collector will come along. It will be listed on Ebay and can be found here on my profile.
In the meantime, long live the skate Betty!
Dance has been a journey for me, a great one at that. I have experienced life as a bunhead, an intense ballroom diva and an attempt at being middle-eastern. Being able to become any character you want is gratifying, and slightly different than being a straight forward “actor”. We are all actors in this life, but dancers get to feel physical movement with their character, something that feels refreshing and promotes an open spirit. We also have one of the greatest things ever created – music – to accompany us on the journey.
Rhythms are intoxicating to the body especially in the genres of salsa, samba, and bossa nova. Drums gracefully entrance us in styles of Latin or Middle-Eastern dance and music, and musicians can go happily crazy crossing in between these worlds.
I discovered jazz music in the driver’s seat of my car. It really is the best place to turn up the sound and absorb ever piece of note you can. It inspires creativity, creations in choreography and beautiful imagery of the moving body on the dance floor. Melody Gardot’s interpretation of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was quite moving to me. I hit the repeat button numerous times and decided test it at the restaurant where I worked as a cabaret dancer, trying my skills at improv.
The result was as follows. Forgive the video quality.
I can suggest her albums and a few other favorites like Your Heart is as Black as Night. If you enjoy a twist on old standards try checking her out. And if you want to learn more about dance, costumes, music and design…well. You are home at McGlamorous!
Many Springs ago while daydreaming out the garden window I spotted this natural warrior attempting to scale our garden wall. With the intensity of a little Karate student, he approached his challenge in silent thought and preparation.
His legs caught my attention.
Strength building in his joints. Poised and ready.
Starting the ascent. Looks promising.
A different angle. A different view of the challenge.
On the humorous side. As in web development, back ends make for beautiful front ends.
And finally, he has run the good race. Mountain moved.
Inspiration comes from everywhere, yet nature provides one of the best shows.
“Patience Grasshopper” still comes to mind. Hope he inspired you as much as me.
As part of the 2018 Christmas season I am sharing some on-the-spur thoughts of some great hymns and classics played on the radio or by my Mom (and Dad) at church. Here goes the lyrics to one of my favorites at Christmas.
The Nutcracker :: What’s Your Flavor?
A million or more posts on the Nutcracker every season, and this is my first ever. I am a side-lined dancer for now, so I want to get in on this season’s premier of the movie with a jewelry twist.
Which part of the well-known ballet is your favorite? What’s your flavor. Coffee? Tea? Do you prefer the spicy flavors of the Orient or the sweet aromas of the land of sugarplums and candy canes? A fountain of creativity flows from our child-like minds when dwelling on the classic. Full of excitement and imagination, it gives a dreamer a reason to lie on the floor with Waltz of the Flowers playing in the background.
This year the Nutcrackers have been plentiful in stores, even reaching the rooted country atmosphere of south Georgia gift shops and drugs stores. McGlamorous site being no exception, I am posting our part on the marketing stage.
The designs are inspired by soldiers, ballerinas and pearls, and glitter and dance. They include bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, and can be purchased directly from the site, or can been seen in person at 30A Ballet in Seagrove Beach, Florida. A good friend has been kind enough to display and sell them in her wonderful new studio. They make great gifts for children in the arts, first time performers of the ballet, spring recital trinkets, and even graduation gifts for dancing teenage seniors. Teachers may also enjoy the gift of dance expressed in pearl form as well.
Pieces are a mix of Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, and a ballerina as a focal point, all with decorative metal clasps. Other pieces inspired by dance are also available on the site.
Take a peek this special season, and enjoy.
I love birds. We love birds. Let me explain.
My Grandmother loves birds. Ever since I was a little one we were careful and curious about examining her collections when we visited her house for sleep-overs. “No jumping!” I can hear it now as my two boy cousins and I ran around the sleeping bags on a Friday night. We were careful no to wake Grandma by shaking the den floor or the figurines representing her collection.
Many were gifts and I suppose milestone markers for special occasions, but they always perched in the case and held a special memory, especially now. I never knew I liked them so much until now, being around the artifacts in the house. Binoculars are always in reach for new species spotted on the feeder or bath, that is if the squirrels don’t leave a mess after their wild garden parties. When a visitor is spotted we can always run to the closet and find some Audubon reference for advice.
Perhaps the best thing about them is their song. Their appearance can brighten the dullest of days and their voices bring more sunshine into the yard. Caged or free, they adapt and set a good example of faith and spirit.
Many a poem or song has been given to them or inspired by them, art and jewelry being no exception. This post is not “for the birds”, but instead “FOR THE BIRDS”.
Maya Angelou, “Caged Bird” from Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing? Copyright © 1983 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
You can now use our teacher code to apply a one time 10% discount on supplies like shoes, leotards, tights, and other supplies. I hope this will help you out a bit for Nutcracker seasons and for new students who need Ballroom shoes or Dance Sneakers. Please see the links below, either click on the picture or the title, and let it to take you to a form where you can fill out and search for McGlamorous using the Discount Dance Supply Teacher Code TP46155 .
Use McGlamorous to get 10% off your order! Nutcracker is around the corner. Stock it up. Just click the link on www. mcglamorous.com. It’s on the bottom right of the site and links straight to your dancing supply destination.
Who’s the best villain of them all? I ask you…who would you choose? On a recent frolic through the YouTube feed, my Mom and perused through video clips of top rated Disney dames that caused the most havoc and yes, we still returned to one.
She is part of a story that has a bit of a background for us. Being one my Mom’s favorite movies, Sleeping Beauty has always represented many of our favorite things. A beautiful waltz, fairies, and dreams, all of which appeal to a former ballet dancer and a costumer and musician. I do believe that it was one of the first animated movies that she and my Father saw together. He was not too much into these things as we are, but also being a musician, I am sure that his was awakened to Tchaikovsky’s sound. Maybe in subconscious, at least.
But back to the great dame of this movie. Her name is Maleficent. We agreed with the fact that that she is a bit more wise and calculated. Not at all a dumb criminal or buffoonish lady. She even has that old movie glam that does not seem prevalent in today’s characters. But forgive me if I am getting older and joining the ranks of “The Good Old Days”.
Research showed the original actress that voiced the part as Eleanor Audley, ironically having the same name as my Grandmother! She also voiced Cinderella’s stepmother, but quite a different aura to that part as compared to the glamorous but evil dragon lady in Sleeping Beauty.
Under all the evil you mat still see a bit of fashion. She wears the right makeup, holds a cool staff, and has her own bird. Maybe a bit of the dark side of glamour, but fashionistas can adapt the look to lean towards the light.
In honor of my Mom’s favorite villain-ess I have created a necklace with said name below.
Each fall calls for a newer and brighter color scheme for us, this one being no exception. We don’t do drab. (Life is hard enough). It is all about cuteness and color! Hopefully this will spread as far as the Autumn Leaves in this post of friendly fall critters (and a famous songs). Halloween is just around the corner as well, and maybe it will inspire a gift for that favorite teacher or maple latte loving friend.
What makes you love fall the most? I used to not be a fan but it is growing on me a bit. I think of new coffee drinks, cozy long sleeved shirts, finger-less gloves, and fire pits. I love the glow of lanterns or warm lights in the windows and pumpkins mysteriously and quietly posing on the porch.
All of these things and more have become visions coming to life in jewelry form. Today I would like to share a few of my favorites in celebration of a cute and happy side of F A L L.
For further information or purchase please click on pic.
Hope you have enjoyed this preview to fall through the eyes of McGlamorous. Please share if you feel inclined.
Here is the continuation of the Bandy Twist combo. I added a few shuffles and ball change for rhythm and fun.
Hope you enjoy playing along, and thanks for tapping with me!
You can subscribe to these and more at TheAMcGlamorous channel.
This year I was grateful to finally experience the joy of the annual Hot Air Balloon Event, a vein of our town’s Watermelon Festival. This was a big deal to me as I have never seen them up close and personal. It reminded me of a huge birthday party as I watched them slowly hover over the city’s landscape. They seemed to float through the air like colorful jellyfish in a sea of air, bobbing up and down for a rest now and then. Like sleeping giants, they rose with the sounds of a fire breathing dragon as their power. Flashback Wizard of Oz…Where were the going? When would the return ? It didn’t matter at the moment as long as you stayed lost in the magic.
Imagine my surprise as I left the park and headed back to a my Aunt and Uncle’s house and saw them descending for a photo op in the field right in front of the house. Double jackpot blessing!
The sun was setting and lighting was magical enough to catch some shots. We were also trying to remember songs like Up Up and Away in my Beautiful Balloon as we took photo video ops.
A newly found love. Gardening! Here are some pics from our garden this Spring. I’ll start with Irises and pleasant thoughts of a ballet instructor with such a name. I don’t have much to say so I’ll let them speak for themselves.
Part of being healthy is in the exercise, and what a great way to achieve this through dance. That is why I have begun to re-post some older ideas here using basic tap moves for beginners through advanced. The idea of this is to get those people inspired to learn to tap, or for those who always wanted to learn how to dance. The rhythm in this art form is hard to resist and loads of fun for the heart and soul. No impressive moves here, just the basics based on a great tap dictionary book that I have had for years, as well as a funky pair of socks (just for fun).
Here is an interesting article on the author Glenn Shipley, and a link to the book The Complete Tap Dictionary.
I have not included everything in the book, mainly exercises. There is a load of interesting information in it about the art form, including definitions from his extensive background in so many styles of dance. If you are partial to the old days as we are then you will really enjoy the read.
First exercise is below with a description. I hope to keep them coming.
Published on May 1, 2014 (Theatrical Term) – A commonly used movement in tap and jazz dancing.
After several requests from family to list examples of my pastel art, here they are. As you can see I enjoy drawing birds. As explained in a earlier post, the colors and textures they provide are a perfect playground for the senses. Medium used here is pastel. Brands that I enjoy are Sennelier, Rembrandt, Canson, NuPastel, among others.
Can bring such joy to me.
That flickers blue and red.
Time held, tried, and true.
Holidays make us all sparkle, even into the New Year, and this year was no exception but instead a reminder of past sparkles in my history. Being a performing artist for so many years had quite its fair share of the wonderful invention we call G l i t t e r. Glitter on the eyes, chest, hair, body, and eyelashes was just a regular routine for a dancer and her friends. And as the B52’s sing….on the mattress and the highway too!
I was taken back to the old days of high school and ballet classes circa 1990’s lately, and remembered a wonderful and fun gift exchanged during performances. The Fairy dust package, or bottle. To some it was simply enchanting. Mysterious and fun. Maybe just a mess to parents, but we ballerinas and dreamers loved it.
I decided to bring the enchantment back to life this Christmas in the form of a gift for my five year old cousin. While making it again this inspired me to do a tutorial which I will complete below. Hope you love it a much as we do.
One glass bottle pendant from your local Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or online bead shop. Some have cork tops like this one shown, others may be screw on or pop top.
Some sort of stringing material. I used ribbon but substitutes may include leather, silk, rayon, waxed linen, strung beads or even chain.
Finely dusted glitter. The finer the better since it is a magic dust, but once again anything may do.
Charm, crystal, or other embellishment. I’ve used a Swarovski glass crystal as a choice in this tutorial.
Jump Rings, Spring Rings, Wire.
Small piece of folded paper for transferring glitter.
You are not restricted to any order here, so have fun. I started with the bottle because I looked forward to filling it with glitter.
Take the folded paper piece and pour a liberal amount of dust / glitter into the crease and into the bottle. Make it as full as you want, or whatever is pleasing to the eye. You have the option of either leaving the bottle open if it is a cork or removable top, or gluing the top securely.
Next we want to embellish the bottle with either a jump ring, spring ring, or simply wire some sort of looped piece that we can run the ribbon, cord, or leather through. If you use a flat or thin ribbon, be warned that it will slip through the ring. In one completed versions I chose a larger jump ring. This also gives the advantage of adding other components or charms later. In another I tried a spring ring, which works like a keychain. You may also want to experiment with wire for a more organic look.
Open the jumpring with jewelry pliers, either round nose or flat nose. There are many tutorials on techniques, but most importantly, you do not want to separate the ring by pulling the ends away from each other. This will ruin the natural shape of the ring. Instead you want to pull each end away from the other. For the spring ring I use something to create enough opening that will allow the ribbon or cord to pass through, like loading a keychain.
To find lessons on technique and beginner tutorials and supplies, I am supplying a link to Fusion Beads. Love their service and site.
Now it ‘s time for the Swarovski heart to be added. Here I have used a sterling silver wire here, 22 gauge. Openings in glass charms can break easily with force, so I carefully run the wire through and create a twist of of two or three swirls, clipping the tail end off with my wire cutters. This dabs into wire twisting technique a little bit. You could double the wire here, even cage the heart with a wire wrap.
I want to attach this wire to the jump ring, so I run it through and secure another twist.
Lastly, we string the ribbon through the loop and secure the ends with a knot. I then add some fray check to the tips to prevent stray hairs. You could go with a clasp or anything on the ends. This was an easy solution for the wearer, who puts everything over her head.
Voila! You’re done. Now enjoy your little morsel of magic, and don’t hesitate to put your own twist on this. Ideas are endless when you think of all the colors of glitter and ribbon, leather, clasps, and more. Please check back to my site for added information and links to additional resources. And just in case you would like to purchase a pre-made creation, please link to the store and original product here.
Those from the eighties generation may remember the song. It kept playing in my head while making these fun little necklaces for the last two years so I just made a combo post out of the two. A big seller at craft shows, especially amongst the teen category, they are a simple mix of imperial jasper, Swarovski crystals, and bronze chain. Best of all though, they were inspired by music, one of the strongest gifts a person can be inspired by.
Music is so precious, so uplifting, calming, and emotion moving. My Dad used to say how the soul was completely moved by it, and it certainly has been a great part of my family’s life. We listen to music while beading, drawing, thinking, and relaxing. It is there like a rock, soothing the soul.
These little guys are part of the experience with there bright shades and simplicity. They are also done with charms and leather, and probably will morph into different places as long as I can keep making them.
I am working on posting the many that are available for purchasing, plus some in the archives collection. They’ve earned their own place here.
And just to jog your memory….
If you asked most artists what inspires them to draw, or create anything, what would you figure to be the most popular subjects? After shyly joining a pastel artist Facebook group last week, I have been pleasantly surprised at the knowledge gained in such a short period of time. One post addressed the question of what three subjects you like to paint the most. There were several replies, animals being very popular, probably to no one’s surprise. Flowers were the list as well as portraits, and of course one of my favorites……birds.
It seems as though the beauty of the feathers and color variations create a great challenge for the artist. A very large artist create them in the first place. I guess we just like to see if we can come close to interpreting that! Overall, it’s fun.
What do you like to draw and why? I am posting a few of my favorite pieces that have been exciting challenges to work on, with a little caption info about each bird. Leave your comments below if you like. Love to hear from you! | 2019-04-24T22:26:27Z | https://mcglamorous.com/alisonmcglamry/page/9/ |
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