text:
In November 2008, less than one week after winning the votes of city dwellers by a margin of 28 points, President-elect Barack Obama announced he would reward them by creating the first-ever "White House Office of Urban Policy." Like other new aspects of Obama's executive branch, appointing a city czar was intended to fast-track communications among city governments, federal agencies and the White House. With great fanfare, Obama dispatched his friend and fellow Chicagoan Valerie Jarrett to tell America that he was making good on his campaign pledge to "stop seeing cities as the problem and start seeing them as the solution."
When the office was officially formed in mid-February, urbanists rejoiced: "It's past time," said Elnora Watson, president of the Urban League in Jersey City, N.J., as she walked the halls of Congress recently. "Way past time," added Ella Teal, another Urban League president from the neighboring city of Elizabeth. "Cities will lead America," Newark Mayor Cory Booker said at an April speech on city government in Washington. "When it comes to industry, innovation, education and the arts … cities are where it's at."
But celebrations about the potential triumph of urban policy may be premature. In recent weeks, the Obama administration has begun referring to the office as "urban affairs," rather than "urban policy," a small but notable downgrade. And while other offices and Cabinet agencies have been staffing up—the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has representation in 12 government agencies—100 days in, urban affairs has announced only two senior staffers: Derek Douglas, who was special adviser to New York Gov. David Paterson, and former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., who faces allegations of mismanaging campaign donations and development projects in New York City.
As money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act started going out to cash-strapped states and municipalities, Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Pikeville, N.C., this month to specifically address how the stimulus would affect rural America. "As we write a new chapter in our history, the small towns of America … will have to be some of the most prominent of its authors," he said.
The comparative silence from urban affairs has not gone unnoticed. Diana Lind, editor of Next American City, a journal that covers urban policy, frets that "this isn't going to be as serious and as powerful a role as many urbanists had hoped."
That's not to say nothing has been done. Despite the skeletal staff in urban affairs, the White House has hosted mayors, dispatched five Cabinet secretaries to the National League of Cities conference, and, in March, held a daylong symposium for local administrators to interface with government officials. Biden will attend a Chicago conference on cities this week.
But the urgency of dealing with the recession in these first 100 days has made the slow rollout of the office worrisome for some local officials. Caroline Coleman, federal relations director of the National League of Cities, says cities have been pummeled by the economic downturn. For the first time in the 24-year history of the organization's City Fiscal Conditions report, the three primary sources of revenue for urban centers—property, sales and income taxes—all experienced a quarterly decrease. "What we're seeing reflected in the national news is hitting hometown urban America every day," says Coleman.
The Office of Urban Affairs, which reports to Jarrett in Washington and which aims to have interagency representation, was formed to address the urgent, interlocking problems detailed in a recent New York Times report on cities: "an archaic and grotesquely wasteful federal system in which upkeep for roads, subways, housing, public parkland and our water supply are all handled separately."
Administration officials say the office will tackle the whole spectrum of concerns relating to "human geography"—from the problem of truancy among homeless youth to urban air quality and public health. "We're looking at a results-driven and data-driven approach," says Douglas, special assistant to the president for urban affairs. "It doesn't make sense if you're doing transportation policy in a separate department from housing policy, because where you do the transit lines, for example, you need to make sure that there's housing that has access to the transportation, and when you do the housing you need to make sure it's affordable housing, so that you don't have these pockets of concentrated poverty."
But while Urban Affairs has grand ambitions, it is operating as part of a complex bureaucracy that makes its real influence hard to observe. Douglas has an appointment in the Domestic Policy Council, but the office itself is not part of the council. Carrion works outside of the policy shop, under Jarrett, but primarily as a liaison to local governments. The office's key issues span nearly a dozen agencies—among them, Transportation, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection, even Homeland Security—agencies already hard at work on the problems facing urban America. The faith office is connecting many urban communities of color with resources. The Domestic Policy Council's Office of Mobility deals with poverty, and its Office of Opportunity and Social Innovation deals with private-sector investment. Moreover, Obama's Cabinet is full of city dwellers with big ideas of their own, from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, to Nancy Sutley, former deputy mayor of Los Angeles and head of the Council on Environmental Quality. So while the mandate of Urban Affairs includes "breaking down the traditional jurisdictional boundaries," according to Douglas, its regulatory authority appears as limited as its challenges are great.
Another part of the problem, some suspect, may be the experience level of Carrion, the director of the office. A former teacher with a record of general success in the Bronx—including a commitment to green building in low-income neighborhoods—Carrion is still essentially a local politician, now tasked with a massive nationwide renovation. While his deputy worked on federal policy for Paterson, this is Carrion's first foray into national administration. "[He] doesn't have a lot of experience in dealing with federal policy," says Lind. "How could you give somebody like Adolfo Carrion control over, say the transportation laws in Milwaukee? It's a hard leap to make." Despite the campaign funding allegations (the White House declined to comment on the controversy, and requests to interview Carrion for this article were denied), Carrion beat out other, higher-profile officials whose names were floated for the position, including Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin; L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; and Brookings Institution scholar Bruce Katz, who is now working as a senior adviser to HUD. Picking a "celebrity" to run the office might have inspired more confidence that it will make a difference to urban America.
At times, the mere existence of Urban Affairs is used as proof of its efficacy. "People have tried before to crack the skulls and break the silos," says Douglas. "What's different this time is that there is a new office that was created to do that…. So I think that speaks to the priority."
Symbolism alone will not solve all of the pressing issues facing American cities. But many urban interest groups retain high hopes for the new office. "We're all waiting and watching," says Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, president of Green for All, which promotes green jobs for people of color. "For issues like retrofitting and weatherization, we need that office to be successful." Team Obama is rarely shy about advertising its own successes. And the White House will undoubtedly hype several legislative and diplomatic victories during the 100-day sprint. So it's worth waiting and watching to see if cities are indeed "the solution"—or if substantive, transformational change remains an urban legend.
Dayo Olopade is Washington reporter for The Root.
Covers the White House and Washington for The Root. Follow her on Twitter.


text:
After the bear started breaking into homes looking for food, once stealing two pies from a kitchen counter, some people had enough. Wildlife advocates scrambled to find a sanctuary for the animal, but time ran out: in August, the bear was shot and killed by management.
That bear's death in Mountain Air, about 35 miles north of Asheville, has become a flashpoint for outraged wildlife advocates who say the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission needs to find non-lethal ways to handle so-called nuisance bears.
"When it comes to nuisance bears, the state's policy is simple: shoot them," Millie Bowling said. "And that's just wrong. That needs to change."
This is the latest controversy surrounding the Wildlife Resources Commission. Wildlife advocates were upset last year when state biologists killed nine penned deer on a homeowner's property in Randolph County. The commission said the deer were killed because they had to be tested for a fatal disease called chronic wasting, which can't be done on live animals. But the owner, Wayne Kindley, and supporters said they were outraged.
Wildlife and environmental groups also are angry that the commission allowed overnight hunting of coyotes throughout North Carolina this year, including in the area inhabited by the only wild population of red wolves, one of the world's most endangered animals. The groups opposed the rule because red wolves resemble coyotes and are hard to tell apart even during the day.
David Cobb, chief of the agency's Division of Wildlife Management, said the Mountain Air community decided to kill the three-legged bear.
"This was an animal that had caused damage to property multiple times, and the property owners decided they were going to address that issue. And they did," he said.
But wildlife advocates say the state didn't do enough to help them relocate the bear.
"The idea of shooting bears should be an absolute last resort," said Leslie Hayhurst, who lives on Beach Mountain and runs the Genesis Animal Sanctuary.
Some states -- mostly in the West -- capture and relocate nuisance bears to remote wildlife settings. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department routinely relocates and removes black and grizzly bears as part of normal department operations. But in many states, there's no place remote enough to relocate them. And the bears seldom stay where they are released and may return to where they were caught.
In North Carolina, the agency can relocate a bear but it's done on a case-by-case basis, and it usually only involves orphan cubs, Cobb said.
"There are very few places you can put a bear that won't be in somebody's backyard," said Bradley Howard, the agency's private lands program coordinator.
North Carolina has seen a major resurgence in black bears. A generation ago, their numbers had dwindled because of hunting and development, and the animals were only found in the most remote mountains and coastal swamps.
Now there are about 15,000 black bears in North Carolina, with about 5,000 in the western North Carolina. Bear complaints began to increase in the 1990s, primarily in residential areas of western North Carolina where developers began building multimillion-dollar homes in gated communities.
The number of bear complaints has doubled in the last decade -- from 277 in 2001 to 671 in 2011, according to the agency.
Many involve bears who have become too comfortable around humans. They wander into backyards, looking for food. Most of the blame can be placed on humans, said Bill Lea, a nature photographer and naturalist who tried to find a sanctuary for the three-legged bear.
If people don't lock up garbage cans, bears will sift through the trash. If people leave food in bird feeders, bears will find it.
"Bears that have learned to get food from people -- either direct feeding, or the garbage and bird feeders ... and they subsequently lose their fear of people," Lea said.
In the case of the three-legged bear, Lea said, officials took the easy route.
Residents in the Mountain Air community first saw the injured bear in November 2011. At the time, its right front leg was still attached but appeared to be hanging by a flap of skin. It's unclear how the leg was injured.
When the bear reappeared in the spring, its leg was missing. Construction workers building a house on the development began feeding the bear because he was so skinny, said Beverly Hammond, who lives in the community.
For some, Mountain Air is their second home. So when they returned to the development for spring and summer, they began complaining about the bear breaking into homes.
Management sent emails and posted notices advising people to keep their windows and doors closed on the ground level. Some residents ignored the warnings, Hammond said. By early summer, Hammond and other activists were racing to find a sanctuary to take the bear. She said she begged for another day or two, but the community's management refused, and the commission also offered no help.
"Everyone in our development wanted the bear to be removed, but most wanted him to be removed alive and taken to Grandfather Mountain, and not removed from our development dead in the back of a pickup truck," she said.
"It was just devastating."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.
~Jiddu Krishnamurti
Ready to put the sizzle back in your love life? Want to re-ignite the spark in the bedroom? A spicy, hot romance is closer than you think. Today, I'll talk about three simple ways you can heal your love life naturally.
Problems arise in the body when universal energy is prevented from flowing through meridians (energy channels). Reproductive health may become compromised and this has an adverse affect on your intimate relationship. Follow these three simple "R's" to re-kindle the romance naturally:
1. Restore balance with whole foods
A common cause of problems in the body is over consumption of extreme foods. Extreme foods, like sugar, create a roller coaster ride of a "high" which then leads to a "crash." Long-term chaotic spikes of highs and lows eventually deplete the body. Careful selection of whole foods, such as brown rice and vegetables, restores natural, healthy energy flow in the body. When balance is restored, all areas of your life become transformed, including your love life. Through this natural way, you can re-connect with your partner on a deeper, more profound level.
2. Rejuvenate with tea
Hydration is essential, especially in the hotter months when the heat outside and the air conditioning inside can lead to dehydration. Macrobiotic teas not only promote relaxation in mind, body, and spirit, they also help dissolve fat and cleanse mucous congestion in the body. When these blockages are removed, universal energy can flow to reproductive organs and sexual function is restored. Great macrobiotic teas include twig tea, roasted brown rice tea, roasted barley tea, and corn silk tea.
3. Revive your mojo with miso
One bowl of miso soup daily helps dissolve fat and mucous in the reproductive organs, restores energy, and improves sex drive. Barley or brown rice miso neutralizes toxins, alkalinizes the blood, and provides beneficial bacteria for the intestines. Prepare the soup with various vegetables like wakame seaweed, chopped carrots, onion, daikon, or shiitake mushrooms. Green leafy vegetables may be added when the soup is almost ready to serve. Prepare the soup in its simplest form by adding 1 teaspoon of barley miso to 1 cup of liquid.


text:
State of Wisconsin
Other Forms
Statutes and Administrative Code
Continuing Education Information
Exam Information
Offenses that May Result in Refusal, Bar, or Termination of Licensure
Funeral Directors Examining Board
Orders and Disciplinary Actions
Conviction Self Report
Professional Assistance Procedure
File a Complaint
License Information
Fee Reduction
Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 319, beginning August 1, 2018, an applicant for an initial credential may apply for a reduction of the initial credential fee that is equal to 10% of the initial fee. Qualification is based on the federal adjusted gross income being at or below 180% of the federal poverty guideline prescribed for the applicant's family household size by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. To determine eligibility please visit the United States Department of Health and Human Services website at https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines, prior to submitting Form 3217.
Wis. Stat. § 440.08 (2), the required renewal date for the Funeral Director credential is 12/14/odd years. Should you receive your initial credential in the months leading up to this date, you are still required to renew your license by the statutorily defined date.
Applicants must submit evidence of having completed 9 months or more instruction in a prescribed course in a mortuary science school; and two years of academic instruction in a college or university with coursework in specific areas. Completion of an apprenticeship is also required. For details concerning requirements, see
Wis. Admin. Code § FD 1.
Renewal Methods
Wisconsin Act 210 (effective June 1, 2012)
This Act extends the license of a service member if the license expires while they are on active duty from 90 days to 180 days from the date of discharge. The same applies to a spouse of a service member if the spouse does not practice under their license while the service member is on active duty and does not practice because the service member is on active duty.
This Act repeals a provision of prior law that required a service member to meet all of the requirements for license extension or renewal, except for continuing education requirements, in order to have the license extended.
Service members and spouses may request extensions of licenses beyond 180 days from discharge and may request a waiver or extension of time to complete continuing education requirements due to hardship. Please view Active Duty/Discharge Renewal Extension Form #R210.


text:
Please share this video with everyone you know. It explains the "Rahn Curve," which is a spending version of the Laffer Curve. Named after Cato Institute's Richard Rahn, the Curve shows that modest amounts of government spending – for core "public goods" such as rule of law and protection of property rights – is associated with better economic performance.
But when government rises above that level (as it has in all developed nations), then more government is associated with slower growth.


text:
Birth Control in West Hartford, CT
West Hartford Center offers the following birth control methods:
- birth control education
- birth control implant
- birth control patch
- birth control pill
- birth control shot
- birth control sponge (Today Sponge)
- birth control vaginal ring (NuvaRing)
- cervical cap (FemCap)
- condom
- dental dams
- diaphragm
- emergency contraception (morning-after pill)
- fertility awareness method
- IUD (hormonal)
- IUD (copper)
- outercourse and abstinence education
- safer sex education
Birth control services are available:
- On a walk-in basis: Walk-in services are available up to one hour before closing. Birth control refills can be picked up anytime the health center is open.
Here's what you need to know about birth control at this health center:
If you qualify, you may be able to receive certain birth control services without a pelvic exam.
If required, you may have to schedule a Pap test or a breast exam before getting a hormonal birth control method.
In order to obtain an IUD, we may first require an exam and a Pap test.
Specialty Services
Pills by Mail is available at this health center — a service that delivers birth control pills to your home each month. Ask the health center staff for more information.
Prices and Payment Information
Price ranges for our birth control services are:
- birth control implant - $390-$560
- birth control patch - $10
- birth control pill - Please contact this health center for birth control pricing information.
- birth control shot - $110-$175
- birth control vaginal ring (NuvaRing) - $30-$40
- diaphragm - $40-$76
- fertility awareness method - $4-$8
- IUD (hormonal) - $505-$679
- IUD (copper) - $305-$439
Payment is expected at time of service unless other arrangements have been made.
Some birth control services may be covered by your insurance. If you want to use your insurance, please be sure to have your insurance information at the time of your visit.


text:
HON is committed to unique design, superior production, excellent craftsmanship and customer service. By applying these values daily, they've created a unique business atmosphere that focuses on achieving operational excellence. The HON Company offers the industry's most complete lines of office furnture in both wood and steel, including chairs, tables, files, panel systems and desks.
HON pursues innovative and sound business practices while striving to provide exceptional service. The HON Company operates a nationwide distribution network and world-class manufacturing facilities throughout the United States.


text: I'm back in the saddle this week after returning from Build, a conference in Northern Ireland, expertly assembled by Andy McMillan. It was a great event, and a nice way to cap off a busy year of speaking. Build was my last event till 2012. I decided I need some time off to recharge, focus on some other things, not be away from the family, and take a good long while before thinking about diving into Keynote again to construct a fresh talk. Looking forward to attending an event or two in 2011.


text:
Early last week, Rick came home talking about cinnamon rolls. They sounded so good, I started craving them myself. I am not much of a baker, but I decided to look for a cinnamon roll recipe that would make something resembling a Cinnabon. I love how gooey Cinnabons are. The recipes I've tried in the past always bake somewhat hard, dry rolls.
Well, thanks to google, this is what I came up with. It's adapted from recipes that I found on this blog and this website.
1 (¼ oz). pkg. yeast
1 c. warm (not hot) milk
½ c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. packed brown sugar
2½ TBS. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter, softened
8 TBS. butter, softened
¼ c. (2 oz.) cream cheese
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1½ c. confectioners sugar
To make Rolls:
Oven to 400° F
1.) Place yeast and milk in a large bowl about 5 minutes.
2.) Whisk in sugar, butter, salt, and eggs. Add flour; mix well.
3.) Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead into a large ball. Cover; let rise 1 hour.
4.) Roll dough into a 21″ x 16″ wide rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.
5.) Spread the dough with softened butter.
6.) Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over entire buttered rectangle.
7.) Roll carefully from long-side. Pinch the ends.
8.) Using a sharp knife, cut into 1¾ inch wide rolls, making twelve.
9.) Put rolls into greased 9" x 13" baking pan.
10.) Let the rolls rise in the pan for 30 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare the icing (see below).
11.) Bake the rolls about 20 minutes until the rolls are slightly browned and not doughy. Do not over bake.
12.) Remove rolls from oven and let cool about 15 minutes. Cover with icing and serve warm.
To make Icing:
Cream ingredients together with an electric mixer, beating until fluffy.
Spread on hot rolls.
And after about three and a half hours, and a few angry tears on the phone to my mom (I told you, I am NOT a baker), this is what I got:
And after all that – they were worth it! They DID taste just like a Cinnabon! I think with a little practice, I should be able to shave at least an hour off the prep time, and I know that I can do it without the tears… I thought I had killed my yeast with too-hot milk. But they turned out deliciously!


text:
Distro version migration nastiness
While preparing the 8.2.0 release (including the Fedora 9 rebase), we found ourselves having to re-include dirty OLPC-specific package changes from the older Fedora 7 releases. In fact, a number of the F9-induced bugs were caused simply from accidently losing the OLPC-specific changes we applied to packages in F7.
Due to time constraints we find ourselves having to reinclude those changes in the F9 packages and hence will probably see the same issues when rebasing in future. So we decided to create this page which documents those changes, hopefully making it easier to rebase in future.
It is also important for us to work towards making this list as small as it possibly can be, so that rebasing in future is not as difficult as it is now.
9.1.0 nastiness
- Forked SDL_mixer to drop PersonalCopy-Lite-patches requirement. hopefully will fix this for F11
8.2.0 nastiness
- <trac>7294</trac>: we are including an ov7670 kernel camera driver patch before it is merged upstream (plus I don't know that it is correct). The other option is to modify gstreamer like we did for F7. I'm not entirely sure which option is correct and V4L upstream have so far been unresponsive to my 2 emails.
- <trac>7319</trac>: We are forking an OLPC-3 branch of telepathy-salut so that we can include 2 patches needed for collaboration to work with rainbow. Upstream have rejected those patches. We should come up with an upstream-acceptable solution for future releases.
- <trac>7252</trac>: The ov7670 driver shipped upstream exhibits an occasional hang-on-boot condition. In the OLPC kernel we reverted the upstream commit and have applied a "sledgehammer"-style workaround to avoid initialization delays at boot/resume.
- gnash: Tomeu created an OLPC-3 branch in order to avoid building a load of unneeded stuff which had extra dependencies (Qt plugin, etc). This kind of thing should probably be pushed into Fedora as a whole. gnash 0.8.3-1.olpc3.2 continues to be forked in joyride-2379.
- <trac>7353</trac>: forked a number of packages to remove unneeded dependencies. totem is the worst (removing gnome-desktop), but we'll also want slimmed down ntp and mtd-utils to remove perl dependency, removing PersonalCopyLite midi patches from SDL_mixer, etc.
- Network manager: Our F7 0.6.5 package has various OLPC specific patches for the msh interface which were not applied (accepted?) upstream. NM 0.7 has changed significantly and the patches do not apply...
- xulrunner is forked with some OLPC-specific patches, and adjusted compilation options to exclude libgnome and gnomevfs dependencies.
- xorg-x11-server forked to remove Fedora's patch which disables evdev for keyboards (we need evdev)
- ntp forked to split ntpdate into its own package, removing the perl dependency. upstream have addressed this for F10.
- totem-pl-parser has an evil dependency chain through its use of libcamel. forked it with a hacky patch to remove the dependency (affected functionality is of no use to us). upstream may consider a proper solution if someone steps up to do the work
- xorg-x11-utils forked to remove xdriinfo and it's mesa dependencies. upstream have fixed this for F10.
- forked gstreamer-plugins-base to remove cdparanoia plugin and gst-visualize (which requires perl) (fixed upstream for F10]
- <trac>7615</trac>: forked poppler since our sugar-evince package requires an old poppler version. effort should be made to update our sugar-evince package and get our changes upstream.
- <trac>1286</trac>: forked pygame to upgrade to newer version and drop dependency on numeric. fixed in latest F9 updates.
- forked pygtk2 to use numpy instead of numeric (see redhat bug)
- gstreamer, gstreamer-plugins-base, gstreamer-plugins-good, and gstreamer-python all forked to revert to update1 versions to avoid <trac>7887</trac>, <trac>7609</trac>, <trac>7452</trac>. A gstreamer developer (Josep Torra) is interested in fixing up gstreamer & Record for our needs, so this will hopefully be fixed for the 9.1 timeframe. He has applied for an XO through the developer program.
- <trac>7603</trac>: forked hal and hal-info to stop HAL polling the battery all the time (causes audio skips). and upstream has now approved patch; will get into F10 with hal 0.5.12 release
- <trac>8395</trac>: forked yum to fix performance regression; should be fixed in next upstream yum
- bugs.freedesktop.org #17551: forked dbus-python to eliminate memory leak (marco)
- <trac>8431</trac>: forked numpy 1.1.1-1.olpc3.1, python 2.5.1-26.olpc3.1, python-libs 2.5.1-26.olpc3.1 to fix problems with -OO. Should be in upstream python 2.5.2 and numpy 1.2.0.
- <trac>8433</trac>: forked fedora-release 9-5.transition.1 to add OLPC-specific release information.
- <trac>7426</trac>: forked xapian-core-libs 1.0.7-1.fc9.1 for f7/f9 compatibility patch.
- <trac>7997</trac>: forked pygame 1.8.0-1.olpc3.3 to add SDL_Pango dependency
See also
- F11 for 1.5 discusses the changes to Fedora 11 and later Fedora releases that are required to make a release for the XO 1.5 hardware.
- Enabling XO features on other distributions for the changes in OLPC OS images that take advantage of the XO hardware.
- In 2009, much work involved in minimizing the OLPC-specific changes to Fedora 11 is being discussed on the fedora-olpc mailing list.


text:
Time's Josh Ozersky tries to get at the heart of what makes ramps so friggin' beloved by foodies:
What makes ramps ramps is not their flavor, you see, but their cultural value. David Kamp, the author of The Food Snob's Dictionary, offers this explanation to Time: "The ramp is not a salad green, but it is a green vegetable, and it is the first legitimately green thing that appears from the ground in April, a month that, in terms of farm yield, is otherwise an extension of winter. For food snobs, therefore, ramps are overcelebrated and overly scrutinized, like the first ballgame played in April, even with 161 more games ahead."
Related: How to Pickle Ramps »
How to Make Ramp Compound Butter »


text:
He may switch a few words around, but what commenter DunnCarnage is basically saying in today's Speak-Up on Kotaku is that a game doesn't have to be fun to be entertaining, and vice-versa.
Something that has been bugging me recently about games is the concept that they don't necessarily have to be "fun" to be "good". Now, before we get any further, we need to define these two otherwise I'll get into semantically based discussion which is beside the point.
Minute to minute enjoyment. Every part of the game causes the player to smile and be actively enjoying it. Examples of this is stuff like God of War and Super Mario Galaxy, every minute is tightly scripted and designed to be a gleeful spectacle.
A game that one would consider worth at least one play through. Not a waste of time.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
Now, as you can see, these definitions don't openly say one leads to the other. Some games are fun but not exactly good, The Force Unleashed is a great example of a fun game that just isn't good. Of course there are plenty of good games that simply aren't fun, Silent Hill Shattered Memories is an amazing experience and an absolute must play for Wii owners with a taste for it but it isn't fun by any means. Interesting and intriguing of course but not fun in the slightest.
So why is it that every game is determined to be fun, and why is it we only associate games with fun? For example, the recent controversy over the Nazi death camp video game was mostly because many would consider the game to be "fun" and thus trivialize the event. But did it have to be fun? What if the game was just horrific and difficult? Would that be offensive? Surely a game where one feels powerless and vulnerable would get across the emotional horror of the event far greater than any film or book on the matter. But then, wouldn't many say the game wasn't a game at all, but an "interactive experience"? Some might even call it a bad game because it wasn't "fun".
Another, less controversial example of this is No More Heroes. NMH is in many places not fun. At all. It's even boring. But I still consider it one of the games that has influenced me most when it comes to approaching media and writing, don't be afraid to be dull. NMH is clever, because the dullness is deliberate and there for a reason; it's to parallel Travis' exciting life as an assassin with being a door to door handyman. You could even go one further and say Travis' day job is his real world and the assassin jobs are video games he buys (the whole game can been seen as a metaphor for the video game industry, but anyway). The over world is lifeless and empty perhaps because that is how Travis views the real world, and the menial tasks you have to do are repetitive and dull because in real life they are. This is a perfect example of a game that is boring beyond belief at times but still good.
So, what I'm asking for, in a weird way, is for everyone to stop saying a game is fun and therefore good or dull and therefore bad. Because it's simply not true. I would also ask for less fun games but more good ones.
About Speak-Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That's why we have that little box on the front page of Kotaku. You know, the one with "Got something to say?" written in it? That's the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Just make sure to include #speakup in your comment so we can find it. Every weekday we'll pull one of the best #speakup posts we can find and highlight it here.


text:
Schools and universities are often big fans of Apple products, which usually translates to labs and laptop carts full of Macs. Educational institutions across the country have also started to provide students with personal laptops. Louisiana recently launched a program to distribute MacBooks to elementary school students, and now Abilene Christian University in Texas is getting into the act as well. But rather than handing out MacBooks, the university will be distributing iPhones and iPod touches to all incoming freshmen.
ACU began exploring uses for mobile devices in the summer of 2007 and ran a pilot study with faculty and and educational technology developers to determine how the iPhone could be used by students. The group came up with quite a few uses for the devices, devising more than 15 iPhone applications that they hoped will be useful to students. These applications include homework alerts, in-class surveys, directions to classrooms and offices, and meal balance information, just to name a few.
The iPhone and iPod touch program is a direct result of the study, and the usage patterns of the incoming freshman class will shape future mobile device programs at ACU. The school is also considering other ways to integrate technology and education. CIO Kevin Roberts made a recent presentation to Apple and a number of other institutions (including most of the Ivy League) about the iPhone programs, so perhaps more schools will follow suit in the future.


text:
Visa, MasterCard to pay $3bn to stay in Russia - Morgan Stanley
Under Russia's new legislation, Visa and MasterCard will have to pay $3 billion in 'security fees' to continue operating in Russia, more than five times higher than the companies combined revenues, a new Morgan Stanley report says.
Under the new plan, Visa will be required to pay Russia's Central bank $1.9 billion, and MasterCard will have to fork out $1 billion, according to an estimate by Morgan Stanley, Kommersant reported on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on foreign payment systems on May 5 that requires foreign payment systems to be levied at 25 percent of an average amount of transfers profit during one calendar day in Russia, to be paid each quarter to the Central Bank. The law will be enacted on July 1.
Morgan Stanley has calculated that it is unprofitable for both
Visa and MasterCard to continue to work in Russia.
The Morgan Stanley Report titled "The Russian Bear: Impacts of V and MA" said the fees will be more than five times the two companies' combined annual revenue in Russia. Analysts at Morgan Stanley report net sales for Visa to be between $350-470 million, and $160 million for MasterCard.
A possible loophole would be to create a separate, non US-owned entity to run the Russian Visa and MasterCard divisions. Visa already has such an operation in Europe.
"MasterCard has worked in Russia for more than 20 years. We are continuing to study all components of the new law, and are sure that some of the provisions will not only create serious difficulties for our operations in Russia, but will damage the Russian market of electronic payments in the long-term," the company told Kommersant in a statement, adding they "continue to work closely with government agencies, financial institutions, and commercial enterprises in Russia."
Visa has declined comment on the report.
The first wave of US sanctions prompted a mix-up with Visa and MasterCard, which led to unlawful payment freezes at three Russian banks in March and demands from the Russian government to compensate for the mix-up.
The $3 billion (100 billion ruble) estimate is much higher than the original 80 billion ruble lawmakers previously discussed slapping the companies with.
Visa and MasterCard control 90 percent of the Russian payment systems market, but Putin said that both companies will lose market share if there are any future payment disruptions.
The creation of a National Payment System (NPS) for Russia is being worked out by the country's central bank, with the government hoping to complete work on the project within the next six months.


text:
Nikon Asia and its corporate websites and external third-party partners use cookies to improve our website and enhance your user experience. We use analytic cookies and marketing cookies to learn from user information, personalise advertisements and measure their effectiveness. These cookies track information such as how users navigate and use our website, users' analytics, and data on users' purchases. By clicking on "Accept Cookies" or continuing to browse without changing your settings, you agree and consent to the use of cookies by this website. For more information, please view our Privacy Policy
The front line of the lens revolution.
Renowned optical
Feel the liberating power, speed and performance of a Nikon DSLR.
Binoculars. Rangefinders. Fieldscopes.
NIKKOR Z Presents: The Moments
Shot exclusively on the Nikon Z 6 and NIKKOR S-Line Lenses, including the new NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct.
Stay up to date and discover a world of knowledge and inspiration.
Recent Posts
Follow us on Instagram
#nikonindia | @nikonindiaofficial


text:
The new franchise Of Miss World here in the Philippines now under the tutelage of Miss Cory Quirino will be having its grand coronation night next month at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC.)
Now that they release the official candidates for the said pageant, the game is on to win that one crown and received a luxurious seaside condominium unit at Sea Residences from SMDC and 1-million pesos cash plus a chance to represent the country in London this November for the 61st edition of the Miss World!
So judging from the pictures below, who do you think stood out from these 25 lovely candidates?
My personal Top Picks based on these pictures are
1. #17 Erin Dolores Lane
2. # 13 Gwendolyn Ruais
3. #2 Julian Savard
4. #25 Erina Ann Lightholder
5. #19 Mica Angela Angeles
Lemme know who your favorites are…
pictures are from missosology.


text:
Meet Victor Hugo, sort of. One of the most celebrated authors of the 19th century and one of France most highly acclaimed poet, novelist and artist. He's known by most for such works as Notre-Dame de Paris, (Hunchback of Notre-Dame) more notably; Les Misérables and Les Travailleurs de la Mer, just to name a few.
If your planning a trip to Paris, why not check out The Victor Hugo Museum (French; Maison de Victor Hugo ) who lived here for 16 years from 1832–1848. Even though it's one of the cities lesser known museums, nicely tucked away on a corner of one of Paris' beautifully arched passageways, it's far less crowded and you can easily spend an hour rambling through the museums 7 rooms. I visited Hugo's home this past Saturday for the first time..
For those on a budget, you'll love the museums FREE entry, like I did! If you'd like an audio guide, the museum offers one in 6 different languages (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese) for a nominal fee of 5€. Instead, I bought the Maison de Victor Hugo Museum Guide book for just 10€. The book provides detailed information about every room, displays colorful photography and devotes sections of writings and genealogy of Victor Hugo himself. The book is definitely worth buying because you'll find condensed information within the book and not having to research his life through different websites for information about to Victor Hugo.
The original architectural layout isn't true to his past while living there, and that's only because the building had been renovated to accommodate an academic setting. Many of Hugo's furnishings and paintings from his former residences, before, during and after exile were donated to help bring back to life, his former apartment. You can read in detail about each room and see the evolving changes throughout the Maison de Victor Hugo Museum Guide or opt for the audio guide instead.
Wether you studied Victor Hugo, enjoyed his writings, seen any of his plays or made for cinema movies, then make Maison de Victor Hugo a sight-seeing to-do list while in Paris.
Maison de Victor Hugo
6 place des Vosges
75004 Paris
(33) 01 42 72 10 16
Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Closed on Mondays and public holidays
Free Admission


text:
Jan. 29, 2008 — -- I have been taking care of many severely ill patients with depression and bipolar disorder over the past month, patients hospitalized on the mood disorders service at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Three of these patients have had outstanding responses to ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, also known as "shock" therapy.
Two of them came in hopeless, intensely miserable, and preoccupied with ending their lives, while the third came in with a depression so severe that it shut her down entirely — she was mute, not able to respond to my questions or even recognize that I was in the room with her.
The three of them all look happy and cheerful now, and feel very grateful for having been made well again.
The challenges that their depressions created in their lives — disruption at work and school, and damaged family and social relationships — now seem surmountable, given their new energy and confidence.
While in the minds of some patients and their families ECT remains scary and controversial, the reality is that it is the most effective treatment for clinical depression, and it is a well-studied, safe medical procedure.
I know it looks cruel and punitive as it is depicted in the 1975 movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but that's Hollywood — that's fiction — rather than an accurate rendering of ECT as we use it in psychiatry today.
The most important thing to know about ECT is that it works 75 percent to 80 percent of the time in treating people with depression, while any given antidepressant medication works about 60 percent of the time.
As with most of our treatments in psychiatry, we do not know precisely how ECT works, though we have some clues.
We know that ECT causes a seizure — an electrical storm — in the brain, and that this seizure is necessary for ECT to have its therapeutic effect. The seizure seems to reboot the emotional machinery of the brain, in the same way that pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the computer can sometimes provide a fresh start when the digital computer brain is stuck.
ECT has been around longer than any other modern psychiatric treatment — since 1938, when it was developed in Italy. Because it seemed to work, and because there was so little available to treat the severely mentally ill, ECT spread around the world very quickly.
While the treatment was initially used in patients who were awake and alert, and was thus potentially frightening, by the late 1950s it was being applied with modern anesthesia techniques that included both sedating medications to put patients to sleep, and muscle relaxants so that the seizure was physically only very mild. At the same time, anesthesiologists began to monitor the patients' breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to ensure the maximum level of safety.
Treatment is typically administered three times a week over two to four weeks. Each treatment involves electricity being administered to the head for one or a few seconds, which results in a seizure lasting 20-90 seconds. While the seizure is happening in the brain, there is very little evidence of it in the body, because of the muscle relaxant medication, as noted above. The patient is usually awake within a few minutes, groggy for 30-60 minutes, and feeling back to normal after that.
While minor side effects can occur, like headaches, upset stomach and muscle aches, all of these can be managed with medications. Most patients do very well with the treatments.
The side effect of greatest concern is memory problems. In the same way that rebooting the computer can cause the loss of whatever the computer brain was working on at the time, so ECT commonly causes loss of memories around the time of the treatment. It is important to consider the context here. I have had patients tell me that this was not bothersome because they did not particularly want to recall the horrible feelings they had that led to the necessity of ECT.
On the other hand, the memory problems can extend further, leaving gaps in the period up to six months before ECT and up to two months after it. This effect is more pronounced in people undergoing a form of ECT called "bilateral" ECT, in which the electricity is run through the whole brain, than in the form called "unilateral," in which it is run only through the right side. For this reason, unilateral is the form generally used. For those who experience this memory loss, the memories generally return gradually, over a period of about six months.
Patients typically find they are able to compensate for memory gaps using strategies such as taking more written notes, or relying on friends or colleagues to remind them of things.
Many patients have described how memory difficulties are a price worth paying for relief from devastating and debilitating depression. Kitty Dukakis, wife of former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, is among them. She relates how ECT changed her life for the better in her book "Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy."
The other important downside to ECT that patients need to be aware of is that while it restores many patients to wellness, it does not necessarily keep them well. There is a need for continuing treatment to give people the best possible chance of staying depression-free.
One study showed that either putting patients back on antidepressant medications, or continuing to do occasional ECT treatments (called "maintenance" ECT), led to two-thirds of patients staying well over the next six months. The rate of wellness over that period in patients with no treatment was only 16 percent.
ECT is far from perfect, but it is the most effective treatment we have for serious depression. I wish you could see the bright and optimistic looks on the faces of the three women whom we brought back from the brink this month.
Dr. James Potash is an associate professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Mood Disorders Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail at email@example.com. To participate in our genetic and clinical studies, call 1-877-MOODS-JH.


text:
The Minor Family Album closes with nine children's portraits, all of them, but one, local Green County kids photographed by Carmichaels (Pennsylvania) portrait expert, Thomas W. Rogers.
The exception is found in page twenty-three's head shot of a young girl, taken by Iowan Silas T. Wiggins of Cedar Rapids, in the early eighteen nineties.
To distinguish his work from the other photographers of Linn County, Mr. Wiggins used ivory colored cardstock with rounded corners and gold beveled edges. A thin brown line borders all four sides, just a hair away from the cabinet card edge, framing both the portrait and Silas Wiggins' imprint. That much embellishment was used by many photographers in the years between 1889-1894, however.
What sets this card apart is the imprint's logo which, together with the text, describes Silas T. Wiggins in quite some detail.
Upon first examination, this artifact appeared to be a typical Victorian business card incorporated into a commissioned product; S. T. Wiggins was the creator of the cabinet portrait, and could be found in a studio near the post office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There is something about the coat of arms and the scrolled design that makes me pronounce this information with a flourish, a reaction that I have not had to any other cabinet card imprint. Questions bubbled up in quick succession…what are those groups of letters? that crown thingie? What is the meaning of the circle? What is inside the square?
This Anglo-Norman phrase–Evil unto him who thinks evil of it–is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter. At some time in the past few hundred years, this order became associated with Freemasonry. The words are printed on a garter, which encircles a shield on which are displayed a lion and a harp. Atop this emblem sits a crown. The medallion in the Wiggins' imprint is filled with the symbolism of Freemasonry. A biography of Silas Wiggins in the History of Linn County, Iowa* confirmed that the photographer had been a Mason, and served as Sir Knight Templar and in the Apollo Commandery.
Freemason membership was important to Silas Wiggins, and from a cursory look at the rest of the Brewer book it would appear that freemasonry was important to much of Linn County's leadership. Is it possible that Silas Wiggins included the masonic symbols in his professional imprint to advertise specifically to fellow freemasons? Did that membership drive business into his studio? I suggest the answer is yes. At least on one occasion.
The women with a masonic affiliation could join the Order of the Eastern Star, whose emblem was a richly decorated five pointed star. Each point held a symbol representative of a Biblical queen and a virtue for which she was known. For example, a scepter and crown represented Esther and the virtue of loyalty. A scepter and crown, like the one seen in this young girl's necklace.
I would speculate that this child is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and that her parents decided to have a fellow mason capture her image in his Cedar Rapids studio, near the post office, sometime between 1890 and 1892. Just who she is and how she is related to Mary Jane Gwynne Minor is a story for another day…
*Brewer, Luther A. and Barthinius Wick. The History of Linn County, Iowa, Volume 2, p. 233. The Pioneer Publishing Company: Chicago. 1910.


text:
Space is tight for computer science students at the University of Washington. The program can accommodate only one‐third of UW students who fulfill prerequisites and apply to the major. With lobbying support from a number of big-name tech neighbors – Microsoft, Amazon and Zillow, to name a few -- the university is soliciting state funds to help pay for a second building for its Computer Science & Engineering department in Seattle. With a new building, UW expects to double its compsci enrollment.
UW isn't alone. Colleges and universities across the country have been building new facilities to keep up with expanding STEM – science, technology, engineering and math -- programs. Cornell University, University of California at Merced, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and George Washington University in Washington, D.C., are just a few of the many schools with slick new facilities for computer science and engineering ().
As colleges add capacity, they're also rethinking how STEM facilities should be designed.
"The buildings that we're designing now are really about engaging people in the sciences," says architect Leila Kamal, vice president of design & expertise at EYP Architecture & Engineering.
One of EYP's newest STEM buildings is at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas (pictured at top). The Center for the Sciences & Innovation (CSI) is designed to encourage hands-on education and interdisciplinary research. Home to six departments, it's a campus hub for students and faculty across all majors. Tech is on display everywhere, from glass-walled laboratories that let visitors view experiments to an open-air innovation lab (photo below).
CSI is representative of what many institutions want to achieve, Kamal says. "They're all looking to create a welcoming space for students and faculty to congregate, study and learn. Creating a destination place on campus is a huge theme. They're also trying to advance student and faculty research," she says. "Nine times out of 10, they're coming from an environment that's highly inflexible and won't support contemporary, modern pedagogy."
Today's STEM architecture is a reflection of more contemporary learning methods. Long, empty hallways are avoided. There are fewer traditional lecture halls and more opportunities for hands-on instruction. Labs are on display instead of tucked in basements. Circulation spaces become opportunities for students and professors to mingle and collaborate.
"We're investigating ways to create spaces that are adaptable, multimodal, and flexible," says Mark Thaler, senior associate and education practice leader at global design firm Gensler. "We bring in natural light, we create transparency between the corridor and what's happening in the classroom. The idea is to create spaces that people want to be in and will learn better in."
The spaces in between classrooms and offices become "this kind of circulation zone that can be just as dynamic a learning environment as what's happening inside classrooms," Thaler says.
Flexibility is a hallmark of one of Gensler's recent STEM projects, the SUTD-MIT International Design Center (IDC) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (photo above). Part engineering laboratory, part architectural design studio and part fabrication facility, the space can be reconfigured as needs change.
It's designed to accommodate not only programmatic changes – such as more testing areas, or fewer office spaces, or larger student workspaces – but also changes in technology. "As innovation and inventions continue to change the face of technology, architects need to stay in front of that. We also need to stay current with how teachers want to teach now and how they might be teaching in the future," Thaler says.
Given the time it takes to build a new campus facility from the ground up, flexibility is key. "If it takes three-and-a-half years from inception to completion of a building, it's a real challenge to create something that doesn't age out by the time you've topped it out," Thaler says. "We try to build as much flexibility as we can, both spatially and from an infrastructure standpoint."
The power of STEM
Designs that encourage collaboration aren't exclusive to STEM instruction, but STEM was an early proving ground for ideas about interdisciplinary learning given the natural relationships among the sciences, technology, engineering and math.
"Historically, sciences existed in a chemistry building, or in a physics building," Kamal says. "You'd go to college and there'd be a sign on the door that said 'physics building,' and that's where you'd study physics."
As liberal arts colleges, in particular, began to strengthen their STEM offerings in the 1990s, there was a move to combine disciplines under one roof to promote interdisciplinary thought and increase opportunities for hands-on learning. Different departments coexisting in the same building took some getting used to. Once faculty and students adjusted to sharing spaces, the focus shifted to promoting integration.
"Institutions realized -- and we as architects also realized -- that if you really wanted to make science interesting, to make it more hands-on learning, to really engage students in the sciences, the way to do that is to provide places in the building for informal gathering," Kamal says. "It's a mechanism to keep people in the building and talking about and engaging in scientific discovery."
At a large scale, public gathering spaces are important. Designers carve out dynamic spaces, outfitted with clusters of seating and accessible to gardens, food and networks. The goal is to promote intentional and serendipitous interactions. "It tends to bring the community in, bring other students in. If you put food in it, it brings everybody in," Kamal says. But it's not about simply carving out a giant atrium. "Where you place them in the building relative to other programmatic elements is really important."
At a smaller scale, students need places to study – nooks with tables and chairs, chalkboards, network access, lots of natural light, and 24/7 access. "The students can't get enough of these spaces," Kamal says. "They fill them up, they're occupied all the time. The more we put, they more they want."
Buffer spaces are also important – such as informal meeting spaces among a cluster of faculty offices; department-centric spaces where students can find others in their majors; or gathering spaces outside of research labs.
Another kind of space that's changing campuses across the country is so-called maker space. These studio spaces have an entrepreneurial vibe. Tools and technologies are accessible to help students conceptualize, develop, and fabricate their ideas. There's also often meeting spaces for connecting with the business world and potential funding partners. (See related story, "Maker spaces boost student tech innovation")
These incubator and entrepreneurial spaces aren't only for STEM students; they're for the university community at large, Thaler says. Students want "opportunities to meet with other interdisciplinary groups, to formulate ideas, to fabricate ideas, to test and prototype and, ultimately, to meet with individuals outside of the university setting that could help them realize implementations of these ideas," Thaler says.
Gensler recently completed a maker space at New York University, named The Mark and Debra Leslie Entrepreneurs Lab. The 5,900-square-foot space includes co-working spaces, meeting rooms, an event space, and a fabrication lab. "Students from any walk of life can come there and see what entrepreneurship at NYU is all about," Thaler says.
Maker spaces can help colleges and universities recruit fresh talent, forge relationships with business, and retain inventive students. "They're building them to remain competitive and remain relevant and to keep students who have this increasingly entrepreneurial bent on campus," Thaler says.
Campus competition
The college admissions process is notoriously competitive, and universities are becoming more selective as the pool of qualified candidates continues to grow. It's not only the most prestigious schools that are becoming harder to get into; it's across the board. "Everybody is affected by this more competitive admissions landscape," says Bari Norman, co-founder and president of Expert Admissions, a college and graduate school advisory firm. "Everything is much more competitive than it was even five years ago."
At the same time, schools are competing to attract students, and cutting-edge facilities can help sway prospects.
Families go on college tours and see impressive new facilities – whether it's a science center or a gym or a student center – and if another school's facilities appear tired and old by comparison, they'll notice, Norman says. "That definitely registers with them," she says. "Whether or not it's a deal breaker is an individual thing."
Research facilities and lab space are particularly important to STEM studies, and an outdated facility can give the impression that a program might not have access to cutting-edge resources. "I've had students go visit one top Ivy League school, and then go visit another top Ivy League school, and very clearly the facilities and the opportunities just don't match," Norman says. All things equal otherwise, "they'll pick the one that seems more developed, more up to date, for their particular interests," Norman says.
As record-breaking numbers of students apply to colleges and universities, campus construction projects are accelerating.
In 2014, colleges and universities spent $9.8 billion on the construction of new facilities, building additions and renovations, according to Dodge Data & Analytics, a market-research firm that specializes in construction industry data. That's up 20% from 2013, when the tally was $8.2 billion. In terms of square footage, construction volume at colleges and universities grew by 15% to 20.5 million square feet (compared to 17.8 million square feet in 2013).
The industry is still shy of its 2008 peak ($10.2 billion and 26.3 million square feet), but the gap is closing.
EYP has seen growth in STEM projects, in particular, over the last five years. "Year over year, if you look at the projects we're designing, STEM building continues to accelerate for us over almost all of our other project types. It's still a huge opportunity," Kamal says.
From STEM labs and research centers to maker spaces and entrepreneurial studios – schools are transforming. "It's a really fertile time, especially for higher education, to be reimagining and rethinking how they're going to be delivering education," Thaler says.


text:
The billboard went up last week, the local newspaper reported, and was ordered and paid for by the North Iowa Tea Party. The billboard showed Obama underneath the label "Democrat Socialism," Hitler under the label "National Socialism," and Lenin under the label "Marxist Socialism." The word "change," one of Obama's trademark slogans from his White House run, appeared beneath each of the images. And the phrase "Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful & the Naïve" was written across the bottom of the billboard.
The North Iowa Tea Party, the local Tea Party group behind the billboard, has not responded to requests for comment.
In a phone interview with CNN, Ryan Rhodes, a representative of the Iowa Tea Party, emphasized that his larger, statewide organization was not behind the billboard. Rhodes said that the billboard caused "a lot of outcry" amongst Iowa Tea Party groups and activists as word spread that the billboard had gone up.
"It detracts from the message we're trying to promote which is freedom and not fear," Rhodes told CNN. The Tea Party activist added that the billboard did an "injustice to the cause we're trying to promote which is American exceptionalism."
"None of us control one another," Rhodes said of the loose network of Tea Party activists and groups in Iowa. "But we do try to communicate with one another." He suggested that the North Iowa Tea Party's decision to put up the billboard was the result of a breakdown in communication with the larger Tea Party network in Iowa.
He added, "we discourage inflammatory billboards" but would have no problem with billboards with educational messages.
Rhodes said his organization, the Iowa Tea Party, is affiliated with the national Tea Party Patriots organization, and that his responsibilities include communicating with and coordinating between Tea Party groups across Iowa.
Updated: 4:23 p.m.
Oh ya, these folks are the ones I want leading the country. You betcha!!??
Holy Cow. Whose the King Cranium who came up with that one? The person, or persons, who came up with that sign surely has no foothold in reality. I'm not a huge Obama fan but those teabaggers, most of whom cannot string together a cohesive thought to muster an opion, should be summarily rounded up and seperated from the general masses. Least not to infect others.
Another example of how low individuals will go to demean an opponent. When I was growing up this kind of action would not have been tolerated especially when directed towards the president. Now, I guess, anything goes. I just wonder how far down individuals will sink to promote their own agenda. I read comments today that were made by Rush Limbaugh regarding George Steinbrenner who passed away yesterday. His comments showed no respect at all. All I can say is people are judged by their words and actions. When it comes time to stand before THE Judge, all these hurtful words and actions willl have to be accounted for. We have sadly regressed beyond anything I could ever have imagined.
Hey guys,
I am German citizen who lived in California for half a year.
I was appalled by that poster. Comparing a brilliant politician like your president with a cold-blooded monster like Hitler is not just bad taste, it shows a really frightening lack of knowledge about fundamental chapters of history.
I really, really hope that such dangerous fringe elements like the Tea Party will never be elected to important public offices. We would be better off without them!
Obama does want the eutopian secular socialist nation but on a page with Lenin and Hitler is over the top. Funny but excessive. Listen we had 8 years of liberals calling Bush everything vile thing you can imagine so all you Obama drones get over it because it is not going to stop.
It looks as if the Tea Party is finally learning to cover its class.
Just because you don't agree with Obama's policies doesn't make him equivalent to Hitler.
Stunts like this just make it easy to dismiss the Tea Party as a "radical" movement that is trying to "prey upon the fearful and naive."
It's the pot calling the kettle black...or in this case, the pot calling the kettle a secret Muslim Manchurian Candidate who wasn't even born here and is trying to destroy America!
The billboard is fear-based propaganda lecturing about the dangers of fear-based propaganda. How Ironic! Of course the exaggeration destroys any credibility that it would have had, if it wasn't posted by the zero credibility folks in the Tea Party.
These Tea Partiers are some truly sick and extreme people.
They need to be removed from our society!
They have now become an uncontrolled social cancer.
These poster tactics are of the same kind that the Nazi's used in Germany against the Jews. (Look it up in your history books)
Now the Tea Party is starting to scare me.
The Tea Party promotes nothing but FEAR and is, by far, the gravest threat to freedom to hit the country this century because the Tea Party is really a bunch of filthy rich anarchists.
If you are going to pur up a billboard about leaders preying on the fearful and naive, all you need to do is show Republicans. All they know how to do is scare naive people!
Is this even a surprise ? The fringe group tea party, which tries to camouflage itself in various forms, cannot escape from its true character. Actually speaking, it is they who need to be next to Hitler, because they are the ones who personify everything as either good vs. evil; they are the ones who want the power-by hook or by crook. It doesn't matter even if they got only 173 seats vs. Obama's 365. What really matters to them is that they dont want to pay higher taxes if they are in the high income bracket, they want the freedom to carry guns, run wall street from greed to ground, but they sure do want to restrict freedom for other such as gays and america's ethnic population. Wait till the tea party flop becomes visible, just as was the case with McCain/Palin.
These North Iowa Tea Party has shown its intelligence's again....they don't deserve a comment, so none will be given!
Obama is every bit as much a radical socialist as Bush was and every president before him. Large movement expansion medicare part D and taking a suplus into over a Trillion $ deficit. Not to mention tapping phone lines and playing big brother to "keep us safe".
These people are ignorant morons, where are their original birth certificates signed by a doctor? If they don't have them I say deport them to Mexico.
The Republican sponsored Tea Party is an absolute joke
And talk about radical leaders preying on the fearful and naive ... those words represent the core values of the Republicans and their sponsoring of fake news sites like Fox
Talk about the kettle calling the stove black !!!
I have found that those in this world who cast stones, are usually exactly what it is they are claiming others to be
As well it seems, that those that use name calling when arguing their point, usually indicates, immaturity, ignorance and no validity to their message
Was the irony of the bottom line of this billboard intentional? If so, the tea partiers are much more clever and subtle than I give them credit for. Have a nice day!
"Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful & the Naïve"
I believe their own words tell the tale here...preying on the fearful and naive....Indeed.
This just proves how ignorant the tea partiers are. They really need to shut up and tell the truth as to why they really dislike the president. It is definitely not political. It really amazes me that of all the evil things that the last administration did , you did not hear a peep from them. Just unbelievable.
I can't remember a president that has been so demonized as Obama has. This without a doubt has nothing to do with his policies or practices. This has to do with him period. I wonder why? Maybe if the so call tea parties can stop the hate and start to offer solutions, then maybe they will be taken seriously.
Is there no limit to the ignorance of the right wing?


text:
Venue: 26-27 October 2005, OECD Headquarters, La Muette, 19 rue de Franqueville, 75016 Paris
The Statistics Directorate of the OECD) is holding a workshop Understanding Entrepreneurship: Issues and Numbers to be held 26-27 October 2005 at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, France.
This workshop will convene experts in the field of entrepreneurship research, policy and statistics to discuss policy priorities and associated data requirements in order to inform the work of an internationally comparable system of indicators to be developed by the OECD.
This project is conducted in close collaboration with policy analysts, Committees and Working Parties throughout the OECD, as well as with a broad spectrum of national and international bodies, various national entrepreneurship research programs, and the International Consortium for Dynamic Entrepreneurship Benchmarking. Financial support is being provided by the Kauffman Foundation of the United States, which has long supported practical research aimed at facilitating successful entrepreneurship.
Related Documents


text:
I'm not using Sina Weibo to comment there anyway, but I do "listen" there. Theoretically, I could still listen, as temporary restrictions have only been put on popular microblogging services run by Sina Corp. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., as far as commenting on others' posts is disabled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. But in fact, I can't even read there at the moment – despite my log-in being confirmed.
Please, don't go away, Weibo!! I can't live without the Beijing Police Channel !!!!
» Self-Censorship Training with Weibo, March 23, 2012
» A Common Virtual Space, October 23, 2011
Update, 11:44 GMT: JR's Weibo account accessible again.


text:
This research was driven by Government targets to have 15% renewables by 2020. This technical report looks at the actual wind speeds available in the High Weald It analyses a range of additional, crucial 'constraints' to wind energy development.
Report title:
Wind Energy Regional Assessment for the High Weald AONB
pdf Wind energy regional assessment for the High Weald (18.41 MB)
Status and date:
Complete; May 2009.
Research purpose:
To provide a technical evidence base to inform AONB responses to climate change policies; district renewable strategies and renewable energy development proposals and in order to meet objective G3 of the AONB Management Plan.
Research aims:
- To understand the technical constraints on wind energy development in the High Weald
- To highlight the potential contribution wind energy could make to renewable targets in the High Weald.
Research findings:
Constraints such as; the High Weald's large rural population, it's many roads and rights of way and influence from Gatwick airport, together make the AONB unsuitable for large wind energy developments. Single turbines or small clusters of up to 3 turbines in the .75 - 2 MW range may be more suitable. Selecting a site and layout may still however be problematic for the industry.
AONB Unit comment:
Policy makers in the High Weald face significant challenges in:
- Meeting Government targets for 15% renewables by 2020.
- Meeting aspirations of the statutory AONB Management Plan - committing local authorities to reduce locally arising greenhouse gas emissions.
- Whilst alternative renewable solutions exist, it is clear that only a step change in renewable installations and comprehensive energy saving programme will meet the challenges ahead.We're aware that technical improvements or changes could influence the outcome of this exercise if it were repeated in the future; so we don't make any assumptions of feasibility based upon these results.
Commissioned by:
High Weald Joint Advisory Committee(JAC)
Commissioned from:
The Digital Landscape Company
Funded by:
Natural England and the High Weald JAC


text:
Like this fringe of multi-colored zipties seen at Trader Joe's
Thursday, November 18, 2010
virtue of necessity
If you have to use zipties to fasten something to your rack- you might as well make them into a design element:
4 comments:
That owner is definitely into making lemonade...ReplyDelete
is that a homemade splash-guard?ReplyDelete
Reminds me of the feelers people put on cars to know when they're near the curb. Maybe it keeps the other bikes from getting too friendly?ReplyDelete
Cute! Zipties are the answer to everything bike-related. :)ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
In my series of posts on the history of radio, one was titled "Video Didn't Kill the Radio Star After All." It was about the time when television became popular, the late 40's and early 50's, and the networks, NBC, ABC and CBS, virtually abandoned radio. Many, including the guys who ran those networks which supplied the most popular of radio programming, were ready to write the medium off.
But instead of fading away, radio had a revival. Transistors, car radios, teenagers, DJ's, rhythm and blues and rock and roll all combined to make radio more popular than ever with both more listeners and more influence on a few successive generations of Americans.
Fifty years later, many are again questioning the future of radio. With streaming services, Spotify and Pandora, with satellite radio, podcasts and internet radio, with smartphones that allow you to carry your whole music collection in your pocket, what happens to all the those AM and FM radio stations?
Maybe nothing.
The Pew Research Center's 2016 State of the News Media annual report didn't have a lot of good news when it came to traditional media. That is, except for radio. "The American public's consumption of audio content, which includes radio news and talk shows in addition to music, sports and other programming, continues to increase. Advances in consumer technologies allow increasing numbers of Americans to choose to listen to radio on a variety of newer platforms, while at the same time, terrestrial radio continues to reach the overwhelming majority of the public."
The Pew report continues: "Traditional AM/FM terrestrial radio still retains its undiminished appeal for listeners – 91% of Americans ages 12 and older had listened to this form of radio in the week before they were surveyed in 2015, according to Nielsen Media Research."
The radio industry trade publication Radio Ink concurs. "Still as strong as ever, radio continues to confound competitive naysayers by expanding its connection to analog listeners despite the proliferation of pureplay alternatives like Pandora and commercial-free experiences like satellite radio. In fact, radio was the only analog medium to show growth year-over-year in Nielsen's analysis (+1% in time spent listening) and it is the only medium to command a consistent share of daily media activity (17%), no matter the demographic."
So why is radio the medium with nine lives? Turns out that simple old AM/FM radio has a lot of things going for it.
- Radio is free. There's no monthly subscription required. It's not bundled into some expensive package by your cable operator or broadband provider. It's in the air. Turn it on and you're good to go.
- Radio has a business plan. It has nearly a century of history being supported by advertising. While traditional on-air spot advertising has shown a small but steady decrease in recent years, it is still by far the largest stream of radio revenue (75% according to Pew). Wil Pandora ever make money? (For the first quarter of this year Pandora reported more revenue, more subscribers, more advertising. And a loss of $132 million. Even higher than the loss of $115 million in last year's Q1.) Why is there only one satellite radio provider? And who's making money on podcasts?
- Media advertising itself is in a state of flux. You can block ads on your phone or computer. You can record and fast forward past them on TV. But radio ads are pretty much unstoppable. And while display ads have been widely discredited in terms of effectiveness, radio has been practicing the newly-popular "native advertising" approach since the 1920's. Just have your favorite DJ describe the great dinner he or she had last night at a local restaurant and you've got the kind of meaningful endorsement advertisers struggle to replicate on other mediums.
- Some newer cars today come equipped with satellite radio. Some have wifi. Some have wireless connections to your smartphone. But ALL of them, old or new, cheap or expensive, have radio. And you don't have to set it up or figure out how to work it. Here's the numbers from Pew: "…traditional AM/FM radio is – and by a large margin – the most common form of in-car listening. Just 8% of listeners in the car named online radio as the source they used most often and 12% named satellite radio, compared with 63% who named AM/FM radio as the audio source they turned to most often. That is up only slightly from 60% in 2015." That's right it went up!
- The whole world doesn't have broadband. The whole country doesn't have broadband. Last year the FCC said there were 34 million Americans without broadband. There are still rural areas with little or no good internet options. There are people who don't have smartphones and there are people who can't afford the only available broadband. Some folks are unaware of how to find and listen to podcasts and some others don't know how to connect their phone to their car speakers. But they can get radio and everybody knows how it works.
- Radio scales at no cost. Station operators' expenses are the same no matter how many listeners they have. There are no additional data costs if your online audience grows. Nor do your listeners need a bigger data plan to listen. And royalties are not calculated based on the size of the audience.
- And finally, here's one I hadn't thought of (courtesy of Slate): "When the zombie apocalypse arrives, radio will save your hide. Anyone with a generator and an antenna can broadcast radio, and everyone listening hears the same key information in real time."
Is it the end for terrestrial radio? No. At least not for now. Radio is looking like the last holdout of the analog world. But will radio have another revival? I'll discuss that in next week's post when I raise the question "Is It the End for Big Corporate Radio?"


text:
Study finds universal prekindergarten in Massachusetts could cost $1.5 billion
As policymakers work to expand access to early education in Massachusetts, a recent study predicts universal prekindergarten could cost up to $1.5 billion.
Only about one-third of 3- and 4-year-olds statewide receive public support to help fund their early education, according to the study, which the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center released earlier this month.
The study examines three main options for expanding access. The most expensive route would be expanding the public school system to include full-day prekindergarten for the 105,500 Massachusetts children who currently receive no public assistance. That would cost an estimated $1.5 billion, according to the study.
"I think there are pluses and minuses to each of the options," Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center director Noah Berger said. "There is a question of whether this should be about expanding access to lower-income kids or universal access."
Another option presented in the report would call for the state to invest $153 million to double the subsidies available for private preschool. That option would operate on a sliding scale for families earning less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Families would contribute a combined $288 million under that plan. Families living above the 400-percent threshold would not receive subsidies.
A third option would be a hybrid model to better integrate public and private prekindergarten programs. The study did not provide a projected cost for that model.
Tom Weber, commissioner of the state Department of Early Education and Care, said his favored approach is to expand upon a hybrid system of public, private and nonprofit providers.
"We already have existing capacity within that system," Weber said. "You'd be leveraging a system already in place."
He said he'd like to see expansion within all areas of that system, including public education.
"For economic reasons and practical reasons, it's advantageous to build off a mixed delivery system," he said.
The House Ways and Means budget, which was introduced April 9, calls for a $7.5 million increase in early education, which House leaders say will provide 1,250 new child care seats. Gov. Deval Patrick in January proposed spending roughly twice that amount, which he said would open an additional 1,700 seats.
Massachusetts currently has a waiting list of approximately 25,000 for financial assistance for early education and child care.
Early education, Weber said, provides a strong foundation to help children achieve at high levels throughout life.
"It has to be seen within the context of the enormous value we derive from making investments in public education," he said.
State Rep. Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, the House chair of the Joint Committee of Education, agreed that Massachusetts should work to increase early education access and quality.
"The Mass Budget and Policy Center's report on early education was informative," she said. "It is clear that Massachusetts has work to do in the field of early education and care and this report can help guide us. Early education and care is the foundation of our children's success, and we must find a way to not only open up access, but increase quality as well."
Berger said he hopes the report will help shape policy discussions.
"I think both policymakers and advocators who care about these issues can benefit from a report that lays out what the current circumstances are and provides some options or pathways to expand access, as well as lay out some evidence of value," Berger said. "The evidence out there is pretty strong that access to early education and care makes a difference in kids' ability to do well in school."
In Fall River, where the percentage of students who enter kindergarten without having attended preschool is 50 percent, school and city officials have been looking how to provide those preschool opportunities despite a lack of public school space and funding resources. The majority of students who go to preschool do so through privately run programs or Head Start.
The advantages of attending preschool are many for those students able to access it, explained Barbara Allard, the director of Early Childhood for Fall River Public Schools.
"They get all of that early literacy exposure; they get read to frequently ... a lot of the language that happens between adult and child, children to peers," Allard said. In most cases, as students progress through elementary school, those gaps do eventually close.
In preschool, children also develop motor and cognitive skills, and are exposed to the "structure of the school day," Allard said. That structure includes sitting, listening to teachers and speaking.
Providing "universal pre-K is something we've been talking about for years," Allard said. "We would like to see all preschool-aged students in pre-K, in a mixed delivery system. But the cost of that would be unbelievable if we were to provide every child with preschool," she said, adding that, even when discussions on universal pre-K began a decade ago, costs were estimated in the "billions" to deliver the program.
"Then there's capacity. We don't have that capacity in our community to pay for that," Allard said.
Physical classroom space is the other concern. Even with a new preschool space opening up at Henry Lord this fall, there is not enough building space to provide public preschool to every student, Allard said.
The Fall River School Committee is aware of the issue and has previously looked at ways to use vacant buildings to expand its early childhood programming. At this point, it has not voted to relocate or expand the current program.
Many low-income families are able to access private programs with vouchers.
"We've had [the voucher system] for years, but it was capped a few years ago because of the economy," Allard said.
That cap had recently been lifted, allowing some more families access to the Head Start and privately run programs.
The district and surrounding communities have also looked at other programs to narrow the learning gap between incoming kindergarten students who have and have not attended preschool.
They include play-and-learn groups, hour-and-a-half long programs hosted by each of the city's elementary schools and other organizations, including the YMCA, the Children's Museum, libraries in Fall River and Somerset, and in schools outside Fall River, like the Macomber School in Westport.
The play-and-learn groups are free to attend, Allard said. And students do get exposed to some of the structure they will experience in kindergarten.
"We also educate parents ... that want to know what they can do, to prepare their children for school readiness," Allard said.
Allard called current programs available through the existing mixed-delivery system "very high yield.
"We have been collaborating for years," she said. "We have aligned curriculums, assessments, whether it's public or private. We have good, quality programs."
Herald News Staff Reporter Michael Gagne contributed to this report.


text:
Sentosa, or the island of peace and tranquility and now also of posh homes, fancy boats and overpriced hotels, was once the rather sinister sounding Pulau Blakang Mati – the island of death at the back. No one seems quite sure of the origins of the name, although there have been several suggestions including one that is tied to the legend that Pulau Tekukor to Blakang Mati's south had once seen duels to the death pitting Bugis warriors against ones from the Malay world.
It was in putting up a deference to violent confrontation that was to be Blakang Mati's purpose for a large part of British rule. Strategically positioned, it served not only as a natural breakwater for the new harbour. Endowed with high points, it was only a matter of time before guns to protect the harbour from seaward attack were positioned on the island. The idea was in fact already mooted by William Farquhar, Singapore's first resident, as early as 1820 – a year after the British arrived.
The first military installations would however only come up in the late 1800s. Undeterred by outbreaks of malaria and "Blakang Mati fever", fortifications requiring extensive use of concrete – then newly introduced to Singapore, were constructed at the end of the 1870s on Mount Serapong – Blakang Mati's highest point. It would only be in 1885 that work started on the installation of coastal artillery on Serapong. Two 8 inch guns were installed with supporting infrastructure such as casemates built into the terrain, which contained magazines, accommodation and other working spaces.
By 1912/13, the guns at Serapong Battery would be upgraded to 9.2 inch calibre guns and a separate Spur Battery, also equipped with a 9.2 inch gun added. These guns would be decommissioned in the later half of the 1930s when 9.2 inch guns at Fort Connaught were installed. Two 6 inch guns would however be placed on the spur (renamed Serapong Battery) after a review in 1936 and this was operational up to the final days before the fall of Singapore. Both guns were spiked and destroyed, No. 2 on 14th and and No. 1 on 15th February 1942.
With the development of Sentosa today, it may perhaps be surprising that extensive remnants of the installations scattered over Mount Serapong – just a stone's throw away from the luxury developments at Sentosa Cove – can still be found today. The remnants include a underground magazine built for the 9.2 inch spur battery that was converted for use for Serapong Battery's 6 inch No. 1 Gun, the battery's gun emplacements, as well as several other support structures built in the 1930s for the battery. What may be more surprising are casemates, thought to have been built around 1885 can be found along with mountings for the 9.2 inch guns and best of all, a bunker 20 metres under the casemates that served as the Blakang Mati Command Centre. The bunker, with several chambers is in a damaged condition and has a vertical escape shaft at the top of which is a hatch.
The National Heritage Board, through a series of guided tours to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about and see these remnants. One tour, Fort Serapong @ Fort Siloso, for which 3 sessions on the 25 February, 4 and 11 March (from 9.30 am to 12 noon) will be held. Places are limited. More on the tours and other programmes can be found below.
For more on the guns at Serapong, on Sentosa and also across Singapore, do visit Peter Stubbs excellent FortSiloso.com site.
Photographs of the ruins on Mount Serapong
Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore
This 15 February will mark 75 years since the Fall of Singapore, an event that brought about 3½ years of occupation by the Japanese and a period of immense hardship. The National Heritage Board is commemorating the anniversary with "Battle for Singapore – Years under the Sun Empire: Tales of Resilience" that will see guided tours, talks and activities organised by various Museum Roundtable museums from 16 February to 12 March.
There would be 12 different tours with a total of 49 tour runs to look out for. These will cover 11 World War II related sites and structures, including some rarely opened places such as the former Fort Serapong and the former Command House. There is an opportunity to also hear accounts of battle and survival and learn about the contributions and courage of the local population to the effort to defend Singapore.
Also to look forward to is the re-opening of the Former Ford Factory, which has been closed for a year-long revamp. This will reopen to the public on 16 February 2017 and see a new exhibition gallery with never-been-seen-before archival materials, There is also an interactive component offering a more immersive account of the days of war and suffering. Special exhibitions and programmes are also being put up by the Army Museum, Battlebox, the Singapore Discovery Centre. the Eurasian Heritage Centre, and Reflections at Bukit Chandu. More information is available at www.museums.com.sg. Sign-ups for the Battle for Singapore 2017 programmes can be made at this link: https://www.eventbrite.sg/o/national-heritage-board-9384989257 (available from 6 February 2017 at 10.00am onwards). Slots are limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.


text:
Just in case we destroy civilization
It's called the Svalbard International Seed Vault, and it is, officially, Plan B. There are plenty of other seed banks in the world, of course -- more than a thousand, designed as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. But Svalbard will be there in case something happens to the rest of 'em; something like massive floods, nuclear war, asteroid impact or some other unforeseen doomsday.
The vault will be built deep inside a mountain on a remote island near the North Pole, more than 600 miles North of Norway, the country that's financing its construction. And they really thought of everything: it's high above sea level, in case the ice caps melt. If its source of power is cut, the permafrost surrounding it will act as a freezer, providing natural refrigeration. The need for human maintenance will be kept at a minimum; there will be no full-time staff, just one visit per year from someone to check up on the facility. "If you design a facility to be used in worst-case scenarios," the project's lead scientist said, "you cannot actually have too much dependence on human beings." Construction begins in March. Let's really cross our fingers that they'll never have to make a withdrawal at this bank.