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Weekend Plans: The Portland Bazaar, Give Good Gift, and Crafty Wonderland Take Over Southeast
One thing to ease the stress of holiday shopping (other than a piping mug of Hot Buttered Rum) is access to a wide variety of perfect presents without having to run all over the city. This weekend the stars align with a trifecta of events including the Give Good Gift pop up shop, The Portland Bazaar and Crafty Wonderland giving harried shoppers a reprieve with dozens of Portland's best local goods all within a half mile of each other.
Over at Union/Pine the second annual installment of Give Good Gift promises nationally recognized shops Machus (New York Times), Lizard Lounge (Fodor's), Core77's Hand Eye Supply, and Tanner Goods (Hypebeast). Plus, find lovelies from celebrated boutiques and treasured locals Backtalk, Lowell, and Worn Path, Boys Fort, Monograph Bookwerks, and Salvage Works to cover every name on your holiday list.
Jewelry lovers should check out Ak Vintage, Boet, and Sword + Fern, clothing options from Bridge & Burn and Yo Vintage!, and perfect things that won't be regifted from Egg Press, Fieldwork Flowers, Jacobsen Salt, Makelike, Studio Olivine, Solabee, Supermaker, The Good Flock, Trust Co., and West America.
Friday night's festivities include food trucks (Thrive & Retrolicious) with libations from New Deal Distillery and Gigantic Brewing, while Saturday's early kick off promises coffee and pastries from Water Avenue Coffee (and Bloody Mary's and Mimosas for those who were burning the midnight oil).
When: December 7, (6-11pm) | December 8, (10am - 3pm)
Where: Union/Pine, 525 SE Pine Street
Also back for a second year, producers Grace Bonney (Design*Sponge), Greg Hennes (Antler and Co.) and Matt Pierce (Wood & Faulk) teamed up again to curate their holiday fair that celebrates the high-quality handmade work being produced by Portland's creative community from woodworkers and metalsmiths to cutting-edge fashion designers and printers.
The all ages and free to the public show takes over the Sandbox Studio with over 50 vendors crammed indoors the bustling space. Outside shoppers can refuel with a long row of food trucks offering coffee and snacks to keep your energy up. Vendors include: Boys Fort, Solabee, Beam & Anchor, Wood & Faulk, Antler & Co., Ampersand, Beam & Anchor, Phloem Studio, Alder & Co, Frazier & Wing, OLO, Bridge & Burn, Satsuma Press, Sketchbook, Seaworthy, Julianna Swaney, Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., stone and honey, Little Otsu, Walnut Studio, Reading Frenzy, Shwood Shop, Beckel Canvas Products, Confectionery, Grove, Maak Soap Lab, Egg Press, Una, Kim Boyce, Eric Trine, Precious by Laura Irwin, Caravan Pacific, Favor Jewelry, Draplin, Summerland, Pigeon Toe Ceramics, Good Flock, Woonwinkel, xobruno, Riding the Hermes, Woodblock Chocolate, Kinetic Creatures, Chop Butchery, Hand Eye Supply, Megabolt, New Deal, Beacon Sound, Heartwood, Nice Work, Spacecraft, Btwn Wind + Water, Capricorn Bicycles, Revive, and Floyd + Francess.
When: December 8, (9-5pm) | December 9, (9-4pm)
Where: Sandbox Studio, 420 NE 9th
Blowing the traditional popsicle stick birdhouse kind of craft fair out of the water, Crafty Wonderland's Super Colossal Holiday Sale carries everything from high end jewelry to hand painted ornaments, from illustrations perfect for framing to indulgent sweet treats (that may or not make it home). One word of advice: Be prepared to spend some time here. It's not a pop in, pop out situation.
When: December 8, (11-6pm) | December 9, (11-6pm)
Where: Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd
Vendor List:


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Avoiding the Other
Book Reviews
Tomlinson, Gary, Music in Renaissance Magic: Toward a Historiography of Others (Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 1993) Amazon Abebooks Powell's
The place of music in the magical traditions of the Renaissance is a fascinating one, and has been far too little explored in either academic or esoteric circles. The musical aspects of Marsilio Ficino's astrological magic, the role of Pythagorean harmonic theory in the broader context of Renaissance Hermetic thought, and a few other topics have been touched on by a handful of scholars; still, more work needs to be done on all of these areas, and the broader interface between magic and music in Renaissance culture as a whole remains all but undefined. In such a context, almost any scholarly contribution - however peripheral or flawed - cannot help but make some contribution to our knowledge of the subject.
It is thus frustrating to find, in Gary Tomlinson's Music in Renaissance Magic, an exception that proves the rule. Despite Tomlinson's obvious erudition and effort, readers who turn to this work hoping for insight or even information on the theory and practice of magical music in the Renaissance will go away disappointed.
The failure of this book has several roots, but the most obvious is the author's inability to get past questions of current academic theory and actually deal with the material he proposes to study. Perhaps the simplest measure of this is the fact that his book quite literally devotes more space to the paradigms, categories and methodology he intends to use, and to the related viewpoints of figures such as Michel Foucault and his disciples, than it spares for its supposed subject. The same distortion of focus goes on at a deeper level as well, though, for Tomlinson consistently interprets passages from Renaissance-era works in terms derived wholly from modern academic movements such as semiotics and post-structuralist historiography. The inevitable result is that his texts are wrenched out of their contexts and often distorted in meaning as well.
One example out of far too many is his discussion of the idea of rational meaning in non-vocal music, a topic which takes up much of Chapter Four of his work. He's quite correct in arguing that Ficino, like others of his time, saw music as a carrier of meaning in and of itself, apart from any verbal text connected with it. In making his argument, though, he uses a labored and roundabout approach derived largely from modern semiotics, and misses the obvious and defining point: that from a Renaissance standpoint, music is rationally meaningful because it derives, necessarily, from number and proportion. A little attention to the literature of Renaissance Pythagoreanism, or even to the meanings of the Latin word ratio, could have saved him (and the reader) a great deal of trouble.
What gives this pattern a remarkable irony is that Tomlinson, like other "postmodern" writers, argues at length that other (and especially earlier) attempts to interpret different cultures and times are "monologues" imposing the writer's culturally defined reality on a passive text: a kind of intellectual imperialism, in fact, which makes the act of interpretation itself "hegemonic" in nature. In place of this, he insists, we need to treat interpretation as a "dialogue with the other" in which the differences between culturally defined realities are respected. This is a praiseworthy goal, to be sure, but one fails to see how it justifies a methodology in which snippets of a given work are taken out of context and redefined in terms completely foreign to their author and time. Ficino and his contemporaries, it should not have to be pointed out, did not write or think about the world in the ways that are currently fashionable in academic circles. Offering an interpretation of their works on the basis of, say, modern semiotic theory, while failing to explore or even mention the fact that these works defined basic issues of knowledge and existence in a wholly different way, is a suppression of their actual context and meaning that verges on intellectual dishonesty.
There is, however, a third level to these distortions of focus. Tomlinson's discussion returns at a number of points to a remarkable and rather baffling insistence that the realm of magic is quite literally incomprehensible to modern minds. In the last chapter of his book, for example, Tomlinson speculates that the conceptual world of the Renaissance needs to be understood as one in which magic was an effective force. But: "…there emerges, as a function of our knowledge, an irreducible difference - an unresolvable alienation separating us from, for instance, Renaissance magic. We may move, fitfully, into the space between people like Ficino and us - this is what I have tried to do - but we cannot cross over to his side" (p. 247; emphasis in original). In his first chapter, similarly, he takes the time to castigate occultists, and in particular Joscelyn Godwin, the one major figure in modern musicology who has consistently defended traditional, esoteric views of music. His language here is equally curious: he speaks of "the abandonment of ourselves to occult thought" and accuses occultists of "attempt(ing) a radical dissociation of themselves from the implications - if not, usually, from the applications - of the postscientific, technological world in which they live" (p. 14).
The opposition between magic and the implications of modernity which Tomlinson invokes here is hard to defend, given the fact that our own culture - be it ever so "postscientific and technological" - is one in which magic is and always has been practiced. The tens of thousands of practicing magicians in the Western world today may be surprised to learn that an "unresolvable alienation" lies between them and the magical disciplines which are an everyday part of their lives. While the magical traditions of the present day are not identical to those known to Ficino and his contemporaries, to be sure, deep historical and genealogical links connect modern magic with its Renaissance antecedents. It's quite reasonable, given this, to use the experience of modern magical practice as one source of insight into the world of Renaissance magic, and it's naive (to say the least) to define magic as something which the scientific revolution somehow rendered unthinkable, given the reality of living Western magical traditions profoundly rooted in the same Renaissance background Tomlinson studies.
In this context, Tomlinson's attempt to define the magi of the Renaissance as an incomprehensible "other" appear in a different light, if one far too familiar to modern practitioners of magic. The rhetoric about "dialogues with the other" which plays so large a role in postmodernist historiography contrasts with a continuing refusal, on the part of too many scholars, to open the real dialogue of academic discussion to truly divergent views. The "dialogue" of interpretation posited by the postmodernists is, after all, fictitious; Ficino and the other Renaissance magi, being dead, cannot speak for themselves, or object to the often cavalier treatment accorded to their writings and their views. The possibility of real dialogue with a living "other" - the "other" of living Western magical traditions, for example - is quite another matter. Such a dialogue might involve questioning some of the presuppositions of current academic thought - its a priori insistence that every aspect of human experience must be culturally created, its tendency to rely on political rhetoric in place of critical thinking, its too-frequent evasion of moral questions, and the like. It may not be surprising, then, that this particular "dialogue with the other" is one which Tomlinson seems quite eager to avoid.
— John Michael Greer


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The Big Lebowski has become a true pop cultural phenomena across the world. Although the Cohen Brothers comic neo-noir did not achieve financial success at the box office upon release, it has acquired a massive following from millions of people, many of whom approach the movie and its protagonist – The Dude – with a healthy zealotry.
The movie is fun and funny, but it also contains deep and profound insights into many of the problems of American culture and Western capitalism, while it projects a Zen and, as I show in my new column for PopMatters, radically Christ-like alternative to American culture and Western capitalism.
No one understands the value and meaning of The Big Lebowski, that includes but goes beyond comic relief, better than Oliver Benjamin. Oliver is a brilliant author, entrepreneur, and philosopher who founded a religion called Dudeism. Dudeism encourages people to conduct their lives according the disorganized tenets of the Dude's lifestyle. To many readers, this may sound amusing, but Oliver will provoke the mind and stir the soul with his usage of The Dude as a predicate for the advocacy of a freer and more peaceful life in which material goods do not take priority over spiritual contentment and emotional fulfillment.
I've written for the official website of Dudeism twice, and I also appear in an upcoming documentary on Oliver Benjamin and Dudeism (Directed by Italian filmmaker Thomas Fazi). Our most recent collaboration is on the book, Lebowski 101: Limber-minded Investigations into the Greatest Story Ever Blathered. The entertaining and enlightening book contains chapters written by different writers who philosophically examine some aspect of the classic movie.
I write a chapter identifying and interpreting the similarities between Jesus Christ and The Dude. Through quoting of scripture and recitation of commonly understood Biblical principles, I demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth was an original Dude, and that Lebowski of Los Angeles, although not a practicing Christian, is, in his own way and according to his own internal system of ethics, a practitioner of Jesus' way and life. PopMatters has run my contribution to Lebowski 101 as my November column.
The essay also shows how orthodox Christianity, when properly understood, is radically opposed to American orthodoxy of exceptionalism, aggression abroad, and greed at home.
Too much pop culture references are done solely for the entertainment derived from ironic inside jokes. Oliver Benjamin, with Dudeism, has created a fun means of using pop culture to investigate serious issues of politics and philosophy. For that he deserves applause and respect, and for that reason, I'm happy to be a Christian Dudeist.


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Story highlights
NEW: A few survivors were found on the Myanmar side of the border, a rights group says
Bangladeshi officials say they have only found six survivors from a boat that sank Sunday
Some of those on the boat, destined for Malaysia, were Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
"We consider this journey extremely risky," a U.N. official says
As many as 130 people may have drowned off the coast of southern Bangladesh after a boat carrying passengers trying to illegally get into Malaysia sank in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladeshi authorities said Thursday.
The accident appears to be the tragic result of an annual migration of thousands of people along dangerous, clandestine routes operated by criminal gangs.
Details have only recently begun to emerge about the sinking, which happened early Sunday, according to Lt.-Col. Zahid Hassan, the commander of the Bangladeshi border guard battalion in Teknaf, the area from which the boat is believed to have departed.
Read more: Italy rescuers search for dozens feared missing from migrant boat
Just six survivors have been recovered by Bangladeshi authorities from the 136 people reported to have been on the vessel, Hassan said. Authorities are seeking nine people identified as operators of the human trafficking ring that organized the boat trip, he added.
Most of the people on board are believed to have been Bangladeshi, according to Hassan. But some, including three of the survivors, were Rohingya, Muslim people from Rakhine state in Myanmar, or Burma.
After lethal clashes this year between Rohingya and Buddhist residents of Rakhine, thousands more have tried to escape across the border only to find their path blocked by Bangladeshi authorities who say there are already too many refugees in the country.
Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a Bangkok-based NGO focused on Rohingya issues, said that local contacts told her another seven survivors from the boat sinking had been found on the Myanmar side of the border.
The survivors were taken to the town of Maung Gaw by fishermen, she told CNN. The fishermen also reportedly found six bodies, including two women, who they believe to be victims of the boat accident.
Lewa said local sources told her that boats chartered by relatives of the victims had also seen 40 bodies floating at sea on the Burmese side of the border, roughly 20 miles south of Bangladesh.
However, fishermen are too frightened to retrieve the bodies because they fear questioning by Burmese authorities, she said.
"That is the unfortunate state of the situation there now," she said. "There is a chance that there may be many survivors on fishing boats but most are likely to go back into hiding as they are too frightened to come forward."
More than 230,000 Rohingya refugees are estimated to be living in camps in Bangladesh, but only about 30,000 of them are officially registered. The refugees began arriving in large numbers in the early 1990s, fleeing what they said was persecution by Myanmar's military rulers at the time.
Read more: What's behind sectarian violence in Myanmar?
Teknaf, from where the boat is said to have set off, is on the banks of the Naf River, which forms the border between Bangladesh and Rakhine.
The people who are willing to pay traffickers operating the illegal sea routes to Malaysia tend to be impoverished Bangladeshis seeking to earn better money abroad and Rohingyas who see no way to build a life in Bangladesh, said Dirk Hebecker, the head of the U.N. Refugee Agency's office in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.
"We consider this journey extremely risky," Hebecker said. "It is usually young males between 18 and 35 who take to the boats and leave their families behind in Bangladesh."
The U.N. agency estimates that between 50 and 150 people leave Bangladesh by boat each week, and the number may even have risen as high as 200 per week recently. Due to the clandestine nature of the departures, there is no systematic data collection.
Bangladeshi authorities believe that Rohingyas account for between 10% and 20% of the passengers on such journeys, Hassan said.
Hassan said the boat that sank Sunday went down after water filled its engine casing though a crack apparently caused by a collision with an undersea rock, citing the account given by one of the survivors to Bangladeshi authorities. It was on its way to meet up with a larger ship that would illegally transport the passengers to Malaysia, he said.
The journey usually takes between four and five days, depending on the boats and the navigation skills of the boat crews, according to Hebecker.
The occupants of those boats that do make it to Malaysia – or Thailand, another possible destination – often either end up in exploitative labor arrangements or detention, Hebecker said.
"They have no official documents as they are smuggled into these countries, and often have to cover substandard accommodations and food at low wages," he said.
Read more: Australia calls off rescue operation after boat capsizing
CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi; Elizabeth Joseph and Jethro Mullen reported from Hong Kong; Brian Walker contributed from Atlanta.


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Tag: select all
Mutually Exclusive with Select All checkbox
The full code: (Copy the code below into a new folder with the jquery-1.3.2.min.js file in it and run the page). Getting a select all checkbox to work can prove to be simple in jQuery. But a select all isn't just on click of a checkbox on top of the column. It has to do ...


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Perl::Critic::Policy::ControlStructures::ProhibitNegativeExpressionsInUnlessAndUntilConditions − Don't use operators like "not", "!~", and "le" within "until" and "unless".
This Policy is part of the core Perl::Critic distribution.
until ($foo ne 'blah') { #not ok
while ($foo eq 'blah') { #ok
A number of people have problems figuring out the meaning of doubly negated expressions. "unless" and "until" are both negative constructs, so any negative (e.g. "!~") or reversible operators (e.g. "le") included in their conditional expressions are double negations. Conway considers the following operators to be difficult to understand within "unless" and "until":
! not
!~ ne !=
< > <= >= <=>
lt gt le ge cmp
This Policy is not configurable except for the standard options.
Elliot Shank "<perl AT galumph DOT com>"
Copyright (c) 2007−2011 Elliot Shank.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. The full text of this license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module.


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(2017) Comedy (Shout! Factory) Mackenzie Davis, Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, Carrie Coon, Keith Stanfield, Annie Potts, Brandon T. Jackson, Sarah Goldberg, Lauren Miller, Melinda McGraw, Ryan Simpkins, Alex Russell, Bob Huebel, Dolly Wells, Kyle Kinane, Luka Jones, Sheldon Bailey, Marcia Ann Burrs, Michelle Haro, Meghan Lennox, Salme Geransar, Robert Santi, Rebecca Kessler. Directed by Christian Paperniak
I think that everyone has that certain someone in their lives, someone who always manages to find a way to say or do exactly the wrong thing, a person who is chronically broke, always needs a favor and can be counted upon to throw up on your sofa after a party. We keep them in our lives despite all these days because we know deep down they mean well and that there is a better person inside just screaming to be let out.
Izzy (Davis) is that kind of girl. She is described in the press material quite accurately as a shameless hot mess; she wakes up in a stranger's bed remembering hardly anything of the night before other than that she got in an altercation with her boss at a catering company. Izzy, a now-unemployed musician sort, has been crashing on the sofa of a friend but still pines for her ex-boyfriend Roger (Russell). It just so happens he's celebrating his engagement to Izzy's former best friend (Goldberg) that very evening in Los Feliz. Izzy is all the way out in Santa Monica which, if you know your L.A. geography, is quite the hike. With her car out of commission and flat broke (because she paid every last cent she had to get the car fixed but the parts tragically haven't arrived yet), she'll have to by hook or by crook get her happy tush across town in time to win back her ex and live happily ever after. Izzy is frantic but at the same time she thinks it's her destiny. Then again, Izzy is a bundle of contradictions.
Mackenzie Davis is an exceptionally fine actress but even she can't make Izzy much of a likable character. Izzy has no filter and takes no responsibility for all the things she has done or failed to do to get herself in this position. She and her sister Virginia (Coon) were in a band once together but while Izzy continued to drink and fritter her life away, Virginia sobered up and began to live a life of her own. This has pissed off Izzy something fierce and she blames a lot of her lack of success on Virginia leaving the band. There is a sweet moment where the two sisters sit down and cover a Heavens to Betsy song "Axeman" and for a moment you can see the connection between them. The moment is fleeting however but authentic nonetheless.
The supporting cast is impressive, with Osment as a tech guy who gives Izzy odd jobs from time to time and appears to be at least as far from together as Izzy is; Potts is one of the rare kind people in the film; Shawkat is one of Izzy's friends (Izzy complains about not knowing anybody in L.A. but for someone who doesn't know anybody she sure has a lot of friends) who calmly enlists Izzy's help in breaking into one of Agatha's friends houses and robbing it for her meth-head boyfriend Rabbit (Kinane). Jackson is Dick, the guy repairing Izzy's car which may or may not be in as bad a shape as he lets on; Stanfield is the hunk Izzy wakes up next to at the start of the film.
The pace is frenetic and the soundtrack that accompanies the film is pretty damn good. Where the film goes wrong is really the dialogue; everyone sounds like they're refugees from a sitcom which I guess makes Izzy the Third Broke Girl. There is so much potential here that it hurts when the writing gets bogged down with snappy dialogue that rings false, and quirky characters that just about scream indie hipster character clichés. I really wanted to like this movie more but after spending an hour and a half with Izzy I felt burned out, like I'd spent a similar amount of time in the dentist's chair. I do like some of the writer/director's ideas and I feel that there is some potential there – the movie isn't a washout by any means – but he needs to start writing dialogue that sounds like actual people talking. Maybe he needs to watch a little less television and hang out with actual people – and not Hollywood people, I mean actual people – and listen to what they have to say. That would make for a far more interesting and unusual movie than this one.
REASONS TO GO: The soundtrack is decent.
REASONS TO STAY: Izzy is so unpleasant that you really just want her to get hit by a bus. The dialogue is too self-aware and too sitcom-like.
FAMILY VALUES: There is a whole lot of profanity, some sexual references and drug content.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Haley Joel Osment's character in Secondhand Lions was also named Walt.
CRITICAL MASS: As of 6/22/18: Rotten Tomatoes: 50% positive reviews: Metacritic: 63/100.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Funeral Day
NEXT: Red Sparrow


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Be productive with the MySQL command line
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Even if you are using a GUI tool to connect to your MySQL servers, one day or another, you will have to deal with the command line. So it is nice to know a few tips that can really make your work easier.
Note: The commands below are only available for Unix/Linux.
Using pager
Most of the graphical tools paginate results, which is very handy. But this is not the way the command line client works: it just outputs all results. It can be annoying but it is easily solved by using the
pager command:
mysql> pager more PAGER set to 'more' mysql> select title from sakila.film; +-----------------------------+ | title | +-----------------------------+ | ACADEMY DINOSAUR | | ACE GOLDFINGER | | ADAPTATION HOLES | | AFFAIR PREJUDICE | | AFRICAN EGG | | AGENT TRUMAN | | AIRPLANE SIERRA | | AIRPORT POLLOCK | | ALABAMA DEVIL | | ALADDIN CALENDAR | | ALAMO VIDEOTAPE | | ALASKA PHANTOM | | ALI FOREVER | | ALICE FANTASIA | | ALIEN CENTER | | ALLEY EVOLUTION | | ALONE TRIP | | ALTER VICTORY | | AMADEUS HOLY | --Plus--
Another example of the pager command is when you want to estimate a good size for you InnoDB redo logs: the estimation is based on the variation of the Log Sequence Number during a given period of time. Instead of manually looking for the right line in the output of
SHOW ENGINE INNODB STATUS (which can be huge), you can call
pager to the rescue:
mysql> pager grep sequence PAGER set to 'grep sequence' mysql> show engine innodb status\Gselect sleep(60);show engine innodb status\G Log sequence number 380166807992 1 row in set (0.41 sec) 1 row in set (1 min 0.00 sec) Log sequence number 380170274979 1 row in set (0.00 sec)
When you are done and you want to disable paging, you can simply run:
mysql> pager Default pager wasn't set, using stdout.
Using edit
When you try to optimize a query, it often involves manipulating the text of the query, and sometimes it would be great to have a text editor inside the client. Well, this can be achieved by using the
edit command.
Let's say you have the following query:
mysql> select count(*) from film left join film_category using(film_id) left join category using(category_id) where name='Music';
and let's say you want to change the left joins to inner joins and use capital letters for reserved SQL words. Instead of manually editing the statement, which will be boring, you simply call
mysql> edit
and it will open your default text editor with the text of the last query. The default text editor is vi, so you now have the power of vi inside the mysql client!
Once you have made your changes, save and exit the editor: you are back in the mysql client where you can type ; or \G to execute the query.
Using tee
In some situations, like when you are testing a set of commands to write documentation or when you are in the middle of an emergency, you want to be able to record the queries that you have executed. The command line client offers the
tee command, which will log to a file the statements you typed and their output, pretty much like the Unix
tee command:
mysql> tee queries.log Logging to file 'queries.log' mysql> use sakila Reading table information for completion of table and column names You can turn off this feature to get a quicker startup with -A Database changed mysql> select count(*) from sakila; ERROR 1146 (42S02): Table 'sakila.sakila' doesn't exist mysql> select count(*) from film; +----------+ | count(*) | +----------+ | 1000 | +----------+ 1 row in set (0.00 sec) mysql> exit
And now if you look at the content of the queries.log file, you will see a copy of your session.
The mysql command line client is not as glossy as most of the graphical tools, but if you know some of its hidden features, it can be very powerful. If you enjoyed these tips, I will write another post with other useful but overlooked features.
Published at DZone with permission of Peter Zaitsev, DZone MVB. See the original article here.
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.
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text:
Richard Cardinal died by his own hand at the age of 17, having spent most of his life in a string of foster homes and shelters across Alberta. In this short documentary, Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin weaves excerpts from Richard's diary into a powerful tribute to his short life. Released in 1984—decades before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission—the film exposed the systemic neglect and mistreatment of Indigenous children in Canada's child welfare system. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the 1986 American Indian Film Festival, the film screened at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 2008 as part of an Obomsawin retrospective, and continues to be shown around the world.
Taken from his home at the age of 4 due to family problems, Richard Cardinal spent the rest of his 17 short years moving in and out of 28 foster homes, group homes and shelters in Alberta.Alanis Obomsawin
From the playlist: Tribute to Alanis Obomsawin
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Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child, Alanis Obomsawin, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Still Haunts mekrash6t9, 13 Nov 2015
This takes me back to when the story of Richard Cardinal's suicide made the news, and is as heart rending now as it was then. What is even more sad is the knowledge that the subsequent inquiry into his death changed little, as the recommendations weren't binding, and have mostly been ignored.sh987, 23 Sep 2015
heart touching story.zahid, 18 Oct 2011
@toneal02 --> I'll pass along your beautiful comment!kruscito, 3 Oct 2011
I would like to thank Alanis Obomsawin and the NFB for making this film possible. I lost a son to suicide many years ago and for a long time I struggled with the pain of not knowing why such a beautiful part of my life was taken away. Many years later, I realized that the reason for my child's death was to bring awareness to the public regarding the adverse side effects of anti-depressants. Psychiatrists routinely do not inform patients of non-drug treatments, nor do they conduct thorough medical examinations to ensure that a person's problem does not stem from an untreated medical condition that is manifesting as a "psychiatric" symptom. Also, psychiatrists can't predict what adverse side effects you might experience because not one of them really knows how their drugs work. Psychotropic drugs are increasingly being exposed as chemical toxins with the power to kill. Psychiatrists claim their drugs save lives, but according to their own studies, psychotropic drugs can double the risk of suicide. Dear Charlie, I am so sorry for your loss. It takes a lot of courage to tell your brother's story and I am very proud of you. Richard's story will change many lives and I am confident that it will open your government's eyes. I know the pain is difficult to live with but please continue your journey of telling Richard's story. Human suffrage need not exist in this world!toneal02, 3 Oct 2011
i came across this video in my social study`s class. it kinda hit close to home. i read `` i was a victim of child neglect.`` and watched this video. we then had to answer a series or questions and write him a letter asif we new him befor he passed away giving him advice. this was a hard assignment to do. i wish that these people would have done more to help him, maybe they just should of kept the kids together, im sorry for his family`s loss. & this had a great impact on my life, richard you made me realise a few things that helped me realise. thank you & im sorry this had happened... your`s truly; behcky, grade 10WestSide_, 11 Sep 2010
Very moving indeed. I spent time with Richard in Grande Prarie YDC. I wondered for years what became of him, until I stumbled upon this site. Peace Richard now you are freekrash69, 30 Jul 2010
A very moving film. Tragic that it often takes such a sacrifice to bring about change.Gman, 29 May 2010


text: After Bitcoin's fall from grace beginning at the end of 2017, we've now seen an epic rebound this year as the cryptocurrency reached highs SmallCapFirm (GDET) Exhibits 1,835% In Upside Potential While Holding Ties To 3 Fast-Growing Industries Full Analyst Report: Goldman Small Cap Research November 24th SCF Members, After Bitcoin's fall from grace beginning at the end of 2017, we've now seen an epic rebound this year as the cryptocurrency reached highs it hadn't seen since the first month of 2018. Out there, there are whispers that institutions, now receiving significantly more exposure to Bitcoin, are ready to step up to the plate. This provides an impressive outlook for the crypto's future. Overall in the United States, the collective market for C-B-D sales is expected to exceed $20Bn by 2024, according to BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research. The worldwide blockchain tech market size is expected to reach $57Bn by 2025, registering a CAGR of 69.4% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Knowing this potential for these markets, wouldn't it be interesting if a company had diversified business ties to all 3 markets? Guess what... I think I've found just the one. Your new idea for 11/25 is: *GD Entertainment And Technology (GDET)* GDET may be one of the only publicly-traded pure plays covering three of the fastest growing, multi-Bn-dollar, next-gen industries: Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and C-B-D ("CB") products. GDET's new CB products subsidiary, The Greenery, appears poised to generate meaningful revenue right out of the gate. Given the upcoming aggressive rollout of its target marketing, the CB subsidiary alone could end 2019 on a $2-3Mn annual revenue run-rate. GDET's HyperDigital Technologies subsidiary is setting the stage to secure multiple money services business licenses in order to host cryptocurrency ATM (or kiosk) units throughout the country. Once deployed, these units can generate high returns per transaction, regardless of crypto pricing changes. GDET also runs crypto mining operations in New Jersey. An early stage player with a diversified revenue stream in high profile and high growth markets, GDET is appearing to offer considerable upside potential. As GDET achieves CB revenue milestones along with broad cryptocurrency ATM deployment, these event-driven shares could reach the $0.06 level, a valuation similar to other high-growth, diversified emerging companies. ----- Analyst Report: Goldman Small Cap Research Designates $.06 Price Target For GDET In 2019, Rob Goldman, of Goldman Small Cap Research, pinned a $.06 price target for GDET. With GDET currently trading under $.004 (at the time of writing Friday), that $.06 price target gives this stock 1,835% potential upside. Get your hands on the full research report here. Recent catalysts have been mentioned over several press releases in recent time. I've uncovered 3 specific catalysts that could have GDET shares soaring towards that $.06 target. Read them below. ----- > Major Catalyst No. 1 For GDET < GDET Announces Agreement to Install and Operate First Bitcoin ATM FORT LEE, NJ, Nov. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE – GD Entertainment and Technology (OTC: GDET) ("GDET" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the CB, Blockchain, and Luxury Retail markets, is very excited to announce the establishment of a forthcoming agreement (the "Agreement") to install and operate the Company's first full-service cryptocurrency ATM. The location is a large retail marketplace with high-volume foot traffic in Austin, TX. The Company will provide the physical ATM as well as all related logistics involved in operating the ATM at the location. "We truly love this line of business as a high-probability, high-ROI bet, and the installation of our first full-service crypto ATM is a huge step toward actualizing this extraordinary opp.," commented Anil Idnani, CEO of GDET. "While we cannot fully disclose the identity of the counterparty at this time, we can state that this is an ideal location in terms of foot traffic and cultural context. We have engaged a prominent, local retail solutions provider and a finalized agreement is expected within the coming days." Management notes that the Company is working as fast as possible to finalize the Agreement, but all details must continue to remain private at this point until the finalized Agreement has been executed by all parties, at which time, the Company will disclose all relevant details and involved parties. The Company believes the Crypto ATM market is an underappreciated market opp. with explosive potential. A recent report from Markets and Markets Research Private Ltd. concluded that the crypto ATM market will reach $144.5Mn by 2023 from $6.8Mn in 2017, representing a CAGR of 54.7%. Importantly, this aggressive growth rate is regarded as less vulnerable to broad economic cycle factors than most major commercial markets due to the countercyclical dimension generally attributed to cryptocurrency-related products and services. Mr. Idnani continued, "This is not only a much bigger market than most people realize, but it's also much more resilient. It's extremely rare to have a market opp. that offers both massive growth potential and low expected volatility of returns. The market for convenient cryptocurrency access and transactability is growing fast, and that's unlikely to be impacted by macroeconomic factors. Once installed, we expect our first Crypto ATM location to be immediately prof-it-able on an operating basis. We are already working toward establishing our second location." The Company will disclose additional details as the Agreement is finalized. ----- > Major Catalyst No. 2 For GDET < GDET Announces Completion of Inventory Stocking Phase for The Greenery with Delivery of New Line of Premium CB Gummies FORT LEE, NJ, Nov. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- GD Entertainment and Technology (OTC: GDET) ("GDET" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the CB, Blockchain, and Luxury Retail markets, is excited to announce receipt by its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Greenery, of a large delivery of its new line of branded CB Gummies. This is the final delivery in establishing The Greenery's initial product inventory before the launch of an aggressive distribution process. This delivery consists of 9,500 units of 10mg CB Gummies for sale under The Greenery brand label. "We have amassed a very strong inventory of products now at The Greenery, and we are ready to focus on distribution and monetization going forward," remarked Anil Idnani, CEO of GDET. "Our large inventory of CB oil, tincture, salve, pet treats, masks, and our signature Honey Hemp infusion is all fully paid-for. The process of monetizing that inventory represents pure upside for shareholders going forward. Our Greenery segment is in a terrific position, which will allow us to be very aggressive in the weeks and months ahead." Management believes that, along with topical skin products, gummies represent among the most accessible modes of delivery of CB to the mainstream retail consumer market. The Company also strongly believes that mainstream consumer adoption of CB products represents a tailwind set to push overall CB sector growth in the quarters ahead. This view aligns with recently published research suggesting that the growth rate for the overall CB-based products market is accelerating during the second half of 2019. According to research from MRFR, the global CB market is estimated to register a CAGR of 125% from 2019 to 2026. The Brightfield Group joins in this appraisal, noting that 2019 alone is expected to show growth of over 900% as mainstream big-brand retailers – such as Kroger's, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite-Aid, and others – begin to carry CB products in plain sight of browsing consumers. Mr. Idnani continued, "The Greenery is positioned as a leadership play in a rapidly growing space. The overall CB market continues to blow up, and we have targeted a branding and distribution strategy that will differentiate us from the herd as that growth curve continues to ramp higher. Now that we have amassed a sufficient inventory of premium quality branded products, shareholders can expect more tangible results. Keep an eye out for more details to follow." ----- > Major Catalyst No. 3 For GDET < GDET Announces 24% Expansion in Bitcoin Mining Yield Following Acquisition of Significant New Mining AssetsFORT LEE, NJ, Oct. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- GD Entertainment and Technology (OTC: GDET) ("GDET" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the CB, Blockchain, and Luxury Retail markets, is pleased to announce the completion of a material Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") for the acquisition of significant new and used Bitcoin mining assets to be immediately integrated into the Company's active cryptocurrency mining operations. "We are expanding and optimizing production from our mining operation at a rapid pace," commented Anil Idnani, CEO of GDET. "This planned expansion follows a series of steps in Q2 and Q3 to dramatically lower our all-in costs through improved negotiated rates with utility providers and significant firmware upgrades. Any notable increase in the price of Bitcoin following this expansion in production at our mining facility should translate into substantial top and bottom-line growth for our shareholders." The Company is currently operating 72 ASIC Bitcoin Miners at its primary New Jersey mining facility, with plans in place to move toward full fleet operation over the near term. In addition, the Company has begun the process of a major planned expansion of this fleet. This Agreement will add 17 state-of-the-art miners to the Company's fleet, immediately increasing yield by 24%. The move is part of a larger expansion strategy geared toward augmenting shareholder value as the Company prepares for higher cryptocurrency exchange rates and wider mainstream adoption. According to research by the Company, Bitcoin pricing in 2020 may be significantly impacted by growing concerns over the sustainability of what is already the longest-lasting global economic expansion cycle in modern history. This growing cyclical vulnerability is further amplified by the fact that major central banks in the developed world have already driven interest rates so low that over $14Tn in sovereign debt is now trading at negative interest rates, suggesting that traditional monetary policy tools may present a lack of significant potency in a more aggressive contractionary environment, driving substantial new demand for alternative non-fiat stores of value like precious metals and Bitcoin as a hedge against experimental new stimulus strategies such as Modern Monetary Theory. In addition, the Company's expansion in mining capacity follows significant optimization steps taken earlier this year, including a sharp reduction in all-in utility costs (annual energy savings of as much as 41%) and an upgrade in unit-level system performance leading to a powerful increase in hashrate-per-unit-power consumption and sharply augmented system-wide security. "Individuals and firms that made substantial hardware and technology investments in order to mine cryptocurrencies when Bitcoin was trading well above its present levels are now providing an advantageous secondary market for state-of-the-art hardware," continued Mr. Idnani. "We have predicated our Mining Segment strategy on the assumption that we would have an opp. to dramatically expand mining capacity at reduced costs. That opp. is now in play, and we have negotiated equipment acquisitions accordingly. This step should put the Company in an extremely advantageous position to capitalize on subsequent improvements in BTC exchange rates." ----- GD Entertainment And Technology's Subsidiaries CB Products: The Greenery The Company's newest subsidiary was launched earlier this month and we believe it offers the greatest promise. There is substantial interest in hemp-derived CB-infused products, as evidenced by the recent flurry of M&A, and investment activity in the industry over the past few months. According to a report by the Brightfield Group, the hemp-derived CB market is forecast to reach $22Bn in 2022. Given that the market remains fragmented, in-demand, niche offerings likely to be sold by GDET position the Company for rapid market share gains. Examples of niche successes abound from Martha Stewart's touting CB health benefits for pets through her alliance with Canopy Growth to the maker of new products such as CB-infused Jelly Belly candy (leading jelly bean confectioner,) where all of the inventory was reportedly sold on the day available. Considering that niche hemp-derived CB products are able to gain swift and significant traction, we envision a similar pathway for some of GDET's future offerings. Importantly, niche products such as creams and salves carry very healthy profit margins. Given the upcoming, official product introductions and aggressive rollout of its target marketing, we believe that the CB subsidiary alone could end 2019 on a $2-3Mn annual revenue run-rate. Cryptocurrency: HyperDigital Technologies The Company's HyperDigital Technologies subsidiary is in the process of securing/applying for multiple MSB licenses to secure multiple money services business licenses in order to host cryptocurrency ATM (or kiosk) units throughout the country. Once deployed, these units can generate high returns per transaction, regardless of crypto pricing changes. GDET also runs a Bitcoin crypto mining operation in the Tri-State area. The first site of the Company's ATM is in Texas and it is possible that GDET has kiosks in as many as 8-10 states this year. Separate state licensing is required and thus the timing of application approval, licensure and deployment per state varies. These units enable consumers to purchase cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin) in digital wallet or "hard form" in exchange for cash deposits. HyperDigital generates a commission/fee per transaction. In the future the Company is exploring the option to offer Cryptocurrency POS (point of sale) operation for retailers which will allow brick and motor retailers to accept cryptocurrency as payment directly from their customers. It should be noted that while this sector has become unfavorable in many circles due to the currency values crash and widespread news regarding theft, the Crypto ATM market is booming and many currencies have rebounded over the past 2 months, creating a resurgence in interest in the space. Still, the Company's low-cost/high return approach in its fast-growing niche should serve it well. Moreover, the industry is in the early innings of growth, is highly fragmented and GDET could emerge as a leader. Technology: Dreamcard Dreamcard, a separate e-commerce business line, is essentially a vanity or personalized debit/credit card service that, for a fee, allows users to create a customizable debit or credit card using its state-of the-art online platform. Dreamcard simply takes an existing debit or credit card and transfer its data and EMV chip into a new metal card of the cardholder's design and ships it to the holder. DreamCard has been awaiting cold-storage prototypes where the user can customize their card to store Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin directly onto the product. This offers users a more tangible/hands-on approach in a market that is for the most part totally virtual. While an interesting offering, we do not believe it carries the upside potential of the subsidiaries listed above. Interestingly, these three segments have one common thread: Millennials. Millennials have significant interest in these three offerings and we believe that GDET may find ways to cross-sell or find the ties that bind them together. In essence, by virtue of targeting (not exclusively) markets in which millennials are active, GDET is also a play on the millennial market—a valuable demographic. ----- With 1,835% Potential Upside To An Analyst Price Target, How Can You Not Have GDET On Your Radar Monday? Mentioned earlier, GDET is knee deep in 3 booming industries: CB-products, cryptocurrency, and blockchain. That's part of the main reason that Rob Goldman, from Goldman Small Cap Research, gives this upside filled profile a $.06 price target. As the company keeps releasing major news, could that $.06 level be something that happens sooner rather than later? Strong momentum could flood this idea any day as it is most likely viewed as undervalued at the moment. If eyes start popping up on GDET, you'll want to make sure you have this hit company researched completely. ----- Tomorrow is Monday. The opening bell will be here soon. Get GDET to the top of your watch-list. To Your Trading Success, Axel Adams Editor, SmallCapFirm (Always Remember The Profile Prices Could Be Significantly Lower Now From The Dates I Provided.) Discl.aimer: Make sure to always do your own research and due diligence on any day and swing trade alert I bring to your attention. I am not a license d finan.cial advise r. All potential percentage gains are based on from the low to the high of day. SmallCapFirm's full disc.laimer is to be read and fully understood before using SmallCapFirm's website, or joining SmallCapFirm's email or text list. By viewing SmallCapFirm's website and/or reading SmallCapFirm's email or text newsletter you are agreeing to SmallCapFirm's full discl.aimer which can be read at: smallcapfirm.com/disclosure Stock Wire News (stock wire news . com) is owned by Stock News Wire LLC, a limited liability company. A member of Stock News Wire, LLC owns an interest in the limited liability company that owns and operates small cap firm . com ("SCF") and an interest in the limited liability company that owns and operates fierce analyst . com ("FI"). From time to time, non-affiliated third parties hire Stock Wire News, SCF and/or FI jointly to publicly disseminate information about a company via website, email, SMS and other points of media. Pursuant to an agreement between SmallCapFirm and Awareness Consulting Network LLC (a non affiliated 3rd party), SmallCapFirm has been hired for a period beginning on 5/2/19 and ending on 5/3/19 to publicly disseminate information about (GDET) via Website, Email and SMS. We have been paid five thousand USD via bank wire transfer. We own zero shares of (GDET). Pursuant to an agreement between SmallCapFirm and StockWireNews LLC, (a non affiliated 3rd party), FI has been hired for a period beginning on 11/22/19 and ending on 11/25/19 to publicly disseminate information about (GDET) via Website, Email and SMS. We have been paid five thousand USD via Bank Wire Transfer. We own zero shares of (GDET). To date, SmallCapFirm has been compensated a total of ten thousand USD via bank wire transfer to disseminate information about (GDET). A member of StockWireNews LLC owns an interest in SmallCapFirm. Pursuant to an agreement between StockWireNews LLC and Awareness Consulting Network LLC (a non affiliated 3rd party), StockWireNews has been hired for a period beginning on 11/22/19 and ending on 11/25/19 to publicly disseminate information about (GDET) via Website, Email and SMS. We have been paid twenty-five thousand USD via bank wire transfer. We own zero shares of (GDET). In total, both SmallCapFirm and StockWireNews LLC have been compensated sixty-five thousand USD via bank wire transfer to disseminate information about (GDET).


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- Porirua harbour strategy working
- Water cooperation in action – LAWA tells our water story
- World Water Day 2014 – the water and energy nexus
- Water, water everywhere…
- Cleaner rivers – Morgan Foundation steps up
- We can do better – NZ's Land and Water Forum releases its final report
- Life on a Seamount
- Treasure on our doorstep – Porirua Harbour and Inlet
- Have enough farmers cleaned up their act?
- National – declaring war on rivers?
- Freshwater in NZ – Auditor General unimpressed by 'forgiving' Regional Councils
- Green growth in NZ – a case of once over lightly?
- Mining lignite in Aotearoa NZ – a price too high?
- Avoiding the race to the bottom: The RMA – what does it mean to water in NZ?
- Would you like more water with that?
- Christchurch Earthquake – information
- Earthquake or drought: The joy of a bright orange – or green or blue – water tank
- Underwater 'rainforests', world warming and more – on water
- Dirty rivers and streams – time for a change
- Village planning 'unplugged'
- The Earth – another good read
- Dancing at the Dead Sea and more – 3 books to read and read again
- Mainland Farmers of the Year – amazing Averys
- Porirua's Village Planning is a World Winner
- Affordable water – Porirua's Water Guy shows you how to fix water leaks at your place
- The price of water
- Kapiti moves to secure their water supply
- Quickfacts on Canterbury Water
- WSUD in HafenCity: 'Future-Adaptive Urban Development'
- What is it to be Water Sensitive?
- Water Sensitive Design – the rural dimension
Top Posts
Daily Archives: September 2, 2011
Mining lignite in Aotearoa NZ – a price too high?
Interested in what's on the horizon in respect of our natural resources – including freshwater? Two reports released in August are worth your attention. Lignite and Climate Change: The High Cost of Low Grade Coal is a report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Geology, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Resource Management, RMA 1991, Uncategorized, water Tagged Carbon Cycle, Climate change, Crown Minerals Act 1991, Environment, Greenhouse gas, Lignite, Mining, Natural resource, New Zealand, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment 11 Comments


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"A burglar alarm combines in its person all that is objectionable about a fire, a riot, and a harem, and at the same time has none of the compensating advantages." So wrote Mark Twain in 1882.
More than a century later, alarms have grown louder and migrated to cars parked in every New York neighborhood, and no one is any fonder of them. Councilmember Eva Moskowitz (D-Manhattan) says "the most frequent noise complaint" from her constituents is about car alarms. Now she and Councilmember John Liu (D-Queens) are each sponsoring a bill that promises to solve New York's car alarm problem.
Liu's bill, introduced in 2002 with nine co-sponsors, would ban the sale and installation of audible car alarms in New York City. Moskowitz's bill, introduced in April with fifteen co-sponsors, would go further, banning the sale, installation, and use of the alarms. Moskowitz also proposes a mechanism for citizens to report annoying alarms to the police, prompting a warning letter to the car owner.
It is clear that these bills have the full support of New Yorkers. In a survey conducted earlier this year by Transportation Alternatives (whose results are published as part of a report I co-wrote, Alarmingly Useless: The Case For Banning Car Alarms In New York City ), three-quarters of the 800 New Yorkers who responded said that car alarms interfered with their sleep; 90 percent said that alarms diminished their quality of life. Many spoke passionately: "This is one of the annoyances that rises to the attention even of life-long New Yorkers like me," one said, typically. "I don't hear fire engines, but I do, painfully, hear these car alarms -- while I'm sleeping, when I'm trying to read or think or just live. They're all useless, loud, and extremely disruptive."
And useless they are. The only unbiased study ever done on the subject -- one conducted by the insurance industry -- shows that car alarms do nothing to stop car theft.
But when a version of Liu's bill was introduced in the City Council in 1997, lobbyists for the car alarm manufacturers derailed it.
Not surprisingly, these manufacturers are once again trying to convince the City Council not to ban their product. At a recent council hearing on car alarms, Directed Electronics spokesman K. C. Bean said, "The proof that our systems work is exhibited in the fact that since 1993, annualized vehicle theft in New York City has fallen by 76 percent." Of course, crime is down across the board; during the same period, New York City's murder rate dropped by 70 percent, and robberies by 68 percent. Car theft rates would probably have dropped dramatically too, with or without alarms. But this statistic was the only "proof" any of the manufacturers were able to cite.
At that same hearing, the New York Police Department also decided to oppose the car alarm ban. Its reasoning was hardly better than Bean's. Assistant Commissioner Susan Petito said New York should permit car alarms because "we can't know for sure whether audible alarms deter car thefts." Apparently, the NYPD has never seen the insurance data. When pressed, Petito admitted that the department has no evidence that alarms work, keeps no statistics on the arrests (if any) that car alarms have led to, and knows that police officers themselves usually ignore the alarms.
In fact, the department put out a booklet in 1994, "Police Strategy No. 5," of which the assistant commissioner seemed to be unaware. The police pamphlet called car alarms an "annoying and sometimes unbearable disturbance for residents in their homes." They "frequently go off for no apparent reason." And as one of the "signs that no one cares," they "invite both further disorder and serious crime."
The truth is, there is no reason to allow car alarms to continue in New York City -- and many reasons to ban them.
A recent Cornell University study finds that traffic noise raises blood pressure, increases stress hormones, and leads to "learned helplessness" in schoolchildren. Many traffic sounds contribute to the problem, but car alarms, unpredictable and often exceeding 125 decibels, can be especially harmful. The World Health Organization warns that even for those who think they can "tune out" or ignore the noise, physical tests show otherwise. "There [are] increased levels of stress hormone and elevation of resting blood pressure."
Children bombarded with car alarm noise suffer even more. A noisy environment makes sleep and concentration difficult, and can interfere with language acquisition. Noise analyst Arline Bronzaft's famous study in a Manhattan elementary school found that children in classrooms facing noisy, elevated subway tracks read as much as one grade-level below their counterparts in quiet classrooms. Another study by psychologist Sheldon Cohen examined an apartment building overlooking the George Washington Bridge, and found that children living on lower, noisy floors did not read as well as those on the quieter, upper floors. The experts believe that children exposed to loud traffic noise learn to ignore sound cues, which makes it harder for them to pay attention in class.
Car alarms also contribute to a break-down in civility among neighbors. In a series of psychological studies beginning in the 1970s, researchers "accidentally" dropped books on the sidewalk and measured how often passersby offered to help pick them up. In normal conditions, 80 percent of the pedestrians offered help. With an 87 decibel lawnmower blaring nearby (about half the volume of an average car alarm), only 15 percent of passersby offered their assistance. Loud noise, as later research confirmed, makes people less attentive to the needs of their neighbors.
Perversely, then, alarms alienate the very neighbors that car owners depend upon to call the police when their alarms go off.
In 1997, the insurance industry's Highway Loss Data Institute looked at insurance claims data from 73 million vehicles, to see which devices could prevent theft. While new vehicle immobilizers cut theft rates in half, the study concludes that cars with alarms "show no overall reduction in theft losses" compared to cars without alarms. The alarms just don't work.
"An audible system is really just a noisemaker," explains General Motors spokesman Andrew Schreck, who notes that only eight percent of GM's light duty vehicles now have an alarm as standard equipment. "Most people, when they hear an alarm, they just walk the other way."
There are two main reasons that car alarms don't work. First, people know that the vast majority of blaring car alarms are false alarms, set off by passing trucks, electrical malfunctions, or nothing at all. So no one responds to them -- often, not even the car owners themselves. A recent survey by the Progressive Insurance Company found that fewer than one percent of respondents would call the cops upon hearing a car alarm. In 1992, Darrell Issa, the multimillionaire founder of car alarm manufacturer Directed Electronics (who now leads the recall drive against California Governor Gray Davis), told the New York City Council that an alarm is effective "only in areas where the sound causes the dispatch of the police or attracts the owner's attention." In New York City, this just doesn't happen.
Second, alarms are very easy to disable. About 80 percent of stolen cars are taken by professional car thieves, and they know how to deactivate an alarm in just a few seconds, according to police and criminologists. "No one has demonstrated that alarms are effective," says Rutgers criminology professor Michael Maxfield, now studying car theft for the state of New Jersey. "No one seriously recommends them as a serious protection against theft. They might help a small bit, but there's a good reason why actuarial data show no benefit [to having an alarm]."
How to get New York car owners to switch over to effective -- and quiet -- anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizers, tracking systems, and silent pagers, which do not cost any more than noisy car alarms? The Council can pass a ban on the old, ineffective, and unbearably noisy ones. The two bills under consideration would, in fact, help everyone here: local installers, who will be hired to change cars over to silent security devices; car owners, who will benefit from better security and bigger insurance discounts; and the millions of New Yorkers who wish, once in a while, to get some sleep.
Aaron Friedman is founder of Silent Majority: Citizens Against Car Alarms, and is a consultant to Transportation Alternatives.


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Arturo Vidal's late header helped Chile to a 2-0 win over Cameroon in their Confederations Cup Group B opener in Moscow on Sunday, as the video assistant referee played a prominent role.
Chile dominated an entertaining, but goalless, first half as Eduardo Vargas saw his strike ruled out by the video assistant.
The Copa America champions had to wait until the 81st minute though to find a breakthrough, which was provided by a flying header from Bayern Munich midfielder Vidal.
Vargas, who missed a host of earlier chances, added a second in added time after another video review.
The victory gave Chile a perfect start to their maiden Confederations Cup campaign, after they qualified by successfully defending their Copa America title last year.
"It was very important to start in the right way with our goal to become champions," said Vidal, who also dedicated the triumph to the victims of a fierce storm in Chile that has claimed several lives.
"We were superior to Cameroon, pressed harder and looked to score more… Even though it was hard to play the first Confederations Cup match in our history."
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Reigning World Cup-winners Germany and Australia make up Group B, and they go head-to-head on Monday.
The South Americans made a blistering start and almost took the lead inside the first minute, but striker Vargas' shot crashed back off the post, before Jose Fuenzalida saw his low effort well saved by Cameroon keeper Fabrice Ondoa just seconds later.
The Africa Cup of Nations holders did look a threat on the counter-attack and Vincent Aboubakar was denied by the legs of Johnny Herrera, who was in the Chile goal ahead of usual captain Claudio Bravo.
Ondoa was the busier of the two keepers in the first half though and he had to be alert to keep out Edson Puch's long-range strike.
The best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Vargas after he was played through by Vidal's pass, but he blazed over.
Controversy reigned on the stroke of halftime at the Otkrytiye Arena as Vargas saw his stoppage-time goal ruled out.
The 27-year-old clipped the ball home, but over a minute after the ball had hit the net, the video assistant adjudged the Tigres forward to have been marginally offside.
Alexis Sanchez, who had been struggling with an ankle injury before the game, was introduced by coach Juan Antonio Pizzi 12 minutes after the interval as he looked for the 38th international goal that would make him Chile's outright record scorer.
Cameroon were much-improved in the second half as they gained a measure of control, but Benjamin Moukandjo could only curl a free-kick wide.
Vargas continued to see chances come and go, with his latest effort being deflected behind for a corner.
That set-piece almost saw the deadlock broken, but Mauricio Isla flicked a header past the far post with the goal gaping.
Sanchez made a difference as Chile finally forged ahead with nine minutes to play.
The Arsenal forward's dinked cross was met by Vidal, whose powerful header gave him a 23rd goal for his country.
Sanchez should have broken the record, but saw his shot blocked after rounding Ondoa, only for Vargas to poke in the rebound.
After the game's second review, the goal and three points for Chile were confirmed.


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A blogger's dream, Kelly Bensimon, is back in the headlines once again. This time around the Real Housewives of New York City star attempts to defend herself against those pesky crazy 'rumors' in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine.
And nothing says I'm not crazy like the above photo. We're guessing the theme of the photo was meant to be fighting back, but all we see is a crazy lady with boxing gloves.
"I am not crazy. I am unpredictable," declares Kelly, adding, "I'm not in therapy." Interesting words coming from the 42-year-old mother of two who accused her co-stars of being "dangerous" and "unpredictable" during the reunion show. And in next month's Glamour magazine, Kelly will declare, 'I'm not crazy guys! Just a little dangerous."
Things get even better as Bravo VP Andy Cohen also spoke to the magazine. "I think it was deeply disturbing. It seemed like she had a break of some kind, but I can't say exactly what it was," said Andy of the infamous St. John breakdown. Could Andy's comments be a hint regarding Kelly's unlikely return for another season? Perhaps.
And when it comes to her co-stars, Kelly has convinced herself is convinced they are jealous of her: "Whether it's my nail color, my hair color, or the shoes I'm wearing, everything about me bothers them…They want to go to the parties I go to, they want to hang out with me, they want to do the things that I'm doing." Her co-stars are about as jealous of her the same way Taylor Swift is jealous of Lindsay Lohan.
So how does Kelly explain her behavior to her two young girls? "I tell my girls, 'Your mom gets paid to engage in inappropriate behavior.' It's an amazing opportunity for them to see that being mean is not okay. I tell them, 'If you're in a situation like this, walk out. Don't come back with jelly beans.'" So in Kelly lala land, it's okay for adults to engage in inappropriate behavior as long as they are getting paid?
And folks, you simply cannot make this up. The best writers in Hollywood couldn't make this up. The August issue of Harper's Bazaar hits newsstands July 20.


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Recently I did a brief post noting a Guardian article about a situation in Germany involving what to do about an older, but still beloved children's book with some language that is very problematic today. I wasn't surprised because I had noticed such imagery and language before in my childhood German books and also because this is a difficult situation that is happening in many countries, not just Germany. Now Judith Ridge has written an incredibly thoughtful post related to this, "Censor or suck it up? Racism and children's books." As she and many in the comments note, it is a dilemma. On the one hand you don't want children being hurt, but on the other hand it is uncomfortable to start changing books for this when the author is no longer around to give his or her okay to the process.
A few years ago there was quite a todo when someone brought out a new edition of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn with "the pejorative racial labels" removed. I have to admit that didn't sit well with me and I concluded in "The Problem with Protection" that "History ain't pretty, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be known." But then that was a book that most young people encounter in a classroom with a teacher to guide them through it. The situation is more complicated with books that children read on their own.
Say with Hugh Lofting's The Story of Doctor Dolittle. I loved the book as a child, back in the early 19060s when the adults around me weren't as on top of this sort of stuff as we are today. And so I was oblivious to the book's completely problematic plot thread involving the Doctor and his animal friends tricking an African prince who loves classical European fairy tales into thinking he has turned white. Yep, you read that right. Just check out Chapters 11 and 12. And so, some years ago, an edition came out in which "Patricia and Fredrick McKissack gently revised for modern sensibilities a few small portions of the story so as to preserve and emphasize Lofting's message of universal caring and understanding." Because I'm sadly, very uncomfortable with the original and the change, I think the only solution is for the book to be one for those interested in the history of children's books, not children today.


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Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton's completely stupid Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters action movie looks amazing. Why? Because at one point witches fly through trip wire and cut their bodies in half, Gretel gets into a fistfight, and then someone brings out some sort of old-timey machine gun to shoot down the witches. We are in. So in. Bring on the witch face blood splatter. This is the highly watchable fairy tale garbage we want, so home run.
Twitter Is Shifting Right | Future Tech
[Via IGN]


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We are so excited about our new collection of pretty paper table runners, place mats and cake serving sheets! Perfect for creating a fabulous look at your summer picnics and bbq's!
These vintage-inspired papers will freshen up the look of traditional doilies. We love the cake serving papers that come in 6″, 8″ and 12″ round sizes perfect for placing on dessert plates (as shown above), under birthday cakes or for larger presentations of sweet treats!
The paper place mats are perfect for sprucing up a BBQ's, picnic or other informal gathering. The Reversible Cutlery Place Mats come as a set of 25 and are printed on thick and durable heavy craft board (100% recycled!). The charming fork, knife and spoon design is a great way to keep your table looking classy.
A matching table runner is a great way to protect your table as well – and it comes in a 50 roll so you can customize it to fit any length of table or even multiple tables! See all of our new vintage paper products HERE and browse our What's New section for the latest and greatest items we've added for summer!


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Pro tip: if you're booking flights online, make sure using your Mastercard doesn't cost you an extra 50 for your flight ticket price.
It happened to me earlier this morning as I was booking a flight. I went on Kayak, found a flight I liked, clicked the link that sent me over to eDreams to book it. By the time I was ready to buy, the price had silently hopped up 50 CHF. I tried other sites. I tried the airline site directly. I couldn't find the flight at the price Kayak advertised.
I made a last-ditch effort to book the flight, starting over from Kayak and keeping an eye on the price. I saw it had jumped as I filled in my credit card details. I looked closer. I saw a discreet notice advertising "best price using Visa credit". Switched my Mastercard for my Visa. Bingo.
Similar Posts:
- Being My Own Travel Agent With Kayak [en] (2007)
- Flying Home Tomorrow With Easyjet. Or Not? [en] (2006)
- Blogger Programme for Solar Impulse (Part 1, Brussels) [en] (2011)
- More on coComment Advertising [en] (2008)
- Searching For a New Theme For Climb to the Stars [en] (2010)
- Paypal Scam Nearly Got Me [en] (2004)
- Missing Kitty [en] (2004)
- Lausanne to Portland [en] (2007)
- Getting Back on the FlyLady Wagon [en] (2009)
- First US Photos [en] (2007)


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Will the exam mark and final grade posted in Blackboard ? Thanks (:
In portal under our grades, we have 'Total ...../202' Is that our final mark? Or is that the final exam mark?
Exam marks: yes (even better: we post FE1, ..., FE6 and FE = sum)Final mark: no, as it needs to go through "official" channels. So you'll learn it from ROSI


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24 October 2018
The yearly Global Media and Information Literarcy (MIL) Week, initiated in 2012, is led by UNESCO in cooperation with GAPMIL, UNAOC and the MUIL and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) University Network. It unites diverse actors committed to promoting MIL as a way to foster social inclusion and intercultural dialogue.The seventh annual global celebration of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week is being prepared. The Week will be celebrated from 24 to 31 October 2018, under the theme "Media and Information Literate Cities: Voices, Powers, and Change Makers". Global MIL Week 2018 highlights will include the Eighth MILID Conference and the Youth Agenda Forum, planned to be held in Lithuania and Latvia, from 24 to 25 October 2018 and on 26 October 2018, respectively.
In Central Asia, MIL is traditionally supported by universities, libraries and non-governmental organizations. Since 2018, a number of new initiatives and projects have been added to the process, supported by media institutions and the donor community.
The topic of media and information literacy was discussed at regional conferences as a tool to combat propaganda and fake news, in the context of the confrontation of xenophobia and the hate speech, as well as MIL gender aspects. Kyrgyzstan presented its practical experience in piloting MIL curriculum in non-formal education at school level.
What is MIL City?
Cities around the world have benefitted hugely from the digital revolution. Information about transportation, health care, entertainment, news, the private sector, civil society, and government has increased efficiency, opened up new economic, social and cultural possibilities, reduced pollution, and enhanced transparency and participation. A growing number of stakeholders are championing "smart cities" initiatives, which seek to make better use of information and communication technology to boost efficiency and quality of life in respect to security, health, recreation, community services, and government to citizens interaction and vice versa.
Global MIL Week 2018 will highlight that smart, sustainable cities must also be media and information literate cities (MIL Cities). MIL Cities put people at their heart by helping everyone, through creative means, throughout their lifetimes, develop the competencies required to make the most of media, information, and technology. They enable citizens to make better use of the practical possibilities a connected city can provide, and engage more creatively, critically and effectively in it.
Such actions advance the achievement of SDG 11, Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 4, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; SDG 5, Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women; and SDG 16, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
In this regard Feature Conference in Kaunas, Lithuania will take place on 24-25 October, 2018, where you can submit a paper proposal and participate as a speaker under the following themes:
- MIL Cities as creative and engaged communities for the sustainable development goals
- MIL enabling civic engagement in city elections
- Uniting power: Roles and responsibilities of key city actors in MIL (policymakers, educators, civil society organizations, academics)
- MIL relevant industries as changemakers for MIL cities (communication agencies, media outlets, technological intermediaries, film industries, gaming sector, content industries, etc.)
- Engagement in MIL movement as corporate social responsibility
- Training and capacity-building for future MIL cities
- Public policy discourses in MIL, algorithm, and automation in journalism and media production
- MIL and news in the era of algorithms
- Youth, Social media activism and change makers
- Defining identities, privacy management, crime and cyberbullying in the (dis)connecting digital universe
- Programming, artificial intelligence, surveillance, and virtual reality: Strengthening impact of digital environments with MIL
- Hate speech and radicalization in public space
- Propaganda, misinformation/disinformation, and persuasive technologies
- Cultural and linguistic barriers to communication: MIL enabling contact between people on and off the web
- MIL to build smart, secure, tolerant, and socially inclusive cities
- Revitalizing city libraries and archives through creative MIL actions
- Let the voices be heard: empowering active, resilient, engaged communities through MIL
- MIL in the workplace
- MIL Partnerships for education
- Evolution of peoples' information needs throughout their lives in cities
- Better city governance: MIL as e-governance participation and learning
- MIL as a tool to build trust in media in cities
- Using MIL to bridge cultural industries with grassroots city life
- MIL as "stoplights" in cities: Meaning-making in music
- Imagining city transportation and healthcare systems that stimulate MIL education
- Stimulating entrepreneurship in cities through MIL
- Theorizing MIL cities with a people focus: Reflections on the Five Laws of MIL
- Where: Kaunas, Lithuania.
- When, local time:
- Wednesday, 24 October 2018 - 9:00am to
- Wednesday, 31 October 2018 - 6:00pm
- Contact: Sergey Karpov (Email: firstname.lastname@example.com)
Read more by click to the link below:
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/global-media-and-information-literacy-week-2018-celebration


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On the one hand, I'm a little sad: I've stepped down as editor for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Mercury magazine and Mercury Online.
After nine issues of editing and producing Mercury, and over two-and-a-half fantastic years of working with the wonderful staff of the ASP, I was in my element doing something I loved. This was in addition to my freelance work with HowStuffWorks, Space.com, LiveScience.com, HISTORY.com, Scientific American and others, plus the science PR gigs I picked up along the way with TRIUMF and the University of Waterloo.
After the infamous Seeker.com layoffs of 2017 that gutted our original (and, frankly, awesome) Discovery News team, choosing to be a freelance science communicator was one heck of a reality check after nearly nine years of relative job security at Discovery. That said, the past three years have also been immensely rewarding, exposing me to a brilliant community of science writers from a myriad of fields, from high-energy physics to astrobiology to Earth sciences.
But when a job opportunity emerged at one of my favorite institutions last year, I couldn't help but pay attention and apply. After convincing myself there was "no chance" that I'd land it… land it I did.
So I've now traded in my freelancing for a scicomm career at…
Having worked as a journalist and blogger, reporting on the incredible space robot adventures managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the past 15 years, I've always pondered whether my career would wind up in an institution like NASA. And I'm overjoyed that it has.
It will be a new challenge working as a media relations specialist and writer at JPL's communications team, but I think the time had come to evolve my career to a new level while still doing the thing I love at an institution I hold in high regard. Intimately knowing the pressures, challenges, and shortfalls facing writers in science media, I hope to use everything I've learned over the past 15 years to effectively communicate JPL's work to the world.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years; I am truly grateful and I hope to make you proud as I embark on this new journey.


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Where Do We Find the Time? Social Networking Use Up 82%
Posted on by Tracy Thrower Conyers
Published by Tracy Thrower Conyers
Tracy Thrower Conyers is a long-time resident of Westchester 90045. Tracy closely follows local politics, political players and social chatter relevant to Westchester. You'll frequently find her at Neighborhood Council meetings, as well as on all the social platforms where 90045 peeps hang out. Tracy loves a good conversation about our community, so don't be shy about leaving comments. 😊 View all posts by Tracy Thrower Conyers


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I have never traveled in my life as much as I have this past year. I have taken 12 trips and I think I'm done for the year – though I do think I may need a Toronto trip before Christmas. At any rate, I can look back at various trips and point to them as memorable for one reason or another. So, I present to you the 2007 Travel Awards. These awards are only for my own trips but I'd love to hear about your trips as well.
- Longest Trip: Toronto, 9 days, May 26-June 3. This trip encompassed Mesh Conference as well as b5 business in Toronto
- Shortest Trip: 1 Day (overnight), Toronto, Aug 23-24
- Most Enjoyable Trip: Gnomedex 7
- Least Enjoyable Trip: SXSW '07 – The Hampton Inn was the beginning of a bad bad trip
- Trip I least wanted to go on that I enjoyed the most: PodCamp Philly
- Trip I most wanted to go on that I enjoyed the least: PodCamp Boston 2
- Best Networking Event: Blog World Expo
- Most drunken event: San Francisco, January 2007
- Most Expensive Trip: Blog World Expo, Las Vegas
Did you travel at all this year? What are your awards?


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2001: A Space Odyssey. Star Wars. Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Blade Runner. The Fifth Element. Each one of these movies stretched our imaginations in new directions, providing us with new visions of what the future could look like. Luc Besson, the director who gave us the spectacular worlds of The Fifth Element, is back this summer with Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. His latest trailer provides a look at some stunning cityscapes and space views, reminiscent of Ridley Scott's groundbreaking world in Blade Runner and Besson's own work on The Fifth Element.
Then there are the alien costumes and make-ups, the real and digitally-created characters. Again, only The Fifth Element had so much diversity in its creativity and vision. The only odd choice is the focus in the trailers on Valerian as "Based on the groundbreaking novel that inspired a generation." This makes sense for a European trailer, but U.S. audiences will be puzzled seeing this statement learning about the graphic novel even the most diehard of comic book aficionados have never heard of. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is based on Valerian and Laureline, the French science fiction comic book series from the 1960s, created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. Get an advance look at the original source material before the movie comes out here.
In October 2015 we reported here at borg.com that director Luc Besson was looking for a few good outfits to feature in a dinner party scene to take place in a city of millions and a myriad of humanoid alien races. So he hosted a costume design contest. The diverse and futuristic winning designs from the contest can be found here.
Besson, who also directed La Femme Nikita, The Professional, and Lucy, made a long-lasting statement in sci-fi fashion with his characters from The Fifth Element. From Milla Jovovich's body-taped Leeloo, to Bruce Willis's orange-clad, understated everyman Korben Dallas, to the over-the-top Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod, from the striking opera singer Diva Plavalaguna (Maïwenn), to Gary Oldman's creepy and villainous Zorg–the movie is a visual spectacle.
We now have the next trailer for Valerian, and it keeps looking better and better:
Here is the earlier trailer in case you missed it:
The cast for Valerian includes leads Cara Delevingne (Pan, Anna Karenina) as Laureline and Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) as Valerian, plus Clive Owen (Children of Men) as Commander Arün Filitt, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, and Rutger Hauer.
Music is by composer Alexandre Desplat (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Argo, Godzilla, The Imitation Game). Cinematography is by long-time Besson collaborator Thierry Arbogast.
Look for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets in theaters July 21, 2017.
C.J. Bunce


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Obama's Africa trip will cost taxpayers $100 mln
President Barack Obama's trip to Africa is estimated to cost American taxpayers $100 million – a hefty travel expense that has sparked criticism as the federal government is dealing with its sequester-related budget cuts.
The president is traveling to sub-Sahara Africa with his family from June 26 to July 3. The Obamas will be accompanied by hundreds of Secret Service agents and staff, which stack up transportation and accommodation costs. Military cargo planes will bring 56 vehicles including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with bulletproof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the Obamas will stay. Fighter jets will fly in the air space above the first family to provide round the clock protection.
"For the cost of this trip to Africa, you could have 1,350 weeks of White House tours," Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.) said on the House floor last week. "It is no secret that we need to rein in government spending, and the Obama administration has regularly and repeatedly shown a lack of judgment for when and where to make cuts… The American people have had enough of the frivolous and careless spending."
Holding reminded lawmakers of the $16 trillion debt the US carries on its shoulders, and scrutinized the administration work spending an estimated $100 million on a weeklong visit. Holding said that while it is important to have security for the first family, the costs for this particular trip are "excessive".
"The numbers don't lie: either the administration is bad at math, or they simply don't see a problem with their excessive spending," he added.
And while $100 million is a hefty price for a week of travel, the Obamas initially planned to spend even more: the first family had plans to go on a safari tour that would have included the expense of a sharp-shooting team to protect them against wild animals. But the Obamas cancelled the Tanzania safari to avoid bringing the counterassault teams.
Although many presidents come under scrutiny for their travel expenses, Obama's Africa trip has been heavily criticized because he is incurring the costs at a time when the national debt is at its highest, government budget cuts have led to nationwide furloughs, and Americans continue to struggle in today's economy. The president has already been criticized for his lavish beach vacations in Hawaii, which have racked up significant transportation costs due to the island's flying distance from Washington.
President Bill Clinton was also criticized for the expenses of his 1998 Africa trip, but the costs only racked up to $42.7 million at the time.
But the White House alleges that Obama's trip is a good deal, since he is providing invaluable attention to a region that is too often ignored.
"Frankly, there will be a great bang for our buck for being in Africa, because when you travel to regions like Africa that don't get a lot of presidential attention, you can have very long-standing and long-running impact from the visit," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told The Hill.
The president and his family will travel to South Africa, Senegal
and Tanzania, which will mark Obama's first official trip in
which he solely visits Africa.


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Q&A: Talking to parents and child care providers
Tracy Chasse, Somerset
Children: Autumn and Ben
What type of day care did you choose? Home day care with Lauren Gentile in Somerset.
What factors did you consider when making your choice? I actually have very good family supports. For my oldest, my sister-in-law, my sister and my mom watched her — I had all my days covered. But I wanted her to be able to detach from family, to learn at a young age to adapt and to be around people other than family and around other children. So I started her at Lauren's when she was 14 months; and my son started there when he was 6 weeks old. It was a homelike setting. My kids even called Lauren's mother "Grammy."
Is there anything you would do over? I would have put my daughter in day care sooner!
What was the best thing about your choice? We obviously fell in love with Lauren and [her husband] Drew. We still exchange Christmas cards. She's part of my family now. I was devastated when she closed — I cried in her living room. When it's a positive experience, there's a comfort there.
Any horror stories? The first day we were supposed to visit, Autumn had to be rushed to the hospital because she had two seizures. I called from the hospital, and I was afraid to tell her why, but Lauren was fine with it. I'm not sure a more institutional day care would have been.
Also, Autumn has a very sensitive gag reflex, so when she gets congested, sometimes she will just puke everything up. Lauren was fine with it — she knew it wasn't serious. I don't know that a day care center would have felt the same way.
Any favorite stories? When my mother-in-law was dying, Autumn wasn't even going to Lauren's anymore — she was in school. But Lauren didn't hesitate — she took Autumn and Ben in and let me and my husband go to the hospital to be with my mother-in-law. She even offered to watch the kids overnight. Lauren just was above and beyond. It's almost more than a day care. We feel very blessed to have [the Gentiles] in our lives.
Pamela Laliberte-Lebeau, Fall River
Children: Paige, Hope and Jameson
What type of day care did you choose? Boyd Center at Bristol Community College (after several years of staying home with the kids).
What factors did you consider when making your decision? Our son is 3½ and we decided he needed more than just his sisters' friends. We decided we wanted a full-day program, because I wanted to actually be able to get things done. He goes three days per week. He needs to be with kids his own age, specifically with little boys his own age.
Location was a factor — I didn't want to be all over the city, and this is close to the girls' school.
Safety was probably the most important. I did a lot of drive-by's. I didn't want to see a chain-link fence where people can look in and see the kids playing.
How did you choose? I put a callout on Facebook, asking for recommendations. I also talked to parents at my daughters' school. Some places have websites, others don't or it's not updated, so I really valued other parents' recommendations.
Is there anything you would do over? I really had no choice [but to stay home with the girls]. We had to go to Children's [Hospital] two or three times a week. What employer is going to say "Oh, sure, go ahead"? I just recently started looking [for a job], but it's going to be tough — you have to factor it all in, who are you going to find that you trust [to watch the kids]?
Kimberly Ferrara, Somerset
Children: Madison, Ally and Katie
What type of day care did you choose? We did three — private day care center, town preschool and stay-at-home — because for all three, there were different phases of life going on. With my first, I was doing sales from home and let me tell you, it's hard working from home with a 2-year-old running around. So we started her at the Children's Garden (no longer in business). It was more of a montessori model, with everything set up in stations. Developmentally, Madison was a very independent kid, so this [was perfect for her]. Allie went to the town preschool program. At the time I was working at Teamworks, and the hours for [the preschool] were stinky. We had to keep weighing our options. For us — and I think for a lot of middle-income families — 75 percent of my salary would have gone to child care. At that point [with the youngest], we figured I might as well stay home and cut back on a few other things. Now she's 3 and going to the Somerset Children's Center. We didn't need to send her, but I knew she needed to be around other kids. We started out slow, but now she's up to four half-days. But I'm lucky, I can also take her to work with me (Kim runs her own business, Wigglekids, in the Swansea Mall).
What factors did you consider when making your choice(s)? Pay attention to the style of teaching. For me, it meant more if the [center] followed the public school's schedule, because my older kids were in school. There is a fine line between day care and preschool. Know what programs are really "play based." I didn't want my 3-year-old sitting at a desk all day doing worksheets.
What advice would you give to parents of an infant? Talk to other parents, Get involved in community activities to get personal referrals from other parents. Do some surprise visits. I visited Children's Garden on a day when one boy had clogged the toilet and it was overflowing. But it was great because I got to see how they handled [an emergency]. They were completely prepared. I visited another place and noticed the kids were having a snack of milk and sour cream and onion Pringles and I was like, "Gross!" Then in the next room, the kids had sucked candy canes down to sharp points and were running around with them.
What was the best thing about your choice? I can tell my 3-year-old is absorbing what she's learning. We were at dinner the other day at a restaurant and everyone had gotten served before her. She was just sitting there quietly and then she said to me, "Mom, it's really rude that everyone is eating and I don't have my food yet." I told my husband, "We just got schooled in manners by a 3-year-old." And I see it when she's doing group activities with me at Wigglekids. She knows how to wait her turn quietly. It's really cool to see that.
Rita Claire Ferreira, Somerset
Organization worked for: Private preschool in Bristol, R.I.
How long have you been working in child care? On and off for 20 years
What is your background/education/credentials/licenses? Bristol Community College, Ashworth College. I was CPR certified. I started out as a nanny, worked at three group homes for mentally handicapped children. I also worked as a substitute teacher and softball and volleyball coach at Diman Regional Technical High School.
Later worked at a preschool.
How did you choose to go into child care? I have always loved children. There is such a joy and innocence working with children. Most days, it's the workplace without the hardships of the world. I couldn't decide on nursing or teaching. Jobs just fell in line for me to always work with them.
What was your most rewarding moment? It's truly hard to just pick one. I have a rewarding moment every time I run into a fellow student and I get that big bear hug. Students become part of your family. Also when I saw my children who were able to go to school with me write their own names for the first time.
What was your most humbling moment? A humbling moment that happened to me was when I had to leave the school I loved so much. There wasn't enough students for an aide and teacher full time. Unemployment was humbling.
Any funny stories? One hectic day I had six on my own. Preparing for pickups. Making sure diapers are changed. Snacks are cleaned up. Backpacks, lunches, daily progress reports are signed and on hooks. Well I must have been sidetracked in multitasking because a boy had a clean diaper but also a napkin of crushed Cheerios in the diaper, too.