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Disney Interactive Studios
Disney buys South Korean studio in bid to tap Asian F2P market
StudioEx, which is still to launch any games, has been acquired by Disney Interactive in an aggressive push into the free-to-play multiplayer Asian market.
Disney Interactive Studios headlines
Update: Black Rock Studio officially closes today
The developer of the tragically underappreciated Split/Second has officially closed its doors today according to its parent company, Disney Interactive Studios.
Disney Interactive posts significant Q2 loss
An unexpected, but significant, loss marks the Disney Interactive Media Group's second quarter financial statements, and it's dragged its parent company earnings down with it.
Pure boss: Colour difference between 360 and PS3 is comparable to a "good LCD from a Plasma"
Speaking to VG247 today, Pure director Jason Avent said that the differences between PS3 and 360 were comparable to the differences between LCD and Plasma TVs."Their final render hardware seems to produce slightly different results in terms of how colours are represented and one is often softer than the other but it's really only as […]
Pure 360-PS3 comparison movie posted
Eurogamer.pt's posted up a comparison video of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Pure. Not much in it, obviously, apart from the colour pallete, maybe.Differences aside, the ATV racer looks excellent, and we're starting to get nudges that this may very well be one to watch. You can get demos on both PSN and […]
Pure demo hits Live
So says the Major. Blurb:[ESRB: E (Everyone) MILD VIOLENCE] PURE is an action sports trick racing game that features vertigo-inducing massive aerial jumps and spectacular airborne tricks in photo-realistic real-world locations all over the globe.Get it. Why wouldn't you?
Pure demos for Live and PSN this Thursday
According to this Eurogamer piece, demos of Disney's Pure will be up on Live and PSN this Thursday.The quad-bike racer certainly looks the business, so it'll be good to see whether or not it can do the do.More through the link.
New Pure shots posted
SI could be bothered to download and post more than 250Mb of Pure screenshots. More flying quad bikes than you could ever need. Take a look.
New Pure movie shows big CG
A new movie here of Disney quad racer Pure, hitting PC, PS3 and 360 this autumn. There's some new CG in there that gives a good idea that this may well be competition-free at the end of year. We certainly haven't seen much else like it planned for 2008. Take a look.
First Pure footage shows monster jumping action
Here. You have to watch it in CVG's shit-house movie player, but them's the breaks. Pure's the recently announced first title from Brighton-based Black Rock since it was taken over by Disney. All told, it looks proper wicked, man. No, seriously, it does look good. Plenty more on this soon.
Disney Brighton announces Pure racer
Disney's racing studio – Black Rock, based in Brighton, UK – just gave official word of its first big game since being taken over by the US giant. Titled Pure, the game will feature "launching off massive peaks while racing against skilled rivals and performing gravity-defying aerial tricks" and is described as an "extreme sports […]
Disney Interactive Studios latest
Disney buys South Korean studio in bid to tap Asian F2P market
Pure boss: Colour difference between 360 and PS3 is comparable to a "good LCD from a Plasma"


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All iPEK pipeline inspection systems can be customized and upgraded to suit your specific inspection requirements. For optimum inspection results you can select between auxiliary lights for inspection even under adverse lighting conditions, elevator extensions for large pipe diameters, roller skids and centering skids for centering and aligning push camera systems, laser accessories to determine cross section profiles and pipe deformations and a variety of different crawler wheels.
In our Onlineshop you find extensive accessories - for registered iPEK dealers onlyOnline-Shop

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Did Potential Zimmerman Juror Lie to Court?
A potential juror at the George Zimmerman trial who told the court he had little knowledge of the case apparently indicated otherwise on Facebook.
"I CAN tell you THIS. 'Justice'…IS Coming," the juror appeared to write of the Zimmerman case on the Facebook page for the "Coffee Party Progressives," a page with which he was confronted in Judge Debra Nelson's courtroom.
The potential juror, assigned the number E7, who described himself as an "underemployed" musician and painter, told the court that he did not have a lot of knowledge about the case when it first happened.
George Zimmerman was not screaming for help, two experts testify. Read the full story here.
In February 2012, Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Fla., shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin after an scuffle in the dark. Zimmerman has said he shot the African-American teen, who he said had been acting "suspiciously," in self-defense.
The shooting triggered a national debate about race, protests, marches, even high school walkouts.
Sixteen months later, Zimmerman faces a charge of second-degree murder.
Full Coverage of the George Zimmerman Trial
Susan Constantine, a jury consultant, told ABC News, "This is a very high-profile trial, so who wouldn't want to sit on it? It's one reason we get people who would love to be in the position of being that one juror in the middle of all the limelight they never had before."
When the assistant state attorney, Bernie De La Rionda, first questioned potential juror E7 this morning, he asked whether the prospective juror was exposed to the case in February 2012 or whether he kept up with it. E7 answered, "No."
The potential juror was then asked what else he knew about the Zimmerman case beyond what was listed on his questionnaire.
"Hmm. To be strictly honest, it's hard to remember," the potential juror said.
He was asked whether he used Facebook or posted anything about the Trayvon Martin shooting.
"No. Best to avoid, at times," E7 said, adding he had not formed an opinion on the case.
Moments later, both counsels approached the bench and had a discussion over a piece of paper. Potential juror E7 came back into the courtroom and was handed a piece of paper by Judge Nelson.
Trayvon Martin drug photos can't be mentioned, says judge. Read the full story here.
"There was a posting on Facebook from March 21 under Coffee Party Progressives," Nelson said. "Is that your writing?"
The prospective juror confirmed it was his posting and left.
An ABC News search of the Facebook page revealed that a person resembling E7 wrote on March 21, 2012, the same date as on the court record, an inflammatory comment in response to a posting about the case touting the site www.justicefortrayvonmartin.com. Besides vowing that justice was coming, the Facebook comment apparently by the prospective juror alleged a conspiracy involving Zimmerman and local police.
"With the noise WE made…it couldn't be covered up," the commenter said. "I only hope the Feds go farther than just THIS case in investigating This 'Police Force.'…"
That comment subsequently vanished from the Facebook thread.
A spokeswoman for the Seminole County Court, Michelle Kennedy, told ABC News that four jurors were dismissed today. It was not clear if E7 was one of them.
With jury selection underway in the small community of Sanford, Fla., all but one of the potential jurors questioned in court expressed their willingness to be on the jury. One potential juror even said today she was "happy" when she got the summons.
By the end of day three, 25 potential jurors had been questioned in court.
Six jurors will be returning Thursday to be questioned.
Twenty jurors are in the potential pool. Ten more are needed before the court will begin regular voire dire. A total of 75 jurors have been dismissed.


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We know more about preventing cancer than ever before. Implement these six surprising tips into your daily life and you will be well on your way to stopping this frightening disease before it strikes you.
Sometimes it can feel like every other person you know is getting cancer—and everyone else is worrying about when they might receive the same dreaded diagnosis. While it's true that more than 10 million Americans are battling some form of the disease, cancer is more preventable than you might think. In fact, 90 percent to 95 percent of cancers develop as a result of factors you have control over. Much of it boils down to your diet and exercise habits.
You have the ability to turbocharge your immune system, keep your hormonal mix at healthy levels and defend your body's cells from DNA damage so that cancer has far less of a chance. And as an added bonus, following anti-C strategies will also help you maintain an optimal weight and cut your risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Call it "healthy multitasking." We know more about preventing cancer than ever before. Implement these surprising tips into your daily life and you will be well on your way to stopping this frightening disease before it strikes you.
Strive for your high school weight.
Staying lean throughout your life is one of the most important things you can do to stay cancer free, according to a groundbreaking report on cancer prevention by the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR). Aim for a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 21 to 23 (calculate yours at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). "Any weight gain after age 18 (excluding pregnancy) is mostly fat," says Walter Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. And excess body fat produces unhealthy hormone levels and releases inflammatory proteins into the bloodstream that can influence cell growth, upping the risk of cancer of the esophagus, colon, rectum, endometrium, gallbladder, liver, pancreas and kidneys. Weight gain after menopause is particularly dangerous: Your risk of breast cancer increases by about 10 percent with every 11 pounds you tack on to your frame.
If your BMI is more than 23, work on losing 5 percent of your body weight in the next six months, Dr. Willet advises. If you weigh 160 pounds, that's just 8 pounds. Once you achieve that goal, then go for another five percent. Come as close as you can to your ideal BMI. Seem too ambitious? Then at least hold steady. "Even just losing that initial five percent loss and keeping it off will reduce your cancer risk," Dr. Willett says.
If you're at a healthy BMI now, keep close tabs on your weight. If it starts to creep up (a five-pound jump is Dr. Willett's red flag), stop gaining more and take steps to lose. Concentrate on eating foods that are low in energy density, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, as well as fruits and vegetables. These foods are bulky but low in fat, so you'll fill up on fewer calories and won't feel deprived. Also, monitor the calories you drink. Research cites sugary, calorie-laden beverages such as non-diet sodas and juice-flavored drinks as a major contributor to weight gain. That's because they're not satiating. Your brain constantly tracks the number of calories you consume so that you usually know when to put down your fork. But about 30 percent of liquid calories you consume can slide under your brain's monitoring radar.
Get up and move it, shake it or at least take a walk.
Regular exercise not only helps you maintain a healthy weight, it also most likely reduces the risk of colon, endometrium, lung, pancreas and breast cancer. That's because keeping active strengthens the immune system, helps lower body fat and regulates hormone levels. "With each step you take throughout the day, you're changing your body chemistry to prevent rather than promote cancer," says Karen Collins, R.D., the AICR's nutrition advisor. Make 60 minutes of moderate daily activity your goal (which can be broken up into 10-minute increments throughout the day). This is especially important starting at around age 40 to compensate for the natural, age-related wane in hormones such as estrogen that help maintain bone and calorie-burning muscle. "Basically, if you don't increase your physical activity level as you get older, you'll inevitably gain weight," Dr. Willett says.
Find a fitness walk to train for, such as a local 5K or half-marathon. Then commit to an hour a day of brisk walking to get in shape for the event. Sound like a lot? "If you're committed to your goal, you'll find a way to fit in an hour's worth of exercise, no matter how busy you are," says Laurie Bagley, an online fitness coach in Weed, California. The key to making it happen is to reserve time for exercise appointments in your day planner, just as you would for business meetings.
Also, think about where your schedule provides pockets of exercise opportunity. "Many people watch TV from 7 P.M. to 11 P.M. each night. That's lost time for activity," says Steven H. Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Why not use a portion of this time for a bike ride, a walk with your family or an exercise DVD, before rewarding yourself with your favorite show.
Pile on the greens.
You don't have to be a vegetarian, but eating a plant-based diet provides a health insurance policy against a range of cancers, including those of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, lung, and pancreas. Always fill two-thirds of your plate with veggies and whole grains, and devote just one-third to red meat, chicken or fish.
Start by eating more dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy and romaine lettuce. Studies show that about half of all Americans eat no leafy greens, which leaves a huge whole in our diets, Dr. Willet says. We're missing out on cancer-fighting vitamins A, C, E and B6, folate and phytochemicals, which strengthen the immune system and protect cells and DNA from the oxidative damage that can lead to cancer.
Also increase your intake of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, along with garlic, fruits and whole grains, all of which contain a mix of nutrients and bioactive compounds such as beta-carotene, lycopene, quercetin and vitamins that guard against cell damage. They're also low in calorie density, so you can eat more of them (and their cancer-fighting nutrients) without gaining weight.
Relegate red meat to side-dish status.
The latest research shows that having more than 18 ounces of red meat like beef, pork and lamb per week (about 2.5 ounces per day) can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Similarly, any portion of processed meat, such as ham, bacon, pastrami, salami, sausage, bratwurst, frankfurters or pepperoni, will also raise your risk. That's because carcinogens can form when meat is smoked, cured, or salted, or when preservatives such as nitrates are added. "Sure you can have a hot dog at an occasional baseball game," Collins says, "but it shouldn't be a regular habit."
Fish and chicken are better options but should still be considered accessories to your diet. Roast or bake fish, chicken or red meat whenever possible. Meat that is fried, grilled, barbecued, or broiled, and cooked to 400 degrees or more, or over a direct flame, can form a chemical on its surface that may pose a cancer risk.
Use the weekends to plan menus, shop, prep produce and batch-cook healthy meals so they're good to go. "To eat healthier, you have to make it a priority. Think ahead and have the food on hand," says Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., author of Diet Simple (LifeLine Press) and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Think before you drink.
As you've probably heard, one daily drink of any type of alcohol may help reduce the risk of heart disease (that's 4 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor). But there's a downside that you must consider: That same glass can up your risk of breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver and colon cancer, especially if one drink turns into two or three. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association involving more than 300,000 women found that drinking one glass of wine every day boosts a woman's risk of breast cancer by 9 percent. And women who drank more had an even higher risk.
Alcohol negatively influences hormone levels and acts as a solvent, enhancing the penetration of carcinogens into cells, which may fuel the cancer process. The AICR recommends limiting alcohol to one daily drink, or preferably, not drinking at all.
If you really want to unwind with a drink after work or have a glass of wine with dinner, go ahead and have one judicious glass. Just don't make it a regular ritual. "Drink it when it really matters to you," suggests Robert Rhode, Ph.D, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson.
Treat yourself to milk, cookies and vitamin D.
It's fairly well-documented that getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D can help ward off bone-thinning osteoporosis, but that's not all this dynamic duo can do. A recent study of more than 1,000 women found that those who got the recommended intake of calcium and hefty daily doses of vitamin D (1,100 IU per day) reduced their risk of all cancers by a whopping 60 percent. It's hard for many people to believe that a little pill and a few extra glasses of skim milk can prevent 60 percent of all cancers, admits the study's lead researcher, Joan Lappe, Ph.D., R.D., of the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. In fact, until more studies corroborate the mounting evidence, the National Cancer Institute and the AICR are only willing to state that vitamin D "may" play a role in cancer prevention. Lappe, on the other hand, is so convinced, she takes two 2,000 IU doses of vitamin D daily, which is the maximum intake that's considered safe. She also gets 1,200 mg of calcium a day by consuming dairy products like yogurt, cheese and milk.
To lower risk of cancer and osteoporosis, get at the least the recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D. For women 19 to 50, that's 1,200 mg of calcium per day (found in three 8-ounce glasses of skim milk) and 800 IU of vitamin D. (Milk is typically fortified with 100 IU per 8-ounce glass.) Women ages 51 to 70 should get 1,500 mg per day of calcium (a 4-ounce container of yogurt has about 200 mg) and 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D. Studies show that most women in the US fall short, getting only 90 IU to 114 IUs of daily vitamin D and 590 mg of calcium daily.
Side Bar:
For Women at Higher Risk
If you're at increased risk for breast cancer because you have one or more risk factors, such as the BRCA1 or BRAC2 gene alternation, weight gain during adulthood or a strong family history of breast cancer (a mother or sister with the disease), lifestyle changes alone may not be enough, says Mary Daly, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Family Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, in Philadelphia. Speak with your doctor about tamoxifen, which is recommended for high risk pre- and post-menopausal women. The drug blocks the effects of too much estrogen, reducing the risk of breast cancer significantly.
Be a Quitter
Smoking leads to far more than just lung cancer. It has been linked to at least 15 other cancers and accounts for some 30 percent of all cancer deaths. If you smoke, boost your odds of successfully kicking the habit with smoking cessation aids that help with nicotine withdrawal, such as nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, lozenges and sprays or prescription drugs, such as Zyban, Wellbutrin (bupropion), or Chantix (varenicline). If you're interested in Chantix, take note: The FDA reported that it has been linked to psychiatric problems. "Using any one of these FDA-approved therapies can double or triple your odds of success," says Douglas Jorenby, Ph.D., director of clinical services at the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention in Madison, Wisconsin.
Don't believe everything you hear or read
Myths about cancer are pervasive, and can sometimes scare people unnecessarily and cause them to lose sight of the recommendations that have been proved to reduce risk. Contrary to popular belief, "You most likely can't get breast cancer from electric blankets, antiperspirants, computer monitors, microwave ovens or underwire bras," says Ted Gansler, M.D., director of Medical Content for the American Cancer Society, in Atlanta. Since the debate over the safety of cell phones continues, if you're a frequent cell phone user consider playing it safe by wearing ear buds.


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A middleweight bout between Tom Lawlor (7-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Chris Weidman (6-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has been added to November's UFC 138 event.
UFC officials announced that verbal agreements are in place for the bout.
Although not officially announced, UFC 139 is expected to take place Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The night's main card, including a Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos heavyweight-championship headliner, airs on pay-per-view. It's not clear if Lawlor vs. Weidman will be part of the broadcast.
Lawlor fights for the first time in more than a year; "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member hasn't entered the cage since a UFC 121 unanimous-decision victory over Patrick Cote in October. Prior to the loss, he nearly forced his UFC release with back-to-back losses to Aaron Simpson (split decision) and Joe Doerksen (submission).
Lawlor had been scheduled for a fight with Kyle Noke at UFC on Versus 5 next month but ultimately was forced off the card with an injury.
He now meets fast-rising Weidman, a two-time Division I All-American wrestler who's had a largely smooth transition into MMA. The Serra-Longo Fight Team member signed with the UFC after just a 4-0 pro record and then made his octagon debut with a late-notice decision victory over Alessio Sakara at UFC on Versus 3. He then cemented his top-prospect status with a submission victory over Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 131 (one that earned "Submission of the Night" honors).
For more on UFC 139, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Tom Lawlor)


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Even if objects are the real basis for all a museum does, museum objects are only intellegible through their contexts. Such contexts are named in the description of the single objects. But all objects are parts of wider contexts which are best presented as a thematic portal.
At the moment the following thematic portals are available:


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Advisors to private equity funds are violating the law or exhibit material weaknesses in controls when it comes to how fees and expenses are handled "more than half of the time," according to the Securities and Exchange Commission's exam chief.
Of the more than 150 exams of private equity advisors that the SEC has conducted since initiating oversight of private equity advisors in 2012, Andrew Bowden, chief of the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, said Tuesday that when examining how fees and expenses are handled by advisors to private equity funds, OCIE has identified violations of law or material weaknesses in controls "over 50%" of the time.
"By far, the most common observation our examiners have made when examining private equity firms has to do with the advisor's collection of fees and allocation of expenses," Bowden told attendees at the Private Equity International (PEI), Private Fund Compliance Forum 2014 in New York.
Bowden called the statistic "remarkable," stating that historically, the most frequently cited deficiencies in advisor exams involve inadequate policies and procedures or inadequate disclosure. "For private equity firms to be cited for deficiencies involving their treatment of fees and expenses more than half the time we look at the area is significant," he said.
The Dodd-Frank Act, passed in 2010, required advisors to many private funds to register with the SEC by March 30, 2012. OCIE announced in October 2012 that it would be conducting "presence" exams of private fund advisors.
Bowden noted that the presence exam initiative "is an important part of our strategy to engage with the private equity industry" and that the initiative "is nearly complete."
Said Bowden: "As the name suggests, we designed the initiative to quickly establish a presence with the private equity industry and to better assess the issues and risks presented by its unique business model."
He added that OCIE is "on track to complete our goal of examining 25% of the new private fund registrants by the end of this year." Of the approximately 11,000 registered investment advisors, at least 10% provide services to at least one private equity fund, he said.
OCIE, he continued, is forming "a special unit of examiners, who will focus on leading examinations of advisors to private funds." That unit is headed by Igor Rozenblit and Marc Wyatt, who will develop expertise in the private fund area by working with and training examiners.
Bowden noted that some of the most common fees-and-expenses deficiencies examiners see in private equity involve a firm's use of consultants, also known as "operating partners," whom advisors promote as providing their portfolio companies with assistance that the portfolio companies could not independently afford. The operating partner model, he said, "is a fairly new construct in private equity and has arisen out of the need for private equity advisors to generate value through operational improvements."
Another troubling trend, he said, is that advisors are "shifting expenses from themselves to their clients during the middle of a fund's life — without disclosure to limited partners." In some "egregious" instances, he said, "we've observed individuals presented to investors as employees of the advisor during the fundraising stage who have subsequently being terminated and hired back as so-called 'consultants' by the funds or portfolio companies. The only client of one of these 'consultants' is the fund or portfolio company that he or she covered while employed by the advisor."
Advisors to private equity funds, he said, are also billing their funds separately for various back-office functions "that have traditionally been included as a service provided in exchange for the management fee, including compliance, legal and accounting — without proper disclosure that these costs are being shifted to investors."
The flip side of expense-shifting is charging hidden fees that are not adequately disclosed to investors, Bowden said.
One such fee is the accelerated monitoring fee. "Monitoring fees, as most limited partners know, are commonly charged to portfolio companies by advisors in exchange for the advisor providing board and other advisory services during the portfolio company's holding period," he said. "What limited partners may not be aware of is that, despite the fact that private equity holding periods are typically around five years, some advisors have caused their portfolio companies to sign monitoring agreements that obligate them to pay monitoring fees for 10 years … or longer."
Check out First-Time Private Equity Funds Struggled to Raise Capital in Q1 on ThinkAdvisor.


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| 6.6°C Belfast
An inquest will be held today into the death of a 14-year-old schoolgirl whose father claimed she was being targeted by cyberbullies.
Hannah Smith, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, was found hanged in her bedroom on August 2 last year.
In the wake of Hannah's death, her father, David Smith, called for a change in the law to protect vulnerable youngsters from online abuse.
A full inquest into the death will take place at Leicester Town Hall today.


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Recently: Doug Casey: A Major Turning Point
L: I'm sitting with Doug Casey in his apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Above me, on the wall behind the sofa I'm sitting on, is a mural depicting the brutality of war. Every time you write about the military, Doug, we lose a large swath of subscribers. But I know it's something you've given a great deal of thought to, and you've never been shy about broaching taboo subjects, so we might as well cull the herd now. Let's talk about the boys in green…
Doug: Sure. Like most young males who grew up on a diet of John Wayne movies, I used to think that the military was great and romantic. As you know, my attitude has changed very much over the years. I'm actually very glad I went to a four-year military boarding high school when they were pretty tough places. That's because I'd wanted to go to West Point, and going to a military school helped cure me of having any desire for four more years of spit-shining shoes, marching in formation like an automaton, and saying "Yes, Sir!" to all kinds of unsavory people.
L: It's a little-known fact that I once thought of doing Air Force ROTC. I wanted to fly F-18s and had pretty good qualifications for doing it. But I knew I'd have to hock my soul for the chance and just couldn't make myself do it.
Doug: Well, at any point in life, a left turn instead of a right can result in an entirely different life.
L: That's right. You could be a used-car salesman right now if you hadn't crashed that Ferrari.
Doug: [Laughs] That's true. And there was another point in my life when I was in Europe and was thinking that it might be fun to join the French Foreign Legion; I'd read Beau Geste. It was an idiotic idea that can only be entertained by someone who is 22 and at loose ends. Anyone could go to the recruiting depot in Marseille and sign up for all the military adventure they could want — I guess they still can. Although Americans have always been discouraged; they prefer people from desperate countries — people who won't complain so much about a life, as Gibbon put it, characterized by violence and slavery.
But there is very little romance, and a lot of marching, discomfort, and minimum wage-type labor. I don't think the Legion is much different from other militaries, except that conditions are tougher and the recruits are rougher. But they say the food is better. French influence.
L: And you get French citizenship if you do join.
Doug: Yes, you serve five years in the Foreign Legion and you gain French citizenship. That's quite correct. I've met a number of legionaries over the years, and it seems that that organization draws individuals who tend to be either the roughest criminal types or rogue intellectuals. It's a bit like the U.S. Army's Special Forces… you don't get your average Joe.
After WWII, they were all ex-Wehrmacht guys, then there was an influx of Eastern Europeans. It's quite an interesting organization. But would it have been worth five years of my life? Not likely. I probably would have deserted or shot my officer long before then.
A Century of War: Linc... Best Price: $3.72 Buy New $8.50 (as of 07:45 EST - Details)
L: So, you don't hate the military, per se.
Doug: No. But over the years of writing the newsletter, I found that my remarks repeatedly culled the herd, as you said, of people with overly conventional, collectivist, or statist views of it. This type of "My country right or wrong!" "Support our troops!" (no matter how many villages they level), and "If you value your freedom, thank a soldier!" thinking is a sacred cow. It's just one of many examples of what Will Rogers used to say: it's not what people don't know that's the problem, but what they think they know thatu2014
Doug and L: u2014just ain't so.
Doug: [Laughs] So, to begin with, you've got three kinds of armies: slave, mercenary, and militia.
For many years, from WWII forward, the U.S. had a slave army. If you were of the right (or wrong) age and didn't have the political connections to get out of it, you were conscripted — forced into involuntary servitude — typically for two years.
L: Wasn't it our saint, Abraham Lincoln, abolisher of slavery, who instituted the first conscription in the United States?
Doug: Yes, he was. Jeff Hummel pointed this out in his book, Emancipating Slaves and Enslaving Free Men.
L: So, the U.S. Civil War started with volunteers and ended with conscripts, at least on the Union side, and WWII was largely fought with conscripts, but what about WWI? I remember reading about big 15-year-olds lying about their age so they could sign up and go kick the Kaiser's butt.
Doug: There was a "Conscription Act of 1917," enacted not long after the U.S. declared war. So, popular myths notwithstanding, it's questionable how many young men really wanted to go off and kill or die in horrible conditions. But it's interesting how war hysteria can build up in a society for absolutely no good reason at all. That was absolutely true of the War Between the States, the Spanish-American War, and WWI. There's never been a good reason for Americans to go to war against anyone; the U.S. has never been invaded. And war has always been the biggest impetus for debasing the currency, raising taxes, taking on debt, vastly increasing the size of the state, and decreasing personal freedom.
L: "War is the health of the state." But back to the types of armies. The U.S. had volunteer armies — militias — until Lincoln instituted the first conscription in the Civil War, then again during WWI and WWII. But Viet Nam changed American attitudes, and the draft ended in 1973.
Doug: Yes. Although a case can be made that it wasn't necessary for America to enter WWII, it was different from WWI and other military adventures, like the Spanish-American war or Korea, because it wasn't a "sport" war. I don't believe conscription was necessary, since many people felt a need to defend the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor sucked America into the war. Anyway, if the common citizen doesn't see a need to defend a country, perhaps it shouldn't be defended. Peer pressure and social opprobrium are what really hold societies together, not execution squads chasing those who don't believe in a war.
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The best example of what happens when you have a slave army, however, is Viet Nam. Young men were forced into it, they hated being there, and it's no surprise that it became a complete disaster. There were widespread drug problems, problems with soldiers fragging officers and NCOs — the effort was just falling apart at the seams.
L: Fragging meaning killing. The classic example of military slaves getting back at their masters that comes to mind is that of Viet Nam soldiers on gunboats setting off up-river, only to loose thousands of rounds into the jungle as soon as they were out of sight. That way, they didn't have to confront enemies who would actually shoot back, and they could return and report a successful pacification of imaginary swaths of jungle.
Doug: Right. Running out of ammo was a good excuse for having to run back to base. And a lot of soldiers didn't have anything against the VC or the NVA, other than the fact they were designated the enemy. Don't forget what Muhammed Ali said: "I ain't got no beef with any VC. No VC ever called me nigger." In today's world, slave armies are completely ineffective anyway. Cannon fodder armies are, at a minimum, technologically obsolete.
Mercenary armies make more sense. You have people serving who actually want to be there, for whatever reasons of their own. The American army now is a mercenary army, in which the soldiers are actually pretty well paid, not just while they are in, during which time they get meaningful bonuses and promotions, but also because of the huge benefits they get when they get out. Those benefits include preferred hiring within the U.S. government, which creates another whole problem.
Historically, I think the military has drawn two types of people: those who were interested in the adventure and experience, and those who were on the bottom rungs of society and wanted to elevate themselves.
Today, the U.S. Army is apotheosized: it's PC to say they are our "best" and "brightest" young heroes, but they are largely refugees from the barrios, ghettos, and trailer parks. Nothing wrong with that, it's just an accident of birth. But people from the same social strata and with similar motivations, all being trained to be blindly loyal and learning to kill on command — people forget that's what armies do — can become problematical in a civil society.
L: Wait a minute. Is that still true post-9/11? A lot of people felt called to "serve and defend."
Doug: Well, there's been a lot of jingoism since then. Maybe there are a lot of people who want you to believe that that's why they have joined, because they think that's what they're supposed to believe. I doubt they really think about it. I don't believe that the average sailor or soldier has ever really enlisted for such seemingly high purposes. Generally, the degree to which they perform their jobs well and act courageously is basically because of peer pressure. They don't want to fail in the eyes of the people around them, as opposed to fighting for any high ideals.
Anyway, 9/11 was no excuse to join the military and fight a war. The attacks were a large-scale criminal action that should have been pursued on that basis. Attacking Iraq because of suspected weapons of mass destruction, which is a misleading term, and Al Qaida links was ridiculous — Iraq was a secular state and no friend of Muslim extremists, and there were no atomic weapons — it was clearly grandstanding by the U.S. government, which had to appear to "do something."
Attacking the Taliban in Afghanistan had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. The 15 Saudi guys who were hanging out in Afghanistan at that time could have been hanging out anywhere, including the U.S. 9/11 was a police matter, not a military matter.
L: Okay, but that's logic. I can imagine an ordinary twenty-year-old buying the "defend the homeland" spin on TV and being encouraged by the "Support our troops" mentality to enlist to "protect America."
Doug: I suppose a few might, but I'd question their thinking. I mean, what if it had been 20 Italians who had hijacked the planes and crashed them into those buildings. Would they have joined to go fight Mafiosi in Italy? How well would that have worked?
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L: Good point. I rather doubt it. Okay, so let's finish up the army types. If a mercenary army is better than a slave army because those involved actually want to be there…
Doug: A militia is the best of all, because it's one that really does come together to defend a society — the places where the people live and work. They are highly motivated by hearth and home. Militias are strictly defensive, which is good, because their very nature precludes the possibility of an aggressive overseas war. In a way, a militia is a kind of guerilla army, which is almost impossible to defeat, short of genocide.
L: You have to sterilize the area.
Doug: Exactly. And now, our mercenary armies are in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting guerilla armies. If you're fighting guerilla armies, you've got to ask yourself why you're there, attacking their hearth and home. I mean, how would the average American react if a large army of young Muslims were on American soil, kicking doors in, shooting resisters, and so forth? There would be no end to the number of Americans willing to take up arms and fight back, with or without training, with or without leadership — which is exactly what American forces face over there.
L: You know I strongly favor the idea of volunteers fighting in self-defense. I like the way the nature of a militia, which is drawn up in times of need, means there would be no standing army that could be sent overseas on some politician's meddlesome errand. But because militias are composed of ordinary people with non-military jobs who volunteer to defend hearth and home, there would be no professional soldiers among them, and no one standing guard in case of surprise attack. Some people would argue that for these reasons, relying on militias is archaic and leaves a people vulnerable to attack.
Doug: Well, I think it makes sense to have a cadre of professional soldiers, a skeleton that can be fleshed out should the need occur. They can themselves respond quickly, and be the trainers of the new forces drawn up for legitimate defense.
In today's world, the entire nature of warfare is changing — again. Before WWI, the military consensus was that cavalry was a useful tool and that marching into battle in straight lines was a good idea. Trenches and machine guns changed that, although it took the generals millions of casualties to figure it out.
Before WWII, battleships were the cat's pajamas, but they turned out to be sitting ducks for planes launched from carriers. Today, they're spending $2 billion apiece for B2 bombers designed to fight a Cold War that no longer exists. And, of course, aircraft carriers are now just gigantic sitting ducks, especially hanging out in places like the Persian Gulf.
L: Okay, but wait, before we get into discussing hardware and modern warfare, let's finish up with the three types and your preferred type of army. I understand your skeleton crew answer to the concern about a lack of professional soldiers, but what about surprise attacks? If there's a sudden offensive, do you have to lose half your ground before your skeleton crew can train raw recruits to begin fighting back?
Doug: I think it was Yamamoto who said that the Japanese could never conquer America, because behind every rock, there'd be an American with a rifle. I've always believed that if America were a free society and the Chinese invaded and overcame our first line of defense, the surfers, the Chinese general would have someone dragged up and say, "Take me to your leader!" And the guy would take him home to his wife. After a few months, half the Chinese army would desert to open McDonald's franchises, and the other half would be treated as common criminals; they'd disappear at night.
L: A free society would be an armed society.
Doug: Absolutely. In today's world of very powerful individual weapons, I don't think that invasion of a place like America makes any sense. Some people say that enemies might launch nuclear weapons at the cities, but that makes neither military nor economic sense. In the first place, you don't attack a society that doesn't threaten you. And if conquest and loot were your goal, you wouldn't vaporize everything of value. That's why it would have served no purpose for the Russians to overrun Western Europe in the '60s, '70s and '80s, which many people were worried about.
It's not like in the Roman days, when you could conquer a country and cart off all the gold, women, and cattle to fund yet more conquest. That's not the way wealth works today; if you tried to do what the Romans did today, you would destroy the basis of wealth itself. There's nothing to milk afterwards, and the conquered land becomes nothing but a cost to you — just as Afghanistan and Iraq are to the U.S. today. Conquest simply makes no sense in today's world.
L: Hmmm. So. In spite of what people have said about your "anti-military" remarks, you're not actually anti-military. You're anti-slave-army. Not so keen on mercenary armies. And you're pro-militia.
Doug: That's a good summary. And it's relevant to the future, because I think the whole concept of a national military is going to change radically in the near future. Why do I say that? First, because the nation-state as we know it, which has only been around since about 1600 or so, is on its way out.
There's an evolution here. The idea used to be that you were loyal to your tribe, which at least had some survival value. Then, as kings took over the world, you were loyal to your king, for some reason — it looks like it was pretty much blackmail, a double-negative sort of survival value. And then the nation-state took over, and you were loyal to your government. That looks like a losing proposition to me, with negative survival value. It doesn't make any sense.
In the future, facilitated by things like the Internet, people are going to be loyal to whatever groups they choose, bound together by the things the individuals think are important, not by simple accident of location of birth. These emerging voluntary societies are what speculative fiction writer Neal Stephenson called "phyles."
L: A concept many of our readers have taken to. There are now Casey Phyles in many major cities around the world.
Doug: When your first loyalty is to people you have chosen to give it to, whether they live in Cambodia or Chile, because of the things you yourself think are important and that you share in common, you're much more likely to stand by them than you are for types in America whose goal in life seems to be leaching off producers. I'm sure there are many phyles of different types coming together all over the world whose members feel more loyalty to each other than to whatever neighbors random chance has put next to them. Why should the fact some nation-state considers you both subjects automatically command your loyalty?
L: And the military implication is that it's very unlikely that such distributed societies like this would mount physical, military invasions on one another. It'd be very difficult to do, and what would be the point?
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Doug: Right. I think the world is evolving differently. And let me re-emphasize that military technology is changing too. All these aircraft carriers, B2s, M1 tanks, and so forth are basically junk. They serve no useful purpose in the kind of battle that's likely to happen in the future. If someone wants to attack the U.S., they're not going to use an ICBM; they're extremely expensive, clunky, and you can see where they come from, guaranteeing retaliation. It's total idiocy that even a maniac wouldn't bother with. Not when you can deliver a backpack nuke by FedEx, cheap and on time. Or you could use any commercial aircraft, container ship, or truck.
But the real handwriting on the wall is the sort of thing we saw in Mumbai last year in November. There it was a matter of two-dozen people with ordinary guns turning the whole city totally on its head for days. That was an extremely cheap and easy thing to do — and warfare has always been a matter of economics.
L: It's not a question of what's possible, but what you can pay for.
Doug: Yes. And that Mumbai attack was just one variation on a very large theme. An even more effective one, cheap and easy for a handful of individuals to pull off, would be to destroy a city's or country's critical infrastructure: electric power plants, or transmission lines, water treatment facilities, gas pipelines…
L: That would do much more harm.
Doug: Much more harm.
L: They are soft targets that are too numerous to protect adequately.
Doug: But that won't stop governments from doing as they always do, fighting the last war. It's like with all these zombies at the TSA pretending to prevent another 9/11 — which no one is going to try again because it can never be a surprise again. It's completely insane to make all travelers suffer at the hands of these nitwits for no useful purpose whatsoever.
L: But wait a minute, what you're saying is that all three types of armies, even the militia, are going to be useless. An army can't defend a population against pinpointed terror attacks. So, the army of the future may be no army. The nature of conflict is evolving to where you'll have to hire highly specialized field agents to seek out and neutralize particular threats.
Doug: Quite possibly. If for some reason you wanted to go on the offensive against a particular group of people somewhere in the world, you might hire a group of specialists to go after the soft targets and paralyze the place. It's almost undetectable, low cost, and effective. Even a militia wouldn't be able to stop them.
L: On the other hand, only a militia would stand any chance of stopping such attacks, because everyone would be part of the defense force, and all people would have the need for eternal vigilance on their minds at some level — instead of assuming the professionals will protect them — and they'd have some training and weapons. It'd be part of the culture, as in a place like Alaska, where everyone has guns and knows how to use them.
Doug: Sure — a militia isn't a perfect answer, but it's the best one we've got. It's interesting that that soldier who went berserk in Fort Hood a couple weeks ago was able to kill so many people. It was on a military base, of all places, where people are supposed to be trained to fight…
L: That was my first thought: why didn't anyone shoot back?
Doug: Apparently, you're not supposed to go around armed on a military base — just goes to show you what disarming people makes possible. It's completely insane.
L: So… how does this apply to a current conflict like Afghanistan? A militia wouldn't work, because a militia wouldn't go there, but the other two types of armies can and have been sent there, and they haven't done so well.
Doug: The only way to win is not to play. You simply can't win against a guerilla. And the worst thing about this is that the main conflict in the coming years is likely to be the West's unadmitted war against Islam. Since there are over a billion Muslims in the world, and since as a general rule, Muslims take their religion much more seriously than most other people around the world, and since it says in the Koran, which is supposed to be the direct word of Allah, that they must spread their religion around the world, the conflict is not going to go away. Especially since there is also a small but quite virulent minority of Christians in the U.S. that have similar views, and a rather disproportionate number of them are in the military.
It's become a redux of the Crusades, at this point. Actually, the Crusades never really ended; they've just waxed and waned since the Middle Ages. Using the distributed warfare tactics we've just discussed, the Muslims are going to win on a cost-benefit basis. The new crusaders will attack their countries with expensive junk, and the Muslims will counter with unstoppable, low-cost violence. Even though they are largely primitive societies, they are going to win both on the attack and on the defense, creating huge chaos in the process.
You can't conquer a primitive society. There's nothing to destroy or hold hostage. The only way to win is to commit genocide.
Everything Western governments, and the United States especially, are doing politically and militarily is counterproductive.
L: You could defeat Germany, for example, in the past world wars, and Germany would surrender. But in these places, if you kill ten percent of the people, the other 90 will still fight you, and if you kill 90 percent of the people, the other ten will still fight you.
Doug: That's a real problem when you're fighting what amounts to a religious, or tribal, or race war. And just destroying materiel serves no useful purpose. If you live in a desert, a threat to blow up nearby sand dunes doesn't deter you much.
It's very interesting to me that during the Viet Nam War, a large part of U.S. society completely disrespected and hated the U.S. military in all its forms. Soldiers would come home and people would throw garbage at them and spit on them. They became ashamed to be U.S. soldiers. Today, things are completely different. Soldiering is an honored profession these days — and people act as though that's the way it's always been and always should be.
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But it isn't. And as I said: the current institution of the military, the way it's constituted, organized, run — everything — is an anachronism. It's a dead duck.
L: So… You're not anti-military — not in the way people were back in the late '60s and early '70s, when they spat on soldiers. You're anti-stupidity, in things military. You would favor morally constituted and effective military tools and structures.
Doug: Yes. And I feel very badly for these poor teenagers who are joining the military. Once they're in, they learn a few good habits, like working hard and shooting straight, but once they go to a war zone, the chances are excellent that they'll pick up some really bad habits… like shooting first and asking questions later. It's not just the things that might happen to them, like having their brains scrambled when a high explosive goes off nearby, but the things they'll end up doing, perhaps unthinkingly, that will weigh on them for the rest of their lives.
L: Shooting a child you mistook for an enemy soldier…
Doug: It could be an honest mistake, but you still have to live with it. The U.S.'s current military setting, with bases in 100 foreign countries, is very bad, from top to bottom. And most of the bad habits those kids learn will stick with them when they come home, because most will go to work for government agencies, especially the armed ones. Police, like soldiers, tend to be loyal first and above all to each other. Their secondary loyalty is to their employers, and only as a distant third are they loyal to the people they supposedly serve and protect. This is a very, very bad trend, these soldiers are picking up bad habits and then coming home to work in government jobs where they have power over others.
L: Heavy stuff… Not to sound coldhearted, but are there any investment implications?
Doug: Well, you could try to bet on companies that sell military hardware, but politics often takes priority over superior performance in military procurement, making it harder to predict winners. The safest and most obvious bet is to place long-term chips on higher energy prices. The war on Islam is most likely to get ugly in the Middle East, with obvious implications for oil supply. This is the sort of thing we monitor in our energy letters, Casey's Energy Opportunities and Casey's Energy Report. And it augurs very poorly for the U.S. economy in general and the dollar in particular.


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SALT LAKE CITY - A conservative Utah group is calling on the state to stop funding the Sundance Film Festival due to movies it says are at odds with family values.
The Sutherland Institute says the state shouldn't back a festival that features films about porn stars and women having affairs with one another's adult sons. He's referring to "Lovelace" and "Two Mothers," a pair of films starring Hollywood actresses.
Utah expects to spend $300,000 supporting the festival again this year. The festival generated an estimated $80.3 million in economic impact for the state last year.
Utah state officials stand by the backing, citing the money and international exposure the festival brings. Sundance officials say they show films that are well crafted and thoughtful, and that viewers can choose films right for them.


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Publix and other chains try to compete with specialty stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market
From cage-free eggs to paper towels made from 100 percent recycled paper, demand for ecologically conscious and organic grocery shopping in Southwest Florida stores is strong -- and growing.
In an effort to compete with a new wave of specialty grocers that have set up shop locally in the past decade, including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's and The Fresh Market, more and more mainline grocers are adding organic and "green" items to stay competitive.
That is because grocers like Publix Super Markets Inc., Winn-Dixie and Sweetbay have deduced that even in times where budget-conscious consumers are wary of high food bills, specialty stores like Whole Foods Market -- which sells organic milk for $5.99 a gallon -- are gaining in popularity. Those specialty markets typically locate in wealthier areas, where customers can afford to spend more, but consumers in general are seeking greater selection and healthier alternatives -- despite higher prices. "These upscale grocers have really upped the bar in terms of what's available to shoppers and are now being made available to more people," said Pat Fitzpatrick, president of Atlanta Retail Consulting.
"Even those that can't afford to shop there for all of their needs are finding reasons to stop in and pick up a prepared meal on the way home from work," Fitzpatrick added. "The quality is so much better than what they're used to."
Not to be outdone, Publix, Florida's largest grocery chain, began adding natural and organic products to its stores beginning in 1996 -- long before eating organic and buying sustainable items became fashionable.
Four years later, Publix unveiled its GreenWise Market private label, which is typically more profitable than everyday brand lines and items. At the same time, it also introduced brand-name organic items.
Since then, the Lakeland-based grocery chain has been expanding its section to offer "green" and natural alternatives in almost every aisle, said Shannon Patten, a Publix spokeswoman.
"These days, more and more people are looking for environmentally friendly products and the popularity of these products continues to increase across all categories," Patten said.
"We've created our Publix GreenWise Market to meet this need and to give all our customers greater range of choices."
Greenwise Market private-label items include bagged salads, chicken, beef, condiments, juices, recycled paper goods, pet products and vitamins, among many other items, at prices that can be up to 30 percent less than brand-name equivalents.
"We see our customers integrating GreenWise Market items into their conventional shopping basket," Patten said. The chain has even begun designing stores devoted exclusively to GreenWise products. Publix's planned renovation of its Longboat Key store, off Bay Isles Parkway, is believed to be modeled somewhat after a GreenWise prototype.
Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie, too, has evolved its offerings stores to stay current.
After filing for bankruptcy protection in 2005, Winn-Dixie embarked on a strategy to move away from low-priced goods and to target a more upscale clientele instead.
Many stores were shuttered, including one on North Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. But those that remained open -- including a supermarket in a Target-anchored center at Fruitville Road and Honore Avenue in Sarasota County -- underwent multimillion-dollar renovations to entice shoppers.
The Fruitville Road store, for instance, received a $6 million facelift in May. Renovations included widening shopping aisles, adding a fresh fa�ade, exposing ceilings and installing better lighting. But the biggest change came in the form of new merchandise. The store now contains a sushi bar, an expanded wine and craft beer section with a full-time wine steward, an in-house olive oil bar and a small cafe with free coffee. And while Winn-Dixie stores still sell a private-label brand, it has greatly expanded to its organic and natural selections, too, to keep customers coming back.
Creating pressure
Whole Foods, with 361 stores nationwide and 17 in Florida, has seen its revenue grow from $6 billion in 2007 to $11.7 billion so far this year.
Locally, it debuted its first regional store in downtown Sarasota in 2004, in a Casto Lifestyle Properties mixed-use project that also includes parking, ancillary retail and residences.
By comparison, Publix's 1,061 stores in five states have generated total 2012 revenue of $29.9 billion, against a reported net income of $368.4 million in the third quarter, 18 percent higher than the same period in 2011, according to The Produce News, a trade publication. Though vastly different, both chains have expanded over the last year, with Publix reaching into North Carolina, and Whole Foods widening its footprint internationally with new stores in the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as in the U.S.
The Austin, Texas-based company plans to open its 18th Florida store somewhere in Clearwater in either 2013 or 2014.
"These upscale concepts create pressure on the main staple markets that have been serving these consumers for years without knowing what other choices felt or looked like," Fitzpatrick said.
"Suddenly, the consumer is more aware of different options. They may still stop at Publix most of the time, but they're drawn to spending at least some of their weekly grocery dollars on a product that looks better and tastes better."
Trader Joe's, which opened its first two Florida stores in Naples and Sarasota this year, operates 375 stores nationwide and generates about $9 billion in annual sales. It specializes in hard-to-find items and fresh merchandise.
The Fresh Market, by contrast, opened its first store in Southwest Florida in a Kohl's-anchored plaza on University Parkway in 2009. Together with Whole Foods, it led the shift in new supermarket offerings in Southwest Florida. Earlier this year, Fresh Market opened its second regional store, in Bradenton.
The push into upscale, organic fare -- especially at the expense of low-cost offerings -- can be risky, however, as Tampa-based Sweetbay Supermarkets found after converting the Kash & Karry chain beginning almost a decade ago.
Since then, Sweetbay has struggled somewhat against a huge capital investment to maintain its customer base and attract new shoppers, despite fresh store layouts, an expanded selection of goods and higher prices on some items.
But it, too, hopes to capitalize on the move toward healthier, organic products.
Of late, it has recorded a shift in the demand for such fare, spokeswoman Nicole Lebeau said. For example, sales of probiotic Greek yogurt, which studies say can promote good brain, heart and digestive health, are up 45 percent over last year. Almond milk sales, likewise, are up around 19 percent at Sweetbay, Lebeau said.
"Customers can get everything they need at a Sweetbay, and this demand for new products has only expanded what we can offer shoppers," she said.
"We hope shoppers see Sweetbay as a destination for everybody and specialty stores as just that, a store for other specific needs."


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The Open Badges team has been sprinting on one thing or another for months now. At this point, it may be more apt to call what we've been doing a badge marathon rather than a series of badge sprints. And so, it's high time for some much needed reflection and introspection. Perhaps some navel-gazing is in order. So, yeah, we're about to participate in a team badge camp. Did I mention that it's in Maine? Vacationland? Niiiice.
We probably all have ideas about summer camp: some summer-long sleep-away camps, some day camps, some great experiences, some we'd like to forget. Just like the term badges, the word camp carries a lot of baggage with it, too. (It's a noun, it's a verb, it's an adjective: what can't it do?) But we digress, let's talk agenda.
A time for reflection—and swimming
Our badge camp will be the first ever for us as a team: a week long experience packed full of sun, water, food, drink, exercise and, wait for it… badges. Well, really badge thinking. But hey, this is camp and so in addition to the prerequisite navel-gazing, we'll also be doing some arts and crafts, too. Yes! Arts and crafts! Who doesn't love that? And that means we'll be making badges. Markers. Felt. Glue. Bedazzling.
I want to wear it
We'll be constructing both virtual badges and real, physical badges. Sure, this approach is a bit beyond where we started with badges—as digital representations of experiences, affiliations, learning. But over the last year and a half, our badge exploits and our community's badge exploits have taught us a thing or two about physical objects. The power of the physical object cannot be overestimated. There's something about being able to physically interact with an object—to touch it, to subconsciously weigh it, to roll it around in your hands—that turns it into not just a thing but a talisman.
Badges as talismen
So as we're combing the beach for treasures, we'll create a few talismen of our own. These badges we create may not translate beyond next week, but the act of creating them should prove informative and will help us consider what makes a badge special and where its power might lie. Our primitive badge making will be transporting us into the world of issuers and earners, soaking us in what it means to actively participate in badge system design.
Open Badges badges
Yes, there's method behind this felt + marker + bedazzling craft-y madness. Recently our team created a questionnaire for the Open Badges team to complete. Its primary purpose? To unearth all of the hidden, unspoken, barely-floating-at-conscious-level thoughts about badges. What each member of the team thinks of them, what they'd like to see be created and issued, if there is a single badge that might represent them precisely, what excites them about badges and what makes them sad about badges. We're diving into the unconscious world of our own hopes and dreams for badges. Our goal? To develop a way to acknowledge/recognize/appreciate/reward our badge tribe. In short, we want to make badges for and about Open Badges.
Patterns + pathways
While we're frolicking in sun and sand, we'll be sorting through the responses to our badge questionnaire, looking for patterns. Those patterns will reveal some potential next steps—some possible pathways for recognition. But like the sand on the beach, new patterns will arise with each successive wave. So, even after badge camp we'll keep at it—investigating our values and our community's values, responding to what's most meaningful, delving into what constitutes and enhances group participation, enlarging our own understandings of badge systems—so we can create useful, compelling Open Badges badges for all.
Of course, I'll keep you apprised of what we learn and what's next. Right now, I wish you glad summer tidings.
Much more soon.
Yes, the pathways posts are still in progress as are the additional CSOL posts! Hang in there with me. :)


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Adapting 'pin vices':
Janine and I discussed her progress on investigative conservation of one of the Grave 111 shield studs She has brought in thorns from her garden to use for careful cleaning of the soil and corrosion around the shaft of the stud – this area has mineral preserved wood, reflecting the shield board itself. We got the idea of using thorns after watching conservation work on the Staffordshire Hoard. Janine feels more comfortable with the softness of her thorn pin vice.
Janice was working in the afternoon on a spearhead from Grave 111, she prefers to use a very fine needle pin tool, that she made herself and brings with her for her sessions, when she is working on an object with fragile or intricate details (eg. mineral preserved textiles).


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The 10th anniversary of the Missionary Ridge Fire has given Vallecito resident Ireta McCracken some time for reflection.
I thought it would never look nice again, McCracken said of the place where shes lived since 1986. But its coming back.
Firefighters used protective foam to save the 800-square-foot cabin that McCracken modernized with indoor plumbing and other amenities.
Nevertheless, McCracken, who was secretary to water attorney Sam Maynes for 15 years, spent three weeks away from home when the fire swept through the community.
Then came the rain.
The trees above me didnt hold, so the whole hillside came through my back door, continued through the living room and out the front door, McCracken said. I had eight inches of black, smoky mud in the house.
The force of the moving muck tore out trees, her garden and lilacs that McCracken had saved from her grandmothers house in Mancos.
Personal items and garden tools were carried across County Road 501 and into the lake.
I never saw some of my things again, McCracken said. Some of them are probably at the bottom of the lake.
One of McCrackens four sons used a truck vacuum to suck mud from the house. Insurance paid for later cleanup.
Theres a lot of green now because the hillside is growing back, McCracken said. This is home.


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Exelon Nuclear will begin a project this week to replace all 97 emergency sirens in the 10 miles around Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station with sirens that include battery back up.
DELTA, Pa. (Jan. 4, 2010) - Exelon Nuclear will begin a project this week to replace all 97 emergency sirens in the 10 miles around Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station with sirens that include battery back up. The first phase of the project will have contractors visit each siren location to plan for new siren installation.
The initial phase of this project will take approximately 60 days. Installation of the new sirens will begin in 2012. The new and old sirens will run concurrently for a 4-month period to ensure they operate properly. Completion of the project and removal of the existing sirens is scheduled for 2013.
"While our current sirens are tested on a weekly, monthly and yearly schedule, and they continue to work satisfactorily, the new replacement siren system is the best available technology," said Bill Maguire, Peach Bottom vice president. "The battery back-up is an upgrade that provides multiple layers of redundancy."
Residents within the 10-miles around Peach Bottom should be aware that individuals employed as Exelon contractors will be in the area to perform reconnaissance on the sirens. Contractors performing this first phase of the project will be from ANS Services and individuals performing work will be required to have a company photo ID. All residents should remember that any contractor wishing to enter a property should produce the proper company ID upon request.
This $2.2 million investment around Peach Bottom is part of Exelon Nuclear's emergency preparedness program to replace and upgrade the emergency sirens at all of the sites in the mid-Atlantic region including Limerick Generating Station, Oyster Creek Generating Station and Three Mile Island Generating Station. This project will involve a total investment of more than $9 million and the replacement of 400 sirens.
The warning sirens are one of several methods used by county emergency management authorities to provide notification of emergencies. Individual counties may activate the sirens to warn the surrounding community of events such as fires, floods, tornados, hazardous material releases, or nuclear energy plant events. The sirens are not a signal to evacuate, but to tune to the local Emergency Alert Station.


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Article content
Coming out of the closet is good for a gay person's health — at least, if they're Canadian.
A new study out of Montreal's Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital found gay and bisexual people who have told others about their sexual orientation show fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout.
But the study, which questioned and measured stress hormones in 87 gay or bisexual Montrealers, may have a regional bias.
"Coming out might only be beneficial for health when there are tolerant social policies that facilitate the disclosure process" lead author Robert-Paul Juster said.
"As the participants of this study enjoy progressive Canadian rights, they may be inherently healthier and hardier.
"Coming out is no longer a matter of popular debate but a matter of public health. Internationally, societies must endeavour to facilitate this self-acceptance by promoting tolerance, progressing policy, and dispelling stigma for all minorities."
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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Professional People Change in Portsmouth
Businesses change and grow when they act, not react.
We're the HR Transformation company that actions people change in Portsmouth. We work with CEOs, MDs, FDs and COOs of mid-sized businesses and advise, manage and resource the strategies that will change how people work for your organisation.
This enables you to exploit new products, marketing opportunities or ways of working – whether that's driven by legislation, new market opportunities or simply a new business strategy.
Expert Advice
We'll assess your HR and leadership teams, culture and people processes for future-fitness
Active Delivery
We can project-manage the people changes in Portsmouth you need to deliver your strategy successfully
Proven Resources
We provide experienced people for key roles to speed up your transition
WHAT you get when you work with us
Reduce the time spent on wasteful activities or tasks that anchor you to your old business model.
Address the indirect costs of bad management practice and wasted resource.
Make people or legislative changes in Portsmouth the right way by working with experts.
Access multi-disciplinary resources at the same time and get traction for your new strategy more quickly.
Unlike hiring a new HRD or outsourcing your HR function, our people focus on the consistent actions that will embed the skills and people practices you need to grow. We do right by your people and your business and bring you solutions not more problems. So you can start to act, not react. Which means you save time, reduce hidden costs, minimize risks and move forward faster with your future business plans.
- Commercially minded: Not tea and sympathy – we support good people but not at the expense of the business.
- Strategic not admin: We're not here to outsource everything just to save costs. We're here to get your organisation future-fit by working with the right people.
- Get stuff done: We don't hang about. We know you want something to change and we help you do it properly.
- We believe in people: We treat them with respect and make sure they have the right environment and tools to succeed.
Our Values
Our Purpose & Mission
Competitive Positioning
Our 3 Step Method: A C T, Don't React
Assess your HR, Leadership and wider team skills, processes and culture
Create a people plan, org design and processes that fit with your future business
Transact the change with you and your team providing experienced resource where you need them


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Senior Software Developer
Ready to the biggest adventure of your life?
Have you ever dreamt of coding the best mobile apps while sitting on some island in a tropical paradise and drinking papaya drink, served by the most beautiful girl in the world?
Have you ever wanted to change your life, get some amazing adventure and opportunity to get rich by doing what you love most – creating outstanding games and apps, being a part of ourageous and multinational team?
Have you ever wanted to be creative, put yourself 100% into the project – not only code but also help designing top appstore/google play games?
Are you highly skilled in coding mobile games in Cocos or Unity, are you a gamer, who knows how to make games amazing, who is creative and willing to put heart to the projects?
If you answer YES to theese 4 questions – please contact us to become our Senior Software Developer.
We provide:
Extraordinary salary with an option to become a shareholder in multinational company
Visa and Work Permit, supported by Thai Government
Amazing work flexibility and environment (palms, islands, beautiful Thai girls, amazing Thai food = tropical adventure)
Get part in the amazing mobile company in Thailand! Spend with us 2-3 years, working on top mobile apps and games - and get enough money to be walthy, be free all the rest of your life!
This is the only chance like this in your life – you don`t want to ever miss it!
Apply now! Let the journey begin! Write to us: hr(AT)tingtongapps.com
Info about our company:
TingTong in thai language means positively crazy – brings happiness and unlimited joy. TingTong Apps Co. Ltd. is your mobile games creator, located in beautiful Thailand. Founded in 2013 under the promotion of Board Of Investment of Thailand by professional programmers and gamers with 10 years of experience, provides entertainment for people all around the world.
Our company's mission is to create the most amazing mobile apps and games, with highest quality and standards. Currently we have been cooperating with Thai Ministry of Education, Microsoft, Google, Apple and Samsung. Our future plans focus on developing 15 mobile apps and games yearly with highest quality standards.
Meet us:
We are a team of 7 people, that love to enjoy life to its fullest! Our TingTong Company was established in beginning od 2013 year by Arnon Dagan from Israel, Chris Krol and Artur Tochowicz from Europe. We appreciate great help from BOI (Board Of Investment of Thailand), where we met a lot of amazing people, that helped us on all the way and still show, that Thailand is the greatest place to make business in the world!
On a business meeting you will see us with perfectly cut suits and cufflings, however on a daily basis we wear shorts and colorful shirts with flowers.
We love life and enjoy life! We did a lot of stuff before - one of us was a monk in a Buddhist temple, one wrote 7 bestselling books and was a motivational speaker, teaching people how to success in life. We love to share our knowledge with others - we fund scholarships, help students to develop themselves, lead seminars in Bangkok about mobile applications.
Together all of us had before more than 20 successful companies - just to take all this experience and build amazing enterprise in lovely Thailand. Here is how our office looks:
Our company is located in the apartment building in Buriram, Thailand. Our offices are on the top floor. A lot of time we spent on various islands - we just love coconut palms and ocean water! We have brought also some of the palms to our office!
Although some of us are 43 years old - we study all the time - we love learning and developing ourselves.
In our lives and company we have one, most important rule: "Come on... Enjoy life!". We don`t work, we focus on our passion and dreams and put them into reality.
Our team loves to travel - often we go to various seminars, islands, lovely places all over the world - we believe discovering the world gives us inspiration.


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Applications are accepted January through November. The 2020-2021 school year begins 7/1/2020 and ends 6/30/2021. Planning for the school year starts as soon as the student skills assessments are returned to your advisor for evaluation.
Annual Enrollment Fees
Enroll Early & Save
As a special "thank you" for starting your planning before the busy spring/summer season, a 5% discount on the annual enrollment fees is available to all families that enroll by March 15, 2020! The special code to receive the discount will display at the end of the enrollment application.
Come join us for the new year!
1. Submit the enrollment application online
2. Pay the annual enrollment fees by check, money order, credit card, or payment plan.
3. Watch for your welcome/assessment packet to arrive in the mail within a few days.
Services Included | Submitting Payment | Other Expected Costs | Options for the Academic Year | Refund Policy
Services included in the annual enrollment package:
- Evaluation of skills assessment (one per student)
- An Academic Packet of personalized course recommendations, course plans, and book ordering information provided by email (one per student)
- Support for teaching-parents from experienced homeschool advisors by telephone appointment, member forums, and email (one advisor assigned to your whole family to help align your students' studies)
- Variety of forms and resources provided on the Member Support Site to help track, organize, and guide your homeschooling
- Open invitation to add any of the options available to member families as long as your student's enrollment is active (see "Options for the Academic Year" below)
- Access to the Student Zone for course Q&A forums, weekly graded quizzes, and gradebooks to help track and calculate quarter grades and progress (for students in Grades 7 through 12; web resources dependent on courses students are registered for)
- Monthly teleconference discussions and student book club led by a high school advisor (for students in Grades 8 through 12; encouraged, but not required)
- Students studying high school courses may join their teaching-parent on the line for high school advisor support appointments
Personal one-on-one academic counseling by telephone is the heart of the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy program. After the initial planning appointment for the academic year, each member family has access to one planning follow-up appointment and then two additional appointments per student with either their family's academic advisor or their high school advisor. Additional advisor appointments may be purchased as often as desired throughout the school year for $35.00 for a 45-minute session.
|Number of Students Enrolled
|Total of Annual Enrollment Fees for Family
|Appointments Included with Enrollment
|One Student
|1 x 75-minute planning appointment +
3 x 45-minute support appointments
|Two Students
|1 x 75-minute planning appointment +
5 x 45-minute support appointments
|Three Students
|1 x 75-minute planning appointment +
7 x 45-minute support appointments
|Four Students
|2 x 75-minute planning appointments +
9 x 45-minute support appointments
|Five Students
|2 x 75-minute planning appointments +
11 x 45-minute support appointments
|Six Students
|2 x 75-minute planning appointments +
13 x 45-minute support appointments
|Seven Students
|2 x 75-minute planning appointments +
15 x 45-minute support appointments
|Eight Students
|2 x 75-minute planning appointments +
17 x 45-minute support appointments
*The Student Enrollment Fees are discounted by 15% when enrolling six or more students
Submitting Payment
After submitting the enrollment application, enrollment fees may be paid by mailing in a check or money order. Alternatively, fees may be paid online by VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, payment plan, or PayPal. All online credit card, payment plan, and PayPal payments are subject to a 3% processing fee.
Other Expected Costs
The enrollment fees listed above are paid directly to St. Thomas Aquinas Academy once per academic year. The following lists other regular costs associated with the school year. Member families purchase the books, materials, study guides, or standardized tests directly from the suppliers as needed by their students. The Academic Packets provided by STAA and the conversations with your academic advisor clearly outline what is necessary and what to order for each course.
Options for the Academic Year
The following options and add-on services are available for member families to add to their student's enrollment services as desired.
- STAA Transcript and STAA Diploma: Studying STAA courses with the intention of earning an STAA diploma. Students electing this option need to add the Report Card/Transcript program to their enrollment each year of high school as well as arrange for any Grade 9 and Grade 10 credits from other institutions transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas Academy.
- STAA Transcript Only: Studying STAA courses to develop a transcript with the academy but drawing a diploma from another source such as their own homeschool. Students electing this option need to add the Report Card/Transcript program to their enrollment each year.
- No STAA Transcript and No STAA Diploma: Studying STAA courses and maintaining their own transcript within their homeschool or with another institution and NOT drawing a diploma from STAA. The Report Card/Transcript program is not necessary for students on this path.
Enrollment Fees | Services Included | Other Expected Costs | Options for the Academic Year | Refund Policy
Refund Policy
» Click to learn more about canceling enrollment and refunds »


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Anyone who is a runner or has a family member or friend who is a runner knows they're a determined breed.
That's why so many local runners said they wanted to be a part of a four-mile run Monday to show they will not be crippled by fear and will continue to lace up and hit the road.
"I don't care if it's pouring down raining. I was determined to come out here and make a difference, because it could be our home, it could be your child or my child," said Alvin Harvey. "This is what we've all got to do is come together. There's still some good people in this world."
Harvey was one of the first in line Monday outside 1st Place Sports at the St. Johns Town Center. He's one of 2,000 runners who say they didn't think twice about being a part of the Runners for Boston event, which was mapped as an out-and-back course along Gate Parkway.
People lined up all afternoon to pick up Runners for Boston T-shirts, the proceeds of which go to The One Fund Boston, which is helping provide support for those affected by the explosions last week.
For runner and organizer David Martinson was competing in Boston at the time of the attacks.
"I was lucky enough to finish and I was lucky enough not to get hurt, so being able to kind of take a step back and remember those who were injured or killed, just to take a step back and pay tribute to them," he said.
Martinson, of 1st Place Sports, said Monday's run not only shows Boston solidarity but hope for a swift recovery for the victims and a small sense of closure.
"Now that this suspect has been caught and is in custody, being able to move on from this tragedy into some kind of acceptance and tribute as opposed to just fear and apprehension," he said.
Avid runner Brandi Preston said she was running to show the nation will not be crippled by fear.
"You definitely have to support your other runners, and you have to show that you're not scared to get out there and run and you can continue your life and you can't live in fear," Preston said.
For those who weren't able to make it to the run and want to support Boston, the Runners for Boston T-shirts are still available. They're $20 and can be found at any 1st Place Sports location in Jacksonville.


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_FuryBull_330_ wrote:Ask them about how they are going to handle capacity and crowds on the midways please.
SaveTheWAVE wrote:^My apologies. I intended to write if there are pictures you would like me to take of Maxx Force that are of interest? Are you interested in seeing the catch car up close? Pneumatic cylinders? Trains if there are any? That kind of thing. I will for sure ask about theming and rollbacks.
gottastrata33 wrote:My face was very unthrilled when they posted that "update". We were all expecting more than we've already seen. Admit it. These are just closeups of what we've seen.
RobSFGAm wrote:I have posted my update video from this afternoon from outside the park.
SFGAM_Hog wrote:^ At :25 I couldn't tell if that was track ot just something behind the ride. Looking at the pictures Six Flags posted a few days ago it looks like you'll get really good views of the train falling down that double inversion. Looks like the picture was taken by the Southwest Territory sign by The Lobster. Am I correct?
DropDeadFuzzy wrote:Anyone else having trouble viewing this picture?
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