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IBM Announcements for July 2011 - XIV Gen 3, and more
Visits (23177)
Well it's Tuesday again, and you know what that means... IBM Announcements! While most of the attention is going to [IBM's new servers, the zEnterprise 114 and the POWER 775], there were a few [announcements related specifically to storage] that I wanted to discuss.
To learn more, read Jim Kelly's [XIV Gen 3: Both Hands Clapping], and Anthony Vandewerdt's [Brief History of XIV], and Elisabeth Stahl's [Big Day, Big Data, Big Announcements] blog posts, or see the resources on the [XIV resources page].
technorati tags: xiv, rv1, Information Archive, Tape Sticks, 3592, emc, symmetrix, hds, c07, usp-v, crossroads, readverify, hewlett-packard, ltfs, sonas, p9500, vmax, ts3310, ts2900, vsp, archiveverify, ibm, ts3500
IBM Storage Optimisation Breakfast - Auckland
Visits (12236)
I am now fully a week behind in my coverage of my romp through Australia and New Zealand. Last week was "week 2" of the "Tony and Anna" show! This time we were in Auckland, New Zealand. Anna Wells is from New Zealand originally, so it was good for her to be back in her home country.
New Zealand shares a lot of traits with Australia, including low unemployment and a healthy economy. Employees feel secure enough in their jobs to invest in real estate, get married and start families. School teachers are well-regarded in society, earning six-figure incomes. Retail stores were filled with shoppers spending [disposable and discretionary income]. What a refreshing difference from the United States! The level of optimism made my skin tingle. I had to file a lot of paperwork for all the work permits and visas for this trip, so I hate to think what it would take to emigrate to either country.
(Of course, the grass always appears greener on the other side. Not everything is perfect in New Zealand. I saw warning signs for toxic sea slugs in their beaches, sales advertising for [Brolly Sheets], and the south island of New Zealand suffered a magnitute 7.1 earthquake near Christchurch on the day I arrived to Auckland on the north island. Over 100,000 homes were damaged, but nobody died, and the entire country rallied support to help out those affected.)
The Storage Optimisation Breakfast at this, the fifth of seven cities, went smoothly. The New Zealand client case study she had planned to show was in the middle of an [RFP], so instead she covered [Edith Cowan University] and [Bunnings Warehouse] from Australia as examples of success stories.
Our next speaker was Glen Mitchell, an IT architect in the Operational Integration, Technology & Shared Services of Telecom NZ. The Telecom NZ is New Zealand's phone company, recently split up into separate business units, similar to what the US government did to AT&T during the 1974 [Bell System Divestiture].
The change forced Telecom NZ to be more financially responsible. Before, they were using an all-EMC disk environment, managed by HP Enterprise Services (formerly known as EDS). The EMC gear worked as expected and Telecom NZ is happy with EMC as a vendor, but they were uncomfortable with vendor lock-in. Some firmware upgrades on their EMC boxes often forced them to take outages on hundreds of connected servers to install Powerpath updates. After an EMC disk array went off its four-year prepaid warranty, it took another FOUR YEARS to get all 180 servers migrated to another disk array. Keeping a disk array after warranty expires can cost as much as $450K NZD per year, per disk array, in maintenance fees! Ouch! This served as a strong motivator to find a way to migrate data from one disk array to another in a more smooth and timely manner.
The new direction was a dual-vendor environment, keeping some of the midrange EMC gear, and getting new IBM high-end DS8700 gear, resulting in a drastically lower TCO. To make the transition as smooth as possible, Telecom NZ employed IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC) to virtualize their entire environment, both EMC and IBM happily being part of shared disk pools. They had originally planned to migrate their entire server environment over in 12 months, but in the first six weeks, they are already at 20 percent, ahead of schedule!
The SAN Volume Controllers will also allow Telecom NZ have Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery protection in a consistent manner across both EMC and IBM equipment between their two main data centers in Auckland and Hamilton.
By deploying IBM DS8700 and SAN Volume Controller, Telecom NZ was able to reduce costs, manage risk, and improve service delivery!
technorati tags: IBM, Auckland, Devonport, Telecom NZ, HPES, Hewlett-Packard, EDS, EMC, vendor lock-in, price-gouging


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When the England Cricket Selectors were considering a one-day captain to replace Michael Vaughan, pundit Geoffrey Boycott tipped Kevin Pietersen. Eventually, the selectors saw it Boycott's way
At the time of Geoffrey's recommendation, a Leaders we deserve post was unkind about Boycott's choice. Boycott's judgment, and even his motivation for backing Pietersen were disparaged.
Boycott was a brilliant opening bat, and now is a trenchant and insightful commentator. He was also arguably the worse cricket captain of England in modern times. What can we make of his judgement in this case?
The England selectors did not see it Boycott's way. Most TMC pundits agreed. They all went for Paul Collingwood.
In the original post, there was a pinch of Jungian psychology, and the dour Boycott was accused of backing his shadow-self, the flamboyant Pietersen. Collingwood was seen as the safe pair of hands.
Collingwood has had a rather unsuccessful captaincy. His stock declined further this week after accusations of playing against the spirit of cricket. This coincided with a ban for failing to achieve the overs rate, both charges arising at a critical stage of the one day series against New Zealand.
The Selectors turn to Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen promised to captain England according to his "gut instincts" in the final one-dayer against New Zealand at Lord's
Pietersen, who will deputize for the banned Paul Collingwood, admitted he had "zilch" experience of the role
"I think I'll be a similar captain to the kind of person I am – I'll be calm, pretty chilled and let my gut instincts and feelings guide me."
It's a very old leadership question. Do the circumstances favour flair over reliability? For Boycott it was flair. We now have a chance to see whether that view will be justified.


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Miami-Dade commission to vote on no-kill shelter next week
MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners will vote on turning the county's animal shelter into a no-kill facility next Tuesday.
The commission met Wednesday to work out a program that would stop euthanizing thousands of dogs and cats each year.
"I'm nervous up here as you can hear my voice because this is a very emotional topic," said Carol Caridad with Paws 4 You Rescue.
Last week, commissioners delayed their decision.
"We are here to say that we are in full support of a plan to become a no-kill community," said Laurie Hoffman with the Humane Society of Greater Miami.
Several groups voiced their support to the county's amended plan to reduce or even stop killing strays at the shelter and to increase spay and neuter services.
"As you know, the plan now is high-volume, spay and neuter surgeries to attack the root of the problem," said Rita Schwartz with Friends Forever Rescue. "The experts have told us we need to do 75,000 or more surgeries a year. The plan is ambitious but doable."
But will local veterinarians agree?
"We enthusiastically support the goal of no kill and the spirit of the non-binding straw ballot initiative that was passed last year," said Dr. Anjanette Cabeza, a veterinarian.
The veterinarians' participation means the county won't need to use tax money to build new clinics.
"I am not going to support a tax increase that is going for brick and mortar when we have all these facilities, all these partnerships," said Commissioner Sally Heyman.
"The vets have stepped forward and said they will become part of the solution," said Michael Rosenberg with Pets' Trust Miami, Inc. "Part of the solution is at least 1,500 spay/neuter surgeries a week."
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I get SO tried of medical trends, especially the ones that report on the latest vitamin cure-all. There's nothing more tiresome than hearing the idiots on CNN blab about the latest "discovery" - fiber, vitamin C, vitamin D, lycopene, anti-oxidants, mangosteen, acai - bloody hell! Eat more fruits and veggies, and you're pretty much covered, you know?
Are You a Sucker for Health Trends?
If Billy Mays was the pitch person for an "anti-heart attack medicine", there would likely be many consumers getting on the phone to place their orders. If Brad Pitt became a spokesperson for virility pills, chances are even greater that sales would go through the roof. It's been awhile since we've heard the expression "I'm not a doctor but I play one on tv" but more and more companies are wising up to the idea that celebrity endorsements for health products are an effective way to sell product. With a nation of people working on getting healthier but wanting an easy way out, health fads can be all-too-easy to sell. But how inclined are you to buy?
Health fads are big business but if you're looking for an easy fix to health issues, look instead at good old diet and exercise before spending your hard-earned cash on fads. Here are some other considerations to make about the new products springing up on the market:
Research the Research
Look for the studies that were conducted involving a large number of participants who received both treatments and placebos but do not know who gets what. Research without a control group or those that are conducted on animals provide no definitive answers as to how effective the treatment or the pill will be for you.
Where is the Evidence?
Tons of commercials use touching "personal" stories to make the sale. While the stories may sound good and can be easily related to your own situation, you have to look beyond that aspect. Consider for instance a miracle cold pill or vitamin. At some point, your cold is going to get better and go away. Depending when you take the miracle cure medication, you are bound to see a difference at some point because the cold will naturally run its course. Look instead for scientific evidence that backs up the claims being made in the commercials.
Remain a Skeptic
When products use terminology like "miracle", "breakthrough", or "cure-all", don't get sucked in. Pay attention to what is being said but do your own homework to see what makes this product so great. Many companies will try and turn your attention away from the real lack of evidence by hoisting conspiracy theories on you about why experts don't agree with their claims.
Who Is Doing the Talking?
Pay a spokesperson to talk and they will say just what has been written for them. Look into who is doing the talking on the product's behalf. Are they a real person with a real story to tell or do they get paid for simply doing a good job of reading a teleprompter? Read the fine print on print ads and television commercial campaigns to find out who is getting paid to talk. Anyone with a financial (or otherwise) stake in the book, health program, or miracle cure may not be totally honest.
Your money is yours to spend how you want to but make sure you are investing in quality products that are worth your money and not just fly-by-night fads that promise to make you stronger, healthier, skinnier, or more beautiful. When it seems too good to be true, it generally is. Understand that now before losing your money on a fad - or worse - risk losing your good health.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


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A deep amount of Maori culture and history, good food, top-class wineries and stunning surf beaches makes Gisborne in Eastland an ideal place to visit.
Located on the North Island's East Coast, Eastland is a place of rich history it is where the first Polynesian canoes landed, where Captain James Cook first came ashore from the Endeavour in October 1769 and where Maori and European first encountered each other.Gisborne is the first city in the world to see the sun each day and offers a diverse range of activities for visitors to enjoy.
Cruise ships tender at Eastland Port which is 0.5km (0.3 miles) from the city centre, smaller vessels may berth at Wharves 7 or 8.
A shuttle bus service is provided from the port to the Gisborne i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, located close to the centre of town.
Gisborne city is easily explored on foot. You will need to have a vehicle to venture to the surrounding areas of Eastland.
Taxis are available in Gisborne city.
Gisborne Taxi Society can be contacted on 06 867 2222.
Not all taxis accept credit cards. Please ask your driver before boarding.
We recommend rental cars be booked in advance. Find a rental car in Gisborne.


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Two unidentified gunmen killed Farhan as he walked home from work in Galkayo, a town in
the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, at around 8 p.m., local journalists
told CPJ. The assailants shot him three times in the back and once in the hand,
local journalists said.
Farhan started
working with Radio Daljir in 2006 as a reporter and then became a producer,
editor, and host. He was also a correspondent for the Mogadishu-based Simba
colleagues told CPJ the journalist had received unspecified threats from an
anonymous caller a few days before the attack. Local journalists said they
suspected Al-Shabaab insurgents had killed Farhan for his coverage of the conflict between insurgent
groups and the government-allied forces in Somalia. Al-Shabaab insurgents have
fought against the Puntland administration since 2007, according to news
No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Farhan is survived by a wife
and three children.


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National Hurricane Center
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Hurricane Camille was a ferocious Category 5 hurricane when it hit Mississippi on August 17, 1969. Camille's 190 mph sustained winds at landfall were the highest winds ever recorded for a U.S. landfalling hurricane. Camille drove a record storm surge of 22.6 feet to Pass Christian, Mississippi. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the same region of Mississippi coast, as a Category 3 hurricane with 130 mph sustained winds. Yet Katrina's storm surge exceeded Camille's at all locations, topping out at 27.8 feet at Pass Christian (Fritz et al., 2008). How could a Category 3 hurricane's storm surge exceed that of a Category 5?
Figure 1. A comparison of the maximum storm surge computed by NOAA's SLOSH model from Category 3 Hurricane Katrina at landfall (left) and Category 5 Hurricane Camille (right). The surge is shown as the height above each grid cell. Katrina's surge was higher and covered a much larger area than Camille's, due to the large size of Katrina.
Let's consider the three parts of the storm surge. Firstly, the suction effect of having a large low pressure area over the ocean pulls up the surface of the water about 1 cm for each millibar of pressure drop. Hurricane Camille of 1969 had a central pressure of 905 mb near landfall, good for about 3.5 feet of storm surge. Hurricane Katrina had a central pressure between 918 and 927 mb at landfall, creating about 3 feet of storm surge. No major difference there (ironically, the barometer that recorded the 909 mb low pressure reading in Camille was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina).
Secondly, as a hurricane's winds blow onshore, the waves created pile water up onto the shore faster than the rip currents that form can drain the water away. This effect, called wave setup, is only good for about 1 - 3 feet of storm surge where there is large area of shallow water (the coastal shelf) of more than 50 km expanse. Again, there is no major difference between Katrina and Camille's surges due to this effect, since we are only talking about 1 - 3 feet of storm surge. Wave setup is much more important near coasts where the deep water is less than ten miles offshore, like Miami.
|Figure 2. Storm surge damage from Hurricane Camille at Biloxi, Mississippi. Image credit: NOAA Photo Library.
|Figure 3. Storm surge damage from Hurricane Katrina at Empire, Louisiana.. Image credit: NOAA.
The third factor, which causes the majority of the storm surge, is due to the rotational motion of the ocean waters near the hurricane's center imparted by the circular winds blowing in the storm's eyewall. The spiraling winds of a hurricane push ocean water to the center, where it sinks down and is carried away by deep ocean currents. So, in the deep ocean, the only storm surge is that of the suction effect; in Katrina's case, three feet. But while the hurricane's winds blow over the ocean, they create a circular vortex motion in a large region of water over the area spanned by the storm's radius of maximum winds (where the eyewall is). This rotating area of water takes the shape of a lopsided donut, with a thicker dimension on the strong side of the hurricane (the right side in the Northern Hemisphere), and tapering off in thickness as one moves away from the radius of maximum winds. The depth of moving water typically extends to 100 meters (328 feet) on the strong side of the storm. Camille was a small storm with a very tight eye, and hurricane-force winds extended out only 60 miles to the east of the center at landfall. Camille had an 11 mi diameter eye and a radius of maximum winds of approximately 15 miles. Katrina, though, had a large 37 mile diameter eye, and hurricane-force winds extended out 120 miles to the east of the center. Katrina's radius of maximum winds was about 30 miles, double Camille's. Since the volume of the lopsided donut of rotating waters is proportional to the square of the radius of the area of maximum winds, Katrina set in motion a volume of water about four times greater than Camille did.
Figure 4. A comparison of the wind field from Category 3 Hurricane Katrina at landfall (right) and Category 5 Hurricane Camille (left). The diameter of hurricane forces winds (yellow, orange, red, and pink colors) was roughly twice as great for Katrina. Image credit: NOAA Hurricane Research Division
Once a hurricane's lopsided donut of rotating waters hits the shallow waters of the Continental Shelf, deep water currents can no longer carry away the water piled up near the center. In order to obey the law of physics that requires a object to maintain the amount of spin it has (conservation of angular momentum), the lopsided donut of rotating waters tries to spread out horizontally. However, friction with the ocean bottom limits the amount the water can spread out horizontally, so much of the rotating lopsided donut is forced to move upwards against the force of gravity, in order to conserve angular momentum. This creates a high mound of water--the majority of the storm surge. Since Katrina set in motion four times as much water as Camille, Katrina was able to push a higher storm surge to the coast that covered a much longer stretch of coast.
Storm Surge Increase with Storm Size
In late 2004, NHC ran SLOSH simulations of Category 4 Hurricane Charley to study the effect of storm size on surge. Earlier work by Jelesnianski and Chen showed that there was a strong relationship between the two. According to Dr. Stephen Baig, the retired head of the National Hurricane Center's storm surge team, the simulations used the same track and the same storm central pressure (which is how SLOSH defines storm strength and generates its wind field), but a varying Radius of Maxiumum Winds (Figure 5). Charley was an extremely intense but compact Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds, and had an observed Radius of Maxiumum Winds (RMW) at landfall of 6 miles. The simulations done with a 6-mile RMW generated a surge of 6 - 7 feet--very close to what was observed. However, when the size of storm was increased to create a RMW of 10 miles, the maximum surge increased to 10 feet. The surge kept increasing in height as the RMW was increased, and reached a maximum of 18 feet when the RMW reached 30 - 40 miles--about what Katrina's RMW was. Note from Figure 5 that as the size of the storm was increased (while keeping Charley's central pressure the same), the maximum sustained winds decreased. This occurred because of conservation of angular momentum. If one spreads the maximum winds out so that they cover a larger area, the maximum winds must decrease so that the total momentum of the winds remains unchanged. As a result, Charley would have generated a much more devastating surge had it been a strong Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph winds and a Radius of Maximum Winds of 40 miles.
Recall the unexpectedly high surge--up to 17 feet--from Category 2 Hurricane Ike of 2008? Ike had a RMW of 40 - 50 miles a day prior to landfall, and was able to generate a huge surge despite being "only" a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph winds. Ike's central pressure at landfall was 950 mb, a pressure more typical of a strong Category 3 storm with 130 mph winds, and was able to drive a storm surge more typical of a strong Category 3 hurricane to shore.
Figure 5. A NOAA SLOSH model simulation of Hurricane Chaley of 2004. The storm surge (pink squares) increases and the maximum winds (dark blue squares) decrease as the simulated Radius of Maximum Winds (RMW) is increased. The central pressure is held constant. Image credit: Dr. Stephen Baig, NOAA/NHC.
Fitzpatrick, P., et al., 2006, Storm Surge Issues of Hurricane Katrina (PDF File), 60th Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference.
Fritz et al., 2008, "Hurricane Katrina Storm Surge Reconnaissance", Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, May 2008, pp 644-656.
Weather Underground Storm Surge Articles
Storm Surge Safety Actions
Source: NOAA
National Hurricane Center
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Storm Surge
Tropical Storm Outlooks
Monthly Hurricane Summaries
Tropical Weather Discussions:
Other Tropical Imagery
Aircraft Reconnaissance Reports
Blank Tracking Charts


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Mundu crocodile handbag - Colour 5
Red colour made-to-order crocodile handbag is handcrafted in Milan. From order to delivery it takes about 2-6 months.
Personalise your Mundu by:
- Choosing between glossy (colour code "5G") and matte (colour code "5M") leather finish
- Choosing between gold and silver metal parts
- Adding pearls, precious metals or semi-precious stone studs
- Having your name and/or a personal motto engraved onto a round metal gold or silver plate, placed on the inside
For further details follow this link: www.doratokai.com/DOraTokai_Mundu.pdf
Share your email address and requirements in the comment section while placing an order, and we will be in touch shortly suggesting designs.
If you have any questions, please email us at mundu @ doratokai.com.


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Frazier's bat heating up after rough stretch
PITTSBURGH -- Since going through the mini-funk of an 0-for-13 streak, third baseman Todd Frazier has heated up nicely for the Reds. Over the three previous games entering Wednesday, Frazier was 6-for-11 with two doubles, two RBIs and two walks.
"It's great to see," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "They're all valuable pieces, but Todd is sitting more towards the middle of the lineup in that four or five spot. It's not even the power. What we're looking for is good consistent at-bats from our lineup. It doesn't have to be home runs. It doesn't have to be ringing doubles in the gap. It's just got to be good, efficient and effective at-bats. It's very encouraging to see the way he's been swinging the bat the last couple of games."
Frazier has started all 21 of the Reds' games at third base this season.
"I just think he has a chance to be a really dynamic player," Price said. "I think he's already a very good player but I think he could be a dynamic impact player."


text: Well how's it going everyone? My name is Mike as you can see from my username. I am a junior and high school and am brand new to this programming stuff so if I ask any questions that seem stupid that is why. Just gotta say though that I am liking this programming stuff. It's pretty sweet.


text: Lufthansa Magazin / Travel / The singular seven Florida The singular seven Florida TEXT THILO MISCHKE Florida is the quirkiest U.S. state – according to our reporter, that is. Some fun examples of what to see and do 1. A mermaid for a day Weeki Wachee, opened in 1947 by mermaid fans, is a town and a water park in one. You can still explore the lovingly decorated aquariums with a mermaid tail attached. Even the mayor of the tiniest town in the USA (population: 12) used to earn a living playing Arielle. weekiwachee.com © Joerg Modrow 2. Fabulous French cuisine Florida, in particular Miami, is a great place to eat, even if you easily get the impression that all people drink is alcohol – out of ridiculously large glasses. The A la Folie distinguishes itself from all the other excellent culinary addresses as one of the best French restaurants outside of France. It is even operated by a French team, whose wonderfully bad-humored staff serve tasty goat's cheese salad and one of the best breakfasts this side of the Eiffel Tower. alafoliecafe.com © alafoliecafe.com 3. A Disney world apart What exactly is pop culture? Everything that's modern? Everything that young people appreciate but older ones find ridiculous? Pop culture is primarily about having fun – and that's the motto at Disney's Pop Century Resort near Orlando, which features pop icons from four centuries including enormous Roger Rabbits, oversized Rubik's Cubes and larger-than-life Foosball players. Awfully ridiculous, but fun. disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/pop-century-resort © Steve Carr 4. A sprayers' playground In 1963, the Marine Stadium was built on Virginia Key in Miami, overlooking the ocean. More than 6500 people watched speedboat racing antics here. It is the only stadium in the USA built for that purpose. But in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew raged through south Florida, the giant building was deemed unsafe and subsequently closed. Crumbling and empty, it has since become a sprayers' playground and a monument to Miami of the early 1960s. marinestadium.org © Adrian Foster 5. A temple to space travel The world's fourth-largest building – 160 meters high, 218 meters long and 158 meters wide – is not a shopping mall, church or super-size hotel. It's a workshop for assembling space ships at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In fact, the Vehicle Assembly Building is so large that it even has its own weather conditions: Ventilators disperse the clouds that gather beneath the roof. nasa.gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-at-kennedy-space-center © NASA/KSC 6. Jurassic Park up close Dinosaur World was really created to tell the story of dinosaurs, but in between the absurdly inaccurate models you discover something much better: the story of our planet. The humid Florida air gives the park a primeval feel, and the giant plastic lizards blend perfectly into the swampscape. dinosaurworld.com/florida © MPM Images / Alamy Stock Photo 7. A metal fantasy Some people dream of owning a Ferrari, others, an island, but artist Howard Solomon wanted a castle – built of aluminum, which he obtained from a printing company, and erected in the middle of the Florida swamps. The bizarre construction still gleams between the trees. The tour is well worth it, given with wit and esprit by Solomon himself in a captain's cap. solomonscastle.org © alamy 1 Weeki Wachee | 2 A la Folie Restaurant, Miami Beach | 3 Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Orlando | 4 Miami Marine Stadium, Key Biscayne | 5 NASA Vehicle Assembly Building, Orlando | 6 Dinosaur World, Plant City | 7 Solomons Schloss, Ona © Cristóbal Schmal Getting there from Germany Lufthansa flies daily to Miami (MIA) from Frankfurt (FRA) and up to six times weekly to Miami (MIA) from Munich (MUC). There are also flights from Frankfurt (FRA) to Tampa (TPA) as often as four times weekly and flights from Frankfurt (FRA) to Orlando (MCO) up to seven times a week. Regional airlines will often take you to your final destination. Visit meilenrechner.de to determine how many miles you can earn. LH.com © Dagmar Schwelle/laif Share article: share on facebook share on Google+ share on twitter


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Airamis (Feat. Jason) - In The Zone [Artist Submitted]
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1821 - Birth of the founder
On December 29 of that year, Jean-Pierre, the son of the couple Heintz, was born in Luxembourg. The happy event didn't stand a chance of being mentioned in the
"Luxemburger Wochenblatt" newspaper, which at the time was the only one reporting for the approximately 10,000 residents of the city. Back then the parents had no idea that with their son they had given the country a personality that one day would go down in the history of the Grand Duchy's economic life. 160 years later, the family continues this history, with unbroken consistency and an entrepreneurial spirit that is passed on from generation to generation. Among the middle-class families in Luxembourg which shaped the early days of the country's economy, this success is a rare exception.
1847 - First retail shop of the family business
When Jean-Pierre Heintz, at the age of 25, opened his first tobacco factory with a shop in Neutorstraße No. 9 in July 1847, it was the beginning of a success story. Early that year, he married nineteen-year-old Josephine Van Landewyck. Since Dutch tobacco enjoyed an excellent reputation, Jean-Pierre put his name and that of his wife on the company's nameplate.
1859 - First steam engine Luxembourg tobacco industry
The company of Jean-Pierre Heintz was successful. In addition to a property on "Großgasse", he also acquired an extensive building site on today's Limpertsberg. Heintz also rented the inner buildings of "Fort Berlaimont", located on today's "Boulevard Royal", where he set up the first steam engine (2 hp!) of the Luxembourg tobacco industry in 1870.
1881 - Booming business under Joseph Heintz
Joseph Heintz, son of Jean-Pierre Heintz, took over his father's tobacco factory on Bäderstraße, which experienced a significant boom under his leadership. Born in 1848, he was already involved in the company's business at the young age of 22. The company, which quickly rose to the top of the then twenty Luxembourg tobacco factories, expanded its production of cigars and pipe tobacco.
At that time it had three tobacco factories in Luxembourg: on Bäderstraße, on Boulevard Royal and on Beckstraße. Environmental pollution turned out to be a problem for the tobacco manufacturer. The unbearable noise of the machines, an unhealthy odor and noxious fumes turned out to be a big problem for local residents. It was a problem that today is part of the zeitgeist: the environment.
1887 - Rise of the machines
Machines were gaining ground and were beginning to replace manual labour in factories. In 1887, Joseph Heintz bought an industrial building in Hollerich and planned to set up a modern factory.
1892 - Joseph Heintz takes over the management
Jean-Pierre Heintz died on October 30, 1892, leaving the sole management of the company, which was now called "Joseph Heintz van Landewyck", to his son. Heintz wanted to consolidate production in one place and sold the Limpertsberg site. Now there were 250 employees producing 90,000 to 100,000 cigars and 2,000 kg of all kinds of smoking tobacco, which already included smaller quantities of cigarettes, at the Hollerich plant every week.
1894 - National and international demand on the rise
The national and international demand for tobacco and its use was growing, so that in 1894 another tobacco factory for the production of cigars was built in Fels (near Luxembourg City). The industrial age had also arrived at Heintz van Landewyck.
1897 - New factory in Hollerich
50 years after the company was founded, Joseph Heintz opened the new tobacco factory in Hollerich, where 250 employees produced 100,000 to 300,000 cigars every week.
1905 - First semi-automatic cigarette machine
Victor Heintz installed the first semi-automatic cigarette machine in Hollerich. It must be assumed that he didn't decide on this fundamental change on his own. The cooperative attitude within the family structure had become the company's "style". A working mode that would prove itself in the future.
1911 - Founding of a capital company
Joseph Heintz is transforming his company into a stock corporation. The family's sense of solidarity is strengthened, because all shares are held by family members.
1912 - Victor Heintz takes over Landewyck
After the death of Joseph Heintz on October 02, 1912, his son Victor took over the company and continued to run it with a sense of tradition and modernization in all areas.
But Joseph Heintz left significant gaps as a big industrialist with a vision, as "pater
familias" and as a person with social awareness and commitment. He stood up for those in need with his soup kitchen on
1920 - Establishment of the Economic Union
After World War I, the company wasn't doing
so well. The end of the customs union, which favoured Luxembourg's markets, led to the establishment of the Economic Union with Belgium, after an intended union with France was prevented by that country's steel barons.
1925 - Establishment of a subsidiary in Trier
To rescue the traditional markets, the company now counted on Germany. A subsidiary was established in Trier. The number of soldiers is said to have been crucial for the decision, because soldiers bought a lot of cigarettes.
The management in Trier was taken over by Gilles Schaack, under whose leadership the company became the second largest smoking tobacco producer in Germany. In 1920, the cigar production in Fels, Luxembourg, was discontinued, because the focus now lay on cigarettes.
1931 - Aloyse Meyer takes over the management
On December 9, 1931, Victor Heintz died after an eventful life. But as a proactive man, he had already settled his succession early on. In the person of Aloyse Meyer, who at the time already was a figurehead of the steel industry, he had not only found a manager who promised greatness, but who was also married to Eugénie Heintz. Aloyse Meyer was appointed Chairman of the Board of Landewyck. Gustave Koener, who had already demonstrated his talent with Aloyse Meyer at ARBED, was appointed manager of the factory.
1934 - Management under Koener and Meyer
Robert Meyer, son of Aloyse Meyer and grandson of Victor Heintz, joined the family business as a young engineer and took over the management alongside Gustave Koener starting in 1939.
1939 - Takeover of Fixmer
After the death of his longtime friend Charles Fixmer, Gustave Koener took over his smoking tobacco and snuff company "Fixmer" in Ettelbrück. This marked the establishment of the first Heintz van Landewyck subsidiary in Luxembourg.
At the time, Landewyck and Fixmer's production of smoking tobacco was primarily located in Ettelbrück, and cigarette production was moved to Hollerich.
In the same year, Landewyck was changed into a limited liability company with a capital of 9,000,000 Luxembourg Francs.
1942 - Landewyck during the Nazi regime
Luxembourg suffered under the Nazi terror, and Robert Meyer, who had "refused to give a guarantee", was dismissed from his position as director only to regain it after the liberation in 1944.
1944 - New brand Maryland
Since exports had to be boosted in the post-war years and raw tobacco for the old bestsellers such as the "Africaine" cigarette was in short supply, Landewyck counted on a new brand: "Maryland". The cigarette was a great hit and took on the image of a cigarette for "everyone" in Luxembourg.
1946 - Landewyck enters the Dutch market
Belgium opened its borders and already imported 311 million Landewyck cigarettes in 1946. Landewyck captured a sizeable share of the Dutch market.
1950 - New brand Lexington
Due to the success in the Netherlands, the new "Lexington" brand was introduced. Five years later, a billion of these cigarettes were sold every year. The "Africaine" era gave way to the "Maryland" era and was then followed by the "Lexington" era.
1952 - Robert Meyer becomes sole Managing Director
After the death of Aloyse Meyer, an international heavyweight on the economic stage, his wife, the eldest daughter of Joseph Heintz, took over as chair of the Board of Directors. The same year, Gustave Koener retired and left the sole management of the company to Robert Meyer - who was supported in production by Theo Jung, a longtime Landewyck employee.
1957 - 110th anniversary
Anniversary celebrations at Landewyck: 110 years! Ten years earlier, in 1947, there was little reason to celebrate, so it was decided to forego celebrating the 100-year anniversary. Paul Weber, Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg, wrote in a publication for the occasion: ... "The tobacco industry is one of the few Luxembourg industries to stand the test of time for more than a hundred years and to establish Luxembourg's good reputation in the world".
1961 - Kent begins its career
The production of the "Lexington" brand reached a record level of 2.7 billion units out of a total of 3.3 billion cigarettes produced by Landewyck.
The following year, production of the same cigarette fell sharply to 1.7 billion units. A new era of the "Lorillard" brand had begun. The "Kent" cigarette, produced under license since 1958, began its career at Landewyck.
1963 - Marketing of the Kent brand
P. Lorillard S.à R. L. was founded in Ettelbrück as a "joint venture" and took care of the marketing and later of the production of the "Kent" and "Newport" brands. J. P. Thill was appointed Managing Director. Under his leadership, a new factory was also built in Ettelbrück. 95% of all production was destined for export, especially to Holland, Belgium, France and Italy.
1967 - Filter cigarettes gaining ground
In the wake of the global market success of filter cigarettes, Landewyck introduced the "Maryland Filter" in Luxembourg. By 1970, they had already surpassed the leading non-filtered "Maryland".
1968 - Production of smoking tobacco is moved
The production of smoking tobacco at Fixmer in Ettelbrck was discontinued and at first moved to Hollerich, later to Trier.
1969 - Introduction of the Ducal brand
As the price war intensified, the market trend turned to packs of 25 cigarettes in king-size format. Landewyck followed the trend with the brand "Ducal", which was introduced in 1969 with great success. The 25-pack was fast becoming a hit on the market.
1970 - Lorillard brand soaring
A strong decline in the sale of Lexington cigarettes starting in 1962 let production levels at Landewyck Luxembourg fall to a new low. But the Lorillard brand continued to soar. 1.1 billion cigarettes were produced in 1971. Lexington sales dropped to 300 million. This market for Landewyck had caved in and the company focused more on the German market. Brinkmann invested in Landewyck and now held 25.01% of the shares of the traditional family business.
1971 - Signing of a contract manufacturing agreement
Landewyck signed a long-term contract manufacturing deal with a Dutch cigarette group of global importance, which increased production by 30 percent.
1972 - Extension of the frontier zone "German border"
The 125th anniversary of the company. At the time Landewyck employed 300 workers who produced 2.5 billion cigarettes.
1972 also saw the beginnings of exploiting a market gap that went down in the company's history under the name "German border". It involved the "extension" of the border zone beyond the Moselle River, which brought Landewyck and other cigarette producers clear advantages due to significantly higher excise taxes in the Federal Republic.
1974 - Kent also successful in Europe
After the success of the "Kent" brand in the US, this cigarette also became a success in Europe, above all in the Benelux countries. The increase in demand required expansion of the plant in Ettelbrück. Ten years after its establishment, the Ettelbrück plant employed over a hundred workers, with annual production increasing to 1.5 billion cigarettes.
1977 - Fixmer in Luxembourg-Strassen
Fixmer was moved into a spacious warehouse in Luxembourg-Strassen. This was the beginning of a dynamic development in the wholesale business for tobacco and other products.
1978 - Production of hard-packs
The boom times of "Kent" cigarettes were over. The US partner sold the brand to the British conglomerate BAT (British American Tobacco). P. Lorillard s.à r. l. officially came to an end on June 30, 1978. A licensing agreement allowed Landewyck to continue producing and marketing "Kent" cigarettes. Landewyck focused on the production of "crush proof" hard packs, which were meant to replace the soft packs.
1980 - Ducal the big draw
The brand "Ducal" had become the mainstay of Landewyck's production. The company's 500 employees produced 3.5 billion cigarettes per year, most of which were sold the the Benelux countries.
1981 - Construction of own packaging machine
The first "Made by Landewyck" packaging machine was manufactured, which necessitated setting up an "Engineering" department. In 1996, this department evolved into "IMATEC" in Ettelbrück, which specializes in the manufacture of parts and maintenance of machines.
1982 - Cigarette production in Hollerich
The Trier plant stopped its production of cigarettes, all of which was then concentrated in Luxembourg-Hollerich. Smoking and fine-cut tobacco was still exclusively produced in Trier. The drastic increase in the sale prices of cigarettes in the Federal Republic of Germany, which was due to a steep rise in tobacco taxes, prompted the large German distributors to introduce low-priced cigarettes as their own in-house brands. Landewyck managed to secure a significant share of their production. In 1983, total production reached 4.6 billion.
"Ducal" was introduced on the French market. Above all, Landewyck succeeded in gaining a permanent foothold in Germany with this brand, thanks to the 24-cigarette pack for vending machines (while the competition usually offered packs of 22).
1985 - Merger of Fixmer and CdT
Fixmer in Ettelbrück, wholesale distributor since 1977, merged with "Comptoir des Tabacs" in Strassen under the new name "Fixmer-CDT".
1987 - Export to China
Landewyck in the meantime had acquired the brand "First". A first shipment was delivered to the People's Republic of China in 1987, which incidentally was an excellent year for international business.
1989 - New processing plant
A new processing plant was built in Luxembourg, since the old ones could no longer keep up with the production cycle.
1992 - Production of 5.3 billion cigarettes
By 1992, Landewyck already produced 5.3 billion cigarettes per year. Markets outside of Europe accounted for great successes, such as the "Bentley" cigarette in South-East Asia and the "Ducal" in West Africa. A new product appeared on the German market, the "Rolls" (also called "Quickies"). The plug tobacco was treated like fine-cut tobacco for tax purposes. For Landewyck, this meant the beginning of the "Lexington-Rolls". The introduction of this new product illustrates the fight of cigarette manufacturers against high taxation of their product. The State continues its opposition to cheap cigarettes, since these diminish tax revenue.
1993 - Majority interest in Róna
The partnership with a Hungarian tobacco manufacturer became reality when Landewyck acquired a majority interest in Róna on October 1, 1993. Sales of the "Ducal" cigarette were in decline because the competition now also produced packs of 25.
1994 - Positive balance sheet
From now on, the term "Landewyck" got sharper contours, with the parent company Heintz van Landewyck in Luxembourg, the company Fixmer in Strassen, Heintz van Landewyck in Trier and Róna in Debrecen forming the group. The financial results of the affiliated companies improved, which was reflected in their positive contribution to the consolidated balance sheet.
1995 - Róna looking to the future
The company Róna in Hungary opened a forward-looking sales and promotion department in Budapest.
1996 - Trier becoming independent PLC
The subsidiary in Trier became an independent PLC. Today, the factory in Trier, which specializes in smoking tobacco, produces about 100 tons of tobacco per month for the market in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The company is also very active in the field of cigarette marketing, in particular of the "Ducal" brand, whose sales in Germany almost reached a billion units.
The company "IMATEC" - "Innovative Machine Technology" – evolved from the engineering department.
In 1996, Landewyck's production of cigarettes reached a record volume of 5.7 billion units. 13% of these were sold on the domestic market (compared to 19% in 1986), 62% on the other markets in the EU (80% a decade earlier). Overseas sales, on the other hand, increased by 12% to 25% over the same period. This development illustrates the progressive internationalization of the Group during the last twenty years. In 1996, the Group on average employed about 620 workers throughout the year, about 430 of them in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
1998 - New brand ELIXYR
1998 saw the introduction of the ELIXYR cigarette, which showed excellent annual growth rates.
2003 - Organisation by Landewyck Group S.à.r.l.
2003 was the year of major reorganizations. The organization is now headed by Landewyck Group S.à r.l., which defines the strategy of the Group and coordinates the organization of new business opportunities.
2007 - Merger with TORREKENS TOBACCO BELGIUM
Torrekens TOBACCO BELGIUM came into being through the merger of Heintz van Landewyck Belgium and Torrekens Tabakindustrie. The newly formed company is active in the cigarette and tobacco market and sells everything related to tobacco.
2013 - 165th anniversary
The 165th anniversary Landewyck Group - with 6 factories, 1800 employees, 26 brands, 37 markets and a production of 55 million units.


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2012: Challenge Accepted took place April 12-13, 2012, on the campus of George Washington University. The goal was to prime youth to think about the biggest foreign policy challenges facing our generation leading up to the 2012 elections. We brought together over 150 youth, experts and leaders for two days of seminars and workshops. Check out highlights from the event, below!
Why 2012: Challenge Accepted?
Our planet, nation and generation face incredible challenges. Youth in the US ages 16-24 have the highest unemployment rate in over 50 years; worldwide, the youth unemployment rate is over 2.5 times that of adults. Every year almost 750,000 teens in the US become pregnant, and 82% of these pregnancies are unplanned. Worldwide, 1500 women and girls die from pregnancy-related causes every 24 hours. Over 49 million Americans live in poverty, and worldwide over 1 billion people live on less than $1.25/day. However you slice it, we are at a critical moment.
Youth are often among the most adversely impacted by global challenges. As the generation that will inherit these complex problems, we need the skills to explore, debate and implement new approaches to solving them. As Albert Einstein said, "Problems cannot be solved by the same consciousness that created them." It is our great challenge to set a new course for achieving a more peaceful, just, healthy and sustainable future.
Young people have tremendous power to affect change. We are brimming with energy, innovation and hope. We brought a US president to power in 2008, and chased an Egyptian one from office in 2011. We are the most global generation yet, and regularly connect with our peers around the world via blogs, Facebook and Youtube. We want to get involved; in a 2011 study, Brookings found that 71% of millennials are interested in public service. We are primed to seize this moment and build a better future for our planet and ourselves. The question is: will we seize the day?
The 2012 elections offer a important opportunity to talk about the US role in the world. This is a moment to challenge not only our leaders but also ourselves to think about what kind of world we're building. It's a time to make connections, polish our skills and create change.
The View from the Defense Department: US National Security Priorities: Michèle Flournoy, former Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy
Millennial Voice, Action and Power: Snapshots from 2012
Daniel Maree, Organizer of the Million Hoodie March for Trayvon Martin
Lacy MacAuley, Occupy DC
Neil Watkins, Action Aid
From Me to We: Harnessing the Power of the Millennial Generation
Karen Richardson, White House Office of Public Engagement
Nick Martin, TechChange
Matt Zellar, Captain, US Army, and Author, Watches Without Time
Christopher Malagisi, American Conservative Union
Saul Garlick, ThinkImpact
Alison McReynolds, US Peace Corps
Frank Fredericks, World Faith
Jordan Wolf, PolicyMic
Karen Showalter, Americans for Informed Democracy
The Real Hunger Games: The Fight for Our Food, Our Climate and Our Future
Roger Thurow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Author, Enough
Anuradha Mittal, Oakland Institute
Tonya Rawe, CARE
Katie Campbell, ActionAid USA
Drones, Rogues and Hackers: Rethinking US Security
Jen Buckner, Colonel, US Army, and National Security Agency
Sharon Squassoni, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Gary Barnabo, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
Frank Femia, Center for Climate and Security
Kalsoom Lakhani, Invest2Innovate
Patrick McDermott, Americans for Informed Democracy
Superpower in Decline or America Resurgent? Prospects for the US in the Global Economy
Maya MacGuineas, Committee for a Responsible Budget, New America Foundation
Noel Ortega, Institute for Policy Studies
Bradley Bosserman, NDN
Patrick Doherty, Smart Strategy Initiative, New America Foundation
Philippe Nassif, Americans for Informed Democracy and US Global Leadership Coalition
Millennial Priorities for Global Justice: Indigenous Peoples, LBGT Rights, Disabilities and Genocide
Emira Woods, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies
Emily White Hat, National Congress of American Indians
Mark Bromley, Council for Global Equality
Esme Grant, US International Council on Disabilities
Daniel Solomon, STAND
Investing in Millenials Worldwide: Preparing Youth for the 21st Century Workplace
Jim Riker, Beyond the Classroom Program, University of Maryland
Noor Shoufani, Education for Employment Foundation
Taekia Blackwell, Harry Potter Alliance
Paul Kruchoski, US Department of State
Naima Ramos-Chapman, Campus Progress
Arab Summer: Emerging Democracies, Political Islam and the Power of Youth in the Middle East and North Africa
Lazar Berman, American Enterprise Institute
Vanessa Zuabi, Partners for a New Beginning, The Aspen Institute
Ahmad Soliman, Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
Dillon Tatum, PhD Candidate, George Washington University
Loretta Greene, GreeneStrategies
Voices of a Global Generation: Why We Care about US Global Engagement
Folabi Olagbaju, Amnesty International USA
Taylor Jo Isenberg, Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
Daniel Solomon, STAND
Lacy MacAuley, Institute for Policy Studies and Occupy DC
Charlie Harris, Americans for Informed Democracy
Nicole Goldin, US Agency for International Development
Zombie Crisis Mapping Simulation. TechChange. Zombies have invaded Washington DC! It's up to you and your team to develop an effective strategy through a combination of crisis mapping and mobile communications technologies to save the remaining citizens from future attacks and provide treatment to those in need. TechChange is a Washington DC based organization that specializes in training leaders to leverage relevant technologies for sustainable social change. Through an interactive 1.5 hour simulation, participants will gain tangible skills in managing open source technology tools such as Ushahidi, FrontlineSMS, OpenStreetMap as well as strategies for their effective use. Space is limited to 15.
Strategic Communications for Global Leadership in the 21st Century. Communications designed to convince, not fight. Truman National Security Project. This election cycle, voters are being bombarded with information from multiple sources and a variety of platforms. Winning an argument isn't about facts and figures. It is about changing hearts and minds. Learn the brain science behind changing peoples' minds and the techniques the pros use to understand how issues will play out in public debate. Put yourself to the test and expand the power and reach of your message in this crucial election year.
The Power of the Prototype: Design for Social Enterprise. Join the ThinkImpact Team, led by CEO, Saul Garlick, for a hands-on workshop that explores the power of design in unlocking your potential as a social entrepreneur. Just as ThinkImpact participants prototype innovative solutions to challenges in rural African communities, workshop participants will be taken through the three phases of ThinkImpact's curriculum (Immersion, Inspiration, Innovation) in order to uncover exciting new opportunities. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and engage with ThinkImpact's approach to innovation through the prototype process.
All Together Now… Youth advocates inspiring collaboration. Meg Boyle, The Connect U.S. Fund. In the non-profit foreign policy community, it can be challenging to get organizations to work together on collaborative campaigns. Working across campuses, joining DC to communities across the country, convening diverse coalitions, and forming friendships, young people have developed new models for working together and achieving real change. This breakout will discuss questions including: What best practices can you share, and what lessons have you learned, about working with other organizations or youth from different backgrounds? What collaboration lessons from youth organizing do you think more organizations should take to heart? What support do young people and youth-led organizations need to foster collaboration that might be different than the needs of other organizations? How can we create more—and more effective—collaborations between youth-led initiatives and other organizations?
Fan Activism 101 – From Popular Culture to Real Change… Taekia Blackwell, Managing Director, Harry Potter Alliance. Can you think of a book, a movie, or a TV show that challenges you to think about the world more complexly and get involved with certain issues? When was the last time you were inspired to get out there and fight against injustices after hearing an impassioned speech from Harry, Buffy, or Katniss?. Using a popular text or narrative such as Doctor Who, The Hunger Games, or Harry Potter, this workshop will create a campaign and follow the steps it takes to go from page (or screen) to real action. From choosing a real world issue, to creating an engaging platform for the campaign, to using the chosen story to inspire change, participants will learn how to use popular culture as a starting point to bring attention to important problems and their solutions.
Building Your Brand and Fundraising for Your Cause. James Figetakis, President of the JMF Group. How is your organization's mission and brand differentiated from others competing for funding? Who are your key clients and stakeholders? This interactive and participative workshop focuses on how to maximize fundraising through marketing and branding techniques, mission and vision clarification, key message and talking point strategies, and multi-media channel definition to reach your target audiences.
You Are a Thought Leader, Now Tell the World What You Think. Sue Dorfman, Principal, WorldViewsMedia. So, you're about to leave the 2012: Challenge Accepted conference more committed than ever to expanding the conversation on your key issues. This interactive workshop will give you skills for translating your thoughts and expertise into an op-ed or letter to the editor and then promoting these pieces using social media.
Secrets to Making Effective Videos and Podcasts. Alex Turnacliff, The Stanley Foundation. Using video and other multimedia is an effective and engaging way to spread your message. This workshop will introduce practical skills and knowledge needed to produce concise, informative and creative videos, whatever your previous experience level. We will also look at the importance of messaging and being aware of your target audience.
Are You Making A Difference? An Introduction to Advocacy Planning and Evaluation. David Devlin-Foltz, Director, Advocacy Planning and Evaluation Program, The Aspen Institute. Advocates want to make a difference. It's why we do what we do. But defining and assessing the impact of advocacy efforts is beyond the reach of most conventional evaluation tools. Why? Because there are so many factors outside the advocate's control: a scandal tarnishes the leading spokesperson for your cause; a sudden economic blow makes funding even tighter; a natural disaster grabs all the headlines the day of your big civil disobedience event. But careful planning and a willingness to revisit your assumptions and "theory of change" can position you to learn and adjust your strategy and tactics. Join us for an introduction to some first principles and some practical tools from one of the advocacy evaluation field's leading innovators.
Education for All: Using Advocacy and Building Political Will to Make Education a Development Priority. Brian Callahan, Global Campaign for Education. There are nearly 70 million children around the world who are unable to attend primary school because poverty, conflict, and disease, depriving them of economic opportunities. In this workshop we will discuss the struggle to get children into school, and how we as individuals we can play a role in helping to achieve access to quality education for ALL by engaging in advocacy and building political will. This workshop will focus on identifying key constituency groups, building a coalition of like-minded supporters; and leveraging support to create political will and affect policy change.
Applying Network Theory to Advocacy and Campaigns. Karen Showalter, Americans for Informed Democracy and Oil Change International. Come to explore how loose networks are changing our world. We'll take a look at the basics of network theory, and how groups like Avaaz, MoveOn, the Obama Campaign and terrorist networks have successfully built communities that grow and thrive organically. We'll also spend time developing an action plan for your community, including how to foster effective relationships, leaders and communications, gather feedback and measure success.
Huge thanks to the many organizations and individuals who are helping make this event happen!
Event sponsors:
ActionAid USA
Americans for Informed Democracy
Host organization:
Semester in Washington Politics of George Washington University
Media sponsor:
Diplomatic Courier magazine
Event partners:
Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
The Connect U.S. Fund
The Stanley Foundation
Advocacy Planning and Evaluation Program, The Aspen Institute
Al Mubadarah: Arab Empowerment Initiative
Beyond the Classroom Program, University of Maryland
Campus Progress
Education for Employment Foundation
Harry Potter Alliance
i21 Strategies LLC
Institute for Policy Studies
One World Youth Project
Oxfam America
Refugees International
Society for International Development
Thinking Beyond Borders
Truman National Security Project
World Faith
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
Chef Geoff's
Subway: 1959 E St. NE, Washington, DC


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$1.00 Each
Includes 10 cards
Economy Candy is open! However, due to current circumstances, we have temporarily shut our brick & mortar store and have longer than normal processing times for online orders. Please refer to our FAQ Page and Terms & Conditions for more info. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We appreciate your support! Dismiss


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Earth from Space: Arctic Ocean swirls
This Envisat image captures the marginal ice zone, a region that forms at the boundary of open and frozen oceans, of the Greenland Sea during the onset of spring melting.
The bright white swirls at the ice edge are traced out by brash ice – small sea-ice fragments of ice floes that have been broken up by waves. Larger ice floes can be spotted drifting southwards in the East Greenland Current, which flows southward along the eastern coast of Greenland (visible running down image left).
Swirls indicate drift of the small pieces of ice in response to ocean vortexes, or 'eddies', and are an expression of the ocean surface currents. The myriad of swirls show how dynamic the upper ocean is at this time of year because of strong gradients in temperature and salinity.
Arctic sea ice naturally extends its surface coverage each northern winter and recedes each northern summer, but according to scientific measurements it has declined dramatically in the last three decades. In 2007, the area covered by sea ice in the Arctic shrank to its lowest level since satellite measurements began nearly 30 years ago, with the ice-covered area dropping to around 3 million sq km, which is about 1 million sq km less than the previous minima of 2005 and 2006.
Considering the average reduction of ice cover per year over the last 10 years has been about 100 000 sq km, a drop of 1 million sq km in just one year is extreme. As the ice-covered area shrank, it opened up the Northwest Passage – a long-sought short cut between Europe and Asia that has been historically impassable.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have shown polar regions are highly vulnerable to rising temperatures and predicted the Arctic would be virtually ice free by the summer of 2070. Still other scientists predict it could become ice free much earlier due to rising temperatures and sea ice decline.
Because sea ice has a bright surface, the majority of solar energy that hits it is reflected back into space. When sea ice melts, the dark-coloured ocean surface is exposed. Solar energy is then absorbed rather than reflected, so the oceans get warmer and temperatures rise, making it difficult for new ice to form.
Along the right side of the image, a bank of clouds is shown forming the westerly winds blow off the sea ice.
This image was acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on 14 June 2008, working in Full Resolution mode to provide a spatial resolution of 300 m.


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RYE — Well-known local water color artist Denise F. Brown of Rye has recently created a children's book about a deer stranded on Nubble Island in Cape Neddick, Maine.
"A Deer Visits Nubble Lighthouse" uses a unique blend of illustrations and actual photos of Nubble Light to highlight the real life incident of a young deer who visited the island this winter. No one knows why the deer crossed the strip of ocean to the island this February, but once there, it was trapped overnight due to high tides. Just as local Parks & Recreation employees launched a rescue attempt, the deer leaped into the frigid waters and successfully swam back to the mainland. During its stay, the animal became the focus of intensive media attention and drew crowds of onlookers.
"I was fascinated by this story," says Brown. "I happened to see images of the deer trapped on the island on Facebook. Soon after, the story went viral as everyone wondered how long the deer would be stuck there and could she be rescued. There was such interest in her plight that I felt it would make a nice children's story. I tried to imagine what compelled the deer to visit the island and what her experience was like while there."
Brown, an accomplished artist, is well-known for her water color landscapes, paintings of horses, architectural renderings, and pony figurine designs for the Trail of Painted Ponies. She is the author/illustrator of the "Wind: Wild Horse Rescue" adventure book; the popular series of children�s coloring books, "Ted Gets Out," which celebrates the adventures of one of her cats; and the mini children's book, "Abenaki the Indian Pony," about a little horse which travels the country.
She also illustrated the recently released "Tugboat River Rescue," written by local author Crystal Ward Kent, which highlights a real tugboat rescue on the Piscataqua River.
Brown, and husband John O�Sullivan, own Ad-Cetera Graphics and Raccoon Studios of Portsmouth.
Brown, who has painted Nubble Light and the surrounding area many times, created one of her classic paintings for the cover of the book, but inside is a different story. Here, she blended her photographs of that location with illustrations of the deer. "I thought the actual pictures added some extra fun to the story," she says. "I felt people would enjoy seeing the deer popped into actual locations on the island. I created a caricature of the deer and inserted her on the beach, next to the lighthouse, swimming in the ocean and so on. You really get a sense of what happened where with this approach. Shooting the photos in the cold and wind was a challenge, but I think the end result is worth it."
"A Deer Visits Nubble Lighthouse" retails for $14.99 and is available on Amazon.com; it will soon be in local bookstores. To learn more, visit www.raccoonstudios.com.


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Development of maritime territories and biodiversity
Marine biodiversity provides basic goods and ecosystem services that are crucial to human life and to the reduction of poverty. As biodiversity declines, so too does the resilience of our ecosystems, and the resilience of our global common – the world's ocean, which is essential to human life.
Brest metropole océane, located on the tip of Brittany, in France, has become an active ambassador for marine biodiversity. Brest organized an International meeting on marine and coastal biodiversity as a contribution to the United Nations Decade for Biodiversity (2011-2020), with a focus on the interactions between the development of marine territories and biodiversity.
Elected representatives and technicians of local authorities, representatives of international organizations, managers of protected areas, representatives of NGOs and associations, scientists and experts from maritime territories around the world will participate and share their experience and tools. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO/IOC) presented the tools, conventions and projects currently used by IOC for the management and protection of marine and coastal biodiversity during the conference.
About 226,000 marine species have been identified and described so far. These are but a small portion of the total: researchers estimate that the ocean may be home to 700,000 marine species, and likely not more than a million, according to a study published last week. Much remains to be discovered and further research is needed, and yet we may have overstepped a boundary in terms of biodiversity loss and are dangerously close to an unsafe environmental tipping point.
The international community's commitment to sustainable development and the conservation of biodiversity is defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (1993), which put forward concrete targets, such as the protection of 10% of the ocean by 2020. Other conventions of note are the Ramsar Convention (1971) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1975). Global initiatives and projects at all scales have been created to implement these conventions and reach their targets.
The United Nations has embarked on a regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socioeconomic aspects: the World Ocean Assessment (WOA). The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) is an open, shared online database and tool on the biodiversity, geographic distribution and abundance of marine life, coordinated by IOC. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is proposed as a mechanism to build on these various processes, and strengthen the science-policy interface relating to biodiversity and ecosystem services. IPBES is an interface between the scientific community and policy makers that aims to build capacity for and strengthen the use of science in policy making.
Several tools encourage cooperation between the local and global scientific community, policy makers and the public to better manage and protect coastal and marine biodiversity. For example, Marine Protected Areas provide an effective mechanism to combine long term conservation of marine resources with economic development and food security. For these to be effective, they must count with the full support of all stakeholders. The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme's Biosphere Reserve adopt an approach of promoting sustainable development based on the local community's efforts and sound science, a combination that has been effective to apply innovative approaches to sustainable development. Together, IOC and MAB have developed a guide for Marine Spatial Planning, a step by step management approach for marine regions.
We are able to better understand the complex processes that link us to the ocean, its health and biodiversity each day. There is a growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity for human well-being, and we have tools to facilitate international cooperation, share information, increase the knowledge base and improve management and policy-making. We need to use and promote these tools, continue to improve science-based policies for sustainable development and involve the public to change our behaviour and our relationship with the ocean for the benefit of all – ocean and people.
Related links:
- International Meeting on marine & coastal biodiversity
13-14 November, Océanopolis, Brest, France
- Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
- Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-based Management (pdf)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
- Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
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text:
Reunion - Slum Village
Yo EL and 'Tin kill'n em, Three kill'n 'em
You thought we broke up but we was just reassemblin'
Ladies and gentlemen you barewitnessin
The villa on some classic sh_t like vans emblems
It's the guerrilla pimps, we bustin denim in the club
That you can't wear ya denim in
Freakin a rhyme til every line ends with a then and than
You don't wanna rump and stomp in Timberlands
Shout to my n_gga Killagan
And all of my peeps that rep more D than 12 Eminems
Who let the dogs out and let Dilla in?
F_ck wit this is ya loss Gilligan
Sounds similar I'm not feelin 'em
Get the balls like Venus in Wimbelon
While I'm in them fly whips five Will and them
On some Kim and them All About the Benjamins
Still here
Still here, never left, just switched the style up
Came through, made moves to get the crowd up
Its hard time "V" time n_gga ya times up
Get rowed up for the Reunion
L kill'n em, Dilla kill'n 'em
Maybe we could hook up again back wit 'Tin and them
Together again like armed forces on some Fantastic Four or Four Horsemen
Can't do it without ya crew boy
Guess who boy, comin' through with two boy
Nobody but us that rap in a clutch
Passed and switched it up like kids in double dutch
Some couldn't feel our style or feel flow
Never talked our slang, never walked our road
All they know is these n_ggas is tainted
Don't know about those rovers that candy painted
We've been miss quoted, miss construed, miss understood, and over used
So we take this time to set the record straight
Critics skipped and did it anyway
Now you hear our raps wit Dilla and you all on our team
Till you heard 'Tin was gone was apart of the scheme
See! We still got love where was you at at?
Just cuz a n_gga go solo think we turn our backs
Maybe we will reunite on some sh_t like that
But I gotta set it straight 'fore you twists the facts n_gga
Still here, never left, just switched the style up
Came through, made moves to get the crowd up
Its hard time "V" time n_gga ya times up
Get rowed up for the Reunion
Yo T kill'n em, Three kill'n 'em
You thought we broke up and ya you rite we really did
I wrote a verse that I recited it was hot
But I had to rewrite cause I thought we was united and we not
But though all the love that I got for you
Partna I picked apart ya words and I'm shocked in the interviews
I been accused of not carin'
When the city threw your furniture out
Its not fair when I'm learnin about how stress you fell in a article
Forget a rhyme I'm just as real when I talk to you
And you know that we share Kodak moments
I wish we could go back
But don't act like you wasn't bugin out like a phone tap
Chasin' cars in the street
I saw you throw up hard in the sink
Then after hit the bar for a drink, who asked you to slow down?
Even though n_ggas told me you was gon' clown
But I tried, and you know I cried when I saw you wild'n at the State Theater
In the door by the side
Throw you in the trunk and found a preacher for you
Cause I thought you had unlawful demons on you
Sinkin fast in the deepest soil
Ya parents finally got you some help
You came out seemin normal and
I heard you on medication
Had a illness you couldn't heal with herbs and meditation
And believe me; Me and T, Three kept it low
Don't take this as a dis this is just to let you know that I love you
But watch the company you keep
Sware n_ggas don't care, but they love you in the streets
Get ya mind right n_gga...


text:
Pauline2 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 133 diseños de 38 diseñadores freelance.
The Vibe
The Vibe is a new project from Creative Care Services.
Creative Care Services Ltd is a small company which provides support in the community to adults with learning disabilities in south east England. CCS has been established since 1999 and has a good reputation for being innovative and professional.
We work mostly on a one-to-one basis with our clients and work hard on matching the right Support Worker to the right person. Our clients are all individual people with their own wants, needs and goals, no matter how severe their disability.
We are happy with the CCS current logo (attached) and use the green and purple colour scheme on our literature. (Please note we have a website but it is home-made and due for renewal, it does not reflect the visual style of our current marketing literature).
Services aimed at adults with learning disabilities need to get a message across in a simple way, but we do not believe this has to be in an immature way eg, using rainbows, and happy faces! Our services are definitely for adults.
Although are clients are all adults with a learning disability, our target audience includes their parents, social workers, and carers.
They need to see our literature and think this looks too good to miss out on.
We want to appear modern and cool, but mature enough to care for vulnerable people.
CCS is about to set up a new project called The Vibe. The Vibe is going to be an ICT suite and multimedia activity studio for use by adults with learning disabilities and their carers.
We are looking for a logo for The Vibe that can be displayed on the outside of the building, as well as on marketing brochures etc.
The Vibe is part of a project called Get Connected which aims to increase access to ICT for people involved in social care. It will not run formal courses, and is not a college. It will instead offer sessions such as digital photography, music recording, film research, video editing etc, for people. These sessions are not set to a curriculum, and are meant to be inspiring, fun, and challenging, but definitely not "childish".
We would like The Vibe logo to be complementary to the Creative Care logo as it is a separate project, but not a separate company. Perhaps keeping the dark purple and green could be a way to do this. It should not be highly detailed, or very techy, the idea is to get across: "this project is innovative and more interesting than sitting in a day-centre on a bean-bag all day, but don't be intimidated, it is for you".
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
1 Engineered for Extreme Mobility
Enjoy a thinner and lighter form-factor than previous generation Netbooks with the Aspire One 10.1 inch. Weighing just over 2 1/2 pounds, this ultra-portable design is easy to tote everywhere keeping you connected to the Internet without the heavy load. The Intel Atom Processor combines performance and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile. Windows XP Home with SP3 gives you the freedom to do what you want at home and at work - simply, reliably and more securely.
2 Stay Informed and Connected On-the-Go The new 10.1 inch Aspire One Netbook redefines mobile connectivity with a 10.1 inch Acer CrystalBrite LED display (1024 x 600 resolution) providing an optimal web browsing experience and Internet productivity. Access your email and browse your favorite websites wherever you are with integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED network connection and fast Ethernet LAN. Acer Crystal Eye webcam and digital microphone deliver smooth video and superior voice quality so you can maintain in contact wherever you are by means of real-time video streaming, video chat and conference calling.
3 Have Fun and Stay Entertained
Pinch, flick and swirl your fingers on the Multi-Gesture Touchpad for an intuitive navigation to view web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. Multi-in-1 Card Reader and USB 2.0 ports provide convenient file sharing and connectivity to other digital devices. 160GB hard drive provides plenty of capacity to store your digital albums, music and documents. Sufficient storage that's easy to upgrade, just pop in an external SD card.
Features :
Acer US Warranty: One-year International Travelers Limited Warranty (ITW)


text:
Hundreds of boys went and did the Harlem Shake
Here it is from Al Masry Al Youm
You must know that there were security forces protecting that headquarter and the Turkish ambassador was visiting the MB HQ during that time. I hope that he enjoyed the dance as it was more interesting and honest than those he met inside that building.
I will wait for the final video online.


text:
In the first post in this series, I noted that in the "Path to Prosperity" — which Republicans approved unanimously — Rep. Paul Ryan cited Medicaid as one of the biggest drivers of our national debt. The Republican budget formerly known as the Ryan budget, it followed, was all about putting the brakes on "What Drives Our Debt," as the "scare graph" that drove the point home was titled.
There are at least two problems with Republican's assertions about Medicaid. Like I said earlier, Medicaid and Medicare are not the problem. They are part of of the bigger problem of skyrocketing health care costs. The problem is, Republican cuts to Medicaid don't lower health care costs. It increases them.
The First Cuts Are The Deepest
Republicans incessantly declare that their budget will not reduce benefits for anyone 55 years old and up, but it ain't necessarily so. The 55-and-up claim is designed to reassure seniors about the GOP's proposed cuts to Medicare for the rest of them. ("Sure, your children and grandchildren will feel the pain, but you'll be fine. Don't worry!") Cynical as that claim may be, in its assumption that our parents and grandparents are happy to let their children and grandchildren suffer the GOP cuts, it's also just plain wrong. The Republicans make deeper and more immediate cuts to Medicaid that will matter a great deal to Americans 55 years old and up. Not to mention their children and grand children.
Like I said earlier, look at the distribution of Medicaid dollars.
Republicans can call Medicaid "welfare" all they want, but nearly 70 cents of every Medicaid dollar is spent on the elderly and disabled. That means Medicare is not "just a program for poor people." It's an important program to middle- and working-class families too.
We all have parents or grandparents. As they age, the medical care most of them will need will only get more expensive. Some of them will need long-term care or nursing home care, the cost of which will outstrip our families already stressed financial resources.
A year in a nursing home costs an average of $72,000, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, and that's if there aren't an additional costs beyond just getting a bed in a nursing home. Medicare pays for about a month. It's not hard to see how easily and quickly our parents and grandparents can "spend down" their assets to quality for Medicaid.
We love our parents and grandparents, and we won't want their lack of resource or ours to keep them from getting the they need. Families USA's report, "Cutting Medicaid: Harming Seniors and People with Disabilities," shows that Medicare is a big part of how our parents and grandparents get the care they need.
- Medicaid is the primary payer for an estimated 63.6 percent of all nursing home residents. In all states but one, Medicaid is the primary payer for more than 50 percent of nursing home residents.
- In seven states and the District of Columbia, Medicaid is the primary payer for more than 70 percent of all nursing home residents. Those states are the District of Columbia (80.1%), Mississippi (74.7%), Alaska (73.8%), Louisiana (73.0%), New York (72.3%), West Virginia (72.2%), Georgia (71.9%), and Hawaii (70.1%).
It all means that Medicaid is an important program for middle- and working-class families, too.
As columnist Harold Pollack underscores, people with disabilities are part of our families and communities too. Already in line to suffer as states slash Medicaid budget, they would suffer even more under the Republicans' proposed budget.
An excellent Chicago Tribune story by Rex Huppke details the impact of cuts to home and community-based services in Illinois. Huppke recounts the story of 81-year-old Lorraine Phifer, who cares for her son William, who has cerebral palsy. Phifer has a wheelchair van, but she can't maneuver him into it by herself anymore. He has also required help with a wheelchair lift to get into and out of bed. Staff from the University of Illinois at Chicago Assistive Technology Unit have come out to the Phifer home and provided valuable help. That unit now faces a 70 percent budget cut.
UIC's intellectual disabilities family clinics, which offer a range of services that are hard to access elsewhere, also face deep cuts. My intellectually disabled brother-in-law occasionally uses these facilities, too. I'm not a disinterested observer.
...Nearly everyone involved has a parent or other relative who receives Medicare. And most expect to rely on Medicare, too, when they grow old. Seniors are a powerful constituency. If they find a proposed policy too unsettling, it probably won't happen.
The tone and the politics change when things turn to Medicaid and related safety-net services. Dozens of states are making painful cuts right now. The disadvantaged people most directly affected are playing conspicuously small parts in the accompanying political process. In Washington and in state capitals, too, few influential stakeholders have any strong personal stake in such matters. Few have sat on either side of the counter in some welfare office, county hospital or public health clinic.
Given Medicaid's low per-person cost and its relatively restrained projected cost growth, there's little room to comfortably cut. Safety-net services are already shoestring operations. Under-funded and stressed, they have many shortcomings. There is no way to meet the above spending reduction targets without shifting costs and risks onto the states, covering markedly fewer people and services, or further underpaying Medicaid providers.
No one can firmly say how states would respond to the reduced federal support. I fear that's precisely the point. Block grants provide both states and the federal government with useful political cover to cut important benefits. If a particular state eliminates Medicaid home care services or by dropping the working poor from coverage, Congressional Republicans can say: "Don't blame us. That's what this state chose to do." Meanwhile governors can say, with equal justification: "Don't blame us. We're doing the best we can, given limited federal resources."
I wish that Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., architect of the House Republican budget plan, could accompany my wife and her brother to waste hours sitting in a gritty welfare office. I wish he had the responsibility of helping an intellectually disabled person with a nasty toothache, when the state Medicaid program no longer covers dental care.
If Paul Ryan can't Pollack's brother in law, he could probably accompany a constituent in his own district where 12,900 seniors and persons with disabilities will lose benefits, along with 1,900 whose nursing home expenses are paid by Medicaid, plus 47,000 children (including 3,900 newborns), if the GOP successfully uses Medicaid cuts to shift costs on to their shoulders.
Cost-Shifting Is Not Cost-Cutting
The CBO estimates that the Republican budget's $771 billion in Medicaid cuts over ten years amounts to a 35% cut in Medicaid funding to states. The transformation of Medicaid into a block grant program, ensures that funding will decline because the Republican budget increases these grants annually at the rate of inflation, adjusted for population growth — not the rate of inflation for health care, which is far above the general inflation rate.
In other words, it's build into the budget that states won't be able to keep up with the costs of the program under the Republican budget, because the Republican budget doesn't take the rate of growth in health care costs into consideration. So, states cut back on the very Medicaid services that the elderly and disabled, and their families, rely upon.
The GOP budget cuts a total $2.17 trillion from Medicaid and related health care programs — $771 billion in Medicaid cuts, plus $1.4 trillion from nixing the Medicaid expansion in health care reform — Some of it by eliminating health care coverage for at least 32 million people, and some through drastic cuts in nursing home care coverage.
Seniors: An overwhelming majority of Medicare beneficiaries who live in nursing homes rely on Medicaid for their nursing home coverage. Because the Ryan plan would require such deep cuts in federal Medicaid funding, it would inevitably result in less coverage for nursing home residents and shift more of the cost of nursing home care to elderly beneficiaries and their families. A sharp reduction in the quality of nursing home care would be virtually inevitable, due to the large reduction that would occur in the resources made available to pay for such care.
Persons with disabilities are up for deeper cuts too, and sooner than the GOP would like us to think.
People with disabilities: These individuals constitute 15 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries but account for 42 percent of all Medicaid expenditures, mostly because of their extensive health and long-term care needs. Capping federal Medicaid funding would place significant financial pressure on states to scale back eligibility and coverage for this high-cost population, many of whom would be unable to obtain coverage elsewhere because of their medical conditions.
Children — 49% of Medicaid enrollees — aren't spared either.
Children: Currently, state Medicaid programs must provide children with health care services and treatments they need for their healthy development through the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) aspect of Medicaid, which provides regular preventive care for children and all follow-up diagnostic and treatment services that children are found to need. A block grant would likely permit states to drop EPSDT coverage, meaning that children, particularly those with special health care needs, would not be able to access some care that medical professionals find they need (because Medicaid would no longer cover certain health services and treatments for children, and their parents wouldnt be able to afford to pay for that care on their own).
Passing those costs to the elderly and disabled on Medicaid is really passing it on their families, who will have to assume responsibility for their care and/or paying for it. Imagine a middle class family with two working parents making just enough to keep themselves afloat — treading water, economically speaking, rather than breast-stroking their way to greater prosperity and security. In this economy, They're lucky that both parents are working, even if one of them has already been furloughed for a week, and the other has taken a significant pay cut to keep his job.
Now imagine them having to figure out what to do now that grandma no longer has Medicaid to pay for her nursing home care. Perhaps one parent ends up dedicating her salary almost solely to keeping grandma where she's getting the care she needs. Maybe both parents end up contributing a portion of their salary to cover the annual cost of $72,000. And this is assuming that one or both parents earn move than the $50,221 median annual income for American families. .
Perhaps one parent quits his job, and brings grandma home to care for her, but under all the same circumstances mentioned above. Now the family is down one income. So, how does that affect, the mortgage and utilities? Not to mention their own health care costs, and one of the kid's just got braces. How about those college savings? Now suppose one of the kids has an accident, or the remaining employed parent gets sick, or loses his or her job?
Cost Sharing Is Cost Shifting
"Cost Sharing" — which basically means imposing premiums on Medicaid recipients — is like to increase if Republicans simultaneously slash Medicaid funding to states and give states the "flexibility" to slash Medicaid benefits. Again, it may mean fewer government dollars are spent on health care, but it's cost shifting passed off as cost cutting.
If the goal is simply to get people off Medicaid rolls, then cost sharing can be said to work. A recent study showed that imposing even a 3% premium on participants in Wisconsin's Badger Care program would result in 49,422 fewer children and parents being enrolled in the program. Some of those families might find coverage elsewhere, but the declining levels of employer-provided coverage for low-income workers means that many of them would probably become uninsured. But they're off Mediciad, right? So, the government's not paying for their health care. Thus, costs go down.
Sort of. But look at Oregon. Its experiment in cost-sharing cause an exodus of low-income participants from its Medicaid program. The problem is, those people still needed medical care, eventually. So they used emergency rooms instead of primary care.
Republicans from George W. Bush to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour have long been fond of saying all Americans have access to health care, because we can all go to the emergency room. But the uninsured have already been overwhelming emergency rooms, and in many cases they land there because of health problems developed into acute conditions, the treatment of which is far more expensive than the primary and preventative care that Medicaid covers.
The result is that hospitals are hit with huge unpaid medical bills, because since 1986 emergency rooms are required to treat all patients regardless of ability to pay. So, hospitals pass those costs on to paying customers, or those of us who have health insurance, which means we all pay more in the end. The only difference is that instead of supporting Medicaid with our tax dollars, for a far cheaper price than private insurance, we actually up paying more for emergency room care for the uninsured.
That's bad enough, but the Republican budget actually makes it worse by handing hospitals an $84 billion loss of Medicaid revenue at the same time it increases the ranks of the uninsured, who will eventually make their way to — you guessed it — hospital emergency rooms.
So, we go from "cost sharing" to more cost shifting, and with a huge mark-up.
Republican Cuts Increase Costs
Finally, as if to add insult to injury, the Republicans' manage to cut nearly everything but health care costs. Those, it turns out, go up.
Former OMB director Peter Orszag explained how Medicare beneficiaries would pay more.
As the government paid relatively less for Medicare, beneficiaries would bear an increasing share of the cost of their care. It is no great accomplishment, however, merely to shift health expenditures from the federal government to consumers, without doing anything to decrease them in total.
The CBOs analysis of the Ryan plan confirms that federal expenditures would be reduced, by a lot. By 2030, payments for a typical beneficiary would be more than 20 percent lower than current projections, according to the report, and the beneficiarys personal costs would increase.
So far, nothing unexpected. On the critical metric of whether the Ryan plan would reduce total health-care costs, though, the CBO conclusion is shocking: The plan would not only fail to decrease health-care costs per beneficiary, it would increase them - by an astonishingly large amount that grows over time. By 2030, health spending on the typical beneficiary would be more than 40 percent higher under the Ryan plan than under existing Medicare, according to the CBO report.
Health-care costs would not be reduced on the backs of seniors; they would be raised on the backs of seniors.
And the CBO explained how Medicaid beneficiaries — low-income families, the elderly, children and people with disabilities — would pay more too.
If states reduced spending for their Medicaid programs, there would be a number of potential implications for both providers and beneficiaries. Given that payment rates for providers under Medicaid are already generally lower than they are under Medicare and private insurance, if states lowered payment rates even further, providers might be less willing to treat Medicaid enrollees. As a result, Medicaid enrollees could face more limited access to care. If states reduced benefits or eligibility levels, beneficiaries could face higher out-of-pocket costs, and providers could face more uncompensated care as beneficiaries lost coverage for certain benefits or lost coverage altogether.
That's where the real cost sharing kicks in. When out-of-pocket costs skyrocket for our elderly parents and our brothers and sisters with disabilities, they skyrocket for us too. Those middle class families who are already struggling through this recession will -- some immediately -- have to assume massive health care costs of loved ones who will no longer receive the services Medicaid has paid for.
The Republican budget only cuts the amount of money our government spends on health care for low-income, elderly, and disabled Americans. It won't reduce what our families spend on health care. It won't reduce our loved ones' need for health care, or their need for health coverage. In that sense, it actually emulate the "successful" 1990s-style welfare reform it's modeled after.
In the unlikely event that Ryan's budget proposal becomes actual policy, it's going to have the same effect as the late 90s welfare reform that Ryan uses as his model. The primary measure of its success will be the declining numbers of people receiving services from the programs Ryan is targeting.
It's highly unlikely that those people — the elderly, the disabled and children — will be better off. That goes for their families, too. As DailyKos' Joan McCarter points out, a quarter of Medicaid spending pays for long term care for the elderly. Without Medicaid, families who are already taxed more under Ryan's plan, have to pick up those costs. That's an added burden for middle class families.
Taking Medicaid funding from families with disabled children and parents and grandparents in nursing homes compounds that.
Plenty of middle-class families only remain middle class because they're spared crippling medical and long-term care costs. A decade or two of the Ryan plan, and there will be no more middle class in America.
But that's why it will be a success. Making people better off, by reducing their need for assistance, isn't the point of conservative welfare reform. The point of conservative welfare reform is reducing the fewer people receiving help, not the reducing the need for help. That's why it's so successful, if you're a conservative like Paul Ryan. Because all you have to do is cut.
...Eric Cantor made headlines when he said of Social Security, "We're going to have to come to grips with the fact that these programs cannot exist if we want America to be what we want America to be."
Paul Ryan is saying the same thing, though not as succinctly, in his plan. He and conservatives like him are showing us what they want America to be. And it's not an America where fewer people need help, because more of them are working at jobs that offer, livable wages, good benefits, and a chance to raise their economic standing. It's an America where fewer people are getting help.
If Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security cease to exist in any recognizable form, America will be what Republicans want it to be, Nearly all of us will pay a high price for it, and benefit little from it.