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I realize this is the South, and we're one day from the start of meteorological summer (June 1-Aug. 31), but don't fool yourself into thinking this week's heat wave is nothing out of the ordinary.
It is out of the ordinary.
And in a strange way, it's almost a mirror opposite of what happened exactly six months ago.
High pressure is building almost directly over the Carolinas, and it will bring near-record-breaking heat to the Charlotte region for the next few days. Today's forecast high of around 95 degrees isn't far from the day's record of 97, set in 1953.
And highs Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be in the ballpark of those day's records -- 98 for Wednesday (in 1918) and 99 for Thursday (in 1951). The heat likely will continue through the weekend and into next week, although there will be a slight change in the pattern.
Forecasters expect the center of high pressure to move backwards -- to the west -- a bit. That will bring more of an Atlantic Ocean flow into the Carolinas, which often tends to create some cloudiness and lower temperatures a few degrees. But highs are still predicted to reach 90 into next Tuesday.
So we've established that it will be hot. And, by the way, the air quality will be bad, too, because with high pressure centered over us, there will be very little air movement. That means a build-up in ozone levels, and it's the reason for our Code-Orange alert today.
A quick look at temperatures in late May and early June for the last 10 years shows nothing like this. There were a few years when Charlotte had three or four consecutive days in the 90s in early June, but nothing approached the string of seven or eight straight 90-degree days that are expected this time.
Many of those years, we had highs in the 70s in the first week of June. The average high for this time of year, by the way, is around 84.
So this is not normal.
I found it interesting how the beginning of meteorological summer was similar to the start of meteorological winter last Dec. 1.
We had warm weather through Thanksgiving, and the high temperature on Dec. 1 -- the first day of meteorological winter -- was 67 in Charlotte. Three days later, the high only reached 41, and it went downhill from there. From Dec. 4 until Valentine's Day, the Charlotte region (and nearly all of the eastern United States) had unrelenting cold and frozen precipitation.
It was as if a switch was flicked early last December, "turning on" winter.
Now it's happening with summer.
There's one other thing to watch here. Keep an eye on the location of high pressure systems over the next few weeks. That could give us an idea of where those highs will be in August and September, when tropical storms and hurricanes begin developing. The location of Atlantic high pressure plays a big role in determining if hurricanes are steered into Mexico (as was the case last year), the Gulf of Mexico (remember 2005?), or the East Coast and Florida panhandle (2004).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
OK, it's almost June ... but come on!!!
I realize this is the South, and we're one day from the start of meteorological summer (June 1-Aug. 31), but don't fool yourself into thinking this week's heat wave is nothing out of the ordinary.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wet start, then great weekend
The Memorial Day weekend is playing out pretty much the way forecasters expected, with widespread showers and thunderstorms likely today, and then fast-improving conditions Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Today won't be a total washout, but it won't be pretty, either.
A weak cold front has stalled over the western Carolinas, and several weak areas of low pressure will ride along the front today. The first of those crossed the Charlotte area Friday morning with heavy showers. A few more of those systems are expected to follow today.
By this afternoon, there will be enough instability in the atmosphere for those weak low pressure areas to trigger a few thunderstorms, but the storms aren't expected to be severe.
Bottom line ... today will be wet at times, with periods of dry weather mixed in. Temperatures will be cooler than in recent days, with highs only near 80. Humidity levels will be very high, however.
If you're going to Speed Street today, or to the race track walk and cookout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, be ready for occasional rainy periods.
The weak front will dissipate late tonight. On Saturday, there will be a bit of moisture and instability left behind, and it could be enough to create a few showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. But don't fret ... most of the day will be partly sunny, and the precipitation will be widely scattered.
Temperatures will make a comeback Saturday, with highs in the middle 80s.
And by Sunday, it'll be back to the kind of weather we had earlier this week. Expect sunshine and hot temperatures, with highs near 90.
Beach weather will be outstanding, with no rain Saturday, Sunday or Monday -- and probably no rain today, either. The mountains will be rainy today, with scattered showers again Saturday. Conditions will be dry and very nice Sunday and Monday.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A dark and stormy night ... then improvement
We've been promising you a nice Memorial Day weekend, and it's coming ... but we'll have a bit of a rough ride over the next 24 hours.
A frontal system is moving eastward toward the Carolinas on Thursday, and it will be close enough by tonight to bring showers and thunderstorms into the area. It looks now as if the front will remain close enough to the Charlotte region to keep the stormy weather going for much of Friday.
But clearing is still expected Saturday morning, and the rest of the weekend looks good.
There might be a few isolated thunderstorms Saturday afternoon in the Piedmont and foothills, but otherwise, there'll be dry weather through Monday -- after we get through tonight and Friday. Temperatures will fall a bit Friday, amid the clouds and precipitation, but there'll be a quick recovery afterwards.
By Memorial Day, we'll be back to 90 degrees again. And mid 90s loom for next week.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Thursday afternoon and evening over parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, and the severe weather could move into the extreme western Carolinas today.
But forecasters say it'll be overnight before precipitation gets to Charlotte. The thunderstorm activity likely will diminish overnight but re-fire Friday.
We'll stay on top of this with updates as needed.
Right now, it appears as if it'll be dry and warm tonight for the Pole Night festivities at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Weekend ... warmer, drier than first thought
Every weekend forecast is important, but this weekend's is a lot bigger than normal for people in the Charlotte region.
And the forecast has become drier and warmer in the last 24 hours or so.
The computer models were having a tough time earlier this week trying to make heads or tails of weekend conditions, especially with a frontal system in the region and the chance of low pressure developing somewhere near the Carolinas.
Now things are coming into better focus. It looks as if the weak cold front will approach the Charlotte region Friday, then dissipate Saturday. That means Friday could be a wet day, with temperatures about 10 degrees cooler than the past few days.
Then with the front disappearing Saturday, sunshine will return. High temperatures will be in the upper 80s Saturday and Sunday, climbing into the lower 90s again Monday.
If that forecast holds, it's basically good news for the NASCAR events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Showers and storms would arrive after Thursday night's pole qualifying and would end before the Saturday afternoon Nationwide Series race. Weather would be great for Sunday night's Sprint Series Coca-Cola 600.
And it's good news for anyone planning Memorial Day cookouts or trips to the mountains or beaches.
Monday, May 23, 2011
1st heat wave; but what about holiday weekend?
Welcome to the first heat wave of the season.
Technically, a heat wave for our part of the country is three or more consecutive days of 90-degree weather, and we're likely to have four straight -- starting with Sunday's reading of 91 degrees in Charlotte. That was our first 90-degree day of the year.
But most people really are curious about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, and the outlook is ... well, cloudy.
Pat Moore, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., looked at the various computer models' forecasts for the weekend and said, "Confidence in the forecast falls off the cliff." In short, the computers don't agree.
The forecast for the next few days is quite confident.
High pressure is predicted to produce mostly sunny skies and daytime highs in the range of 92 or 93 degrees in the Charlotte area. Severe thunderstorms developed Sunday afternoon in the N.C. mountains and ripped across an area along and north of Interstate-40, and forecasters said they expect a few more storms today. But, they say, the storms are not expected to be as severe as those Sunday.
Any thunderstorms today are likely to remain well north of the immediate Charlotte area.
The hot and precipitation-free weather seems likely to end Thursday, when high pressure weakens over the region, allowing a frontal system to approach. And that's when the forecast gets murky.
Some of the computers predict fairly unsettled weather over the weekend. That could be bad news for fans planning to attend NASCAR races Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and it wouldn't be good for the Food Lion Speed Streets events in Charlotte's uptown. For that matter, storms would make a mess of many people's plans to spend the Memorial Day weekend in the mountains or at the beaches.
But other computer models have a less-pessimistic forecast.
Regardless, it seems safe to expect temperatures to be a bit cooler by later in the week, and thunderstorm chances figure to climb in the area.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Today's lessons: 'Backwards' rain, trends
The upper-level low pressure system centered near the Grand Strand this morning is a good opportunity to look at a pair of weather phenomena affecting the Charlotte area today.
And they are conditions we see at other times in the year.
The rain showers moving slowly across the region today are mostly drifting from east to west. As most of you know, that's backwards.
Normally, precipitation in our region comes from west to east -- or southwest to northeast. Occasionally, when a "back door" cold front is dropping from the north, we'll see precipitation move from north to south. But largely, it's more of a west-to-east movement.
The counter-clockwise flow around the upper-level low today is responsible for the "backward" rain. With Charlotte to the west of the low's center, the flow around the system is bringing precipitation inland from the coast. That's something we also see later in the summer, during hurricane season.
When a tropical system is making landfall on the South Carolina coast, or even moving northward along the coastal plain, the counter-clockwise flow brings precipitation toward us from the coast.
In 2004, when the remnants of Hurricane Frances moved northward from Georgia into the western Carolinas, the Charlotte area was on the northeast side of the low. That day, showers and thunderstorms moved south to north into our region.
Some people who plan outdoors activities (attention, joggers) have learned to check the radar before starting. Today, watch to the east of Charlotte. That's where our precipitation is coming from.
Today also is a good time to talk about trends. Meteorologists have a saying, "The trend is your friend." That means when computer models or changing forecasts are following a trend, it often provides a strong hint about what is to come.
The trend in recent days has been to lower the anticipated daytime temperatures today. On Sunday, forecasts called for highs in the upper 60s today. On Monday, those forecast highs for today were dropped to the lower and mid 60s. This morning, I've seen some forecasts of a 60-degree high. This seems to happen frequently in cold-air damming events, when computer models initially underestimate how chilly it actually will be.
That said, don't be surprised if temperatures today -- which fell into the lower and mid 50s before daybreak -- don't reach 60 degrees this afternoon.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Wet and chilly for a few days
Not every weather system zips along in the jet stream.
Sometimes, a system is cut off and, basically, gets stuck in a geographic area. This happens on occasion with upper-level low pressure systems, and they're commonly known as "cut-off lows."
Such a system will hover over parts of the eastern United States over the next few days, and it will bring rainy, chilly weather to the Charlotte region.
The low pressure system is crossing the Carolinas today, and it contains some cold air in the higher levels of the atmosphere. That is helping create instability, and the result will be showers and probably a few thunderstorms this afternoon.
With cold air aloft, any thunderstorm that develops could produce hail.
These cut-off lows tend to meander, since there's no jet stream to guide them along. On Tuesday, the low is expected to be somewhere over northeast North Carolina or southern Virginia. It'll still be close enough to bring us showers, and with clouds and chilly air, we'll be lucky to climb above the mid 60s in Charlotte.
That's about 15 degrees below average for this time of year.
By Wednesday, the cut-off low will drift a bit farther north, which means showers chances will diminish (but not disappear ... many areas will get another shower or two) and temperatures will reach the low 70s.
And by Thursday, the low pressure system is forecast to be far enough north and east that the Charlotte region will return to more seasonal conditions.
If you're looking ahead to Friday's and Saturday's events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the forecast looks good. High temperatures Saturday are expected to reach the middle 80s.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A wet week could be ahead
While it won't be as stormy as today, the rest of this week and the beginning of the next could be rather wet across the Carolinas.
It appears as if stalled frontal boundaries and a series of weak low pressure systems will conspire to bring periods of showers and thunderstorms to the region. There will be some dry spells, however, and temperatures will remain on the mild side.
Today's severe weather threat is covered in another story on The Observer's website today, but once the storms move southeast of the region early Wednesday, we should enjoy rather dry conditions on Wednesday and Thursday.
A stalled frontal system will be south and west of Charlotte, so we'll see only a few scattered afternoon and evening storms both days.
By Friday, however, the computer models are hinting at an upper-level low pressure system moving slowly into the Carolinas. That could bring several days of unsettled weather ... marked by mostly cloudy skies and periods of showers and storms. It could last through the weekend and into next Monday or Tuesday.
The scenario we talked about in late March seems to be playing out ... chilly air has been parked over the North for much of the spring, and the dividing line between colder conditions and the warmth of the South has served as a focus for stormy weather. It could be a couple more weeks before the chilly air is pushed farther north for the summer.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Great golf tournament weather ... probably
Our lawns were watered overnight, and now the rain has moved out, clearing the way for five days of glorious weather while Charlotte serves as host of the PGA's Wells Fargo Championship at the Quail Hollow Club.
Well, probably five days of glorious weather.
Today should be fine, although the golfers who tee off early in the pro-am event will do so under cloudy skies and with wet grounds to contend with.
Nearly an inch of rain fell overnight, in two rounds -- the first, with a cluster of thunderstorms that moved through the area before midnight; then, more rain from a line of heavy showers that crossed the region between 3 and 6 a.m.
The rain moved east of Charlotte around daybreak, and clearing skies began moving toward the region from the west.
By mid-morning, skies will be at least partly sunny. Temperatures, however, will be nowhere near Tuesday's 80-degree-plus readings. When the cold front passed through Charlotte early Wednesday morning, temperatures fell from near 60 to around 50 degrees. Highs this afternoon will only reach the upper 60s. That is a sign of the chilly air moving into the region for the next 48 hours.
Frost and freeze advisories have been posted tonight for the mountains, and the predicted low temperature in Charlotte is 41 degrees Thursday morning. That is close to the record for the date -- 39 degrees, set in 1973.
So if you're planning to attend the first round of the golf tournament Thursday, take a jacket along.
The rest of the week should feature partly sunny to sunny skies, with a gradual warm up. Highs will be near 70 degrees Thursday, 72 on Friday, 78 on Saturday, and then 81 on Sunday.
Two things to remember ... there will be a small chance of a shower Friday and a thunderstorm Sunday. A weak low pressure system is expected to pass to the north Friday, but it could be close enough for a shower to sneak into the Charlotte area.
And by Sunday afternoon, forecasters think there might be enough moisture and instability in the atmosphere for a few thunderstorms to develop. As of now, however, those storms appear to be widely scattered. Most areas should remain dry.


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The International Association of Financial Engineers and SunGard today announced Robert Litzenberger, Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Director at RGM Advisors, and a retired Goldman Sachs partner, has been named the 2012 IAFE/SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year (FEOY). The award will be presented to Dr. Litzenberger on February 7, 2013, at the newly opened Museum of Mathematics in New York City during the IAFE/SunGard FEOY Award Gala Dinner.
Commenting on his 2012 FEOY award, Dr. Litzenberger said, "It is an unexpected honor to receive this recognition. Interaction with many academic and professional colleagues as well as students has nurtured and enriched my academic and professional life. I am particularly pleased to follow in the footsteps of so many of my former colleagues at Stanford, Wharton and Goldman Sachs."
Brian Traquair, group segment president of SunGard's capital markets business, said, "Robert Litzenberger's work in the area of derivatives has been heavily influential in establishing the form in which the Black-Scholes-Merton (BSM) frameworks have been used in practice. Naming him the 2012 Financial Engineer of the Year recognizes this significant contribution to the industry. SunGard has sponsored this award for many years, and we continue to be very proud to play a part in recognizing the work of pioneers such as Dr. Litzenberger."
The annual IAFE/SunGard FEOY Award, established in 1993, recognizes individual contributions to the advancement of financial engineering technology. Nominations are submitted by a nominating committee of approximately 100 people, consisting of all the IAFE governing boards. They are then reviewed in a two step process by a selection committee of 25 members, including the IAFE board of directors and senior fellows. This year's selection committee was chaired by Dr. Peter Carr, an IAFE senior fellow and the 2010 FEOY award winner.
About Robert Litzenberger
Bob Litzenberger is Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Fellow of the American Finance Association. Bob currently serves as a consultant and board member of RGM Advisors, a high speed electronic trading firm.
After receiving his PhD. from UNC, Chapel Hill, Bob started his academic career at Carnegie-Mellon University. The following year, he joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University where he eventually became C.O.G. Miller Distinguished Professor of Finance. At Stanford, he was very active teaching and advising PhD students. In 1986, he joined the faculty of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as the Edward Hopkinson Professor of Investment Banking. While on leave from Wharton, Bob served as Director of Research and Chief Economist at AIG-Financial Products and served on its Board of Directors. Upon returning to Wharton, he established a course in financial engineering.
Bob joined Goldman Sachs in 1995 as Director of Derivative Research and Quantitative Modeling in the Fixed Income Division. In 1998 he became Firm-wide Risk Manager and was actively involved in Goldman's assessment of Long Term Capital's portfolio. Bob became a Partner in 1999 and retired from an active role in late 2001.
From 2002 to 2007 he served as an Executive Director of Azimuth Trust, a fund-of-funds for hedge funds. While at Azimuth he developed an analytical risk and allocation system that accounted for the fat tails associated with financial crises.
Bob was named Risk Manager of the Year by Risk Magazine in 2001 and inducted into their Risk Hall of Fame in 2003. He is a former president of both the American Finance Association and Western Finance Association. He has been on the editorial boards of the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Finance and the Journal of Financial Quantitative Analysis. Bob has co-authored a doctoral level textbook on financial economics and published more than 50 articles in the leading academic finance journals, many of which were co-authored with former students.
Bob has two grown sons and three grandchildren. He lives with his wife Amy and two younger sons in the middle of a large forest in Pike County, Pennsylvania.
Previous Award Recipients
Dr. Litzenberger joins a prestigious list of recipients of the IAFE/SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year Award. They include: Robert Engle, Peter Carr, Richard Roll, Bob Litterman, Jack Treynor, Jim Simons, Phelim Boyle, Oldrich Alfons Vasicek, Darrell Duffie, Jonathan Ingersoll, Andrew Lo, Emanuel Derman, John Hull, John. Cox, Robert Merton, Fischer Black, Mark Rubinstein, Stephen Ross, and Robert Jarrow. Myron Scholes received a lifetime achievement award in 2001.
About the International Association of Financial Engineers (IAFE)
The IAFE is the not-for-profit, professional society dedicated to fostering the profession of quantitative finance by providing platforms to discuss cutting-edge and pivotal issues in the field. Founded in 1992, the IAFE is composed of individual academics and practitioners from banks, broker dealers, hedge funds, pension funds, asset managers, technology firms, regulators, accounting, consulting and law firms, and universities across the globe.
Through frank discussions of current policy issues, sponsoring programs to educate the financial community and recognizing the outstanding achievements in the field, the IAFE acts as a beacon for the development of quantitative finance. Throughout its history, the IAFE´s pre-eminent leadership has positioned it to respond with savvy to the evolving needs of the financial engineering community. The IAFE´s programs - from area-specific committees to monthly panel discussions to the Financial Engineer of the Year Award - are designed to provide its members with uniquely valuable activities to enhance their work in the field and opportunities to network and socialize with their colleagues.
About SunGard
SunGard is one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 17,000 employees and serves approximately 25,000 customers in more than 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue of about $4.5 billion, SunGard is the largest privately held software and services company and is ranked 480 on the Fortune 500. For more information, please visit www.sungard.com.
Trademark Information: SunGard and the SunGard logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
© SunGard 2012. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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So Friday I got up at 0500 in order to be on time! You know you are important when I will give up sleep for you. Even with some tie up in the Liberty Tunnel, I was there before the official party...barely, whew!
They had a tent set up near the ship with seats for more than a hundred people. I walked to the back edge to peer inside and hopefully spot and empty seat. A young Sailor came up to me "Excuse me ma'am. You look familiar." as she looked at me quizically. I laughed and responded that it was probably because I attend all these functions. She nodded and had me follow her in and I was seated in the 3rd row directly behind CDR Cooper's family.
I was barely settled when the official party arrived. But that counts as "on time" and that's all that matters.
CDR Bullard's XO LCDR Savage was master of ceremonies. The official party was piped through the sideboys. VADM Locklear, director, Navy Staff was the official speaker. Retired RDML DeLoach was there representing Naval history & Heritage Command. Then CDRs Bullard & Cooper in period uniforms.
We stood for the National Anthem and invocation. CDR Bullard stepped up briefly to introduce VADM Locklear who started off explaining his Boston connections....his wife is from the North End!
Then CDR Bullard got up to speak. It was a really good speech about how meaningful this past two years has been for him. He spoke glowingly of the 70 Sailors he had under his command. I was most touched when he acknowledged the sacrifices his wife and family made while he commanded Old Ironsides.
Of course, the most shocking part was when he gave a shout-out to some troublemaker who waylaid him at the Bunker Hill Parade. LOL Seriously, I was mentioned in the remarks.
CDR Cooper spoke briefly, following the 4 "ups" as he called them - showing up, stand up, something else and then shut up. Even though he was brief, he was funny. That's good, humor will get you through a lot.
Then came the reading of the official orders. CDR Bullard's voice caught a little and he had to take a moment. Then, the 70th in command was relieved.
I found this vid on YouTube. It's only 7 minutes long. The person who posted it said his battery ran out. If anyone has more, please let me know.
Monday, July 27, 2009
USS Constitution Change of Command
Posted by BostonMaggie at 9:21:00 AM
2 comments:
Maggie - The 4 ups are Show up, Stand up, Speak up, and Shut up. It was great meeting you yesterday. Hope to see you again soon.
CDR Tim Cooper
- 27 July, 2009 20:19
uh... nice thread!
- 12 December, 2009 15:13
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General Science Full Text (formerly H.W. Wilson)
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- Audience: General, student, research
General Science Full Text is designed specifically for students and non-specialists and provides articles from popular science literature through a core collection of professional research journals.
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Thursday, April 11
Good morning, TexMessagers! How do we know when the border is secure?)
On Capitol Hill, the immigration debate has created sharp division, but one area with a nearly unanimous chorus of support is securing the border.
In the age of sequester, with immigration and border enforcement outspending all other federal law enforcement agencies combined, some Senators are beginning to ask if enough is enough.
On the same morning that thousands of immigrant activists protested outside the Capitol, a group of senators grilled heads of the Department of Homeland Security, insisting that they need benchmarks.
The DHS insisted that the border is more secure than it has been in decades. Arizona Sen. John McCain asked how it was possible to know since no agreed upon milestones existed.
"There have been significant improvements, but we don't know how significant they are," McCain said at the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing.
The Border Patrol Chief, Michael Fisher, said his agency is now using an effectiveness ratio. The ratio measures how many of those who crossed the border were apprehended.
McCain seemed shocked at the response and noted that no one had informed him or the committee which is supposed to oversee DHS.
Fisher replied that his agency just began using the metrics but would supply the data to the committee.
All the DHS heads agreed that immigration reform was necessary in order to secure the border.
Senators from states bordering Canada, such as Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Hampshire fill the committee. The committee later debated if enough is being done on the northern border. The DHS representatives noted that their analysis shows the threat of terrorism is more likely from the Canadian border than the Mexican border.
Headlines from TxPotomac's top articles
★ The Obama budget: What it means to Texas
★ George H.W. Bush honored in Obama's budget
★ Cruz has 'cordial' phone conversation with daughter of slain Sandy Hook principal, agrees to disagree on gun control
★ Texas Republicans dismiss Obama budget as 'irresponsible' and 'a joke'
★ Sheila Jackson Lee supports GOP proposal to assess border security
★ Cuomo: Senate gun bill 'only better than nothing'
★ Cruz vows to continue fight despite bipartisan deal to expand background checks
★ Stockman offers to buy U-Haul gift cards for at-risk Democratic senators who support gun legislation
★ Anti-incumbent Super PAC targets Lamar Smith for defeat in 2014
★ Border congressmen applaud Mexico's release of water but push for more
Reader Comment of the Day
In response to our post, Cruz has 'cordial' phone conversation with daughter of slain Sandy Hook principal, agrees to disagree on gun control, rat618 wrote in the comments forum,
"They haven't read the bill but want to block it…how about at least having the debate? Then you can vote against it. That is what everyone is angry about."
★ The Senate votes on gun control legislation, expanding background checks, a federal straw purchaser statute, and increased funding for school safety. Debate starts at 930 am.
★ The House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee hold hearings on Obama's budget at 10 am.
★ The House Science Committee considers legislation on ethanol research at 10 am.
★ The New Democrat Coalition releases its framework for immigration overhaul at 11 am.
★ The House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing on energy opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean at 2 pm.
Tomorrow and beyond:
★ April 12 The Atlantic Council of the United States holds a conference on cybersecurity
★ April 12 The House Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on sequestration's impact
★ April 15 The Senate Judiciary Committee has a hearing on the targeted killing by drones
★ April 16 The Senate Armed Services Committee has a hearing on Afghanistan
★ April 16 Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on the proposed fiscal 2014 budget request for the U.S. Coast Guard and related marine transportation programs.
Today in Texas History
On this date in 1953, Oveta Culp Hobby became the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. More>>>


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WELCOME to another full week of daily blogs here on the Angler's Mail website, and we start with the Monday carp fishing blog by Matt Rand on behalf of the guys at tackle brand ACE.
We hope you enjoy the blog, and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking the icons above, or by the "old skool" method of telling fellow anglers! Feel free also to comment by using the special space at the bottom on this page.
THE last month has absolutely flown by, with some fantastic captures being reported by some of our anglers.
As I type, there is a distinct chill in the air and the signs of autumn are only too clear to see; it certainly won't be long before the fish are packing on the weight for the winter!
One angler who has been getting amongst a few recently is Simon Hofgartner. Simon took a short break amongst a busy month at work to visit a large southern stillwater, but after two days without so much as seeing a fish, decided to move onto another nearby water. Simon's decision to move paid off for him big style, and in the next 24-hours he managed to slip the net under fish of 18lb, 26lb, 33lb 4oz and an absolute belter of a fish weighing in at 38lb 8oz.
Simon put his faith in chod rigs tied up with ACE 20lb Riga-Mortis in weed colour, and fished this with a Dynamite Baits 15mm White Chocolate boilie. Simon introduced a kilo of White Chocolate freebies over his rods on arrival to get the fish rooting around.
On the other side of the pond, Dan Cleary spent four days on the Belgium canals in search of their monsters. Dan has been fishing these canals for a number of years, and with bests of over 50lb from them, we always look forward to hearing his catch reports. This time however the monsters were not playing ball, but Dan did at least get amongst a couple of residents with an upper double and a low 20 falling to his rods. Both fish fell to chod rigs tied up with 25lb Riga-Mortis in silt colour.
I'm the ACE media man, and between jobs I also managed to land a cracking brace of 20's during a short overnighter on a southern stillwater, with a fully scaled mirror and a immaculate common slipping over his net. My fish (pictured below) were caught on a 'Sit Up and Beg' rigs, which incorporates ACE Tungsten Teardrops and ACE Sit Up and Beg Kickers.
I have been using this rig to great effect recently, on both stillwaters and running water. Both fish picked up a brand new bait in the Dynamite Baits stable, one that will be released at the start of October – keep your eyes peeled for that one!
(Matt Rand also stars in this week's new issue of Angler's Mail magazine with an eye-popping river carp – don't miss it! Ed.)
Max Cottis and a few of the other lads have been away at French mega water, Ribiere, and have reported an awesome catch of fish, including the lake's largest resident! By the sound of things they have certainly been putting the 'soon to be released' ACE hooks through their paces.
Be sure to check next month's blog for a full report on their captures.Between now and then, be lucky!
Related posts
Here's the list of all the new blogs and when they go live:
MONDAY: Carp crews on rotation – Korda, Fox, Nash and ACE.
TUESDAY: Steve Collett, Mail contributor and ultimate all-rounder.
WEDNESDAY: Angler's Mail HQ – yes, us!
THURSDAY: Specialists from Pike Anglers Club, Korum and Pallatrax, on rotation
FRIDAY: Carl & Alex, Angler's Mail juniors and video diary makers.
SATURDAY: The Angling Trust – guys at the governing body.
SUNDAY: Colin Mitchell, veteran coarse angler and top journalist
Click HERE to catch up on all our recent blogs


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Coordinating Center, University of California San Francisco


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The Federal government says Google CEO Larry Page, knowingly allowed his company to run ads for an illegal Mexican drug company.
"We simply know from the documents we reviewed and witnesses we interviewed that Larry Page knew what was going on," U.S. attorney Peter Neronha told the Wall Street Journal.
The Feds used a convicted con artist to take part in a sting operation, that cost the government $200,000.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Over four months in 2009, David Whitaker, a federal prisoner and convicted con artist, helped the government target Google Inc.
According to the WSJ article,
"He walked Google executives through the illegal parts of the websites," adding, "He said he told ad executives that U.S. Customs had seized shipments, for example, and that one client wanted to be 'the biggest steroid dealer in the United States.'"
In the end Google settled for around $500 million in federal charges that it knowingly assisted narcotics trafficking.


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10 feet tall is a proudly independent, integrated creative agency.
We help brands stand tall. Get to know us better.
We've all worked at so-called top-end agencies, with big teams and held senior positions. But, we came together to create 10 feet tall because we were over the bullshit that came with bigness.
Every client relationship we have is our most important. We care about the work. We care about brands. We put people first.
Integration is everything. Always was. It only works when strategy, creative, digital and media are under one roof and work as one, end to end.
We believe that big ideas are integrated ideas. They tell the whole story, have a clear purpose, inspire action and drive commercial success for our clients.
Consumer research and insights
Brand strategy and workshops
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Concept and ideation
Creative and art direction
Branding and identity
Print, motion and digital design
Copy writing and content publishing
Digital strategy and workshops
User experience
Community engagement and management
Search (SEO and SEM)
Brand tracking
Conversion rate optimisation (CRO)
Analysis and reporting
Audience identification and targeting
Media planning and buying
Sponsorships and events
We're big enough to cast aside ego, bringing together our best creative, strategic, account planning and media talents for a single effective outcome.
We're also small enough to ensure you always get to work directly with people who are at the top of their game. Say hello.
Currently we have partnerships with clients in some of the most demanding and challenging categories there are. While our portfolio is still growing, collectively we have experience across virtually every brand category that exists.
If you like what you've seen, get in touch, say hello and get to know us better.
It could be the first little step to helping your brand stand taller.
Ground floor, 132C Gwynne Street
Richmond Victoria 3121


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About Sutherlands
Sutherlands is a family owned home and garden center business that has 4 locations in Texas, 1 Missouri and 1 Louisiana location.
They take pride in staying abreast of the newest product innovations and work hard to bring those products to market. With Sutherlands' dedicated staff, if you have a project you're taking on - big or small - they can show you how to fix it, build it, grow it, and yes even kill it. We can do it.
Led By: The McLiney family (3rd and 4th generations of the Sutherland family) has been actively managing Sutherlands stores since 1993. McLiney/Sutherland has held a long tradition of servicing the needs of the community. Their goal is to offer products that their customers need at prices they can afford. Their management team consists of veterans that understand it is not only pricing that drive customers to their stores, but knowledge as well. You will find that from their first day on the job to the 30+ year veteran, the people of their organization are the most knowledgeable and well trained of any retailer in the building materials business.
Founded: 1917


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Shaffer necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 97 diseños de 29 diseñadores freelance.
<To be disclosed to the winning designer only>
I need an original art graphic that represents a fanciful, powerful shoe company image, a design that can be used as a presentational image for a company that produces high fashion women's shoes . The elements within the design can be subtle or bold - or perhaps the ideal would include both – but it must be dynamic. This will represent as the 'big' image for presentations (think of half- or full-page ad in a lifestyle magazine).
The market: Women and girls of all ages purchasing couture shoes.
Your design could be complex like a shoe that, at the same time, looks like a dress made out of flowers, or a Willy-Wonka type shoe factory, with all the feel of whimsical fun, but geared toward an elegant crowd. A many-colored simple-line sketch-style graphic, your traditional media art, or other creative idea. No requirement for a shoe to be a major part of the design, though I would like it to be able to represent fanciful shoes or fashion somehow.
Colors: I'm feeling a mixture of colors that have a definite spring season essence with major winter tones, and perhaps some fall notes (we'll see). I'm pretty sure that at least a mild amount of intelligently fanciful shades of the colors pink and blue are a must in the design. Check the color mixes in dresses 2 (a little too 'fall'), and 6 (a little too 'spring'). http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show…os/id,3845
You can use text: 'The Shoe Company' or 'A Lifestyle of Fancy Shoes'.
Words that describe the image I'm looking for: whimsical, fanciful and extravagant, yet elegant and classy; substantive (some abstract is okay too); wild yet cultured and pure. Hmm…
What's your idea?


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The Colorado Rockies need a theme song! After beating the Dodgers on Thursday for their 11th straight win — the longest winning streak in the majors this season — they are on the verge of making the playoffs for only the second time in their history. The Rockies are one game out in the wild-card race, with their final series beginning today against Arizona at Coors Field. So a theme song is imperative, and they are asking you for help. Their fans have been absolutely no freakin' help so far (The Bee Gees? John Denver?), so come, on, pitch in! The Rockies thank you. (No Survivor please).
In the interests of full disclosure, I wrote off the Rockies about two weeks ago. After a series of insulting remarks, I buried a Rockies pennant in a shallow grave just off of Interstate 5, and moved on with my life. Now, I am on the verge of losing several bets. Damn it! If you want to crown 'em, crown 'em! It's all Todd Helton's fault, you know. Helton joined the Rockies in 1997 —although he didn't unpack his beard until the following year — and has never played in a post-season game. So that's why it's kind of cool that his sixth-inning homer helped propel Colorado over the Dodgers. Brad Hawpe had three hits and four RBI for the Rockies, who trail first-place Arizona in the NL West by two games and are one game behind San Diego in the wild card, tied with the Phillies and Mets. The Rockies and Diamondbacks open a season-ending three-game series at Coors Field today. Do you smell a distinct, Warriors-vs.-Mavericks kind of vibe here? Yes, I believe! Send me a t-shirt! Of course, the Rockies have the Dodgers to thank for their dramatic troop surge. Seven of Colorado's wins in the streak have come over LA, which has lost 10 of its past 11. Colorado won the season series over the Dodgers 12-6. Rookie Franklin Morales (3-2), allowed four hits and three runs in five-plus innings to earn the win.
• How The West Will Be Won. The various NL playoff scenarios are endless, so take a look for yourself, courtesy of the Denver Post. At least now there's no chance of a five-way tie.
• License To Kill Gophers, By The Government Of The United States. A pretty funny interview with Bill Murray today at Chicago Sports, in which he assures Cubs fans that they will indeed prevail in the Central. Excerpt: "Would the Cubs be the Cubs if they lost the World Series? That's sick thinking. You've got to watch out for people like that. I should be watching you. Maybe you want to talk to me later about what's going on in your life." The Cubs stranded 10 runners and were swept by the last-place Marlins, losing 6-4 on Thursday. The Brewers also lost, 9-5 to the Padres, to remain two games behind Chicago.
• Max Mercy Disapproves. Fire Joe Morgan questions the wisdom of the Rangers playing the theme to The Natural over the PA system after Sammy Sosa home runs, and I have to agree. The Savoy Special was not corked, dammit! Although The Whammer did take copious amounts of HGH.


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Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79230G
This Tudor has undergone a thorough inspection of water resistance, accuracy, functionality and condition to determine the level of reconditioning required to meet our strict standards. It has also been referenced against technical documents and manufacturer records where available to ensure authenticity and a clean history.
Product Description
|Less than a year (2019)
Manufacturer warranty
|1 year remaining
|Case size
|Case material
|Bracelet material
|Dial type
|Water resistance
|200 metres
What our customers say
New Panerai - curtosy of WF and Tom
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Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79230G
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Are you faced with personnel shortages, new measuring tasks resulting from an increased range of parts or higher demands on the measurement of existing parts? We can come to you and work on the new tasks together. Benefit from the experience of our specialists.
With over 400 application engineers and more than 40 competence centers around the world, a majority of our employees work in the field close to our customers. Our regional structure means that experts can be on site quickly whenever the need arises.
We offer the following services


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Hundreds gather to remember Thresher tragedy
Families gain solace in special memorial
Hundreds gathered Sunday for a public tribute to the 129 men who died in 1963 when the U.S.S. Thresher sank off the coast of New England.
The submarine was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and was conducting sea trials when the tragedy struck. The submarine sank 50 years ago this week, killing everyone on board.
More than 300 people crowded into a plaza near Kittery's town hall for a memorial service to honor those who died when the nuclear submarine sank off the coast of New England.
"I think it's just more emotional today to be here," said Sue Neri, who was 19 when her boyfriend, Tony Rushetski, died aboard the Thresher. And 50 years later his name, his face and his memory hold a special place in her heart.
"I have good memories of him, yes," Neri said.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, the time the Thresher sank, a bell tolled 129 times for each life lost in the tragedy. An American flag was raised on a specially built pole that stands 129 feet high as the bell echoed through the quiet crowd.
Each foot of the pole serves as a memorial to the lives lost. The $138,000 price of the memorial that looks out over the Atlantic Ocean was paid for by community donations.
Dorris Fisette lost her husband and the father of their four children when Robert Steinel died aboard the Thresher.
"You never get over anything like this, really," she said.
While news headlines about the tragedy gripped the nation, Fisette had to find the strength to keep a grip on her family.
"(It was) just something you have to, you have to be strong for the ones you have here," she said.
Among the men who died on the Thresher were veterans of World War II, including a pair of brothers and a man who had just learned he was about to be a father. While the men's families are haunted by the incident they took solace in this memorial.


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Will ship before the end of this year.
Will ship before the end of this year.
Good... er, GREAT news... wondering just exactly what that means. :-)
3 months left..
Which Scarlet we talking about? Whats the price? Please more details
My first Epic-X will ship any day now but I'm still very excited about Scarlet! Great news.
I think I'll pick one up to augment my package as well!
do i write a check to US santa or european santa?
Love to hear more details on this. We'll get in line for that as we wait in line for our X.
Not to rush the topic but if its going to ship before the end of the year! When do you think we will be able to put our orders in?
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


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We would like to welcome two new members to both our Chicago and Los Angeles teams!
Meet Grant MacDowell and Max Gold!
Editor,Grant MacDowell, who worked most recently at Optimus, has joined the LA. staff. MacDowell accumulated a long-list of impressive work prior to his time at Optimus, including Ford spots with JWT Detroit, freelance graphic work for Janus and Hasbro, and a chapter with Brass Knuckles in Venice editing music videos for artists including Moby and No Doubt.
Max Gold joins our Chicago office from Draft FCB's venerable in-house editorial department where his work for clients saw him editing spots for a host of notable directors including Iain Mackenzie, Tony Kaye, Sean Thonson, Fred Goss, as well as music video and Jack-Ass director, Whitey and 2010 DGA Director of the Year nominee Craig Gilespie. "Birthing Room," a spot he edited for Qwest (directed by Gillespie) was shortlisted in the Cannes Lions competition.
We're very excited to welcome these two new editors to our ever growing roster of talent!


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Polling on the Iraq war inevitably become entangled with the politics of the war, with partisans seizing on results that support their preferences. This was vividly demonstrated this week by a Public Opinion Strategies (POS) poll conducted for The Moriah Group, a Chattanooga-based strategic communications and public affairs firm. (N=800, MOE=3.5%, conducted 2/5-7/07.) The POS press release is here. POS is one of the top Republican polling firms in the country.
After a New York Post story on the poll a variety of blogs on the left and right picked up on the results. See (here, here, here and here.) The Media Matters site posted an extensive critique of the poll and coverage of it here.
The ironic bit is that the poll isn't far out of line with other polling that has asked somewhat similar questions, yet those previous polls have not touched off a flurry of debate about opinion on the war. Rather, the strongly worded interpretation of the results, both in the POS press release and in the New York Post story, has provoked a reaction out of line with the novelty of these finding.
A further irony is that the POS survey uses wording for some options that seems likely to draw opinion towards those alternatives rather than others, and yet the results are only modestly different from previous polling. Whatever bias may exist in the wording, it did not produce results dramatically different from others we have seen in the last three months.
How questions are phrased, including about Iraq, can certainly affect the results. For comparison then, it helps if we can look at questions that pose reasonably similar alternatives, even if worded a bit differently. Let's look at how the recent polling has approached the question of what to do in Iraq. Eight recent polls plus POS have asked questions that address the choice among "immediate withdrawal", "withdrawal by a certain date", or "maintain troops until Iraq stabilizes." Some of these also include an option to "increase troop levels".
The POS question is
Which one of the following statements regarding the US involvement in Iraq do you MOST agree with...(The numbering of options is mine, for clarity.) It is a reasonable criticism of this question that options 3 and 4 offer elements that might be expected to draw respondents. Option 3 invites an expression of opposition to the war while supporting continued troop presence, and option 4 links the war explicitly to the war on terror as a rationale for maintaining troops. At the least, we might think this wording would increase support for the third and fourth options.
1) The US should immediately withdraw its troops from Iraq.
2) Whether Iraq is stable or not, the US should set and hold to a strict timetable for withdrawing troops.
3) While I don't agree that the US should be in the war, our troops should stay there and do whatever it takes to restore order until the Iraqis can govern and provide security to their country.
4) The Iraq War is the front line in the battle against terrorism and our troops should stay there and do whatever it takes to restore order until the Iraqis can govern and provide security to their country.
Other polls have phrased things differently while getting at the same policy options. For example, Fox puts the question as
Thinking about the situation in Iraq, do you think the United States should:Here option 1 is essentially the same as the POS option 1. Option 2 is worded differently but amounts to the same policy option of withdrawal over a fixed period of time. And options 3 and 4 together are an expression in support of continued presence until the Iraqi's are able to take over. (One can argue if more troops is the same as continued presence, but I'm willing to argue that in this context.)
1. pull out all troops immediately,
2. pull out all troops gradually over the next year,
3. pull out after Iraqi troops are capable of taking over or
4. send more troops?
Gallup has offered a similar set of four options:
Here are four different plans the US (United States) could follow in dealing with the war in Iraq. Which one do you prefer--Again there are some variations in wording, but a similar thrust.
1. withdraw all troops from Iraq immediately,
2. withdraw all troops by January 2008--that is, in 12 months' time,
3. withdraw troops, but take as many years to do this as are needed to turn control over to the Iraqis, or
4. send more troops to Iraq?
The George Washington University Battleground poll, conducted jointly by the Republican Tarrance Group and Democratic Lake Research Partners uses this wording:
As you have probably heard, there has been a lot of debate over the past few months about what the United States should do about its troops that are currently stationed in Iraq. I am going to read you four proposals on this issue. Please tell me which one comes closest to your own....Finally the Pew Research Center asks two questions:
1. The US should begin immediately withdrawing all troops from Iraq. This is now a job for Iraqi forces to handle.
2. The US should set a date certain, no more than one year from now, when all troops be withdrawn from Iraq. This process should begin with some troops coming home immediately.
3. The US should keep its forces in Iraq until our military leaders there confirm that the situation in Iraq is stable enough that extremist forces will not be able to seize control once US troops leave.
4. The US should temporarily increase the number of troops in Iraq to help stabilize the situation more quickly.
Do you think the US (United States) should keep military troops in Iraq until the situation has stabilized, or do you think the US should bring its troops home as soon as possible?Combining the Pew responses we get three categories for 1) immediately, 2) within a year or two, and 3) keep troops until stabilized.
(If bring troops home as soon as possible): Should the US remove all troops from Iraq immediately, or should the withdrawal of troops be gradual over the next year or two?
The variations in question wording mean exact comparison is not possible, but the categories are reasonably similar in the policy options they offer.
For comparison, I combine the last two options of the POS survey. Both say we should continue a troop presence in Iraq until the country is stabilized though they offer different rationales for that presence. Similarly, I combine those options in other surveys that say we should remain until the situation is stable or we should send more troops. Again either option implies a continued presence. This gives three policy options that are comparable across all nine polls, regardless of wording:
1) Immediate withdrawal
2) Withdrawal within a specified time frame
3) Continued presence until Iraq is stabilized
The graph at the top shows the results of this. While there is variation across the polls it is modest compared to the stability of results. The immediate withdrawal option wins from 12-21% support, and averages 16.5%. Between 28% and 40% favor withdrawal by some deadline, with an average of 34.1% choosing this option. And those favoring continued presence in Iraq range from 42% to 53%, and average 45.5%.
The POS survey is a little higher (at 50%) for the combined options 3 and 4, but still only 4.5% above the average for this question. (The average is 44.9% without the POS poll.)
The POS result of 17% for immediate withdrawal is close to the 16.5% average, and POS's 32% for withdrawal by a deadline compares to an average of 34.1% preferring that option. (Removing POS from the averages results in 16.4% and 34.4%, not an appreciable change.)
So we return to the irony. Despite question wording that seems extreme compared to the other pollsters here, POS got at most a 5 point increase in support for keeping troops in Iraq until the country is stable. And the POS question produced very little difference from the average results for immediate or timed withdrawal. So critics who have jumped on the question wording bandwagon may be right about the wording, but they are substantially wrong about the effect.
One of the most annoying aspects of question wording effects is that sometimes they are large when you don't expect it, and sometimes they are small even when you are sure they should be large.
It is similarly ironic that those who delighted in the POS results were oblivious to the fact that there was not really any new news here. Apparently other pollsters from the "drive-by media" and elsewhere had been reporting substantially the same results for a while now.
Finally, the results of this question are: 49% withdraw immediately or by a deadline, and 50% stay until Iraq is stable. I'd say a 49-50 split isn't a strong indication of overwhelming support for either side. (There are other questions in the survey that address different issues-- some are more supportive of the war and some are less. Towards the high end is "I support finishing the job in Iraq, that is, keeping the troops there until the Iraqi government can maintain control and provide security for its people" 57% agree. But also: "Iraq will never become a stable democracy", 60% agree. Picking which results you like while ignoring the ones you don't may be good politics but it is bad polling analysis.)
If we phrase the question differently do we get different answers? Sometimes. I could illustrate that with other questions about Iraq easily. Opinion about the war is complex, with shifting coalitions of supporters and opponents depending on how questions slice the policy options. And sometimes choice of wording plays a substantial role in that. But not this time.


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Ultraloq UL3 BT smart lever lock is designed to be "RealKeyless" for maximum flexibility and convenience. You are free to use fingerprint, code, key or smartphone to unlock. You can just knock on your phone to open the door, even when it's in your pocket. You will be never be locked out again!
List Price: $339.99
Your Savings: $140.99


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If you and the fam had plans to visit Yellowstone this year, rethink your itinerary. There's so much underground heat that the roads are melting underneath people's cars.
A 3.3-mile stretch of road had to be closed because of geological shifts that are causing massive amounts of heat to come to the surface. The result is sunken, hot asphalt on roads and hiking trails that, according to AP, poses the "danger of stepping through a solid-looking crust of soil into boiling-hot water".
Damn. Then again, the road is called Firehole Lake Drive, so we should've seen this coming.


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Creative economy key to inclusive development in the post-2015 development agenda: UN Report highlightsDec 10, 2013
New York – The presentation of the Creative Economy Report 2013, Special Edition, in New York provides a menu of options and analysis of practical choices for local leaders to support cultural and creative industries in the pursuit of more inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth, leading to the post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era.
The Report examines the interactions, policies and specific challenges facing the development of the creative and cultural sectors at the local level and determines how the creative economy is practically promoted in communities across the developing world.
World trade in creative goods and services is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy, more than doubling from 2002 to 2011, when it reached a record of US$624 billion. At the same time, developing countries averaged 12.1 per cent annual growth in the export of creative goods.
"The cultural and creative industries are important engines of economic growth. They generate jobs and income and contribute to individual and community well-being in both developed and developing economies," said United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark.
"At a time when the world is shaping a new post-2015 global development agenda, we must recognize the importance and power of the cultural and creative sectors as engines of that development," added Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.
This Report aims to serve as an inspirational tool for others shaping their own pathways for local development. It reviews close to 80 culture and development programmes from the MDG Achievement Fund - funded by the Government of Spain - and UNESCO's International Fund for Cultural Diversity.
In Peru, an MDG-F-supported joint development programme has trained local artisans to produce "chichi", a traditional beverage, more efficiently. The initiative not only boosted profits but also empowered women typically marginalized from the local economy, increased environmental sustainability by introducing gas stoves, and even influenced public policies favourable to inclusive creative industries at the national, regional and local levels.
In Senegal, a "Hip Hop Akademy" trained local youth in digital graphic and design, music and video production, promotional management and marketing as well as DJ-ing, and English. This innovative programme enabled young creative industry professionals to meet their potential locally with access to the global market, preserving artistic culture while capitalizing on technological evolution for development. The Senegal programme also enabled the inscription and development of two cultural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
As world leaders seek more inclusive models of participation, the integration of culture and creativity into the development agenda at the global and national levels is an imperative. This will encourage the promotion of local approaches to development and ownership of development strategies and promote cultural participation, cultural heritage and innovation.
The Creative Economy Report is the result of a partnership between the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, hosted by UNDP, and UNESCO, with contributions from other UN agencies. It builds on the 2008 and 2010 editions of this Report.
The Report also offers concrete recommendations to policy makers on how to boost their creative and cultural sectors, such as matching investments with infrastructure and labour capacities, specific mechanisms scaled for local enterprise development, effective intellectual property rights that stimulate creative economies and access to global markets.
Ms. Ines Tofalo
United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation
hosted by the United Nations Development Programme
+1 212 906 5123
Ms. Suzanne Bilello,
Senior Public Information and Liaison Officer,
+1 212-963-4386


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At universities across the United States, students are filing back onto campuses ready for the start of a new fall semester.
Facility managers and building service contractors (BSCs) responsible for university dorms, classrooms and other buildings will see an increase in traffic, and cleaning frequency will need to increase to keep these facilities clean and safe for students.
High-traffic floors and carpets will require regular vacuuming and upkeep, and restrooms and common areas will need daily disinfection and touch-point cleaning.
While the organization of a janitorial or environmental services department likely will be the key to a university's cleaning success, proper employee and worker training can be just as important.
Trained employees who follow the correct steps to complete a cleaning job properly are the foundation of all success in the JanSan industry.
Training Yesterday
Previously, managers used high turnover rates as an excuse to not train their employees; since employees frequently started then disappeared, managers said, training did not provide a good return on investment.
For BSCs, the fear was that trained employees would eventually start their own operation and turn into competition.
"I think that they are false beliefs, personally," states William Griffin, president of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc. and a noted industry trainer. "I think that when people are involved in training and they have a goal in mind to get a different opportunity or to learn more … then they do a better job while they're there."
And even when training was offered to employees, it often lacked a hands-on component.
In the past — and sometimes still today — employee training was made up only of a slide presentation or a video, Griffin notes.
The worst case training scenario has been a manager or BSC handing a new employee a set of keys and saying, "Good luck."
Training Today
Today, training has evolved, and the newest trend is a blended approach that mixes classroom learning with hands-on cleaning tasks, Griffin says.
Hands-on training allows employees to learn by doing rather than just sitting on a chair and listening.
Another offering is mobile training where workers learn by performing tasks on the actual jobsite, Griffin notes.
Griffin attends a number of training conferences every year, and he says the continued development of mobile training shows a possible future where classroom training is not needed at all.
This "no classroom" concept means that training would not be a central event, but it would instead become an everyday component of operating a business or leading a team of workers, according to Griffin.
Frequent Follow-up
Follow-up with employees in the field after training has also proven important.
Workers should be asked what the training covered, and they should be required to apply or use what they learned during the presentation or hands-on session.
Griffin says the follow-up process should be repeated three times after a training session: two days, two weeks and two months later.
While the benefits of proper training can be hard to validate specifically, Griffin states that training will improve:
- Turnover rates
- The cost of industrial insurance
- Production rates
- Quality inspections.
In addition, workers' compensation insurance rates can decrease due to fewer workplace accidents and injuries.
Moving forward, universities should be excited to provide up-to-date training to their cleaning employees.
"I think you can look at production rates and quality assessment inspection rates as well and put some numbers with those to validate that the training you're doing is making a difference," Griffin concludes. "It's a really exciting time in the cleaning industry, and I think that training plays a key role in our success."


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Spikelee4 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 85 diseños de 13 diseñadores freelance.
Court One
We are a small group of passionate sport enthusiasts who have purchased a 43,000sqft industrial building in Tempe, Arizona and are converting it to a multi-sport atheltic venue for volleyball, basketball, private golf instruction, sport performance training, tournaments, etc. Our biggest usage will be volleyball and basketball (mostly youth with some minimal adult league programming as well). Our mission is to keep the athletes first in everything we do. So we have installed the best of the best (real hardwood flooring, high-end video and flat screens throughout, etc.) to make that happen.
Additionally, we are Christians and want this building focused around ideals of honesty, sportsmanship, and working hard to achieve both on the court and in life.
There are a couple of similar entities in the greater Phoenix area, but nothing that has an open-door policy that welcomes all sports and all people. Most of the other venues are for private use only.
We need to have a broad enough appeal that young kids and their parents alike will see our logo, recognize it, and associate it with something that's an easily accessible and fun place to go in the community. This logo will be on everything from the front of our building to our letterhead to tshirts to water bottles and magnets. We will advertise in high school publications, college publications, newspapers, and nationally-circulating magazines.
We need an awesome, standout logo for Court One. Here's what we need:
1. We would like for the "t" in "Court" to be a cross. We are Christians and we want to represent that...however big or small. An idea we had tossed around was to have some shadowing effect where the shadow of the "T" was the cross.
2. Our colors are royal blue, red, and white. Gray can be subsituted for the white. Or feel free to use gradience or be creative. No need to use all colors, either.
3. We had discussed an idea of the "o" in "Court" and the "o" in "One" being 3-D spherical balls, one as a basketball and one as a volleyball. We had also discussed playing off the Mastercard logo with two balls, with the volleyball being the ball that sits on top of the basketball. We just want to make sure that the balls are not 1D, flat designs if you go this route.
4. Bottom line is that we want something with dimension that pops.
5. I've attached files of two logos we don't like & spherical clip art we do like in terms of the balls.
Here's something we don't like (it's a little too blah, too flat):
Here's some we do like:
http://www.actionfloors.com/ (not their logo, per se, but the hardwood ball they feature on their main page)
http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/?page=7 (the bottom left image JG)
Print file: .ai (CMYK)
Web file: .jpg & layered .psd (RGB)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
South Dakota Ranks 6th Nationally Among West Nile Cases
The nation is currently seeing its highest number of West Nile virus cases in several years. South Dakota ranks within the top six states reporting West Nile virus cases in the nation. There have been six human cases reported in Minnehaha County and none in Lincoln County to date. The majority of the activity in South
Dakota has occurred in the northeastern part of the state. Year to date, West Nile virus cases total 82 human cases and 1 death.
As a reminder, it is still peak transmission season for West Nile virus. The Sioux Falls Vector Control Division continues to actively seek out areas for treatment and will spray if necessary. We ask that you continue to take personal protective measures to complement our efforts in order to keep West Nile cases at bay.
Follow the four "Ds" of mosquito control:
- Dress in long-sleeved, light-colored clothing.
- Avoid being outside between dawn and dusk.
- Drain any standing water around your property.
- Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET when going outside.
For more information about West Nile virus, you can log on to the CDC website at or the City of Sioux Falls Vector Control web page.