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Cops homed in on actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson in a drug raid last week because of her chilling portrayal as a drug dealer's hitman on HBO's "The Wire" and for her tough Baltimore upbringing, according to her rep.
"Felicia Pearson has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty," her rep said in a statement, EW.com reported.
Pearson, 30, was ordered held without bail Friday, having been arrested as part of a drug sting that netted 63 people, the Baltimore Sun reported.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
She is accused of helping fund a heroin operation and was allegedly caught on a wiretap talking about money, according to the Sun. In denying Pearson bail, the judge reportedly said she would be a flight risk.
"Felicia grew up where high crime rates, drug use and violence are the norm," her rep said in the statement to news outlets. "Felicia has overcome numerous hardships in her lifetime. She does not expect these hardships to be used as an excuse for illegal activities."
The rep went on to say that Pearson has made "strong statements" against drugs and violence and hoped to return to Philadelphia, where she was working on three films, People reported.
"She wants her friends and fans to know that she is keeping her head up, shoulders back and that she is prepared to fight these new charges against her," the rep said.
Pearson's past brushes with the law include having served five years for a second degree-murder she committed at age 14, the AP reported. She was found not guilty of a 2008 drug charge.
In a 2007 biography, "Grace After Midnight," Pearson wrote that she was born premature and addicted to crack, according to the Sun.
She turned to dealing drugs at age 12 after her elderly foster dad died at age 81, the paper reported.
"Wire" creator David Simon wrote on Slate last week that he was "sad" to learn of Pearson's arrest.
"This young lady has, from her earliest moments, had one of the hardest lives imaginable," he wrote. "And whatever good fortune came from her role in 'The Wire,' seems, in retrospect, limited to that project. She worked hard as an actor and was entirely professional, but the entertainment industry does not offer a great many roles for those who can portray people from the other America."
Selected Reading: Baltimore Sun, Slate, People, EW


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Limited Time Offer - Free Maintenance on Select Triumph Models
Purchase any new 2013 Triumph Rocket III, Speed Triple, Street Triple, or Daytona 675 through 1/31/14 and get *FREE MAINTENANCE* at Fun Bike Center Motorsports for 3 years! **This offer is extended through 2/15/14 for any TSB members.
*Contact Fun Bike Center for complete details. Certain restrictions and limitations may apply.
Attachment 31217Attachment 31218Attachment 31219Attachment 31220Attachment 31221

subset: commoncrawl


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Five given University Cancer Research Fund Clinical Innovation Awards
The University Cancer Research Fund Clinical Innovation Awards are designed to foster new research, with a preference given to innovation in patient care and services that should elevate current care models or break new ground at UNC-Chapel Hill in strategic areas within the UCRF's mission of discovery, innovation, and delivery.
The innovation awards are part of UCRF's investment in leading-edge cancer care for the citizens of North Carolina.
These competitive awards are reviewed by a panel of more than 25 physicians and researchers who make up the N.C. Cancer Hospital Executive Committee. In this funding cycle, 10 applications were reviewed and 4 grants have been awarded, totaling $445,000.
Stephen A. Bernard, MD, Professor of Medicine
Symptom Management and Supportive Care Program for the Outpatient Clinics in Medical Oncology/Hematology and Radiation Oncology
Supportive care is medical care focused on maintaining quality of life and managing symptoms for patients who are being treated for cancer. Supportive care programs focus on outpatients receiving care for cancer and are often associated with palliative care programs but include mainly patients who are being actively treated or may have had treatment in the past and now have late-onset symptoms.
The program lead by Stephen Bernard, MD, Sandra Jarr, MSN, and John Valgus PharmD, BCOP, CPP is one of an increasing number of programs in the United States that deliver supportive care in the outpatient clinical setting. This program is novel for the use of a mobile consultation team that consists of a pharmacist, who is certified by the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine to be able to prescribe, and a clinical nurse specialist.
Instead of having to wait for a referral, and potentially an additional visit, to deal with symptom management, drug side effects and other concerns normally addressed by a supportive care team, patients at the N.C. Cancer Hospital are seen the same day in the outpatient clinics. A half-day clinic, which includes the physician, serves patients who have more complex problems or need ongoing follow-up. Over the first 18 months of the program, more than 100 patients from approximately one fourth of N.C.'s counties have been seen. Patients are referred from all adult oncology disciplines. There have been many positive comments from patients and families about the program. Symptom scores of pain and other symptoms have shown an improvement after only one or two visits.
This grant renewal for two years will help the Supportive Care Team to develop newer initiatives such as telemedicine program for pharmacists throughout the state and to continue a successful program that has helped patients from across North Carolina.
Kamakshi V. Rao, PharmD, Oncology Clinical Specialist, UNC Hospitals
Integrated Stem Cell Transplant Medication Therapy Management Clinic – Extending Pharmacy Care Across the Spectrum of Stem Cell Transplantation
Stem cell transplantation is a common treatment for hematologic malignancies like leukemia and multiple myeloma. UNC's stem cell transplantation program has grown steadily over the last several years and has a well integrated way to transition patients from inpatient treatment at the N.C. Cancer Hospital to outpatient follow up.
Like many therapies that affect the immune system, stem cell transplant patients often encounter complications that require intensive medication therapy management to avoid potentially serious health consequences. Patients can be under medication for post-transplant complications such as diabetes, immunosuppression, pain and anticoagulation.
This grant will provide a dedicated clinical pharmacist in the Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) clinic to help manage the medications of patients with complications and complex conditions, with the goal of improving patient health outcomes and streamlining processes in the SCT clinic to improve the patient experience. The clinical pharmacist will create protocols that optimize the approach to some of the common long-term complications experience by patients after a stem cell transplant.
Julian G. Rosenman, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiation Oncology
Telemedicine for Radiation Therapy Peer Review
Radiation oncology is an important tool in the arsenal of cancer treatment, but requires coordination among and between different cancer specialists. Detailed peer review of radiation treatment planning is believed to lead to increased cure rates and decreased side effects for cancer patients. For that reason, UNC's Department of Radiation Oncology holds detailed review sessions each morning to examine proposed treatment plans for appropriate and accuracy.
This clinical innovation initiative will provide a telemedicine solution for detailed peer review of treatment plans between UNC and affiliated centers at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, facilities in Smithfield and Wakefield, and a future facility in Clayton. This project will also extend UNC's detailed treatment planning software and provide a solution to integrate the software across the various treatment facilities. This technology will allow the sites outside of Chapel Hill to participate in the Department's detailed peer review.
In addition, the project will provide training for radiation oncology personnel in detailed treatment planning and for neurosurgeons wishing to define tumor volumes for patients scheduled to undergo CyberknifeTM surgery.
Donald Rosenstein, MD, Professor of Psychiatry
Holly Hough, PhD
Comprehensive Cancer Support Program: Integrative Medicine Services
UNC Lineberger's Comprehensive Cancer Support Program (CCSP) provides a full range of support services for cancer patients. Integrative medicine, which includes lymphedema therapy, massage therapy and yoga classes, is a core component of this program. This new program shows great promise and is poised to expand through partnerships with several UNC departments. The CCSP also plans to launch a free integrative medicine clinic to serve uninsured patients at UNC and in the community.
This clinical innovation award will serve as a startup grant to support integrative medicine services until they are fully established and to assist in the creation of the free clinic.


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On September 7, join Chef Michael Voltaggio as he displays his dazzling culinary expertise and signs copies of his latest book at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center in Studio City.
Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, a luxury appliance and plumbing company with two locations in the San Fernando Valley, will host a day of delectable delights, demos and giveaways, while highlighting some of their top brands and innovative designs. Universal will have factory representatives on hand introducing new products, hundreds of appliances and accessories, and unbeatable prices, all at their 10,500 square-foot showroom in Studio City.
"We're looking forward to our upcoming Universal Discoveries event with Michael Voltaggio," states Igor Royz, President of Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. "It will be exciting to see a chef of his caliber in action in our state-of-the-art showroom, and learn a few cooking techniques of our own."
Guests will also experience chefs from, Viking, Thermador and Jenn-Air preparing dishes to impress the palate, as well as reps from Miele providing dessert and coffee. To add to the excitement there will be an hourly raffle, door prizes, and sale prices on appliances and plumbing fixtures with no-interest financing for 12 months!
WHAT: Cooking demonstration and book signing with Chef Michael Voltaggio, as well as cocktails, wine, hors d'oeuvres, raffles, door prizes, and much more.
WHEN: Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 12:00PM – 4:00PM
· 1:30PM Cooking demo
· 3:00PM Book signing
WHERE: Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, 12050 Ventura Blvd., Studio City (on the southeast corner at Laurel Canyon)
Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, a premier dealer of brand name appliances, plumbing fixtures, bathroom vanities and accessories, carries the most popular and innovative products at its two San Fernando Valley locations. A one-stop design showroom for all your kitchen and bathroom needs, Universal offers delivery, as well as their own certified installers, making your shopping experience a memorable one. Explore luxury appliances and gain expertise from factory-trained staff all while receiving the best prices and customer care. www.uakc.com
Chef Michael Voltaggio has been cooking since the age of 15, and although he did not attend a formal culinary school, he earned a highly-coveted position in the prestigious Greenbrier Culinary Apprenticeship program. With his unconventional techniques, classical repertoire, and adventurous style, Voltaggio has earned great success and recognition. He was most recently honored as one of Food & Wine magazine's "Best New Chefs," and ink. – his Los Angeles flagship restaurant – was named "Best New Restaurant in America" by GQ. But Voltaggio might be best remembered as the winner of Top Chef (season 6) on Bravo's Emmy award-winning television show.
Special thanks to: LA Confidential, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, Eppa SupraFruta Sangria, Josh Cellars, Ron Zacapa, Waiakea


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School of Teacher Education
Undergraduate Programs
Academic Policies for Undergraduate Students
- B.S. in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (Ref. # 526)
- Certification (Birth to Primary) and Non-certification concentrations are available.
- B.S. in Special Education (Ref. # 553)
- Dual certification in Learning and Behavior Disorders and Elementary Education (Primary to Grade 12)
- B.S. in Elementary Education (Ref. # 527)
- Certification to teach Primary to Grade 5
- B.S. in Middle Level Education in Social Studies and Language Arts (Ref. #5001)
- Certification to teach English/Language Arts and/or Social Studies (Grades 5-9)
- B.S. in Science and Mathematics Education (Ref. # 774)
- Paired with appropriate content majors, this program leads to certification to teach mathematics or science in middle school (Grades 5-9), or Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, or Physics in high school (Grades 8-12).
- B.S. in Business and Marketing Education (Ref. # 621) [PDF]
- Certification to teach Grades 5-12
- Secondary Education
- Course work for certification to teach Art, French, German, Music, Physical Education, and Spanish (Primary to Grade 12). Students must major in appropriate content areas.
- Course work for certification to teach Agriculture Education, Business and Marketing Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Technology Education, and Industrial (Vocational, Career, Technical) Education (Grades 5-12). Students must major in appropriate content areas.
- Course work for certification to teach English and Allied Language Arts or Social Studies (Grades 8-12). Students must major in appropriate content areas.
- Post-baccalaureate certification-only (Elementary – Ref. # 927; Middle – Ref. # 979; Secondary – Ref. # 980)
Related Links
- Become a Teacher!
- Undergraduate Advising for Elementary and Middle Grades Education
- Undergraduate Advising for Secondary Education and Business/Marketing Education
- Admissions/Advising Contact Persons for Undergraduate Programs
- Code of Conduct for Professional Education Candidates
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- Teacher Admission Requirements
- Teacher Certification
- Early Field Experiences
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I updated the code in the first post to implement the config "hideEmptyFolders". It will hide any folders with no visible children.
The speed seems a little slower but it's hardly noticeable.
I updated the code in the first post to implement the config "hideEmptyFolders". It will hide any folders with no visible children.
The speed seems a little slower but it's hardly noticeable.
I made one more update just now because the hideEmptyFolders feature did not un-hide empty folders after clearing filters, oops lol.
Any suggestion on how to actually filter the folders, though?
The current code that takes care of hiding empty folder looks at hasVisibleChild to see if it should hide the folder. the problem is, hasVisibleChild is always marked as true in the case of any folders as children, even if those folders leafs will ultimately be hidden...
>>the problem is, hasVisibleChild is always marked as true in the case of any folders as children, even if those folders leafs will ultimately be hidden...
This should not be the case. Any child folders that themselves have no visible children should be hidden, thus their parent, if it is similarly empty, should not be hidden. You may be having an issue with the maxExpandDepth though, because this will prevent filtering beyond the depth specified. Try setting the depth to 100 and see if it solves your problem.
Alternatively, it is often easier to modify the server code to include a parameter on nodes that can then be used to filter them appropriately on the client side. For example, you might include the node parameter "doNotFilter" true/false and check for that in your filterFn.
Thank you for your code. Unfortunately, I was not able to get your solution to work. I tried implementing a similar approach to yours based on toggling node visibility but I was not pleased with the choppy effect when expanding/collapsing branches. Additionally, considering that Ext has stubbed out filter methods in the tree store, I felt that this approach would be more in line with their implementation. Using this stackoverflow post as a starting post, I wrote the following code. I have tested it against a pre-loaded tree (all children nodes are loaded immediately) and an async remote-loaded tree. I do not support a maxDepth like you did because most of my trees are several levels and filtering should apply to all nodes.
Code:Ext.define('Ext.data.TreeStoreOverride',{ override: 'Ext.data.TreeStore', /** * @private * @param {Object[]} filters The filters array */ applyFilters: function(filters){ var me = this, decoded = me.decodeFilters(filters), i = 0, length = decoded.length, node, visibleNodes = [], resultNodes = [], removedRecords = Ext.Array.clone(me.getRemovedRecords()), //must clone since we don't want a ref root = me.getRootNode(), flattened = me.tree.flatten(), items, item, fn; /** * @property {Ext.util.MixedCollection} snapshot * A pristine (unfiltered) collection of the records in this store. This is used to reinstate * records when a filter is removed or changed */ me.snapshot = me.snapshot || me.getRootNode().copy(null, true); for (i = 0; i < length; i++) { me.filters.replace(decoded[i]); } //collect all the nodes that match the filter items = me.filters.items; length = items.length; for (i = 0; i < length; i++){ item = items[i]; fn = item.filterFn || function(item){ return item.get(item.property) == item.value; }; visibleNodes = Ext.Array.merge(visibleNodes, Ext.Array.filter(flattened, fn)); } //collect the parents of the visible nodes so the tree has the corresponding branches length = visibleNodes.length; for (i = 0; i < length; i++){ node = visibleNodes[i]; node.bubble(function(n){ if (n.parentNode){ resultNodes.push(n.parentNode); } else { return false; } }); } visibleNodes = Ext.Array.merge(visibleNodes, resultNodes); //identify all the other nodes that should be removed (either they are not visible or are not a parent of a visible node) resultNodes = []; root.cascadeBy(function(n){ if (!Ext.Array.contains(visibleNodes,n)){ resultNodes.push(n); } }); //we can't remove them during the cascade - pulling rug out ... length = resultNodes.length; for (i = 0; i < length; i++){ resultNodes[i].remove(); } //filtering should NOT add rows to the queue of records to remove ... we reverse this from happening me.removed = removedRecords; //necessary for async-loaded trees root.getOwnerTree().getView().refresh(); //try to expand everything root.expand(true); }, //eof applyFilters //@inheritdoc filter: function(filters, value) { var nodes, nodeLength, i, filterFn; if (Ext.isString(filters)) { filters = { property: filters, value: value }; } //find branch nodes that have not been loaded yet - this approach is in contrast to expanding all nodes recursively, which is unnecessary if some nodes are already loaded. filterFn = function(item){ return !item.isLeaf() && !(item.isLoading() || item.isLoaded()); }; nodes = Ext.Array.filter(this.tree.flatten(), filterFn); nodeLength = nodes.length; if (nodeLength === 0){ this.applyFilters(filters); } else { for (i = 0; i < nodeLength; i++){ this.load({ node: nodes[i], callback: function(){ nodeLength--; if (nodeLength === 0){ //start again & re-test for newly loaded nodes in case more branches exist this.filter(filters,value); } }, scope: this }); } } }, clearFilter: function(suppressEvent) { var me = this; me.filters.clear(); if (me.isFiltered()){ me.setRootNode(me.snapshot); delete me.snapshot; } }, isFiltered: function() { var snapshot = this.snapshot; return !! snapshot && snapshot !== this.getRootNode(); } });
Example pseudo-usage:
var store = Ext.ComponentQuery.query('treepanel')[0].getStore(); var regex = new RegExp(Ext.String.escapeRegex("some search term"),'i'); store.clearFilter(true); //by default, filters will be appended to any existing so we clear them first store.filter(new Ext.util.Filter({ filterFn: function(item){ return regex.test(item.get('text')); } }));
Last edited by zombeerose; 8 Aug 2013 at 10:47 AM. Reason: Fix issue with filtered records being removed
Thanks a lot zombeerose, it works and has the advantage to extends the treestore, not the treepanel or the treeview.
But be careful I had to change
byCode:override: 'Ext.data.TreeStore',And I have a problem : the records ids are changed after filtering so getNodeById doesn't work after filtering...Code:extend: 'Ext.data.TreeStore',
FYI I have a small shortcut function:
Code:filterBy: function(funct) { this.filter( new Ext.util.Filter( { filterFn: funct }) ); },
Can you explain why you "had to change" it to an extend vs override? Both options should work ... override affects everything while extends applies to a custom class used explicitly. Thx
Well I have a strange error "object is not a function" from nowhere It's maybe because I have a big application with several custom components.
By the way, I have an other problem : the records ids are changed after filtering so getNodeById doesn't work.
Hi zomberose
I originally implemented my filters on the store as you have done (in fact it's almost identical). The reason I moved away from doing it this way was because it turned out to be very slow on large datasets. The root.copy function is very time consuming and must be done each time the filtering changes.
I switched to filtering the View because it is an order of magnitude faster for me.
In any case, if you wish to discuss your extension and provide support I ask that you please create your own forum post for it rather than mucking up this one.
Thank you!


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I have been trying to learn about the ruler Han Aidi, I havn't been able to learn too much yet. Other then he was a gay emperor that didn't have an heir. He lover was Dong Xian. He had to have his cousin take over when he died, and eventually Wang Mang took over the Dynasty with this. I found out he was big on Matarital Arts. I was hoping you could give me some more information on him, or some reading soucres that I could look into.
Does anyone have some handy English info on Han Aidi? Thanks in advance.


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The morning of 8th October, 2005 was a drastic morning for the people of a small state of Damascu. It was eight in the morning and every thing seemed to be going on well to the village of Marka. Some people had gone out of their homes for work. They went to the market for buying some things and selling some things. Some went to the fields to plough the land and graze their cattle. The children with their shining morning faces had reached their schools. The bell for the start of the classes had rung. The boys and girls had seated on their benches in threes. There were three to five rows in every room. Each row having nearly thirty students. The teachers with their usual grim faces were just seated on the stages. They were planning in their minds where from to start the lesson. Should they first check the students of the previous day' lesson or start the new lesson. Some of the students were terrified because they had not done their homework. Some of them were happy that they were fully prepared to answer the teacher's questions. The same was the case with the girl students and the lady teachers because the students of Marka as of other schools were of the similar nature. Neither was there any difference between the male teachers and the female teachers except one. This difference was visible because every female teacher had brought some homework with her. Most of them were preparing for the coming winter. The climate was already giving the message that winter and cold were at hand. So most of the gentle ladies had brought their knitting work with them. It was usual with them to ask the monitors of the class to check the home work of the students and teach them the next lesson. The lady teacher had only to sit like an observer in a big international political gathering.
The housewives, having cooked their breakfast, and sending their husbands to work and their children to schools were feeling relaxed. They were just thinking of sweeping and cleaning work of the houses.
Suddenly a loud roaring sound was heard. Every body was horrified of that strange sound. They had not yet reached any conclusion that they began to feel jerks, sever jerks. They did not immediately realize what it was. It were first the teachers in the class who voiced that it was an earthquake. Hearing these words the students rose up from their seats and wanted to run outside immediately. The teacher feared that they would be stampeded. He ordered the doors to be locked.
Gamoo and others farmers had started ploughing their fields. They were losing their balance because of the severe jerks. The condition of the cattle was not different. The farmers came to know what it was. They left their cattle at the place where they were and began to run to one another. They had gathered in groups. The housewives also became aware what it was. They could not do anything except to cry with fear. They speedily began to remember God. The earthquake became stronger and stronger. This was the condition of the whole state of Damascu. The radio and television stations had stopped working. If there were some working they were only reciting the name of Allah and saying 'Allah-o-Akber', Allah is the Greatest. The whole world became alert. Nobody knew the details.
The next day, the radio stations and T.V. Stations of the world were giving the news that a severe earthquake had hit the state of Damascu and many villages had been totally buried in the ground. The big cities had also suffered a heavy loss of building, property and human life. All the communication and telecommunication system of the state had been destroyed and the assistance was badly needed from within the state and from the outer world.
The village of Marka was also buried in the ground except one double storey building. It was a miracle. Some people said that the owner of the house, Saifu, imagined to be an old man was very pious and God fearing person. He might have been doing many good actions for his fellow beings. He might be worshipping God all the time, that was the reason, that nothing had happened to him, to his wife and his seven young sons. The news of his safety, with good words was broad cast on the state radio, which had been half put to working condition.
A week passed in alarm and work for the help of the victims continued. The neighbouring state and its inhabitant made every sacrifice in cash and kind. Foreign help also began to reach. Trucks in large numbers with usable and eatable things were travelling towards Damascu.
Mr. Rehman, the correspondent of a well-established daily news paper was sent to visit the afflicted areas and report back of the miserable condition of the population. He boarded a truck that was going to Damascu and passing by the village, of Marka. The truck was fully packed and there was no room to sit in or on the body. The driver of the truck was a very kind man. He seated Rehman beside his own seat in the front portion of the truck. They reached the village of Marka after a tedious journey of two hours. A few persons were standing on the stop. The truck driver was advised to deliver the goods on all stops. Fortunately the stop of Marka came first of all. The driver asked the persons standing there to unload the things they wanted. Hearing this a wave of a new spirit ran into them. Their faces seemed to glow with happiness. They thanked God that He had helped them in time of dire need. Rehman said good bye to the truck driver and began to ascend the hilly place where a two-storey building was standing. When he reached the building, he found it locked. However, he read the name of Saifuddin (Saifu) on the nameplate and he knew that it was baba Saifoo's house. He stood there waiting and thinking where baba Saifu and his fmily had gone. Perhaps they would have gone to help the survivors come out of the debris. There was much cold on this hilly area and Rehman wanted to tremble but he was shy of it that some person would see him trembling like a child and he would be put to shame. He was busy in his thoughts and trying imaginatively to shake off the stingy cold wind when he saw six or seven persons ascending and coming towards him. They were bearing the heavy bundles on their heads. Rahman thought they would be some persons hit by the earthquake coming for shelter to baba Saifu. In the mean time the party with the heavy loadas on their heads reached there and they unloaded their bundles with great difficulty. One of them who was leading them, was an old man but in very good health. He had a red stubby beard, one was a woman not very old and with a healthy body. Seven were the young men, very sturdy and strong. When they had unloaded the heavy bundles off their heads, and came nearer to Rehman, he saw that they were perspiring and the drops of perspiration were flowing down their faces as if they had been travelling through rain. Their clothes were also drenched. The old man came to Rehman. They glanced each other for a moment. Rehman was very much impressed by the personality of the seemingly old man, with big black eyes and eagle nose and an over all dignity. After a moment, Rehman asked him if he could tell where Saifu baba would be available. ( He had a quite different picture of baba Saifu in his mind). "Yes, I am Saifuddin. People call me Saifu" Rehman was stunned for a while. He could hardly control himself. He told him that he was a correspondent of a daily newspaper and had come to take his interview. "Let us go in and then you can start your work." Saifu Bab began to unlock the door, and Rehman looked to the woman and the seven young men and the luggage outside the door. It looked like a small hill reaching the roof of the first storey. Saifu baba opened the door with great difficulty because it was hindered by the luggage inside. They entered the building. There were seven rooms of the first floor, perhaps the same number of the rooms on the second floor. One room was in the front and three to each side. Saifu baba was moving on, perhaps to find some place to sit but of no avail. The luggage was touching the ceiling and occupying the whole floor. There was no space at all to sit.
They looked to each other's faces for a while and Rehman eased the situation by asking the condition of the village. He wanted to hear it from Saifu. "Oh" Saifu baba heaved a sigh. "The whole village had been buried under the debris. You will have seen in the far end of the village to the back side of this building, some army men and volunteers working with machines. They were making hectic efforts to bring out the dead and the survivors, if any. I had offered them that I could help them, with my seven sons, to dig out the debris beside my house and take out the corpses and …….and the survivors, but they did not allow me. All the school children, girls, boysand teachers had been buried under the debris of the school buildings. Those people who had gone out, the farmers and the other persons, had not come back. God know what happened to them" He paused and then changing the subject said "I am sorry, I could not offer you a cup of tea. There is no space here, even to sit. Moreover, we have to go to the standing truck, for another round to bring some things to pull on!" Rehman understood what Saifu meant and asked his permission to leave. He was very much fatigued and disgusted. He took a returning truck and straight away went to his news paper's office and wrote the following report. "I visited the village of Marka. The whole village had been ruined. No building and nobody had survived except one double storey building of an old God fearing and Pious man Saifu, his wife and his seven young sons."
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Albert Einstein, (attributed)
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
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Deciding on a set of KPIs is one of the most important things we normally do when starting to work to build the business with a founding team.
What to measure? how frequently? what to publish? and to whom? are all good questions to be thought about.
Key Performance Indicators are a fundamental tool, the dashboard by which the company is monitored, guided, controlled and managed. It is surprising how frequently this really simple device is not properly used.
In many traditional businesses, the monthly management accounts serve as the barometer of corporate health and comparisons to budget help to drive actions by the philosophy of 'management by exception'. This approach is completely out-dated and inadequate for fast moving web businesses capable of generating vast amounts of meaningful data in real time.
Distilling all this data down to the key numbers and tracking them against expectations is where the effort needs to go in setting up the set of KPIs that are going to drive the business.
No board should burden the management team with data requirements beyond those which are needed to run and plan the business, so an agreement as to the KPI set - should be sought as soon as possible.
Make sure that everyone in the senior team 'owns' one of the KPIs. The big goals of the business which are agreed by the board should be represented at the targets against which the KPIs are measured.
I like to get an email containing KPIs at least once a week (preferably auto generated, untouched by human hand) and in some cases every day! I find this no burden at all - its easy enough to glance at the headline (in the subject line) and delete.
Some teams prefer to give non-execs access to the analytics or admin dashboards inviting them to look up the numbers when it suits.
For me this misses a very important point. That of being 'top of mind' for your board. Most NEDs sit on multiple boards and if you want them to think about your business and provide meaningful, helpful advice, contacts etc then its best that you keep reminding them of your existence.
You'd be amazed at how efficient your board meetings can become when everyone is up to date with the performance, has lived through the month's ups and downs through the KPIs and has a good idea of where the issues lie.
You will spend less time reviewing the month past and more time discussing the issues and planning the future.


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Cooper Union Ranked in Top Ten "Best Value" Private Colleges by The Princeton Review
POSTED ON: January 28, 2014
The Cooper Union has been ranked as one of the top ten "Best Value" private colleges in the United States by The Princeton Review, which released its annual list today. Sharing company with Harvard College, Princeton University and Swarthmore College, The Cooper Union has been ranked 6th, ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Amherst College. The Cooper Union became eligible for the list for the first time because it will receive revenue from tuition in the 2014-15 academic year. It will offer all enrolled students a half-tuition scholarship along with additional need-based aid to help cover the total cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, all living expenses, and supplies.
"The Cooper Union always has offered exceptionally good value to students because our financial resources are concentrated on providing intensive instruction in a conservatory-style setting in art, architecture, engineering and the humanities," said Jamshed Bharucha, president of The Cooper Union. "We are committed to sustaining a half-tuition scholarship for all students and to providing need-based aid to help cover the full cost of attendance in order to ensure that students from all economic backgrounds receive the highest quality, most cost-effective learning experience."
The Cooper Union was mentioned specifically when the Today Show featured the rankings.
The 2014 list identifies 150 colleges (75 public and 75 private) that The Princeton Review designates as, "truly the most exceptional in the nation at delivering great academics combined with affordable cost." The methodology used examines more than 30 data points covering academics, cost, and financial aid. The company chose the 150 schools from 650 colleges and universities at which it conducted institutional and student surveys from the fall of 2012 to the fall of 2013.
"We strongly recommend and salute the colleges we present here for all that they do to help their students with need afford to attend them while delivering an amazing college experience that's worth every penny," writes The Princeton Review.


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by LEN LEAR
The words Anne Coll and "great chef" are bound together tighter than a spool of yarn. If Coll, currently the executive chef at Meritage Restaurant & Wine Bar, 500 S. 20th St. (at Lombard, southwest corner), does not become a celebrity chef someday with her own restaurant, cookbook, TV show, etc., then I'm selling my crystal ball on eBay.
I can't exactly say I discovered Anne Coll. Although she is not yet a household name, her Asian Fusion creations attracted a following when she was executive chef at Susanna Foo and, prior to that, Le Bec Fin and Savona. No fast food restaurants in this resume.
Meritage has been owned since 2006 by life and business partners Irene Landy and Michele DiPietro, whose restaurant ("Meritage" refers to American blends of wine) had a reputation for being somewhat stuffy and overpriced until Anne Coll came on board in the summer of 2009. Coll's menu produces one bolt of lightning after another. An appetizer of feather-light chicken and shitake dumplings (three) in a wild mushroom broth with enoki mushrooms ($10) was just heaven. Butternut squash soup ($8) was the most glorious version we have ever had.
Soft, malleable papardelle pasta was pasta-rific with a mound of muscular, perfectly braised short ribs that were long on flavor ($16). And a roasted wild striped bass was suffused with freshness and accompanied by a wide variety of wonderful textures and flavors — sautéed spinach, leek confit, wild mushroom flan and lemon brown butter, very reasonably priced at $22.
A dessert of exquisite chocolate-covered peanut brittle bombé ($9) reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw recently: "Save the earth; it's the only planet with chocolate." And a pristine apple turnover with salted caramel and rum raisin ice cream was accompanied by the most amazing, irresistable warm apple cider we've ever tasted ($10).
Food-wise, the only joker in the deck was a dish of fried green tomatoes, which were heavy on the "fried' and light on the tomato taste. The miniscule rolls, one to a customer, could stand to put on some weight. During our visit last Wednesday night, every table in the dining room was occupied by about 8:30 p.m., which was impressive, and the bar was doing a brisk business as well.
There was one table of four right next to ours who were louder than people who have just been told they won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. But what can you do about supersonic customers who make more noise than unruly two-year-olds? I'd spike their wine with Valium but only if I had a really good lawyer.
Speaking of wine, there is a pretty impressive wine list at Meritage, but I would not order any wine by the glass, only by the bottle. I started out with a glass of Douglas Hall Chardonnay ($9), but there was so little wine in it — only at the very bottom of the glass — that I thought some of it might have spilled out on the way to the dining room. Twice as much would have constituted a decent glass of wine.
In addition to the a la carte menu, Meritage is now offering a nightly four-course prix fixe menu for $39 per person and is prepared for the entire table. It currently includes an amuse bouche of butternut squash soup; seared diver scallop with black bean sauce, potato dumpling and steamed mussels; grilled quail with sweet and sour red cabbage, apple chutney and apple cider gastrique; braised beef short rib with butternut squash spaetzle, sautéed Swiss chard and caramelized Japanese turnips; and a dessert of flourless chocolate banana torte, salted caramel and Swiss marshmallow.
Chef Coll is also offering a four-course vegan tasting menu for $35 per person, but it is available on Tuesday nights only. The menu includes an amuse bouche of butternut squash soup, a fall vegetable salad, wild mushroom soup with cellophane noodles, chickpea and rice cake with sweet and sour eggplant chutney as a main course and coconut tapioca for dessert.
Meritage has recessed lighting, butcher block tables and hardwood floors and some great vintage photos on the walls. Unpretentious and serviceable. My advice: check out Anne Coll's cooking before she gets to do it only for a TV audience. It's the yeast you can do.
Discounted parking for Meritage is available at the 5 Star Lot on Lombard between 20th and 21st Streets. We were not able to find out exactly what the discount is. We are fortunate to have a "parking fairy" who found us a spot on 19th Street near Spruce that cost us nothing. Amazing! It's all whom you know. For more information, call 215-985-1922 or visit www.meritagephiladelphia.com.


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Blog Archives
The Rangers (And Especially Their Fans) Will Miss Mike Napoli
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Brooke Robinson (Guest Baseball Writer and Rangers Correspondent):
In the early months of 2011 when Mike Napoli was traded to Texas, most fans welcomed him with open arms (especially the women). After all, Napoli had given the fans in Arlington headaches when playing against him so the Rangers did exactly what they did with Vladimir Guerrero– added him to their own roster. His defense was incredible, and he opened up a side of his offense that Anaheim never got to enjoy as a full-time player . He hit .320, with 30 homers in his first season with Texas, but his most incredible performance was during October of 2011. His Game 5 two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to deliver the win and the World Series lead to 3-2 was honored by Ranger fans and ultimately put him on a fan pedestal. Read the rest of this entry


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The Non Seam Form 1.0-Body as Joint-Clothing by Yitzhak Abecassis
Yitzhak Abecassis Illustrates The The Non Seam Form 1.0-Body as Joint Clothing
Yitzhak Abecassis, the maker of the award winning design The non seam form 1.0 - body as joint by Yitzhak Abecassis illustrates, The human body as joint. The human form as an object that gives shape to matter. The will to transform a deeper experience than the conventional visual of clothing used as an aesthetic and functional to cover the human body. The way to connect the different part of clothes (stitches, buttons, zippers etc) was an easy and efficient technological solution since the 18th century till this day. Tools and technology are constantly renewing. Technique: processing in solidworks, laser cutting. Material: neoprene 2mm black grey.
The Non Seam Form 1.0-Body as Joint-Clothing by Yitzhak Abecassis Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design Peek homepage.


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I'm always pleased to hear that my blog has reached people. Especially those on their own versions of this journey.
Today, I heard from Alex in London, England. She asked if I had any advice for post-treatment life. I thought I'd share my response here…
Hi Alex,
Congratulations on completion of your treatment and thanks for your very kind message.
Hmmm. Advice for life after treatment? I guess my advice would be: lower your standards, enjoy each day, face your fears, exude gratitude and try not to stress about prevention.
It seems easy to find tonnes of advice on how to try to prevent recurrence and I made a tonne of lifestyle, food, habit changes during my treatment. But the best advice I have for myself (or you) is probably to be good to myself: and that can mean to remember to be moderate about the anti-cancer stuff. Not to beat myself up because I go weeks or months without eating brazil nuts or almonds or ginger or green tea or flax meal. To accept that I drink coffee and red wine etc. That I have the occasional run of late nights.
Oh, and unsubscribe from all cancer blogs! (I do check in on my cancer-friends from time to time, and catch up on their stories, but getting a steady stream of daily cancer-news was not having healthy results for the post-treatment me)
And here's a great bunch of advice.
Wishing you many years of great health and happiness.


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|Date published
|Evaluating Asian Swap Arrangements
|July 2011
|Joshua Aizenman, Yothin Jinjarak, Donghyun Park
|The Great Liquidity Freeze: What Does It Mean for International Banking?
|June 2011
|Dietrich Domanski, Philip Turner
|The Global Financial Crisis: Decoupling of East Asia—Myth or Reality?
|June 2011
|Yung Chul Park
|The Global Financial Crisis: Countercyclical Fiscal Policy Issues and Challenges in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore
|June 2011
|Anita Doraisami
|Reevaluating the Roles of Large Public Surpluses and Sovereign Wealth Funds in Asia
|June 2011
|Bernard Lee, Hefei Wang
|Macroprudential Approach to Regulation—Scope and Issues
|June 2011
|Shyamala Gopinath
|Towards an Expanded Role for Asian Currencies: Issues and Prospects
|May 2011
|Hwee Kwan Chow
|The Role of Macroprudential Policy for Financial Stability in East Asia's Emerging Economies
|May 2011
|Yung Chul Park
|Causes of and Remedies for the People's Republic of China's External Imbalances: The Role of Factor Market Distortion
|April 2011
|Yiping Huang, Kunyu Tao
|Exchange Rates and Global Rebalancing
|April 2011
|Barry Eichengreen, Gisela Rua
|Financial Development in Emerging Markets: The Indian Experience
|April 2011
|K. P. Krishnan
|Asian Monetary Unit and Monetary Cooperation in Asia
|April 2011
|Eiji Ogawa, Junko Shimizu
|Trans-Pacific Rebalancing: Thailand Case Study
|March 2011
|Chalongphob Sussangkarn, Deunden Nikomborirak
|Crisis, Imbalances, and India
|March 2011
|Rajiv Kumar, Pankaj Vashisht
|Emerging Contours of Financial Regulation: Challenges and Dynamics
|March 2011
|Rakesh Mohan
|Processing Trade, Exchange Rates, and the People's Republic of China's Bilateral Trade Balances
|March 2011
|Yuqing Xing
|Financial Regulatory Harmonization in East Asia: Balancing Domestic and International Pressures for Corporate Governance Reforms
|March 2011
|Richard W. Carney
|What Regulatory Policies Work for Emerging Markets?
|February 2011
|Luo Ping
|Market Failures and Regulatory Failures: Lessons from Past and Present Financial Crises
|February 2011
|Viral V. Acharya, Thomas Cooley, Matthew Richardson, Ingo Walter
|The Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Trade in East Asia
|January 2011
|Willem Thorbecke


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My grandparents Dirk Smit (1895-1985) and Hendrika Louisa Schipper (1894-1981), otherwise known, at least to me, as Opa and Oma, were married in Amsterdam in December 1920. She is standing at the right, facing the driver, while he is sitting in the front seat, next to her, wearing a flat cap and with his face partly obscured by the steering wheel and horn. I assume that this photograph was taken some time between then and the birth of their first child in March 1926.
I have no idea what kind of group this was, but presumably they are on an outing somewhere. Charabanc outings were particularly popular in the period between the wars. As the vehicle appears to have solid rubber tyres, I can't believe that the ride would have been particularly comfortable, even on the smoothest of roads.
The Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society web site shows similar vehicles from the post-Great War period, and there are many images of similar charabancs on the net but I have found none that appears identical to this one. Bozi Mohacek, webmaster and vehicle registrar for the SVVS, very promptly responded to my enquiry with an informative analysis of the photo:
We note your comments about Holland but our experts in Holland tell us that the registration could not be Dutch because they only used one letter during this period. Suggestions on the plate included Denmark but they did not start registration until 1924; but even then the registration plate was not of the pattern shown. We can therefore relatively safely assume the registration is British. The registration refers to the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately the year records for the DL plate seem to no longer be available. Details are only available after 1929 by which time DL 6039 had been reached. On the assumption of even distribution of numbers over this period (very unlikely), DL 2362 would have been reached by about 1914/15. The vehicle shown is a Daimler Charabanc and is very much of the WW1 period with solid tyres. Getting the model number may be a little more difficult. Dating the vehicle does not of course help in dating the photo. Vehicles made in 1914/15 would have been put away or lightly used during WW1 and would still be 'as new' and fully usable in the 20s. An item concerning your enquiry will shortly be put up on our website on the Help Page. Hope this proves of interest.Dik T. Winter's web page describes the system used for number plates in the Netherlands at this time:
In 1905 a new system was introduced. The new registrations consisted of a single letter followed by up to five digits. The letter indicated the province of issue. When this got exhausted a second letter was added, first Z and X next, still with up to five digits. These additional letters were only needed in the provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland and in Noord-Holland only very few GX registrations have been issued (the highest GX I know is 140, but there must have been more).This appears to agree with the SVVS sources that the vehicle could not have been registered in the Netherlands. My own research on the net discovered that the format is very similar to that used in Great Britain at the time. The plates had silver letters on black until the 1960s, when black leters on yellow (rear) and white (front) became optional, and later compulsory. They had two letters followed by three, and later four, numbers. The two letters signify the issuing office, and DL would have been from Portsmouth or the Isle of Wight (Source: UK Registration Letters).
The charabanc in this image, from the Wickham Parish Council's web site is not the same make or model (actually, it's a little bigger, six doors down each side, instead of five) but it has very similar styling, and the number plate HO 2880 indicates that it was registered in Hampshire, possibly only a short ferry ride away from the Isle of Wight. The Francis Frith collection of old photos includes at least one of a charabanc outing dated 1918 in Seaview on the Isle of Wight.
This postcard image shows another charabanc outing, dated 1930, by an Isle of Wight photographer ...
... while this multi-view postcard illustrates that it was a popular way to visit the island's tourist attractions.
If the identification of the location is correct, then it is likely that my grandparents would have taken a train from Amsterdam to the Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland), where they would have caught a ferry to Harwich on the English coast, then a train to London, and another to Portsmouth ... not a brief excursion! Presumably their luggage was back at the hotel. I knew that my maternal grandparents were adventurous; I have seen photographs that they took all over Holland, and in Belgium, France, Andorra and Norway, but wasn't aware that they had visited England prior to a trip made in July 1962 to stay with their daughter's parents-in-law, i.e. my paternal grandparents, in Chellaston, Derbyshire.
That later trip is documented by at least two snapshots, the first of which is in my mother's collection, and shows Oma Smit with Grandma and Grandpa Payne in a churchyard, presumably somewhere in Derbyshire. I have a feeling that it was at Bakewell, but don't know where I got that idea from.
The second was scanned from my paternal aunt Bunnie's photographic collection last year. The inscription on the reverse reads, "July 1962" in my grandmother's handwriting, and then in my aunt's writing below that, "Mum & Dad with Mr. & Mrs. Smit on a Trent Bus outing to Scotland. Mum wearing hat. Mrs. Smit to her left. Dad top left in front of tree. Mr. Smit - taking photo?
The charabancs, and presumably much else, had changed considerably since their previous visit to England some four decades earlier!
Many thanks to Nigel for his input on this one.


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Power of the People Protest Postcard (Pack of 6)
Regular price $6.00
• six 4" x 6" postcard
• postcard reads "The Power of the People is Greater Than the People in Power"
• professionally printed in New York on 110lb cardstock with the front side full color and glossy with UV Varnish. The other side is uncoated so it's nice & easy to write your message
• sealed in a cellophane sleeve to ensure it arrives clean
• created and assembled in Brooklyn, New York
• original artwork by Lisa Mohar
This protest postcard benefits the ACLU. . For almost 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
Visit http://aclu.org to learn more, donate, and find out how you can help their cause.


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Titanic struggle, but ARL Commission won't walk from club's off-field woes
The NRL's Gold Coast Titans are believed to be suffering from severe financial difficulties. The Titans franchise is the fourth incantation of a rugby league franchise hosted by the famous holiday strip that began with the inaugural Giants, then the Seagulls, followed by the Chargers. The Gold Coast is also home to the A-League's Gold Coast United, which has recently had its licence revoked by the FFA. It is also home to one of the newest AFL franchises, the Suns. It is considered a strategically important area by many major sports in Australia, and the AFL are believed to be supporting the Suns franchise to the tune of A$20m annually to help them compete not only within the AFL but also against rival codes in the area.
The Titans are in debt primarily because of massive investment in their Centre of Excellence, a state of the art training facility, gymnasium and conference facility. It was recently trumpeted as one of the major attractions for NSW and Australian centre Jamal Idris signing a lucrative deal with the club. Now they want to offload the facility to pay down debt. Meanwhile they have signed Queensland forward David Taylor to a sizeable deal and are believed to be targeting boom Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk in a three year deal rumoured to be in the vicinity of A$800,000 a season. They are going cap in hand to the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission pleading for help while they turn things around.
Sound familiar? Well, while the Gold Coast and Otago rugby stories are different given their contexts, they also show a remarkable similarity in the continued belief that teams in severe financial trouble will somehow trade their way out of debt, but only with handouts from the games governing body and hopefully the local council. I struggle to understand why this can continue to happen. To me, if you can't make it work, then it needs a major overhaul, and maybe even considering closing up shop. The problem lies with the involvement of local government in stadium investments. Once the government is involved in a facility project, it is not in their best interests to have a major tenant of the facility is about to go under. The Otago rugby debacle showed this all too vividly with the Dunedin City Council admitting that they would be worse off without a rugby team than with a heavily indebted one. I'm not too sure of the ins and outs of the Skilled Stadium on the Gold Coast, but I suspect the strategic importance of the Gold Coast to the NRL will see them take a supportive stance.
Lets not forget also the reaction from rival clubs too - and the precedent that is now being set. Getting into financial trouble? No worries! The NRL will help! The CEO of the NRL was on record this week as saying that he believed saturation of teams within Sydney was important to the League's long term viability. What message does that, combined with the Gold Coast situation, send to Sydney clubs? Will we see more clubs facing financial pressure in future? There have always been clubs in financial trouble, as it is notoriously difficult to make ends meet with sports teams. The present incentives, though, don't help the situation. It would seem that a financially responsible sports league is fast becoming a contradiction in terms.


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I'm as terrified as you to learn that I apparently agree with Sarah Palin
September 10, 2011 1 Comment
by lestro
So let's just get this out of the way: Sarah Palin is not only one of the Dumb, but Dumb Royalty. She's a Queen of Dumb, with her folksy aw shucks-isms and half-misremembered facts and pure unadulterated bullshit, all in front of reality tv cameras that few seem capable of turning away from.
I mean, I really don't see her appeal. And I'm from "Real America," straight down to the three dairy farms on the road where I grew up.
Because she is Dumb. Not just willfully, but straight-up Dumb. (As opposed to Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry, who appear to be more willfully Dumb than actually Dumb.)
So imagine my surprise to find out that when you set your decoder ring on 'guano,' Sarah Palin is actually saying some of the same things I have been saying about politics.
She made three interlocking points. First, that the United States is now governed by a "permanent political class," drawn from both parties, that is increasingly cut off from the concerns of regular people. Second, that these Republicans and Democrats have allied with big business to mutual advantage to create what she called "corporate crony capitalism." Third, that the real political divide in the United States may no longer be between friends and foes of Big Government, but between friends and foes of vast, remote, unaccountable institutions (both public and private).
That's, um, difficult for a progressive punk rocker to disagree with.
"Do you want to know why nothing ever really gets done?" she said, referring to politicians. "It's because there's nothing in it for them. They've got a lot of mouths to feed — a lot of corporate lobbyists and a lot of special interests that are counting on them to keep the good times and the money rolling along."
I mean, fuck; she's not wrong. That is EXACTLY why nothing gets done.
I mean:
"This is not the capitalism of free men and free markets, of innovation and hard work and ethics, of sacrifice and of risk," she said of the crony variety. She added: "It's the collusion of big government and big business and big finance to the detriment of all the rest — to the little guys. It's a slap in the face to our small business owners — the true entrepreneurs, the job creators accounting for 70 percent of the jobs in America."
Don't get me wrong, it's difficult to not read those quotes in her overwrought squeak-accented cheerleader cadence and then simply dismiss it as sarcastic pandering to the downtrodden, but somehow reading it on the page… I mean, if I didn't tell you it was Sarah Palin, you'd have never guessed. Never.
You'd have probably guessed I was throwing a curveball and trying to trip President Obama up with something Candidate Obama said.
But it's Sarah Palin. The candidate who invented "death panels," is qualified to be president because Russia is right over the border and can't name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade with which she disagrees.
Go ahead, go back and re-read those quotes in your best Zach de la Rocha voice instead of Tina Fey's, and they sound, you know… like the change we kind of hoped for.
Now, obviously I disagree greatly with Sarah Palin on the solutions to these issues and can never, ever support her to be anything more than a guest at the White House, but the idea that she could consider this whole anti-corporate thing an issue worth talking about puts her ahead of most of the candidates on either side.
So something tells me there is a wire crossed here, a context or something that is missing. I mean, there's no way Sarah Palin is out there waving one of those Adbusters corporate america flags, especially given the policies she has supported – a much more realistic indicator of the type of Dumb she would unleash across this great nation.
But maybe that's a language difference and there is common ground that can be found.
Then again, maybe the reporter is simply over-thinking Palin, with the hope of finding something more than the empty-headed celebutard she appears to be, and thus justifying all the attention we pay her.
Personally, I think this only further proves the theory that "Sarah Palin" is a performance artist a la Andy Kaufman or Borat, just fucking with us to see how far she can push it before we call her on it.
Now more than ever, it's the only logical explanation.


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Whatcom Community CollegeHome Whatcom Community College. Core themes: Achieving Success. Building Community. Advancing Equity. Enhancing Effectiveness.Home Menu
Faculty & Staff Directory
Main phone 360.383.3000 | Fax 360.383.4000 | Video phone 360.255.7182 | Email email@example.com
For additional staff information, including office location, click on a name below.
Klaffke, David
- Departments:Financial Aid
- Divisions:Laidlaw Center (LDC)
- Title:Financial Aid Director
- Phone:360.383.3016
- Email:firstname.lastname@example.com
- Office LocationLDC 135C


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n.— «Outside the wire surrounding their bases, soldiers jokingly trade names for their temporary home: Trashcanistan, Asscrackistan.» —"Letter from Afghanistan" by Scott Baldauf The Nation (New York City) Apr. 28, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
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Green Industrial Policy: Taxes, Subsidies, and Privilege
After lengthy investigations by multiple federal agencies, the United States is going to impose a tax ranging from 45 percent to 70 percent on all imported wind towers from China and Vietnam. Manufacturers in those countries are doing too good a job and it's harming the U.S. wind tower industry.
These duties come on the heels of similar levies (18–250 percent) imposed on Chinese solar panels.
For anyone who wants to see more "green" energy production, these duties are a direct step backwards. Both the wind and solar industries are heavily subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. If the goal of subsidizing green energy is to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, then taxing green energy would necessarily serve the opposite goal.
Aside from the general follies of protectionism, this contradiction also exposes the problems inherent in pursuing a policy to promote "green jobs" as a corollary of a broader environmental policy.
Green jobs policy is formed as follows. First you use subsidies to distort incentives and increase investment in wind and solar power. This creates green jobs that the market can't support without those subsidies. Other countries then do the same, but their manufacturers are better than yours. So to protect the new green jobs you created, you impose tariffs to prevent green competition from harming the green investments you artificially incentivized.
The result is domestic industries ultimately dependent on government intervention rather than consumer choice. It's not a good way to promote jobs or green energy, but it does benefit the specific firms who now get unearned money both from taxpayers through the subsidies and from consumers through higher prices.
A troubling consequence of this paradigm is that the targeted industries develop a culture of rent‐seeking. Matthew Mitchell of the Mercatus Center aptly describes this phenomenon in his paper, "The Pathology of Privilege: The Economic Consequences of Government Favoritism." Firms respond to the availability of government favors by devoting time, money, and effort to acquire privilege. The more they do it, the better they get at it.
Success in the wind and solar industries doesn't depend on a company's ability to deliver high‐quality products at a competitive price; it depends on the quality of the company's lawyers and lobbyists. In this way, government intervention has done far more to harm the development and success of domestically produced green energy than has transient Chinese competition.


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Corporate News
Munich, 06 May 2013 – The Linde Group has decided to call and redeem the EUR 400 m Undated Subordinated Bond issued by Linde Finance B.V. in 2003 and guaranteed by Linde AG at its nominal amount. Call and Redemption of the bond shall be made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Bond on July 3, 2013.
"Our solid financial position and strong equity base allow us to redeem the subordinated bond on its first call date," said Georg Denoke, member of the Executive Board and CFO of Linde AG. "This decision marks no change in our conservative financing strategy of long-term orientation and safeguarding liquidity. Any future plans for our other outstanding subordinated instruments' call options will be done on a case-by-case basis."
About The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2012 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 15.280 bn. The strategy of the Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com
Further information:
Media Relations
Stefan Hess
Investor Relations
Lisa Tilmann


text:
Part 1 of 2
New York, 1923
I looked across the back seat of the Lincoln at Siegel, and he flashed me one of his movie-star smiles. He was smiling because there was a chance that he'd shoot me before the night was out. Not that he had anything against me personally, but Siegel liked killing people.
His name was Benjamin. To his face, people called him Ben, and when he wasn't around, people called him Bugsy, because he was a mean crazy. My name was Beinish, and people called me Benny when they wanted to be polite. When they didn't, I was "that nut Newman," because I thought that I could do magic. That, they'd call me to my face, to my elbow, and to any other body part they wanted.
Bugsy wasn't going to kill me that night, because while they thought I was crazy for thinking I could do magic, sometimes people needed me to do magic for them. Siegel had told the driver to take us up to Lindy's at Time Square, so I had a pretty good idea of who wanted to see me.
I wasn't wrong. He was sitting in his usual booth. Tall, thin-lipped, with a big smile and anxious eyes. The Man Uptown, Mister Arnold Rothstein. "Hey, Benny," he said. "Step up, have a seat."
I stepped up, and I sat down. There was the usual crowd at the table; mostly Jews, but also Irish and Italians, even a colored fellow. Rothstein wasn't picky about his company, not that way, and he needed to have people around him wherever he was. Me, I'd have rather not have been there, but not because I hate Micks or Dagos.
See, it was a Friday afternoon, and since it was winter, sunset was coming on. Which was a problem, because I had agreed to go to a Sabbath dinner at my parents'. I didn't mention this, because I had a feeling that Rothstein wouldn't care about sunset, the Sabbath, or the sort of headache I got after a fight with my old man. A waiter brought over a steak for me, and told Rothstein he had a call; The Man Uptown went off to talk business, and I chowed down.
Lindy's was the furthest thing from kosher, but despite my parents' best efforts, I didn't care about that. If I had, I might have missed out on a damn fine steak.
I was halfway done when Rothstein came back to the table. "So, Benny," he said. "You want some work?"
I chewed, I swallowed. "That depends on what sort of work," I said.
"The sort of work that means you see another day," said one of Rothstein's friends, an ugly Irish guy.
"Easy, Legs," said Rothstein. "It's the sort of work that you're . . . uniquely suited to pursue. Mr. Lansky is the fellow who brought this circumstance to my attention, so, Meyer?"
Siegel was Lansky's friend; from what I heard, they had set fire to pushcarts whose owners didn't pay protection, back when they were kids on the Lower East Side. Lansky was one of the men who walked in Rothstein's shadow.
"You know Hyman Goldberg?" asked Lansky.
"The Goldbug?" I asked. "Yeah, I've seen him around. He's some sort of fence, right?"
"Some sort," said Lansky. "Buys and sells precious metal. He's selling more gold than he's buying."
"A fence," I said, "cheating people?"
"Funny," said Lansky. "The gold he sells checks out. We've had it tested."
I looked over at Rothstein, who gave a little nod of his head. If there was anyone in that crowd who could secure the honest cooperation of an analytic chemist, it was Rothstein.
"Goldbug's dad," said Lansky, "owes me money. Which is how I found this out; Julius Goldberg is making his payments, and he's not earning enough to be making them."
I knew the Goldbug because his family went to my father's synagogue. That Yidl Goldberg had borrowed money from Lansky and couldn't pay wasn't a huge surprise. There were eight kids in that family, and Yidl was a good enough salesman to support one kid. One kid who didn't eat much, and never needed new shoes.
"So," I said. "You think that Goldbug is making gold out of nothing."
"Lead," said Rothstein. "He buys a lot of lead."
I looked around the table. Most of the people there weren't paying much attention. Lansky looked a little embarrassed, and Siegel shook his head. "You want me to find out if Chaim Goldberg can turn lead into gold, or if he's running some sort of scam," I said.
"Of course he's running a scam," said Lansky. "I want to know how he's doing it."
"My friend Meyer is unfortunately narrow-minded," said Rothstein. "I am willing to entertain the possibility that he's getting his gold through means that are not generally considered possible. Which is why I have entrusted this task to your care."
"So you want me to find out where Goldbug is getting his gold from," I said. "And?"
"No and," said Rothstein. "Just that. It's a simple job, and I'll give you a thousand dollars for doing it."
"A thousand dollars is a lot of money, Benny," said Legs, putting his oar in. "Live things up a little, show your girl a good time."
To the extent I had a girl, it was Rivki Krantz, and there was a limit to how good a time I could show her, as she was in prison. Either Rothstein knew that, or he just didn't like it when Legs pushed himself in where he wasn't wanted, because the look he gave the Irishman wasn't entirely complimentary. "In any case," he said, turning back to me, "that's the proposition. Interested?"
If I wasn't interested, there'd be problems. Arnold Rothstein isn't a guy you turn down without a good reason. And, hell, a thousand dollars was a lot of money. At some point during the conversation, the waiter had replaced what was left of my steak with a slice of cheesecake, so I dug into that. "It's an interesting story," I said, when it was clear that they were waiting for a response from me. "I'm interested."
They had nothing else to say, so I finished my cheesecake, and headed for the door. Siegel was waiting outside. "Give Rothstein an answer, and quick," he said. "None of us want to waste time on this craziness."
Siegel had dropped into Yiddish to find the right word for craziness. First time any of them had said anything in Yiddish; it seemed that the whole interview had gotten under Siegel's skin.
It had gotten under my skin, too. Siegel went back inside, rather than driving me back out to Brooklyn, so I paid my nickel, and was rattled and battered as the IRT made its clattering way out to Brownsville.
When I started studying magic, it seemed like a ticket to a world that wasn't supposed to belong to people like me. Now, I was running errands for gangsters, which was exactly what was expected of people like me. It didn't put me in the Sabbath spirit.
There were a couple of cops waiting for me at the Saratoga Avenue station. They didn't help my mood either.
"Come on, Benny," said one of them. "We're taking you in."
"I didn't—" I started, and he lifted his billy-club.
I went. Four weeks, nobody comes to visit. The one day I want to go visit my folks, everyone wants to talk to Benny Newman.
They bundled me up into a car, and drove me over to the station. Which was a madhouse, it being Friday night. Hookers yelling that they hadn't been hooking, stuss dealers yelling that they hadn't been gambling, religious guys yelling that it was Friday night. Me, they didn't take to booking, so I didn't have a chance to yell about anything. Just a quiet concrete room, with a quiet man sitting behind a desk.
They sat me down, so I sat. Neither the detective nor the uniforms said anything, so I didn't say anything either. It's a game that cops like to play, to rattle people. I'd prefer cards, maybe even chess, but cops aren't good at games more complicated than "the not saying anything game."
"Benny Newman," said the detective, finally.
I was tempted to say something smart, but that would earn me a club to the back of my head, and wouldn't make the cop any smarter. "Yeah?" I said.
I got a club to the back of the head anyway. "Show some respect," said the guy who hit me.
"Yes, sir, Mister officer, sir," I said, which got me another shot, this time in the ribs. That one I had been expecting.
"Easy, boys," said the detective. "You're a con man, Benny, you're a thief, and you associate with criminals of the worst type."
That last part was true; I mean, those guys behind me had just committed assault, and the guy behind the desk was slandering me. I didn't agree, because I didn't want them to do it again. Slander hurts my feelings. "What do you want from me?" I asked, instead.
"Tell Rothstein that the kid can turn lead into gold," he replied. "He wants to believe it."
That was interesting. "Okay," I said. "Sure."
"I am sure, Benny," he said, standing up. "Do you know why I'm sure?"
Because being not sure required enough brains to think something, and also think that it might not happen. "No idea," I replied.
"It's because there is a Miss Rebecca Krantz currently enjoying the hospitality of the Women's Reformatory at Bedford Hills. Bedford Hills is a fine institution, whose staff makes every effort to reform the depraved and degraded souls given over to their care. And yet, despite those herculean efforts, accidents do occur. If you do not tell Rothstein that Hyman Goldberg can turn lead to gold, an accident will happen to Miss Rebecca Krantz."
I looked across the table at the detective. He was wearing a shoulder holster. Badge clipped to his belt, where I couldn't see the name. Brown-blond, thinning hair, bit of a gut. An American, born in America. He probably had a dog when he was a boy. He was playing with me. A man doesn't talk like that unless he's having some fun.
I thought of a few things that I could say to him, thought about them again, and said nothing. Rivki Krantz was up in Bedford Hills for three months for "lewd and obscene behavior," by which they meant, "being a hooker, even though they didn't actually catch her hooking." If I talked back to detective chamber of commerce, he'd make a phone call, and they'd beat the shit out of her. Best case, they'd beat the shit out of her.
Lansky and his crowd think that I'm a fraud. Rothstein thinks I'm an errand boy. The cops think I'm a con man and a thief. They're all right, and they're all wrong. I was holding my hands in my lap; I made a series of small, sharp motions. I took all my rage and pain, and turned it into a little ball, like the little balls of dirt you get when your hands aren't clean and you rub them together.
I didn't have any hair or skin from this guy, and I didn't have his name, but he had given me enough shit to swallow that if I loosed that spell, it would have killed him.
I didn't, for two reasons. First, if you want a guy dead, you give a guy like Siegel some money, and the guy dies. Quicker, easier, safer than doing it with magic. If I had cast the spell, the guy would have gotten cancer, or fallen down a flight of stairs, maybe next week, maybe five years later. Some guys I knew in the Bronx, for two hundred bucks they'd have his body in the East River before the Sabbath ended, guaranteed.
Second, taking all that bile and spite, and shaping it into an instrument of death . . . magic shapes its maker. I should turn myself into the sort of witch who blights crops and kills lambs in their birthing for some penis with a cheap suit and a badge?
"So, what," I said. "You want me to go back to Manhattan and tell Rothstein the kid is legit?"
The penis smiled again. "No," he said. "Not tonight. You know your business better than that. You take a few days, poke around, do your hoodoo. Then you tell Rothstein what we want him to hear."
"Sure," I said. "No problem."
Then they let me out, to finally make my way to my parents. By this point, I was late enough that I halfway wanted someone else to grab me off the street, yell at me for some reason, maybe threaten to kill me. No such luck; instead, I had to go to my parents' apartment, where the Sabbath candles were burning in the window, and my father was sitting at the table. He wasn't happy.
"Your mother," he said as I came in, "was worried sick. She went to sleep crying."
"Sorry," I said. "Things have happened."
"Things," he said. "Things that keep you out until midnight, looking like—"
"If you want me to tell you about them," I said, "I'll tell you about them."
He paused. We don't have an easy time of it, my father and me, and hearing about my work doesn't make it easier.
"It's late," he said. "Have the meal."
I didn't follow the rules, but I knew them. I said the blessing over the sacramental wine, washed my hands, said the blessing over the bread, and so on. The less said about the wine, the better, but the soup was warm and good; for the first time since Siegel had driven up to me on that street corner, I started to relax.
"So," said my father. "What things?"
He asked, I told him.
"That Krantz girl," he said, when I was done. "She's nothing but trouble. I've said that."
"If I ask you if Yidl Goldberg takes money from charity, you wouldn't say he does, because you don't say that sort of thing. The Krantzes, everybody knows they don't. They don't work, either. So Rivki does what she does."
"And work in a factory is too good for her?"
"I tell you what, Pop," I said. "You try and feed three people on what a girl can get in a factory, and you can ask that." He never liked it when I called him Pop. He also never worked with his hands for a day in his life. He was a rabbi, and while that didn't pay much, it was better than factory work.
"And you can't give her enough from your money?"
"When I have extra, I try," I said. "But she—"
"But all your money, it goes for to make magic." Unlike most people, my father believed I could do magic. He also believed that I was going to hell for doing magic, but I'll take what I can get.
"If I didn't make magic, I wouldn't have any money coming in," I said.
"And a factory is too good for you, also?"
"You know what? A factory is too good for me, also. A factory is such a good place, that I can't walk into it. That's why I do what I do."
He sighed, shook his head. "So what are you going to do?" he asked.
"Do?" I said. "I'll look around. Maybe this kid is legitimate. That'd make everybody happy."
"You don't think he is."
I shook my head. "Making gold out of lead . . . it's hard to do. An expert, maybe. But a kid who's taught himself? No. Not possible."
"And it's important for you to tell the truth to these people?"
I shrugged. "I don't like lying," I said.
"It's good you have principles," said my father. "The problem is that they're stupid principles."
I had to smile. "It's not just principle," I said. "Rothstein finds out I lied to him, one morning, I wake up with a hole in my head."
"You were a charming little boy, you know that?" said my father. "Everyone would give you things, because you were so charming. You would say your prayers every morning with such concentration. Better we should have stayed in Galicia than to see you come to this."
I was four when we left the old country. I didn't remember it very well, but I remembered it well enough to know that it wasn't pleasant. "You want I should buy you a ticket, so you can go back?"
"If I go back, do you come with me?" My expression was a sufficient answer to that one. "So, what do you want, I should go to be killed by the Polacks?"
"I don't want," I started, and then shook my head. "I don't need this on top of everything."
I headed out of the kitchen for my old room, and my father called out after me. "You think that these problems are things which happened to you, and it's not your fault," he said.
I turned and looked at him from the doorway. "I didn't invite myself in to Siegel's car," I said.
"People who lead decent lives," he said. "Do they get invited to rides like that?"
He had a point, but if I decided to walk the straight and narrow, I'd leave Mr. Rothstein feeling put out, and I hate to upset a man who employs so many violent people. So I went to sleep, instead of arguing further.
The next morning, I went to synagogue with my father. Normally, I would duck out of that, and there weren't too many objections when I did—my father wanted me to be in synagogue, but he also knew that when I showed up, it wasn't an advertisement for his skills as a spiritual leader. Maybe the people there didn't all know about the magic, or about the gutters I rolled in. But they could tell I wasn't living in full accordance with ritual law.
I wasn't there to live according to ritual law. I was there to look at the Goldberg family. The women were up in the balcony, Yidl and the boys had a row near the back.
Most of the old men at that synagogue took it seriously, swaying back and forth, eyes closed and faces creased in concentration. Some of the younger men were like that too. Not Yidl, and not Goldbug. Yidl spent the whole time talking to people near him, except when he started drifting off to sleep. Then he got annoyed at some of the kids who were talking, and shushed them loudly. Goldbug didn't talk much, but he also didn't pray much. He just sat there, folded into himself and sullen, in a shirt whose sleeves were too long, and a jacket which was two sizes too small.
By my reckoning, Goldbug was fifteen, but he looked maybe twelve. When the services were finished, there was always a bite to eat—not a lunch, but a snack, with tiny cups of sacramental wine. Rather than jostle in, I watched the Goldbergs. Goldbug pushed in, and stuffed a whole handful of crackers into his mouth before my father finished the blessing on the wine, and while his father was less obvious about it, he didn't eat any less. If Goldbug was turning lead to gold, the Goldbergs weren't turning gold to bread.
I thought about going over and having a chat, and didn't. It could be that I was going to leave the Goldberg family with the impression that someone broke into their house to see their kid's chemistry set. Which meant that I shouldn't go over and start talking about their kid's chemistry set. It's insights like these which make men like Arnold Rothstein seek me out, when they have a problem too complicated for them to handle on their own.
After services, it was lunch with my folks, which was as much fun as could be expected, and then back to my place in the Bronx. The next morning, back to Brownsville.
One of the few luxuries that the Goldbergs enjoyed was that they lived in a rowhouse, rather than a tenement. The house was owned by an uncle, or a cousin, or something, and he let the Goldbergs live there without paying rent. It wasn't a very nice rowhouse, but when you have ten people and no money coming in, well. If there was a heaven, that uncle or cousin or something was buying shares.
Hell, I'd say a psalm or two for him myself; he gave them a house opposite a candy store, where I could sit and watch the goings on at the Goldbergs without being obvious. There was also a crowd of loafers outside, so when I was done drinking egg creams and reading magazines, I could go stand outside and loaf. It was perfect.
Unfortunately, the situation at the Goldbergs' wasn't perfect. Sadie Goldberg left her house with one of her daughters—Adele, I think was her name—at about six. She came back at seven, with a few bags of groceries. Then the kids went out to work. Yidl left later, at around nine. Before Yidl left, Goldbug came back from wherever he went in the morning. Then Sadie left, an hour before noon; she cooked for the Rosens. After she came back, Goldbug went out. Then the other kids started coming back at about six. Yidl came back last, with a stagger in his step. Gold into liquor he could manage.
There was no time when the house was empty. The closest it came was during lunch, when there was nobody but Goldbug there. I had hoped to get in, look at the kid's setup, and leave without anyone noticing me. That wasn't going to work. Also, the egg creams at that place across the street from the Goldbergs were terrible; they used half as much syrup as they should have. It was like a kiddie version of watered rum.
I wasn't completely out of ideas. There were plenty of pawnshops around, so I found one, and got a gold brooch for two bucks. If the guy had known it was gold, he'd have charged more, but pawnbrokers don't have as good an eye for that sort of thing as wizards. The stones were fake—the originals had probably been replaced, and the thing was . . . well, maybe a Hungarian would like it.
I balanced it in my hand. About a quarter of an ounce. Four dollars metal weight; one of the benefits of my career is that you learn to recognize things like that. Particularly when it comes to gold. There's a connection between gold and the magical world. It was either that, or I was just more Jewish than most guys. Point being, I knew what I had.
I stopped Goldbug on his way home. "Hey," I said. "Kid."
"Yeah?" he replied. I was watching his eyes. He wanted to be home, but he was willing to wait.
"I heard you buy gold," I said.
"Sometimes," he said. I passed the brooch over.
"Dollar fifty," he said, handling it.
"Four dollars," I replied.
"Oh, come on," he said. "You want four dollars for this, go to a jeweler. You want to get rid of something hot. Dollar seventy-five."
"Who's saying it's hot? I found it in a Cracker Jack box. Three."
"Look, I don't have time for this. Two twenty-five, or get out of my way."
"Hell of a way to do business, kid," I said. "Two twenty-five, fine."
He paid me out in a pair of crumpled bills and a quarter, and took the brooch.
An interesting exchange. For one thing, I had made a profit. Not enough that I was thinking of going into business selling gold to Hyman Goldberg, but enough to pay my egg-cream expenses. Wherever Goldbug was getting his gold, it wasn't from pawnbrokers, or there wouldn't be deals like that at a hock-shop two blocks from his house. Also, he knew gold, when he held it.
Once the kid was out of sight, I uncrumpled the bills, and took a long smell. Mostly, they smelled like money, and like damp pockets, but there was something else. Jasmine.
Things had changed since I was a kid—nobody talked about the Kaiser anymore, and there were a lot more automobiles and a lot fewer horses. But while it was possible that the style of grooming among the youth of Brownsville had changed, I didn't think that they had changed enough for the boys to be wearing jasmine perfume.
Similarly, while it was possible that the techniques of wizardry had changed since I learned them, those don't change easily. And jasmine—that is, oil of the jasmine flower, collected when it opens on the first night of summer—was one of the ingredients that was used to turn lead into gold.
Which was interesting. Also interesting was a big Lincoln that slowed down as I finished sniffing my bill. Siegel was in the back seat, but he didn't call me over or anything; just gave me a smile, and then the car drove on. Two days I had been working, and already they were impatient. Impatient with guns.
If they wanted a quick answer, I had one. The kid was doing magic. Which was nice; it was good to see someone from the old neighborhood taking an interest. But I couldn't tell Rothstein to be happy about his goose, and go on collecting those eggs. Goldbug was too poor, too young, and too careless to be turning lead into gold.


text:
It's a bloody mary showdown this Saturday, February 4 at ellabess in the Nolitan hotel.
17 well-loved NYC restaurants and their mixologists will be out for blood as they compete for your favorite sip. Contestants include:
Anfora, dell'anima, Ditch Plains, ellabess, Employees Only, Fatty 'Cue, Fatty Crab, Freemans, L'Artusi, Peels, Rouge Tomate, Marc Forgione, Masak, McClure's Pickles, Osteria Morini, Sir Kensington's Gourmet Scooping Ketchup, and The Wren.
This cocktail craze starts at 2PM with three hours of boozy fun, topped off with a finale of trophies for Drinkers' Choice and Judges' Pick! We imagine it could take some blood, sweat, and tears to get through this brunch.
Hosted at ellabess
Tickets are still available.
*Must be 21 or older to attend this event.
Sponsored by McClure's Pickles and Epicurean Management
153 Elizabeth St.
New York, NY
Weekend Plans: Bloody Mary, It's Going to Be a Good Weekend at Ellabess
It's a bloody mary showdown this Saturday, February 4 at ellabess in the Nolitan hotel.


text:
File this under the hashtag #smalltownproblems: Citizen complaints led to the removal of a popular gazebo on the town Square. Yet the seemingly minor matter points to the bigger issue of what type of environment Lexington wants to project.
File this under the hashtag #smalltownproblems: Citizen complaints led to the removal of a popular gazebo on the town Square. Yet the seemingly minor matter points to the bigger issue of what type of environment Lexington wants to project.
The gazebo typically appeared in the quadrant across from the Old Davidson County Court House during Uptown Lexington's Christmas Open House. It provided a picturesque spot for photos and holiday scenes. But it disappeared shortly after the holiday season ended. However, it remained in place this year; Uptown Lexington has experienced three directors in the past year and a half and board changes, so it simply fell through the cracks to have it taken away after Christmas.
Many people enjoyed the gazebo, and motorists or pedestrians passing through the center of town often saw folks sitting there at all hours of the day. But some complained that the gazebo sitters were making inappropriate comments or leaving trash. So the city took action, and Bunce Buildings, which donated the gazebo's use, removed it this week. The action didn't sit well with those who liked to relax in the structure.
Lexington certainly wants to have an inviting downtown. Business owners and city leaders want shoppers and diners to feel comfortable in the downtown area. They want them to enjoy amenities such as the free public Wi-Fi. But they also want them to see an attractive downtown area where people feel welcome and not threatened or put upon.
The Square sits about two blocks from the location of the city's homeless shelter. Although no one said it publicly, the perception was many of those using the shelter were homeless. So city leaders need to also be sensitive to that population. They, too, have rights and needs, including adequate shelter when they don't have a home or business to escape the heat or rain.
Moving forward, it seems a balance can be found that would allow some attractive structures like the gazebo to be found in the downtown area. Signs can remind those who use it on a regular basis to dispose of litter properly, and nearby trash receptacles can make that simple. Police officers patrolling the downtown area can make sure the rules are followed, and even merchants can help to make sure the structures are viewed as a positive part of downtown.
Many good things are happening in downtown Lexington. City leaders continue to work hard to attract shoppers, tourists and diners. The reopening of the Old Davidson County Court House will take place next month, providing another reason to celebrate the downtown area. With school starting Aug. 25, the holiday season will be upon us in no time, too. So when the gazebo returns as the weather grows colder, perhaps it can come with a prolonged stay without the problems that surfaced this time.


text:
Five will not appear on Freeview HD before 2012 after the channel failed to satisfy broadcasting watchdog Ofcom that it is fully committed to HD.
The capacity earmarked for the channel will likely go to the BBC, paving the way for an expansion of the Corporation's BBC HD channel.
This week, it emerged the Ofcom recently rejected Five's request for capacity on Freeview's Multiplex B - the frequency band set aside for HD transmissions - because the channel was unable to say when it would begin broadcasting HD content or detail how it plans may good a commitment to maintain a daytime programme schedule.
By law, Ofcom has to assign Freeview HD capacity to non-commercial broadcasters if the bandwidth is not being used by their commercial rivals. The watchdog is believed to have considered handing Five's space to Channel 4 and S4C, but they too were unable to commit to a service that meets Ofcom's criteria. So, by default, the bandwidth will come to the BBC.
Will it make use of the space? In 2012, Ofcom will again allow commercial broadcasters to pitch for HD capacity, so there's the chance that Five - or someone else - will take the excess off the BBC's hands. ®