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On this episode, we go on the set of Showtime's "Californication," tour the famous Winchester Mystery House, and more. Tune in!
Get this Look: On the Set of Californication
Production designer Doug Meerdink takes us behind the scenes of the latest set creation on Showtime's hit drama Californication, starring David Duchovny. Watch the video above.
Square Feet: Understated Elegance at 690 Ridge Road
The floor plan unfolds beautifully with dramatic and spacious rooms that are accented by warm and intimate spaces. The home exudes understated elegance throughout. The integration of quality and attention to detail throughout combine to form an unparalleled residence. Watch the video here.
Tips of the Trade: College Town Real Estate Trends
Our friends at Coldwell Banker are giving us the inside info on college town real estate trends. Watch the video here. Watch the video here.
Square Feet: Tour the Winchester Mystery House
We visit the famous Winchester Mystery House, a national and historical landmark in San Jose, CA where we'll see the beautiful Victorian style architecture of this unique but bizarre estate and also get a peek at a few spaces not usually seen by the general public. Watch the video here.
The Rescue: Laura's New Sunroom
George the Rescue crew head to the home of Laura Balun to give this inspiring woman a home rescue to make her life easier and surprise her with the sunroom of her dreams. Watch the video here. Watch the video here.
This episode of Open House was hosted from 34 Greene St., New York, NY. For more information on this property, please contact Frances Katzen or Melanie Lazenby of Prudential Douglas Elliman at 212-350-8587 or 212-727-6131.


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Young California Symba - Sode 5.5 (Chicks Slapping Each Other On Stage) [Unsigned Hype]
"Dj Amen of 106.1 KMEL kicks off the "YoungCalifornia" tour in Petaluma,ca, Symba performs his new single "Round Of Applause" live, check out the chicks slapping each other! LOL "
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Discussion about key facts in energy, environment, the economy, and politics. Tired of ideological junk? This is your place.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Stunning Fact: Every 8 Years The Electorate Changes Approximately 30% Or By 48 Million People
Demographic changes in the American family are not the only thing that matters in elections by any means. But they are the single, biggest force in American politics.
2 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 10:53 AM
Hi John,ReplyDelete
I think you are double-counting in this case, by counting both the new voters and the deceased ones. As an example, if you had a class of 25 students and "Tiffany" was replaced by "Justin" you would have only changed 1/25 of the class, not 2/25's.
Looking at it another way, to achieve a full 100 per cent turnover of the electorate at your rate of 30 per cent every eight years would take 3 1/3 eight-year periods, or about 26 years. I'm sure the average voter votes for more than 26 years in his or her lifetime.
Perhaps you are right. But I don't think so but will check it out. There are 311 million people living in America. If you assume a life expectancy of 80 years and even distribution of population in each age cohort that would mean close to 4 million people in each year of the 80. I believe about 3 million people become 18 each year and about 3 million die each year.ReplyDelete


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The iTunes Store has been around for a while now and is clearly popular enough to have sold more than 5 billion songs. There are still a few big artists that don't have much of a presence on the Store, though. Radiohead recently added a substantial amount of content, but tracks from The Beatles and AC/DC are nowhere to be found. You can add Kid Rock to that list now, too. In a recent interview with the BBC, Rock pointed to the iTunes Store as a distribution system that is unfair for artists, and suggested that his fans steal his music instead.
At the moment, the only Kid Rock album available on iTunes is a 1990 album that he doesn't own the rights to. The reason for his boycott of the iTunes Store is the way royalties are distributed: Rock believes that iTunes is representative of the "old system" where distributors and record labels take the money instead of giving it artists. Rock acknowledges that his absence from iTunes has reduced his album sales by 10 to 20 percent, but apparently doesn't care; the album has sold over a million copies without being sold there.
Instead of buying his music on the popular music store, Rock is recommending that his fans steal his music from the Internet, and also recommends stealing other things like gas, too. (If I were you, though, I wouldn't necessarily follow either part of that advice.) Even if fans steal his music for a time, Rock knows the iTunes juggernaut will eventually catch up with him and gobble up his music, but he's hoping to make a point in the meantime. Unfortunately, one of his singles is already available on the iTunes Store in Europe and UK, so the juggernaut appears to be moving pretty quickly.


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OPP Cover Up
Three OPP officers are dead, driven off the road or crashed in mysterious car accidents, and the Ontario Provincial Police aren't even investigating the possibility that all three were murdered.
Former OPP officer Kenneth "Tex" Deane, the same man who shot Native protestor Dudley George and convicted of criminal negligence causing death in 1995, was killed February 25th 2006 when he was speeding and driving in multiple lanes and crashed into a truck.
OPP negotiator sergeant Margaret Eve, who attempted to negotiate with the Native protestors back in 1995 and was present when Dudley George was shot, was hit by a transport truck on Highway 401 near Chatham in June 2000. The truck driver was not drunk and was charged with only 1 count of Criminal Negligence causing death and 1 count of Dangerous Driving causing death. No explanation was ever given why the truck driver decided to swerve off the road and drive into 4 police officers.
Four months later OPP Inspector Dale Linton, the officer who activated Deane's unit the night Dudley George was shot, was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Smiths Falls in October 2000. It is unknown why he suddenly veered off the road and crashed his car.
Margaret Eve's death may have been accidental, but the deaths of both Ken Deane and Dale Linton suggest they may have been pursued by an unknown threat and in the course of attempting to get away crashed their cars.
Strangely enough however the OPP have launched no investigation into the possibility that all three (or at least the latter two) could have been murdered. All three were important witnesses in the Ipperwash Inquiry, which became useless after their deaths because few others on the OPP would agree to testify.
There is more to this story however. The OPP had a lot to lose from the Ipperwash Inquiry. The OPP's reputation had been permanently tarnished by the death of Dudley George in 1995 and lives could be permanently ruined if certain witnesses explained what really happened.
There is also an anonymous letter from a member of the OPP to the George family's lawyer which claimed part of the responsibility for the death of Dudley George. It is possible this anonymous OPP officer is also the same person responsible for the other OPP deaths in order to cover up their identity.
So, based on the facts, it would appear Ontario has a cop-killer within the ranks of the OPP, and the OPP are doing nothing about it. Instead their deaths have all been chalked down as accidental.
Sadly its probably because the person involved has managed to cover their paper trail and kill all the witnesses so there is no one and nothing left to point the finger. Even if an investigation was made what is the chances the cop-killer forgot something?
There is also one other possibility:
Mike Harris, former Premier of Ontario, would have a lot to lose if the inquiry had pointed the finger squarely at him.
It was Mike Harris who ordered the OPP to do whatever was necessary to get the Native protestors out of Ipperwash. Many of the documents have gone missing, but according to a government memo and a leaked racist slur ("I want the f*cking Indians out of the park!") Mike Harris doesn't like Natives one bit and being new in office at the time had decided to throw his weight around and become a mini-Mussolini.
According to the Ipperwash Inquiry report:
"The Premier's determination to seek a quick resolution closed off many options endorsed by civil servants in the Ontario government, including process negotiations, the appointment of mediators, and opening up communication with the First Nations people. His narrow approach to the occupation did not enable the situation to stabilize at the park."
The OPP members in question also had previous stains on the record from racist issues, so its conceivable that Mike Harris and the OPP saw eye to eye on this matter and were identical in their thinking of shoot-first-ask-questions-later. So some hitman working for Mike Harris is another possibility for the cop-killer in question.
Whether the cop-killer is some hitman working for Mike Harris or a member of the OPP it doesn't really matter. There should still be an investigation into the deaths.
Walkerton Water & E.coli
During the 1995 to 1999 period in which Mike Harris was the Premier of Ontario, he cut environmental spending by 44% and axed over 900 staff positions, including those responsible for testing public water safety. Water safety was the hardest hit, getting a 78% cut in spending. His Conservative government then downloaded the responsibility of testing water safety onto the municipalities, all the while not providing a funding package in order to PAY for the municipalities to have their water tested.
Normally, when a level of provincial government downloads a service onto a municipality, they are expected to provide a sum of cash (on a yearly basis) to help pay for that service. Mike Harris did not provide that money. He basically said "Here, you take this and you can pay for it."
Meanwhile, a series of water safety reports dated on the years 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999 all said that Ontario, and in particular the town of Walkerton was in need of new water safety measures due to old rusted equipment, wells that are becoming more contaminated due to agricultural runoff, etc. According to the Environment Minister at the time, Harris did read these reports, and it was due to these reports that the process of downloading water safety began. Meaning, Harris did not want to pay for fixing water safety, so instead he decided to simply "pass the buck" and give it to the municipalities.
During May of 2000 there was a series of heavy rainfalls that caused agricultural runoff to flood the local wells in Walkerton. The resulting catastrophe caused seven people to die from E-coli poisoning and another 14 people to die from E-coli related illnesses, bringing it to a grand total of 21 people who died from the tragedy.
Also, another 2600 Walkerton area residents fell sick due to drinking contaminated water. These people have suffered severe liver damage and have had their life-expectancy cut by roughly 20 years. The average life expectancy for a Canadian is 78. The residents and locals from the Walkerton area who fell sick are expected to only live to be 58.
Mike Harris's response at the time was to blame the citizens of Walkerton for not asking for extra funding for their damaged water supply, and to blame the incompetent Koebel brothers with mismanaging the Walkerton wells and water treatment centre. He later publicly apologized, but it was really only half of an apology, because instead he blamed his staff: "My staff had given me wrong information about provincial-federal infrastructure," said Harris, who spoke personally with mayor David Thomson by telephone. "I just apologize to you, to the people of Ontario and of course to Walkerton for any confusion over that."
The facts are this: During the 1994-1995 fiscal year, water safety/sewer infrastructure spending for ALL of Ontario was $271 million. By the time the Walkerton disaster occurred, the 2000/2001 fiscal spending was a mere $65 million. Thats less than 24% of what was being spent 6 years earlier.
It is what someone might call "deliberate gross incompetence".
In addition to cutting water safety, Harris also cut healthcare spending, schools, hospitals, road safety/transportation, universities, and pretty much anything that was deemed a "luxury" at the time. This is what he called "The Common Sense Revolution".
Public health and safety is not a luxury, and it is definitely not common sense to cut spending on it either.
http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/ca ... tario.html


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You will receive a proof copy of the design via email. Your return approval of the design is required prior to start of manufacture. Because each rug is custom made we can only accept returns in the event that we made a mistake in your order. Every rug is inspected for quality prior to shipping.


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Introduction to Bird Watching
Saturday, July 12, 2014
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
This event repeats every week on Saturday between 11/16/2013 and 8/31/2014.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Look, up in the sky, it's a bird! But what kind? Join the Alliance to learn about the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Led by the Brooklyn Brid Club.
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This is the third of four stories on Hispanic attitudes as captured by a survey of 400 U.S. Latinos.
With President Obama's announcement earlier this year that he personally was in favor of gay marriage, many said it was yet another example of changing attitudes among Americans. A new NBC Latino/IBOPE Zogby survey says 6 out of 10 Latinos in the sample agree that same-sex couples have the right to marry.
Thirty eight percent said they disagree and 31 percent said they did so strongly.
RELATED: As an LGBT Latina, the DNC's diversity tells me I'm home
The statistics don't mean there is complete acceptance of gays by Latinos, however. When it came to the biggest disappointment a parent would feel regarding their children, 43 percent said it would be if their child became a drug addict. Going to prison was the biggest disappointment for 33 percent of those surveyed. But 10 percent said having a gay child would be their biggest issue, while only 5 percent said a teen pregnancy would be their greatest disappointment.
In terms of parenting and family questions, the NBC Latino survey also looked at attitudes towards disciplining children by spanking them.
Most Latino parents (58 percent) say they do not spank their children, but more than a third (38 percent) say they do. The number of those who say they frequently spank their children (4 percent) is far less than those who do so occasionally (15 percent) or once or twice (18 percent).
Previous stories looked at Latino identity with the majority of Hispanics saying they are American first and also attitudes concerning immigration and when the U.S. might see its first Latino president.
Participants were surveyed between August 31 and September 4 and the results have a -/+4.8 percentage point of error.


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"We selected Fujitsu because it had the technical capabilities and solutions to solve the various challenges we were facing, such as switching internal phones to IP phones. It was Fujitsu that touched our project members' hearts and made them feel they wanted to work together"
Tomomi Ueno, Acting General Manager of the Information Systems Department, MTI
Headquartered in Tokyo, MTI is a leading content provider offering entertainment services through a range of mobile websites. It aims to create diverse mobile content that encompasses music distribution, healthcare information, e-books, lifestyle tips and entertainment. The company relies on meticulous marketing, efficient content production and cutting-edge technical capabilities to attain success. MTI has grown remarkably to become one of the largest mobile content companies in the 10-odd years since its establishment, attracting the largest number of paying subscribers in Japan.
MTI wanted to refresh its communications infrastructure to encourage mobile working and a paperless environment. To do so, it needed to find a way to improve call extension efficiency using smartphones.
The company introduced Fujitsu's integrated communication system. By adopting Fujitsu SoftPhone for internal extensions, users can now communicate from anywhere within the company.
Read the full MTI case study (208 KB/A4, 2 pages)
Dela med andra


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Researchers at Penn State University
Applied Research Laboratory (USA), Center
for Medical Diagnostic Systems and Visualization (Germany), and Image Processing Laboratory, Institute
of Anatomy and Cell Biology (Germany), are using modern medical imaging
technology and three-dimensional, time accurate multiphase CFD to model oxygen
uptake and particle deposition in the human respiratory system.
A physically accurate representation of the trachea and most of the convective regime bronchi (up to generation 13) are obtained using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of a rubber cast of an adult human tracheobronchial tree (Fig. 1). A triangulated model of this data is used as a bounding surface for hybrid unstructured meshes generated using the ICEM CFD 4.2 package.
Read Full Article


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Car Accidents
Car accidents are a frequent occurrence on today's busy roads. Accidents of this type can both stressful and time consuming to sort out so it's important to appoint the right legal representive. We operate a No Win No Fee service and can arrange everything from replacement vehicle to compensation and rehabilitation.
Our job as your conveyancing solicitor is to oversee the legal process in either the sale or purchase of your property. Our experienced team of property solicitors will take the stress out of the transaction allowing you to concentrate on the more important things in like moving home.
Work Accidents
Do you know where to turn in the event of accident at work? Your employer has a duty of care to provide you with a safe environment to work in. If you have been involved in an accident at work through no fault of your own, then our legal team are here to help. We can assess your work accident and advise you of both your rights as an employee and any compensation that you may be entitled to.
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Housing Disrepair
Has the property you occupy made you or someone in your household unwell? Damp properties can cause damage to your belongings but most off all can lead to serious health problems. Don't delay contact our housing disrepair department today.
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Industrial Disease
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Slips, Trips & Falls
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Family Law
Are you looking for help and advice in relation to family law? We understand family law can be a sensitive and difficult area to negotiate. We have a wealth of experience in this area and in most cases will offer a free no obligation phone call.
Temporary Workers Claims Manchester
A temporary worker is someone employed for a limited period whose job is usually expected by both sides to last for only a short time. Temporary workers may be employed directly by the employer or by private agencies. Agencies will recruit, select and sometimes train temporary workers and hire them out to employers. Temporary workers are sometimes employed on fixed term contracts. A fixed term contract is a contract of employment for a definite period, set in advance. Employment ends when the contract expires and no notice need be given by the employer. Employment contracts may also be agreed which end on the completion of a particular task rather than on a specific date.
UK employment law makes no distinction between 'permanent' and 'temporary' employees. To qualify for various employment rights, however, employees must have served a minimum period of continuous employment with their employer. Most temporary workers will have insufficient service. However, some employment rights – such as the right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of race, sex or disability – have no minimum service qualifications. Employees on fixed term contracts have the right to be paid the same rate as similar permanent employees working for the same employer and in general terms should not be treated less favourably than permanent employees. This means that employees on fixed term contracts will have broadly the same rights to statutory redundancy payments, written reasons for dismissal and the right not to be unfairly dismissed as permanent employees.
There are several advantages to Temporary Working which include:
- Temporary workers can provide greater flexibility because the number employed can vary to take account of changes in demand for the product or service
- Temporary workers can also provide cover for permanent staff on holiday, maternity leave or sick leave
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- Some businesses use temporary fixed term contracts as a screening device for potential recruits to the permanent workforce
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There are several things a business should do if it is to make temporary working a successful part of its workforce planning:
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- Provide temporary workers or the employment agency with job descriptions and information on company benefits, rules and regulation
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Industrial Disease Claim
Have you been diagnosed with an industrial disease? Do you suffer from a condition that has been caused by work? We can help, get in touch today!


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LONDON (Reuters) - Equities and commodities edged higher on Wednesday, supported by widespread expectations of further monetary stimulus from the U.S. Federal Reserve when it ends a two-day policy meeting later in the day.
In quiet trade ahead of the Fed's decision, due at 12:30 p.m. ET, safe-haven assets like the dollar, U.S. Treasury bonds and German bunds were also drifting lower with the greenback hitting multi-month lows against some higher yielding currencies.
World markets expect the Fed to expand its current asset purchase scheme, committing to buy $45 billion of U.S. debt a month and extend purchases of mortgage-backed debt, to help sustain the fragile U.S. economic recovery.
"We think that more quantitative easing is coming and this next round will be the most aggressive yet," said Ralf Preusser, head of European rates research at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research.
Given a general improvement in economic data from the United States and China and signs of stabilization in Europe, the Fed's decision should underpin demand for riskier assets although there is a risk chairman Ben Bernanke uses the subsequent news conference, at 2:15 p.m. ET, to signal a change in the outlook.
"I wouldn't expect too much volatility going into the meeting but afterwards though it will depend on whether they give any guidance on thresholds for unemployment and inflation in the future," said Michael Leister, senior interest rates strategist for Commerzbank.
In any event the meeting's outcome is likely to be quickly overshadowed by developments in talks in Washington designed to avert the "fiscal cliff" of spending cuts and tax increases that will be triggered automatically if no federal budget is agreed..
The squeeze, equivalent to some $600 billion, would take effect in January and is of great concern to the markets because it could tip the giant U.S. economy back into recession and drag down the whole global economy.
President Barack Obama and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner exchanged new proposals on Tuesday on the budget, a discussion some investors saw as a sign of progress that added to the firmer tone in the markets.
MSCI's world equity index .MIWD00000PUS was up 0.2 percent to 337.72 points, helped by a gain of 0.5 percent in MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS, which is at 16-month highs.
In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 of top companies extended a steep three-week rally to be up 0.2 percent at 1.141.21 points, a level not seen for 18 months.
London's FTSE 100 .FTSE, Frankfurt's DAX .GDAXI and the French CAC-40 .FCHI were flat to 0.3 percent higher, while a drop in U.S. stock futures hinted at a softer start on Wall Street. .L.EU.N
The strength in equities market encouraged selling of safe-haven assets, pushing the main German Bund futures contract down 22 ticks at 145.19.
The euro was mostly steady at $1.3002, well above a low of $1.2876 reached last week. The dollar was suffering against other high-yielding currencies as some investors saw a risk the Fed may ease more aggressively than expected.
"People are selling the dollar on the possibility that the Fed could do more easing than the market is expecting," said Niels Christensen, currency strategist at Nordea in Copenhagen, referring to the extent of monthly Fed bond purchases.
"If it is a neutral decision, they could buy it back on the fact. But if they do more, say above $50 billion (a month), then the dollar would be on the defensive."
The higher-yielding Australian dollar rose as high as $1.0542, its strongest since mid-September, while the greenback fell to an eight-week low against the Canadian dollar of C$0.9856. The New Zealand dollar hit a nine-month high of $0.8407.
In the commodities sector, prices were well supported by the hopes of more monetary easing. London copper was up 0.4 percent at $8,133 a tonne and near a two-month high, while spot gold inched up 0.15 percent to $1,712.56 an ounce.
Brent crude traded above $108 a barrel on the expectations, although concerns about oversupply and weak demand limited the gains.
The abundant supply conditions were expected to be a topic for discussion at the OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna on Wednesday, though no change in the group's current output target of 30 million barrels per day is seen. <O/R>
Brent futures were up 0.6 percent at $108.64 a barrel while U.S. crude was 0.5 percent higher at $85.99 a barrel.
Additional reporting by Jessica Mortimer; Editing by Alastair Macdonald


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We are very proud to present Glarner Vase, a project developed for the architect Hansjörg Staub from Basel, Switzerland.
The porcellain vase was created for a edition of 50 pieces. It is produced by hand in fine white porcellain and decorated with drops of gold.
Due to the objects value, the package is also handbuilt from plywood, completed with a banderole with Grzegorzs calligraphy and sealed with the Drache&Bär seal.


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India loses Kashagan oil field to China
India's ONGC has lost the giant Kashagan oilfield to the Chinese after Kazakhstan blocked its $5 billion deal to buy US energy major ConocoPhillips' stake in the Caspian Sea oilfield.business Updated: Jul 02, 2013 21:39 IST
India's ONGC has lost the giant Kashagan oilfield to the Chinese after Kazakhstan blocked its $5 billion deal to buy US energy major ConocoPhillips' stake in the Caspian Sea oilfield.
ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), had in November last year struck a deal to buy ConocoPhillips' 8.4% stake in Kazakhstan's biggest oilfield, Kashagan for $5 billion.
As per Kazakh law, the Central Asian nation had the right of first refusal or pre-emption rights that allowed it an option to step in and buy the stake at the price agreed between the Indian firm and ConocoPhillips.
The Kazakh government has decided to exercise its ROFR and acquire the stake held by ConocoPhillips, sources with direct knowledge of the development said.
The Central Asian country's Oil and Gas Ministry has informed ConocoPhillips its national oil company KazMunaiGaz will buy the US oil company's 8.4% interest in the world's largest oil find in five decades for about $5 billion. This stake will then be sold to China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) for a reported $5.3-5.4 billion.
Kashagan, a Caspian Sea field set to produce 370,000 barrels of oil a day, is to start output by September, eight years later than initially planned and with costs nearing $48 billion, double the early estimates.
According to Kazakh law, the government has the right to buy any oil asset for sale in the country at the price agreed on by the buyer and seller.
While ONGC got nod of the partners for acquisition of ConocoPhillips stake at end of January, Kazakh government had time till July to approve the transaction.
Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Italy's Eni, Total of France and KazMunaiGaz each hold 16.8% of Kashagan. Japan's Inpex Corp has 7.56%.
India has lost at least $12.5 billion of deals to China in past years.
CNPC beat India by agreeing to pay $4.18 billion in August 2005 for PetroKazakhstan, then China's biggest overseas oil deal. At that time, oil minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had stated that India's bid for PetroKazakhstan was thwarted as the "goalposts were changed after the game began."
The Chinese firm had trailed ONGC and its partner Lakhsmi N Mittal's $4 billion bid at the close of bidding on August 15, 2005. But post-close of bidding, it was allowed to raise the offer price to $4.18 billion, which saw PetroKazakhstan, a Canadian oil firm operating in Central Asia, go to CNPC.
A month later, CNPC against outbid ONGC in buying assets of Encana Corp in Ecuador for $1.42 billion.
In March 2010, ONGC lost out on acquisition of oil Block 1 and 3A in Uganda oilfields to China's Cnooc who offered as much as $2.5 billion for the 50 per cent stake.
In May 2011, ONGC lost a bid to buy Exxon Mobil Corp's 25 per cent stake in an Angolan oil field. ONGC had offered about $2 billion for the stake in Block 31 off Angola's coast.
Kazakhstan, home to 3% of the world's recoverable oil reserves, has moved in recent years to exert greater management control and secure bigger revenues from foreign-owned oil and gas projects.
Kazmunaigas entered the Kashagan consortium as a shareholder in 2005 and has since then doubled its stake to 16.81%.
Kashagan, with reserves estimated at 35 billion barrels of oil in place, is expected to produce its first oil in September.


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The Queen of Pin Ups as rendered by an amateur sculptor / whittler / carver in the basement! A tribute to 1950s beauty and bangs, and proof that good folk art need not be from the 19th century.
Folk Art carved and painted Bettie Page circa Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb


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Tag Archives: 2013 automotive industry analysis
MEDIA ADVISORY: Veteran Automotive/Aerospace Journalist/Analyst, ZINTRO Expert Myron D. Stokes Available For Interviews at Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New York International Auto Shows
Re: Veteran Automotive/Aerospace Journalist/Analyst Available For Interviews on State of The Industry, Its Product, and Risk/Benefit Analysis of Western Auto Companies Doing Business in The People's Republic of China; One of Industry's Stongest Advocates for Boeing C-17 Long Beach Production Line Retention
Contact: Benjamin Ballout or
Myron D. Stokes –
Los Angeles, CA -( LA Auto Show ) November 28, 2012 – Veteran Automotive/Aerospace Journalist/Analyst, ZINTRO Expert and eMOTION! REPORTS.com Publisher Myron D. Stokes, an award-winning former Newsweek, Newsweek Japan, Newsweek International special correspondent and Interim Bureau Chief, will be available for interviews covering a wide range of automotive/aerospace industry subjects inclusive of product technology,emerging markets, crisis management, the short sightedness of offshoring manufacturing capacity and the technology associated; a re-emergent US auto industry, and the economic and national security implications of failing to protect and secure the country's ability to manufacture things of value. http://ht.ly/fGPOO
"The US cannot exist as as consumer/service economy in the manner of Las Vegas," says Stokes, "and expect to maintain its status, in symbiotic relationship with Great Britain, as THE world power economically and militarily."
Moreover, Stokes is convinced, along with colleagues in the US policy shaping arena inclusive of the United States-China Economic and Security Commission (www.USCC.gov), that US, European and Asian auto companies are at profound risk of losing virtually all control of manufacturing operations in China. http://ht.ly/fGWAY http://ht.ly/fGWsA
"It is critical that we change that conversation in light of the economically devastating effects of overly permissive trade regulatory processes that forced US automotive and aerospace entities to compete as companies, while their international competitors operated as countries, with the full power and resources of their parent nations," Stokes said. "Free trade must be fair, and our Chinese colleagues, despite having performed an economic miracle in recent years that rivals that of Japan in the '80s and '90's and membership in the WTO, are not interested in relinquishing one iota of the economic advantage they have given their 'indigenous' auto companies." http://ht.ly/fGRqr
Stokes has proven capable of discussing virtually every aspect of auto industry analysis with a particular focus on the China presence of western car firms. He can discuss the risk/benefit of such presence by GM, Ford, Chrysler, the Europeans inclusive of VW; and the Japanese car companies who have been declared for all intents and purposes "enemies of the state". Among other topics: whether the "bailout" of GM and Chrysler was really necessary and why Ford refused; the uncomfortable role that Wall Street played in creating a circumstance that made GM, Ford and Chrysler vulnerable to offshore takeover in the interest of short term gain.
GM Bankruptcy/TATA/Jaguar Land Rover
Stokes was directly involved in an effort to stop the declaration of GM bankruptcy through re-evaluation of global assets; coordinated with concerned European governments -excluding Germany – to prevent GM's attempts to offload Opel resulting in an intervention by those governments; and a very specific role in changing the circumstances under which the Jaguar/Land Rover sale to TATA would occur by bringing Mahindra and Mahindra back to the acquisition table in conjunction with one of the world's most powerful investment banking institutions working through Ford's then CFO.
Chrysler/Kerkorian Toyota Intelligence Gathering
Among archived industrial base preservation activities, Stokes helped prevent the
Kerkorian takeover of Chrysler by bringing a "White Knight" into the mix and presented
to the Chrysler board through a senior communications executive. The intervention was
conveyed during an overseas call from Tokyo during the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. It is now possible to reveal that the late Sir Alex Trotman approved Ford Motor Company's acting in this capacity following a lengthy interaction with Stokes during a Ford media program.
Toyota Intelligence Gathering – As Toyota grew in power, profit and influence through its US and global marketing presence which led to its supplanting GM as the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, the company's public comments seemed to be increasingly dismissive of their US counterparts who were complaining about the trade imbalance and quite limited access to the Japanese market. A trade war was averted in 1995 when Japan agreed to relax its market access requirements subsequent to discussions with then SECCOM Ron Brown (later killed in a Croatia plane crash) and Deputy Mickey Cantor.
In the ensuing years, not much changed relative to Toyota's view of GM, Ford and Chrysler as competitors, and despite the fact that the company's US presence was quite legal in addition to an emergent symbiotic relationship between the US and Japan economies, the preservation team decided that a modification of Toyota's strongly influential position was in order. Approval was sought in 2002 from US intelligence services to reveal the results of a 1988 global analysis of intelligence gathering activities by major powers, and rather than confirming that the various agencies reviewed were at the top of their game (CIA, NSA, KGB, MI-6, Mossad, et al) Toyota was assessed as the best intelligence gathering organization in the world.
Utilizing a dedicated satellite, 250,000 encrypted messages per day were sent between Toyota City and Torrance. The CIA was sending half that amount at the time globally…
As a professor of economics at Wayne State University who was made aware of these data proffered at the time: "Does Toyota have the right to encrypt potentially sensitive corporate data in the form of memos, reports, marketing strategies and Research and Developmental activities? Absolutely yes. But, did they provide the de-cryption codes to US intelligence services as required and agreed to between the respective governments? Apparently no, they didn't, and by failing to do so placed the entire Toyota organization operating in the west at profound risk. Had they chosen to do so, the US government would have been perfectly within its rights to confiscate the company's manufacturing operations, freeze its financial assets, and detain its executive personnel. Obviously, and perhaps wisely, they didn't."
"In spite of the US deciding no punitive actions were required, Stokes observed, "Toyota's stance changed remarkably, even to the point of defending and offering assistance to GM, Ford and Chrysler during the quite regrettable Congressional 'bailout' hearings of 2008."
Boeing Dreamliner/C-17 Globemaster III
On the aerospace side, a recent analysis of Boeing Dreamliner with specific focus on the issues of a nearly unprecedented conjoining of composites to metal within critical
aircraft structure, induced a rethinking of this approach and questioned, as did a GAO analysis, the viability, accuracy and appropriateness of FAA certification processes for aircraft extensively utilizing composites. (Google -Boeing Dreamliner Analysis).
Stokes, along with national security strategist and Walsh College Academician
Dr. Sheila Ronis, has been one of the strongest voices in advocating Boeing C-17
Globemaster III Long Beach production line continuance and preservation
of over 250,000 core manufacturing positions in the US – when one correctly
invokes Keynesian Economic Multipliers – of which at least 5,000 are in California.
Potential interviewers will find it useful to google the following terms: –Veteran Automotive Journalist-; -GM China Analysis-; -Auto Industry Analysis 2013 – (5 of 55 million); -2010 Auto Industry Analysis- (1, 2, 3 of 12 million) ; -Myron D. Stokes, China Auto Industry Analysis- ; -Boeing, Myron D. Stokes-;-Boeing Dreamliner Analysis- -Boeing C17, Stokes- ; -Richard Holbrooke's World- ; -Deadra's Flight- ;-GM's Transition to China-; – eMOTION! REPORTS.com –
Afghanistan Emergency Airlift Relief Mission
Lastly, in his capacity as Managing Director of Global HeavyLift Holdings, Inc, an entity involved in the creation of a new air transportation industry subset, Stokes has just completed coordination, in conjunction with Kalitta Air US, DHL UK, AviaPartner and Fast Forward Freight of Belgium, and the British Afghan Women's Society, of a second emergency private airlift relief mission into the refugee camps of Kabul, Afghanistan. The mission was named "Deadra's Flight" in honor of Stokes' wife who recently succumbed to illness. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urgent-appeal-ukuseuasiamiddle-east—help-with-airlift-of-winter-childrens-clothes-to-afghanistan-wanted-174768661.html
Publisher's note: A second phase of this mission will bring critically ill Afghan children to the US for treatment, with Phoenix, AZ medical facilities having been designated for this effort. A pediatric review team consisting of physicians and other area healthcare professionals is being formed as of now.
Media avails: Stokes will be available throughout the media previews and during the public show. He will also be accessible for comment during near future auto shows, inclusive of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) http://www.naias.com/ and the New York Auto Show. http://www.autoshowny.com/
ZINTRO LINK: http://blog.zintro.com/2012/11/08/electric-cars-struggling-for-public-acceptance/
Analysis: GM's Transition to China: http://www.slideshare.net/GHHLLC2/20092010-auto-industry-analysis-gms-transition-to-china-2714948
2008 Automotive Industry Analysis: http://www.slideshare.net/GHHLLC/automotive-industry-analysis-2008-martha-hindes-e-motion-reportscom3-presentation
Main Site: http://www.emotionreports.com : Call For Restoration of Dewar Trophy in Accordance With 1907 Royal Automobile Club International Rulesets (Parts Interchangability; endurance, reliability)
Archived Press Release: (PR Newswire 2003) Reports Says Department of Defense May Consider US Auto Industry 'Irrelevant' to National Security – Analysis – "Super-Globalism: Strategies For Maintaining A Robust Industrial Base Through Technological, Policy and Process Improvement" http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/report-says-department-of-defense-may-consider-us-auto-industry-irrelevant-to-national-security-71247952.html


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Supreme Court Summaries
Opinions filed August 4, 2011
People v. White, 2011 IL 109689
Appellate citation: 395 Ill. App. 3d 797.
JUSTICE KARMEIER delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Chief Justice Kilbride and Justices Thomas, Garman, and Theis concurred in the judgment and opinion.
Justice Burke dissented, with opinion, joined by Justice Freeman.
A man who was at a gas station at 79th Street and Yates Avenue in Chicago was shot to death there in January of 2003, at 10:30 in the evening. The area was well lit, and several people were able to identify this defendant and give information as to various aspects of the occurrence. At a bench trial in the circuit court of Cook County, White was convicted of first degree murder and received a 55-year prison term.
In the appellate court, the accused had complained for the first time that his constitutional right to counsel under the sixth amendment had been denied when a lineup was conducted at the police station but his attorney, although present with him, had not been able to observe the witnesses who were viewers of the lineup. The omission of this issue in the trial court was sought to be overcome by the seeking of plain-error review, which the appellate court conducted after determining that it could do so on the basis of what it found to be evidence that was closely balanced. The appellate court found that the sixth amendment right to counsel had not attached at the time of the lineup because White had not yet been brought before a judge. Ultimately, it affirmed the conviction. Defendant appealed these issues to the supreme court. In this decision, the Illinois Supreme Court also affirmed, but it approached the matter differently than had the appellate court.
In this decision, the supreme court, after an extensive review of the record, reached a different conclusion than the appellate court and concluded that the evidence was not closely balanced. Thus, there was no basis for utilizing plain-error review (as the appellate court had done) as a justification for addressing the lineup question. Any error was minimal and would not have affected the result, and, thus, the defendant was not prejudiced. Because constitutional issues should not be decided unnecessarily, the appellate court's undertaking to address them was inappropriate in the circumstances of this case. In addition, because there was no suppression hearing, the record was not fully developed on these matters.
The conviction entered in the circuit court and upheld by the appellate court was affirmed. The supreme court rejected that part of the appellate court's opinion discussing and rendering holdings on the issues of attachment of the right to counsel and the lineup procedure.


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September 26, 2007
San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Dragons of Major League Lacrosse announced today that head coach Brian Silcott will not be returning to the team for the 2008 season.
Silcott will devote much of his summer to Rhino lacrosse in Portland (OR) and will be spending more of his time with the Rhino select team. A search for a new coach will begin immediately. Silcott had a two year coaching record with San Francisco of 11-14, and is coming off a 2007 season in which the team finished 4-8. In the team's first season, the Dragons compiled a 7-5 regular season record and qualified for the MLL playoffs before eventually losing to the Denver Outlaws in the league semifinals.
"On behalf of our entire organization we want to thank Brian for his efforts over the past two seasons," commented Locker. "Brian is a good friend and we are grateful for the time he spent in San Francisco.
"A search for a new head coach will begin immediately," Locker continued.
Dragons head coach Brian Silcott will not return in 2008
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Dysplasia is the term used for cells that have changed and grown or
developed abnormally. Typically it means that the cells are at increased risk
for developing into cancer.
Last Revised:
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In the old saw about real estate, the three most important factors are location, location, location. The same is true of our nation's public schools. A location that is desirable usually has good public schools because good schools attract families and businesses, which drive up real estate prices. In turn, high-priced real estate increases property taxes, which help fund public schools, which attract more affluent families. And so on.
Location matters for schools in rural areas, where family farms are fading into history, as well as for segregated and impoverished inner-city neighborhoods where many businesses have shut down and middle-class families have moved away.
When it comes to location, a ZIP code—a mere five digits—can frequently describe the quality of the education that public school students receive and sometimes even the direction their lives will take. During this school year, NEA Today will be visiting Zip codes across the nation to examine the significance of location on public education. Here's part one of the series.
53916 – Trenton, Wisconsin: Where Have All the Country Schools Gone?
Beverly Smith was a teaching assistant at Trenton Elementary School in a tiny Wisconsin farming town before the school closed in June 2013 after more than half a century.
Like many rural schools shuttering their doors around the country, Trenton Elementary consolidated with a larger school—Prairie View Elementary—which absorbed Trenton's nearly 100 students and six classroom teachers, but not its three teachers' assistants. For educators at small, country schools, there are no guarantees. When declining enrollments and shifting populations in remote areas blend with state and federal budget cuts, schools close and people lose jobs.
But Smith says that's not all that's lost. "A way of life is disappearing," she says. "Watching the country schools fade away is like watching all of our farms fade away. Before you know it, all the barns will be empty, the pastures will be empty, and the school yards will be empty."
The consolidation trend started nearly 100 years ago, first cropping up in the 1920s with the development of motorized transportation. For the first time, children could take buses to larger schools in further away towns rather than walk or ride a horse to a closer, one-room schoolhouse. In fact, Trenton was formed by the consolidation of five such schoolhouses when local farmers agreed that their kids should have a more modern facility. After boundaries were redrawn and taxable land base issues worked out, construction of Trenton Consolidated School began in the spring of 1959 and was completed for the 1959 – 1960 school year.
Some were sad to see the historic one-room schools close, but students were thrilled. The new regional school had indoor plumbing and a gymnasium, complete with gleaming hardwood floors and basketball nets. Most of the farm kids had never even held a basketball, let alone played on a team.
Construction of the then-new school's six classrooms, kitchen, gym, and principal's office totaled $165,000. Fifty years later, the district is hoping to get $50,000 for the building, which needs a new roof and boiler, and often has unsafe drinking water because of contamination from a nearby quarry.
Change Brings Improvement
Prairie View Elementary, on the other hand, is the newest school building in the Beaver Dam School District. Built in 1998, the light-filled school has all the amenities of a modern facility and was also strategically designed. Realizing the closure of more country schools was likely, the architect created a floor plan that would allow for easy expansion into the surrounding fields to accommodate a growing student population.
In the fall of 2012, the district broke ground on six additional classrooms at Prairie View. With the new classrooms and the transfer of Trenton teachers to staff them, class sizes will remain small, and bus rides will also be kept short, since Prairie View is only six miles from Trenton Elementary.
"That was how we won community support," says Beaver Dam Superintendent Steve Vessey. "Nobody wants to see their community school close, but if parents know their kids will still be in small class sizes at a more modern facility, and that they won't be riding the bus for long periods of time, it's a lot more palatable."
Vessey also shared research with the community showing how achievement increases in multi-section schools because grade-level teachers can collaborate on lessons, share data, and team-teach.
Then there's the technology.
"It's hard to argue with technology," he says. "Back in 1959, they wanted a gym. In 2013, they want wireless high-speed Internet, laptops, and Smartboards."
At Trenton there was only one outlet in each classroom. Students had to use aging desktops in the tiny school library with an Internet connection so spotty it kicked them off at least three or four times while taking state tests.
Despite the lure of Smartboards and laptops, Trenton students were apprehensive about leaving their small school. They were used to being all together in the same class year after year. At Prairie View, each grade level has two or three classes, so some friends who had always had the same teacher were split up.
"We knew they'd be worried about moving, so we wanted to make the transition easier for the students," says former Trenton Principal Debra Lins (pictured left with students), whose last day with the district was June 30. "So we paired up Trenton kids with pen pals at Prairie View, held visitation days for the Trenton students to check out their new school, and also got the kids together for family nights and movie outings."
To help ease the transition of the teachers, joint staff meetings began last spring. This way, the Trenton educators could meet and begin collaborating with their new colleagues. Like their students, Trenton's educators were reluctant to leave their beloved country school behind.
"I hated to see it close," says fifth-grade teacher Laura Leonard. "We'd become such a tight-knit family. We'll miss knowing the kids all the way up through the grades."
Superintendent Vessey knew the school closing would hurt: "We lose good people, like Principal Lins, and three dedicated support staff."
But when Gov. Scott Walker slashed education funding by $1.85 billion in 2011, the district was already operating at a $400,000 deficit. The district did a feasibility study, and found that the population of Trenton was steadily decreasing. With declining enrollment, aging infrastructure, and the need for access to technology, the decision was hard, but clear.
"I could create an argument with my heart to keep the school open, but not with my brain," Vessey says. "Fortunately, the community got it. 'We don't love it,' they said, 'but we get it.'"
Hopefully, the next community in the district will 'get it' when it happens to them. South Beaver Dam Elementary will likely be the next country school to close and consolidate with Prairie View.
—Cindy Long
78237 – San Antonio, Texas: A Decades-Old Battle
Jonathan Bryant taped the death notice for Demetrio Peña Rodriguez to his classroom door at John F. Kennedy High School. The photo on the black-and-white photocopy showed a man with spectacles and a hint of a smile, and described him simply as a "parent and education activist."
For Bryant, Rodriguez, who died in April at age 87, was much more than just an "activist." He was an inspiration and a reason Bryant accepted a teaching job in the low-income, predominantly-Latino Edgewood Independent School District. "I read about Demetrio in college," says Bryant, 31, who substituted at Kennedy until 2008 when he was hired full time.
Rodriguez was a former parent of the Edgewood School District who, in 1971, joined with other parents to challenge the state's reliance on local property taxes to finance public schools. Like other states, Texas' per-pupil spending correlates to variations in local property tax receipts. When Rodriguez v. San Antonio ISD was filed, students in poorer districts received only two-thirds of the state funding that was received by students living in wealthier districts. Attorneys for Rodriguez (and some other parents) argued that the situation created a classification of individuals (the poor) that was based on income. They further argued that because public school funding is the responsibility of the state, Texas was in violation of the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
"The whole logic behind our public school system is that everyone gets an equal chance," says Bryant, who has a scholar's knowledge of the case. "Anything short of equity is an injustice."
The case also spotlighted the financial gulf between working-class, minority districts like Edgewood and predominantly white, affluent ones such as the Alamo Heights Independent School District, just five miles away.
As Bryant walks the polished floors and orderly halls of Kennedy, he points to the glossy white, brick walls with unfinished faces and words. "Budget cuts," Bryant explains. "The teacher in charge was laid off."
'Bright and Capable,' Despite Challenges
Ten minutes north of Kennedy—past a series of overcrowded auto repair shops, an aged strip mall, and the 99-acre San Fernando Cemetery, rests a Kennedy feeder school: F.D. Roosevelt.
Leticia Barbosa has been teaching for 12 years, the last seven at Roosevelt. While some teachers might start their careers in Edgewood to gain experience before transferring to a higher-paying district, Barbosa, who was born in San Antonio, started at a private school in Alamo Heights and then applied to Roosevelt Elementary.
"We're on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks," Barbosa says. "But we (the staff) have high expectations for our students. They're bright and capable."
Roosevelt is surrounded by despair. Junked cars rest on dirt lawns. Mangy-looking dogs run loose in weeds growing near an abandoned shack. Their laces tied together, sneakers swing from telephone lines to signal which gang "owns" the street. Instead of a religious figure, an outdoor altar holds three discarded jugs of antifreeze.
With its manicured lawn, stately appearance and 600-plus students wearing crisp white and blue polo-style shirts and khaki bottoms, the school stands in stark contrast to its surroundings. "When I tell people I work here, they have no idea what or where it is," says Barbosa, who is president of the Edgewood Classroom Teachers Association (ECTA).
Barbosa says she's not surprised by the reaction, since Edgewood has no book stores, museums, movie theaters or high-profile cultural events to attract nonresidents. "We do have a Cinco de Mayo parade that is gaining in popularity," she says. ECTA participates in the parade by giving books to attendees.
The question remains: What is the best way to finance schools?
The Rodriguez case won in the federal district court, which ruled that per-pupil spending disparities between Edgewood and Alamo Heights and other districts were unconstitutional. Although the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling in 1973, the case brought national attention to state school-funding gaps between district haves and have-nots. Since then, the case has been reopened and settled a half-dozen times. Most notably, it set the stage for a 1984 landmark case, which again challenged the equity of the state's school financing system—Edgewood ISD v. Kirby. William Kirby was the Texas commissioner of education.
Initially, eight school districts and 21 parents were represented in the Edgewood case. Ultimately, 67 other school districts as well as many other parents and students joined the original plaintiffs in contesting the state's reliance on local property taxes to finance public education. Attorneys for the plaintiffs contended that this method was intrinsically unequal because property values varied greatly from district to district, thus creating an imbalance in funds available to educate students on an equal basis.
Since 1984, school districts have sued the state of Texas repeatedly to wrest more money for public education, resulting in five major court decisions. The state has lost them all.
The process began again earlier this year when a state district judge found that Texas was financing its schools in an inadequate, inequitable, and unconstitutional way. The case is back in the Texas Supreme Court.
"Why does the state neglect certain districts?" asks Bryant. "Blissful ignorance. I think everyone has gotten use to the way things are."
-John Rosales
37206-East Nashville, Tennessee: Amid Great Challenge, Progress
At the beginning of each school year in August, students at Ross Elementary receive a list of 10 basic school supplies they will need during that year. Children share the list with their parents, who indicate what they will be able to provide. Usually, says third-grade teacher Lauryn England, only about a quarter of the school's families can afford the necessary supplies.
"On the most basic level, teachers are struggling to put even the most basic supplies in the hands of the students," England says.
A similar ritual plays out again in late May when Ross teachers assemble packages of books, educational games, and other resources that might help the children stay engaged in learning over the summer. For schools like Ross that have so many low-income families, "summer dip" doesn't describe a day at the beach or a pool. It refers instead to a potential decline in learning due to disengagement during a long, listless summer.
Ross Elementary sits on McFerrin Avenue in East Nashville—a 12-square-mile area known for its trendy restaurants, shops, music clubs, and art galleries. The urban area also has high levels of poverty and crime.
Its students are predominantly African American and low-income. Nine out of 10 Ross students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and the school has faced an all-too-familiar slate of challenges—a yawning achievement gap, low enrollment, teacher attrition, and minimal parental engagement. And since the city struck down its busing policies in the late 1990s, neighborhood schools in Nashville's high poverty areas are increasingly isolated as re-segregation has taken hold across the area.
England notices that friends who teach at more affluent schools in the city can rely on parents to provide the supplies and extras that teachers need. Children at the more affluent schools "are obviously less 'school dependent' than our students," England says. "They have other avenues, namely the home, to help supplement their education."
While students at Ross may be swimming upstream, staff report many real improvements and remain dedicated to helping students reach their goals. It's a commitment that's woven into the school's official motto: "Every Student, Every Day, Some Success in Some Way."
England says the school is lucky to have some strong community partnerships, though teachers and staff do have to make the effort to seek them. "But if we ask, it'll be there. Especially if you make it clear how they're helping benefits the students."
"[Ross Elementary School] has a dynamic and supportive principal, a dedicated and talented staff, and they have been empowered to use their professional expertise to meet their students' needs," says Metropolitan Nashville Education Association President Stephen Henry.
Doing What's Right
Many urban school districts across the nation have become the scourge of the media and lawmakers who believe they represent little more than complete and utter failure of the public school system. Nashville is no exception. Educators here are not blind to the tremendous challenges, but refuse to fall in line behind ideas they believe will be a disservice to many of their students.
The Nashville school board shares the sentiment. From 2012 to 2013, it repeatedly rejected an application from Phoenix-based charter operator Great Hearts Academies to open up shop—despite intense pressure from state lawmakers to have the application approved. The new charter was to have been located in West Nashville, a mostly white and affluent area. Great Hearts operators did not provide a plan to ensure racial diversity.
In a city with a largely segregated student population, the creation of a school that would exacerbate the isolation of low-income students was a non-starter for Nashville's public education advocates, according to school board member Amy Frogge.
"We were not about to approve a school that used taxpayers' dollars to open up in an affluent part of town without explaining how it was going to attract kids from high-poverty neighborhoods," she says.
Despite repeated attempts by the state legislature to force the Nashville school board to accept the application, Frogge and other members voted against allowing the new charter school.
"The state government was pushing an education agenda that can be detrimental to our most disadvantaged students," Frogge says. "It comes down to basic fairness."
For England and other East Nashville teachers, the ongoing political battles may seem removed from the daily challenges of teaching in a low-income neighborhood. They know it affects them, but school days are short, resources are scarce, and achieving the school motto of finding "some success in some way" for every student can be elusive.
"We're making progress but these kids face enormous challenges in their daily lives," England says. "As teachers, we can't change their economic situation, but we can help these students once they walk into school."
"Of all the things these kids lack, having good teachers at a good school shouldn't be one of them."
—Tim Walker
20814 -Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland: Exclusive and Inclusive
On the quiet, leafy streets of Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Md., sit stately homes with professionally manicured lawns and circular driveways cradling European cars. Nearby busy shopping corridors are lined with wine bars, gourmet markets, and upscale stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
This Washington, D.C., suburb is part of Montgomery County, Md., among the nation's wealthiest counties. Many of its public high school students attend Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (B-CC), consistently ranked as one of the best public high schools in the nation. The school also rivals the area's most elite private schools, and has educated the children of ambassadors, World Bank economists, and Washington lobbyists.
But B-CC is hardly a country club school; it is made up of a broad mix of students from diverse economic backgrounds. It serves middle- and low-income students from nearby Kensington and Silver Spring, and from Bethesda and Chevy Chase. According to recent statistics, about 19 percent of B-CC students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
A more remarkable statistic, however, is that 96 percent of the school's students—including those who come from the stately homes and those who live in more affordable apartments or townhouses—head to college.
"We expect everyone to do well here," says B-CC resource counselor Colleen Desmond. "It's a culture of expectation—all of our students are expected to take rigorous classes with the support they need. And because of that, all our kids achieve."
Research backs her up. A Century Foundation study, "Housing Policy Is School Policy," found that low-income students in Montgomery County who attend schools with low levels of poverty significantly outperform low-income students who attend schools with high poverty rates. This includes high-poverty schools with state-of-the-art educational interventions. According to the study, it's because of the county's economic integration.
Under Montgomery County's zoning policy, the public housing authority can purchase one-third of the homes within each subdivision to operate as subsidized housing. Thus, families with lower incomes can live in affluent neighborhoods and send their kids to school alongside students from middle- or higher-income families.
Why do they do better once they're at these more affluent schools? Century Foundation researcher Richard Kahlenberg, who supervised the study, points to three factors: students, parents, and educators.
"It's influential for an economically disadvantaged student to be in a school where classmates expect to go on to college and are more academically engaged," Kahlenberg explains. "Typically, they're more engaged because of parents who, for a variety of reasons are in a better position to be involved in school affairs." Adding that affluent parents are "four times as likely to be members of the PTA and twice as likely to volunteer in class."
According to Kahlenberg, the third factor is the quality of educators who are drawn to lower poverty schools. Educators are as interested in working conditions as in salary, Kahlenberg says. "They want conditions where they can focus on teaching and not discipline, where parents are involved in their children's academic success, and where students strive for excellence."
He is quick to add that low-income parents are equally concerned about their children's education, but frequently less able to participate as fully as they would like. Impediments include having more than one job, little flexibility at work, and needing to take public transportation to school meetings and events, sometimes with small children in tow, because child care is unavailable or unaffordable.
"At mixed-income schools, there's a better chance of having a core of actively engaged parents, and those mixed-income schools just work better," Kahlenberg says.
The most visible core of engaged parents at B-CC is the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Educational Foundation (BCCEF), made up of parents, alumni, and community members. BCCEF's mission is to identify needs at the school and raise the funds from current and former B-CC families, alumni, friends, towns, and local businesses to meet those needs.
"We don't have enough lower-income students to qualify for much federal support, but we still have needs," says BCCEF President Matthew Gandal, a B-CC parent.
The foundation funds a Summer Academy for at-risk eighth graders before they enter high school to fully prepare them for the rigors of B-CC. It also funds Time for Academic Progress, or "TAP," an after-school tutoring program for English, math, and science. This way, extra support isn't the sole province of wealthy kids whose parents can pay for private tutors.
Founded by three B-CC parents, the Foundation's newest program, College Tracks, works with low- and moderate-income students who can succeed in college, but might not get there because they're unfamiliar with the application process and with finding financial aid and scholarships.
"The goal of the staff and volunteers is to get students to the finish line," says Gandal. "And it's paying off. Hundreds of students go through the program and we've had a 99 percent success rate."
Programs like this help alleviate some of the discomfort less affluent parents feel when their children first enter B-CC.
B-CC Principal Karen Lockard recalls a mother whose gifted son had just come from a lower-income school in a poor neighborhood. She wanted to be sure he didn't get lost.
"Don't assume that just because my kid is black that he's a thug," the mother warned. "I want him in calculus, where he belongs."
The educators at B-CC agreed. Their philosophy is that everyone should be in AP and honors classes by the time they're juniors.
"It's no longer just white, rich kids," says Lockard.
Just as all-black and all-white schools were separate and unequal, "separate schools for rich and poor are never going to be equal," says Kahlenberg. "Housing policies need to be changed to allow for more economic integration."
The nation's neighborhoods are becoming increasingly segregated by economic status. When a neighborhood determines the school, it can undercut the democratic promise. Kahlenberg says, "Any student, no matter what her parents' income, should have equal access to a high-quality public education."
—Cindy Long
95206-Stockton, California: Pain and Promise
The sign announcing the city's population, above a tall bank of high grass along the road to the Stockton Airport, is battered and weather-beaten. In many ways, the condition of the sign reflects the condition of the southern part of the city, Zip code 95206, a designation that marks one of the poorest neighborhoods in this city of nearly 300,000.
The sign also symbolizes the educators of this area of Stockton, beaten up by their conditions but still standing.
During the nation's economic crisis, Stockton homeowners lost their properties in record numbers. Last year, the city made headlines by becoming the largest in the nation to declare bankruptcy.
Stockton Classroom Teachers Association president Ellen Old remembers when the news hit. "I had calls from media in Japan and even Brazil," she says. "But I made a point to tell reporters that for our members, there was much more.
"In addition to the city bankruptcy and foreclosure crisis affecting the community and our parents," explains Old, "our members had to cope with the roller coaster nature of staffing our schools due to layoffs around the state, and the lack of resources for our classrooms."
The city benefitted from federal School Improvement Grants to shore up parent resources and community support. But the district has continued to struggle with fully staffing its schools and serving the needs of a struggling population.
What is it like to teach in Stockton? "Exhausting," says Old. "What our members have to endure is so tough and they're tired."
'Difficult and Unsettling'
Brianna Clegg is a classic example of the shifting sands of job security in her district.
Now in her sixth year of teaching, she has been at three different schools, three different years. She has taught middle school, older elementary, and early grades. "I've been laid off, had the layoff rescinded, laid off again, hired, and let go, all in my first few years of teaching,"
In one instance, after being honored as an outstanding employee at the school awards dinner, Clegg returned home to find a layoff notice waiting for her. Today, she teaches kindergarten students at Taylor Leadership Academy—a position she loves. Her brightly colored classroom shows it, and it's where she wants to stay.
"It's so difficult and unsettling," says Clegg, who grew up attending Stockton schools. "Once I was asked to step in after Halloween for a sixth-grade class. You can imagine how tough it would be to set up the class, lessons, and classroom structure and try to do this immediately. I couldn't take that one."
As if that weren't enough, says Old, the SCTA president, the lack of funding for staffing has prevented the district from using long-term substitutes for more than 20 days, because doing so would mean the district would have to cover benefits and more.
Students in this predominantly low-income area are deeply affected.
'I Can't Abandon Them'
"These are children who have people who walk out of their lives all of the time, and here you are, giving them substitute teachers who can't stay and asking them to open up and trust them," says Clegg. "Students have looked at me as if to say, 'OK, when are you going to leave?' It's simply not fair to them and I'm not surprised when they don't engage. It makes my work harder but I have to hang in there."
Clegg is now settled into her job and is cautiously hopeful about her prospects.
"I can't abandon them, with society telling these kids they can't succeed."
Ed Auerbach, a government and finance teacher at Thomas Edison High School in Stockton, agrees. After 13 years in the classroom, he is frustrated about the uphill battle he and his colleagues often face in the classroom—and in the public eye—but he doesn't want to be anywhere else.
"We teach in spite of parents telling their children they need to leave school to work because they have to provide for their family," says Auerbach. "We teach in spite of peers pressuring students not to engage in their studies."
"I teach for students like Irene Hernandez-Martinez, Catheryn Zinski, and Molly Vang, students who keep working hard on their school work," adds Auerbach. "And for a former student who wasn't a good student at all until his senior year when a lesson on the stock market turned him on to learning. Today, he's in community college."
And then there's Elia Nuñez, one of nine children and the first in her family to go to college. Abandoned by her biological parents when she was two years old, Nuñez finished at the top of her class despite working 30 hours a week to help pay the rent and food for her sister and her aunt, who both have families.
Nuñez received a full scholarship to attend the University of Santa Clara this fall. "I'm going to study for a degree in public policy, so I can help a city start over," says Nuñez.
Recession-weary leaders like Old, point to members like Auerbach and Clegg plus a new generation of teachers and leaders. "I've had two Hmong former students and another Laotian student decide teaching was their way of helping their own community and its students," says Old. "Even my own children decided to become teachers though they know it's not an easy job. I told them that it's a tough life. They didn't even hesitate. Today, they're wonderful in the classroom."
Old says the public needs to look at what's happening in cities like Stockton.
"I see Stockton as the epicenter of public education's financial crisis and challenge," says Old. "If we don't wake up as a country and see what needs to be done to help these educators do their jobs and give students their chance to succeed in a city like Stockton, then the rest of the nation should worry."
—Anita Merina


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What kind of benefits and coverage do I receive with Blue Ridge PACE?
As a participant in the Blue Ridge PACE program, all necessary health services will be provided through Blue Ridge PACE and your Personal Care Team. Much of your care is delivered at the Blue Ridge PACE Center. Your Personal Care Team will decide with you and your family/caregiver on what is best for your needs.
PACE provides all normally covered Medicaid and Medicare services as well as additional services if needed.
Following are lists of examples of services Blue Ridge PACE provides:
Outpatient Health Services
- Adult Day Center
- Physician, clinic, and specialist services, which may include advanced practice nurses. Female participants are entitled to choose a qualified specialist for women's health services from a PACE provider network to furnish routine and preventive care. Specialty services may include:
-Behavioral Health services/mental health and substance abuse services including community psychiatric rehabilitation services
-Internal Medicine
-Oral Surgery
-Orthopedic Surgery
-Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat)
-Plastic Surgery
-Pulmonary Disease
-General Surgery and Ambulatory Surgery
-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery
- Nursing Care
- Medical Social Services
- Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
- Podiatry
- Help for you and your family on how to choose and cook healthy foods
- Laboratory tests, X-rays and other tests used to find out what health problems you may have
- Prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medications. You must get these through the Blue Ridge PACE Center.
- Durable Medical Equipment (such as artificial limbs, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and walkers)
- Vision care (examinations and treatment including eyeglasses)
- Psychiatric Care including evaluation, consultation, diagnosis, and treatment
- Hearing Services, including evaluation, hearing aids, repairs and maintenance
Hospital Inpatient Care
- Semi-private room and meals
- General Medical and Nursing services
- Medical/Surgical, Intensive Care, Coronary Care units, as necessary
- Laboratory tests, X-rays, and other necessary tests
- Prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medications
- Blood and blood parts such as plasma
- Surgical care including use of anesthesia, a medicine that puts you to sleep during surgery
- Use of oxygen
- Physical, Speech, Occupational, and Respiratory Therapies
- Medical Social Services
- Emergency and Urgent Care
- Ambulance Service
- Treatment Room Services
- Denture repair and maintenance
Not included under hospital care are private room and private duty nurse charges, unless your Personal Care Team feels it is necessary for your condition. Also not included are non-medical items such as telephone charges unless they are authorized by your Personal Care Team.
Nursing Facility Care
- Semi-private room and meals
- Doctor and nursing services
- Custodial care
- Personal care and assistance
- Prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medications
- Physical, Speech, and Occupational Therapies
- Medical Social Services
- Medical supplies and appliances
- Other services determined necessary by Personal Care Team to improve and maintain the participant's overall health status
Home Health Care
- Skilled nursing services
- Doctor's visits
- Physical, Speech, and/or Occupational Therapies
- Medical Social Services
- Home Health Aide services
- Homemaker/Chore service
- Home delivered meals with special diets.
- Respite Care
- Personal Care Services
End of Life Care
End of Life services will be coordinated between the participant and their family/caregiver and the Blue Ridge PACE Personal Care Team. End of Life services may include any combination of care in the hospital, care in a nursing facility, and/or care at home.
Health-Related Services
Health related services include transportation, homemaker/chore services, personal care services, home delivered meals, help with getting around your community, and help handling your money and paying your bills. Health related services will be coordinated and provided based on your plan of care.
Dental Care
Dental care will be provided to you according to your needs. Your Personal Care Team will approve of the dentist who will care for your teeth and gums and will schedule any necessary appointments.
Dental services may include:
- Diagnostic services - examinations and tests, or X-rays, to see what your needs are
- Preventive services - cleaning and instructions in keeping your teeth and gums as healthy as possible
- Restorative dentistry - fillings, temporary or permanent crown(s)
- Prosthetic appliances - complete or partial dentures
- Oral surgery - pulling teeth (called "extracting") or the removal or repair of soft and hard gum tissue
Second Medical Opinion
You and/or your family/caregiver are entitled to the opinion of a different healthcare provider if you so choose. If you and/or your family/caregiver would like a second opinion, you must ask Blue Ridge PACE to coordinate and schedule this second opinion for you in order for PACE to cover the costs.
You always have the right to appeal a Blue Ridge PACE care decision.


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LL Cool J takes to the stage at the 2012 Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on Sunday (February 12) in Los Angeles.
The 44-year-old entertainer started out his hosting duties with a prayer to the late Whitney Houston.
"Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us," LL said. "Today our thoughts are with her mother, her daughter and all of her loved ones. And although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit, and to have the legacy of her music to cherish and share forever. Amen."
LL Cool J: Prayer for Whitney Houston at Grammys
10+ pictures inside of LL Cool J leading a prayer for Whitney Houston… More Here! »