text:
Factory Workers
Henry A. Sykes
Mills-Stebbins Villa, Springfield, Mass
April 19, 2019 August 3, 2018 by Derek Strahan
The house at 3 Crescent Hill in Springfield, around 1938-1939. Image courtesy of the Springfield Preservation Trust.
The house in 2017:
This Italian villa-style house was completed in 1851 on Crescent Hill, atop a ridge near the corner of Maple and Pine Streets. It was the work of Henry A. Sykes, a notable local architect from Suffield, Connecticut. His career was cut short when he died in 1860 at the age of 50, but he was responsible for architecturally-significant houses, churches, and other buildings throughout the Connecticut River Valley. However, this house was perhaps his magnum opus. It reflected the Italian villa style that was just starting to become popular for upscale American homes, and it was later praised by architectural historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock as "one of the finest nineteenth century houses in America."
The original owner of this house was John Mills, a lawyer and politician who was born in 1787 in Sandisfield, Massachusetts. He never attended college, but he studied law in Granville under future county sheriff John Phelps, and was admitted to the bar in 1812. He subsequently lived in Southwick, and in addition to his law practice he also served in the state senate from 1823 to 1827, including as the senate president from 1826 to 1827. In 1826, he was also part of a six-man commission that established the current Massachusetts-Connecticut border, finally resolving a long-standing dispute that dated back to the 1640s.
One incident during Mills's time in the state senate, which may be apocryphal, came in 1824, when the Marquis de Lafayette visited the Massachusetts State House. Lafayette shook hands with each member of the state legislature and, upon reaching Mills, supposedly clasped his hands and declared, "My dear friend, I recollect you in the Revolution." Mills, of course, was born five years after the war ended, and was the youngest of the state senators. However, he was also prematurely bald, which evidently made him look much older than he really was.
In 1835, Mills was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, a position he held until 1841. During this time, in 1836, he moved to Springfield, where he lived in a house on Howard Street. He returned to the state senate in 1842, and then from 1843 to 1844 served as the state treasurer and receiver-general. In 1848, he was nominated for lieutenant governor by the newly-established and Free Soil Party, a third party that was mainly focused on preventing the spread of slavery. He and his running mate, Salem mayor Stephen C. Phillips, were roundly defeated in the general election by incumbent Whig governor George N. Briggs and lieutenant governor John Reed, Jr., but they managed to finish second in the three-way race, ahead of the pro-slavery Democratic candidate.
Around 1849, Mills commissioned Sykes to design this house, which was completed two years later. At the time, Crescent Hill and the neighboring Ames Hill were just starting to be developed, but by the end of the 19th century this area would become the city's most prestigious neighborhood, with its proximity to downtown and its sweeping views of the river valley. John Mills was in his early 60s at the time, and was largely retired from public life by then. However, he did serve a single term in the state house of representatives in 1851, and in 1855 he became president of the Hampden Mutual Fire Insurance Company.
During the 1855 state census, Mills was living here in this house with his wife Emily and three of their children: John, Sarah, and Isaac. Isaac's wife Ann and their daughter also lived here, and the family employed three Irish-born servants who lived here. However, John sold this house two years later, and he and Emily moved to Byers Street, where they lived with their daughter Sarah and her newlywed husband, Roswell G. Shurtleff. The Mills family did not entirely leave Crescent Hill, though, because in 1859 Isaac and Ann moved into a new house across the street from here, at the corner of Crescent Hill and Pine Street.
John Mills died in 1862 at the age of 74, by which point this house on Crescent Hill was owned by John B. Stebbins, a wealthy merchant who was a business partner of hardware store owner Homer Foot. Stebbins was a native of Springfield, and was among the original students at Springfield High School when it opened in 1828, but after leaving school he moved to Hartford, where he worked as a clerk in a grocery store. However, he soon returned to Springfield, and found work as a clerk in Homer Foot's hardware store. After a few years here he moved again, this time to New York City, and worked as a clerk in another hardware store, but in 1839 he returned to Springfield for good, returning to his position with Foot, with the promise that he would be given an interest in the firm.
Homer Foot kept his promise, and in 1842 Stebbins became a partner in the company. A year later he married his wife Maria, and the couple first lived on Elm Street, and then at the corner of Main and Emery Streets, and finally on Byers Street before purchasing this house from John Mills in 1857. They had a total of seven children: John, Mary, Elizabeth, Annie, Fannie, Maria, and an unnamed child who died shortly after birth. Mary also died in infancy, but the five surviving children all lived here in this house with their parents.
Aside from Foot's store, Stebbins was also involved in a number of other companies, serving as a director and, at various times, as president of the Springfield Institution for Savings, the Holyoke Water Power Company, the Ludlow Manufacturing Company, and the Hampshire Paper Company. In the process he became a wealthy man, with the 1870 census listing his real estate as being worth $73,000, plus a personal estate worth $30,000, for a total net worth of more than $2 million in today's dollars. He was also involved in politics, serving as a city alderman in 1853, a member of the school committee from 1865 to 1869 and in 1873, and as a state legislator in 1883.
His wife Maria died in 1891, and John died in 1899, but this house remained in the Stebbins family for many years. Of the five children who survived to adulthood, neither Annie nor Maria ever married, and they lived here for the rest of their lives. The 1920 census shows them living here with their nephew, 48-year-old John, who was the son of their brother John. Maria died in 1928, and by 1930 Annie was living here alone, aside from two servants. She would remain here until her death in 1939, around the same time that the first photo was taken.
After Annie's death, the house was inherited by her nephew Carl Stebbins, the oldest son of her brother John. He had grown up in this house with his parents and grandparents, but he later moved to Tacoma, Washington, before eventually returning to Springfield. By the 1940 census he was 70 years old, and was living here with his wife Grace, their daughter Grace, and his wife's sister, Rebecca Birnie. He lived here until his death a decade later, and his wife remained here until her death in 1961, more than a century after the Stebbins family first moved into this house.
Their daughter Grace sold the property in 1962, and the house remained vacant for a number of years. During this time the interior was vandalized, but by the early 1970s it had new owners and was carefully restored. The house was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the following year it became part of the Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District, which encompasses the many historic 19th and early 20th century homes in the neighborhood. Today, the house shows some changes from its 1930s appearance, including different first-floor windows on the left side, but overall it still stands as one of the grandest and most architecturally-significant houses in the city.
Categories 1930s, Houses, Italianate, Massachusetts, Springfield Massachusetts Tags Crescent Hill Springfield, Henry A. Sykes, National Register of Historic Places, WPA 2 Comments
Samuel Bowles House, Springfield, Mass
August 1, 2018 December 22, 2017 by Derek Strahan
The house at 182 Central Street in Springfield, probably sometime around 1910-1920. Image courtesy of Jim Boone.
This elegant Italianate-style home was built in 1853, along the slope of Ames Hill near the corner of Maple and Central Streets. It was designed by Henry A. Sykes, an architect from Suffield, Connecticut, whose other Springfield works included the Mills-Stebbins Villa on nearby Crescent Hill, and it was originally owned by Francis Tiffany, the pastor of the Church of the Unity. Reverend Tiffany had become the pastor of the church in 1852, and he would go on to serve the congregation for the next 12 years. He and his wife Esther lived in this house throughout this time, and by the 1860 census they were living here with four young children.
In 1864, Tiffany left the church to take a position as an English professor at Antioch College in Ohio, and he sold the house to Samuel Bowles, who was a friend of his and one of the most influential men in the city. He was the son of Samuel Bowles II, a journalist who had founded the Springfield Republican as a weekly newspaper in 1824. The younger Samuel was born two years after the paper started, and began working alongside his father when he was 17. Around the same time, the Republican became a daily newspaper, and after his father's death in 1851, Samuel took over control of the paper, when he was just 25 years old.
By the time Samuel Bowles and his wife Mary moved into this house, the Republican was one of New England's leading newspapers, and as the name of the paper suggested, it generally supported Republican, anti-slavery policies before and during the Civil War. Bowles was also a friend of Emily Dickinson, and he published several of her poems in the Republican. These poems, which were heavily edited in order to conform with conventional poetic styles, were among the very few that were ever published during her lifetime, as most of her nearly 1,8000 poems were discovered and published posthumously.
Samuel and Mary Bowles raised ten children in this house, although during this time he frequently traveled. He suffered from poor health, which was attributed to over-working, so because of this he took a number of trips to the American West and to Europe in the 1860s and early 1870s, often publishing accounts of his travels. However, he died in 1878, at the age of 51, and the responsibility of running the newspaper fell to his son, Samuel Bowles IV, who was 26 years old at the time, just a year older than his father had been when he took over the paper in 1851.
By the end of the 19th century, the house had become part of the MacDuffie School, which had been founded in 1890 by John and Abby MacDuffie as a school for girls. The Bowles house became the school's main classroom building, but over time the campus expanded, eventually encompassing many of the historic mansions on and around Ames Hill. The house became part of the Ames/Crescent Hill Historic District when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, but in 1978 the school requested permission from the Historical Commission to demolish the house, claiming that it was in poor condition and that the land was needed for tennis courts. The Commission ultimately granted the request, and despite a court challenge by local preservationists, the house was demolished in 1980. However, the tennis courts were never built, and the site of the house remains vacant nearly 40 years later.
Categories 1910s, 1920s, Houses, Italianate, Massachusetts, Schools, Springfield Massachusetts Tags Central Street Springfield, Henry A. Sykes Leave a comment
Second Baptist Church, Suffield, Connecticut (1)
August 1, 2018 April 8, 2017 by Derek Strahan
The Second Baptist Church, on North Main Street in Suffield, around the early 1900s. Image from Celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Settlement of Suffield, Connecticut (1921).
The church in 2017:
In the colonial era, nearly all of the churches in New England were Congregational. At the time, Baptists were a very small minority, but they gained a foothold here in Suffield. The first Baptist church in Hartford County was established in the town in 1769, and its congregation met in a small church about three miles west of the town center. Despite the remote location, the church remained there in the Hastings Hill neighborhood, and the current church building was built in 1846.
Because of how far removed it was from the town center, though, the Second Baptist Church was formed in 1805, and in 1840 they built this building on North Main Street, right in the center of Suffield. It was designed by Suffield native Henry A. Sykes, who was the architect for a number of buildings throughout the Connecticut River Valley in the mid-19th century. The Greek Revival architecture is fairly typical for New England churches of the era, with a symmetrical front facade, a columned portico, and a multi-stage steeple above it.
The church building was completed a year after Dwight Ives became the pastor. He served here for many years, and had close ties to the Connecticut Literary Institute, located across the street. Known today as Suffield Academy, it had been founded as a Baptist school, and many of the students attended church here. During Ives's 35 year long pastorate here, the church experienced several revivals, with a significant growth in the size of the congregation.
About a century after the first photo was taken, the Second Baptist Church is still an active congregation. There have been some changes, most notably the demolition of the parsonage to the right of the church and the construction of several additions in the 1950s. The church itself is still standing, though, along with the Ebenezer Gay Manse, barely visible in the distance on the far left of the photos. Both buildings are important landmarks in downtown Suffield, and they are part of the Suffield Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Categories 1900s, 1910s, Churches, Greek Revival, Street Scenes, Suffield Connecticut Tags Henry A. Sykes, National Register of Historic Places Leave a comment
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Marcus Jadotte is ITA's Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis.
Health Information Technology (Health IT) has the potential to be one of the world's most transformative industries over the next few years. The use of electronic health records to comprehensively collect and organize patient information, remote monitoring and telemedicine services to treat patients, and the use of statistical and analytical tools to determine the best course of treatment for both individual patients and entire populations of citizens, represent a few examples of how Health IT can have a significant impact on the health care sector in the future.
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries face challenges similar to those in the United States regarding delivery of health care, such as adequately and efficiently addressing a patient's health condition, while maximizing cost effectiveness. Given that many TPP countries have health care systems at a relatively early stage of development, U.S. exports of Health IT product and service solutions provide a tremendous opportunity for these countries to quickly deliver improved health care to their citizens. Provisions in the TPP regarding pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical supplies, in conjunction with increased deployment of Health IT, will lead to critical improvements in the health care sector among all TPP countries, saving thousands of lives daily.
In addition, TPP will reduce the cost of exporting medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and medical devices; increase competitiveness of U.S. firms; and promote fairness. The agreement will eliminate tariffs, lower service barriers, and increase transparency while also increasing competitiveness by instituting stronger intellectual property rights protection and establishing enforceable labor and environmental obligations. In addition, TPP sets up new high-standard global trade rules, updating 20-year-old WTO rules for the modern economy.
When a level playing field exists, American companies and workers can effectively compete against anyone in the world; therefore, TPP will ensure that the rules of trade and investment are fair. With 646,000 U.S. health product workers in 2014, it is important that the new agreement protects made-in-America products.
Within the agreement, Japan and Malaysia will eliminate import taxes on 100 percent of U.S. health products exports immediately. Also, 99.9 percent of U.S. health products exports to TPP markets will enjoy duty-free access immediately.
In summer 2015, ITA released a Health IT market sector report that shows many export market opportunities for the industry. An updated report is scheduled to be released later this year.
TPP partner countries such as Japan, Mexico, and Singapore have great opportunities for U.S. exporters. Check out findings from our Top Markets reports on projected outcomes for the industry.
Japan represents an attractive export market for U.S.-made Health IT products and services, primarily for established companies. In fact, Japan ranked as the top country in the Health IT Top Markets Report, with a favorable demographic profile, the third highest GDP level globally, a largely urbanized population, a tech-friendly society, and sizable current market, coupled with significant ICT and health care investments already in place.
Mexico represents an important medium-sized Health IT market opportunity for U.S. companies, as evidenced by the strong trading relationship between the two countries. Several factors contribute to this opportunity, including Mexico's recognition of the quality of U.S. products and services, the absence of regulations inhibiting innovation and expansion, and the ongoing investment in Mexico's health care system. Several recent trade missions organized by ITA have demonstrated Mexico's interest in U.S. products and services. In fact, the Mexican Health IT market is currently estimated at more than $200 million!Though the country's Health IT market is not as large as other countries, it is one with significant potential for U.S. small- and medium-sized companies. More specifically, TPP addresses trade barriers that pose disproportionate challenges to our small- and medium-sized businesses such as high foreign taxes, overly complex trade paperwork, customs red tape, restrictions on Internet data flows, and weak logistics services. These challenges severely harm the ability of small- and medium-sized businesses to create American jobs.
Singapore represents a significant market opportunity for U.S. Health IT companies. Opportunities exist for U.S. companies in this sector, particularly for care coordination for private insurers and physicians, and possible deployment of new mobile applications. Using ITA's Health IT market report's methodology, the reasonably high-level of mobile phone subscriptions, strong score on physician density, and its highly urban population, are noteworthy market characteristics.
If you are interested in learning more about this growing industry, contact Matthew Hein (Matthew.Hein@trade.gov), Health IT industry analyst at ITA, or reach out to one of ITA's local offices.
Note: Matt Hein will attend the largest Health IT trade show next month (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference and exhibition, February 29-March 4 in Las Vegas). He'd love to meet you at the event and discuss your company's exporting goals.


text:
require 'fastlane_core/command_executor'
require 'fastlane_core/configuration/configuration'
require 'google/cloud/storage'

require_relative '../options'
require_relative '../module'
require_relative '../spaceship_ensure'
require_relative './interface'

module Match
  module Storage
    # Store the code signing identities in on Google Cloud Storage
    class GoogleCloudStorage < Interface
      DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME = "gc_keys.json"

      # User provided values
      attr_reader :type
      attr_reader :platform
      attr_reader :bucket_name
      attr_reader :google_cloud_keys_file
      attr_reader :google_cloud_project_id
      attr_reader :readonly
      attr_reader :username
      attr_reader :team_id
      attr_reader :team_name
      attr_reader :api_key_path
      attr_reader :api_key

      # Managed values
      attr_accessor :gc_storage

      def self.configure(params)
        if params[:git_url].to_s.length > 0
          UI.important("Looks like you still define a `git_url` somewhere, even though")
          UI.important("you use Google Cloud Storage. You can remove the `git_url`")
          UI.important("from your Matchfile and Fastfile")
          UI.message("The above is just a warning, fastlane will continue as usual now...")
        end

        return self.new(
          type: params[:type].to_s,
          platform: params[:platform].to_s,
          google_cloud_bucket_name: params[:google_cloud_bucket_name],
          google_cloud_keys_file: params[:google_cloud_keys_file],
          google_cloud_project_id: params[:google_cloud_project_id],
          readonly: params[:readonly],
          username: params[:username],
          team_id: params[:team_id],
          team_name: params[:team_name],
          api_key_path: params[:api_key_path],
          api_key: params[:api_key]
        )
      end

      def initialize(type: nil,
                     platform: nil,
                     google_cloud_bucket_name: nil,
                     google_cloud_keys_file: nil,
                     google_cloud_project_id: nil,
                     readonly: nil,
                     username: nil,
                     team_id: nil,
                     team_name: nil,
                     api_key_path: nil,
                     api_key: nil)
        @type = type if type
        @platform = platform if platform
        @google_cloud_project_id = google_cloud_project_id if google_cloud_project_id
        @bucket_name = google_cloud_bucket_name

        @readonly = readonly
        @username = username
        @team_id = team_id
        @team_name = team_name

        @api_key_path = api_key_path
        @api_key = api_key

        @google_cloud_keys_file = ensure_keys_file_exists(google_cloud_keys_file, google_cloud_project_id)

        if self.google_cloud_keys_file.to_s.length > 0
          # Extract the Project ID from the `JSON` file
          # so the user doesn't have to provide it manually
          keys_file_content = JSON.parse(File.read(self.google_cloud_keys_file))
          if google_cloud_project_id.to_s.length > 0 && google_cloud_project_id != keys_file_content["project_id"]
            UI.important("The google_cloud_keys_file's project ID ('#{keys_file_content['project_id']}') doesn't match the google_cloud_project_id ('#{google_cloud_project_id}'). This may be the wrong keys file.")
          end
          @google_cloud_project_id = keys_file_content["project_id"]
          if self.google_cloud_project_id.to_s.length == 0
            UI.user_error!("Provided keys file on path #{File.expand_path(self.google_cloud_keys_file)} doesn't include required value for `project_id`")
          end
        end

        # Create the Google Cloud Storage client
        # If the JSON auth file is invalid, this line will
        # raise an exception
        begin
          self.gc_storage = Google::Cloud::Storage.new(
            credentials: self.google_cloud_keys_file,
            project_id: self.google_cloud_project_id
          )
        rescue => ex
          UI.error(ex)
          UI.verbose(ex.backtrace.join("\n"))
          UI.user_error!("Couldn't log into your Google Cloud account using the provided JSON file at path '#{File.expand_path(self.google_cloud_keys_file)}'")
        end

        ensure_bucket_is_selected
        check_bucket_permissions
      end

      def currently_used_team_id
        if self.readonly
          # In readonly mode, we still want to see if the user provided a team_id
          # see `prefixed_working_directory` comments for more details
          return self.team_id
        else
          UI.user_error!("The `team_id` option is required. fastlane cannot automatically determine portal team id via the App Store Connect API (yet)") if self.team_id.to_s.empty?

          spaceship = SpaceshipEnsure.new(self.username, self.team_id, self.team_name, self.api_token)
          return spaceship.team_id
        end
      end

      def api_token
        api_token = Spaceship::ConnectAPI::Token.from(hash: self.api_key, filepath: self.api_key_path)
        api_token ||= Spaceship::ConnectAPI.token
        return api_token
      end

      def prefixed_working_directory
        # We fall back to "*", which means certificates and profiles
        # from all teams that use this bucket would be installed. This is not ideal, but
        # unless the user provides a `team_id`, we can't know which one to use
        # This only happens if `readonly` is activated, and no `team_id` was provided
        @_folder_prefix ||= currently_used_team_id
        if @_folder_prefix.nil?
          # We use a `@_folder_prefix` variable, to keep state between multiple calls of this
          # method, as the value won't change. This way the warning is only printed once
          UI.important("Looks like you run `match` in `readonly` mode, and didn't provide a `team_id`. This will still work, however it is recommended to provide a `team_id` in your Appfile or Matchfile")
          @_folder_prefix = "*"
        end
        return File.join(working_directory, @_folder_prefix)
      end

      def download
        # Check if we already have a functional working_directory
        return if @working_directory

        # No existing working directory, creating a new one now
        self.working_directory = Dir.mktmpdir

        bucket.files.each do |current_file|
          file_path = current_file.name # e.g. "N8X438SEU2/certs/distribution/XD9G7QCACF.cer"
          download_path = File.join(self.working_directory, file_path)

          FileUtils.mkdir_p(File.expand_path("..", download_path))
          UI.verbose("Downloading file from Google Cloud Storage '#{file_path}' on bucket #{self.bucket_name}")
          current_file.download(download_path)
        end
        UI.verbose("Successfully downloaded files from GCS to #{self.working_directory}")
      end

      def delete_files(files_to_delete: [], custom_message: nil)
        files_to_delete.each do |current_file|
          target_path = current_file.gsub(self.working_directory + "/", "")
          file = bucket.file(target_path)
          UI.message("Deleting '#{target_path}' from Google Cloud Storage bucket '#{self.bucket_name}'...")
          file.delete
        end
      end

      def human_readable_description
        "Google Cloud Bucket [#{self.google_cloud_project_id}/#{self.bucket_name}]"
      end

      def upload_files(files_to_upload: [], custom_message: nil)
        # `files_to_upload` is an array of files that need to be uploaded to Google Cloud
        # Those doesn't mean they're new, it might just be they're changed
        # Either way, we'll upload them using the same technique

        files_to_upload.each do |current_file|
          # Go from
          #   "/var/folders/px/bz2kts9n69g8crgv4jpjh6b40000gn/T/d20181026-96528-1av4gge/profiles/development/Development_me.mobileprovision"
          # to
          #   "profiles/development/Development_me.mobileprovision"
          #

          # We also have to remove the trailing `/` as Google Cloud doesn't handle it nicely
          target_path = current_file.gsub(self.working_directory + "/", "")
          UI.verbose("Uploading '#{target_path}' to Google Cloud Storage...")
          bucket.create_file(current_file, target_path)
        end
      end

      def skip_docs
        false
      end

      def list_files(file_name: "", file_ext: "")
        Dir[File.join(working_directory, self.team_id, "**", file_name, "*.#{file_ext}")]
      end

      def generate_matchfile_content
        return "google_cloud_bucket_name(\"#{self.bucket_name}\")"
      end

      private

      def bucket
        @_bucket ||= self.gc_storage.bucket(self.bucket_name)

        if @_bucket.nil?
          UI.user_error!("Couldn't find Google Cloud Storage bucket with name #{self.bucket_name} for the currently used account. Please make sure you have access")
        end

        return @_bucket
      end

      ##########################
      # Setup related methods
      ##########################

      # This method will make sure the keys file exists
      # If it's missing, it will help the user set things up
      def ensure_keys_file_exists(google_cloud_keys_file, google_cloud_project_id)
        if google_cloud_keys_file && File.exist?(google_cloud_keys_file)
          return google_cloud_keys_file
        end

        return DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME if File.exist?(DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME)

        fastlane_folder_gc_keys_path = File.join(FastlaneCore::FastlaneFolder.path || Dir.pwd, DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME)
        return fastlane_folder_gc_keys_path if File.exist?(fastlane_folder_gc_keys_path)

        if google_cloud_project_id.to_s.length > 0
          # Check to see if this system has application default keys installed.
          # These are the default keys that the Google Cloud APIs use when no other keys are specified.
          # Users with the Google Cloud SDK installed can generate them by running...
          # `gcloud auth application-default login`
          # ...and then they'll be automatically available.
          # The nice thing about these keys is they can be associated with the user's login in GCP
          # (e.g. my_account@gmail.com), so teams can control access to the certificate bucket
          # using a mailing list of developer logins instead of generating service accounts
          # and keys.
          application_default_keys = nil
          begin
            application_default_keys = Google::Auth.get_application_default
          rescue
            # This means no application default keys have been installed. That's perfectly OK,
            # we can continue and ask the user if they want to use a keys file.
          end

          if application_default_keys && UI.confirm("Do you want to use this system's Google Cloud application default keys?")
            return nil
          end
        end

        # User doesn't seem to have provided a keys file
        UI.message("Looks like you don't have a Google Cloud #{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME.cyan} file yet.")
        UI.message("If you have one, make sure to put it into the '#{Dir.pwd}' directory and call it '#{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME.cyan}'.")
        unless UI.confirm("Do you want fastlane to help you to create a #{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME} file?")
          UI.user_error!("Process stopped, run fastlane again to start things up again")
        end

        UI.message("fastlane will help you create a keys file. Start by opening the following website:")
        UI.message("")
        UI.message("\t\thttps://console.cloud.google.com".cyan)
        UI.message("")
        UI.input("Press [Enter] once you're logged in")

        UI.message("First, switch to the Google Cloud project you want to use.")
        UI.message("If you don't have one yet, create a new one and switch to it.")
        UI.message("")
        UI.message("\t\thttps://console.cloud.google.com/projectcreate".cyan)
        UI.message("")
        UI.input("Press [Enter] once you selected the right project")

        UI.message("Next fastlane will show you the steps to create a keys file.")
        UI.message("For this it might be useful to switch the Google Cloud interface to English.")
        UI.message("Append " + "&hl=en".cyan + " to the URL and the interface should be in English.")
        UI.input("Press [Enter] to continue")

        UI.message("Now it's time to generate a new JSON auth file for fastlane to access Google Cloud Storage:")
        UI.message("")
        UI.message("\t\t 1. From the side menu choose 'APIs & Services' and then 'Credentials'".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 2. Click 'Create credentials'".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 3. Choose 'Service account key'".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 4. Select 'New service account'".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 5. Enter a name and ID for the service account".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 6. Don't give the service account a role just yet!".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 7. Make sure the key type is set to 'JSON'".cyan)
        UI.message("\t\t 8. Click 'Create'".cyan)
        UI.message("")
        UI.input("Confirm with [Enter] once you created and downloaded the JSON file")

        UI.message("Copy the file to the current directory (#{Dir.pwd})")
        UI.message("and rename it to `#{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME.cyan}`")
        UI.message("")
        UI.input("Confirm with [Enter]")

        until File.exist?(DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME)
          UI.message("Make sure to place the file in '#{Dir.pwd.cyan}' and name it '#{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME.cyan}'")
          UI.message("")
          UI.input("Confirm with [Enter]")
        end

        UI.important("Please never add the #{DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME.cyan} file in version control.")
        UI.important("Instead please add the file to your `.gitignore` file")
        UI.message("")
        UI.input("Confirm with [Enter]")

        return DEFAULT_KEYS_FILE_NAME
      end

      def ensure_bucket_is_selected
        # Skip the instructions if the user provided a bucket name
        return unless self.bucket_name.to_s.length == 0

        created_bucket = UI.confirm("Did you already create a Google Cloud Storage bucket?")
        while self.bucket_name.to_s.length == 0
          unless created_bucket
            UI.message("Create a bucket at the following URL:")
            UI.message("")
            UI.message("\t\thttps://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser".cyan)
            UI.message("")
            UI.message("Make sure to select the right project at the top of the page!")
            UI.message("")
            UI.message("\t\t 1. Click 'Create bucket'".cyan)
            UI.message("\t\t 2. Enter a unique name".cyan)
            UI.message("\t\t 3. Select a geographic location for your bucket".cyan)
            UI.message("\t\t 4. Make sure the storage class is set to 'Standard'".cyan)
            UI.message("\t\t 5. Click 'Create' to create the bucket".cyan)
            UI.message("")
            UI.input("Press [Enter] once you created a bucket")
          end
          bucket_name = UI.input("Enter the name of your bucket: ")

          # Verify if the bucket exists
          begin
            bucket_exists = !self.gc_storage.bucket(bucket_name).nil?
          rescue Google::Cloud::PermissionDeniedError
            bucket_exists = true
          end
          created_bucket = bucket_exists
          if bucket_exists
            @bucket_name = bucket_name
          else
            UI.error("It looks like the bucket '#{bucket_name}' doesn't exist. Make sure to create it first.")
          end
        end
      end

      def check_bucket_permissions
        bucket = nil
        while bucket.nil?
          begin
            bucket = self.gc_storage.bucket(self.bucket_name)
          rescue Google::Cloud::PermissionDeniedError
            bucket = nil
          end
          return if bucket.nil? == false
          UI.error("Looks like your Google Cloud account for the project ID '#{self.google_cloud_project_id}' doesn't")
          UI.error("have access to the storage bucket '#{self.bucket_name}'. Please visit the following URL:")
          UI.message("")
          UI.message("\t\thttps://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser".cyan)
          UI.message("")
          UI.message("You need to give your account the correct permissions:")
          UI.message("")
          UI.message("\t\t 1. Click on your bucket to open it".cyan)
          UI.message("\t\t 2. Click 'Permissions'".cyan)
          UI.message("\t\t 3. Click 'Add members'".cyan)
          UI.message("\t\t 4. Enter the service account email address".cyan)
          UI.message("\t\t 5. Set the role to 'Storage Admin'".cyan)
          UI.message("\t\t 6. Click 'Save'".cyan)
          UI.message("")
          UI.input("Confirm with [Enter] once you're finished")
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Drought mitigation, conflicts, natural resources management, participatory approach, restoration bonds, soil resources, vegetation cover, vegetation index data
(-) conflicts (51)
(-) soil resources (6)
(-) natural resources management (3)
(-) restoration bonds (1)
(-) participatory approach (1)
(-) vegetation index data (1)
(-) Drought mitigation (1)
Conflict Continues to Drive Hunger -'Monitoring Food Security in Countries with Conflict Situations"
FAO and WFP provided an update on the food security situation in countries affected by conflict to the UN Security Council. In half of the 16 countries monitored, more than one quarter of the population faces emergency or crisis levels of food insecurity. In most countries food security continues to…
A Comparative Analysis of Climate-Risk and Extreme Event-Related Impacts on Well-Being and Health: Policy Implications
There are various climate risks that are caused or influenced by climate change. They are known to have a wide range of physical, economic, environmental and social impacts. Apart from damages to the physical environment, many climate risks (climate variability, extreme events and climate-related…
Just Published- Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict
The resurgence of violent conflict in recent years has caused immense human suffering, at enormous social and economic cost. Violent conflicts today have become complex and protracted, involving more non-state groups and regional and international actors, often linked to global challenges from…
Conflicts and weather patterns strain food security
Erratic rains and rising cereals prices intensify hunger risks around Eastern Africa
Global Report on Food Crises 2018
The 2018 Global Report on Food Crises provides the latest estimates of severe hunger in the world. An estimated 124 million people in 51 countries are currently facing Crisis food insecurity or worse (the equivalent of IPC/CH Phase 3 or above). Conflict and insecurity continued to be the primary…
Soil resource efficiency in urbanised areas - analytical framework and implications for governance
In this report, the notion of soil as an integral part of ecosystems and natural capital is explored and thus focused on the stock of the soil resource and the flows of valuable goods and services that can be derived from this stock. The concept of natural capital recognises soil as an asset that is…
Unravelling Stakeholder Perceptions to Enable Adaptive Water Governance in Dryland Systems
Adaptive water governance seeks to increase a social-ecological system's adaptive capacity in the face of uncertainty and change. This is especially important in non-linear dryland systems that are already exposed to water scarcity and increasing degradation. Conservation of water ecosystem services…
Special Issue "Remote Sensing of Drought Monitoring"-Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2018
Drought is a complex and recurring natural disaster that occurs throughout the world and often has negative impacts on many sectors of society. Drought monitoring is challenging given the complex spatio-temporal dimensions of drought and its severity. Traditionally, drought monitoring has relied…
Fundamental shift in drought management needed in Near East and North Africa region
FAO report calls for a more pro-active and long-term planning to become more resilient against droughts
A Foreign Policy Perspective On The Sustainable Development Goals
The German Federal Foreign Office and adelphi co-organize the side event "Global Resilience Agenda: A Foreign Policy Perspective on the SDGs" on 17 July 2018 at the High Level Political Forum 2018, taking place in the German Permanent Mission in New York. The event seeks to deepen the understanding…
Moving beyond policy bias in the polarised debate on conflict and climate in Darfur
Both those who argue for and those who refute climate-conflict links draw on Darfur to support their case. New analysis of political bias behind the environmental narratives and their critiques adds much-needed nuance to our understanding of when drought is – and is not – relevant to the conflict.
Under the gun. Resource conflicts and embattled traditional authorities in central Mali
This report explores the lack of governance as a structural driver of resource conflict in the region and identifies a mix of short- and long-term measures to increase the legitimacy of the Malian state.
Water, Security and Conflict
This paper summarizes WRI current understanding of water and security threats and their links to conflict, migration, and food insecurity. It is intended for professionals in the defense, diplomacy, and development fields. WRI reviews the key drivers behind growing water risk, describe and…
We need to do more to understand how climate change and conflict are linked. Here's why
The impacts of climate change are increasingly viewed as global security risks, which will have far-reaching implications for both human and renewable natural systems. Most climate–conflict research has focused on East Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The SIPRI Insights paper, Climate change and…
Status of local soil contamination in Europe - Progress in the management of contaminated sites in Europe
In this report the findings of a questionnaire commissioned by the European Commission Joint Research Centre for the revision of the Indicator "Progress in the management of contaminated sites in Europe" in 2016 are presented. It has been produced with the contribution of data provided by the…
Soil: How much do we value this critical resource?
The importance of soil is placed under the spotlight in this in-depth analysis by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC)
New study just published: 'Climate, Conflict and Forced Migration
According to the study, the effect of climate on conflict occurrence is of particular relevance for Western Asia in the period 2010-2012 when many countries were undergoing political transformation. The impact of climate on conflict and asylum seeking flows is limited to specific time period and…
International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy – Volume 3 now available
The International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy is a book series that discusses central questions in law and politics with regard to the protection and sustainable management of soil and land – at the international, national and regional level. Volume 3 of the International Yearbook of Soil Law…
New Adelphi report: SHORING UP STABILITY: Addressing Climate & Fragility Risks in the Lake Chad Region
Lake Chad is caught in a conflict trap. Violence between armed opposition groups – including the so-called 'Islamic State West Africa Province' and 'Boko Haram' – and state security forces has left 10.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Climate change is compounding these challenges…
2014–2015 Global Food Policy Report
The 2014–2015 Global Food Policy Report, IFPRI's flagship publication, puts into perspective the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions in 2014 and highlights challenges and opportunities for 2015
Why Europe should care more about environmental degradation triggering insecurity
Why Europe should care more about environmental degradation triggering insecurity- Hartmut Behrend in " Global Affairs" Volume 1; Issue 1; 2015
Ecological Tapestry of the World
The Global Ecological Land Unit map is the most detailed look ever at Earth's ecosystems. Basically, it partitions the planet into squares 250 meters on a side—roughly the size of a couple of football fields. An ecosystem looks at lithology (that's rocks and dirt), climate, topography, and land…
Assessing Land Degradation and Desertification Using Vegetation Index Data: Current Frameworks and Future Directions (RS)
Land degradation and desertification are important issues to both ecological and social research. The need for a quantitative, repeatable methodology to assess land degradation and desertification reliably is more pressing than ever before.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Archive for the tag "career changer"
Is the Grass Greener?
I typically believe the grass is greener on the other side, just over the next hill. It may be self-delusional or wishful thinking, but it's my nature, however torturous it can be, to believe there's something better.
Such thinking can be the curse of people who are never satisfied with life and what they have, always seeking, never arriving. Or it can be the motivation that leads to risk-taking, improvement and growth.
I have been seeking greener grass in my career through a marathon five-year journey, and now that I'm on the brink of making a transition from public relations to mental health counseling after what will be 22 graduate courses and two years of internships — and one collapsed full-time job along with its reliable income under all that weight — I am pretty confident that the fescue indeed will be brighter.
I also have been thinking that as I launch my new career in 2017 – which will include, ideally and ultimately, my own independent practice – that a new geographic location may offer greener pastures than the Baltimore-Washington megalopolis where I have been stationed for 28 years, business-, lifestyle-, scenery- and culture-wise.
My thinking is that the time to make a geographic change would coincide with my career transition, or at least relatively early in my new career, before becoming established in one place.
I also will be 54, far into midlife, by the time I graduate the counseling program. If I go somewhere else, I want to be young enough to become engaged in the fabric of the new community occupationally, socially, civically, recreationally and other ways, not just to live out retirement (which I don't know if I will ever want to reach anyway).
I have already had people advise me against moving, telling me essentially that the grass is not greener, that the desire for something fresh and new is merely a cover for a compulsion to escape.
The idea of moving is complicated by several factors, primarily family concerns. Some factors I believe are manageable: I don't have a big fear of change; the move wouldn't necessarily be irreversible if it didn't work out; I believe I could make new friends and keep old ones with some effort; I am confident I can earn a living and be successful starting a business, though research is needed.
But family, that is the hardest one to gauge. I'm a new empty-nester. Both of my kids are attending Maryland colleges. My daughter will graduate the same weekend I will in 2017. She may go to France to teach English; she may follow her boyfriend to an engineering job in Texas or beyond; or she may stay in Maryland. My son will have at least two years left. My extended family is small and scattered.
My wife's family and her roots are in Maryland. She doesn't want to leave. I understand. Many would argue that factor alone should kibosh the whole idea. And perhaps it will. Or perhaps there could be room for compromise and negotiation as events unfold and more is discovered.
There's no doubt that the belief that the grass could be greener can complicate life and cause angst. But it's also a belief that gives those prone to seeking an excitement about the unknown, about a new experience, about what could be around that next corner, over that next hill. Will it be emerald green, or drought-baked brown?
Posted in career, career change, career changer, career transition, change, children, choice, counseling, counselor, employment, empty nest, friends, happiness, job, job loss, kids, midlife, moving, positive thinking, retirement, transition, Uncategorized and tagged career, career change, career changer, career transition, counseling, employment, empty nest, midlife, moving, risk-taking, transition, transitions
Joining the Gig Economy
I am a member of the Gig Economy.
I didn't plan to join. It just evolved.
Giggers don't count. We're under the radar. The U.S. Bureau of Labor can't find us for all its employment reports. We're a step above underground. We exist in the netherworld between employed and unemployed, worker and slacker. Above all, we are free agents, with shallow allegiances, if any.
Nothing is secure. Nothing is long-term. Nothing is permanent. But then again, that applies to most traditional jobs nowadays, except for government employment. Those who convince themselves otherwise are fooling themselves.
If I don't work, I don't get paid. In my circumstance, sometimes even when I do work, I don't get paid. There are no benefits – except the ability to say "yes" or "no" to anything, and to make your own choices, agreements and schedule. No paid vacation, no sick leave, no retirement savings programs, no health or life insurance. Not even any guarantee of hours or certain amount of pay per week.
Income is unpredictable. One thing that is predictable is that Giggers will constantly be scrambling for income, replacing one lost or concluded gig with another.
An October 13, 2016 CNBC report said employment in the Gig Economy is growing "far faster" than traditional payroll employment, according to a Brookings Institution study. An author of the report said the data showed a trend indicating a "potentially seismic reorganization" of the economy and employment arrangements.
Until a year ago, I counted. I was included in the Labor category "Employed." For the previous 10 years, I held two traditional jobs, with a salary and benefits. As long as I showed up each day, I could get paid the same, whether I surfed the Internet all day and took two-hour lunches or hunkered down and grinded on the corporation's mission. Not anymore.
At the same time I began the two-year internship portion of my interminable master's degree program in counseling – a minimum 12-to-15 hour weekly commitment – my full-time public relations job started going south because of institutional disarray. My employer and I soon ended our union. I was suddenly without the safety net of the full-time, permanent gig, except for the frayed, patchwork, hole-ridden net of the Gig Economy.
I fell back on teaching tennis, which I had done during other periods of unemployment, and ramped up my hours as a counseling intern at an outpatient mental health center, something that was impossible to do while working full-time and which significantly aided me in meeting my master's degree requirements. But my income was in the toilet.
I landed a great gig for the summer, between academic semesters and internships, as a tennis teacher at a resort in Bethany Beach, DE. But like many gigs, it was short-term,
A gig at the Bethany Beach, DE Bandstand, where I had a summer gig as a tennis teacher.
offered no benefits, and produced an unpredictable income stream. For the time I taught on court, I made decent money. If I wasn't teaching – waiting around at the club for the next paying hour or bumped out of teaching because of too little customer demand and my low ranking on the pecking order of tennis pros – I made minimum wage. I taught a good amount over the summer – but also spent much time earning $8.25 per hour. The job ran parallel with vacation season, late May to Labor Day.
At 4 p.m. on Labor Day, the gig was up and my income ceased. Now I'm cobbling together an income from three sources – another counseling internship, where I'm lucky I get paid at all, but only at half-rate and only when erratic and inconsistent clients show up; a writing tutor job at Loyola University, where I'm a student; and itinerant tennis teaching. I'm working erratic hours seven days a week. And I'm still searching for more work – more regular and consistent tennis teaching to maximize income for my still-available, Swiss-cheese hours.
The nature of membership in the Gig Economy is to be in a constant state of searching and scrambling for the next gig, the most reliable gig, the best-paying gig for the time we must devote to it. We can't rest, lest the hour glass runs out. We have to see beyond the horizon, because everything ends or fizzles out. We have to be chess players, thinking three or four moves ahead.
But membership in the Gig Economy has its advantages. I'm much happier with my work than I was at my last job. I have flexibility and control over my schedule. I have variety. I'm not bored at anything I do. I can move on when I feel like it with little angst. I like the direction I'm moving. I'm more free and self-directed.
I may hold other permanent jobs in the future, likely in a counseling capacity. But I'm also pretty certain I will be retaining membership in the Gig Economy for the rest of my working life in one form or another. It's just a matter of putting all the necessary pieces together. I am a free agent, and I like it that way.
Posted in career transition, employment, free agent, gig, gig economy, job, job loss, summer job, transition, Uncategorized, unemployment and tagged career change, career changer, career transition, counseling, employment, free agent, gig, gig economy, unemployment
YOLO: Don't Fear the Late Career Change
Good news for "older" workers seeking to change their careers and find more fulfilling work comes from the American Institute for Economic Research in a new study, New Careers for Older Workers:
Among workers ages 45-and-over who attempted a career change, 82 percent of late-in-career changers were considered successful.
The majority of successful career changers said that the change made them happier.
Many successful career changers saw an increase in income.
Possessing transferable skills is one of the most important factors in determining the success of a career change.
The majority of late-in-career changers reported that their stress levels declined, it did not take too long to find a job, and that they felt they were following a passion. An obstacle was pay cuts, but career-changers reported that after a period of hard work and persistence, their incomes rose.
The study concludes that a career change later in life is "a viable choice" for those seeking work in an occupation that uses their current skills, and that one determinant of success is gaining a realistic view of what the transition will entail and preparing for it. While the study can't dispel the common perception that age discrimination in hiring exists, it does offer some evidence that some employers are open to hiring older workers.
I have changed careers once before – from journalism to public relations – which isn't such a big leap. Like the study said, that change involved transferable skills. I made another career change that was prompted by market conditions, as did many career changers in the study. Consecutive public relations job layoffs motivated me to try a new career that I had contemplated before, and I entered a Baltimore teacher-training program for career-changers and non-educators. But I didn't last long in that field, and jumped back to PR.
Now I'm halfway through a graduate program for counseling while continuing to work in PR. I am not sure where my program is going to lead, or if I will necessarily change careers again. It's a journey of faith, and I'm enjoying the process, the learning and the people. If I were to change careers ultimately, my income level would surely drop. But I also think there would be potential for my income to exceed my current level if I switched fields, with hard work, certain choices and passion, as the study indicated.
My program is full of potential career-changers in their 40s or older. In the class on Group Theory I just completed, there are two engineers – including one who is going to retire from his position in two months when he graduates and embark on a totally different career path. There's also an accountant, a nurse, a fashion designer, a financial professional, teachers and former military members. Every one of them seems happy and inspired that they are pursuing a new path. It's invigorating. The passion and investment of self is palpable. Some feel called to what they are pursuing; all seem to feel a sense of liberation to be pursuing their sense of vision for themselves. For many, it is a deeply spiritual quest.
So for anyone who thinks it's too late or that they have too much to lose or that a change would be doomed to failure and prove to be a big mistake, take a look at the results of this study that suggest otherwise.
And to feel a little younger at heart, consider the millennial, social media buzzword delivered by a student commencement speaker at my daughter's high school graduation: YOLO, as in "You Only Live Once."
Posted in career change, career changer, older worker and tagged age discrimination, career, career change, career changer, late career change, new careers for older workers, older workers, YOLO


Note from SA Charter Moms: We are proud to share guest posts from hallmonitor covering San Antonio's public schools.
Shannon Elledge, a teacher at SAISD and a member of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers Support and Personnel participates in a rally outside Burnet Elementary before the school board votes on whether to move forward with a partnership between Stewart Elementary School and Democracy Prep Public Schools, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018.
Just the other day I asked a member of the San Antonio Alliance, the San Antonio ISD teachers and support staff union, whether relations with the district administration had improved at all. She demurred.
But today I got my answer.
The Alliance distributed a questionnaire, printed below in its entirety, to vet the candidates on a range of issues. A few of these are standard ethics questions, and few more pertain to how the board and administration relate to the union. It reminds us all that the Alliance does plenty of work that is not defined by its contentious relationship to the current board and administration.
3. How do your views align with or differ from the current SAISD superintendent's views?
Candidate's answers to these questions will be further fleshed out in forums according to Alliance executive Katy Bravenec. From there, the Alliance's political action committee (PAC) will make it's endorsement.
During the last board election in May 2017, the Alliance endorsed all incumbent board members, despite less visible tensions between the union and Martinez, who had 7-0 board votes piling up in his favor.
In May 2018 came the 132-teacher layoffs, alluded to specifically in the questionnaire. Now, in May 2019 sitting board members may be facing re-election into the headwinds promised by teachers and their advocates during the layoffs.
Municipal elections do not typically bring out the voters, though a mayoral race on the ballot should help a bit. Teachers do vote. They campaign. This matters to them. Other groups—parents, business leaders, or SAISD taxpayers—could develop their own questionnaire, or host their own forums, letting candidates know they too have concerns and priorities. But for that to matter, they'll need to be able to back up those priorities with votes.
The questions elucidate some of Alliance's continuing disagreement with the the current administration over the direction of the district. Questions like this one indicate that the Alliance considers Superintendent Pedro Martinez as either responsible for declining enrollment, or doing little to stop the bleeding. They don't acknowledge that the decline has been going on for decades, though they are correct that it has gotten pretty steep in recent years.
10. Over the past three years, under the current superintendent, student enrollment in SAISD has dropped by approximately 5,000 students. How would you hold the superintendent accountable for this drop in student enrollment? What ideas do you have for retaining our students and for increasing student enrollment?
Martinez has not been sheepish about declining enrollment. In May of last year, he included this assessment.
This school year, the number of in-boundary students who did not attend SAISD was 8,654, with the great majority of them enrolled in external charter schools. That's an increase of 3,242 students from the prior year, the largest increase we've seen to date. However, our enrollment only declined about 1,800 students – a little more than half of that. While still a substantial loss, it could have been worse. Our increased options for families has helped to offset some of this.
Competition for students has been increasing over the past five years, and recognizing this trend, we proactively have been preparing for it. We know that some parents and students are seeking different options, and we have been developing more diverse models and programs – through in-district charters, partnerships and expansion of successful programs to more neighborhood schools. These options have kept or brought in families.
So Martinez's answer, unanimously backed by the current board, is to create SAISD choices to compete with non-SAISD choices. That's not just charter schools. We can't forget that moving out of the district is a form of school choice. One exercised by more than a few SAISD teachers.
We call this white/middle-class flight, and it's left many areas of SAISD in deep poverty. There is not a single SAISD school with less than 60 percent free-and-reduced lunch (FRL) rate. Some are as high as 99.5 percent. With that many kids living in households where food and electricity may be unreliable, where parents are working around the clock and still struggling to make ends meet, where doctor visits and dentist visits aren't happening, schools start to feel the squeeze. They need more counselors. They need more specialists.
SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez at a school board meeting Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, where a vote was taken to move forward with a partnership with Democracy Prep Public School to takeover Stewart Elementary starting in the fall. Photo by Alma Hernandez for Folo Media.
But Choudhury is the Alliance's Public Enemy #2, for sure. In its questionnaire the Alliance calls into question that second part of his mantra.
8. Over 90% of our SAISD students are economically disadvantaged. What is your view of the current administration's "diverse by design" initiative in which they aim to create schools, not tied to a neighborhood, in which half of the students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and half of the students come from middle or upper-middle class backgrounds?
Here the Alliance builds its case that SAISD is more interested in serving the middle and upper-middle classes than it is in serving it's lowest income populations.
Socioeconomic (SES) school integration is a public policy designed to improve opportunities for students by: 1) reducing the negative educational effects associated with school poverty concentrations, and 2) providing a diverse environment that benefits all students.
Lastly, while 50 percent of the diverse by design schools are reserved for kids who qualify for free and reduced lunch (parents make $44,000 or less), a quarter of those seats are reserved for kids living in the deepest poverty in the city (median incomes between $19,000-$27,000).
If the district were interested in catering to wealthy families, the token 50 percent low-income seats would not be so heavily policed by Choudhury's office. They would open the doors, let the chips fall where they may, and you'd have 50 percent middle class kids and 50 percent kids from the higher end of the low-income spectrum. That's how choice works if you don't police it, and there's no incentive to police it unless you're trying to make it equitable.
Honestly, if you were trying to court middle class families only, you'd just open up a bunch of specialized academies with no guardrails and let them fill up the way that all special curriculum schools do. Check the economic math on schools like the International School of the Americas, Great Hearts, BASIS, Health Careers. That's how it works.
The district has been quick to admit that things aren't moving as fast as they want them to at some of the schools. However, it's not accurate to imply that the district isn't trying to "do high poverty schools well." By deploying principals like Sonya Mora to Gates Elementary, Brian Sparks to Bowden Elementary, and Master teachers throughout the district, the administration is arguably doing one thing that has proven to be effective across the country. It's just going to take time to scale, the district says. Many of the glitzier schools, like CAST Tech and ALA are made possible through highly specific partnerships and grants–but the meat and potatoes of school improvement are being distributed throughout.
There are also, however, some resources that the Alliance does not want given to high-poverty schools: charter partners.
In its questionnaire the Alliance seeks further assurance that board members will not pursue/support more Democracy Prep and Relay Lab Schools-style charter partnerships, which they oppose on many fronts. For teacher's unions around the country, "charter school" is simply a non-starter. They don't want to cooperate, compete, or cooperpete.
All that to say, the charter question is not surprising.
The Alliance would also like to hear board members vow to do whatever it takes to avoid a RIF. That's an understandable concern for a teachers union to have.
However, two State initiatives–the District of Innovation and the System of Great Schools–have also enflamed frustrations. Both make an appearance on the questionnaire. These two initiatives have poised the district to continue ambitious changes, and will likely be the backdrop of every district maneuver for the foreseeable future. They give legal and philosophical grounding to major changes—many of which will effect teachers.
Given that only three positions out of seven will be on the May ballot, there's almost no chance of a board flip, or a rerouting of the district. However, 3-4 split decisions aren't where any board wants to be, and it could slow things down significantly if resistance to Martinez gains a foothold.
PLEASE NOTE: When the question is a multi-part question, please be sure to answer all parts of the question. If there is a question that asks about something with which you are not familiar, please research the issue as this is something you will need to be able to do as a school board member.
What do you feel are the most important qualities and skills you bring to the Board?
What do you believe is the single most important issue the district faces right now?
How do your views align with or differ from the current SAISD superintendent's views?
Do you support or oppose the privatization (contracting out) of the district's custodians, food service employees, trades people, and other support personnel? Why or why not?
Do you support or oppose the state law that provides a financial incentive for public school districts to partner with privately-run charters? Do you think that public school districts should partner with privately-run charter schools? Why or why not? As a school board member would you support a resolution declaring the board's opposition to charter partnerships, privatization of schools, and corporate grants intended for privately-managed schools?
Do you support or oppose the district's contract with Democracy Prep, a privately-run charter from New York City, to operate Stewart ES? Do you support or oppose the district's contract with Relay Lab Schools, a privately-run charter, to operate Storm and Ogden?
What are your views regarding "choice" schools? What are your views regarding neighborhood schools and their preservation? What do you think is the appropriate balance between "choice" schools and neighborhood schools and why?
Over 90% of our SAISD students are economically disadvantaged. What is your view of the current administration's "diverse by design" initiative in which they aim to create schools, not tied to a neighborhood, in which half of the students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and half of the students come from middle or upper-middle class backgrounds?
Over the past three years, under the current superintendent, student enrollment in SAISD has dropped by approximately 5,000 students. How would you hold the superintendent accountable for this drop in student enrollment? What ideas do you have for retaining our students and for increasing student enrollment?
Over the past two years, the district has not complied with the state law of no more than 22 students per classroom for K-4th grade due to the district's District of Innovation status under which they have a waiver from this state law. Would you support removing the class size waiver from the District of Innovation plan so that our K-4th grade classes have no more than 22 students? Would you support a resolution directing the superintendent to work with our union to create reasonable class size limits for other grade levels?
Last Spring, the superintendent recommended, and the school board approved, a "reduction in force" (RIF) of teachers for the first time in SAISD history. 132 teachers were RIF'd purportedly because of the district's financial situation. Would you support another RIF of teachers and/or support personnel this Spring? Why or why not? If not, what steps would you take to help avoid a RIF?
This school year, the district began the year with 35 teaching vacancies. In past years, the district has begun the year with no more than 0-5 vacancies. How will you hold the superintendent and the district's Talent Management Department accountable for this? We have some classes this school year that had a sub all or most of the first semester due to the high number of unfilled teaching vacancies. How will you hold the superintendent and Talent Management accountable for this?
Do you support high-stakes state testing of students? Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not? Do you support the concept of rewarding principals based on student test scores? Why or why not?
What measures do you believe need to be taken to attract teachers and support personnel to our district? What measures do you believe need to be taken to retain them? Do you view experienced teachers and support personnel as an asset or liability? Why or why not?
Do you support and respect the current SAISD Consultation policy regarding input from employees, including the right of the employees to choose their exclusive representative organization in a secret ballot election? Why or why not?
For seventeen years, our union partnered with SAISD to provide high-quality, research-based professional development for new teachers that was facilitated by active SAISD teachers. For the 2018-19 school year, the district discontinued the partnership without explanation. New teachers, and those who provide them with support, consistently tell us that they need the support that the partnership provided them. Would you support the reinstatement of this partnership between our union and SAISD?
From whom have you received support, or expect to receive support, for your campaign? What resources and support will you have to help you run a successful campaign?
If elected, from whom would you seek advice regarding issues that come before the Board?
Would you be willing to meet regularly with Alliance leaders and members to discuss issues and how the implementation of district initiatives play out in the field?
If faced with a decision to stand for what you believe in, for the good of our students, our teachers, our district, and it meant being the only board member for or against an issue, would you stand firm, or decide to follow the rest of the board and change your vote?
Do you have a personal or professional relationship with the district or its contracting agencies which involves compensation to you or your family members? If yes, please list those.
© 2019 San Antonio Charter Moms. All rights reserved.


text:
A talkie, courtesy TIFF Bell Lightbox, in Toronto.
"The Most Benevolent Show On Earth."
What a lousy banner that would make. Imagine it strung over the main street of your mid-sized American town one summer. The circus is coming, and it's a Good thing—would you buy a ticket?
Maybe, but that's not why. You'd buy your ticket, and tickets for your kids, because this circus—Circus Smirkus—blows your socks off. Who cares if it's a circus made up of youth performers? Never mind that it seems a place of belonging for them—so much so that they weep when its seven-week annual tour is done. It's the end-product that sells. And here's how you get to it.
Circus Dreams is no masterpiece, but it never bored me, and it won't bore you. It won't bore your kids either, and that's relevant here, because Circus Dreams is the closing night film for Sprockets 2011, the Toronto International Film Festival's cinema program for kids. You'll see the usual clown routines, tumbling and juggling—challenging stuff, if not exactly scary. But then you watch three girls, entwined in hoops, pulled near to the full height of the cupola, performing without nets or wires ("you can't use them, they get in the way," one explains) and you're impressed in a different way. With the exception of animal acts and fire, there's nothing this group of 12- to 18-year-olds won't do, or at least try.
They don't join the troupe cold. Each auditions; bringing a particular, and pretty advanced talent to an event that seems like the season opener of American Idol, only smaller, and really, really, uplifting. The judges, a pair of young guys who've been with Circus Smirkus for years, could not be nicer. In fact, as goofy as they are, you get a real impression of gravity from both of them, as it's clear they know how fragile their future charges are. Being a teen is tough—it's cliché, but true, and especially for these kids, already different enough, and now pursuing things that require them to stand out even more.
Producer/Director Signe Taylor sticks close to her little-human-story template. Of a potential cast of 27 kids, we meet a handful, mostly rookies, who take us on their journey through auditions, training, fitting in, performing, homesickness, and the grind of the road. We'll hear commentary from many others, but there are only four we really follow: a 12-year-old dancer/aerialist, a shy stick-juggling boy, and two girl clowns.
Training is a mere three weeks, in dingy, summer-camp-like conditions, not that anyone minds. I was surprised to learn that these kids, having earned their spots performing a particular act, still had to compete for roles within the show itself. This puts the newbies' insecurities on display. One of the girl clowns tries out for a balletic aerial act because, she admits, it makes her feel traditionally feminine. Her partner, less boisterous but more talented, seems more interested in what it means to be a female clown. "We always play it straight, while the boy clown gets the laughs," she complains. She's sick of it.
I hadn't thought about that before. And watching the girl clowns struggle through rehearsals of a 'proven' headhunting routine, I got a real sense for how such preconceptions—in the audiences' minds, but also in the performers'—can make something fall flat. "I know this material works," groans the trainer. He wrote it, and performed it to huge laughs. But though the clowns are good, they can't make it funny. Nobody's sure why. Maybe it's because they're girls. Maybe not.
Where precision meets the ineffable 'it'—there's good art, I guess. Ponder that, watching Circus Dreams, and also learn, learn, learn: about every weird circus contraption you've seen before but couldn't name. This was a big joy of the film for me: discovering, for example, that the hoops the starlets swing in at the top of the tent are called 'lyra'; and that 'diabolo' is the name for those breadloaf-sized spindles I've seen buskers fling in the air with a pair of sticks attached by a string. Or that a diabolo doubles act, performed successfully with five spindles at once, ranks you among the best in the world. "You need a special kind of brain to calculate those tricks," says one of the clowns. Circus Smirkus' diabolo-performing brothers, we later learn, are studying at MIT.
Did I mention that Circus Smirkus is in trouble? "If we don't break even, this season will be our last," says founder Rob Mermin, looking straight into Taylor's lens, grave-faced. There's logistics, rising fuel costs, the fickle weather (if it's too hot or too wet, the audiences thins)—many variables. We see a couple of poor houses, and then the founder again, mulling over a spreadsheet. Will staff have to be let go? Will Smirkus survive? For that matter, will Thula, Joy, Maddie and the other rookies master their roles, fit in, and find love? These questions pop up from time to time, but the kids seem uncomfortable answering them, and Taylor's not ruthless enough to push.
That would be a bad thing if Circus Dreams was The Amazing Race. But it isn't, and it doesn't need this manufactured drama to keep our attention. The charm of this film is its kids—just being kids—and the sweat, and the pain, and the glory of pursuing something they love to do. And learning what a 'diabolo' is. I'm such a geek.
Where to find Circus Dreams:
Circus Dreams screens this Thursday, April 14, at 10:15 am, and again on Sunday, April 17, at 4:15 pm, at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. Circus Dreams is part of the 14th annual Sprockets festival, showcasing more than 100 films from 28 countries for children aged 3 through 18.
Posted by Chris Edwards at 1:14 PM
Labels: Signe Taylor Sprockets TIFF Bell Lightbox circus documentary
It was a film that made me smile, seeing people like me doing things so.. different. I agree, the charm of the film was the kids--how they each handle being under the pressure of "The Circus".
It really opened my eyes to see that kids can pursue their dreams if they believe in themselves. And also that there is a spot for everyone in the gigantic jigsaw of life but they just have to keep looking until it's found.
Chris Edwards April 17, 2011 at 11:10 PM
'It's good to stand out.'
That's the real lesson of this film, and I want every teenager to learn it and live it.


Electronic Logging Devices and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations: Impacts on 4-H, FFA, Rodeo, and Other "Not-For-Hire" Hauling Activities Does It Matter to You?
Obtaining a commercial driver's license (CDL).
This article is mainly focused on describing requirements for people who typically are not professional for-profit carriers, but who may be transporting livestock, equipment, or other items as part of their commercial operation, and who have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,001 lb or more.
Requirements for DOT numbers, ELD mandate, and CDL are all the same.
Placing "Not-For-Hire" on a vehicle exempts that vehicle from FMCSA regulations.
Private agriculture-related activities are all exempt from FMCSA regulations.
All of these are not necessarily true. Requirements for CDL, ELD, and DOT numbers are all separate. Each may have exemptions, but they DO NOT apply to all. For example, ELD exemptions do not apply to DOT number requirements.
Information marked with "49 C.F.R." refers to FMCSA regulations found in the electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) (link in Resources section below).
DOT number requirements have the potential to impact the most people who are "not-for-hire" and travel out of state. Though the ELD mandate is currently garnering the most attention, DOT number requirements have been in place for several years but have largely been unenforced. The new ELD mandate has brought focus to existing laws and the enforcement of those laws. Just because you may have avoided fines in the past, it is still possible for the laws to be enforced in the future.
If you transport animals, supplies, or other materials across state lines for interstate commerce and have a combined GVWR above 10,001 lb, your vehicle is considered a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and you are required to obtain, display, and maintain a federal DOT number.
Thus, if you are above the 10,001-lb combined GVWR but are hauling a horse across state lines for pleasure only, the DOT number requirements do not apply to you.
A half-ton pickup with a small trailer hauling show steer to Denver for the Stock Show.
A one-ton pickup driving from New Mexico to Muleshoe, TX, to purchase vaccines.
Due to road limitations, your pickup and stock trailer cross into Arizona and back to New Mexico hauling animals for your business—even if you do not unload the animals in Arizona.
You cross state lines with a flatbed trailer to purchase equipment or supplies in another state.
You cross state lines with a horse to participate in a rodeo or horse show and have the opportunity to win money.
You cross state lines with a trailer (most trailer types are affected) to compete in any activity that pays money.
You cross state lines to haul livestock to an out-of-state market.
You cross a state line with your empty CMV to take it to an out-of-state repair shop.
a.	Talk to your insurance company now because many may not be familiar with the CMV regulations related to the 10,001-lb combined GVWR.
b.	Be prepared financially because, at the time of writing this article, informal estimates from insurance professionals in New Mexico indicated that if a CDL (described below) and CMV DOT number are required, your current insurance costs could double or triple.
2)	Go to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number) and select "Get a DOT Number." The FMCSA website also has a training manual for using the online system.
3)	Once a DOT number is obtained, it must be clearly displayed on the vehicle. See 49 C.F.R. §390.21 for regulations on how to properly display your DOT number.
Now I Have a DOT Number. What Else?
a)	You are involved in interstate commerce and have a GVWR of 10,001 lb or more.
b)	You are involved in intrastate commerce and have a GVWR of 26,001 lb or more.
2)	You must keep a written log of your driving time and non-driving time while on duty work hours unless you meet short-haul and agricultural operation exemptions (see Hours of Service and Log Book Exemptions below).
3)	If you are involved in interstate commerce and have a GVWR of 10,001 lb or more, you must also follow the requirements for vehicle parts, accessories, inspection, and maintenance (49 C.F.R. §393 and §396). You may also be subject to inspections (vehicle and driver) when at weigh stations/ports of entry or when pulled over on the road by law enforcement.
a)	The requirements/guidelines for vehicle parts, accessories, inspection, and maintenance are rather extensive, and you are encouraged to review the C.F.R. closely to remain in compliance.
There are exemptions to DOT number requirements found in 49 C.F.R. §390.3(f), but they largely do not apply to vehicles with a GVWR over 10,001 lb that are involved in interstate commerce as described in this article.
Possible exemptions include activities that are not undertaken for profit, such as if prize money is not declared as ordinary income for tax purposes, if the cost of the activities is not deducted as a business expense for tax purposes, or if corporate sponsorship is not involved. Examples include a high school or college rodeo student hauling animals to competition, or a 4-H or FFA student hauling animals to competition.
Note: If you are a professional rodeo participant or have sponsors, you are involved in interstate commerce. If you raise show animals and are traveling to a show as part of your business, you are involved in interstate commerce.
Readers are encouraged to review the C.F.R. to determine if they are exempt from DOT number requirements, and to check with the FMCSA office in the state in which they are travelling or states they will be traveling to.
Generally, drivers of commercial motor vehicles are required to adhere to limits on the amount of time they can drive in a given period, and are required to keep a log of their driving and non-driving hours. The following hours of service regulations apply to drivers of CMVs carrying property.
Drivers engaging in "not-for-hire" hauling activities may fall under the short-haul or agricultural exemptions described below; there are more exemptions that can be found in 49 C.F.R. §395.
You remain within a 100 air-mile radius of your normal work reporting location, return to the reporting location within 12 consecutive hours, and have at least 10 consecutive hours off duty separating each 12 hours on duty (49 C.F.R. §395.1(e)).
If you meet the short-haul or agricultural exemptions described above, you do not need to keep a log book (paper or ELD).
If you fall outside of these exemptions, you are required to obtain an electronic logging device. In general, most drivers engaging in "not-for-hire" hauling activities are exempt from electronic logging device requirements, but may not be exempt from paper logbook requirements.
You are required to have a CDL if the GVWR, Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR), or the actual weight of the vehicle or vehicle combination is 26,001 lb or more, or if you are hauling an amount or type of hazardous materials that requires placarding.
There are three CDL classes: A, B, and C.
One-ton or some three-quarter-ton pickups towing a 24-foot stock trailer.One-ton or some three-quarter-ton pickups towing a 6-horse trailer with living quarters.
Some one-ton pickups alone are rated to haul in excess of 30,000 pounds.
In New Mexico, farmers and ranchers can obtain a class E endorsement, which allows them to drive a vehicle in excess of 26,001 lb GVWR as long as they are within 150 air miles of the farm or ranch.
Should you be pulled over and have not fulfilled the proper requirements, you could be facing significant fines and be prevented from continuing your trip until someone with proper credentials (DOT number, paper log book or ELD, and/or CDL) picks up your livestock or supplies.
ALWAYS check with your state DOT and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration representative for more information. This publication aims to increase awareness of existing and pending laws and is not intended to describe every law or requirement.


Anonymous said…I'm requesting a picture of a certain former coworker afflicted with carpal tunnel…ps to add hilarity to the picture it would probably help to draw this person smoking.
Sad indeed to be struck down with the c.t. and resume the poisoning of yourself. Cheers to the Dr. in pain and agony — quit that smoking and get crackin'!
This entry was posted in carpaltunnel, colleague, doodles, drawings, english, requests. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
package ca.ualberta.smaccr.giftcarder;

/**
 * Created by splant on 11/16/15.
 */

import android.util.Log;

import com.google.gson.Gson;
import com.google.gson.JsonIOException;
import com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException;
import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken;

import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.client.ClientProtocolException;
import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;
import org.apache.http.entity.StringEntity;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;

/*
Elastic Search User Manager is responsible for retrieving user data from the elastic search server
 */

public class ESUserManager {

    private static final String TAG = "UserSearch";
    private Gson gson;
    private UserList userlist = new UserList();

    public UserList getUserList() {
        return userlist;
    }

    public ESUserManager(String search) {
        gson = new Gson();
        //searchUserList(search, null);
    }

    /**
     * Get a user with the specified id
     */
    public User getUser(String id) {
        SearchHit<User> sr = null;
        HttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
        HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet(userlist.getResourceUrl() + id);

        HttpResponse response = null;

        try {
            response = httpClient.execute(httpGet);
        } catch (ClientProtocolException e1) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e1);
        } catch (IOException e1) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e1);
        }

        Type searchHitType = new TypeToken<SearchHit<User>>() {}.getType();

        try {
            sr = gson.fromJson(
                    new InputStreamReader(response.getEntity().getContent()),
                    searchHitType);
        } catch (JsonIOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (JsonSyntaxException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        return sr.getSource();

    }

    /**
     * Get userlist with the specified search string. If the search does not
     * specify fields, it searches on all the fields.
     */
    public UserList searchUserList(String searchString, String field) {
        UserList result = new UserList();

        /**
         * Creates a search request from a search string and a field
         */

        HttpPost searchRequest = new HttpPost(userlist.getSearchUrl());

        String[] fields = null;
        if (field != null) {
            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not implemented!");
        }

        SimpleSearchCommand command = new SimpleSearchCommand(searchString);

        String query = gson.toJson(command);
        Log.i(TAG, "Json command: " + query);

        StringEntity stringEntity = null;
        try {
            stringEntity = new StringEntity(query);
        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        searchRequest.setHeader("Accept", "application/json");
        searchRequest.setEntity(stringEntity);

        HttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();

        HttpResponse response = null;
        try {
            response = httpClient.execute(searchRequest);
        } catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        /**
         * Parses the response of a search
         */
        Type searchResponseType = new TypeToken<SearchResponse<User>>() {
        }.getType();

        SearchResponse<User> esResponse;
        try {
            esResponse = gson.fromJson(
                    new InputStreamReader(response.getEntity().getContent()),
                    searchResponseType);
        } catch (JsonIOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (JsonSyntaxException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        // Extract the userlist from the esResponse and put them in result

        for (SearchHit<User> hit : esResponse.getHits().getHits()) {
            result.addUser(hit.getSource());
        }

        result.notifyObservers();

        return result;
    }
}


If you copy backup to CD disc or external HDD, it won't guarantee safety of your data, as it still will be subject to destruction by natural disasters. For maximum protection of your files against any source of loss or corruption, you need to transfer backup to network via SMB, FTP or SFTP, or sync local and networked folders.
Novosoft Office Backup lets you easily backup data to network folders, and also synchronize any kind of folders. The only requirement for these folders is that they must be seen by Windows Explorer. The program features several ways to copy data to/from remote computers, including support for WebDAV backup, an integrated FTP backup and SFTP backup clients (in Novosoft Office Backup Professional).
The software features a user-friendly Task Wizard which guides users through task creation and helps to configure all options. After selecting data that you want to back up, the Wizard will offer you to select where to store the files. To backup to network, you only need to select a LAN location, and to back up to FTP/SFTP, select the respective options and specify account information. When done, go to the next step of task creation.
Synchronization over network is done through selecting one local and one remote folder. When you sync network and local folders, it is necessary to specify files priorities, i.e. how the utility should treat files with identical names.
After you execute the task, Novosoft Office Backup automatically connects to the servers you specified during task creation and transfers backups to networked folders. Works perfectly!
Novosoft Office Backup - easy and reliable solution for backing up to network!


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