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Category Archives: ICT4D general
General material on ICT4D
"Reclaiming ICT4D" – in the beginning
It is always exciting submitting a book manuscript to a publisher, and today is no exception! I have at last finished with my editing and revisions, and sent the manuscript of Reclaiming ICT4D off to Oxford University Press. I just hope that they like it as much as I do! It is by no means perfect, but it is what I have been wanting to write for almost a decade now.
This is how it begins – I hope you like it:
A critical reflection on ICTs and 'Development'
This book is about the ways through which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become entwined with both the theory and the practice of 'development'. Its central argument is that although the design and introduction of such technologies has immense potential to do good, all too often this potential has had negative outcomes for poor and marginalized people, sometime intended but more often than not unintended. Over the last twenty years, rather than reducing poverty, ICTs have actually increased inequality, and if 'development' is seen as being about the relative differences between people and between communities, then it has had an overwhelming negative impact on development. Despite the evidence to the contrary, I nevertheless retain a deep belief in the potential for ICTs to be used to transform the lives of the world's poorest and most marginalized for the better. The challenge is that this requires a fundamental change in the ways that all stakeholders think about and implement ICT policies and practices. This book is intended to convince these stakeholders of the need to change their approaches.
It has its origins in the mid-1970s, when I learnt to program in Fortran, and also had the privilege of undertaking field research in rural India. The conjuncture of these two experiences laid the foundations for my later career, which over the last twenty years has become increasingly focused on the interface between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the one hand, and the idea of 'development' on the other. The book tells personal stories and anecdotes (shown in a separate font). It draws on large empirical data sets, but also on the personal qualitative accounts of others. It tries to make the complex theoretical arguments upon which it is based easy to understand. Above all, it has a practical intent in reversing the inequalities that the transformative impacts of ICTs have led to across the world.
I still remember the enjoyment, but also the frustrations, of using punch cards, with 80 columns, each of which had 12 punch locations, to write my simple programs in Fortran. The frustration was obvious. If you made just one tiny mistake in punching a card, the program would not run, and you would have to take your deck of cards away, make the changes, and then submit the revised deck for processing the next day. However, there was also something exciting about doing this. We were using machines to generate new knowledge. They were modern. They were the future, and we dreamt that they might be able to change the world, to make it a better place. Furthermore, there was something very pleasing in the purity and accuracy that they required. It was my fault if I made a mistake; the machine would always be precise and correct. These self-same comments also apply to the use of ICTs today. Yes, they can be frustrating, as when one's immensely powerful laptop or mobile 'phone crashes, or the tedium of receiving unwanted e-mails extends the working day far into time better spent doing other things, but at the same time the interface between machines and modernity conjures up a belief that we can use them to do great things – such as reducing poverty.
Figure 1.1 Modernity and the machine: Cambridge University Computer Laboratory in the early 1970s.
Source: University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory (1999)
In 1976 and 1977 I had the immense privilege of undertaking field research in the Singbhum District of what was then South Bihar, now Jharkhand, with an amazing Indian scholar, Sudhir Wanmali, who was undertaking his PhD about the 'hats', or periodic markets, where rural trade and exchange occurred in different places on each day of the week (Figure 1.2). Being 'in the field' with him taught me so much: the haze and smell of the woodsmoke in the evenings; the intense colours of rural India; the rice beer served in leaf cups at the edges of the markets towards the end of the day; the palpable tensions caused by the ongoing Naxalite rising (Singh, 1995); the profits made by mainly Muslim traders from the labour of Adivasi, tribal villagers, in the beautiful forests and fields of Singbhum; the creaking oxcarts; and the wonderful names of the towns and villages such as Hat Gamharia, Chakradharpur, Jagannathpur, and Sonua. Most of all, though, it taught me that 'development' had something powerful to do with inequality. I still vividly recall seeing rich people picnicking in the lush green gardens of the steel town of Jamshedpur nearby, coming in their smart cars from their plush houses, and then a short distance away watching and smelling blind beggars shuffling along the streets in the hope of receiving some pittance to appease their hunger. The ever so smart, neatly pressed, clothes of the urban elite at the weekends contrasted markedly with the mainly white saris, trimmed with bright colours, that scarcely covered the frail bodies of the old rural women in the villages where we worked during the week. Any development that would take place here had to be about reducing the inequalities that existed between these two different worlds within the world of South Bihar. This made me look at my own country, at the rich countries of Europe, and it made me all the more aware of two things: not only that inequality and poverty were also in the midst of our rich societies; but also that the connections between different countries in the world had something to do with the depth of poverty, however defined, in places such as the village of Sonua, or the town of Ranchi in South Bihar.
Figure 1.2: hat, or rural periodic market at Hat Gamharia, in what was then South Bihar, 1977 Source: Author
Between the mid-1970s and the mid-2010s my interests in ICTs, on the one hand, and 'development' on the other, have increasingly fascinated and preoccupied me. This book is about that fascination. It shares stories about how they are connected, how they impinge on and shape each other. I have been fortunate to have been involved in many initiatives that have sought to involve ICTs in various aspects of 'development'. In the first instance, my love of computing and engineering, even though I am a geographer, has always led me to explore the latest technological developments, from electronic typewriters that could store a limited number of words, through the first Apple computers, to the Acorn BBC micro school and home computer launched in 1981, using its Basic BASIC programming language, and now more recently to the use of mobile 'phones for development. I was fascinated by the potential for computers to be used in schools and universities, and I learnt much from being involved with the innovative Computers in Teaching initiative Centre for Geography in the 1990s (see Unwin and Maguire, 1990). During the 2000s, I then had the privilege of leading two challenging international initiatives that built on these experiences. First, between 2001 and 2004 I led the UK Prime Minister's Imfundo: Partnership for IT in Education initiative, based within the Department for International Development (UK Government Web Archive 2007), which created a partnership of some 40 governments, private sector and civil society organisations committed to using ICTs to enhance the quality and quantity of education in Africa, particularly in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana. Then in the latter 2000s, I led the World Economic Forum's Partnerships for Education initiative with UNESCO, which sought to draw out and extend the experiences gained through the Forum's Global Education Initiative's work on creating ICT-based educational partnerships in Jordan, Egypt, Rajasthan and Palestine (Unwin and Wong, 2012). Meanwhile, between these I created the ICT4D (ICT for Development) Collective, based primarily at Royal Holloway, University of London, which was specifically designed to encourage the highest possible quality of research in support of the poorest and most marginalized. Typical of the work we encouraged was another partnership-based initiative, this time to develop collaborative research and teaching in European and African universities both on and through the use of ICTs. More recently, between 2011 and 2015 I had the privilege of being Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, which is the membership organisation of governments and people in the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, enhancing the use of ICTs for development.
Two things have been central to all of these initiatives: first a passionate belief in the practical role of academics and universities in the societies of which they are a part, at all scales from the local to the international; and second, recognition of the need for governments, the private sector and civil society to work collaboratively together in partnerships to help deliver effective development impacts. The first of these builds fundamentally on the notion of Critical Theory developed by the Frankfurt School (Held, 1980), and particularly the work of Jürgen Habermas (1974, 1978) concerning the notion of knowledge constitutive interests and the complex inter-relationships between theory and practice. The next section therefore explores why this book explicitly draws on Critical Theory in seeking to understand the complex role and potential of ICTs in and for development. Section 1.2 thereafter then draws on the account above about rural life in India in the 1970s to explore in further detail some of the many ways in which the term 'development' has been, and indeed still is, used in association with technology."
Filed under 'phones, Accessibility, Africa, Caribbean, Commonwealth, Communication, Ethics, ICT4D, ICT4D general, India, Radio, Story-telling, Uncategorized
Tagged as Books, ICT4D
ICTs and ecosystems
As a young geographer, I had the privilege of learning from the extraordinary David Stoddart, and can never forget reading the numerous books and papers on small island ecosystems that he recommended to us in the mid-1970s – and being jealous that he was able to be doing research on beautiful far-away places such as Aldabra! Likewise, Richard Chorley and Barbara Kennedy's Physical Geography: a Systems Approach was required reading on several courses. Although not quite as inspirational as David Stoddart's physical presence, I recall being enthused by this book to go back and read some of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's work on General Systems Theory, and struggling to balance this with my own increasing interest in structuralism and Marxist theory.
Hence, I have always adopted a principled and historical understanding of the origins and development of the systems approach in academic discourse. This has made me ever more infuriated by the irritating, and quite simply inappropriate, usage of the word "ecosystem" by so many people, particularly in the business sector, who persist in using the word ecosystem to describe the system of digital technologies, ICTs and telecommunications. Better argued than most is the use of the word "ecosystem", for example, in Martin Fransman's The New ICT Ecosystem (Cambridge University Press, 2010), but it remains fundamentally misguided, and little is gained by adding the "eco" to the "system"! Despite my constant pleading that such usage is quite simply wrong, and corrupts the meaning of the word "ecosystem", I have never made headway on this, and so want to try to capture here the basis for my critique.
There are two main reasons why I am so offended by the usage of the word "ecosystem" to refer to digital ICT systems:
First, the word "ecosystem" is fundamentally a biological concept, and refers to the interaction between organisms and the physical environment in which they live. The term originated in the early 1930s in the work of Arthur Roy Clapham and was made popular through the writings of the ecologist Arthur Tansley, who particularly emphasised the flows of materials between organisms and the environment. As an ecological term, it is the "eco" that differentiates "ecosystems" from any other kind of system (the notion of "eco" being derived from the ancient Greek οἶκος meaning "house" or "dwelling"). I absolutely agree that the context of ICTs is complex and that a systems approach can be of help in understanding and describing it, but I simply cannot see what value there is in adding the fundamentally "biological" attribute implied by the addition of "eco". Moreover, the physical, technical character of most ICTs is so fundamentally non-biological, that it seems even more inappropriate to keep using this term. To be sure there is exciting work going on at the interface between biological humans and non-biological machines, but this is rather different from the ways in which the word "ecosystem" is traditionally used in the ICT sector.
Second, and linked to the above, the advent of ICTs has itself actually had huge, and often very negative, implications for the environment, and thus for the very essence of the "eco" that lies at the heart of the meaning of "ecosystem". It is great that certain technology companies and organisations are now beginning to take a more environmentally responsible attitude to the environmental implications of their work. The GSMA for example has placed great emphasis on trying to ensure that its annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is carbon neutral. Likewise, since 2009 Apple has placed considerable emphasis on environmental agendas, including environmental footprint, renewable energy and product reports. However, many of the reports on the benefits of ICTs and telecommunications in terms of reducing human impacts on the environment are only partial, and vastly overstate the beneficial aspects of ICT use for the environment. Again, there are interesting initiatives in this area, as for example with Ericsson's environmental programme, or the ITU's environment and climate change work. However, insufficient research of rigorous quality has yet been done in this area, and the impact of ICTs is such that it seems fundamentally inappropriate to use any word that seeks to impute some kind of positive biological linkage.
So, can people please stop using the word ecosystem to refer to the field of ICTs and telecommunications. The word "system" alone seems just fine to describe the complex interrelationships and flows of energy between components in whatever integral whole those working in the ICT field want to talk about!
Filed under ICT4D, ICT4D general
Tagged as ecosystem, ICT, telecommunications
ICT4D Collective and Centre recognised as world's 10th top science and technology think tank
I am deeply humbled that the ICT4D Collective and Research Centre that we tentatively created at Royal Holloway, University of London, back in 2004 has just been recognised as the world's 10th top Science and Technology Think Tank in the 2012 Global GoTo Think Tank Report launched at the World Bank and the United Nations in New York last week. This accolade is all the more special because the ranking is based very largely on peer review, and therefore reflects the opinions of many people in the field who I respect enormously. More than 1950 experts and peer institutions participated in the ranking process for the report which was produced by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Collective was established above all else to bring together colleagues who are committed to undertaking the highest possible quality of research in the interests primarily of poor people and marginalised communities. Its work is premised on the assumption that ICTs can indeed be used to support poor people, but that we need to work tirelessly to overcome the obstacles that prevent this happening.
In 2007, we were delighted that the Collective and Centre was given the status of the UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, and although I am now only an Emeritus Professor at Royal Holloway, I am very privileged that for the time being I retain this title while also serving as Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation. It is great to be able to draw on my past research and teaching experience in this new role, to help governments across the Commonwealth use ICTs effectively and appropriately for their development agendas.
Then, in 2009 Royal Holloway, University of London, formalised the position of the ICT4D Collective by creating a new multidisciplinary research centre on ICT4D, that brought together expertise primarily from the schools and departments of Geography, Computer Science, Management and Mathematics (Information Security), with contributions also from colleagues in Earth Sciences, Politics and International Relations, and Information Services. This provides really excellent opportunities to develop new research at the exciting boundaries between disciplines.
Over the eight years of the existence of the ICT4D Collective, we have focused on a wide range of activities, but have particularly sought to serve the wider interests of all researchers and practitioners working in the field of ICT4D. We were thus delighted to host the 2010 ICTD conference, which brought more than 500 colleagues to our campus, and we were immensely grateful to the generous sponsorship from global institutions that enabled us to provide scholarships for people to attend from across the world (pictured above). We have also focused much attention on supporting doctoral researchers, and it is excellent to see them now flourishing in their subsequent careers.
Most recently, under new leadership, the Centre is continuing to thrive, and has launched an exciting ICT4D strand within its established Master's programme on Practising Sustainable Development. In 2012, a Branch of the UNESCO Chair in ICT4D was also established at Lanzhou University in China, reflecting the growing collaboration between our two institutions, and recognising the huge importance that China is increasingly playing not only in terms of the practical implementation of ICT initiatives, but also into research in this area.
A huge thank you to all who suggested that the ICT4D Collective and Centre should be recognised in this way. It is a massive spur to us all to keep up the work that we have been doing, and to share it more effectively with all those interested in, and committed to, using ICTs to support poor people and marginalised communities.
The top 20 ranking of Think Tanks in Science and Technology from the 2012 Global GoTo Think Tank Report is given below:
1. MIT Science, Technology, and Society Program (STS) (United States)
2. Max Planck Institute (Germany)
3. RAND Corporation (United States)
4. Center for Development Research (ZEF) (Germany )
5. Information and Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) (United States)
6. Battelle Memorial Institute (United States)
7. Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) (United States)
8. Institute for Future Technology (IFTECH) (Japan)
9. Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes (CSPO) (United States)
10. Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) (United Kingdom)
11. Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU) (United Kingdom)
12. Institute for Basic Research (IBR) (United States)
13. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (South Africa)
14. African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) (Kenya)
15. Bertelsmann Foundation (Germany)
16. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) (Austria)
17. Energy and Resources Institute (India)
18. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) (India)
19. Santa Fe Institute (SFI) (United States)
20. African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) (Kenya)
Filed under Higher Education, ICT4D, ICT4D conferences, ICT4D general, ictd2010, Photographs, Postgraduate supervision, Universities
Tagged as ICT4D, Think Tanks
Passwords, PIN numbers and cybersecurity
Ever since one of my websites was hacked a few months ago, I have taken a much more personal interest in issues of cybersecurity. Whilst I have spoken and written many times on the subject, it is only when things really affect you in a personal way that you begin to gain different understandings of the issues. It represents a shift from a theoretical understanding to a practical one!
I thought I knew most of the various recommendations concerning password and PIN security, and that I had indeed followed them. However, no digital system is ever completely secure, and the level of sophistication now being used by those intent on stealing identity data, particularly with respect to banking information, is becoming very much more sophisticated.
There are many well known organisations providing advice and recommendations, such as Sophos, Symantec and Kaspersky Lab, but there are rather few places where all of this information is brought together in a single place. The level of insecurity, and the apparent disinterest among vast numbers of people in doing much about their digital security is not only surprising, but is also deeply concerning. So, in this posting, I have tried to bring together some of the more interesting observations that have recently been made about passwords and PIN numbers, in order to try to persuade people to take action on this really rather important topic!
Most popular PIN codes and iPhone passcodes
There are numerous articles on the most popular PIN codes – in other words the ones that no-one should actually use! One of the best is Daniel Amitay's experiment, where he used Big Brother's passcode set up screen as a surrogate to estimate iPhone passcode usage, and discovered that the top ten codes listed below represented 15% of all passcodes used:
None of these are surprising, given that they represent easily remembered structures around the keypad. The passcode 1998 features because it is a year of birth and as Amitay goes on to point out other birth years also feature highly among passwords.
What is perhaps even more worrying is that research by Sophos in 2011 suggested that 67% of consumers do not even use any passcode on their 'phones, so that a passer-by can access all of the information on the 'phone without even having to bother to hack the code.
Four digit codes are also commonly used by banks to enable customers to access money through cashpoint machines (ATMs). Research summarised by Chris Taylor (on Mashable) notes that 27% of people use one of the top 20 PINs for their banking, with the most popular number (1234) being used by a massive 11%. The top 20 PIN codes he lists are as follows:
1234 (10.7%)
9999 (o.5%)
Chris Taylor goes on to comment that although there are 10,000 possible combinations of four digits, 50% of people use the most popular 426 codes! As he says, "Pick up an ATM card on the street, and you have a 1 in 5 chance of unlocking its cash by entering just five PINs. That's the kind of Russian Roulette that's going to be attractive to any casual thief".
There is therefore really quite a high probability that even without watching someone enter their PIN number and then stealing the card, or using sophisticated technology to 'crack' someone's PIN code, criminals would have a pretty good chance of accessing someone's bank account just by using the most popular codes above. The implication for users is clear: use a PIN code that is not among the most common!
The situation is scarcely better with passwords that people use for their online digital activities. Numerous surveys have all pointed to the same conclusion, that a very small number of passwords continue to be used by large numbers of people. These change a bit over time, and vary depending on cultural context and country, but the message is clear. Even without sophisticated programmes to crack passwords, those wishing to access personal information can achieve remarkable success just by trying to use the most common passwords! The most common passwords, in other words those to be avoided, are listed below:
Splashdata 2012
Sophos Naked Security 2010, based on leaked Gawker Media passwords
letmein
iloveyou
A slightly more sophisticated approach is that adopted by those wishing to break into networks by testing them automatically against a much larger number of different passwords. One of the best publicised accounts of this was the Conficker worm, which used the passwords in the chart below to try to access accounts (Sophos, 2009):
Again, this clearly indicates that considerable care needs to be taken in choosing passwords, and ensuring that they are at the very least more complex than those listed above.
Tips to reduce the risk of fraud through mobile devices and digital technologies
Much has been written about sensible advice for reducing the risk of fraud through mobile passcodes, banking PINs and online login passwords. Such tips will never eliminate really determined people from hacking into your identity, but a few simple steps can at least make it more difficult for the less determined. These include:
Always secure your 'phone with a PIN code, or better still a password (iPhone users can do this simply in Settings>General>Passcode Lock). This will help to prevent all of your contacts, photos, e-mails and other personal information being accessed immediately by anyone who picks up your 'phone.
Reduce the time before your 'phone automatically locks so that it is as short as possible, preferably no more than a minute
Always use complex passwords, that preferably include lower case and upper case letters, numbers and special characters
Use passwords that are at least 8 characters and preferably more than 12 characters in length
Frequently change your passwords at random intervals, so that possible hackers are unaware when to expect changes
Use different passwords for different accounts, so that if one password is 'broken' this will not permit access to your other accounts
Think about using a service that tests the strength of a proposed password (such as The Password Meter, Microsoft's password checker, or Rumkin's strength test) – for the hyper-security-conscious person, it is probably best to do this from a computer other than your own!
Never, under any circumstances give your passwords or PIN codes to other people
Ultimately, passwords and PIN numbers are just part of a wider defence needed against digital theft. Human action, be it using the 'phone in an unsafe public place or unfortunately responding to a phishing attack, is still the cause of much digital grief. As I write, Sophos has just for example reported a phishing attack through a security breach on the Ethiopian Red Cross Society's website purporting to be a Google Docs login page.
If the worst happens, and you do lose a 'phone there are at least two important things to do:
Ensure you have software on the 'phone that can enable you to track it (as with the Find My iPhone app, or for Android 'phones there are apps such as Sophos' Mobile Security app)
If there is no chance of getting the 'phone back, then remotely delete all of its content as swiftly as possible, remembering that if it has been backed up on a laptop or cloud facility, then all of the data can be restored at a later date.
Working together, and sharing good practices in personal digital security we can do much to help reduce digital identity theft.
Filed under 'phones, ICT4D general
Tagged as cybersecurity, Passwords, PIN numbers
Google admits that its Street View cars collected WiFi information
The Guardian newspaper reported yesterday that "Google has been accidentally gathering extracts of personal web activity from domestic wifi networks through the Street View cars it has used since 2007".
Can anyone really believe that Google did this by accident? The 'discovery' was made because Germany's data protection authority demanded an audit of Google's data. As the Guardian report continued "As well as systematically photographing streets and gathering 3D images of cities and towns around the world, Google's Street View cars are fitted with antennas that scan local wifi networks and use the data for its location services".
This is a clear invasion of privacy, and is absolutely typical of Google's cavalier attitude towards the ways in which ICTs have transformed our approaches to what can be deemed 'public' and 'private' information.
Google's blog on the 14th May, included a statement by Alan Eustace, Senior VP, Engineering & Research who commented that "Nine days ago the data protection authority (DPA) in Hamburg, Germany asked to audit the WiFi data that our Street View cars collect for use in location-based products like Google Maps for mobile, which enables people to find local restaurants or get directions. His request prompted us to re-examine everything we have been collecting, and during our review we discovered that a statement made in a blog post on April 27 was incorrect. In that blog post, and in a technical note sent to data protection authorities the same day, we said that while Google did collect publicly broadcast SSID information (the WiFi network name) and MAC addresses (the unique number given to a device like a WiFi router) using Street View cars, we did not collect payload data (information sent over the network). But it's now clear that we have been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open (i.e. non-password-protected) WiFi networks, even though we never used that data in any Google products".
Google went on to say that this was quite simply a mistake: "So how did this happen? Quite simply, it was a mistake. In 2006 an engineer working on an experimental WiFi project wrote a piece of code that sampled all categories of publicly broadcast WiFi data. A year later, when our mobile team started a project to collect basic WiFi network data like SSID information and MAC addresses using Google's Street View cars, they included that code in their software—although the project leaders did not want, and had no intention of using, payload data".
The point is that mistakes do happen; no digital system is entirely secure. This is one of the reasons why they should not be collecting such data in the first place! If they make mistakes such as this, how can anyone believe them when they say that they are not using the data? They use all other data that they collect, such as information from searches on Google, and the e-mails people send using Google mail!
Eustace concluded by saying what Google would do about this incident: "Maintaining people's trust is crucial to everything we do, and in this case we fell short. So we will be:
Asking a third party to review the software at issue, how it worked and what data it gathered, as well as to confirm that we deleted the data appropriately; and
Internally reviewing our procedures to ensure that our controls are sufficiently robust to address these kinds of problems in the future…
The engineering team at Google works hard to earn your trust—and we are acutely aware that we failed badly here. We are profoundly sorry for this error and are determined to learn all the lessons we can from our mistake".
Google have not had my trust for a very long time. Yes, they have a great search engine – but they should stick to that, and stop "ogling" at us in other ways!
It is also a timely reminder for those who do not protect their WiFi networks, that they should indeed do so with robust passwords!
Other reports on this announcement include:
v3.co.uk
Filed under Ethics, ICT4D general
Tagged as Ethics, Google
OLPC and the East African Community
A report today by the BBC highlights that a new partnership has been established between One Laptop per Child (OLPC) and the East African Community (EAC) to deliver 30 million laptops in the region by 2015. As the report goes on to say, the EAC first needs to raise cash for the laptops! It also comments that "OLPC has had difficulty selling its computers and its alternative vision of education around the world".
I find such announcements hugely worrying. There have been sufficient critiques published on the OLPC model for governments, donors, and all those involved in education to be aware of the fundamental difficulties associated with its roll out (see for example Bob Kozma's comments in 2007, David Hollow's 2009 account of their introduction in Ethiopia, Scott Kipp's comments in 2009, and Ivan Krstic's devastating critique of the concept and its implementation at the UOC UNESCO Chair in e-Learning Fifth International Seminar in 2008).
Let me here highlight what I see as being some of the most important issues:
Cost – 30 million laptops at $200 each amounts to $6,000 million. Might this money not be more effectively spent in other ways, such as providing teachers in East Africa with better training, or even simply remunerating them better so that they do not have to do several jobs at once in order to support their families?
Pedagogic model – is there one? OLPC has claimed to be an educational initiative, but a fundamental problem with most OLPC roll outs has been that they have not been integrated into the existing educational structures. In the worst instances, the laptops have been given to children but not to their teachers. The tensions that this causes are immense.
Lack of Content – the OLPC vision is "To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning". The problem is that there is very little available learning content suitably designed and integrated with the curricula in the countries where the laptops are being introduced. Simply expecting young people to be able to learn by connecting to the internet is like throwing someone into the sea and expecting them to swim.
Monitoring and Evaluation – there have been too few rigorous monitoring and evaluation studies to be able to say with any certainty what the impact of these computers might be in Africa. Surely, we should undertake high quality studies of the educational impact before spending such huge amounts of money on rolling them out?
Who gets them? This is a real issue. In many instances, the choice about where the computers are given reflects social, economic and political interests. The sampling strategy for the roll outs needs to be thought through extremely carefully, and not just left to some enthusiastic youth volunteers (as in the OLPCorps programme – the selection of participants for which is itself highly problematic and controversial). If XO computers do have a beneficial effect, then why should only some young people (in most cases those who are already privileged in some way) benefit from them? Will they go to the poorest and most marginalised, those who most need help in isolated rural areas? Ethiopia alone has an estimated 9 million children out of school. Will they receive laptops?
External technology-led initiatives – most of the evidence suggests that top-down, externally-driven and technology-led initiatives are much less successful than initiatives that are explicitly designed and tailored to the needs and aspirations of the people for whom they are intended. It is crucial that we begin with the educational needs of people in East Africa, and then identify the most cost-effective way of delivering on them. As Bob Kozma says, "Is this an education project or merely a laptop project?".
Sustainability – what happens when the first batch of computers breaks down, or becomes outdated? Let's be generous, and estimate that each might last five years. Can East Africa afford another $6,000 million in five years time? What will happen to the debris of the old computers? How will their materials be recycled, or will they just be dumped?
The technology? There are some great things about the technical achievements in creating the OLPC XO laptops – but anecdotal evidence suggests that actually it is not quite as good and effective as is often claimed. In particular, there have been numerous issues with the mesh networking and connectivity when actually rolled out into the rural village conditions of Africa.
So, I ask again, why does there remain such euphoria about the OLPC initiative? Surely, the East African Community has better things to spend its money on? If only it could find the funds to support good education effectively, that would be a start! Nicholas Negroponte is a charismatic and enthusiastic champion of OLPC, but is it not time that he recognises that his vision is fundamentally flawed? African governments have better things to do than to be beguiled into spending their limited resources on such a delusional concept.
Filed under Africa, Entrepreneurship, ICT4D general
Tagged as ICT4D, OLPC
25 years of PowerPoint
For some excellent advice on how not to use PowerPoint, see Max Atkinson's recent article 'celebrating' 25 years of PowerPoint in the BBC's online magazine. It contains some great tips!
The BBC magazine also has a selection of amusing PowerPoint experiences – 10 good ones, and ten bad!
Born on the 14th if August 1984, PowerPoint is still going strong – quite a testimony to the way our lives have been transformed by computer technologies.
Filed under Communication, ICT4D general, Postgraduate supervision
Tagged as PowerPoint, presentations
Freedom on the Net
For those who may not have read it yet, Freedom House's publication entitled Freedom on the Net: a Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media and published in April 2009, provides a very valuable assessment of the balance of interests in the spread of the Internet and mobile telephony across the world.
As Freedom House's blurb says, "As internet and mobile phone use explodes worldwide, governments are adopting new and multiple means for controlling these technologies that go far beyond technical filtering. Freedom on the Net provides a comprehensive look at these emerging tactics, raising concern over trends such as the "outsourcing of censorship" to private companies, the use of surveillance and the manipulation of online conversations by undercover agents. The study covers both repressive countries such as China and Iran and democratic ones such as India and the United Kingdom, finding some degree of internet censorship and control in all 15 nations studied."
The overview essay by Karin Deutsch Karlekar and Sarah G. Cook argues that there is a growing diversity of threats to internet freedom and that governments have responded to the spread of new media by introducing new measures to control, regulate and censor content. As they conclude "In a fast-changing digital world, vigilance is required if we are to ensure continued freedom on the net."
Tagged as Ethics, ICT4D, surveillance
Is the UK becoming a police state?
The Sunday Times published a front page report today noting that: 'THE government is building a secret database to track and hold the international travel records of all 60m Britons. The intelligence centre will store names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details for all 250m passenger movements in and out of the UK each year. The computerised pattern of every individual's travel history will be stored for up to 10 years, the Home Office admits. The government says the new database, to be housed in an industrial estate in Wythenshawe, near Manchester, is essential in the fight against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. However, opposition MPs, privacy campaigners and some government officials fear it is a significant step towards a total surveillance society.'
This is yet another example of the ways in which the state is using technology to gain unprecedented information about its citizens. What right does it have to do so?
Even those who believe that the state can legitimately gather such information should be careful – given the dismal failure of the state so far to keep such information from being 'lost' or 'falling into the wrong hands', what reassurances do we have that these data will be secure?
We need to encourgae a vigorous and participatory debate about these issues.
Tagged as Ethics, police state, privacy, UK
Google and privacy
A BBC report raises concerns about privacy issues associated with Google's new tracking service, Latitude. This uses data from mobile phone masts, GPS, or wi-fi hardware to update a user's location automatically. Although it is an opt-in service, there are fears that not everyone may know that their phone is broadcasting their location.
There is, though, huge potential for such a service – not just as a fun way for friends to 'keep in touch', but also possibly for people concerned about relatives with dementia, or others who might get 'lost'.
As ever, Google is pushing the boundaries in terms of how society uses technology, and the ways in which that technology in turn shapes society.
Filed under Ethics, ICT4D general, Uncategorized
Tagged as Ethics, Google, privacy


text:
TTSS Blog 2021
Swans bring their own white Christmas
byGarry Brandenburg, Times Republican.com
IOWA: Iowan has a number of places to see wintering trumpeter swans. If you want to see white this Christmas, snow may be lacking (for now), but trumpeter swans will fill the gap for an outstanding wildlife moment. Read more...
Several Swans a Swimming
byWayne Bierbaum, Bay Weekly
MARYLAND: It's the time of the year when tundra swans arrive in the Chesapeake Bay from the northern regions of Canada. The swans arrive primarily as family groups, two parents and up to two goslings. This month, more than 100 swans arrived at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Read more...
Nature Note: Trumpeter Swan
byDavid John, TulsaWorld.com
OKLAHOMA: Trumpeter swans may occasionally be seen in the Skiatook area. We saw a few on a neighbor's pond in January of 2006. Last week my wife and I were up at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, north of Pawhuska, and noted several on a pond just to north of the Visitor's Center. If they happen to be in our area, they will be here from mid-November through early March. Read more...
Storm brings migrating swans to North Iowa
byLowell Washburn, GlobeGazette.com
IOWA: "For North Country trumpeter swans, the signals were clear. It was time to head south. Southbound flocks varying in size from small family groups to gatherings containing twenty or more were soon dotting the Iowa skies. With only a couple of days remaining in this year's [North Zone] duck season, it is the swan migration that I will remember the most. By mid-morning, the swans seemed to be everywhere. I later learned that virtually every lake and marsh that still contained bits of open water had attracted at least some of the huge migrants." Read more...
Swans have returned to local fields in Washington
byEvan Caldwell, Goskagit.com
WASHINGTON: Trumpeter swans have returned to local fields in northwest Washington. The lowlands of northwest Washington are again dotted with thousands of photogenic migratory birds. Snow geese, trumpeter swans and tundra swans have returned to Skagit, Snohomish, Island, Whatcom and other Western Washington counties. About 20,000 swans and 80,000 snow geese spend the winter months in the area in Western Washington each year. Most congregate in the Stillaguamish and Skagit valleys from mid-October through early May.
Fish and Wildlife has set up a hotline to report sick, injured or dead swans as part of its ongoing effort to assess the impact of lead poisoning on swans.
People can call 360-466-4345, ext. 266, to report swans that have died or need help. Callers should leave a short message, including their name and phone number, as well as a detailed location of the swan and its condition. The hotline is available through March. Read more...
Northland Outdoors: Flight of the trumpeters
bySteven L. Kohls, Brainard Dispatch.com
MINNESOTA: Flight of the trumpeters. With the current cold temperatures in central Minnesota, lakes and streams are beginning to freeze. Swans need to have a place to feed on wild rice in the shallow water. Read more...
Once again, Utah hunters kill too many rare trumpeters swans
byBrian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune
UTAH: For the third year in a row, Utah's swan hunt came to an early close after the trumpeter harvest breached a 20-bird quota set to limit the hunts impact on trumpeters migrating through Utah from the Yellowstone region. On Friday, November 26, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recorded the 20th trumpeter death, a threshold that automatically triggering an end to swan hunting for the season. The quota was hit 16 days before the season's scheduled end of Dec. 12.Utah wildlife officials strongly discourage the killing of trumpeters, but they have yet to outlaw the practice even though some populations are struggling to reestablish their migratory patterns. All Utah swan hunters will likely be required to take a bird-identification course starting next year because too often they are shooting rare trumpeter swans. Read more...
Historic news from Yellowstone National Park! Trumpeter swans fledge from Swan Lake, first time since 1966
byLindsay Vallen, Buckrail.com
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: Trumpeter swans fledge from Swan Lake, first time since 1966. Yellowstone National Park announced today, Nov. 16, that for the first time since 1966, four trumpeter swan cygnets fledged from Swan Lake. The cygnets hatched on Swan Lake about four months ago.
Of the four cygnets that were born on Swan Lake, one took a little longer to develop the ability to fly and was left behind when the lake started to freeze over. Sometimes when a cygnet is not able to fly before freeze-up in autumn, it will die. In this case, the weather warmed up and the lone cygnet was able to forage on their own in the lake. After about a week and a half, the family returned and reunited with the cygnet. The waiting paid off and the fourth cygnet was able to fly to find open water with the rest of the swans, says the park. Read more...
Swan Pause in Anchorage on their way south for the Winter
byBob Hallinen, Anchorage Daily News
ALASKA: (check out the magnificent photos): "A group of at least 13 trumpeter swans and one tundra swan stopped to feed Sunday evening at Potter Marsh in South Anchorage as they migrate south. Trumpeter swans are found in a wide swath of Interior, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Alaska trumpeter swans overwinter from Cordova to the Columbia River. Swans often stop at the marsh in the spring and fall on their migration to and from nesting sites." Read more...
15 Things to do during fall around Grande Prairie, Alberta
byTo Do Canada
ALBERTA: Trumpeter Swan viewing is one of the highlights for a wonderful autumn experience.
Tribal biologists seek information on nesting trumpeter swans
byAlan D. Wilson/www.naturespicsonline.com, Lake County Leader
MONTANA: "In an effort to better document the expansion of trumpeter, the Tribal Wildlife Management Program of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes annually surveys wetlands on the Reservation to record nesting attempts and production. The Tribal Wildlife Management Program staff is requesting observations from the public of trumpeter swan nesting and production of cygnets throughout our area." Read more...
Trumpeter swan recovery flying high in Wisconsin
byPaul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WISCONSIN: This article highlights efforts in Wisconsin to restore trumpeter swans through egg collection in Alaska and partnerships, the 3 year midwest swan tracking study now going on, and the record 10 cygnets hatched in the town of Minong. Read more...
Multi-partner study sheds light on trumpeter swans, a species back from the brink
byBrad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald
MINNESOTA: Learn more about the tracking collar project of Midwest swans. This fascinating article also includes video and photos.
Seldom seen bird species show up in the Red River Valley
byMike Jacobs, Grand Forks Herald
NORTH DAKOTA: "A third brood of trumpeter swans was found in Grand Forks County. The first of these, reported by Dave Lambeth, the dean of local birders, was the third modern nesting record for the species in Grand Forks County, thus more than doubling the previous known nests." Read more...
"Tip up" and feeding
byMargaret Smith, The Trumpeter Swan Society
VIDEO: Four one-month old trumpeter swan cygnets feed alongside their parents in late afternoon. The trill of red-winged blackbirds is background music in this wetland habitat.
The cygnets are feeding on insects and plant materials near the top of the water. Cygnet necks are growing in length and today they can reach deeper waters than they could just a week before. In this video, as they feed near their parents, the cygnets are beginning to show "tip up"- their tails point straight up for a brief second while their necks reach straight down into the water to reach submerged plants to eat.
Video by Margaret Smith, Executive Director, The Trumpeter Swan Society
Watch a trumpeter swan preen it feathers
VIDEO: A trumpeter swan is standing on ice during the winter. This short video shows it 'preening' its feathers.
It is important for swans to keep warm and dry, especially in the winter. Their feathers need to be clean, in good condition and lined up properly all year long for swimming, feeding, flying and nesting. Watch the video and learn more...
BLANE KLEMEK OUTDOORS: Surviving in the wild as a baby animal is no easy feat
byBlane Klemek, Outdoor News, BemidjiiPioneer.com
MINNESOTA: "To be a baby animal born into a harsh environment full of predators, inclement weather, disease and parasites, is the definition of vulnerability. Indeed, whether that baby animal is an avian nestling of any and all kinds, a white-tailed deer fawn, a baby cottontail rabbit, or frogs and toads having just left their natal ponds after surviving their tadpole transitions, it's a miracle that any infant creature makes it to adulthood at all.
Once again the resident trumpeter swan pair commenced to courting and nesting on Assawa Lake in early spring. The pair, now a little more experienced, were second nesters, although last year their five cygnets perished one by one." Read what happened this summer...
Abbotsford man starts petition, saying lead shot is killing waterfowl in Judson Lake and beyond
byVikki Hopes, The Abbotsford News
BRITISH COLUMBIA: TTSS has been working with BC and Washington State folks on this issue for over 20 years. Lead kills!
"A House of Commons petition initiated by an Abbotsford man and adopted by Abbotsford MP Ed Fast is calling for the elimination of lead shot due to its detrimental impact on waterfowl.
The petition was started by Kevin Sinclair, an Abbotsford farmer whose property includes the entire Canadian portion of Judson Lake, home to hundreds of trumpeter swans.
Sinclair says the 100-acre lake is the "primary source responsible for most of the 3,000-plus swan mortalities" over two decades in Canada and the U.S." Read more...
Six swan cygnets spotted at Lee Metcalf Refuge
byPerry Backus, Ravalli Republic
MONTANA: "Earlier this week, Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge Manager Tom Reed spotted six baby swan cygnets swimming on the refuge's remote ponds. It's the third year in a row that a pair of trumpeter swans has produced a brood in the Bitterroot Valley...Two years ago, a pair of trumpeter swans produced the first documented wild trumpeter swan cygnets in the Bitterroot since restoration efforts began decades ago to bring the birds back from the brink of extinction in the lower 48 states.
The first year, the swans had two cygnets. Last year, they raised three." Read more...
Peaceful and tranquil? For birds, spring turns habitat into war zone
byDavid Hawke, OrilliaMatters.com
ONTARIO: "Ah, sweet spring… the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing.
What we perceive to be a peaceful, perhaps even tranquil, scene is actually a war zone. Avian territorial boundaries are constantly being established, challenged, trespassed, defended and realigned. It's a dynamic world out there!
So why all the fuss? Why not just share the area, build a nest and go about their daily lives? It goes back to the wonderful all-inclusive word called "habitat". " Read more...
The comeback story of Michigan's native trumpeter swans
byNell Ovitt, Michigan Radio, NPR, Here and Now
MICHIGAN: "Tens of thousands of trumpeter swans once flourished in the Great Lakes region. But widespread hunting brought the birds to the brink of extinction, and the species was wiped out in Michigan over 100 years ago. A decades-long effort spearheaded by the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at Michigan State University has helped bring trumpeter swans back to the Great Lakes — and now, if you're lucky, you might just catch a glimpse of these protected birds in the wild." Read more...
Death of Eloise means another blow to trumpeter swan breeding program
byKyle Spurr, Bend Bulletin
OREGON: "Eloise, the most prolific trumpeter swan in Oregon's breeding program, has died of natural causes at her home at the Lake Aspen Golf Course in Sisters.
Golf course staff found Eloise's body Monday, less than four months after her mate, Pete, died unexpectedly from a bacterial infection.
"I'm personally convinced she died of a broken heart," said Robin Gold, a wildlife rehabilitation expert who lives in the Aspen Lakes neighborhood and cared for the swan pair.
Eloise and Pete produced 15 young in the past three years. The pair boosted an effort to repopulate the species, which is still recovering from near extinction at the turn of the 20th century." Read more...
Ruby Marshes: A crossroads for migratory birds
byCynthia Delaney, Elko Daily Free Press
NEVADA: Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge is both a home and stopover to thousands of migratory birds. "There are many things to do at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, locally known as the "Ruby Marshes." Birding sits at the top of the list for some. There are at least 225 species. ..The refuge is considered the most remote national wildlife refuge in the contiguous states...Depending on the time of year, we could have both trumpeter and tundra swans on the refuge," said Ruby Lake wildlife biologist Jane Bardolf. "During the breeding season, we just have a few trumpeter swans." Read more...
Dale Becker wraps up 35 years with Natural Resources Department and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
byBernie Azure, Char-Koosta News
MONTANA: "In the early 1990s, the CSKT, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Montana FWP began discussing how to return trumpeter swans to western Montana after the bird's century-long absence. Beginning 1996, Becker led the re-introduction of trumpeter twans on the Flathead Reservation and in north western Montana...t was important to the Tribes' two Elder committees that we replace this important missing piece of the region's bio-fauna."
"When you look up, and see trumpeter swans passing over, that's Dale," McDonald said. "They are a part of his legacy." Read more...
The 'profound, beautiful' waterbirds that have been brought back from the brink
byBrian Keating, CBC Canada News
ALBERTA: "Known for their shyness, it's not easy to get a good glimpse of the largest migratory bird in North America. But that means that when it happens, it's all the more impactful. Naturalist Brian Keating said over the last couple of years, he has seen trumpeter swans in the city of Calgary flying up and down the Bow River. When it happens, he said it fills his heart with joy...In Keating's view, the increased presence of the trumpeter swan in the province is one of the real success stories in Alberta's backyard." Read more...
Sunriver Nature Center names new swan Valentina
byBend Bulletin
OREGON: "The new female trumpeter swan at the Sunriver Nature Center has been named Valentina, or Val for short, since she was brought to the center just before Valentine's Day. The nature center received several name suggestions after the swan was introduced Feb. 10 to Gus, the resident trumpeter swan who was alone since last fall when his mate, Gracie, was found dead from a likely coyote attack." Read more...
On The Trails: Eagle Beach at equinox time
byMary Willson, Juneau Empire
ALASKA: This article has great information about Trumpeter Swan facts. Check it out! "On the nesting grounds, they choose freshwater marshes, ponds, and small rivers, building nests on beaver dams and lodges, hummocks, and platforms of floating vegetation. The nests are typically surrounded by water, giving them room for a running take-off when departing. Both male and female work on nest-building, both birds collecting material but the female doing most of the construction. The big eggs are laid at intervals of one and a half to two days (not daily, as in most birds). Both members of the pair incubate the clutch of (usually) four to six eggs, but neither develops an incubation patch on the body…they incubate the eggs with their huge, well-vascularized feet! " Read more...
New York's Iroquois NWR: THE GREAT OUTDOORS: A memorable week in the Alabama Swamp
byDouglas H. Domedion The Great Outdoors
NEW YORK: "Well, it finally arrived. Spring! How do I know? The geese and swans told me...This year the swans really put on a show for wildlife lovers. More swans showed up than ever before (I'd estimate about 200 at first) and they parked themselves right in this small marsh for the whole world to see. They began to arrive on March 9th and only recently began to moving north about March 17th." Read more...
Swans and Geese flock to Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area
bySteve Fullerton, 1240 KLYQ, Hamilton Talk Show
MONTANA: "his last weekend was a good one for birdwatchers at Freezout Lake west of Great Falls. Some folks from Hamilton were there and experienced the spectacle of an estimated 25,500 Snow Geese and Ross's Geese, along with about 2,400 migrating Tundras and Trumpeter Swans in their annual spring stopover at the ponds of the Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area...Because of it's location along the Rocky Mountain Front, on a main flyway, Freezout usually has visits from over 230 species of birds throughout the year, but the days of the migrating geese and swans are memorable...Because of its location along the Rocky Mountain Front, on a main flyway, Freezeout usually has visits from over 230 species of birds throughout the year , but the days of migrating geese and swans are memorable." Read more...
Northern Michigan: Trumpeter swans grace Six Mile's open water
byBetsy Bloom, Northwoods Notebook
MICHIGAN: Upper Peninsula. "As has been mentioned before in this column, the trumpeter swan is an endangered species success story, going from the edge of extinction in the 1930s to an estimated 63,000 in 2015. Yet they still face risks, from fatally ingesting lead shot while feeding to colliding with power lines to having "the lowest genetic diversity of any waterfowl species that has been studied," according to the non-profit Trumpeter Swan Society, www.trumpeterswansociety.org." Read more...
Trumpeter Swans returning to Ohio thanks to tax donation program
byOhio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife
OHIO: After years of dedicated conservation work by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife and its partners, trumpeter swans once again nest in the Buckeye State.
This work is made possible, in part, by Ohio's annual tax donation program. This is an important way for wildlife enthusiasts to help contribute to restoring and managing endangered and threatened wildlife, including trumpeter swans. Funds from the income tax donation program go directly to projects that protect Ohio's wildlife and natural areas. By making a tax donation to the Wildlife Diversity Fund on this year's tax form, Ohioans are helping to ensure the future of Ohio's ecosystems, supporting research on trumpeter swans, monarch butterflies, lake sturgeon, hellbenders, and more. Read more...
As trumpeter swans die, Minnesota lawmakers consider banning lead jigs and fishing tackle
byGreg Stanley, Minneapolis Star Tribune
MINNESOTA: The small bits of fishing tackle lead, which have been building up on lake bottoms for decades, are poisoning and killing trumpeter swans, loons, bald eagles and other wildlife.
Swans and loons are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning from tackle, diving to the bottoms of lakes to scoop up small slip shots and other sinkers as if they were gravel to grind up and help digest their food.
"If they accidentally swallow even one lead slip shot or jig, they die," said Carrol Henderson, who headed the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Nongame Wildlife Program for more than 40 years until his retirement in 2018.
A lead ban is long overdue, he said.
Rep. Peter Fischer, DFL-Maplewood, introduced the proposed ban this week to a House environmental committee. It would prohibit the production and manufacture of small lead jigs and sinkers in Minnesota by July 2024, and outlaw the use of any lead tackle that weighs an ounce or less by anglers starting in 2025." Read more...
A Valentine's Day Gift: New mate introduced to Sunriver Trumpeter Swan Gus
byKTVC News
OREGON: With a crowd of onlookers on hand, a new adult female trumpeter swan was released onto Lake Aspen in Sunriver Wednesday afternoon, a special pre-Valentine's Day arrival and gift of sorts for another swan who recently lost his mate.
The new swan is intended to be a mate for Gus, the resident male swan whose previous mate, Grace, died in October. The pair of swans is cared for year-round by Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory and is a part of Oregon's Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program. Read more...
Bird deaths fuel push for Minnesota lead ban tackle
byShannon Prather, Star Tribune
MINNESOTA: Two state lawmakers from Maplewood, with the strong support of north metro watershed districts, have again introduced legislation to remove toxic lead from fishing tackle...Two Maplewood DFLers, Sen. Charles Wiger and Rep. Peter Fischer, introduced bills in January to ban the sale and use of lead fishing jigs and sinkers...According to one estimate, as many as 25% of loon deaths nationally are caused by lead poisoning, Amoth said. While finding a large dead swan in a popular suburban park is sad and memorable, it's just a small example of the death toll. Read more...
Trumpeter swans, once nearly extinct in the lower 48, now winter at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by the thousands
byNicholas Phillips, St. Louis Magazine
MISSOURI: "Trumpeter swans, once nearly extinct in the lower 48, now winter at the confluence by the thousands. The continent's biggest native waterfowl has been flocking to Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary—and winning a fanbase." Read more...
"Pete", one of TTSS's swan captive breeding males, dies
OREGON: "The most prolific trumpeter swan pair in Oregon's breeding program experienced a tragic turn of events Saturday when the male, Pete, died from a bacterial infection. Pete and his mate, Eloise, produced 15 young at Sisters golf course that were released into the Oregon wild." Read more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


No matter how much experience you have gained in owning a business, you are likely to commit missteps at some point. It's an inevitable part of your journey as an entrepreneur. Running a business is not a walk in the park, and there are many things you need to consider. The stress and pressure may cause setbacks and hurt your business' chances to succeed.
While it's a given that there is no fail-proof plan that guarantees success, some of the poor business decisions you make can jeopardise the long-term viability of your company. Because of this, you must identify these factors that may cause you to slip up, need to learn from them, and prevent these blunders from happening again.
This is one of the common mistakes that seem to never go away. As a business owner, it's understandable that you are expected to wear many hats. However, the reality is, you can't do it all. You may be concerned about your operating expenses and think you can't afford to hire more people.
But over time, you will need the help of experts because you can't be knowledgeable in everything. That's why you need to seriously consider outsourcing. You may not be keen on doing some back office tasks like accounting, programming, and data entry. You may get overwhelmed with the intricacies of online marketing or may require call centre support as your business grows.
Expecting to get rich quickly.
You've probably heard the saying, "Rome wasn't built overnight." There's a reason this adage is still true until today. Many entrepreneurs can get carried away with the excitement of launching a business. They may think that they can achieve success straight away and want to get rich quickly.
Owning a successful company takes a lot of time, determination, and effort. If you expect to become successful and wealthy in a short period, you may become discouraged if you don't achieve this early on, and eventually give up on your dreams. Give your company enough time to grow. If your business becomes stagnant for some time, then consider trying a new venture.
Assuming customers will find you.
There's another saying that goes, "If you build it, they will come." If you expect customers to come rushing through your doors right after establishing your business, you're setting yourself up for a huge letdown. No matter how great you think your product or service is, chances are, you've already got plenty of competition out there.
That's why you need to create a marketing plan for your business and enlist the help of experts. The right marketing staff can help potential clients find your business and make whatever service or product you are offering stand out from the rest of your competitors.
The success of your business will ultimately rely on your shoulders. No one else will lead your business to achieve success than you. While having the right people to support you can also significantly contribute to your company's success, you also need to become an effective and strong leader. It is you who will set the course for your company, and it is you who will need to inspire your employees to get to the next level.
Running a business can be an exciting and challenging experience. But remember, you don't have to do it alone. So, if you want to achieve long-term success, then you should avoid these mistakes at all costs and seriously consider hiring the right staff.


text:
No One Cares About Crazy People
The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America
Ron Powers
Psychology / Psychopathology / Schizophrenia
Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
New York Times-bestselling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia.
From the centuries of torture of "lunatiks" at Bedlam Asylum to the infamous eugenics era to the follies of the anti-psychiatry movement to the current landscape in which too many families struggle alone to manage afflicted love ones, Powers limns our fears and myths about mental illness and the fractured public policies that have resulted.
Braided with that history is the moving story of Powers's beloved son Kevin -- spirited, endearing, and gifted -- who triumphed even while suffering from schizophrenia until finally he did not, and the story of his courageous surviving son Dean, who is also schizophrenic.
A blend of history, biography, memoir, and current affairs ending with a consideration of where we might go from here, this is a thought-provoking look at a dreaded illness that has long been misunderstood.
"Extraordinary and courageous . . . No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change." -- New York Times Book Review


I have always been fascinated by the shapes and textures of ice. The surface of this ice, which reminds me all those lightnings I have seen in the sky last year. Nature always brings surprises, paintings that just need to be captured properly. I took this picture with a drone. Textures you see - ice cracks on the surface of the lake.


All work is undertaken by a highly skilled and efficient team of tradesmen who take great pride in their work. We undertake all aspects of landscape construction including earthworks, drainage, detailed brickwork, natural stone paving, specialist joinery works, lighting design and installation and all aspects of planting from lawns to mature trees.
Our philosophy is to ensure complete customer satisfaction by providing the highest quality construction at an acceptable cost with the least possible disruption.
The skilled and professional construction team are committed to achieving results that often exceed our client's expectations.


text:
usage()
{
cat << EOF
GYB installation script.

OPTIONS:
   -h      show help.
   -d      Directory where gyb folder will be installed. Default is \$HOME/bin/
   -a      Architecture to install (i686, x86_64, armv7l, aarch64). Default is to detect your arch with "uname -m".
   -o      OS we are running (linux, osx). Default is to detect your OS with "uname -s".
   -l      Just upgrade GYB to latest version. Skips project creation and auth.
   -p      Profile update (true, false). Should script add gyb command to environment. Default is true.
   -u      Admin user email address to use with GYB. Default is to prompt.
   -r      Regular user email address. Used to test service account access to user data. Default is to prompt.
   -v      Version to install (latest, prerelease, draft, 3.8, etc). Default is latest.
EOF
}

target_dir="$HOME/bin"
myarch=$(uname -m)
myos=$(uname -s)
osversion=""
update_profile=true
upgrade_only=false
gybversion="latest"
adminuser=""
regularuser=""
glibc_vers="2.35"

while getopts "hd:a:o:b:lp:u:r:v:" OPTION
do
     case $OPTION in
         h) usage; exit;;
         d) target_dir="$OPTARG";;
         a) myarch="$OPTARG";;
         o) myos="$OPTARG";;
         b) osversion="$OPTARG";;
         l) upgrade_only=true;;
         p) update_profile="$OPTARG";;
         u) adminuser="$OPTARG";;
         r) regularuser="$OPTARG";;
         v) gybversion="$OPTARG";;
         ?) usage; exit;;
     esac
done

# remove possible / from end of target_dir
target_dir=${target_dir%/}

update_profile() {
	[ -f "$1" ] || return 1

	grep -F "$alias_line" "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1
	if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
                echo_yellow "Adding gyb alias to profile file $1."
		echo -e "\n$alias_line" >> "$1"
        else
          echo_yellow "gyb alias already exists in profile file $1. Skipping add."
	fi
}

echo_red()
{
echo -e "\x1B[1;31m$1"
echo -e '\x1B[0m'
}

echo_green()
{
echo -e "\x1B[1;32m$1"
echo -e '\x1B[0m'
}

echo_yellow()
{
echo -e "\x1B[1;33m$1"
echo -e '\x1B[0m'
}

version_gt()
{
# MacOS < 10.13 doesn't support sort -V
echo "" | sort -V > /dev/null 2>&1
vsort_failed=$?
if [ "${1}" = "${2}" ]; then
  true
elif (( $vsort_failed != 0 )); then
  false
else
  test "$(printf '%s\n' "$@" | sort -V | head -n 1)" != "$1"
fi
}

case $myos in
  [lL]inux)
    myos="linux"
    this_glibc_ver=$(ldd --version | awk '/ldd/{print $NF}')
    echo "This Linux distribution uses glibc $this_glibc_ver"
    useglibc="legacy"
    for glibc_ver in $glibc_vers; do
      if version_gt $this_glibc_ver $glibc_ver; then
        useglibc="glibc$glibc_ver"
        echo_green "Using GYB compiled against $useglibc"
        break
      fi
    done
    case $myarch in
      x86_64) gybfile="linux-x86_64-$useglibc.tar.xz";;
      arm64|aarch64) gybfile="linux-aarch64-$useglibc.tar.xz";;
      *)
        echo_red "ERROR: this installer currently only supports x86_64 and aarch64 architectures. Looks like you're running on $myarch. You'll need to try the Python source. Exiting."
        exit
    esac
    ;;
  [Mm]ac[Oo][sS]|[Dd]arwin)
    if [ "$osversion" == "" ]; then
      this_macos_ver=$(sw_vers -productVersion)
    else
      this_macos_ver=$osversion
    fi
    echo_green "You are running MacOS $this_macos_ver"
    gybfile="macos-x86_64.tar.xz"
    ;;
  *)
    echo_red "Sorry, this installer currently only supports Linux and MacOS. Looks like you're runnning on $myos. Exiting."
    exit
    ;;
esac

if [ "$gybversion" == "latest" -o "$gybversion" == "prerelease" -o "$gybversion" == "draft" ]; then
  release_url="https://api.github.com/repos/GAM-team/got-your-back/releases"
else
  release_url="https://api.github.com/repos/GAM-team/got-your-back/releases/tags/v$gybversion"
fi

if [ -z ${GHCLIENT+x} ]; then
  check_type="unauthenticated"
else
  check_type="authenticated"
fi

echo_yellow "Checking GitHub URL $release_url for $gybversion GYB release ($check_type)..."
release_json=$(curl -s $GHCLIENT $release_url 2>&1 /dev/null)

echo_yellow "Getting file and download URL..."
# Python is sadly the nearest to universal way to safely handle JSON with Bash
# At least this code should be compatible with just about any Python version ever
# unlike GYB itself. If some users don't have Python we can try grep / sed / etc
# but that gets really ugly
pycode="import json
import sys

attrib = sys.argv[1]
gybversion = sys.argv[2]

release = json.load(sys.stdin)
if type(release) is list:
  for a_release in release:
    if a_release['prerelease'] and gybversion != 'prerelease':
      continue
    elif a_release['draft'] and gybversion != 'draft':
      continue
    release = a_release
    break
try:
  for asset in release['assets']:
    if asset[attrib].endswith('$gybfile'):
      print(asset[attrib])
      break
  else:
    print('ERROR: Attribute: {0} for $gybfile version {1} not found'.format(attrib, gybversion))
except KeyError:
  print('ERROR: assets value not found in JSON value of:\n\n%s' % release)"

pycmd="python3"
$pycmd -V >/dev/null 2>&1
rc=$?
if (( $rc != 0 )); then
  pycmd="python"
fi
$pycmd -V >/dev/null 2>&1
rc=$?
if (( $rc != 0 )); then
  echo_red "ERROR: No version of python installed."
  exit
fi

browser_download_url=$(echo "$release_json" | $pycmd -c "$pycode" browser_download_url $gybversion)
if [[ ${browser_download_url:0:5} = "ERROR" ]]; then
  echo_red "${browser_download_url}"
  exit
fi
name=$(echo "$release_json" | $pycmd -c "$pycode" name $gybversion)
if [[ ${name:0:5} = "ERROR" ]]; then
  echo_red "${name}"
  exit
fi
# Temp dir for archive
temp_archive_dir=$(mktemp -d 2>/dev/null || mktemp -d -t 'mytmpdir')
echo_yellow "Downloading file $name from $browser_download_url to $temp_archive_dir ($check_type)..."
# Save archive to temp w/o losing our path
(cd $temp_archive_dir && curl -O -L $GHCLIENT $browser_download_url)

mkdir -p "$target_dir"

echo_yellow "Extracting archive to $target_dir"
tar xf $temp_archive_dir/$name -C "$target_dir"
rc=$?
if (( $rc != 0 )); then
  echo_red "ERROR: extracting the GYB archive with tar failed with error $rc. Exiting."
  exit
else
  echo_green "Finished extracting GYB archive."
fi

if [ "$upgrade_only" = true ]; then
  echo_green "Here's information about your GYB upgrade:"
  "$target_dir/gyb/gyb" --version
  rc=$?
  if (( $rc != 0 )); then
    echo_red "ERROR: Failed running GYB for the first time with $rc. Please report this error to GYB mailing list. Exiting."
    exit
  fi

  echo_green "GYB upgrade complete!"
  exit
fi

# Update profile to add gyb command
if [ "$update_profile" = true ]; then
  alias_line="export PATH=$PATH:$target_dir/gyb"
  if [ "$myos" == "linux" ]; then
    update_profile "$HOME/.bashrc" || update_profile "$HOME/.bash_profile"
  elif [ "$myos" == "osx" ]; then
    update_profile "$HOME/.profile" || update_profile "$HOME/.bash_profile"
  fi
else
  echo_yellow "skipping profile update."
fi

while [ ! -f "$target_dir/gyb/nobrowser.txt" ]; do
  read -p "Can you run a full browser on this machine? (usually Y for MacOS, N for Linux if you SSH into this machine) " yn
  case $yn in
    [Yy]*)
      break
      ;;
    [Nn]*)
      touch "$target_dir/gyb/nobrowser.txt" > /dev/null 2>&1
      break
      ;;
    *)
      echo_red "Please answer yes or no."
      ;;
  esac
done
echo

if [ "$adminuser" == "" ]; then
  read -p "Please enter your email address: " adminuser
fi

project_created=false
while true; do
  "$target_dir/gyb/gyb" --action create-project --email $adminuser
  rc=$?
  if (( $rc == 0 )); then
    echo_green "Project creation complete."
    project_created=true
    break
  else
    echo_red "Project creation failed. Trying again."
  fi
done

admin_authorized=false
while true; do
  read -p "Do you want to authorize GYB to backup email for $adminuser? (yes or no) " yn
  case $yn in
    [Yy]*)
      "$target_dir/gyb/gyb" --action quota --email $adminuser
      rc=$?
      if (( $rc == 0 )); then
        echo_green "User authorization complete."
        admin_authorized=true
        break
      else
        echo_red "User authorization failed. Trying again. Say N to skip user authorization."
      fi
      ;;
     [Nn]*)
       echo -e "\nYou can authorize a user later by running:\n\ngyb --action quota --email $adminuser\n"
       break
       ;;
     *)
       echo_red "Please answer yes or no."
       ;;
  esac
done

service_account_authorized=false
while $project_created; do
  read -p "Are you ready to authorize GYB to backup and restore G Suite user email? (yes or no) " yn
  case $yn in
    [Yy]*)
      if [ "$regularuser" == "" ]; then
        read -p "Please enter the email address of a regular G Suite user: " regularuser
      fi
      echo_yellow "Great! Checking service account scopes.This will fail the first time. Follow the steps to authorize and retry. It can take a few minutes for scopes to PASS after they've been authorized in the admin console."
      "$target_dir/gyb/gyb" --email $regularuser --action check-service-account
      rc=$?
      if (( $rc == 0 )); then
        echo_green "Service account authorization complete."
        service_account_authorized=true
        break
      else
        echo_red "Service account authorization failed. Confirm you entered the scopes correctly in the admin console. It can take a few minutes for scopes to PASS after they are entered in the admin console so if you're sure you entered them correctly, go grab a coffee and then hit Y to try again. Say N to skip admin authorization."
      fi
      ;;
     [Nn]*)
       echo -e "\nYou can authorize a service account later by running:\n\ngyb --email $regularuser --action check-service-account\n"
       break
       ;;
     *)
       echo_red "Please answer yes or no."
       ;;
  esac
done

echo_green "Here's information about your new GYB installation:"
"$target_dir/gyb/gyb" --version
rc=$?
if (( $rc != 0 )); then
  echo_red "ERROR: Failed running GYB for the first time with $rc. Please report this error to GYB mailing list. Exiting."
  exit
fi

echo_green "GYB installation and setup complete!"
if [ "$update_profile" = true ]; then
  echo_green "Please restart your terminal shell or to get started right away run:\n\n$target_dir/gyb/gyb"
fi

# Clean up after ourselves even if we are killed with CTRL-C
trap "rm -rf $temp_archive_dir" EXIT

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Home » About Us » Salesian Family » Salesian Cooperators
1. Brief History
On 8th of January 1989, in Nsakaluba Fr Piotr Boryczka received the promises made by the first Salesian Cooperators in Zambia; there were more than ten people, man and women. Fr Stan Jagodzinski and Fr Paul Dziatkiewicz helped to organise that first group. Nine years later, on the 13th of July 1998, four cooperators from Chingola made their promises in Bauleni – Lusaka. On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Visit to Zambia of the Rector Major Most Rev. Father Pasqual Chavez in 2007 the new canters were opened in Kabwe, Bauleni Chingola and in Harare – Zimbabwe receptively. On this occasion Rector Major received promises of the new members. On the 15th of March 2014, Rector Major, the 9th successor of Don Bosco Father Pasqual Chavez, sign a Decree for the formation of the new Province for the Salesian Cooperators for the countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia. In response to the forgoing Decree of the Rector major, a meeting was convened on 20th July 2014 at St. Mathias Mulumba Bauleni parish to elect a Provincial Council Executive. Thus the new Province was born after of the elections by at least three representatives of each of the four centres. The new Provincial Coordinator Mrs Jennifer Sikazwe was elected to lead the new Province. The official name of the Province is known as "The Association of the Salesian Cooperators of Zambia – Don Bosco Province"
2. Expansion
Immediately after the formation of the executive of the Province the new groups of the Salesian Cooperators started their formation in the view of the preparation of the Don Bosco Bicentenary. On 16th August 2015 during the celebration of the Bicentenary 94 new cooperators made their promises and five new centres where opened in Mazabuka, Mansa, Kasama and Rundu in Namibia and Hwange in Zimbabwe. Presently in ZMB Vice Province we have nine centres and 201 members of the Association of the Salesian Cooperators.
3. Animation
Provincial Council meetings of the Association are held every three months. The provincial Delegates of the SDB and FMA are always present during the meetings. To date the Provincial Council has visited all the first existing centres in Chingola, Kabwe, Rundu and Bauleni. However, other councillors have managed to pay visits to Rundu, Hwange and Mazabuka. All the centres where involved actively in the preparation of the Bicentenary of Don Bosco including the event itself on 15-16th of August 2015. Presently the office of the Association is being establish at the Provincial House of the SDB in Lusaka. The main task of the Association is to establish a good foundation and to stress activities on the ongoing formation as well as active participation on the Regional level.
The First Provincial Council
Current Provincial Council


text:
ACP, 16, 7149–7170, 2016
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7149–7170, 2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7149-2016
Research article 10 Jun 2016
Research article | 10 Jun 2016
Canopy-scale flux measurements and bottom-up emission estimates of volatile organic compounds from a mixed oak and hornbeam forest in northern Italy
W. Joe F. Acton1, Simon Schallhart2, Ben Langford3, Amy Valach1,3, Pekka Rantala2, Silvano Fares4, Giulia Carriero5, Ralf Tillmann6, Sam J. Tomlinson3, Ulrike Dragosits3, Damiano Gianelle7,8, C. Nicholas Hewitt1, and Eiko Nemitz3 W. Joe F. Acton et al. W. Joe F. Acton1, Simon Schallhart2, Ben Langford3, Amy Valach1,3, Pekka Rantala2, Silvano Fares4, Giulia Carriero5, Ralf Tillmann6, Sam J. Tomlinson3, Ulrike Dragosits3, Damiano Gianelle7,8, C. Nicholas Hewitt1, and Eiko Nemitz3
1Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
2Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
3Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
4Research Centre for Soil-Plant System, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
5Institute for Plant Protection CNR Research Area – Building E, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
6Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-8: Troposphere, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
7Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 S. Michele all'Adige, Italy
8Foxlab Joint CNR-FEM Initiative, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
Correspondence: Eiko Nemitz (en@ceh.ac.uk)
Received: 24 Sep 2015 – Discussion started: 27 Oct 2015 – Revised: 05 Apr 2016 – Accepted: 16 May 2016 – Published: 10 Jun 2016
Abstract. This paper reports the fluxes and mixing ratios of biogenically emitted volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) 4 m above a mixed oak and hornbeam forest in northern Italy. Fluxes of methanol, acetaldehyde, isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone + methacrolein, methyl ethyl ketone and monoterpenes were obtained using both a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) and a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) together with the methods of virtual disjunct eddy covariance (using PTR-MS) and eddy covariance (using PTR-ToF-MS). Isoprene was the dominant emitted compound with a mean daytime flux of 1.9 mg m−2 h−1. Mixing ratios, recorded 4 m above the canopy, were dominated by methanol with a mean value of 6.2 ppbv over the 28-day measurement period. Comparison of isoprene fluxes calculated using the PTR-MS and PTR-ToF-MS showed very good agreement while comparison of the monoterpene fluxes suggested a slight over estimation of the flux by the PTR-MS. A basal isoprene emission rate for the forest of 1.7 mg m−2 h−1 was calculated using the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) isoprene emission algorithms (Guenther et al., 2006). A detailed tree-species distribution map for the site enabled the leaf-level emission of isoprene and monoterpenes recorded using gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to be scaled up to produce a bottom-up canopy-scale flux. This was compared with the top-down canopy-scale flux obtained by measurements. For monoterpenes, the two estimates were closely correlated and this correlation improved when the plant-species composition in the individual flux footprint was taken into account. However, the bottom-up approach significantly underestimated the isoprene flux, compared with the top-down measurements, suggesting that the leaf-level measurements were not representative of actual emission rates.
Article (PDF, 4074 KB)
Companion paper
Supplement (669 KB)
How to cite. Acton, W. J. F., Schallhart, S., Langford, B., Valach, A., Rantala, P., Fares, S., Carriero, G., Tillmann, R., Tomlinson, S. J., Dragosits, U., Gianelle, D., Hewitt, C. N., and Nemitz, E.: Canopy-scale flux measurements and bottom-up emission estimates of volatile organic compounds from a mixed oak and hornbeam forest in northern Italy, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7149–7170, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7149-2016, 2016.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) represent a large source of reactive carbon in the atmosphere and hence have a significant impact on air quality. It is therefore important that we can accurately quantify their emission. In this paper we use three methods to determine the fluxes of reactive VOCs from a woodland canopy. We show that two different canopy-scale measurement methods give good agreement, whereas estimates based on leaf-level-based emission underestimate isoprene fluxes.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) represent a large source of reactive carbon in the atmosphere...


text:
Creators.com requires Javascript for full functionality. Please enable Javascript for the best user experience.
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Will Conservatives Stand up to Trump if They Must?
Here's an alternate-reality scenario.
It's 2016, and the president-elect of the United States is ready to take office. Her chief advisor pledges a trillion-dollar stimulus package directed at infrastructure. The advisor explains: "It's everything related to jobs. The conservatives are going to go crazy. I'm the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. ... It's the greatest opportunity to rebuild everything. Shipyards, iron works, get them all jacked up. We're just going to throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. It will be as exciting as the 1930s. ... We'll govern for 50 years."
Meanwhile, President-elect Hillary Clinton allegedly meets with foreign business interests working to enrich her. She deploys her allies to inform ambassadors that if they patronize the Clinton Foundation, she'd appreciate it. She says that she'll divest herself of all connections to the Clinton Foundation but refuses to hand it off to any third party to handle, insisting instead that Chelsea Clinton run the place. Meanwhile, she brings Clinton into top-level diplomatic meetings without informing the press. When Vice President-elect Tim Kaine is met with protests at a public event, she takes to Twitter to castigate the attendees, demanding an apology. She goes on to criticize talk radio and Fox News for unfairness. "Equal time for us?" she asks.
This is an alternate reality. But each and every statement and event mentioned above has already happened to President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump's top advisor, Stephen Bannon, is pushing economic statism, grinning at the destruction of conservative economists. Trump met off the record with property developers Sagar and Atul Chordia, the builders of the first Trump-brand property in India, as well as developer Kalpesh Mehta, whose firm claims to be the "exclusive India representative of the Trump Organization." He sneaked Ivanka Trump into a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He tweeted his thoughts on the cast of "Hamilton" and the one-sided comedy of "Saturday Night Live," asking, "Equal time for us?"
The point of this exercise isn't to rip Trump. It's to point out that conservatives who rightly tore Hillary Clinton apart for pay-for-play corruption and hardcore big government leftism shouldn't grant Trump a free hand just because he leads the Republican Party. In fact, that's the biggest mistake Republicans can make.
Trump has already challenged traditional conservative standards. He's made Republicans back off their "character matters" arguments. He's forced Republicans to swallow anti-conservative heresies on economics (free trade is a negative; entitlements should be left alone), social issues (he thinks same-sex marriage should be enshrined by the Supreme Court and praises Planned Parenthood) and foreign policy (his coziness with Russia used to be taboo). Republicans did all of this to stop Hillary Clinton.
But now, Clinton has been dispatched. That means it's time for conservatives to hold Trump accountable. There's no longer any "better than Hillary" excuse making. It's time for Trump to perform.
It's too early to tell whether Trump will become a decent president. But conservatives ought to fight for something better than "not Hillary" — or else, they can simply acknowledge that they had no real objective standards for those who seek to govern other than political convenience.
Ben Shapiro, 32, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, a radio host on KRLA 870 Los Angeles and KTIE 590 Orange County, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show," and editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com. He is the New York Times best-selling author of "Bullies." He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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text:
Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons: Trump
'You can bank on it': Donald Trump talks tough on Iran weapons
US President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House on April 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan SMIALOWSKI
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons but declined comment on whether he may consider the use of force against it.
"I don't talk about whether or not I would use military force," Trump told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"But I can tell you this, they will not be doing nuclear weapons. That I can tell you. OK? They are not going to be doing nuclear weapons. You can bank on it."
The two leaders put on a show of warmth and friendship despite tensions between the two allies and differences over trade, including proposed steel tariffs.
The cautious Mrs Merkel has not established a particularly strong personal rapport with Mr Trump. The mood of her one-day working visit contrasted sharply with the personal warmth shown between Mr Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit earlier this week.
No decision made on Iran nuclear deal- Pompeo
Mattis warns of Israel-Iran military confrontation in Syria
Mr Macron, however, acknowledged that Mr Trump was likely to pull out of the multinational Iran nuclear deal before heading home after a three-day state visit to Washington.
The Iran deal, looming US tariffs on European steel and aluminium products, a planned Russian gas pipeline running under the Baltic Sea to Germany, and Berlin's military spending are issues that divide the German leader and Mr Trump.
Mr Macron made the European position on the Iran nuclear deal clear ahead of Mrs Merkel's visit.
On Wednesday, he called on the United States not to abandon the Iran deal as Western envoys said Britain, France and Germany were nearing agreeing a package they hope could persuade Mr Trump to save the pact. This gives Mrs Merkel something to work with.
The US leader will decide by May 12 whether to revive US sanctions on Iran.
Doing so would be a serious blow to the nuclear deal, which many Western countries sees as essential for stopping Tehran developing a nuclear bomb.
Updated: April 27, 2018 11:48 PM


On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, home buyers borrowed £9.6bn in April this year, down 14% on March but up 19% on April 2016, according to the latest figures, released on the 13th of June, by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
The total number of mortgage loans issued in April was 51,200, down 16% on March but up 9% on April 2016. Within this, first-time buyers borrowed £4.1bn, down 16% on March but up 8% on April 2016. They took out 25,400 loans, down 18% month-on-month but up 2% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, home movers borrowed £5.5bn, down 11% on March but up 28% year-on-year. This equated to 25,700 loans, down 15% month-on-month but up 17% compared to April 2016.
Homeowner remortgage activity was down 16% by value and 18% by volume on March. Compared to a year ago, remortgage lending was down 15% by value and 16% by volume.
Gross buy-to-let mortgage lending saw month-on-month decreases, down 17% by value and 16% by volume. Compared to April 2016, the number of loans increased 1% and the amount borrowed remained unchanged.