Previous LetterGive in to the wind?
The Painter's Keys has been active in preventing offshore shops from cloning some of our works (e.g., in 2006 we removed the work of some 800 Western painters from Chinese clone sites and closed down two of them completely). Copyright laws and tariffs won't work on those guys. While cheap art in parking lots has always been with us, the Western artist who wants to stay the course has to realize that a name is also an asset. Art is not like shirts, for example, where buyers may not care about name or brand as much as quality and price. Art is not like accountancy either, which is now delivered over long distances by anonymous accountants in India. In art, the name is the name of the game.
Artists and the art they make are personalities within communities. These communities may be the whole world, or The Trail Riders of Podunk County. It's a fact of life that one competently painted horse doesn't sell for the same amount as another competently painted horse. Reasonably decent prices are all about context and perception. Anonymous and "in the style of" work has little context and consequently low valuation.
As an outsourcing candidate, art suffers from Baumol's Disease, named for the economist who first described the condition. Some goods and services, he found, resist outsourcing because of their individualistic nature. Further, works by personalities, when they meet certain criteria, are condemned to grow ever more expensive. No matter the idealism or the art maker's joy, investment is part of our game. Just as common stocks are no fun when they don't go up, art needs to at least pretend. Pitching art down to a price fills only college dorms.
Professional artists who put their DNA into their work need not fear the offshore cloners. Even if the Chinese wizards succeed handily, a fake is still a fake. Art is not just art, it's a life, lived by an individualist with a personality, verve, and a deep respect for human relationships.
The Chinese paintings that are being produced are indeed in many cases of a very high standard and the fact that they are not produced by "names" matters little in the commercial marketplace. The abstract paintings that they produce are particularly good and are original and not prints in many cases. However, where they do score really high is on price. A local furniture chain where I live told me recently that he had a container load of Chinese paintings on the high seas that he was able to purchase in the region of $40.00 each for 1.5 meter square paintings. We cannot even buy the canvasses for that price. His customers that will buy these paintings in most cases really only need to cover walls cheaply. For the "names" locally to compete we must be extremely flexible in our output and aggressive in our marketing. Chinese imports are here to stay. Two local galleries closed around here in the last 12 months. The effect is huge.
The situation is a lot like the Wal-Mart phenomenon. Many manufacturers and retailers in the U.S. have gone out of business because they cannot compete with Wal-Mart products manufactured by "slaves" working for 50 cents a day in a country that has no environmental regulations or tax structure like the U.S. Innovative and high quality U.S. products will always be around, but the lower end and the middle portion of manufacturing has gone to China. This situation is ruining our country with lost jobs and growing foreign ownership of American assets. The same phenomenon affects artists. Only the innovative and "collectable" artists can flourish under such circumstances. This means fewer professional artists supporting themselves in our country. Like the Wal-Mart shoppers, the standard of acceptability for artwork among the general public is dropping. Many artists, despite the "DNA" in their work, do have to worry; they now have to get a day job to support themselves. A culture is led by artists who have a vision and create the future look and feel of society through their art: painting, sculpture, music, dance, theater, architecture, poetry and other art forms. A decline in the number of free artists in a society is a decline in the society itself. We should do whatever we can to promote, help and protect our artists. I recently joined a group of artists in my area with just that purpose called Artists in Action International. Readers are welcome to join or should consider starting their own groups with similar goals.
I respectfully disagree that cheap knock-offs are not cutting into the bottom line of hard-working professional artists in the West. I'm represented by five galleries, and all five are feeling the double whammy of our economic turndown and incredibly cheap competition. Galleries are closing left and right here in one of this country's most upscale locales (Naples, Florida). I absolutely agree that among the art collecting cognoscenti who seek the work of top-tier "knowns," knock-offs will never make any inroads, for the very reasons you outlined. And many collectors up and down the scale do still value the "human relationship" in the art they purchase. But for the majority of us who are also often collected by people who simply want something that appeals to them — or, heaven forbid that matches their sofa — the cheap competition is being felt. In my pre-gallery days, I did a very large, well patronized show in an upscale North Carolina venue. The knock-offs somehow were there too, and those $200 30′ x 40's — "Frame included!" — were just flying out of there. I had a pretty good show anyway, but imagine if that competition hadn't been there?
I was one of those artists copied back in 2006. I just returned from China three weeks ago, and while I was there looked in on several galleries where art was produced and sold or had collections of paintings from numerous gallery artists. What I saw there but did not realize at first was I was seeing the same paintings in several different parts of the country. All were copies of the same traditional works or had the same recurring themes. The other pieces of original work were mostly inferior lacking one or more of the essential elements of good paintings — the values, composition, the color temperatures. In all I think that there were probably only about 3-4 that I felt were really good paintings and only one that stood out like a beacon when compared to the rest. The outstanding piece was a non-objective landscape. Now I do not know if it was a copy of someone else's work or not. All I know is that the artist captured something that as artists we all would like to see in our work. At this point in time I don't feel that we Western artists have too much to fear as long as we continue to maintain our high standards and only put up works for sale — works of art that meet or exceed these standards. Look with a very critical eye at a piece of art and only if it is very good, put it out there. If it is not then maybe it should stay in the studio until it meets those requirements. The Chinese are outstanding at copying so remember it takes that DNA of that artist to impose those subtle elements into a painting that are hard to copy if you're not inspired by the original thought.
(RG note) Thanks, Rich. You might also consider the possibility that the academically trained Chinese painters may produce better work than the average Westerner who paints with "soul." The downside of Western democratization is that anyone who wants to call himself a painter can do so — with the result that quality suffers in the West as well. For the most part the Chinese system is based on high quality technical training and the careful selection of young people with significant talent.
The "copy art" phenomenon is another reminder that we, as visual artists, need to give of ourselves and our personalities to the general public and our clientele. That doesn't mean that every visual artist needs to be extroverted and magnetic but, whatever we have, we need to share. That realness of the artist as an individual human being, each with our own place in our community and in history, is what sets us apart from anonymous copycat artists. The sad thing is that some of these Chinese factory artists may, if their creative potential matches their technical skill, have the ability to be artists in every sense of the word. They are just in a much tougher circumstance than those of us in the western industrialized world as far as being able to build an art career. It might seem hard for artists here, too, at times, but I think this is a fitting season to count our blessings in living in this time and place. May the New Year be a fulfilling and profitable one for us all!
While we blame some unscrupulous Chinese in their quest for Western riches, we should stop and think about our own greed. We send our dirty factory work over there so we can sell and buy goods more cheaply. But the underdogs have learnt a few tricks of their own, now they are copying us! They are so greedy they will sell anything in order to gain a profit… even shoddy stuff. The only way this can be solved is politically. Educating the Western art collector isn't going to do it… a good piece of art is a good piece of art regardless of the signature. We have to lobby politicians to force the Chinese government to increase the valuation of the yuan. Jobs are being lost and factories are closing all over the world because of the influx of cheap goods made in China. The only thing we have going for us so far is that most of those goods appear to be inferior. Factories here are closing and our artists are beginning to starve.
Your letter about China clones and copies brought to my mind a strong feeling I have about prints of paintings, giclee or otherwise. I don't see any difference between those and what you are writing about in your letter. They are copies and not done by the artist. Yes, they allow people to enjoy paintings who otherwise could not afford an original. But I don't see any difference between those and calendar art. The giclee copies are so good that I often can't tell the difference between them and the originals, but still I feel a little cheated when I find out a painting I like is just a copy. It's similar to a very well done artificial plant or flower. At first it looks so real, but on closer inspection you can see it's just plastic. They even add wilted leaves or flowers to foster the illusion. I love a living, breathing plant, not plastic. True prints are certainly a different matter. Lithographs, woodblock prints, etc. are done by the artist or personal assistant and the run is limited. Photocopying can reproduce the image perfectly forever and the artist never does a thing. I have never talked with anyone who dislikes prints as much as I do!
I am a fine artist and a business man doing advertising at the same time living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 140 different nationalities live peacefully here. It is a Muslim country ruled by wise and educated rulers. I am from India living with my family for the last 30 years. Dubai is the world's fastest growing city and will be the next Las Vegas soon. Art is in good demand as many luxury properties and hotels are ready or coming up. We have some good art galleries here. Many Chinese copies are also available. There is an art village in southern China near the Hong Kong border where 5000 artists work as daily laborers. The cheap art originates there. There in one company sending about 80,000 paintings per month all over the world including America and Canada. The average salary of a skilled artist is about 3 dollars per day (10 working hours). This is why they can beat every other on price. The oil paint they use is also very cheap and often of low quality. Some European wholesale art dealers are buying their art from them and sell them at 20 times more prices. Who is to blame, first of all the actual buyers, then the wholesalers and retailers who shamelessly encourage these Chinese art factories. If the respective art dealers and end users stop buying these imitations the inflow will automatically reduce if not stop completely. Most of the art publisher's works are copied by these Chinese companies as the images are easily available on their web sites. In my opinion the actual original creator of the work must be suitably rewarded.
We cannot wave a magic wand, no matter how just it would be, and get rid of those who would profit by another's honest art. We can affirm that the act of art is in the making, the communication to the viewer, the dialogue with the viewer. It is sort of a two-phase process: we dialogue with the paint, paper, canvas, stone etc. and in turn dialogue with the viewers. Yes, I'll line up with the rest to see the Mona Lisa and know that fakes are fakes. I remember fondly waiting in line at the Chicago Art Institute to view the Monet show, then inching slowly by each one in a thick pea-soup crowd. While I would love to spend an hour in front of each, I gladly took my place in that crowd. Over 40 years ago, I did my part as a tourist in Amsterdam before Rembrandts. All these years later, viewing them remains a highlight of my life. No print, no copy, no image in an art book can replace the impact of suddenly being in front of the huge canvas of the Night Watch.
(RG note) Thanks, Teresa. And thanks to everyone who has written unsolicited book reviews, some terse, some lengthy. This is one of the nicest.
Several years ago, American quilters had problems with Chinese knock-offs and copying of American quilts, which were then sold in the USA. It's my understanding that an agreement was made with the Chinese to limit their quilt patterns to certain generics and to not infringe on art quilts being made by American artists. I don't know how well this is working presently, but I suspect that such an agreement would be harder to make in such a broad area as painting.
After all the comments I've read in your newsletter about Chinese cut rate, knock off paintings, why are you advertising 99,999 original oil paintings from China?
The Chinese have a long heritage of beautiful art. How sad it is that this may be lost to the profit motive.
It's not only art. Think about the musical composers. Every week Rogers is bombarding us with paper about the 10,000 songs you can download onto your whatever device that is the chipwork of choice at the moment.
Listen to yourselves! All I hear is $$$$$ – they're cheap, we're not. They're good – we're better, but they're winning because they're cheap! Are you artists to make money or make art? This is the same talk that happened when prints were introduced – lithographs, engravings, photography – that's not real art, it's mechanical. (What would Durer say? Ansel Adams?) It's all art – for ALL tastes and prices. If it bothers you all so much, then do something about it. Make your art better, more enticing, more special. And if you're in it for the money only – then do something else to support your need to create art. Copying art is the traditional way to learn techniques – Michelangelo did it, all great artists went through an apprenticeship. What we're seeing here is a country with more people (ergo more artists) who need to make a living, and are therefore flooding the world with copies. Is it so bad to let everyone be able to enjoy art? Maybe their children will grow up to be artists because their homes had images of well known art on the walls. Isn't that what democracy is about? I'm an artist – I sell a few works, but I paint and show because I must. I also work a day job to support my need to create. Get off your high horses people – stop complaining and make a difference by being true to art – not commerce.
Concerning Hannah Brehmer's "No More Plastic Prints, Please": Well said! I am of the same opinion, but seem to be a lone voice in our local art scene. We need, immediately, to stop calling them prints and give them their proper name — copies! That goes for giclees and reproductions done in printing shops.
Re: Barrett Edwards' letter: any true art show that permits knockoffs is undercutting the artists. The show is about art if it's the real deal, and show producers who allow cheap imports are biting the hand that feeds them, as is much of the American corporate world these days. And Terry Rempel-Mroz, lighten up. While you may see a contradiction between doing the work one loves and making a living, there's nothing shameful about it. In fact, speaking from experience, it's the way to go! If artists of all stripes and media stop apologizing for being paid for their work, perhaps others will be more amenable to paying them. If you want to keep passion and purchasing power separate, more power to you. But nobody is on a high horse when they acknowledge economic difficulties brought about by a very un-level playing field. It's reality, Terry, not equestrianism.
I agree with Barbara Cruikshank. Why are you advertising/promoting these outrageous HONGKONG horrors. There is also another one there which I am ashamed to say is in NZ. Shannon's art is also an Asian factory outfit (www.oilportraits.co.nz) that just emails the pik to their counterparts in China and then 45 days later you have a wonderful portrait. To the unassuming eye it looks like an oil painting, but in reality it is a print that is digitally blown up and then covered with a little colour (almost paint by numbers!) and then a transperent substance or gel that is brushed backwards and forwards and up and down to give it a feeling of oil brush strokes. Usually no signature. Personally I do not feel threatened at all by these copy and scam artists…..just outraged as if there was an alien invasion. I have many times spoken up about this to those attempting to sell these 'horrors' in our country and have fortunately shamed one place into ceasing all activity. They have now decided to buy kiwi originals. Why not?? They make more money in the commission! Please get rid of the ads. They are an insult to all artists who wish to make a living from their artistry within their culture.
I agree with Terry Rempel-Mroz. It is all art, for all people with different prices and preferences. We must remember that we live in a global community, and thus our options are so much more. What is a problem for one, is joy for another. I say stay true to your own art and beliefs, develop a following, and be happy you possess a gift that allows you to create an original work like none other.
There has always been factory style massed produced art for sale. As a college student in the late 60's working part time, I was employed in such a factory here in the USA. Today, as an artist of note in the Sacramento area of California, my work is collected by artistically discriminating people. Cheap factory style art is not part of my marketing niche.
"A fake is still a fake"- The difference between a fake and an artist's autographed print is small. Neither of them is what they pretend to be. The fake is a lie. The print is a fantasy. Long live "original" art. I am just beginning to appreciate the once pompous declaration: "It's an original." The walls of Heaven are lined with originals. The walls of 'that other place' are lined with take-offs and prints.
In southern California, the factory produced Chinese art is having a serious influence on artist's living. I have been in a warehouse full of these canvases, they are not even stretched, they are stacked 100 high. They sell the frames by the truckload also. I know of several hotels that furnished every room with this art and even their corridors. I know of an art broker who sells $1,000's in this art to the rich. It breaks my heart. Once in awhile I hear radio and television commercials yelling about the sale of such art. "No oil painting over $59.95, these are original oils!" When I do see the work, I can tell how thin the oil paint is and how cheap the canvas is too. The color choices, the composition, the representation of a subject seems way off-base. Not an accurate representation or even near it. A cheap one I must say, they get what they pay for. It makes me turn red with anger. What I do feel better about is the fact that they do not have awards they have won, plus they are anonymous people. Those Chinese artists who have made it are the ones who broke free from China and moved here to make it big. They built a name for themselves and are heavily collected by educated art buyers. I respect those artists, I know a few. They have proved in the art circles how well trained and talented they really are. Judges have handed them award after award. So, within the Chinese nationality there is junk and there is gold. Think about all the art we see from Americans, some is good and a lot is very bad. To be distinctive is to be recognized by the discerning eye of a good collector. It feels great to me to have some complete stranger come up to me at an art show I am doing and tell me they think I am the most talented fine artist in the place. I study hard and try even harder to attain the highest standards in my art. The people who don't recognize that aren't going to change. We as pure artists just need to be thankful for our eyes and hands and the ability to keep creating the ideal.
This isn't new! Does anyone remember the "Starving Artist" commercials of the seventies and eighties? You used to see an "artist" set up in a shopping mall cranking out an oil painting every ten minutes, snow-capped mountains and all. All the paintings looked the same. Many of these showed up in hotel rooms. We also have the North American version of "McArt" in the Kinkade franchise. There is also very high quality work out there by Beijing-trained artists. Real art. Yuqi Wang, for example. Real is real and cheap fake is cheap fake. There will always be a market for both. All we can do is keep pointing out the difference.
Quote from above, "Is that where we see, or want to see our work? Even receiving a good price for the work would or should never tempt a good painter to accept that kind of donkey work." HELLO, I am not talking about a regular hotel, I am talking about several 5 star resort hotels that guests pay $300-$2000 a night to stay at. You would want to have your art in those places as a marketing of your name. In the 2-room suites and presidential suites they have original art by established artists. Guests will inquire where they can purchase the artist's work. Some larger pieces are placed strategically in the registration lobby or in the spa, it is high end art bought for thousands. But if you walk by the restaurant on the main floor, there is the factory produced crap. One of the hotels I know is in the process of updating their art, they are clearing house. If a major hotel wants to get written up in Conde Nast's Hotel Guide, they will make changes to be noticed and art is one of the most visible and easily changed decorations in hotels. I am not talking about a Holiday Inn or Best Western by any means. Those hotels have a peanut art budget and will furnish the regular rooms with the factory junk. But I have been in quite a few regular rooms of upscale hotels and seen original artwork by hard working artists in the States also. I was in talks with a major name luxury hotel in Las Vegas for selling my art to decorate the lobby when it was being built. It fell through, although I learned a lot of inside information at the time. It is an honor to have been considered. They own several original Picasso, Monet, Manet, Modigliani, Cezanne, Renoir and Van Goghs plus others, proudly displayed in a gallery. Yes, if you can get into some of these hotels, it says you have arrived on a white stallion.
**In the 2-room suites and presidential suites they have original art by established artists.** You were talking about production line works in hotel rooms, were you not ? **You would want to have your art in those places as a marketing of your name.** I would not. Rented rooms are rented rooms. Picasso, Monet, Manet, Modigliani, Cezanne, Renoir and Van Gogh are dead and have no say where their work hangs. Picasso would not care as long as the price was right, Monet would be happy, Manet would slash the painting rather than see it there, Modigliani would love the publicity, Cezanne liked hotels, Renoir could be a Chinese hack, Van Gogh would be surprised anyone cared. Anyway, if I saw one of my works in a hotel room, I'd rip it from the wall, and take the consequences later.
JMJahn, you are just plain cynical, not worth the time of day to me.
Ah yes cynical, that I am. Been in this game long enough to build up a nice thick cynical skin about the way the world treats our children (works). Money and marketing always have a bad influence on the way art is viewed and appreciated. Remove money and marketing and perhaps we will have a chance to see art in a different light. I personally have no interest in a work once it's completed, I leave that to the money and marking people (everyone has their talents). Not being worth (monetary reference?) anyone's time of day is a blessing, leaving the cynic time to do the work that is important to them. Art has nothing to do with popularity. It's more akin to science. The facts/works are there whether or not the scientist is a likable person or a clown (Modigliani). So go on with your work, be it art or marketing.
BTW Esther J. Williams, enter your name in google and then try my name in google Joseph M. Jahn……….then ask yourself who's the better marketer, the cynic or the critic ?
Actual theft aside, what is the problem here? Not one person in a hundred can tell the diff between a "good" picture and a cheap Chinese picture. Why should those 99% pay overpriced western retail?


One of 58,452 items in the series: NBC News Scripts available on this site.
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about a robbery plot that resulted in the slaying of two ex-convicts.
WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.) April 30, 1957.
Dec. 9, 2015, 7:47 a.m.
Aug. 29, 2018, 1:52 p.m.
WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [News Script: Norris case], item, April 30, 1957; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc790008/: accessed April 18, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.


text:
Cantò soprattutto nelle opere di Gioachino Rossini. Talvolta è désignata come Giorgi-Righetti o Righetti-Giorgi, dato che Giorgi era il nome di suo marito.

Biografia
Nacque a Bologna, figlia di Francesco e di Anna Gavaruzzi. Nella stessa città studiò ed ebbe il suo esordio nella primavera del 1811 al Teatro dei Felicini nellImpegno superato, dramma giocoso di Domenico Cimarosa.

Si sposò nel 1814 con Luigi Giorgi, allora vedovo della moglie musicista Maria Brizzi, e lasciò la carriera del canto.
Ma con la Restaurazione, questo perse il suo posto ed ella risalì sulle scene per il Carnevale del 1816.

È nota per essere stata la prima ad interpretare il ruolo di Rosina ne Il barbiere di Siviglia nel febbraio 1816 al Teatro Argentina di Roma, che però alla prima rappresentazione (il 20 febbraio) si rivelò un fiasco. Nello stesso anno reinterpretò Rosina al teatro Contavalli di Bologna in estate e alla Pergola di Firenze in autunno.

Il 25 gennaio 1817 fu la prima eroina de La Cenerentola, anch'essa svoltasi a Roma, stavolta al Teatro Valle. Ricordando la propria interpretazione nei suoi Cenni di una donna già cantante sopra il maestro Rossini, Righetti sostenne  che «Cenerentola non può essere cantata con pieno successo che da una persona che possieda un'estensione tutta uguale, agile e pieghevole di 18 corde. Chi non ebbe dalla natura questo dono non avvisi di cantare la parte di Cenerentola giusta la mente di Rossini».

La sua carriera fu breve, interrotta da problemi di salute nel 1820-1821. Si ritirò dal palcoscenico nel 1822 per occuparsi della figlia Anna e del figliastro Eugenio.

Morì a Bologna nel 1862. È sepolta nella tomba di famiglia, assieme al marito e a Maria Brizzi Giorgi, nel pozzetto 295 della Sala delle Tombe del cimitero monumentale della Certosa di Bologna, ai piedi del Monumento ai martiri dell'Indipendenza.

Scritti
Nel 1823 scrisse una risposta ad un articolo di Stendhal, sotto il titolo Cenni d'una donna già cantante sopra il Maestro Rossini..., nel quale si trova una presentazione della prima de Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Interpretazioni

Ruoli creati
 Rosina ne Il barbiere di Siviglia di Gioacchino Rossini, al teatro Argentina di Roma, il 20 febbraio 1816.
 Violante ne Lo sprezzatore schernito di vari autori, al teatro della Pergola di Firenze, il 22 novembre 1816.
 La Contessa Florimonda, ne Il qui pro quo di Pietro Romani, al Teatro Valle di Roma, il 26 dicembre 1816 e per carnevale.
 Angelina, ossia il ruolo del titolo ne La Cenerentola di Rossini, a Roma, il 25 gennaio 1817 e per il carnevale,
 poi al teatro Sant'Agostino di Genova, per la primavera 1817,
 e al Teatro Contavalli di Bologna, per l'autunno 1817,
 e di nuovo alla Pergola di Firenze, a primavera 1818.
 Don Diego (en travesti) nella Donna Caritea regina di Spagna, dramma serio per musica, da diversi autori, al teatro di S. Agostino di Genova, il 3 gennaio 1818 e per carnevale.

Altri
 Leonilda (soprano) nell'Impegno superato, dramma giocoso di Domenico Cimarosa, al Teatro dei Felicini di Bologna, nella primavera 1811
 Isabella ne L'Italiana in Algeri a Roma, dal 16 gennaio 1816, per 31 repliche
 e al teatro della Pergola di Firenze, per l'autunno 1816
 e di nuovo nel teatro S. Benedetto di Venezia, per il carnevale 1819
 ed ancora al Comunale di Bologna nel Carnevale 1822
 Desdemona nell'Otello di Rossini, al teatro degli Accademici Rinnovati di Siena, per l'estate 1817
 Zerlina nel Don Giovanni di Mozart alla Pergola di Firenze, nella primavera 1818.
 Dilara nei Pitocchi fortunati di Pavesi, nel teatro S. Benedetto di Venezia, da l'11 febbraio 1819 e per il carnevale
 Nel Ser Marcantonio di Pavesi, al Comunale di Bologna nel Carnevale 1822.

Note

Bibliografia

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Gruppi e musicisti dell'Emilia-Romagna
Righetti

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: PHP 5.3.8 Wordpress CURL Intermittent Error I upgraded my IIS 7.5 web server to PHP 5.3.8 from PHP 5.2.17.
After doing so, my Wordpress install started intermittently producing 500 errors:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
C:\Program Files (x86)\PHP\v5.3\php-cgi.exe - The FastCGI process exited unexpectedly
Detailed Error Information
Module FastCGIModule
Notification ExecuteRequestHandler
Handler PHP53_via_FastCGI
Error Code 0x000000ff

I also run Drupal and the Zend Framework on this server, both of which use CURL, but these did not produce the error. As such, I'd say it's something specific to the Wordpress implementation of CURL.
I looked in the Windows application error log and found the following errors:

Faulting application name: php-cgi.exe, version: 5.3.8.0, time stamp: 0x4e537f4b
Faulting module name: php_curl.dll, version: 5.3.8.0, time stamp: 0x4e537f64
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00036864
Faulting process id: 0x378
Faulting application start time: 0x01cccf17892cff0e
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\PHP\v5.3\php-cgi.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\PHP\v5.3\ext\php_curl.dll
Report Id: ec31f1ab-3b0a-11e1-9d5f-005056b30014

A: This appears to be a manifestation of the following PHP bug, introduced in 5.3.7 with a new version of cURL:
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=60576
If you don't need the new features from the the new cURL version (such as reading certificates from a file specified in php.ini), download the relevant PHP 5.3.6 Zip file from http://windows.php.net/downloads/releases/archives/ and replace ext\php_curl.dll with the PHP 5.3.6 version.
If you do need these features... that's an open question.
Hope this helps someone!

A: I am also experiencing the same problem. My configuration is given below.

Windows 7 Wordpress 3.9.1 (Turkish) Apache 2.4.9 x86 VC11
  (Windows Lounge binaries) PHP 5.5.14 ts x86 VC11

I am using proxy. Moreover, my proxy requires authentication. I found that one of the request methods in the file wp-includes/class-http.php is problematic.
I solved the issue by replacing below lines (line number is 1247)

    if ( $proxy->is_enabled() && $proxy->send_through_proxy( $url ) ) {

        curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_PROXYTYPE, CURLPROXY_HTTP );
        curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_PROXY, $proxy->host() );
        curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_PROXYPORT, $proxy->port() );

        if ( $proxy->use_authentication() ) {
            curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_PROXYAUTH, CURLAUTH_ANY );
            curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_PROXYUSERPWD, $proxy->authentication() );
        }

    }

with the lines given below.

    if ( $proxy->is_enabled() && $proxy->send_through_proxy( $url ) ) {

        $isPHP5 = version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.0.0', '>=');

        if ($isPHP5) {
            curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_PROXYTYPE, CURLPROXY_HTTP);
            curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_PROXY, $proxy->host());
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            curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_PROXY, $proxy->host() . ':' . $proxy->port());
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                curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_PROXYAUTH, CURLAUTH_BASIC);

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Diocesan Youth To Support Nigerian Students This Lenten Season
Youth across the Diocese of Des Moines – students in Catholic schools and parish religious education programs – will be using their creativity this Lenten season to raise funds for students about 6,000 miles away in Nigeria.
During a trip there a few years ago, Bishop Richard Pates visited a high school minor seminary where he found extreme poverty. The Holy Ghost Juniorate's walls and roof were dilapidated, there were few windows, desks chairs or books available. With no constant power supply, electricity was spotty. Sewage, water and drainage systems all needed to be reconstructed.
When the bishop returned home, he shared the story of the students at the school and encouraged the youth here to use the Lenten season as a time to support their fellow students in Nigeria. The effort is named "Building the Kingdom."
In the last four years, the diocese has sent more than $117,000 with $20,000 sent just last year. With those funds, the school renovated the rector's quarters, constructed a new building with 20 rooms for students and renovated two blocks of classrooms.
The rector, Spiritan Father Chris Chukwu sent a note of gratitude to Dr. Tracy Bonday, Des Moines diocesan schools superintendent.
"I remain ever grateful to Bishop Richard Pates and the entire Catholic faithful of the Des Moines diocese," he wrote. "May the kind heart of God continue to bless and reward you all."
The Diocese of Des Moines includes 80 parishes in 23 counties in central and southwest Iowa.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Our core strengths are experience, excellent customer service and exceptional design. With our roots in branding and graphic design we are able to model any digital marketing or web design project to fully marketable tool that actually works hand in hand with your branding efforts. The Internet presence became a crucial part of any branding efforts and an essential element of customer engagement and experiences. 70% of the projects we handle nowadays is digital or web oriented in one shape or form. We build beautiful award winning websites and eCommerce stores that actually enhance perceptions and visibility of your brand.
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In time under budget! We always try to look past the obvious, beyond "features and benefits" to connect with that place in the customer where the rational meets the emotional and results in a catalytic 1 + 1 = 3.


text:
Carol Frances Sims Lones: Loris
By Editor | August 6, 2020
Carol Frances Sims Lones of Loris passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Conway Medical Center. She was 80.
Mrs. Lones was born on Jan. 16, 1940 in Washington, D.C., to the late Boyd Sims, Sr. and the late Louise Hyre Sims.
Mrs. Lones worked as a secretary until her retirement and was a member of Victory Life Center.
Survivors include her husband, Wayne Lones of Loris; her son, Gary Lones and wife Carrie of Loris; two daughters, Diane Martin and husband, Paul of Fairmont, West Virginia and Debbie Hayslette of Virginia; a sister, Sandra Craft of Florida; and many loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Lones was predeceased by her brother, Boyd Sims, Jr.
Memorial service will be held at a later time. Memorials may be made to Victory Life Center at 4360 Rose Street, Loris, SC 29569.
A guest register is available here.


I'm always keen to work on creative projects or yummy collaborations, eIther you're in need of photos, recipes or food stylism for your company/restaurant. My services are here for you!
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BORN TO DIE is my fourth novel and the second of my Detective Al Warner series, After writing DEATH'S ANGEL, I realized this could be the beginning of a great series, in the mode of Patterson's "Alex Cross." The stunning and violent surprise ending of DEATH'S ANGEL (no reader has ever guessed it) provided a challange on how to continue Warner's adventures, which I eventually crafted into another 5-Star novel that one professional reviewer called "One of the most masterful plots I've read in a long while"
Al Warner and his group of detectives and forensic experts are all carried over from DEATH'S ANGEL. The female protagonist, Casey Jannson, was someone I needed to be both a bit fragile emotionally, but with strong determination. Frankly, character makeup just sort of "comes to me" as I'm imagining the story. They start out as physical beings, but as the novel develops, they take over the action, changing and developing in ways I never first imagined. Soon they take the story down pathways not originally in my plan. It's an amazing experience to be led by the hand by characters of your own imagination through an unexpected maze.
Rico Avila rubbed his eyes and stretched, bored by a day full of checking in petty criminals and answering nuisance calls. Just thirty minutes left before he could bug out and hoist a couple of cold ones at La Isla.
A firm, authoritative voice, laced with stress… or maybe fear? Avilla hitched around in his swivel chair, sitting a little straighter, adjusting his headset over thick, curly hair.
"When do you expect him?" The voice cracking, sounding desperate now.
"Acting Chief of Detectives, Jack Harris." Rico ran a finger down the directory, finding the right extension.
"Yes sir. Just a moment, please." He put the call on hold and buzzed the direct line in Detectives.
"Right." He switched lines. "I've got Detective Harris for you, sir," making the connection.
Terrific. Are you just guessing? And why are you calling homicide? The wiry little cop clicked his ballpoint, sliding over a pad of yellow lined paper.
Kidnapped? Certainly a good candidate. A U.S. senator and a big time real estate magnet. Maybe our bailiwick after all.
"I gotta ask, sir. Does she do any drugs?" Why is this always like pulling teeth? They want help but don't give you anything to make it easier. Harris doodled on the lined pad, dissipating his frustration.
Harris printed "ANN BARKER??" at the top of a fresh page, and then dropped the pen, with nothing else to add.
The detective suppressed a groan. "But the public can be one of our best tools, if she's just run off. Maybe a reward…?
Jack Harris massaged the bridge of his considerable nose after hanging up.
We'll find her, alright. I just hope she's still breathing.
He rang the duty officer.
They were chuckling as they hung up. Harris wished Al Warner were there. No one was better on the really tough cases. Warner was the sole reason that lunatic, Leordano, wasn't still killing children, but it almost cost him his own life.
If I hadn't tracked him down in the 'Glades that day… Lucky I got there in time. He sighed again.
Jack was already working two cases, but they were about to take a back shelf to a missing teenager. U.S. senators got priority.
The bawling had finally sputtered to a hiccupping stop.
Shellie Laughlin cracked the door, peeking into the room. The night-light cast fractured shadows across the bars of the crib. Stevie had been unusually quiet for two hours. Always hungry lately, the little man should be demanding his meal by now. The incessant crying was driving her crazy. Had he finally gotten over the break-in last month? Strange that a five-month old could sense the danger.
She tiptoed to his crib, never tiring of watching her new son, dreaming of his certain future in science or medicine. A little blonde angel, lying there on his back, so still.
Almost too still. She touched his forehead.
Gee, that's strange. She put her hand back on his face. Was he too cool? Dropping the side of the crib, she leaned in, listening, but there was no sound. She put her ear close to his mouth.
Still nothing. Shellie gathered him up, but he didn't wake. His body was strangely slack.
"John." She turned toward the door, her infant son clutched against her breast.
She stumbled from the room, hurrying for their study, where her neurosurgeon husband was reviewing files. He would know what to do.
"Shellie, what is it?" He stood in the doorway, a cup of coffee in his hand.
"It's Stevie. Oh, God, it's Stevie.
Not a single damned place to eat alone. Shoulda had lunch at home.
Casey Jansson dropped her change on her tray and surveyed the cafeteria. Most of the white laminate topped tables seating four to six eaters were occupied by visitors or staff. The room rippled with quiet voices, the muted clatter of dishes, and the pungent smell of overcooked cheese.
Resigned, she approached a group of nurses and staff, clustered around a long, oblong mica table. Not eager to talk shop, she doubted it could be avoided. That's what they did at lunch. They would draw her in, regardless of any effort to remain aloof. Still, these were her friends; she couldn't just ignore them. She nodded to the two nurses, Rita from Delivery and Marcy from Pediatrics. Danny O'Brien, a second year resident, smiled through a two-day old red-stubbled jaw. His wrinkled blue smock, smudged with blood was a stark comparison to the nurses' starched whites.
"Join away," Rita said, patting the empty seat. The diminutive but voluptuous, dusky-skinned woman was an utter contrast to Casey's slim 5'8'' slim Swedish blonde looks.
"Always glad for some real company," Danny said.
"Hey." Rita gave him a friendly elbow in the ribs. Danny laughed.
"You look bushed, Rita. Busy shift?" Casey couldn't help herself.
"You always seem to end up with the celebs, though, don't you, Sanchez?" Jack, an intern, said, grinning.
"Huh?" Rita, her mouth full of spaghetti, frowned at the tall blonde.
"I like where I am." She brushed a lock of golden hair from her left eye, shifting on her hard plastic seat, suppressing the vision of Mikey, motionless and sprouting tubes and wires.
Conversation stumbled to a nervous silence, like a pregnant woman awaiting the next contraction. Danny got things going again, but Casey drifted away. It was three years since she fell in love with little Mike Newman. Their five-month "affair" ended when he broke her heart, deserting her by dying after four weeks in a coma. Blinking away tears, she shuddered at the memory of his small six-year-old body, so cold and still. Her other love affair, with Mikey's father, Andy, quickly deteriorated. She couldn't bear to face him, and he never called.
She had lied to them. She just knew Andy blamed her.
Casey took a week's leave, returning to St. Paul to visit her family. After three days of moping in bed, her mother dragged her out, organizing a party for twenty relatives and friends. Casey was commandeered to help with preparation and cooking. Predictably, her father went fishing. A true Swedish iceberg, he left dealing with feelings or any family problems to his wife. Casey understood her father's reluctance to love openly. It was too easy to get hurt.
Life with her family settled into some semblance of normality for the rest of the week, but a subtle numbness pervaded her. Struggling with the empty agony of loss, she erected an outward façade of quite reserve, burying her warmth and sensitivity under the appearance of a frosty, even snobbish Swede. In truth, she was shy. Once overcome by familiarity, she was the same warm friend little Mikey Newman had discovered. His father had learned she was also a passionate lover. But it all ended with the little guy's death.
Her heart got in the way of cool professionalism, and got shattered. After Mikey's death, she resolved to remain distant, never chancing getting close to a patient… or a man… again.
Maternity, where connections rarely last beyond two days, was the ideal solution.
She blinked at the sound of her name, climbing out of the black pit of her memories.
"Case? You okay?" Danny's ice-blue eyes regarded her with a worried intensity.
"What's that, some kind of Irish wit?" She grinned at him.
"Just trying to get a little juice back into that smile of yours." They both laughed.
"You're good for me, Danny-boy." The others were gone, returning to their assignments.
"Oh, you nut." She shook her head, her wheat-yellow hair swirling like a golden halo.
His own special angel, Danny thought, as they went their separate ways.


Eric blends sound strategy with inspired creativity to help groups plan for success, create lasting relationships, amplify their voices, raise resources and build skills.
For nearly 15 years, Eric has helped social purpose organizations tell their stories and achieve results. He blends sound strategy with inspired creativity to help groups plan for success, create lasting relationships, amplify their voices, raise resources and build skills.
Eric has worked with nonprofits, foundations, public-sector agencies and socially responsible businesses. As a skilled strategist and writer, he has crafted strategic plans, fundraising plans, communication plans and engagement plans. Additionally, he has drafted brand platforms, message frames, marketing copy, case statements, reports, news releases and more.
Currently, Eric is working to top off a $40 million capital campaign that is bringing together unlikely public and private partners to replace an entire K–12 campus in twice-flooded Vernonia, Oregon. He's also helping the U.S. Forest Service develop and implement a clarified identity in the Pacific Northwest to unify employees and better connect to the communities it works in and with. His other current and past clients include Columbia Land Trust; D Street Village; Feeding America; Multnomah County; Self Enhancement, Inc.; and the James Irvine Foundation.
Before joining MG in 2008, Eric worked with Mercy Corps to secure media coverage and raise private funds. During the second Gulf War, Eric helped the international aid agency create the first-of-its-kind overseas advertising campaign on the Al Jazeera network. In 2005, Eric traveled to Louisiana as part of Mercy Corps's initial Hurricane Katrina emergency response team, and in 2006 he visited remote areas of Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to report back on conditions following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake.
Born and raised in Milwaukee—not Milwaukie—Eric journeyed west to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. While in Minneapolis, he co-founded a nonprofit that sought to increase local discussion about the arts. In 2001, he drove much further west and arrived in Portland. Outside of MG, he's usually making music in basement practice spaces and home recording studios or is tuned in to a Trail Blazers game.


We are writing about a decision that the Mercer Island City Council has made to contract with Crown/T Mobile to install 38 additional cell phone towers in our residential ar eas. One of these 39 foot towers is scheduled to be installed in the median strip of our Greenbrier Lane neighborhood, and we have appealed that decision.
Though the city will not allow health reasons to be mentioned on the appeal, there are a growing number of studies that suggest the possibility of health concerns related to the radiation. There is most definitely concern for any workers on the tower, as warning signs will be posted on the tower to give them a heads up.
We were also told that our houses on Greenbrier would be reassessed by King County, and that our property taxes might go down after installation. Though this might seem like good news, the reason for the tax decrease according to the King County assessor's office is that property values would likely decrease between 10-50 percent because of the presence of the tower.
For 40 years, the residents of our Greenbrier community have all paid to plant those beautiful dogwood trees and maintain the landscaping of the median strip. The city of Mercer Island has never been willing to pay for maintenance. We do not believe we should also pay the price of possible health concerns, decreased property values and worries about an unsightly tower looming over our block.
Hopefully all Mercer Island residents understand the impact these cell towers will have on their property and their lives.


I take private pay, Medicaid (for developmental disabilities only), and Kaiser (with preauthorization). I consider myself to be a specialist in developmental disabilities. I primarily assess children and adolescents (and adults only for developmental disability concerns). I also provide psycho-legal consultation for developmental disabilities, lead social skills groups, and provide psychotherapy. I am a native Spanish speaker (from Argentina).


Last week, Bridge showed how "choice" has made several metro Detroit districts less diverse, with white students moving to whiter districts and African-American students increasingly gravitating to almost-entirely-black charter schools.
I see the problem as not with choice itself, but with the availability of choice for all students. Taxpayer funding for schools should follow the students. Schools must comply with educational standards and must accept all who apply, within their capacity. Behavioral standards must apply to all who are accepted... regardless of the school they attend.
Ren, Yes, demographic on all schools is available (mischooldata.org). The percentage of African-Americans attending a charter school that is less than half white is 94 percent. That means for every 100 African American students in a charter school, 94 of them attend a majority-minority school, up from 90 percent six years ago. Part of it is the expansion of charters in Detroit, Flint and other cities but it's also parents and students choosing those settings for whatever reason (familiarity, location).
We parents feel that the best school with the best teachers is where we want our children to go regardless or in spite of any manufactured race issue. As evidence black parents in Detroit are choosing Charter Schools where there are better teachers who can be fired for poor performance as they don't have tenure or a union. So lets finally put that one to bed eh. Next school issue is Snyder's strategy to withhold money from Michigan's public schools in hope that they fail because of poor facilities, poor teaching tools and the many good teachers leaving to go the Charter School route. The lesser capable teachers won't take that Charter School risk because they would have to work harder and smarter plus they don't want to give up their locked in tenured job with benefits better than union auto workers. So those teachers are just trading water until they can retire in 20 to 30 years. Hardly a nice guy that republican nerd.
Here is my suggestion for Mr.Wilkinson: When you do your next piece, instead of jumping on the knee-jerk bandwagon of race being the underlying factor here, do a cross-reference across the state on how the level of police activity in a particular school system correlates in districts gaining and losing student population, along with student achievement on tests. Be sure to go back at least a decade and include factors like the number of visits/arrests by the local police/sheriff departments in and around schools, the number of calls for mutual aid in those circumstances, those districts with officers/deputies regularly assigned to a particular school (and those without) and those districts with their own police department (and those without). It should make for an interesting read.
Mr. Zeman, The article doesn't say 'race' it is only title about 'segregation', it talks about 'segregation', the charts common data is by 'race', the article mentions more than once 'race' and how that is distributed in the schools, even suggests academic performance is related to 'race'. The article may not use the word 'race', but do you think the readers [after generations of 'race' being in the fore front of education] don't see 'race' as a theme in this article? You are correct the word race is not in the article, 'segregation' and ethnicity are a prime thread though the article. The writer didn't seem to interview any students about why they do well or don't do well, why they changed schools and what the differences were between the schools. A message can be sent even if certain words aren't used. I wonder if you would be willing to survey the readers to get their impressions of whether 'race' was the message or not, even though the word 'race' wasn't used? The non-use of 'race' reminds me of a President that was most concerned with what 'is' is when trying to obfuscate particular activities and motivations. I would really like to see this as the beginning of a series of article about the students and why they change or stay in their neighborhood school, why and how do they succeed academically or why not, how do their friends, peers, classroom have high or low academic expectations for themselves and those around them, how does the classroom environment affect learning or not, etc. I think there is much more beyond the ethnic 'segregation' focus of the article we can learn from the students moving or staying.
Kevin, I believe that is a broad generalization. Do you have numbers to back it up?
No, Mike, it is not a broad generalization. If you have read my earlier posts on related threads, I have already provided links on just some of what has been occurring in districts like East Detroit. If it was your intention to provide a thorough report on the migration patterns of Michigan Students, it only stands to reason that you explore all of the variables involved. Especially the safety of the schools. Unless you are trying to imply that a district like Armada (with no police presence within their schools) is significantly outperforming a district like Detroit Public Schools (with the state's only full-service school district police agency) on just about every testing metric because of pure luck?
Kevin, I have followed many of your comments and find them narrow in perspective. The mind always looks for information to support it's position, which I have seen you do many times. It takes an "open mind" to look at complex issues that require complex solutions.
Bernadette, if the information exists to support a position, it stands to reason that position is correct (even if it may be unpopular). I can just as easily claim my dog can talk, the moon is made out of green cheese and that laser discs are far superior to Blu-Ray. If I did not cite any sources and/or provide any links to substantiate those claims, that's just it, they're only statements and not fact.
At a spring forum on the Detroit Public Schools held at Wayne State University Law School, four researchers, professors from WSU, MSU, and CMU presented findings that support the point of this article. They found that the 'effect of open enrollment has led to economic and racial stratification,' and expressed frustration that Michigan legislators made education decisions based on ideology rather than research. One suggested that what poor test scores really tell is where poor people live. They cited the decrease in student performance in the state since 2009 as well as a decreasing level of funding: Michigan's ranking in school funding is is now 25th (formerly 7th). As a society we need to make a commitment to educating everybody's children; we cannot afford a system that reinforces an underclass! All children deserve the fair shot at life and the development of their potential that a good education provides! Detroit's new Montessori schools are a positive sign and a much needed pre-school initiative! See James Heckman's (University of Chicago) research on the long term benefits of the development of cognitive and social skills in children from birth to age 5. Thanks to Bridge for exploring and publicizing these crucial education issues!
Ms. Johnson, Learning is from inside out, not your way of outside in. You talk about [economic and racial] stratification and imply it is based on what others have done/not done for the children, spent/not spent on education. Have you ever considered that learning requires effort of the person that is to be learning? What if learning is determined by the desire of the student to learn? What if that desire to learn is influenced by the model of their parents, the models of adults they are around, the models peers in their neighborhood/in their classroom? There is no doubt that what people don't do or how they do it can influence learning, but in reality if the student doesn't commit to learning, to doing all the homework and such, they will not learn no matter how well others have fulfilled their roles/responsibilities. Many experts claim that schools with disappointing results are in 'poor' neighborhoods, other experts claim that having a degree will elevate a person out of poverty, what if both are correct? Wouldn't that suggest that in the poorer neighborhoods there is less likely people with degrees, people with a proven value for learning? If that is true then doesn't it seem likely that those with degrees are more likely to encourage their children and others to learn, they could even be models of learning for their children and those in their neighborhoods. Rather than put all the energy into spending other people's money, let's start by working with the students to help them develop a desire for learning.
When we chose to send our kids to a different district (with lower average standard test scores, FWIW) because there were far fewer acts of violence than in our "home" district, we went to a whiter district. Our home district had about 65% white 34% black, and 1% Asian students, and no exchange program. The choice district was 97% / 2% / 1% , but had excange students from more than two dozen different countries in the five years my kids spent there. So, which district was more diverse?
Exchange students in our classrooms is just one side of the coin. We need to have more US students BEING exchange students themselves. How can we be teaching the concept of Global Citizenship, if we're not willing to leave our own borders?
Do these numbers tell us anything about why the shifts in enrollment are happening or are they simply telling us a shift has occurred? Is the point of the article about children learning or is it about social engineering? There is mention of academic results, but are those results due to the schools or the students? Could it be that if the attendance shifts were reverses [those that changed became those that stayed and those that stayed changed] the performances would have reversed? What if performance is determined by expectations of the individual student's and that drives learning? What if performance is affected by the classroom [students] learning expectations of each other? What if expectations are established by reports such as this that focus on who the students are and not on what they do and why? Those questions weren't part of this article; will they be part of a later article? There is no doubt that the movement of students is occurring, but was the data influenced by the same rationale that was used to justify court ordered 'busing' from the metropolitan areas to the suburbs in the 1980s? It would be disappointing if the developers of this studying were influence by 30 year old thinking that failed to change performance and quality of schools. The shifting of students from one school to another maybe a symptom rather than a cause, and if it is could misdiagnosed be more harmful than can be repaired in a generation? What if the 'segregation' isn't ethnic as the article suggests, rather it is student learning expectations, would that affect the actions to be taken and the impact they might have? The article doesn't even hint at such a possibility. The reality is that children have to learn all that they know and do, what would this article teach them about?
School choice in Michigan for K - 12 is available only if you attend a public school. If a voucher program existed the money for education would go to the parent's school of choice that would include non-public schools. Then we could have a really genuine discussion of all of these issues. We would also have achieved truly free choice in education.
Michigan is already one of the most segregated states in the union. My previously home state of South Carolina is less segregated than Michigan. Why is that? Lots of reasons, but yes history, race, racism, crime and poverty etc. Every child has a right to a decent education and while I believe in choice (not vouchers which means taxpayer money going to support religion), we as a state and country can not afford to give up the ideal of an educational opportunity for every child.
Chuck, With that 'right' do the students have any responsibility for their results? I have sat in classroom where many students succeeded and I didn't, it wasn't because of the difference in anything except that I didn't do the homework, I chose to play not learn. Is that because of the school or me? I had the 'right' and the opportunity, but I didn't achieve the results. If I could waste such an opportunity then why can't others? We are providing the opportunity, but until we are willing to recognize and deal with the students role/responsibilities in their learning all the ranting, the money, the claims of segregation will not change the results. If any all of this hollering and belittling of others simply provides the students an excuse not to try. After high school I found an interest in learning and committed to learning marketable knowledge and skills. It required a few extra years, it require long hours/late nights, and that was when I learned it was about desire/persistence not about who your parents were nor about your talents. Was your academic success because of who your parents were, because of the school you attended, or did it have to do with the homework you did? When you took and algebra test was it about (a + b find c) or was it about your parent's financial status or their ethnicity? Is this article about right to go to school or the results students are gaining from going to school?
Duane, you're right that students need to be motivated to learn, but a positive, stimulating learning environment is an essential part of motivation. I recently visited an area middle school that had no functioning library, certainly an important element in motivation. Look at research on learning theory and on the necessary stimulation of a child's brain from birth to age 5. Learning comes in steps and many children lack that essential foundation. Are we to give up on children whose parents lack the education, skills, resources, and time ( because they're working trying to survive?) to provide a solid foundation for their children? Also, I'm not suggesting 'spending other people's money,' rather that our public schools be equipped at least adequately to fulfill their obligation to children and to society.


This course is designed to provide attendees with the information needed to effectively manage Health and Safety in their educational environment. Providing a thorough understanding of the concept 'managing safely' by focusing on: the relevant legislation, identifying Hazards, Risk Assessment and Accident Management.
Designed for Business Managers, Resource Directors, senior level manager or any person responsible for managing Health and Safety in schools.
The course costs £495.00 + VAT per person for the two days and can be delivered to groups of up to 15.
The course costs £395.00 + VAT per person for existing H&S clients. Group discounts may be agreed for a groups with a minimum of 12 people. Maximum group size 15.
Upon successful completion of the course attendees will be issued a CPD accredited certificate. The course equates to 12 hours of CPD.


text:
typedef struct _OSAL_QElem
{
    void               *data;
    struct _OSAL_QElem *qNext;
} OSAL_QElem;

typedef struct _OSAL_QUEUE
{
    OSAL_QElem     *first;
    OSAL_QElem     *last;
    int            numElem;
    OMX_HANDLETYPE qMutex;
	int            maxElem;
} OSAL_QUEUE;

#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif

OMX_ERRORTYPE OSAL_QueueCreate(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle, int maxQueueElem);
OMX_ERRORTYPE OSAL_QueueTerminate(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle);
int           OSAL_Queue(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle, void *data);
void         *OSAL_Dequeue(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle);
int           OSAL_GetElemNum(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle);
int           OSAL_SetElemNum(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle, int ElemNum);
int			  OSAL_QueueSetElem(OSAL_QUEUE *queueHandle, void *data);

#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif

#endif	// __OSAL_QUEUE__

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ptilodexia is een geslacht van vliegen (Brachycera) uit de familie van de sluipvliegen (Tachinidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van het geslacht is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1889 door Brauer & Bergenstamm.

Soorten
P. agilis Reinhard, 1943
P. arida (Curran, 1930)
P. californica Wilder, 1979
P. canescens (Walker, 1852)
P. carolinensis Brauer and Bergenstamm, 1889
P. conjuncta (Wulp, 1891)
P. flavotessellata (Walton, 1914)
P. halone (Walker, 1849)
P. harpasa (Walker, 1849)
P. incerta West, 1925
P. maculata Wilder, 1979
P. major (Bigot, 1889)
P. mathesoni (Curran, 1930)
P. obscura West, 1925
P. pacifica Wilder, 1979
P. planifrons (Wulp, 1891)
P. ponderosa (Curran, 1930)
P. prexaspes (Walker, 1849)
P. rufipennis (Macquart, 1843)
P. sabroskyi Wilder, 1979
P. simplex (Bigot, 1889)
P. westi Wilder, 1979

Sluipvliegen


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Icy Roads and Car Accidents
It's that time of year when winter weather can appear in our usually mild Charlotte. WSOC-TV forecasts a drop in temperatures over the course of the day, with temperatures falling below freezing overnight. With the light drizzle occurring today, along with forecasted freezing rain for early Wednesday morning, this weather might make for some difficult driving conditions. What happens if you are involved in a car accident, the cause of which is icy conditions? Who is liable for damages in this type of accident?
To collect damages in a car accident, an injured party must show that the other party was legally negligent or that the other party failed to exercise reasonable care and that such failure both actually and proximately caused the injuries sustained. A defendant in a claim for damages related to a car accident in icy conditions might argue that he is not liable under the sudden emergency doctrine. north carolina courts have summarized the sudden emergency doctrine as follows in automobile cases:
The sudden emergency doctrine provides that one confronted with an emergency is not liable for an injury resulting from his acting as a reasonable man might act in such an emergency. Two elements must be satisfied before the sudden emergency doctrine applies: (1) an emergency situation must exist requiring immediate action to avoid injury, and (2) the emergency must not have been created by the negligence of the party seeking the protection of the doctrine.
Sobczak v. Vorholt (NC App 2007)
Sobczak involved a defendant whose car was travelling on an icy road and skidded out, which caused the car to cross the center line and hit the plaintiff's oncoming car. It was early morning when the plaintiff and defendant were travelling and it had snowed lightly overnight. The speed limit on the road was 55 mph but the parties both estimated they were travelling at 30-35 mph because of the weather conditions. Prior to the accident, the defendant had travelled for about four miles on the road and claimed to not have observed any icy conditions, although he did see snow that had been packed down by other cars and knew that packed down snow could turn to ice. Law enforcement officers who arrived on the scene stated that they saw icy patches while travelling the same portion of the road as the defendant had.
The court of appeals first noted that the plaintiff had made out a prima facie case of negligence per se based on the defendant's violations of the North Carolina statute which required him to drive in his travel lane unless he ascertained that it was safe to move from that lane. However, the defendant "could rebut the presumption of negligence created by a violation of section 20-146(d) by presenting evidence that he was on the wrong side of the road from a cause other than his own negligence."
In moving on to the discussion of the sudden emergency doctrine, the court reasoned that because the defendant had observed packed down snow and knew it could turn to ice, he "was on notice of a potential encounter with ice on the road, and that hitting ice as he drove was foreseeable." Therefore, the defendant
knew or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known that the snow on [the road] could have become ice in some areas, [and] the mere fact that he did not see the icy patch he hit in advance of hitting it is insufficient to establish that he was thereby confronted with a sudden emergency.
The court likened Sobczak to an earlier court of appeals case involving a defendant who had hyrdoplaned on a puddle of water and hit the plaintiff's car. (Banks v. McGee 1996) The defendant in Banks argued that although she knew it was raining and water tended to puddle when it was raining, the jury should be instructed as to the sudden emergency doctrine because she did not see the puddle prior to hitting it. The court of appeals disagreed, reasoning that "[t]he question is not what she saw but instead what a reasonable person in her situation should have seen."
The court concluded that the icy conditions encountered by the defendant was not a sudden emergency and the weather conditions should be a factor "in considering whether Defendant failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to keep his vehicle under proper control, or drove too fast for conditions."
Based on the court's reasoning in Sobczak that the defendant should have known that there could be icy patches on the road due to the packed down snow, it seems that if a driver were to come upon an unexpected icy patch it could entitle him to an instruction on the sudden emergency doctrine. Iowa courts have applied the following reasoning as recently as 2005:
In the present context, two main situations may exist with respect to icy highways. In one situation the icy condition is general, and the driver must be taken as being aware of it. If such a driver proceeds in normal fashion notwithstanding the ice and eventually slides on a patch of it, he cannot set up the icy condition as an "emergency." An emergency requires "an unforeseen combination of circumstances" but the element of unforeseeability is missing. . . .
In the other situation, although the weather may be inclement, ice has not formed so far as the driver reasonably observes. He proceeds in accordance with conditions as they appear. Suddenly he encounters an unanticipated patch of ice and slides. Normally in this situation the driver may rightly claim that the decision on whether the ice was reasonably foreseeable is for the jury to make.
McCoy v. Mendenhall (Iowa Ct. App. 2005) quoting Bannon v. Pfiffner (Iowa SCt. 1983)
Of course in Iowa, winter weather and icy conditions are a much more frequent occurrence than in most parts of North Carolina, and roads are treated for winter weather more regularly, so that winter weather is less likely to result in icy spots on the road. Given the North Carolina Court of Appeals restrictive application of the sudden emergency doctrine in Sobczak in this type of situation, it is not clear that North Carolina courts would apply the doctrine in the same way as the Iowa courts have if there is winter weather.
We might also ask what effect widespread news coverage of potential icy conditions has on the "unexpected" nature of encountering an icy spot. When winter weather comes to Charlotte, it makes the news and everyone talks about it. An injured plaintiff might argue that icy spots are "foreseeable" in this regard.
If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of winter weather, visit www.rflaw.net for legal help.
Home > Icy Roads and Car Accidents
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British Gas makes just 92p a week profit per household - why all the anger?
For a big country, at least in terms of our economy and population, we are showing signs of developing big number phobia.
Take energy. Centrica has once again this week been "exposed" for making profits from its British Gas division.
What's worse, it's making "big" profits. At Centrica's last annual results these were £544m from its British Gas operations. These are expected to rise 6pc to about £575m this year as a whole, despite a year-on-year fall being forecast for the second half.
As consumers' energy bills rise, companies making profits from energy are blamed – especially when they're of the nine-figure variety. The inference is the profits are excessive and unfair.
But the other big number that's generally forgotten is 12m, which is the number of households the company supplies. This means that, at the forecast level of this year's operating profits, British Gas will make the rather smaller number of £47.90 per household, per year.
Put another way, that's equal to the even smaller number of 92p a week in operating profit per household. And that's operating profit. It's from this money that the Government takes corporation tax, interest is paid on borrowings, cash is reinvested into Centrica's energy fields and power stations and some goes to shareholders in the form of dividends.
As an aside, it's often forgotten how important those dividends are to people's savings and pensions. Without dividends, the FTSE 100 is up 38.7pc over the past 10 years – or a return of 3.3pc a year. However, with dividends reinvested, the return would be 107pc, at an annual rate of 7.6pc a year.
Anyway, after all the deductions from operating profit, British Gas is left with another small number, which is 5pc – that's the percentage of its total revenue received from consumers' bills that it keeps as net, post-tax profit. That seems a reasonable return and is kept at that level by competition from 12 other energy suppliers.
Much lower and the company would lose its financial backing as investors decided the risks were too high for such a low single digit return. If that happened, the state would have to take on the risk and costs of energy supply, which is probably not a good idea.
It's possible that some of the increase in energy bills will be shown to have resulted from this week's allegations of manipulation in the wholesale gas market – although whether the big retail distributers really are rigging the market is not clear from the evidence. Centrica has vociferously denied anything untoward is going on, so we'll see.
What is clear is that a big part of the increase in customers' bills is from the amount levied by British Gas on behalf of the Government to fund the subsidy for renewable energy sources, such as wind farms, plus the investment needed to upgrade the National Grid to connect them. Of the £80 a year increase for the average dual fuel bill announced in October, £50 is to cover these costs.
Anyway, a "big" profit number doesn't necessarily mean big profits when the full scale of a national business is taken into account, which, when it comes to energy, it rarely is.


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