text:
Courts Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee
For a period of five years, from June 2016 to April 2021, to be responsible for oversight of the management of all matters relating to the Central Criminal Court, the City of London Magistrates' Court and the Mayor's and City of London Court so far as they concern the City of London Corporation, but excluding the appointment of the Secondary and matters relating to the Shrievalty .
Catherine McGuinness, Deputy (Chairman)
Sir David Hugh Wootton (Alderman) (Deputy Chairman)
Simon D'Olier Duckworth (Ex-Officio Member)
Sheriff Christopher Michael Hayward (Ex-Officio Member)
Sheriff Professor Michael Raymond Mainelli (Alderman) (Ex-Officio Member)
James de Sausmarez
John George Stewart Scott
Support officer: Antoinette Duhaney, tel 020 7332 1408. Email: antoinette.duhaney@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Email: antoinette.duhaney@cityoflondon.gov.uk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The 2010 Southeast Asian haze was an air pollution crisis which affected many Southeast Asia countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore during the month of October in 2010.

This occurred during the dry season in October when forest fires were being illegally set off by Indonesian smallholders residing in the districts of Dumai and Bengkalis, in the Riau province of Sumatra. These farmers adopt the slash and burn method to clear off land rapidly for future farming opportunities.

On 18 October, the hotspot count in Sumatra reached a maximum of 358.

Due to the El Nino weather pattern, the westerly winds carried the haze towards Indonesia's neighbouring countries causing the air quality in Malaysia and Singapore to dip towards the moderate to unhealthy range for several days. The hazy conditions not only resulted in the reduction in air quality but also caused poor visibility, multiple closures of schools in Malaysia and an influx of respiratory illnesses.

During that time of the year, the recorded air quality in Singapore then was the worst it had ever been since 2006.

Despite ministers meeting up a week before the crisis for the 6th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) agreement, whereby issues on the transboundary haze and methods to tackle forest fires were discussed, the Indonesian government failed to successfully regulate and enforce laws on illegal logging. This caused Indonesia to face much criticism from neighbouring countries.

On 24 October 2010, rainy conditions returned to Indonesia which helped to reduce the production of haze and provided relief to air quality levels.

Causes

Forest fires are mainly set off illegally by farmers who adopt the slash and burn method to clear large areas of peat and land for future plantation opportunities such as palm oil and pulp wood plantations. Although it is illegal to clear land using the slash and burn method in Indonesia, smallholders choose to ignore the law and to continue with this practice due to its perceived economical and environmental benefits. Not only is the slash and burn method efficient and cost effective, it is also believed to be advantageous towards crop yield and growth. Through the slash and burn method, ash is produced and used as fertilizers by smallholders due to its ability to enhance soil nutrients, balance soil pH levels, eradicate pests as well as prevent the growth of weeds. Furthermore, as  alternate land clearing methods are known to be more expensive and less beneficial, farmers tend to ignore the law and continue with illegal logging activities.

Although land fires contribute a great amount of smoke released into the air, 90% of haze produced originates from peatland fires. Peatland fires are known to have the ability to generate up to 6 times more particulate matter than normal land fires. Additionally, peat fires are commonly found to be 3 to 4 metres underground making it harder to put out fires.

The El Nino weather conditions in 2010 also caused a delay in the monsoon season resulting in a drought and impacting water and crop supplies. Due to the extreme weather patterns faced, farmers were pressured to make up for lost time by illegally setting off forest fires to clear land at a rapid rate. The dry conditions in Indonesia together with the combustible litter left behind from past illegal logging activities played a major role in turning forests and peatlands into potential fire starters.

The large amount of dense smoke produced from the forest fires in Sumatra were then carried by the westerly winds across the Straits of Malacca polluting and deteriorating the air quality in Malaysia and Singapore.

Countries affected

Malaysia
The cloud of thick smog produced from the forest fires in Indonesia drifted across Malaysia's west coast affecting the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and other areas such as Malacca and Johor. Muar, a coastal town located in Johor, experienced a hazardous Air Pollution Index (API) of 432 while the air quality in Malacca deteriorated to an unhealthy API of 106. This caused for government hospitals and clinics to be placed on standby to cater to the high influx of haze related respiratory illnesses.

As a preventive measure, schools in Muar were also shut down to prevent any adverse respiratory illnesses to children and respiratory masks were distributed to the public. Vessels travelling along the Malacca Straits were also advised to travel with caution due to the poor visibility which fell to 2 nautical miles.

Singapore
The transboundary haze crisis in Singapore lasted for approximately 4 days from 20 October to 23 October 2010. During this period, the overall 24-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI), recorded by the National Environment Agency (NEA) was mainly in the high-moderate range while the hourly PSI crept into the unhealthy range of 108. This was the highest PSI recorded since 2006 and the first time in 4 years that the PSI had reached the unhealthy range in Singapore. A nationwide health advisory was issued by the NEA whereby the public was advised to stay hydrated and to refrain from participating in outdoor activities due to the poor air quality and visibility.

Up till the 2010 Southeast Asian haze, Singapore had yet managed to experience a year without any haze related incidences within the last decade. Prior to the 2010 Southeast Asian Haze, Singapore had been experiencing fair air quality within the good to moderate range.

Prior to August 2012, NEA provided 24-hourly PSI updates on the air quality in Singapore once a day at 4pm. Since then, NEA has increased the frequency of PSI updates from once a day to 3 times day to hourly PSI updates in June 2013 for a more accurate representation of the air quality experienced in Singapore.

Negative impacts

Economic
Due to the transboundary haze, a drop in the percentage of tourists visiting affected countries can be seen during these periods due to the air pollution experienced. During this crisis, travel warnings are often issued out to warn tourists about the deterioration in the air quality and the lack of visibility.

The lack of visibility can bring about many disruptions to the economy, trade and daily life. Due to poor visibility, transportation services like aviation, maritime and land public transport systems are delayed and often put on hold affecting tourism and the daily lives of many individuals. Singapore and Malaysia are countries that rely heavily on trade as being a major source of income and, due to poor visibility, cargo ships carrying goods are forced to travel with caution at a slower pace delaying the shipment process. Furthermore, outdoor constructions are also affected due to the unsafe working conditions.

Not only does this deter tourists from visiting the affected countries, it may also deter prospective migrants who are considering migrating over to seek better living conditions and to take up future job opportunities.

During the worst haze experienced in 1997 which lasted for 3 months, Southeast Asia incurred an estimated loss of $9 billion to health expenses, air travel, retailers, hotels, trade, businesses and tourism.

Health
As countries such as Malaysia and Singapore are not affected by the transboundary haze throughout the entire year, but usually only during certain months of the year for a short period of time, residents of the affected countries are often prone to short-term health effects brought by the haze rather than long term effects. Individuals who have encountered short term exposure may experience symptoms such as irritation to the eyes, nose and throat due to the haze particles.

Those who are elderly, young, pregnant, asthmatic and with poor immunity such as respiratory illness, lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases are more susceptible to the effects of the haze. When air quality is low, a higher chance of developing breathing difficulties can arise causing multiple health complications and a higher influx of patients in hospitals and clinics.

Environmental

Indonesia's forest is home to over 3000 animal and plant species such as the Sumatran Tigers, Komodo dragons and orangutans. The destruction of forests by burning practices not only brings about multiple environmental consequences such as soil erosion, water pollution, global warming and climate changes but also threatens the livelihood of multiple animal species pushing many of them to the brink of extinction.

Approximately 80% of Indonesia was forested in 1960s, however less than a 50% remains forested today. This is due to urbanization, corruption and illegal logging activities such as the slash and burn method, which poses a great threat to biodiversity.

For instance, due to burning land clearing methods practiced by smallholders, many species of animals and plants are unable to withstand the high temperatures of heat and fail to escape the fires or successfully migrate to a new home.

Additionally, fire land clearing practices contributes a significant release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Such release of greenhouse gases from peatland fires aids in the exacerbation of global warming and has the ability to affect a change on the region's climate and weather. It is known that Indonesia is ranked as one of the world's higher carbon emitters with approximately 900 million tons of carbon emitted into the atmosphere in 2010.

Preventive measures

Strengthening governance

When it comes to issues regarding the transboundary haze and illegal logging, there is no quick or short-term solution to this problem. In order to curb the magnitude and the impact of the haze, Indonesia must first strengthen its government by implementing stricter policies and regulations regarding land access and management. Even though policies and regulations such as obtaining certifications and rights for clearing land purposes are in place, these policies still often fall short due to poor enforcement of laws and corrupt government officials in Indonesia.

As a result, when it comes to illegal logging through the use of the slash and burn method, perpetrators continue to violate the zero-burning policy without any fear of repercussions. This in turn also influences other smallholders to follow suit, making it hard for government officials to monitor and enforce laws thoroughly.  Thus, many government officials end up overlooking those who violate the law while some even go to the extent of rendering aid in the rule breaking process for a small fee.

Over the years, there have been many incidences that have shown how corrupt government officials have aided smallholders and plantation companies in the violation of the rules and regulations set by the Indonesian government. For instance, even though a regulation prohibiting the establishment of oil palm plantations on peatlands which extend more than 3 metres underground has been implemented, it is known that more than 25% of oil palm plantations in Indonesia violates that rule. Additionally, companies such as the Duta Palma which is notoriously known for participating in illegal logging activities manage to escape routine checks by government officials due to the company's deep ties with the Indonesian military. Furthermore, even though many companies and smallholders have had their land clearing licenses revoked due to their participation in the 1997 Southeast Asian Haze, it is known that many of them still continue to ignore the law by clearing land using the slash and burn method.

Additionally, educating and holding smallholders accountable for succumbing to illegal land clearing practices is also imperative in reducing the occurrence of illegal logging.

ASEAN Agreement

On 13 October 2010, the 6th ASEAN meeting was conducted whereby the transboundary haze issues were discussed. Countries such as Singapore and Malaysia also pledged to support and render aid to Indonesia in its fight against illegal logging and forest fires.

Despite having the 6th ASEAN meeting held a week before the 2010 transboundary haze crisis, Indonesia failed to enforce its logging laws in Sumatra leaving forests vulnerable to destruction. This led to the arise in political tension with neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

In order to successfully monitor and minimize the effects of slash and burn activities, the use of techniques to detect emissions and to interpret fire patterns is crucial. Hence, the implementation of the development of a Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) was endorsed by ministers during the meet as a measure to monitor hotspots and to predict susceptible fire outbreak areas. This system provides the ability to monitor the ignition, occurrence and spread of forest fires based on various conditions such as weather, fuel and soil.

ASEAN has also set a goal to be a haze-free region by 2020.

However, Indonesia may be at risk of losing their leadership position in ASEAN despite being one of ASEAN's founders and having one of the largest economy in Southeast Asia if the government does not uphold and tighten the rules and regulations on illegal logging.

Education
The education of smallholders is imperative for a notable improvement in the transboundary haze. Although Indonesia's government has banned the clearing of land using the slash and burn method, farmers often disregard the law and continue to clear land illegally using burning practices. This is mainly due to the weak law enforcement and the reluctance to change based on hardened beliefs.

Even though the Indonesian government has attempted to educate and motivate the public on adopting fire-free land clearing alternatives, many smallholders still believe that the benefits of the slash and burn method still outweigh the cost of fire-free land clearing practices. Hence, Indonesia has implemented incentives in the form of rewards and assistance to those who are willing to adopt fire-free land clearing alternatives and to those who comply with Indonesia's zero burning policy. For instance, smallholders are rewarded with funds should they have manage to have a year free of unpermitted burning practices.

Thus, in order for a change to happen, education and public support is important in aiding smallholders to grasp the magnitude and negative impact the slash and burn method has on the environment and neighbouring countries.

References

2010 in Southeast Asia
2010 in Indonesia
2010 in Malaysia
2010 in Singapore
2010 in Thailand
2010 natural disasters
2010 in the environment
Air pollution in Malaysia
Environment of Malaysia
Environment of Singapore
Environment of Thailand
Environmental disasters in Asia
Health disasters in Malaysia
Southeast Asian haze
Fires in Indonesia
Health in Singapore
Health in Thailand

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Parker Plastic Case with wheels and pull out handle Style XHDT ATA Wheeled Case ATA Deluxe Wheels Cases are lightweight, yet durable for reliable convenience and long life. They feature two recessed ball-bearing rubber wheels, a full length heavy-duty piano hinge, two recessed valance spanning latches and recessed spring loaded handles and a padlock loop. The cases have a black tongue and grove valance and black hardware. A sturdy steel telescoping handle retracts into the case when not in use. Available filled with layers of foam in the base and convoluted foam in the lid or empty.
Parker XHDT2215-10 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 21.75" x 14.5" x 8.5"
Parker XHDT2215-16 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 21.75" x 14.5 x 16"
Parker XHDT2317-08 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 23.5" x 17.375 x 8"
Parker XHDT3023-16 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 30" x 23" W x 16"
Parker XHDT3030-10 ATA Wheeled Case inside 30" L x 30" W x 10"
Parker XHDT3030-12 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 30" L x 30" W x 12"
Parker XHDT3030-14 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 30" L x 30" W x 14"
Parker XHDT3030-16 ATA Wheeled Case Inside 30" L x 30" W x 16"


(2) You don't engage with me. Why bother to link in some way if you show no demonstrable interest in my work or interest in engaging with me?
If you were to say "OK I really don't care about patient preferences, I wanna sell phones to people, can we work together?" ironically I'd probably listen. That's honest, at least. Not my favourite use of choice experiments but hey, it pays the bills.
(2) Present something actionable to me.
So, just to round off – I have ideas….I have ideas that work and which made me money already….interested?
This entry was posted in Complete Blog and tagged blogging, twitter on 5 July, 2018 by Terry.
You need to go over to my company blog if you want a posting today.
This entry was posted in Complete Blog and tagged blogging, ije, TF Choices on 10 October, 2016 by Terry.
This is a plug for a blog hosted by my Centre (the CRB) and edited by a colleague, Pär Segerdahl.
The Ethics Blog specialises in ethical issues surrounding treatment, both biogenetic treatments and wider medical ones.
I will write two posts for the blog: the first, on Wednesday 18th March, will discuss how findings from a project I've been involved with in Australia suggest teenagers are being disadvantaged in health care. The follow-up, a week later, will go on to discuss the wider issue of "whose values" in determining health care priorities, with a particular focus on the Swedish example. Sweden, as I mentioned last week, has a truly remarkable approach to this that differs from most other western countries…however, in practice it has followed their methods and there is potential for a big discussion on what it should be doing if it is to follow its stated aims. Stay tuned!
This entry was posted in Complete Blog and tagged blogging, ethics on 12 March, 2015 by Terry.


Comments: In March, 2005 I purchased a 1960 Fleer PSA 9 of Wilbert Robinson - nice portrait but not contemporary to his career. Later in 2006, I remember seeing an image of the W519 Robinson somewhere online and it was forty years older than my placeholder tribute card. I needed to find an example and casually discussed it with a hobby friend. Within a few weeks I received a surprise package. My friend sent me a copy they found on eBay as a gift. What a guy - thanks Zach! In January 2009, I found an upgrade on eBay and had it graded. Although the corners and edges were much better, the card didn't meet size requirements and was slabbed "Authentic" by SGC. So the search continued further until 2012. On the first day of The National, a Wednesday evening in Baltimore, I was quickly walking the card show floor to see if anything popped out at me. Of all the cards on my wantlist I wasn't expecting this one would be upgraded anytime soon. Then, pow! I found a beautiful example of the card at Dan McKee's booth. It easily met the size requirements, strong corners with no creasing and was submitted onsite a couple days later. I went to the SGC booth a few hours later to pick it up with great anticipation and they gave the card an EX grade - so happy with it. I believe it's the highest graded example.


energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation and lighting, calculated on the basis of standard occupancy. It is expressed as primary energy use per unit floor area per year (kWh/m2/yr).
'A' rated properties are the most energy efficient and will tend to have the lowest energy bills.


When you enter a Rejuve space, you'll find a calm atmosphere focused around your time for rejuvenation. Our booth is made from beautiful, natural hardwood and has double frosted glass doors letting natural light fill the insides, while still providing you with the utmost privacy.
Inside the booth you'll find a platform to sit on for changing in and out of your clothes, and a cabinet on the back wall to keep your clothes safe and dry while inside.
When your session starts, the Rejuve booth will fill with our signature mist. You'll quickly feel the mist start to lightly condensate on your hair and skin, as it immediately gets to the rejuvenating feeling on your body.
Broad range spectrum lights inside the booth excite the precious ions in the Rejuve mist, helping you feel even more rejuvenated.
Rejuve sessions are meant for everyone! Rejuve has great benefits for all ages, skin and hair types, and body types. The difference Rejuve makes can be immediately felt, and people love to talk about how much softer and healthier their skin appears right away!


Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is reportedly taking all inquiries regarding a Jimmy Butler trade.
While the Minnesota Timberwolves' front office may be telling teams All-Star Jimmy Butler isn't on the trading block, franchise owner Glen Taylor is reportedly saying the opposite.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Taylor told general managers and owners to contact him directly if necessary as Butler is indeed available.
How will the Timberwolves approach Jimmy Butler's trade request?
Dysfunction may still exist in Minnesota whether Butler is traded or not. A disconnect between ownership and the front office appears to be increasing, per ESPN. Wolves' president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau wanted to keep Butler for the season with hopes of seeking a consecutive playoff berth.
Butler requested a trade earlier this week, with his preferred destinations reportedly the LA Clippers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. His list is in that order, per ESPN.
Nonetheless, the four-time All Star wants out of Minnesota. Wojnarowski reports Butler clashed with teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and has all intentions to leave in free agency in 2019 if not traded. Taylor, who was involved with trades surrounding Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love, plans to avoid that.


WordPress Intermediate is part of a 2-level study program. This course aims to give participants further understanding of managing a website using WordPress. Participants will cover editing some "backend" files within the database and WordPress files, use shortcodes, install common plugins such as contact forms, social media integration, search engine optimisation, and caching.
Our WordPress Intermediate courses are generally conducted over 1-2 days, however, can be customised to suit the needs of the participants.


text:
Home देश-विदेश ✈ UK will keep a person in quarantine visiting from India
UK will keep a person in quarantine visiting from India
Abhay Chauhan
India may also take "reciprocal measures" if the United Kingdom doesn't alternate a policy that requires traveling Indian nationals to go through obligatory quarantine despite the fact that they're completely-vaccinated with the Covishield vaccine, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla stated on Tuesday.
Terming it as a "discriminatory coverage", Shringla stated the guidelines will effect Indians trying to travel to the United Kingdom. The new guidelines have been revealed last week and are set to take impact in October. The guidelines require Indians traveling the United Kingdom to quarantine themselves for 10 days and go through covid-19 tests despite the fact that they're completely vaccinated with Covishield, that's produced under licence through Serum Instituteof India (SII), the world's largestvaccine maker, and is a model of the vaccine evolved within the UK with the aid of using Oxford University and AstraZeneca. The UK's decision has sparked anger in India.
Britain and Scotland are anticipated to ease pandemic regulations from early October, according to news reports. However, the listing of nations with accepted vaccines does now no longer consist of India.
"Here is a vaccine, Covishield, that's a certified product of a UK company, made in India, of which we've got provided five million doses to the United Kingdom on the request of the authorities of the United Kingdom. We understand that this has been used within the country wide health system and, therefore, non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminatory coverage," Shringla stated at a press conference. Meanwhile, foreign minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday mentioned the problem together along with his British counterpart Liz Truss at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Shringla stated. Jaishankar is within the US in advance of a visit through Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I am instructed that certain assurances had been given that this trouble could be resolved," Shringla stated of the talks among Jaishankar and Truss.
"We have additionally presented a number of our associate countries the choice of mutual recognition of vaccine certification. However, those are reciprocal measures. I assume if obviously as we cross along we need to see the way it is going however if we don't get satisfaction, we might be within our rights to impose reciprocal measures," Shringla stated.
Previous articleIf there is discipline, there is progress.
Next articleThe quietest place in the world – Quietest room


Located just minutes from town in Monjingup, this 8.08 Ha farmlet offers a spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with features galore. Large living area, enclosed patio, tile fire & ceiling fans, spa bath, quality floor coverings, full length windows, high ceilings throughout & enclosed back verandah. Children enjoy the outside cubby house, 69,000L water storage, windmill, double garage & large shed. Portable cattle yards not included in sale.


text:
AboutAdvertise With Us
Once a Vacant Shell, a Restored Brownstone Lists for More Than $16 Million
This 1891 Renaissance Revival brownstone on West Side was once a neighborhood eyesore
By Josh Barbanel
| Originally Published On August 24, 2017 | The Wall Street Journal
Before and after views of the dining space at 118 West 76th Street. Traditional townhouses often are dark inside. But this house now has a three-story glass wall at the rear.
Sotheby
For decades, the neighbors on West 76th Street in Manhattan watched as an unoccupied 1891 Renaissance Revival brownstone gradually crumbled before their eyes.
The roof collapsed, the front stoop cracked and the property was covered in graffiti. Rats roamed freely, neighbors said. The building even had its own Facebook page.
Now, after being enlarged and modernized by a developer who specializes in restoring townhouses, the property at 118 West 76th St. is on the market for $16.6 million.
The turnaround reflects the fruits of community protest as well market forces that have created a niche for developers who can buy and renovate such wrecks and sell them at a profit.
As townhouse prices rose on the West Side, said Michael Sieger, a broker at Sotheby's International Realty, fewer buyers were interested in putting in the sweat equity to fix up houses on their own.
The house, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three half bathrooms, and 8,507 square feet of space, including the cellar, plus 1,800 square feet of outdoor space.
PHOTO: ELIZABETH SHAFIROFF FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"It is a total nightmare to go through the Department of Building and Landmarks," he said. "At this price point most people want it delivered in beautiful condition, but they have to like the renovation."
More:A Large, Renovated Tudor House on a Cul de Sac—In New York City
The brownstone's previous owner, Diane Haslett Rudiano, a former chief clerk at the Board of Elections in Brooklyn, paid $5,000 for it in 1976 at a government supervised estate sale but did little with it. City records show the building, a rooming house, was vacant by 1978.
For two decades, Mr. Sieger called her at regular intervals and asked her if she was interested in selling. But Ms. Rudiano said she had an emotional attachment to the house because her late husband had talked about restoring it and living there while renting part of it.
In 2014, following community protests, including repeated personal appeals to Ms. Rudiano from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, she finally agreed to sell it for $6.5 million.
"I spent almost 12 years, day in and day out, trying to get the building cleaned up," said Ms. Brewer, who previously represented the area in the city council.
The buyer was Dana Lowey Luttway, president of Holliswood Development LLC and a daughter of U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D, N.Y.). She found a shell of a 20-foot wide building with collapsed interior walls and joists. It was a disaster, but structurally sound, she said.
More:The Pros (and Cons) of Purchasing in a Gut-Renovated Condo Building
"I could look up and see pigeons perched on the edge of a hole in the roof and see the sky behind them," Ms. Luttway said.
Working with the Landmarks Preservation Commission, she restored the facade of the building, rebuilding ornamental details like a lion over the garden level entrance and creating new curved mahogany windows.
But inside everything was new, with a modern light-filled, loft-like feel. She got permission from the Landmarks Commission to extend several floors in the back, add two terraces and build a penthouse level on top of the four-story building.
Traditional townhouses often are dark inside. But this house now has a three-story glass wall at the rear, including a double height space that rises up from the large open kitchen on the garden level.
"My playbook is all about big open flowing modern spaces," Ms. Luttway said. "The people who buy my houses have been families, and families don't want small rooms."
More:Will Renovations Trigger a Property Tax Reassessment of My Home?
Townhouse prices have risen sharply over the last decade but have plateaued in the last few years, Mr. Sieger said. In 2014, Ms. Luttway sold a newly renovated house on West 70th Street, a block closer to Central Park, for $19.3 million, property records show.
Ms. Luttway said developers doing construction often face resistance and complaints from neighbors. But that didn't happen on West 76th Street. She said neighbors, who were pleased that the house was being cleaned up, were "beyond amazing."
"This has been the most wonderful development experience of my life," she said.
Delivers the most important property news around the world to your inbox each weekday
DESIGN TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS
Read Next Story
Follow Mansion global
About Mansion GlobalAdvertise With UsSign up to Newsletters
All IndexHomes for SaleHomes for RentNews TopicsThe Library
Privacy Notice Cookie Notice Your Ad Choices Copyright Policy Data Policy Terms of Use
COPYRIGHT © 2022 MANSION GLOBAL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.1211 AVE OF THE AMERICAS NEW YORK, NY 10036 | info@mansionglobal.com
DISCLAIMER: The currency conversion is provided for illustration purposes only. It is meant only as an approximation based on the latest information available and should not be relied upon for any other purposes. We are not responsible for any loss that you may incur as a result of relying on these currency conversions. All property prices are as stated by the listing agent.


Call A to Z Entertainment, Inc. today for free information about how to hire or book country musician Greg Bates. With over twenty years of successful experience, we are your best agent and talent agency for booking and hiring country music singer Greg Bates! If you like, we also help you plan and produce your show or event, so call us today at 888-655-4575 and we'll be happy to help you.
Greg Bates is that rare find of an artist: one born and raised right in Nashville, Tennessee. In the most genuine sense, he is a true product of Music City, motivated not by the trappings of country-music stardom, but by the reward of a well-written lyric. For Greg, it really did all start with a song.
Greg Bates attended Belmont University where he further developed his songwriting and performing skills. His undeniable talent quickly caught the attention of music industry tastemakers.
Soon after graduation, Greg began "living the dream" after signing a co-publishing/artist development deal with Effusion Entertainment and Super 98 Music – the publishing arm of the Big Machine Label Group.
Greg recently recorded his debut project with hit producer and songwriter Jimmy Ritchey. Jimmy, who also oversaw Greg's original demo, and Greg recorded a hook-filled album that is a tight and often twangy collection of songs, all written or co-written by Greg.
The project includes the recent Top 5 hit, "Did It for the Girl." The song, which pays homage to one of Greg's idols George Strait, made Greg Bates one of the few new artists to crack the Top 5 with a debut single.
Greg's second single, "Fill in the Blank," hit Country radio in February and was the #1 most added song during its release week. The up-tempo, flirty song was also recently featured on the ABC series, Nashville.
Through his upcoming album, Greg Bates has woven together a collection of songs that will connect with today's youthful audiences while still honoring his musical heroes – Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and the aforementioned George Strait.
Greg Bates has shared the stage with Darius Rucker, Willie Nelson, Alabama, and most recently Alan Jackson. He is currently headlining shows across the country.
We can help you book or hire any country musicians, country music singers, and live country music bands in addition to those you see here on our site. Having helped hundreds of clients, we are your best agent and agency for booking and hiring Greg Bates, so call us at 888-655-4575 today. We are not the exclusive agency for any live corporate entertainers on this site.


text:
Solar leasing available in 11 states + D.C. by Feb.
Nine factors to consider before going solar
Oregon college pioneers solar + EV synergy
Erin Holweger, SCD.Com Staff Writer
Lane Community College (LCC) in Eugene, Ore. hopes to be the leader among institutions of higher education in the development of infrastructure for running vehicles on renewable energy.
LCC has a solar station under construction that will be ready in September.
The College has two separate arrays proposed, which, if both constructed, would produce 74,000 kWh of electricity per year.
The station which will be started in September will produce about 37,000 kWh per year and will have 18 slots for charging EVs. It will hold approximately 228 solar panels, each producing 174 watts of electricity. It will not be a grid-tied system.
The first goal of the station is to be a hands-on classroom for teaching students in LCC's energy management and renewable energy degree program. The station will allow students to learn about installing, repairing and servicing solar energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, said LCC spokesman Dennis Carr.
The college is referring to the station as a solar station rather than a solar charging station because the focus of the structure is on student learning instead of charging EVs, said Carr.
Solar EV-charging station to aid in learning process
The station will provide students with a hands-on educational opportunity to build, monitor and retrofit a solar electric system, said Eric Westerholm, energy management staff member who helps students find apprenticeships.
LCC has not yet decided if the station will be open to the public, or if it will just be used for charging the college's EV fleet, said Carr.
I would love to see Oregon or the western part of the U.S. become the center of EV production, EV driving and EV use.
–Lane Community College Spokesperson Dennis Carr
The college currently has nine electric maintenance carts and hopes to expand its fleet to include electric vehicles in the future, said Carr.
In addition to charging EVs, the station will feed solar electricity into LCC's Health and Wellness Center, which is under construction and is set to open in September.
The energy generated at the station will only go into this building, and not back into the grid, said Carr.
The Health and Wellness Center, which will be close to 48,000 square feet, is being built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold Standard of green building construction.
"We want to achieve green building standards to the highest standard possible," said Carr.
LCC does not yet know how much money it could save by powering part of the Health and Wellness Center from the station, or how much could be saved by powering the college's fleet of EVs with the station, he said.
Sustainability a Lane Community College Core Value
Once the solar station and Wellness Center are up and running, energy management program students and faculty will carefully monitor the center's electricity use to determine how much money the college is saving, added Carr.
The station is also being built to work towards fulfilling the college's core value of sustainability, which it added to its strategic plan in January 2007.
District voters approved a 15-year bond and $83 million to fund LCC renovations, upgrades and remodels in November 2008. One percent of the bond went to green upgrades. So the college had $830,000 to work with for sustainability efforts on campus, said Carr.
Part of the $830,000 has been designated to the solar station. The college has also received a $100,000 grant from the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) to help fund it.
Other colleges and universities in Oregon and across the country are working to develop renewable energy infrastructure and train students to work in this industry.
Columbia Gorge Community College, with campuses in The Dalles and Hood River, Ore., is also at the forefront in training students to design, build and monitor renewable energy systems.
It offers a one-year Certificate program and a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Renewable Energy Technology. This program prepares students to engineer and manufacture hydo-electric and wind energy infrastructure.
Additionally, the University of Iowa has plans to build a solar EV station that will feed power back into the electric grid. Construction on this project is set to start in June 2010 and be completed in April 2011.
Oregon seeks to grow EV infrastructure
The state of Oregon is also working to establish infrastructure to make the state EV friendly. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski created the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group by executive order in 2008.
The group released a report in January 2010 calling for the development of a network of EV charging stations across the state to support widespread EV use.
"Oregon must have a sufficient network of EV support equipment (EVSE) to support these vehicles and achieve its goals. By developing a comprehensive statewide strategy, Oregon can create a tipping point for EVs, which would help resolve the 'chicken-or-the-egg problem," the report stated.
Carr hopes to see the use of EVs expand in Oregon, and would like to see an EV charging infrastructure powered by renewable energy sources.
"I would love to see Oregon or the western part of the U.S. become the center of EV production, EV driving and EV use," he said.
Solaranda plugs you — and your EV — into the sun
Dell plants Solar Grove at headquarters
Orlando has its first solar-powered charging station
Like this story? Interested in the solar EV/PHEV synergy? Join our Sun Miles™ Club and start meeting & interacting with other people around the worldwho want to drive, or already are driving, their cars on sun! Register to join us today!
Previous Oil, coal disasters should point us toward the sun
Next Report: Polluted air a reality for most Americans


I'm hoping I find the Skyfall minis in my stocking! I adore OPI minis and I am loving the Skyfall collection.
Any Too Faced products. I'm running low on the leopard bronzer. Also, I love the Revlon lip butters! They are amazing and I only own one!
I didn't realise there was a revlon lip butter set! Going on my wish list now (I don't have those shades), or I may buy it for some friends. OPI minis are also a good gift idea, along with the FOA crayons.
Thanks hun :D the Korres Lip Butters are really really worth it!
These are all great ideas! I would LOVE to try the OPI Skyfall collection and the mini ones would be a perfect way to sample multiple colors!
I have only bought Golden Eye so far but it's amazing!
Damnit! More on my wishlist!! Would love some skyfall polishes and the mecca ones look good too!
Some great stuff on there that I really, really want haha~!
All these gifts are amazing!
It's so nice to be thinking about gifts already. But also a little nerve-wracking considering they will take quite a chunk out of my wallet!
Oooh, I wouldn't mind that Clarins ;) Even though I don't even like lip gloss that much LOL. The Natio bronzer actually looks super pretty too!
TOO many in here that I love!! ♥ Would love to get these on Xmas, def!!


Happy (Day After) Earth Day, everyone. Did you get outside yesterday and march to support scientific reasearch in all its manifestations? Or perhaps you took a wet walk through some of the BLT's properties?
The week ending on April 18 saw the fish counter at the Branford Supply Ponds posting a remarkable 1,798 alewives going up the fishway. At this early point in the season, we have already surpassed lat year's total. However, it is such a large increase that the possibility of a fishcounter error seems likely.
Were you at the Supply Ponds this past week? Did you see the alewives? Let us know.
This is the time of year when the Supply Ponds' alewife count usually begins to climb in earnest. Last week, the fish counter posted a very modest tally of 50 fish going up the fishway. However, coupled with the remarkable total posted on 4/18 (a count which must still be taken with a grain or two of salt), the year-to-date total stands just under 2,000 fish.
In case some of you, like me, have never seen alewives migrating up Connecticut's riverways, here is a photo of a group passing up the Bunnells Pond Fishway on the Peqonnock River in Bridgeport.
Photo from the Connecticut Weekly Diadromous Fish Report (DEEP).


Generalized map of flowage deposits from the May 18, 1980, eruption, around Mount St. Helens. Skamania and Cowlitz Counties, Washington.
The best time to make a case for your department is all the time, so that your administration never questions your value to the institution. Here are some strategies for making your case, early and often.
Resist departmental rifting. One of the reasons the University of Connecticut cited in dissolving the Geology Department in 2004 was the "divisiveness and interpersonal conflict within the department between those who support[ed] a broader interdisciplinary approach to geosciences and those favoring a more traditional approach" (Showstack, 2004).
See examples of geoscience department mission/vision statements and learning goals/outcomes statements.
Take program reviews seriously; your administrators do. In particular, have a plan for addressing any identified problems. University of Connecticut officials cited the inability to respond to issues in the most recent program review as one of their reasons for eliminating the Geology Department in 2004.
Make a habit of collecting and organizing the data you will need for program assessment, annual reports, and more. Besides giving you a head start on those predictable tasks, data will help you to justify your existence (if it ever comes into question).
What accolades have they won?
Where are they employed? What accolades have they won?
Do your faculty research or teach about environmental issues in your area?
Are there companies in your area that regularly hire your alumni?
Know how many interdisciplinary collaborations your department has with other departments, on and off campus, in terms of both research and teaching.
Look for ways to save money, raise external funds, and be more efficient with the money you do spend. Tell your administration what you're doing, get good results, and show them the results. "Talk about how you could improve with no additional resources. (Deans like the sound of that)" (Feiss, 1996 ).
Who knows the value of a degree from your department better than your alumni or their employers? Work with your alumni. Keep track of where they are and what they are doing with their geoscience degrees, whether they are still in geoscience or not. Keep a file of supporting letters from these constituents on hand.
For some perspective on the strengths and uses of a degree in geosciences, see our collection of employee and employer interviews.
Every collaborative relationship you build is a relationship that would suffer if your department were eliminated.
When you participate in local or regional community events, you are helping to build a base of support.
The AGU Heads and Chairs program organizes a workshop each year in association with the American Geophysical Union fall meeting. The 2009 Heads and Chairs Workshop includes sessions on making a case for your department and on dealing with budgets and budget cuts.
Feiss, 1996 , The Survival of Academic Geology Programs, GSA Today v.6, n. 1, p. 16-17.
Dr. Feiss argues that geologists can no longer expect to focus only on "real science" and leave all the political and administrative unpleasantness to other departments.
Rossbacher and Rhodes, 2004 , The Department You Save May Be Your Own: Part 2, Geotimes May, 2004.
This article lays out specific actions that departments (and particularly heads and chairs of departments) can and should take to help secure their future.


text:
#include "texturemgr.h"

#define GL_CLAMP									0x2900
#define GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE						0x812F
#define GL_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL              0x813D

namespace sfmlapp
{

namespace TextureMgr
{
HashMap<String, UPtr<sf::Texture>> _textures;
bool _smooth = true;
bool _clamp_to_edge = false;
bool _mipmaps = false;

UPtr<sf::Texture> Load(const String & filename)
{
	auto tex = MakeUnique<sf::Texture>();

	sf::Image image;
	if(!image.loadFromFile(filename)) {}

	if(!tex->loadFromImage(image))
		throw std::runtime_error("Failed to load texture " + filename);

	sf::Texture::bind(tex.get());

	//glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
	//glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
	//glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL, 3);

	//glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
	//glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAX_LEVEL, GL_NEAREST);

	// somehow this texture gets corrupted when a new texture
	// is made on this thread. glFlush fixes this.
	//glFlush();

	return tex;
}

sf::Texture * Get(const String & filename, bool smooth/* = true*/, bool clamp_to_edge, bool mipmaps)
{
	auto name = GetResourceFolder() + filename;
	auto & ptr = _textures[name];

	if(!ptr)
	{
		ptr = Load(name);
		ptr->setSmooth(smooth);
		if(mipmaps)
			ptr->generateMipmap();
		if(clamp_to_edge)
		{
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
		}
	}

	return ptr.get();
}

sf::Texture * Get(const String & filename)
{
	return Get(filename, _smooth, _clamp_to_edge, _mipmaps);
}

void SetDefaultSmooth(bool value)
{
	_smooth = value;
}

void SetDefaultClampToEdge(bool value)
{
	_clamp_to_edge = value;
}

void SetDefaultMipmaps(bool value)
{
	_mipmaps = value;
}

void SetSmooth(bool value)
{
	for(auto & pair : _textures)
	{
		pair.second->setSmooth(value);
	}
}

void SetClampToEdge(bool value)
{
	for(auto & pair : _textures)
	{
		sf::Texture::bind(pair.second.get());

		if(value)
		{
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
		}
		else
		{
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_CLAMP);
			glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_CLAMP);
		}
	}
}

void SetMipmaps(bool value)
{
	for(auto & pair : _textures)
	{
		if(value)
			pair.second->generateMipmap();
		else
			throw Exception("Disabling mipmaps is NYI");
	}
}

const List & GetList()
{
	return _textures;
}

}

/*
namespace Sprites {
	HashMap<String, SpriteFrame> _sprites;
	Vector<UPtr<SpriteSheet>> _spritesheets;

	void LoadAll() {
		_spritesheets += MakeUnique<SpriteSheet>("golite");
	}

	SpriteFrame SmoldyAdventure::Sprites::Get(const String & name) {
		auto it = _sprites.Find(name);
		ASSERT(it != _sprites.end());

		return it->second;
	}

	void Add(const String & name, sf::Texture * tex, Frame * frame) {
		_sprites[name] = {tex, frame};
	}

	void Draw(sf::RenderTarget & tgt, const SpriteFrame & sprite_frame, WorldPos pos) {
		auto * frame = sprite_frame.second;
		sf::Sprite sprite(*sprite_frame.first, frame->rect);

		//auto it = std::next(std::begin(_sprites), random(0, _sprites.Size() - 1));
		//auto it = std::next(std::begin(_sprites), (Time::Now() / 250) % _sprites.Size());
		//sf::Sprite sprite(*sprite_frame.first, it->second.second->rect);

		pos -= frame->pivot;
		sprite.setPosition(pos);
		tgt.draw(sprite);
	}

};*/

};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


No, I am not a licensed agent or broker. I am a real estate investor and I buy and sell properties on my own behalf. In any transaction, I represent myself and you represent yourself. That means that you do not pay any commissions. If you buy one of my homes, the only fees involved are the normal costs and fees associated with purchasing a home.
I buy all types of homes. Any size. Any condition. Any situation. You don't need to make any repairs, or even clean before we buy your home. If you're in financial distress or just ready to move on to the next phase and are having a hard time selling, we are confident that we can help to find a solution that works for both of us. Often times we can make you a fair cash offer almost immediately and close very quickly. Just give us a call!
Yes! I buy homes in any type of financial situation. I work directly with the banks, are very familiar with the foreclosure process, and often buy homes that are behind on payments.
I sell all types of homes that I personally own. I have everything from complete rehabs to beautiful move-in ready homes to rental properties. If you don't see what you're looking for in the homes we currently own, let us know. We are constantly buying new homes, so I'm confident that we can find exactly what you're looking for at just the right price. Just give us a call!


text:
Hooray for Steven Levitt
The University of Chicago Freakonomist blogs:
It wasn't until the U.S. government's crackdown on internet poker last week that I came to realize that the primary determinant of where I stand with respect to government interference in activities comes down to the answer to a simple question: How would I feel if my daughter were engaged in that activity?
If the answer is that I wouldn't want my daughter to do it, then I don't mind the government passing a law against it. I wouldn't want my daughter to be a cocaine addict or a prostitute, so in spite of the fact that it would probably be more economically efficient to legalize drugs and prostitution subject to heavy regulation/taxation, I don't mind those activities being illegal.
In other words, Levitt wants some help from his government in keeping his daughter off the pole (to cite Chris Rock's admonition to fathers).
This has led to much tut-tutting about how Levitt's sense of morality isn't sophisticated. It's just so crude for public intellectuals who happen to be fathers of daughters to think more about what's good for their daughters than what's good for random strangers.
Levitt is being downright discriminatory. Why should the desires of fathers with daughters be privileged in America? What about illegal immigrant day laborers who can't afford long term relationships? Why don't the desire for prostitutes of the guys hanging around the Home Depot parking lot matter as much as those of the desire of American citizen fathers raising daughters to keep them off the pole? Don't the day laborers deserve a large supply of prostitutes to service their needs at low prices? Shouldn't a just, free market morality focus on eliminating friction costs caused by the prostitution market being illegal that keep day laborers from being able to afford as many encounters with prostitutes as they would like if prostitution were legal? Etc etc ...
In reality, we do have a political system in which the views of fathers wanting to keep their daughters off the pole do count more heavily. What we lack is a widely publicized, respectable intellectual system justifying such natural political views. This means that while the public gets its way on a lot of common sense first-order issues -- I don't want my daughter to become a prostitute so I want the government to penalize prostitution -- public intellectuals like Levitt (i.e., the people who are cognitively equipped to think through the impact of public policies several steps down the road) are not supposed to mention in respectable intellectual circles the second and third order effects of policies, such as immigration.
Personally, I'm all for Levitt's first-order point of view. But, I agree it's not intellectually sophisticated enough, but for the opposite reason than most of the libertarians are up in arms about. I think he should be thinking not only about what's good for his young daughter but what kind of country he'd like his daughter's daughter and his daughter's daughter's daughter to be born into.
And his concerns shouldn't be just first order ones like keeping his daughter and daughter's daughter off the pole, but more sophisticated, second-order ones like what kind of people will there be in America in the future for his descendants to make more descendants for him with. What's really going to matter is not public policies about prostitution or drugs or gambling, but what kind of people live in the America that he's leaving to his descendants.
That's what we need intellectuals to think through, and the vast majority of intellectuals have been flagrantly negligent at that. They are smug about their stupidity on the subject.
The Framers of the Constitution said in the Preamble that the whole point of the Constitution was for the benefit of "ourselves and our posterity." You would think that would be one of those famous "propositions" like "All men are created equal" that everybody goes on and on about today, but "our posterity" seems to have been dropped down the memory hole.
Careful here: I doubt he'd like his daughter reading iSteve.
Prostitution, NO
Drugs...
some(pot, milder stuff) yes.
some(meth, heroin, etc) no.
I say NO to prostitution cuz it reduces the human body into a commodity. It's radical materialism, and as such dangerous to the soul of any society. And I say shoot the pimps.
As for harder drugs, it is a form of mental/spiritual slavery. Addiction to bad drugs is like chains on the soul.
"Our posterity" has changed to "our posteriors".
Would he like his daughter to go to jail for selling half an oz of weed to her friend?
The drug war ruins a lot more lives like that than drugs do.
"Would he like his daughter to go to jail for selling half an oz of weed to her friend?
The drug war ruins a lot more lives like that than drugs do."
...which is why I say legalize pot but not the harder stuff. Use tax revenues from pot sales to fight the harder stuff. That way, war on drugs will pay for itself.
agnostic said...
Ah c'mon Steve, if the world were ruled by the "father protects daughter" principle, how could fat elderly, uh, "Frenchmen" ever have their way with urban hotel maids?
In that backwards world, there would be the higher friction costs of fathers chasing down the "Frenchman" with a shotgun. The gray-haired slug winds up injured or dead, and the father risks his own life to get revenge. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world BLA bla BLA bla BLA.
And in that backwards world, the rancid toad himself would be thinking, "Gee, would I really want some rotten blimp of a banker to force himself on *my* daughter?" Gosh, that costly sense of shame would prevent him from getting off at someone else's expense!
I mean, obviously you never heard of the Coase theorem (try reading Wikipedia sometime instead of reflexively falling back on crude moralizing). Why else would Jabba the Hutt lunge on a hotel maid unless the benefits to him outweighed the costs to her? It's just a costly way of signaling that her body is worth more to him than to her.
It boggles the mind that some people invest so little thought in what the social consequences would be if their so-called philosophy were put into practice. Thankfully, those who actually do manage to rise above their bestial instincts are the ones in power, not you knuckle-dragging apes held slave to your moral instincts.
munch said...
Lots of parents don't want their daughters to drink. Heck, lots of wives dont want their husbands to drink. I most definitely don't want my daughter to get a tramp stamp, that should be illegial. The age of consent and marriage should be around 30 in my book, at least for women.
I think parents romanticise their daughters. I was watching a field hocky game at my daughter's private school and two middle school girls were on the bleachers infront of me and I overheard one say to the other about a certain male student: " I'd really like to ..... HIS ...." And the blanks were pretty graphic. It wasnt generic romantic affection. Pretty lies.
Whoops, didn't mean to say "apes." My bad. I couldn't help it -- the guy in the next cubicle just came back whining about all the "baboons taking over Wal-Mart," and I must've caught a case of temporary insensitivity.
Really, Wal-Mart -- can you believe where some people shop?
There's the small problem of whether the constitution's list of enumerated powers is expansive enough to incorporate prohibiting everything he thinks his daughter shouldn't be doing.
RS said...
Drug laws and their repeal don't seem to alter usage significantly at all - at least in Europe, at least if the books aren't cooked by leftie scientists.
I don't know what kind of penalties they had over there, though, prior to repeal. Probably pretty light. Obviously with a severe enough penalty you could get rid of drugs entirely.
Plus, maybe drugs are still stigmatized in Europe, but the legalizations will over the decades lead to a declining stigma = more use. That's certainly possible.
My instincts run very strongly against prostitution, but I wonder what level of penalty it takes to really make an impact.
Japan has very harsh drug laws and (I would guess) not a lot of people in prison, and not a lot of recreational drug usage. The "drug laws are to blame for everything" crowd doesn't seem to think about this too often.
Speaking for myself, I consider that whenever doctors have completely failed a disease sufferer, the disease sufferer should be able to take almost any substance he wants in the name of palliation and remediation. I said almost because I would draw the line at antibiotics, as their overuse is a public health hazard.
Agreed with Anon4: the question isn't whether he'd like his daughter to do these acts, the real question is whether he wants her to be imprisoned by the state if she does them.
Freak-a-Sailor said...
Yes, Steven Levitt's sense of morality is indeed unsophisticated. If cocaine and prostitution were legal it wouldn't follow that his daughter would have a higher probability of becoming a coked-out whore, but it would prevent any blemishes on her record for minor indiscretions. That would also save gov't money.
"This has led to much tut-tutting about how Levitt's sense of morality isn't sophisticated. It's just so crude for fathers of daughters to think about what's good for their daughters."
The snobbery of the Liberal tribe is new to me, mostly because I'm a reformed member of the tribe. Steve, you've probably written about this before but I am noticing that several of my friends have Spanish speaking nannies, and they send their children to language immersion programs (it was French and German class when I was a kid; how Euro-centric). So, the Liberal Tribe is preparing their kids to compete in a job market where Spanish will be required while leaving low-income whites in the dust, losers who didn't have the resources to hire a nanny. And then they tut-tut the unsophisticated "rubes" who oppose the Mexican invasion of our public schools -- because they are arming their children for the future, while sending their kids to private schools.
"Ah c'mon Steve, if the world were ruled by the 'father protects daughter' principle, how could fat elderly, uh, 'Frenchmen' ever have their way with urban hotel maids?"
There are things you don't want your daughter to do and there are things you REALLY REALLY don't want your daughter to do.
There are elements of risk and even shame attached to lots of things, but certain things fundamentally rob us of our humanity. Prostitution and addiction to stuff like meth are two of them.
There are stuff which are borderline, like porn. No self-respecting parent wants his/her daughter to become a porn star, but our laws may still recognize porn as 'art' or 'free expression', though it does come pretty close to prostitution since porn 'actors' are paid to perform sex. But legally, it can still pass
as 'art' or 'acting', though I suppose one could argue porn acting is to acting what snuff films are to movie violence.
Anyway, legality of porn is hazy and can be interpreted either way.
But prostitution is prostitution. It is not an expression or 'art'. It is commodification of body into a product to trade. We should sell our labor, not our bodies. When we sell our labor, we still own our own bodies. When we sell our bodies, we are products, not people.
Japan's drug problem trends more towards speed than weed.
Anyways, it's funny that Steven Levitt brought this up, because I have a slightly different take on laws - "cousin libertarianism", to steal from I think Gene Healy.
Should something be illegal? Well, if my cousin did it, would I want him or her to go to jail?
Drugs? No.
Prostitution? No. The extended family can help them out, and sticking them in prison isn't going to do that.
Abortion? Same, I find it morally distasteful, but I still don't want my cousin dying of a botched illegal abortion or being imprisoned for looking for one.
Burglary, murder? Yep.
Trying to run over a cop in their own cop car, as one of my cousins did? Yeah, prison time.
Hmm, wonder if I'll still feel this way when I have kids.
Levitt's position is clearly that of a loser who isn't confident in the upbringing he gave his daughter.
tagalong said...
I wonder how Levitt feels about his daughter having sex before marriage, deciding she's gay, or ending her education after high school to marry a truck driver. Or for that matter, joining a cult, or a commune, or the Army.
Oh, and showing her titties to the whole world to get a part in a slasher film. Should be a felony. Actually the age of majority (contract) for daughters ahould be around 45.
On Wall Street, in my time, my office mate has something called a bullett to make consumption of coke possible right at the desk with no outward signs. The highest performers in the most physically demanding and competitive fields have to be randomly drug tested to discover if they are using. If drugs were so distructive you would think at the absolute pinnacle there would be few drug absuers.
It has been shown that heavy socal drinkers make more money than teetolers. When we have doctors over the wine bottles clink into recycling every few minutes; when we have the RN's over no one touches the two sad open bottles on the buffett.
Public morality about controlled substances is as devorced from underlying reality as PC thought. And no one should set the criminal code by what they want for their daughters. If they got what they wanted their daughters, as well as everyone else, would be profoundly disappointed about how little would be permitted.
So, since we have a massive, expensive, intrusive drug war here in the US, I don't suppose Levitt's daughter will ever be exposed to any drugs. Right?
Banning things should be up to the states and localities, not the feds (it's called the principle of subsidiarity). The general rule should be that there is no right to do wrong. Wrongs would only be tolerated to the degree that penalizing them would do more harm than good (e.g., jailing people for minor offenses).
ot, but this is a good read:
Converting Mamet
"If they got what they wanted their daughters, as well as everyone else, would be profoundly disappointed about how little would be permitted."
What's even funnier is that some father thinks a wayward daughter will be deterred from doing something if there's a LAW against it. It's also an insult to a young female that her father thinks she has so little ability to reason that, like a boy of a similar age, the female can't appreciate the larger implications or the long-term consequences of engaging in certain behaviors.
"Should something be illegal? Well, if my cousin did it, would I want him or her to go to jail?
Abortion? Same, I find it morally distasteful, but I still don't want my cousin dying of a botched illegal abortion or being imprisoned for looking for one."
Well, if my cousin did drugs or was a prostitute I would want them arrested. Might serve as a wake up call and save their life(if not literally then metaphorically).
But that's not really the sort of calculation that Levitt would reasonably make concerning his daughter. The correct cost/benefit analysis would be, is the reduced risk of her becoming a drug addict/prostitute by making those things illegal worth the added risk of her getting snagged for doing those things? For someone with a daughter the answer is obviously yes.
An arrest probably won't ruin your life but being a drug addict/prostitute will ruin it. And of course getting picked up by the cops for one of those things means your already headed down the path of ruining your life so the experience behind bars aint going to hurt anything at that point.
"What's even funnier is that some father thinks a wayward daughter will be deterred from doing something if there's a LAW against it. It's also an insult to a young female that her father thinks she has so little ability to reason that, like a boy of a similar age, the female can't appreciate the larger implications or the long-term consequences of engaging in certain behaviors."
You've really thought this through haven't you?
If there was a legally sanctioned whorehouse in every city and you could buy a crack rock at the quiki mart, that definitely would increase his daughter's chances of either smoking crack or becoming a whore for some extra cash for college.
Pushing those things to the seedier sections of society, reducing their availability to middle class society, is the best detterent around.
> Careful here: I doubt he'd like his daughter reading iSteve.
You implicitly make a good general point - a la Blake, Nietzsche, Mencken - about the hidden value of at least some kinds of 'vice', mischief, and intransigence. It's not all that hidden, even. Within certain limits, this insight is true. Blake, being wild and intuitve, recognized especially poorly where those limits lay.
> There's the small problem of whether the constitution's list of enumerated powers is expansive enough to incorporate prohibiting everything he thinks his daughter shouldn't be doing.
Most people in government don't seem to find that sort of thing as problematic as you do.
K(yle) said...
Cousin Libertarianism? I could get into that. Of course what I think should be illegal for my cousin is dramatically different than what I think should be illegal for your cousin.
Because American prisons are just overflowing with people arrested for selling half an ounce of weed.
There's the small problem of whether the constitution's list of enumerated powers is expansive enough to incorporate prohibiting everything he thinks his daughter shouldn't be doing
The constitution only restricts the federal government. Before the liberal age descended on us all sorts of things, like obscenity laws, were enacted at the state or even local level.
think parents romanticise their daughters. I was watching a field hocky game at my daughter's private school and two middle school girls were on the bleachers infront of me and I overheard one say to the other about a certain male student: " I'd really like to ..... HIS ...." And the blanks were pretty graphic. It wasnt generic romantic affection. Pretty lies.
So what? If young women were totally disinterested in sex there would be zero need for laws to deter them from e.g prostitution. Just as if young men were totally disinterested in drugs or fighting there would be zero need for laws against these things.
The points of laws is to deter people from acting as we think they shouldn't, and to encourage them to behave as we think they should.
Black Sea said...
If I wouldn't want my daughter working for Goldman Sachs, then . . . .?
Steven Levitt thinks his posterity will all be as smart and privileged as he is. So does Amy Chua. Little do they realize that once their posterity extends to the fifth generation or so, they will have enough direct descendants that one of them will be raped by a black, one will be abducted, tortured and killed by an immigrant from Ghana, another will be trapped in a group home living out a limited life sharing a room with a snoring Mexican, and more than a few will be killed by drunken Hispanics drag racing on some freeway.
I've had to question my views on such things as "universal morality" recently, because of thinking like this. The tribal view, the ethnocentric view, the family-centric view has always been derided and seen as a throwback.
And yet, there is no such thing as abstract morality floating above our heads somewhere in the clouds. Morality is only for the living and for the unborn generations. And ultimately, of course we privilege those in our family,
my daughter's private school and two middle school girls girls did not behave liket that at my school or high school -that is a change brought about by the 60s/cultural marxists.
My father went to an ivy league (as in one of the top two) in the 50s - he can remember one guy snug a girl into the dorms - it was considered vulgar, trashy low class behavior.
Things have changed because of the sixties/cultural marxism.
it is sign of a culture on its way to collapse when you hear 14 year old girls (at a private school no less) talking like that.
Thanks Jerry Rubin, Sumer Redstone, Frankfort School, etc..
As for marijuana - Peter Hitchens (the smarter, conservative brother of Christopher) has some pretty strong arguments against the legalization of marijuana you find the in his daily mail column.
kurt9 said...
This society assumes that the individual is competent to manage a million dollar nest-egg if one happens to earn or acquire one. The notion that the individual is assumed to be any less competent in managing, say, what they do in their own bedrooms is absolutely ludicrous.
trebble said...
I worked in a street mission amongst drug addicts in Europe for a while. Almost without exception, the intro drug for heavy addicts was pot. I'm a fan of Ron Paul, but I don't get the legalize drugs part on account of the damage I saw there on the street.
As for Levitt, maybe he is Jewish so he figures Israel will become the dominant nation in about 10 years and so his daughter's daughter can grow up behind that huge fence, protected by the race laws, other discriminatory laws and the military in Israel.
Baloo said...
I like that "radical materialism," Anon. By the way, Steve, your post touched of an elegant rant by blogger Ex-Army on conservatism, libertarianism and liberalism HERE.
Distinguo: What Levitt said was that if he didn't want his daughter doing it, he wouldn't mind the government passing a law against it, not necessarily that the government ought to pass a law against it. A good healthy dose of stigma might do the trick pretty well, at least in some cases.
For instance: I have a colleague at work, a successful man in his 50s, who recently left his wife of 20+ years and three teenage children, for a female colleague in her late 20s (his direct subordinate, and also married to someone else when the affair began), married the newer model, and now they've got a toddler together. Half a century ago, we would've called that home-wrecking, if not whoredom, and the pair of them wouldn't have been welcome in polite society, even if the whole thing was perfectly legal (which the affair technically wouldn't have been in most states, though nobody enforced the criminal statutes). There's basically no social stigma against it nowadays, though.
RKU said...
Well, it's always seemed to me that our problem was less drugs than drug-addicts. And since drug-addicts greatly desire drugs, perhaps if we just give them what they want under the proper framework, their numbers might diminish to the point where they'd become much less of a problem to everyone else.
Here's an example of a possible framework I've been suggesting to people since at least the beginning of the 1990s. Suppose we set up several very large free-drug houses 20-odd miles outside the boundaries of each of our major cities, fill them with vast quantities of all manner of drugs---crack, heroin, meth, whatever---and then provide free daily (one way) bus transportation to those places from lots of regular urban locations. To avoid charges of false advertising, the facilities would have large signs reading "If you come here and take too many drugs you will probably die!", but I doubt that message would much deter the intended targets.
Now unlimited quantities of extremely potent free drugs would surely be an exceptionally attractive lure, and I suspect a very healthy fraction of our more troublesome urban residents would quickly take their one-way bus-rides there, producing an exceptionally cost-effective means of "urban renewal." The drug centers would certainly provide good free quantities of cheap basic food and simple dormatory-type sleeping facilities, but I'd think the unlimited supply of drugs would still ensure a very high rate of processing-efficiency. And the duties of the staff would be pretty minimal---just come by every day or two to replenish the supply of food, water, and drugs, do a little simple cleaning, and cart off the dead ones for ordinary disposal.
Obviously the Steve Levitts of this world are always concerned about how policies might impact their own (possibly impressionable) young family members, and it would be pretty easy to achieve huge drug-deterrence as a easy byproduct of this approach. If we simply install videocameras in the drug-centers, and broadcast the resulting scenes as exceptionally powerful 24/7 "reality TV," perhaps even including many of the endless "expirations," I suspect that resulting social impact would make "Scared Straight"---or even Dante's Inferno!---seem like "Easy Rider." And it certainly wouldn't be dishonest propaganda---anyone doubting the events could just take a bus ride to one of the centers and confirm the facts to his friends.
An old friend of mine has always called this suggested strategy the "roach motel" approach: drug addicts check in, but they (almost never) check out. It's really hard to imagine too many current drug addicts remaining in our cities after a few years, and once they disappear, much of the entire existing drug/crime industry will disappear with them, whether or not we bother changing our existing drug laws. Absolutely win-win all around...
RKU, that's a good idea. Then, when as much damage as possible has been done via that strategy, along comes the next wave; dispersing the addicts among the suburban population via subsidized housing as the only way to break up the "concentrated addiction" and give the downtrodden some dignity, bla bla bla.
When we have doctors over the wine bottles clink into recycling every few minutes....
Would it kill you to use a comma?
I worked in a street mission amongst drug addicts in Europe for a while. Almost without exception, the intro drug for heavy addicts was pot.
Europeans who never tried alcohol or tobacco or coffee/Coca Cola?
Wandrin said...
"I think he should be thinking not only about what's good for his young daughter but what kind of country he'd like his daughter's daughter and his daughter's daughter's daughter to be born into."
munch,
"I think parents romanticise their daughters. I was watching a field hocky game at my daughter's private school and two middle school girls were on the bleachers infront of me and I overheard one say to the other about a certain male student: " I'd really like to ..... HIS ...." And the blanks were pretty graphic. It wasnt generic romantic affection. Pretty lies."
That's the point. One week every month their body uses mind-altering chemicals to try and force them into getting pregnant.
I don't really give a shit what Levitt's concerns are for his daughter. Raising her not to become a coke addict or a prostitute is his problem, not mine, and it doesn't justify locking people up because they like dropping acid or smoking cigarettes or gambling or whatever else. Is he planning on raising a daughter who is only avoiding prostitution because she's afraid she'll get locked up for it? (Further, I bet he's not too keen on his daughter giving blow jobs. So let's ban those too.)
> If there was a legally sanctioned whorehouse in every city ... that definitely would increase his daughter's chances of ... becoming a whore for some extra cash for college.
"increase"? Hard to argue. But by 0.0000001%? Or something meaningful? Is this important, or do you mean a _significant_ increase?
There's a recent fairly test of this. In New Zealand - an English speaking "western" country very much like the U.S. in culture (way more so that the U.K. for example), albeit poorer than the U.S. - commercial prostitution was illegal until 8 years ago. Since then, brothels ("legally sanctioned whorehouses" is I believe the long-winded term) have been legit.
There's certainly been no big cultural change. Government studies show no reliably measurable effect in the overall prostitution rate. But there are counter-arguments. Nevertheless, if you are making a claim that is interestingly testable, here's your test. Love to hear back what you find.
Does Levitt want his daughter to be an alcoholic? Should we thus ban alcohol?
Nanonymous said...
@RKU:
So in your opinion the society needs to help drug addicts to die off. The sooner and cheaper, the better. Great thinking here.
But then why not just round 'em all and shoot? Morally, not very different. But even cheaper. And, come think of it, there are other problem groups that can be handled in similar ways. All for the common good.
You do realize that none of it sounds very original, do you? "Since at least the beginning of the 1990s"... sheesh.
"I've had to question my views on such things as 'universal morality' recently, because of thinking like this."
What we need is TRUVERSAL morality, i.e. morality based on a truthful assessment of the world. The problem with universalism is begins with the premise that since basic moral rules are the same for all people, all people(s) must therefore be the same. This is flawed. Sure, both smart and dumb people shouldn't steal, cheat, or commit murder, but it doesn't mean there's no IQ difference between smart and dumb people. Both men and women shouldn't commit assault and battery, but that doesn't mean men and women are the same. Since men are stronger, it is necessary to make men more aware of the danger of violence action. If that's sexist, good for sexism.
Also, we need to replace EQUALITY with RE-QUALITY(or REAQUALITY), or a realistic assessment of quality. It should be plain as day or night by now that individuals are not equal--intelligence-wise, emotionally, or physically--and this applies to group differences too.
Just think. NY TIMES MAG runs an article about a yeller feller moaning and groaning about his kind isn't cool cuz of their race, but we're supposed to pretend race is a myth.
Just like with the hate speech thing, I really don't understand where you are coming from on this Steve. How does banning prostitution prevent prostitution? How does making stripping only quasi-legal prevent women from becoming strippers? Did banning alcohol for 13 years stop people from drinking? Oh, wait no it didn't, it helped fuel the rise of modern organized crime, made virtually every big city police department corrupt to their core, lead to even greater alcohol consumption and no doubt lead to more deaths from alcohol poisoning because crooks sold doctored up alcohol. Every stripper on a pole is someone's daughter and the uncertain legal status of strip clubs clearly didn't prevent her from becoming one.
The criteria that Levitt uses would lead to virtually everything being banned, because someone somewhere at any given time is worried about his or her kids if fill in the blank is legal. I'm sure there are plenty of Bible Belt Baptists who would like to ban alcohol and dancing, Mormons who would ban smoking, drinking, and caffeinated beverages, Muslims who would like to prevent their daughters from being literate and being allowed to drive cars. That doesn't mean we need laws because a percentage of the population doesn't like the idea of their daughters or sons doing whatever.
"The criteria that Levitt uses would lead to virtually everything being banned"
Nope. It just means applying true cost / benefit to everything, including immigration.
I wasn't referring to some economic model, I was pointing out that some people who have kids want to ban dancing, booze, smoking, coffee, colas, and girls being educated and being allowed to drive. It doesn't necessarily follow that because some people want to ban these things to "protect their kids" that society needs to go ahead and ban them. I was referring to people using government to legislate morality or their version of morality. But thanks for ignoring the rest of the post and inserting an issue I didn't even mention though, what immigration has to do with this I'm sure you'll explain to me.
Well, no, now that you mention it, not really, I wouldn't think.
We need a utilitarian philosophy that somehow imposes a moral inflection on costs and benefits.
Call it Virtulitatianism.
Virtuilitarianism ...
Maybe we need to write something aimed at philosophers that argues against Kantian universalism when everybody else doesn't play by the rules of Kantian universalism. Then sit back and wait a couple of generations ...
My natural tendency is to just try to make people aware of the facts and be funny about it and let people derive their own conclusions. But white people seem pretty incapable of grasping reality without a theory, so maybe I need to work top down, wrestle with the big theoreticians like Kant.
again, please read up on Peter Hitchens.
Smoking has been substantially reduced by social stigma + limiting access and raising prices.
as for drug laws...
You need a willing society for these laws to work - most post baby boomer selfish assholes would rather have access to their pot than realize the social costs.
Steve's analysis overrates Levitt's thinking by misstating the libertarian position and setting up the wrong sides in opposition.
It's not Levitt's desire to keep his daughter off the pole vs. the desire of strangers to pay his daughter for sex. It's Levitt's desire to control his daughter vs. the desire of others to pay her for sex AND the adult daughter's desire to run her own life.
And, yes, it's unsophisticated thinking on Levitt's part. You don't have to be all that sophisticated to realize that parents should not be able to use the force of the law to make kids do what they want after those kids are adults. (Presumably we're not talking about hypothetical laws that would allow 12-year-old daughters on the pole or the crack house.)
If you're to make a good argument for banning either of those activities -- and I think you actually can make a decent case in both cases -- you've got to do better that "I want legal control over my kids forever." How many more nice Jewish boys would be forced into medicine and the law under this nightmare regime? Where would we get our stand-up comedians from?
little suzy said...
"I think parents romanticise their daughters. I was watching a field hocky game at my daughter's private school and two middle school girls..." etc.
Probably not as much as they romanticize their sons, although moms are more guilty of that..."she seduced my innocent boy...the sluttette."
Especially if she has no daughters herself.
No, the reason we need to control adolescents is because both genders horny and curious without the common sense and foresight that is (supposed) to operate with adults. Their brains are still undeveloped and they cannot see consequences so well. Intellectually they may be able to tell you they do, but they don't.
Left to their own devices, they soak up the crudest common denominator because that is the nature of puberty. They need to be protected from themselves. I realize this because I once was a teenaged girl.
Hieronymus Goat said...
If an other person does not believe that even he himself is and ought to be a rational agent of good will, how can that person be a member of the kingdom of ends?
A materialist or a nihilist, does not believe he himself is or ought to be, a rational agent of good will.
If they yet claim to know (how?) that you yourself are only an animal machine, behavior psychologically determined by masses, and that you do not deserve the rights and responsibilities of a free person.
Then how can that person be afforded the universal and identical trust of a rational agent? In deed, in the world, you can predict what a Nazi under orders or a wild lion under instinct will do, only as far as you know who they are.
Svigor: Then...dispersing the addicts among the suburban population via subsidized housing as the only way to break up the "concentrated addiction" and give the downtrodden some dignity...
Well, personally I don't really see the benefits of that. But if you do, I suppose you're free to advocate that policy...
I think in the most literal sense, we cannot have laws based on 'what I don't want my daughter to do'. But moral sense is integral to good laws, and thinking about those close to us does highlight certain moral questions.
After all, when a man's daughter is raped or when his mother is stabbed to death, criminal laws are no longer about abstract principles but about REAL people. It comes home. Good laws seek the right balance between personal emotions and rational impersonality.
Anon 6:31PM:
So, when do you suppose we will be getting a society that will support those laws? And what should we do till then?
I have this really crazy idea. How about if we accept that adults get to make bad decisions about their own lives? And also that while we may try to put a lower bound on just *how* bad the decisions can be, that involves some pretty ugly tradeoffs?
"..most post-baby boomers selfish assholes would rather have access to their pot then realize the social costs"...
Yeah like what, Mr reefer madness?
What "social costs"? The worst thing I ever did after smoking pot was get really hungry. I once ate a whole pizza all by myself. I would say the "social costs" of banning Marijuana are far worse then legalizing it - like just for starters making users "criminals" and giving billions to the drug cartels, as we gave billions to the "alcohol cartels" (the mafia) when we stupidly banned booze in the 20's.
You idiots [and yes, Komment Kontrol, I meant to use the word IDIOTS] need to google schizophrenia + marijuana.
No one who has had to suffer through any intimate interaction with mental illness could possible be in favor of legalized pot.
It's insanity.
Yes, it's just not safe.
It's not even safe to go out your front door, and yet you IDIOTS want to allow people to open the doors to their own minds!?
Kylie said...
Prostitution? No."
I'm guessing that you've never lived in a neighborhood in which illegal drug use and prostitution are routine features of daily life (for which people are seldom arrested since the police are busy with more serious crimes).
"The extended family can help them out, and sticking them in prison isn't going to do that."
I have never known a drug addict to get cleaned up with help from his or her extended family (including help in the form of paying for rehab). The ones I know who got clean and stayed clean for an appreciable amount of time did so as a result of stints in jail.
I have seen families searching the streets, looking for an addicted family member in order to help him or her. In every case I can recall, the wayward addict actually hid from family because s/he preferred a life of addiction on the streets to a clean life in the bosom of his or her family or defiantly met the family and refused to budge. In every case (involving both blacks and whites), the families seemed genuinely stable and sincerely nice. They were at the very least truly concerned to have left their comfy middle-class environments to search for their kin in such a seedy locale.
Next time, try commenting on something about which you are not entirely ignorant.
"I didn't even mention though, what immigration has to do with this I'm sure you'll explain to me."
Read the original post again.
Reply to Kylie:
Your comments about drug abusers are just as true for alcoholics in many cases. You think there are no winos living on our streets with ruined lives. How is banning alcohol the answer? Banning drugs doesn't work. In a free country people are not going to stop doing something just because social engineering zealots like you want them to.
If your descendants are mixed race, would you still consider them part of your "posterity"?
LBK said...
We have legal prostitution now. It's called "marriage".
My wife is a modern, strong, independent woman. She's empowered. Which means I'm not sure if my daughter is really my daughter. Which means I don't care much what she does. Regardless of what I do, she'll probably be a ho like her mother. Oh, well.
We have legalized prostitution already. It's called politics.
I wouldn't want my daughter to become a lawyer or politician, either. Does that mean we should outlaw lawyers and politicians?
When prostitution is outlawed, only politicians will have prostitutes.
"Your comments about drug abusers are just as true for alcoholics in many cases. You think there are no winos living on our streets with ruined lives."
Don't put words in my mouth. Drugs and prostitution were the two examples given in the comment to which I responded. That's why I didn't mention alcohol.
"How is banning alcohol the answer?"
Who said anything about banning alcohol? I certainly didn't. In any case, your dragging alcohol into a discussion of illegal drugs is disingenuous and just plain ignorant. Alcohol in moderate quantities has demonstrable medical benefits. Also, unlike the so-called hard drugs, it's not addictive to most people who consume it regularly. It's actually extremely hard to become physically addicted to alcohol. I forget the exact stats but only about 10% of those who drink alcohol regularly become drunks. That's certainly not true for regular users of heroin, cocaine, etc.
"Banning drugs doesn't work."
If you mean a half-assed "war on drugs", you're right.
"In a free country people are not going to stop doing something just because social engineering zealots like you want them."
I never said they would. In fact, I never said any of the things you ascribe to me.
I don't know if you made that first comment I replied to but your comment is just as ignorant as that one was. Either you're very consistent or you have lots of company.
Frank N. Stein said...
Just because we don't like something doesn't mean it is a good idea to outlaw it. Prohibitory laws tend to backfire. When things like drugs, prostitution, and gambling are made illegal, they do not disappear, they just go underground, which creates worse problems.
Suppose that despite your best parenting efforts your daughter decided to become a prostitute. (Yes, it happens.) Would you rather have her work in a safe, clean legal brothel, or out on the street where she would be exposed to much more danger?
Hard drugs are bad, but banning them leads to worse things: a much higher crime rate, huge profits for criminal cartels, corruption of law enforcement, etc. And the government's efforts to control these secondary problems are turning the country into a police state. A better approach would be to legalize it, and regulate it.
As rational thinkers, we need to realize that we do not live in an ideal world, and that wise policy consists of choosing the least-bad option rather than holding out for an unattainable ideal.
My wife is a modern, strong, "independent woman. She's empowered. Which means I'm not sure if my daughter is really my daughter. Which means I don't care much what she does. Regardless of what I do, she'll probably be a ho like her mother. Oh, well."
Strong an empowered equates to "ho" for you? Your daughter (or whoever's she is) is probably better off without your concern.
The impact of higher education
It's AIPAC Policy Conference time
Panhandling 2
Reconquista founding father: Jeb, Arnold, or Mel?
The Twitter Age
Panhandlearama 2011
"Terminator 5" suspended
Amorous French skunks
Back to the 1967 borders
Conan the Barbarian's Secret Philosophy of Life
How much evidence is there against DSK?
Arnold's Negative Maintenance Mistress
Cornel West peeved Obama takes him less seriously ...
Pawlenty for President!
Arnold and Sly and Maria and Brigitte
Bridesmaids Revisited
Bitter Asian Man
The Unified Field Theory of This Week
Best week of news ever
"Nich set me up!"
Omar Thornton's victims exonerated of racism
Thinking about hate crimes
Jared Taylor's "White Identity"
This doesn't happen to Malcolm Gladwell
Was the beating of Matthew Yglesias a hate crime?
Whatever happened to antitrust?


text:
Q: malloc in an embedded system without an operating system This query is regarding allocation of memory using malloc.
Generally what we say is malloc allocates memory from heap.
Now say I have a  plain embedded system(No operating system), I have normal program loaded where I do malloc in my program.
In this case where is the memory allocated from ?

A: The only real answer is "Wherever your compiler/library-implementation puts it".
In the embedded system I use, there is no heap, since we haven't written one.

A: From the heap as you say.  The difference is that the heap is not provided by the OS.  Your application's linker script will no doubt include an allocation for the heap.  The run-time library will manage this.
In the case of the Newlib C library often used in GCC based embedded systems not running an OS or at least not running Linux, the library has a stub syscall function called sbrk().  It is the respnsibility of the developer to implement sbrk(), which must provide more memory the the heap manager on request.  Typically it merely increments a pointer and returns a pointer to the start of the new block, thereafter the library's heap manager manages and maintains the new block which may or may not be contiguous with previous blocks.  The previous link includes an example implementation.

A: malloc() is a function that is usually implemented by the runtime-library. You are right, if you are running on top of an operating system, then malloc will sometimes (but not every time) trigger a system-call that makes the OS map some memory into your program's address space.
If your program runs without an operating system, then you can think of your program as being the operating system. You have access to all addresses, meaning you can just assign an address to a pointer, then de-reference that pointer to read/write.
Of course you have to make sure that not other parts of your program just use the same memory, so you write your own memory-manager:
To put it simply you can set-aside a range of addresses which your "memory-manager" uses to store which address-ranges are already in use (the datastructures stored in there can be as easy as a linked list or much much more complex). Then you will write a function and call it e.g. malloc() which forms the functional part of your memory-manager. It looks into the mentioned datastructure to find an address of ranges that is as long as the argument specifies and return a pointer to it.
Now, if every function in your program calls your malloc() instead of randomly writing into custom addresses you've done the first step. You can write a free()-function which will look for the pointer it is given in the mentioned datastructure, and adapts the datastructure (in the naive linked-list it would merge two links).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Mining giant Rio Tinto has reported a 14 per cent drop in quarterly iron ore shipments and cut its 2019 shipments estimate on disruption caused by a tropical cyclone which hit its export terminal in Western Australia last month.
Rio, the world's number two miner of the steelmaking material, cut its annual iron ore shipments estimate to a range of 333 million to 343 million, from a range of 338 million to 350 million tonnes announced earlier.
Rio shipped 69.1 million tonnes in the quarter ended March 31, down from 80.3 million tonnes last year and well below the Goldman Sachs estimate of 74.7 million tonnes.
Cyclone Veronica disrupted ports used by miners Rio and BHP Group in late March. Rio earlier flagged a loss of about 14 million tonnes of production in 2019 due to disruption caused by the tropical cyclone and a fire at a port facility in January.
"Our iron ore business faced several challenges at the start of this year, particularly from tropical cyclones," chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques said, referring to the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
"As a result, and following the continuing assessment of damage at the port resulting from the cyclones and other minor disruptions, 2019 guidance for Pilbara shipments is reduced."
The hit to production, coupled with the ramifications of the Vale dam disaster in Brazil, have propelled iron ore prices to multi-year highs this year, boosting shares of miners.


n. - A period of 25 years.
Worldwide, grain stocks hit a quarter-century low.
A quarter-century later, U.S. forces seemingly caught up.
No, it hasn't been easy for Carol this last quarter-century.
Other artists look less relevant now than a quarter-century ago.