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A world of Primates
Becoming the dreaded post graduate statistic
June 27, 2018 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
Hello! Long time no see.
I made this blog in 2014 whilst studying my MSc in Primate Conservation, and whilst travelling to Mexico each year to help at a struggling primate sanctuary. It's been 4 years since then and I'm finally ready to get back into blogging. I've decided that I need to be brutally honest about my journey since graduating from Oxford Brookes, because quite honestly it's been a bit of a bumpy ride. I think it's important for those considering higher education in order to work in the field of conservation to really understand the risks involved. If like me you don't have the luxury of having the "bank of mum and dad" and you're only option is to take out a bank loan (which I can assure you is NOT the same as a student loan), then you should seriously consider the financial burden you'll face whilst looking for work in one of the most competitive (and class bias) industries in the world. I wanted to highlight my experiences here to give a less "university prospectus" perspective of becoming an MSc graduate.
What happens if you join the postgraduate cliche of working for minimum wage in a field totally unrelated to which you studied? Will that level of debt and time investment be worth it?
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS A HAPPY ENDING! I am now working as a full time Zoo Keeper and part time Zoo Registrar. I mainly work with the Tamarin section of the zoo looking after callitrichids, sloths, and a few reptile species. I also work with farm animals and spend a couple days a week (if I'm lucky!) in the office as the zoo's registrar-assisting with the zoos wider conservation objectives such as inputting all our animal data onto ZIMS (Zoo Information Management Systems) and organising import and export of animals for breeding programs. I love my job more than anything, but it has been a long time coming.
Jes with zoo sheltland pony "Smudge". "He's a bit of an arsehole, he bit my face the second after this photo was taken…but I love him."
My experience:
AFTER GRADUATING FROM MY MSC I WAS NIAVE. I strongly believed that in six months I would land my dream primate job. I'd soon be immersed in the conservation sector using all the important knowledge and skills I had painstakingly learned (and paid for in the form of a hefty career development bank loan). My dream was very very short lived. In two years I applied to over 300 animal jobs and was rejected from all of them. I attended panel interviews, group interviews, and even drove >100 miles the week after passing my driving test to go to a three day interview-which I never heard back from. The most common reason for my rejection (if I was lucky enough to get feedback) was that I was too over qualified, closely followed by I was too inexperienced. My experience was not specific enough (wrong species of primate), too specific (not enough variety of species), didn't count because it was too short or because it wasn't paid. I don't think there is a reason in the book that I haven't been given. It was so frustrating to learn that someone who had interned for a year got the job over me. I would have loved to have that level of experience, if I could have afforded to do so. Zoos rarely offer accommodation, transport or meals to their volunteer interns, so only the privileged (or more privileged than me) could take advantage of such work placements. I mean seriously, this does nothing to ensure the most suitable person for the job gets it. it simply rules out the working classes from joining (and benefiting) the field of conservation even if they are the most suitable candidate. They really could have groundbreaking ideas that will never be realised because they will never be heard.
All of this was made so much harder by the letters that kept arriving from the bank. They knew I had graduated and they now expected monthly repayments upwards of £250. That on top of average rental prices in the South put my monthly outgoings greater than the average monthly salary. Yet I couldn't find full time work in any sector that would take me, let alone the one I wanted to be working in. If the conservation industry thought I was over qualified, my local cleaners and supermarkets definitely thought so (though I never actually got a letter of rejection from them, I just got ignored). I turned to the job centre and was laughed at (no, really, LAUGHED AT). As I sat waiting for my "adviser" to read through my application he did a double take at the screen, looked up at me, back at the screen, then said "you don't seriously have this many qualifications?". When I nodded he called over a colleague so they could also take a look. They both laughed and told me I was the most qualified person they had ever had in there. Cheers buddy, that really made me begging for the £70 a week less painful.
LOOKING FOR WORK AND FACING REJECTION AFTER REJECTION was soul crushing. My dream job was quickly becoming a pipe dream, and I was left to face the crippling debt whilst working part time in a cafe for minimum wage. I didn't last long in the cafe as my boss was an absolute nightmare and the final straw was when she started offering me alcohol at 10am and all of a sudden the cause of her erratic behaviour became startling clear.
I didn't completely waste my time in the years following graduation though; I left the cafe to work as a Volunteer Coordinator for The Real Junk Food Project Brighton where I felt like I was at least instilling social and environmental change for my local community. It was a start. But unfortunately as a start up enterprise the wages came in the form of funding and that was hard to come by. So once I had learned as much as I could from the project (I had all but given up on a career with animals by this point), I decided to pursue my creative interests instead. I became a self employed wildlife artist (you can see my work here). My little business bloomed and I was finally able to support myself, albeit not repaying my bank loan (my income was enough but it was modest at best). I had thankfully sought the help of StepChange, a debt advise charity that helped me arrange a £1 a month repayment plan given my dire financial situation. Scary thing is there was even a month when they couldn't even take that. Although I was finally in a much better situation, I still desperately missed working with animals and couldn't help but regret doing my MSc. I had actually secured more interviews by omitting my MSc from my job applications than I did by including it. It seemed to be a barrier to the jobs that I was going for.
FINALLY I CAUGHT A BREAK two years later, when my local zoo was hiring. I had worked there before as a casual zoo keeper before completing my final year of my under grad in Animal Science. Maybe my interview was a little less intense because I knew them, or perhaps by that point I was so accustomed to rejection I felt I had nothing to loose. I wasn't shocked when I was asked "but how long will you be here?" It would seem my qualifications and experience abroad screams "I could be anywhere so this is just a gap filler"…which couldn't be further from the truth. All I was trying to do by completing my MSc was to prove to myself that I could do it and prove to employers that I was dedicated to conservation and animal care. Ironic I know.
Either way I was offered the job and I have been grateful for it every day since. Even when my days are long and things don't go to plan-which can often be the way when working with animals, I have at least one moment a day when I think to myself "I love my job". Working with new world monkeys is a privilege. I get so much joy from learning about their individual idiosyncrasies, their preferences, their social behaviours, and watching the infants develop.
"AJ" , male Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea). "AJ is my favourite animal at the zoo (along with Diamond the retired llama), because he is a creepy little weirdo who pulls funny faces and sneaks up on you."
Mother "Florencia" with babies "Pumpkin" and "Spice". Cotton top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). Critically endangered.
Working with our close relatives means you get to accessorise with your uniform when you've got a cold.
I'M NOT SAYING MY MSC WASN'T WORTH IT. It has helped me in countless ways and the skills and knowledge I gained from it are put into play each and every day in my current job. I'm also not saying that everyone will have the same post graduate experience as me. Many of my fellow class mates gained work in the conservation sector within months of graduating. They work all over the world for grass roots initiatives, NGO's, eco tourism, and many are involved in pivotal primate conservation research. One thing I would say though is that many of those people had prior connections. They knew professionals in those industries before enrolling on their masters. It is definitely as much about who you know as it is about what you know. My current employers being a case in point. As a working class girl from Brighton (where the most exciting animal is a seagull) I needed to spend more time networking at uni than burying myself in my own project. I missed opportunities by not attending trips because I couldn't afford them, and I found it difficult to speak to our guest lecturers in a class of over 40 students all contending to have their name remembered. I'm not a loud person and I find it difficult to stand out from the crowd. Nine times out of ten I'd rather go home and read literature on the subject than vie for the attention of my professors at the pub (which I also could rarely afford). In the long run this shy non-competitive side of me did me no favours.
So if you are considering a post grad in the conservation sciences consider this:
Can you afford the long term debt?
Can you mentally take repeated rejection by competing for work in a highly competitive field?
Is the job you really want dependent on a MSc and will it pay your loan repayments?
Never underestimate the importance of networking
Never ever give up. At the end of the day, no one can take your degree away from you and if you really are determined then the wait will be worth it in the end.
Jes with "Diamond" the llama.
graduatejob searchliving the dreampost grad
Why you don't really want a pet monkey
September 20, 2014 jessteekaae	1 Comment
Each year I travel to Mexico and take up residence at Ecoparque el Fenix Monkey Sanctuary to study spider monkey behaviour and help out in any way I can. This year was a year all about enrichment, to improve space use, locomotion, and to promote species-typical social behaviour. Yet I always find that when publishing a blog, tweet or facebook update about my work I am always met with the same remarks:
"How cute!! I really want one!"
"Bring me back a monkey!"
These are the typical things I hear whenever I am working with my study group. Don't get me wrong, I know they are immeasurably cute, and of course I love working with them so closely. They each have their own personality and I am often manipulated into performing what ever act they want from me such as grooming them or chasing them like a monkey ook-ook vocalizations a plenty. Baby Carmen will often lay on her back whilst on my lap, head tilted backwards, arms outstretched above her head in an almost provocative manner, and if that doesn't work then she will grab my fingers and run them through her fur herself! Obviously, I oblige, to then realise I have lowered myself below her in the social scale…I am now her monkey bitch. Excellent.
So why are these cute adorable monkeys not pets? And how can I be so against the primate pet trade when I myself get to form close relationships to them, which is mostly why people want them in the first place, Well, there is plenty of literature, newspaper articles, and online campaigns detailing why it is poor welfare to have a monkey pet, so instead I figured I would give a simple break down of how a pet monkey will negatively inflict upon YOUR welfare instead. And I am whole heartedly talking from experience.
THEY BITE. Hard. Not only can you contract a plethora of zoonotic diseases from monkeys (the perks of being one of our closest genetic relatives), it really does hurt. A lot. Trust me (below is MY leg).
On the plus side you will be able to get out your monkey scar at parties. except you won't have any time to go to any parties.
THEY HAVE A TAIL. Wait what? You didn't think that would be a problem? Well think again. You might find your toddler hard to catch when they have done something naughty but you wont (thankfully) find him swinging from your washing line, defecating on the laundry, hanging from the light bulbs and leaping from the top book shelves across the room to evade capture. They also really like to hide things, in high up places, where you can't reach them. And even if you do manage to climb up there to retrieve said item, the monkey will dart off with it again in a split second (only once you are in the most questionable position of course).
YOU ARE ITS MOTHER. That's for life by the way. Monkeys can be very protective over their mother and can bite your partner, your children, or your house guests if they get too close to you. A dog might bark at your new partner but a monkey will be faster and can often give no warning. It's not a cute trait and the feeling of it being a 'special bond' will be very very short lived.
Oh, and they don't sleep the same hours as we do by the way, they like to be up early and will cry incessantly when you don't give them enough attention, when they are hungry, when they are bored- which they will be a lot because lets face it you're no monkey play mate. You're days of relaxing at the weekends, evening (or any time at all really) are over, and don't even try to start reading a book-unless you're not interested in knowing the ending, or the middle, or past the first chapter.
THEY ARE VERY SMART. Smarter than you that's for darn sure. I have been manipulated more times than I can count by my study monkeys, not forgetting the time my research assistant and I were locked in our own cage (my "observation booth" to sound more professional) by a monkey who learned that if she stood on the handle it would move and trap us inside.
It also takes a hell of a lot to work out how to get the monkey back in his cage, how to give medicine undetected, how to ensure they are only eating things which are GOOD for them, and how to sneak away when the monkey is apparently sleeping. You will not pee alone, rest alone, or eat alone ever again.
THEY ARE VERY SOCIABLE. Remember playing "piggy in the middle" at school? Monkeys are extremely sociable and they need to be stimulated-by YOU! Joy oh joy you've always wanted to play with a monkey friend, but yet this one just wants to pull out your hair (see knob-end example below), steal your reading glasses, empty your cupboards, hide your possessions, destroy your ornaments (pfff what ornaments?) and play 'catch me if you can'…you can't.
*Additional note: No one should copy the likes of Justin Bieber (aka knob-end), and that alone should be a reason NOT to get a pet monkey.
THEY POOP (EVERYWHERE). I personally LOVE poop, the digestive system amazes me…and as an avid animal poop lover who better to trust when I say this than me? : Monkey poop is the most fowl smelling weirdly textured unpleasant substance you can have the misfortune to be in contact with. And you will be in contact with it a lot. In your hair, on your clothes, down your bra, in your bed, in your kitchen, and never (weirdly enough) in the toilet, or in the nappy which you can't manage for the life of you to get him to wear. I have never tried to put a nappy on a monkey, but I have tried to assist in re-dressing a rump bandage (pretty much the same thing but a medical requirement NOT because the monkey was being toilet trained), Yeh well, needless to say I got covered in shit, so did the monkey, and so did the bandage (on the outside) and subsequently the house got smeared in shit too.
ERM, OK SO WHEN ARE THEY CUTE? When they are sleeping. But you'll probably be asleep then too.
CONCLUSION. So as much as it is not fair to keep one of the most socially adaptive species on the planet as a pet, it's not that fair on the human-owner either. Quite simply put, get a cat or a dog instead. Everyone LOVES a good cat or dog selfy, photobomb or funny you-tube clip, plus the cat/dog will enjoy it a lot more too.
Primate photo of the week: The Indochinese Silvered Langur
September 1, 2014 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Trachypithecus
Species: Trachypithecus germaini
This weeks primate photo is dedicated to Brenda de Groot, who has been dedicating her time to understanding their behaviour and working closely with children in Cambodia providing conservation education. Her incredible drawing skills are being beautifully applied to spread the key messages of primate conservation at grass-roots level.
Here is a sneak-peak of Brendas langur artwork:
You should visit Brendas blog here:
http://brendadegroot.wordpress.com/indochinese-silvered-langur-research/
Is conservation a wholly Westernised ideology? … Anthozoology explored with Primates.
August 31, 2014 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
As a scientist who values the individual needs of animals as highly as species survival, I thought I would explore the concept of conservation through an anthrozoological perspective- I am 100% playing devils advocate here and want to make clear that these views are an exploration of the psychological concepts (concepts driven by media and the modern world) behind conservation, to see if conservation is as moral and selfless as it is often perceived to be- I am not stating all these opinions as my own, but I do interject when I feel it's necessary. Some aspects of my findings did concern me and shed some light on the moral complexities of conservation efforts. Should conservation be put on the proverbial pedestal? I will let you decide. (Jess).
What are the concepts behind a Western view of "the wild"?
The human-animal bond has been intensely documented, scrutinized, and debated throughout history. Early domestication and co-evolution of humans and wolves at an estimated 15, 000 years ago has resulted in an array of physiological and emotional inter-species connections (Dorado et al. 2009; Driscoll & Macdonald 2010), yet wolves today are symbolic, almost totemic animals, not wanted for close human proximity (a role explicit now to the domestic dog) (Rowlands 2008; Trevs et al. 2013). In tern, Western societies such as Europe and the USA hold high value to a petishim culture. The USA alone see an approximated annual expenditure of $61.4 billion on companion animal products-from luxury cat food to designer doggy-wear (Henderson 2013), and Westernized children's books entail anthropomorphic animal characters, promoting inter-species companionship and moral undertones (Johnson 1996), often creating a Disneyland-like fantasy of the 'wilderness'.
E. O. Wilson famously wrote of the 'Biophilia' concept in his book of the same name, describing the innate drive for humans to connect to nature (Wilson 1984). The "cute response", a term coined by Konrad Lorenz, depicts an innate maternal instinct to care for organisms with human-like infantile morphology (Serpell 2002; Herzog 2010); and Meg Olmert detailed the physiological effects of inter-species connectivity through her studies of oxytocin and the therapeutic properties of companion animals (Olmert 2010). Yet this egalitarian biocentric state of philosophy has only recently been adopted by the West. The influence of Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes between the 12th and 16th century promoted the belief that animals were mere automatons without thought or self-awareness (Serpell 1992; Daston & Mitman 2007). Carl Linnaeus's 17th century taxonomy of organisms drew likeness from Aristotle's 'Scala Natura' , the classification of humans above all other taxonomic classes (Linnaeus 1802). Thus biological taxonomy enhanced the anthropocentric view stance of the West, a view reflective of the Judeo-Christian ideology of 'the time' (Salih 2007). It was the Darwinian revolution of the 1800s that set aside species differences, creating a uniformity known as biological evolution (Darwin 1859;1871;1872). Advancements in scientific species classification in the recent neo-Darwinian era of DNA analysis has identified the chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, as our closest genetic kin (Won & Hay 2005). That coupled with space exploration and satellite imagery has further enhanced a global perspective and concern for the health of the planet (Szerszynski & Toogood 2000).
Western ideals shape conservation within developing countries. The West is an economic super-power with ability to dictate which species, geographic regions, and people are permitted to develop and which must be 'conserved' (Brockington 2004). A consumerist culture of popular science magazines such as the National Geographic, conservation celebrities such as Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fossey and respected nature television presenters such as David Attenborough and the late Steve Irwin, propel conservation and wildlife issues into the media's front line (Brockington 2008). All such celebrities are perceived by viewers as trust worthy charismatic figures working for the good of the planet (Brockington 2008; Boykoff & Olson 2013). David Attenborough's soothing and enthusiastic documentary demeanour won him the title of 'most trusted man in Britain' during 2006 (Brockes 2006). In contrast, the death of Steve Irwin to a sting ray in the same year resulted in localized purging of the species, anthropomorphized as the murderer of a wildlife icon (BBC 2006). The aforementioned examples clearly illustrate the powerful and influential role that conservation celebrities play in forming public perceptions of wildlife in the modern West, regardless of the 'consumers' distance from nature (Bradshaw et al. 2007).
Western consumerist culture is a significant driver behind the power and effectiveness of conservation organizations. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dominate the media using flagship species to represent conservation messages ( Smith et al. 2010, 2012). Examples include the WWF panda and the Born Free lion, hugely influential organizations in the implementation of third-world conservation initiatives, funded almost explicitly from the West. Large charismatic species are selected to represent conservation causes, thus promoting speciesism for those advertised symbolically as 'saving the planet' (Simberloff 1998; Clucas et al. 2008). Yet flag ship species needn't be crucial to biodiversity and many are perceived negatively by those in habitat countries (Home et al. 2009). I mean, since when has an attractive white woman straddling a lion really represented the complexities of grass-roots conservation?
The progression of world-wild virtual connectivity facilitated by the internet further promotes Westernized wildlife ideals. NGOs, governments and large corporations invite the public to engage in the virtual conservation 'community' through popular websites such as Twitter and Facebook (Igoe et al. 2010). Westernized alienation from nature and wild life is briefly alleviated through financial contribution to conservation, as one emotionally engages with the visual appeal of the 'wild' as represented by charismatic mega fauna and utopian scenery (Adorno 1972). Furthermore, epochal film-makers such as Disney seduce the audience by portraying a romanticized wilderness and deep emotional friendships between humans and wildlife (King 1996), thus manipulating the biophilia hypothesis. Nature documentaries such as the BBC and National Geographic present a stereotyped effigy of nature including the 'red in tooth and claw' image of wildlife through the action and suspense of pack animals hunting in magnified glory (Davies 1998). Such that many Western tourists consider these media portrayals as common place in wildlife parks and wish to view 'action scenes' at close proximity (Ivakhiv 2008).
In all, wildlife conservation is perversely capitalistic in its very nature, from the large corporations involved in financial investment such as the World Bank to mass media and NGOs, which manipulate consumers by selling iconic 'wild life' imagery (Brockington 2008; Igoe et al. 2010). Therefore, one may find it hard to argue against the statement that 'common views of wildlife in conservation reflect westernised ideals of wild animals', for this has historically been the case. Westernized perceptions of wildlife from which they are significantly separated from, are valued as 'true nature' and worthy of protection (Nelson 2003). From the preservationist era stemming from the colonial 'Garden of Eden Hypothesis' within the mid-nineteen century (Nelson 2003), to the modern day: It is the Western portrayal of wild animals which tourists wish to see, conservationists wish to protect and the public wish to befriend. The 'wish' to befriend does not impose any negative force upon their livelihoods or truly represent the complexities of biodiversity conservation (Clucas et al. 2008).
Perceptions of Primates
Similarity between primates and humans can be staggering to both the scientific and laymen community. Biologically, primate sociality, cognition and physical appearance are compellingly similar to our own, and highly susceptible to anthropomorphism (Hill 2002). Both Linnaeus and Darwin noted the comparable characteristics of primates and humans, Linnaeus classified apes under man in taxonomic rank, and Darwin correctly named apes our closest kin (Darwin 1871). The works of Jane Goodall during the 1960s struck an emotive cord within the West, with her findings of chimpanzee social dynamics, maternal instincts and warfare (Quammen 2010). Overall, ape-human relatedness was typified by the findings of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas, whose work with great apes featured heavily in popular science media whilst evoking a sense of Women's empowerment (Rani 2013). These women attributed human names to their subjects and spoke freely of their charismatic 'humanness' (Goodall 1971; Fossey 1983; Galdikas 1995). Photographic and film imagery of their research enhanced an anthropomorphic appeal, highlighting the close proximity between human and apes; a closeness now keenly sought by consumers (Ross et al. 2011).
The announcement of Chimpanzees as humans closest genetic kin further captured Western audiences. Popular science books of human-ape interactions have consistently flooded the consumer market, with seductive titles depicting the emotional and genetic inter-species bond. Literary examples include 'Next of Kin', 'Almost Human', 'In the Shadow of Man' and 'Reflections of Eden' all of which portray a romanticized biocentric connectivity with primates (Goodall 1971; Strum 1987; Galdikas 1995; Fouts 1998). Although kinship generally invokes empathetic human behaviour (Serpell 1999), primates are readily exploited for human entertainment (Nijman et al. 2011). Primate conservation is thus exposed to, and at risk from, a multitude of Western ideals.
Implications for Primate Conservation
Tourism is an economically powerful industry, second only to oil (Obua & Harding 1997). Ecotourism and Wildlife tourism provide a niche market whereby tourist can experience wildlife. High Western salaries endorse primate tourism (Obua & Harding 1996), promoted as morally sound on the premise that primate-experiences contribute significantly to species conservation and local economies (Muehlenbein et al. 2010).
"Close-contact tourism is often proposed as the best way to guarantee the continued existence of great apes and their habitats"
(Woodford et al. 2002).
The Mountain Gorilla is an exemplary species for the pro-tourism debate, with the Bwindi population increasing since the implementation of Gorilla tourism in 1997, albeit consensus statistics vary throughout the literature (see McNeilage et al. 2001; 2006; Laudati 2010; Guschanski et al. 2009). Many argue the Mountain gorilla would have faced certain extirpation without the increased protection, gained from tourist revenue. As such, new groups continue to be habituated, following increased tourist demand (though the economic incentives for such a move are beyond the scope of this paper [see Adams & Infield 2003; Laudati 2010]). Primate tourism comes with a double edged blade. Epidemiological disease risks includes physical contact and fomites, breech of designated viewing distances and refrain from admitting illness, (Woodford et al. 2002; Sandbrook & Semple 2006; Nakamura & Nashida 2009; Muehlenbein et al. 2010). Western tourists risk introducing zoonotic pathogens to secluded primate regions, from a multitude of geographic locations (Homsyk 1999). Close proximity disregards wild ecology, altering natural behaviour (Treves & Brandon 2005). Habituation risks include inducing stress thus lowering immunity, increasing disease contraction risk and decreasing productivity (Woodford et al. 2002; Fedigan 2010).These were all concerns raised by Dian Fossey herself who was opposed to the idea of gorilla tourism, not that her 'gorilla tactics' (pun intended) were a great method for gaining government co-operation mind you but still, I feel it is important for people to understand these risks when partaking in an activity which may compromise gorilla welfare. That being said, would you admit to having a cold if you had just handed over somewhere in the region of £700 to sit with a silverback?
Another alarm bell for conservation-based eco-tousitm is that clientèle are often unaware as to the importance of biodiversity with emphasis on viewing large charismatic primates over other species (Kerley et al. 2003) . Rise in visitors to Kibale National Park from 1992-1996 resulted in environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity (Obua 1997). Furthermore, tourist perceptions of the park were heavily dependent on viewing chimpanzees (Obua & Harding 1996; Obua 1997). Tourism can deflect the instinctual fear of humans, exacerbating human-primate conflict from increased crop raiding events within tourist areas (Laudati 2010). Human-macaque contact within the Shou-Shan Nature Park ,Taiwan, was initiated by humans significantly more than by primates, an increasingly common finding amongst human-primate interaction research (Minna et al. 2008). For many tourists, close proximity fulfils the biophillia induced inter-species friendship as depicted throughout childhood development, backed up by adult justifications of the conservation 'good'.
In contrast, the entertainment industry demonstrates the persistence of Westernized Judeo-Christian ideology whereby primate anthropomorphic features are valued as an entertainment commodity. Primates are dressed in human clothing, beg, dance, ride bicycles and smoke (ChimpCARE 2011). Such anthropomorphic personification detaches the viewer from the species natural behaviours and habitat (Yamagiwa 2008). Photo-prop and film primates are misrepresented as autonomous animals, their 'humaness' exploited for entertainment and revenue (Beckoff 2007). Therefore, clear comparison between modern Western views and Rene Descartes' ideology can be made. Primates within the entertainment industry become an anthropological 'Other', free for human exploitation, not dissimilar from Aristotle's 'Scala Natura'. The continuation of such attitudes has dramatic effect for primate conservation. The more primates are immersed in human environments, the more distorted primate conservation perceptions become (Schroepfer et al. 2011).
In comparison, the primate pet industry sees a merger between the modernistic petishism culture of the West and anthropocentricism; the USA being the largest importer of live primates (Nijman et al. 2011). Large eyes, round heads and expressive faces all act as 'baby releasers' (Serpell 2002; Herzog 2010), making primates vulnerable to exploitation as pets. Internet-based promotion of primate pets via 'viral' home videos aired on websites such as YouTube, influences public perceptions resulting in heightened wild harvest (Nekaris et al. 2013). Due to lengthy gestation periods and inter-birth intervals, primates are extremely vulnerable to stochastic events, small populations dwindle unable to recover from over-extraction (Cowlishaw & Dunbar 2000).
One must also consider the plasticity of human opinion. Human migration, change in primate behaviour and increased rates of human-primate conflict are widely documented contributors to changes in human-primate perceptions within indigenous local communities (Hill 2002; Hill & Webber 2010; McLennan & Hill 2012). Local and Western attitudes are influenced by a complex matrix of external factors (Lee & Priston 2005). For example, conservation has dramatically shifted from preservationist to community-based approaches (Hackel 1999; Campbell & Vainio-Mattila 2003; Brockington 2004). Stemming from a grass root ideology, human development is now the focus of conservation goals, heavily endorsed by politically influential NGOs (Brockington 2004; World Wildlife Fund 2013). If Western attitudes see rise in concern for human development, then the outlook for species conservation is weakened. Increased economy and access to technologies put primate populations at faster extinction risk (Hill 2002). Thus an ethical dilemma ensues, ultimately moral stance supports both human development and primate conservation, yet dwindling resources heighten inter-species competition for which there can be only one long term survivor.
Finally, although ecotourism provides a much favoured incentive to conservation initiatives, its reliance on Western clientèle render it vulnerable to uncontrolled external factors. Declining economies, political instability, travel restrictions and disease epidemics could decrease tourism, decline revenue and minimize the economic value of primates enrolled in tourism programs (Cowlishaw & Dunbar 2000).
In summary, the consumerist culture of the West is a huge financial driver for primate conservation, yet the complexities of Western attitudes towards wild animals complicates the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The biocentric, anthropomorphic and anthroprocentric Western attitudes hold potential to improve as well as damage primate conservation.
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Hill, C., M. (2002) Primate Conservation and Local Communities: Ethical Issues and Debates. American Anthropologist. 104 (4): 1184-1194.
Hill, C., M. & Webber, A., D. (2010) Perceptions of Non-human Primates in Human-Wildlife Conflict Scenarios. American Journal of Primatology. 71: 1-6.
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Lee, P., C. & Priston, N., E., C. (2005) Human Attitudes to Primates: Perceptions of Pests,Conflict and Consequences for Primate Conservation. In: Paterson, J., D. & Wallis, J. (eds) Commensalism & Conflict: The Human-Primate Interface. USA: American Society of Primatologists.
McLennan, M., R. & Hill, C., M. (2012) Troublesome neighbours: Changing Attitudes Towards Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in a Human-Dominated Landscape in Uganda. Journal for Nature Conservation. 20: 219-227.
McNeilage, A., Plumptre, A. J., Brock-Doyle, A. & Vedder, A. (2001) Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda: Gorilla Consensus 1997. Oryx. 35 (1): 39-47.
McNeilage, A., Robbins, M,. M., Gray, M., Olupot, W., Babaasa, D., Bitariho, R., Kasangaki, A., Rainer, H., Asuma, S., Mugiri, G. & Baker, J. (2006) Consensus of the Mountain Gorilla, Gorilla berengi berengi, Population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Oryx. 40 (4): 419-427.
Minna, J., H., Chien-Ching, K. & Govindasamy, A. (2008) Interactions Between Visitors and Formosan Macaques (Macaca cyclopis) at Shou-Shan Nature Park, Taiwan. American Journal of Primatology. 71: 214-222.
Muehlenbein, M., P., Martinez, L., A., Lemke, A., A., Ambu, L., Nathan, S., Alsisto, S. & Sakong., R. (2010) Unhealthy Travellers Present Challenged to Sustainable Primate Ecotourism. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 8: 169-175.
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Nekaris, K., A-I., Campbell, N., Coggins, T., G., Rode, E. J. & Nijman, V. (2013) Ticked to Death: Analysing Public Perceptions of 'Cute' Videos of Threatened Species ( Slow Loris, Nycticebus spp.) on Web 2.0 Sites. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069215.
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Rani, P. (2013) Women as Environmental Agents. International Indexed and Refereed Journal. 4 (45): 39-41.
Ross, S., R., Vreeman, V., M. & Lonsdorf, E., V. (2011) Specific Image Characteristics Influence Attitudes about Chimpanzee Conservation and Use as Pets. PLoS ONE. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0022050
Rowlands, M. (2008) The Philosopher and the Wolf. London: Granta Books.
Salih, S. (2007) Filing up the Space Between Mankind and Ape: Raceism, Speciesism and the Androphilic Ape. A Review of International English Literature.38 (1): 95-111.
Sandbrook, C. & Semple, S. (2006) The Rules and the Reality of Mountain Gorilla, Gorilla beringei beringei Tracking: How Close Do Tourists Get? Oryx. 40 (4): 428-433.
Schroepfer, K., K., Rosati, A., G., Chartrand, T. & Hare, B. (2011) Use of Entertainment Chimpanzees in Commersials Distorts Public Perception Regarding Their Conservation Status. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026048.
Serpell, J. A. (1992) Animal Protection and Environmentalism: The Background. In: Ryder, R. D. (ed) Animal Welfare and the Environment, An RSPCA Book. London: Gerdald Duckworth and Co Ltd: 27-39.
Serpell, J. A. (2002) Anthropomorphism and Anthropomorphic Selection-Beyond the "Cute Response". Society and Animals. 10 (4): 437-450.
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Smith, R. J., Verissimo, D., Isaac, N. J. B. & Jones, K. E. (2012) Identifying Cinderella Species:Uncovering Mammals with Conservation Flagship Appeal. Conservation Letters. 5 (3): 205-212.
Strum, S., C. (1987) Almost Human: A Journey into the World of Baboons. New York: Norton and Company Inc.
Szerszynski, B. & Toogood, M. (2000) Global Citizenship, the Environment and the Media. In: Allan, S., Adam, B. & Carter, S. (eds) Environmental Risks and the Media. London: Routledge.
Treves, A. & Brandon, K. (2005) Tourist Impact on the Behaviour of Black Howling Monkeys (Alouatta pigra) at Lamanai, Belize. In: Paterson, J. D. & Wallis, J. (eds). Commensalism and Conflict: The Human-Primate Interface. USA: American Society of Primatologists.
Trevs, A., Naughton-Trevs, L. & Shelley, V. (2013) Longitudinal Analysis of Attitudes Towards Wolves. Conservation Biology. 27 (2): 315-323.
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Yamagiwa, J. (2008) Letter of Complaint [online]. International Primate Society. Available from: http://www.uam.es/otros/ape/novedades/Letter%20Use%20of%20Primates.pdf [Date Accessed: 28/11/2013].
Primate Conservation MSc- Books for Sale
August 1, 2014 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
For those of you starting out on the Primate Conservation MSc at Brookes this coming semester (woah my year went fast!), or if you're starting a course in a related subject then I have some books for sale that I will not be needing in the future.
Introduction to Conservation Genetics (2nd ed)
This is the core book for the conservation genetics module and it was a real life-saver for me. But lets face it, I am not a geneticist, and so this should probably find its way to a better home where it will get the attention it deserves. You should view my listing here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261550124622?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l2649
Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management, and Welfare
This is the most recent publication (2013) by Hosey, Melfi and Pankhurst. If you're starting the Primate Conservation MSc then it's highly recommended for thecaptive care module (my favourite module!) and it's also the most commonly used book for zoo professionals so would suit anyone working/studying captive animals (zoo keepers, animal science students at level ND, FdSc, BSc etc etc). You should view my listing here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261550140910?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Habitat Management for Conservation Genetics
I bought this for a project but then completely changed my idea to an unrelated topic so again please someone use it so it isn't neglected on my book shelf where it can't help anyone! You should view my listing here:
Primate photo of the week: Pan troglodytes
July 28, 2014 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Pan
Species: Pan troglodytes
Why chimps?
I have now been back in the UK writing up my project dissertation and disseminating my results into various articles for publication for the past two weeks. Having spoken to several students on my cohort , I have decided to dedicate the next few weeks of Primate Photos to the primate species which have been studied as part of the many successful primate projects (Primate Conservation MSc 2014, Oxford Brookes University).
This week I am dedicating the photo slot to Georgia Lorenti, who recently travelled to Africa for her final MSc project. I was particularly touched by Georgias blog about falling in love with a chimpanzee, and her struggles with anthropomorphism (the most terrible of scientific sins!) so this Georgia, is for you… and Moses.
About the photographer:
This stunning photograph is part of a unique series by James Mollison, named 'James and other apes'. I especially love this series as not only does it portray a sense of identity by capturing the human-likness of our closest genetic kin using the frame-work of a passport photo, James did not opt to use 'actor apes'. Upon entering his website, James states:
I decided against photographing in zoos or using 'animal actors' but travelled to Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia to meet orphans of the bush meat trade and live pet trade.
This obviously called out to me, as having worked with so many unwanted primate pets myself, I found his work encapsulated the individuality of each animal who all have their own personal story to tell. Stories which convey the plight of their species, in an emotive and raw way.
You should visit James Mollison's website here:
http://jamesmollison.com/books/james-other-apes/
And of course, you should follow Georgia's primate blog here:
http://seekingartemis.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/moses-supposes/
Mexican primate project-update 5: A JOURNEYS END
July 7, 2014 jessteekaae	Leave a comment
The most important advice I will ever receive was given to me by a wise man, he told me: "think". I was a teenager about to leave home for the first time to travel and explore India. Despite this advice being the most simplistic (and at that precise moment quite confusing), it was more valuable to me than the dearth of other tips and advice that apparently everyone seems to have for the first time traveller. "Think" is exactly what has got me through the toughest of situations, the most dangerous, the most tempting, and now: the most complicated. Yet this time, I am thinking like a monkey.
The reason for turning again to his sound word, is because our project is ending. I can now start reflecting on what we have accomplished and what goals to set ourselves for the coming years.
Our greatest achievements:
1) Constructing a larger more complex enclosure full of enrichment and visual stimuli for our eldest male: Panzaburro.
Panzaburro now enjoys swinging from ropes, resting on elevated platforms, and hiding in his shelter when it's raining. His locomotion has improved, as has his overall demeanour-no longer is he frustrated and aggressive, instead he is calm and relaxed with people and other monkeys.
2) Constructing a second enclosure for the free ranging male: Pequitas.
Although Pequitas was a very good example of how a spider monkey should behave, his sexual aggression and promiscuous mating had resulted in an uncontrolled population. Inbreeding was a serious threat to the heath of the captive monkeys, as was the stress which resulted from his territorial patrolling and mobbing behaviour. Since his removal from the general population, Pequitas has in fact relaxed. He can still interact with the monkeys but without full contact and thus an inability to breed and control the movements of the females. He now enjoys resting alongside Panzaburro, who has become his very good friend. The females have also changed in their behaviour, becoming more social with each other and spending more time within the centre of the sanctuary, a place which they now feel is safe.
3) Providing friends to Zulu
After the installation of enrichment for the large social enclosure, Zulu was observed sitting closer to other monkeys. Within several days she became quite the socialite, and is now frequently observed grooming and playing with the young and adolescent monkeys. Even Zulu's stereotypic behaviour has decreased, a huge indicator that she is coping with social stressors in a more normative way.
4) Getting every monkey here off the ground!
This is one of the greatest behavioural achievements of the project-and one I have felt strongly about from the off. Spider monkeys are arboreal primates, they have not evolved for a life on the ground, and our project shows this. Once we provided networks of ropes, static and flexible platforms, swings and ladders, every monkey has significantly increased their elevated space use….no more monkeys sitting upon the floor!
Our future goals:
1) To construct a large social enclosure for all the tethered and free ranging monkeys.
The free raging monkeys and the tethered monkeys deserve social enclosures for two equally important but differing reasons:
The free rangers have access to human and domestic animal food, the result of which has been the emersion of an obese monkey group. In a large enclosure their diets can be controlled, and they can be encouraged to exercise by using novel enrichments and feeding strategies.
The tethered monkeys on the other hand, need social stimulation more than other monkeys within the park for they have thus far had none. As a naturally fission-fusion species, social facilitation is crucial-particularly within a rehabilitation program. Enclosures will provide them social access, and an opportunity for staff to closely monitor their social and physical progress.
2) To construct a primate nursery
After the successful introduction of Moni (now renames Mylo) to our female Ciriaca, we have formulated a plan to construct a primate nursery for all new arrivals. This will allow all new arrivals a chance to socialize with other young monkeys, and have the care and mothering attention of Ciriaca (who is desperate for a baby). The nursery will be secure and safe but with full visual access to the main population, allowing for vocal and olfactory communication, thus making integration to the adult population an easier and less stressful process.
3) To begin an operant conditioning program
A dream of mine which I have had for Fenix since my arrival! The use of operant conditioning (or "positive reinforcement training") will allow me to assess the behavioural and physical progress of each monkey with minimal stress to the monkeys. Training will provide a management tool based upon trust and co-operation, hence we will no longer need to devise complex strategies to catch and move monkeys between enclosures or for veterinary care. I will be writing a more in-depth post about operant conditioning for primates on my return, so watch this space for more information.
Until then, I look forward to returning to England, to "think" about the intricacies of statistics and thesis writing (albeit the part which is a lot less fun), and to think about how I'm to begin paying back my amounting student loan (an inevitable student-primate problem), all the while knowing that the small changes we have implemented here have had a hugely positive impact upon all the monkeys. Thinking like a monkey has been a rewarding experience, and as always my wise mans advice wins again…thanks Dad.
The thoughts and views of a primate loving zoo keeper


Therefore, with inappropriate slotting your company is wasting time and money in its ability to pick items for shipping at the fluency they should be. Remember its about the movement of people and the more time they have to move between aisles the less time there is left to ship out orders.
In your kitchen you have your spices near your stove for easy access while cooking, same with your dishes and glasses which are usually placed in your cupboard near the sink. The credit card you use most frequently is the first one inside your wallet. This is an example of slotting. Each item needs to be placed in its own special slot for easy accessibility.
Warehouse slotting uses the same principle. The most important products that you sell or sell most often should be placed in the best slot in the warehouse for ease of accessibility and dispatch reduction time. If you are struggling to move to the back of the warehouse on the top shelf for products that sell the most you are loosing money through time. By proper warehouse slotting not only are you saving time and money you will see your distribution time and shipping time increase thus you are making profits. Aidc Solutions uses your current slotting system to get the best out of our implemented warehouse system.
Your warehouse should be 'slotted' based on your sales of a particular product, you can use your sales data to help optimise your warehouse layout design. The best sales items should be slotted toward the front of your warehouse wherein the least sold items should be slotted toward the back of your warehouse. Therefore, your warehouse should be slotted first by the fastest moving item, the second fastest, the third and so on down the line.
In order to properly slot your warehouse consideration needs to start at the beginning such as how your orders are picked. If a picker has a fixed starting point then returns to the starting point after the picked order is finished the items will be ranked by the distance from starting point to finish point. As, some warehouses have a ticket area, where 'pickers' conjugate to collect their next job and then finish in a dispatch zone.
Load building for pallets is also important to take into consideration. When you are picking to load your shipping pallets the heavy items need to be on the bottom whereas the light and fragile items need to be loaded on the top. Your pick paths need to be analyzed for the best slot for efficiency.
Replenishing your product also comes into play when properly slotting your warehouse. This may, according to your sales, involve re-slotting the warehouse for better efficiency. Although it may be important to choose the right warehouse for your business requirements, there is no such thing as perfect warehouse slotting plan as it all depends on your sales and what products you are selling. If you are a distributor with seasonal products then obviously your warehouse will need to be re-slotted for the picker's efficiency during any seasonal product you are selling at the time. There also has to be re-slotting for inventory that is not moving and will be stored until that particular products season is open. By simply ranking your products by their sales numbers and slotting your warehouse accordingly you will find that your picking and shipping efficiency will increase making for not only cheerful employees and happy customers but a more profitable company.


text:
Rental reform is incentive-based not punitive, Joseph Muscat tells businesspeople
Prime Minister addresses members of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
by Massimo Costa
Government announced its rent reform plans, which will be debated in Parliament shortly
The main problem with the rental market, which became apparent after a year-long consultation with stakeholders, was that the relationship between landlords and tenants was not formalised or regulated, and could change overnight, the Prime Minister said.
Joseph Muscat said that the first thing the government did through the rent reform proposed yesterday was to introduce a stronger element of certainty when it comes to renting.
Muscat said the government had decided to avoid adopting a punitive approach and instead encourage longer-term agreements through incentives.
The Prime Minister was speaking during a dialogue meeting with Malta Chamber of Commerce delegates on Thursday, where he spoke about the main issue facing the economy, including the rent reform and the establishment of Malta Air.
"The first major change that our economy and households will face [following the rent reform] is that there will be more certainty, where the minimum duration of a contract has to be one year," he said.
"The second decision was not to adopt a punitive approach towards encouraging longer-term rent agreements," he highlighted.
"We could have gone in the direction of the highly regulated Berlin rent market. But instead, we asked whether it was feasible to go from a situation of having absolutely no caps to modelling ourselves on one of the most tightly regulated rental markets in Europe. Instead, we decided to go for an incentive-driven approach to encourage longer-term contracts."
Government opted to be receptive to Ryanair's interest in working with Maltese government to set up Malta Air
'Nothing could have stopped Ryanair establishing an airline in Malta'
Muscat said that, given that Malta operated within the context of European Union rules, nothing could have prevented Ryanair from applying for an air operator's certificate and setting up an airline in Malta, even if this wasn't done in agreement with the government.
However, the government had opted to be receptive to Ryanair's interest in working with the Maltese government and had set up Malta Air through mutual agreement.
"We went for a model whereby we recognised they [Ryanair] wanted to work for us and we wanted to work with them," he said.
Muscat insisted that Air Malta and Malta Air had different business models and served different markets. "People who look at an Air Malta flight have already decided to come to Malta," he underscored.
"On the other hand, people visit the Ryanair website because they want to go on holiday anywhere in Europe, but they will decide where to go later."
"The markets, therefore, are different. And everyone should understand that the work we have done will lead to an exponential growth in visits to our country and to a totally new level of engagement with the aviation industry," he added.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in European Studies in 2011, Massimo obtained ...
More from Massimo Costa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Camera – 21 Megapixel With CMOS sensor, AF Dual-LED Flash | 13 Megapixel Front camera.
Display – Screen size 5.5 inch IPS FHD Capacitive touch.
SIM – Dual SIM with Dual Micro + Micro/microSD SIM Compatibility, Dual Standby.


These knock down glass tower cases with locking doors are the ideal store display. Each case is made from aluminum and tempered glass with bright top mounted LED lights. The silver cases have a bottom storage space that can be locked for security. Each cabinet has three shelves and halogen lights for showcasing collectibles. The adjustable feet on the tower cases can be altered for stability even on uneven surfaces.
18.0" x 15.5" x 18.0"
16.8" x 43.9" x 16.8"


text:
Ferreirós de Valboa és una parròquia consagrada a Santa Maria pertanyent al municipi de Becerreá, província de Lugo.

Segons el padró municipal de 2004 la parròquia de Santa Maria de Ferreirós de Valboa tenia 111 habitants (54 homes i 57 dones), distribuïts en 2 entitats de població (o lugares), el que pressuposà una disminució en relació al padró de l'any 1999 quan hi havia 125 habitants. Segons l'IGE, el 2014 la seva població va caure fins a les 77 persones (39 homes i 38 dones).

Llocs
 Ferrañol
 Ferreirós de Valboa

Referències

Parròquies de Becerreá

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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It's been a while since I really posted about homeschooling. Between illness and travel I've had a hard time keeping up here. First Tulip Time, then two weeks of a nasty cold, then one week before we left for Chicago, and now this weekend we're off again, headed north to visit family. Actually the whole summer promises to be as scattered (and joyous).
Of course, this doesn't mean that we haven't been reading, and researching, and trying, and doing, and learning everywhere and all the time. Some of it has been researching and playing in the library, in life, or even on the computer, and some of it has been more curriculum oriented, with a worksheet here and there.
This week we are finishing up our initial tour of the ancient Indus Valley with a few fun links, in particular this site from the BBC. Using the Story of the World as a guide we'll be back in the area in a couple of weeks, but as with our first stop in ancient Egypt I am supplementing with a more thorough sally into the area with a little help from Intellego and my friend the library. We read a couple of books, most notably Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India, and in reading it Calvin learned that the tale was from The Mahabharata and asked to read the whole thing, so we have a copy of that on order, too.
Speaking of reading, with all the driving we've been doing Calvin has been gobbling up books. He's on book seven of the Oz series, The Patchwork Girl, has reread some of the Magic Tree House books, and has started in on a new series as well, the Paleo Joe Detective Series.
He's more than half way through the multiplication tables, using Math-U-See lessons, but mostly via dice games.
In keeping with the classical education, or at least partially so, he memorized a poem and we did some picture narration, writing a story about a Mary Cassatt painting, Children Playing on the Beach. Calvin remembered, after this suggested activity, that he'd read about the artist before, and he was right—we have a copy of her biography from the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series, so he read that as well.
And we baked: shortcakes to go with strawberries and cream on Tuesday, and banana bread today.
He devoured science this week, even more so than history, which is his usual favorite. We did lessons C-1 and D-1, energy and gravity, in BFSU, and he checked about five different books out from the library on the subjects before making his own.
We also spent a lot of time touring the gardens, walking the dogs, and playing at the park.
Today was the last day of indoor gathering for our weekly homeschooling group. During the summer we meet at various parks and eschew indoor activities in favor of learning from nature. It's a great arrangement, because while learning doesn't end when summer comes around, I think our desire and focus changes with the season, so why not follow them.
If I thought I might miss out on some of the cyclical nature of the public school system—the yearly plays, the parties, etc. that I always loved as a child—I have found instead that at HAA we seem to one-up them. Today all the kids gathered along with all the parents (both parents today in many cases) to share in food, games, a play performance, a talent show, and a "talented display". Calvin participated in all three, as a munchkin and a monkey in The Wizard of Oz, as a pianist in the talent show, and with a Lego display of ancient structures from around the world (Egyptian pyramid, Mesopotamian Ziggurat, Mayan temple) on the "talented display" table.
I will never stop reveling in the camaraderie that exists between all the kids in the group regardless of age, gender, race, belief, yadda yadda, nor in the amount of time, effort, and interest the parents invest in their children, and in others in the group. There are about forty families in the group, and today's gathering was a joyful, raucous affair, without being either too big or too small. Although I barely saw Calvin once he was no longer on stage (a sign of our growing comfort with the group) I know we both had a great time because we came home tired yet positively filled with exuberant, happy energy.
This is the second play Calvin has been in through our group. The first one was Percy Jackson, which they did earlier this spring, but it really was nowhere near as good as The Wizard of Oz, which they put on today. Calvin's own acting ability had grown some, and he spoke with great diction and a loud, clear voice, he remembered all his lines, and I could tell he had a great time. Of course, doing The Wizard of Oz as a play was like a dream come true for him.
"Please take the ruby slippers as a thank-you gift."
"I don't have a heart."
"Please take us to see the wizard."
"Dorothy, you have saved us from the evils of the Wicked Witch of the West. But what do we do with our lives now that we're free?"
"The wizard looked at us and said: 'monkies, you have already found your purpose in life. You said it yourself, you enjoy helping people and you can fly. Combining those two things should give you great opportunities for self-fulfillment."
We are linked up to Saturday's Artist at OLM.


STEVENSON is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Portia Zvavahera, titled Take Me Deeper.
This new body of work arose from the artist's three-month residency, from July to September this year, at the Gasworks in London – the longest period Zvavahera has ever spent away from her family. She describes the experience as one of intense emotion, her prevailing feelings being fear – of the uncertain and unfamiliar – and love, manifested in her spiritual beliefs and mirrored in the people around her.
Drawing from her dreams, which turned into nightmares from the shock of alienation, Zvavahera used the refuge of her studio to process these through colour and gesture. Take Me Deeper registers shifts in Zvavahera's subconscious through variations in her colour palette. Moving from buoyant tones to a darkness evocative of subterranean panic, she expresses both religious conviction and doubt, reconfiguring motifs explored in her previous exhibition, What I See Beyond Feeling.
At the same time, Zvavahera celebrates moments of romance after witnessing rapt lovers in London parks – an extension of themes explored in her 2015 series I Can Feel It in My Eyes. Here, her finely detailed mono-printed backgrounds are transfigured into a swirling vastness that is both intimate and expansive. Her focal figures are central yet recessive; surrounded by an effusion of gestures, marks and patterns, they are overcome and isolated while enclosed and assured.
Zvavahera combines these previously explored themes to articulate a new gradient in her emotive and spiritual spectrum, stating 'I had to be alone to come out with something different'. The wedding veils and foliage which were distinct elements of her visual language are unified, at once terrestrial and celestial.
Straddling and surpassing love and fear, intimacy and isolation, vulnerability and safety, Take Me Deeper gives expression to a profound interiority, and a form of solitude that is freed from the burden of estrangement.
This is Zvavahera's fifth solo exhibition at Stevenson.
Zvavahera shows concurrently with Viviane Sassen and Ian Grose.


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Sustain Earth.com
Our well-being on planet Earth depends on three main essential drivers, i.e. Water, Energy and Natural Resources (fossil minerals and renewables including biosphere and its eco-systems) 'WENR'. To achieve sustainability and resilience in our societies and to promote prosperity requires using and sharing our common 'WENR' capital with consideration to the complex and multi-layered NEXUS, i.e. the interactions and processes within and between these three drivers 'WENR'. Currently, Earth is facing existential threats caused by us collectively. Scaling-Up and Scaling-Out 'Science, Technology and Innovation' of the WENR-systems and coupling them to the 'Socio-Economic-Environment' pillars of our societies as defined by the UN-SDGs are one of the very few means to mitigate existing and future threats and bring full vitality in the functioning and metabolism of all life forms and processes on Earth. Sustain-earth.com is an open access online platform that allows active contributions and feeback.
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President Trump and US Policies – What Would be the Future Impacts?
The world politics is shifting dramatically with the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Elections in the USA. Already with the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the 2016-Brexit, the course of international politics started to shift in different directions, one of such regards immigration policies. 52% of votes cast were for leaving EU. This puts the UK on a course to leave by March 2019 (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit). In this context, President Trump strongly supported Brexit and in favor of other EU members to follow UK to leave the EU.
Already in his election campaign and the kicked off his 2020 re-election campaign in Florida President Trump is uncovering more and more how he will make "America Great Again". For example, Trump's Jan. 25 executive order entitled "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States" signed two days before his travel-ban directive, can result in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of immigrants being rounded up for deportation, according to Kelly Lytle Hernandez, an immigration historian at the University of California, Los Angeles. The order directs federal agencies to vigorously enforce existing immigration laws and vows to withhold federal funds from jurisdictions that don't comply (https://www.google.se/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/politics/articles/2017-02-21/travel-ban-aside-trump-has-vast-legal-arsenal-for-immigrants?client=safari). However, the president's initial attempt to block travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees was frozen by American courts after it prompted mass protests and chaos at airports nationwide (https://www.google.se/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/18/donald-trump-planning-re-implement-immigration-ban-exempting/amp/?client=safari). This just a beginning of new immigration policy so new trends are expected to follow.
Apart from immigration policies which is becoming a major issue not only in USA but also in Europe there are major but yet unclear political shifts in the USA. After nearly a month in office, critics indicate that it has been so far the worst and most unsettling start for a new president (https://www.google.se/amp/foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/19/president-trumps-terrible-one-month-report-card/amp/?client=safari). However, it seems that the US-policy regarding Russia, North Korea, the Islamic State and alliances like NATO will remain to be the same as it has been during the previous years of President Obama. Meanwhile, there are new shifts and twists in Iran's deal and the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
President Trump and his advisers are developing an alternative strategy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would enlist Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and Egypt to break years of deadlock. The new logic of "outside-in" emanated from, the Palestinians are becoming weak and divided. Also, the improved relations Israel has developed with Sunni Muslim countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, i.e. in opposition to the Shiite nations dominated by Iran. Mr. Trump is reconsidering his plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem after Arab leaders told him that doing so would cause angry protests among Palestinians, who also claim the city as the capital of a future state. Also, Mr. Trump have asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to hold back the Israeli settlement plans (http://www.salon.com/2017/02/15/trumps-israel-policy-confusing-to-all-netanyahus-big-white-house-visit-could-get-exciting/). President Trump has send strong bye bye message to ISIS: Donald Trump gives death cult 30 DAYS before he 'bombs the s*** out of them'.
The new administration is preparing to "repeal all rules" linked to greenhouse gases such as the green power plans of Obama to regulate emissions from energy plants, also those linked to implement the Paris Agreement and to support the UN-SDGs (http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/01/30/trump-advisor-environmental-movement-a-threat-to-freedom/).
In response of Trump's "America First" policies and what it called his "divisive delusions on trade," the Financial Times, the voice of British and to some extent European finance capital, warned that if the Trump administration continued on its present course, it would represent a "clear and present danger to the global trading and monetary system." (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/02/21/trad-f21.html?view=article_mobile). From NAFTA, to the TPP, President Donald Trump has made trade a central part of his platform. However, these trade agreements are not simple, they are very much complicated and involve confusing issues. Here are some of 11-things you might have heard about Trump's trade policies. What they actually mean, whether they're true, false, or somewhere in between. Here also how these trade agreements were previously being discussed and assessed from various angles (http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a8372143/donald-trump-trade-agreements-nafta-tpp/)
Now what would be the impacts of such shifts on globalization, mobility, environment, trade, the UN SDGs and socio-economic developments around the world?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on February 23, 2017 by farideldaoushy.
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James Terry is New York City-based technology consultant and delivery practice leader with 20 years' experience of successfully managing large, complex business technology projects to completion. He has provided IT strategy and thought leadership to senior executives in multiple business sectors and has won awards for innovation. James has written whitepapers on strategies and best practices for a more effective and efficient project management practice. He can be reached at jamesterry@zoho.com.
Twenty-five years ago, the rapid growth of enterprise technology solutions ushered in a new approach on how best to implement and manage projects. Unfortunately, initial implementations often required mid-stream changes and turned out to be far more complicated than originally thought. As a result, project success and—more importantly—customer expectations were rarely met.
In an effort to stem the bleeding, organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) developed standards and methodologies to ensure the successful delivery of IT projects. While project performance improved over the years, it wasn't until the advent and acceptance of agile (approach and methodology) that a marked improvement in project success was seen.
However, the benefits of agile have yet to expand beyond individual projects, and most project portfolio managers and PMOs continue to rely on traditional performance metrics to measure overall success. This article explores the benefits of using agile principles to track project performance with greater accuracy and quicker, actionable information that will prevent projects from failing with little or no warning.


Silver Spring, Md.Silver Spring, Md. (Feb. 24, 2012) – Discovery Education has named Dean Shareski community manager of the Canadian Discovery Educator Network (DEN), a community of educators who are passionate about teaching with digital media, sharing resources, collaborating and networking. With more than 20 years of experience in education and a specialist in the use of technology in the classroom, Shareski will connect educators throughout Canada and support them in leveraging digital media in their classrooms to transform and enhance learning.
As community manager for the DEN, Shareski will work with educators online and in-person to share ideas and resources and develop innovative programs for educators throughout Canada. In addition, he will conduct various professional development and networking activities to assist educators in effectively using digital media in their classrooms.
Prior to joining Discovery Education, Shareski served as a digital learning consultant for the Prairie South School Division in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. He also served in various roles for Powerful Learning Practice, where he helped educators around the world build technology-rich learning environments. Shareski began his career teaching grades 1-8.
Shareski has spoken at workshops and seminars across Canada and the United States, including TEDX Saskatoon and the K12 Online Conference. He teaches pre-service teachers at the University of Regina.
Shareski shares his thoughts and ideas for using digital media in the classroom on blogs for Tech & Learning magazine and The Huffington Post as well as his own blog, http://ideasandthoughts.org/about/. He also will share innovative ideas, resources and activities for educators on the Discovery Education Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/discoveryed and the DEN blog at http://denblogs.com/canada.
Shareski holds a Masters of Education degree in communications and technology from the University of Saskatchewan. In 2010, Shareski was honored with an ISTE Award for Outstanding Leadership in Technology and Education.
As one of the largest professional education learning communities, the DEN has impacted more than 1 million educators worldwide.


This is a fun/social event with a competitive spirit!! 3 person teams will compete to see who can tally up the most laps in a 6 hour period. This is a pot luck social so bring a dish to share!! A fun/friendly atmosphere. You may Skate or Classic ski any of the legs.
$45 per team ($15 per person) – Be Sure to come up with a creative Team Name!!
• Teams will consist of (3) members.
• Categories of teams will be; ALL MALE team, ALL FEMALE team, CO-ED team.
• Each member of team must complete at LEAST (1) Lap during the 6hr period.
• Only (1) Team Member on course at a time.
• Each TEAM will be provided with a Lanyard with a designated team number, Lanyard will be used as a Baton. Team member must have Lanyard with them to have laps scored. TEAMS MUST EXCHANGE NUMBER LANYARD WITHIN THE PRE DETERMINED EXCHANGE ZONE.
• Timing will begin at 10am.
• Teams have until 3:59pm to start the final lap.
• When skier is finished with his/her "turn/leg". They must immediately and politely "SELF REPORT" number of laps that they have skied that "turn/leg" at the officials table. If you do not report, those laps will not be counted.
• Hourly Lap reports will be posted.
Visit Grayling - Lodging, Travel and Recreation - Grayling, Michigan - produced by North Guide Internet.


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A New Sports Betting Bill Has Arrived In New York–Here's A Look Inside
Written By Nicholaus Garcia on January 15, 2019
New York already has its first pre-filed sports betting bill just two weeks into the new year.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo, the new chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, introduced Senate Bill 17 with the purpose of updating the law to allow the state's four commercial casinos to conduct sports betting.
Addabbo, a Democrat, takes over duties left behind by former chairman John Bonacic who retired last year.
New York has 61 session days, which officially kicked off Jan. 14 and conclude on June 19.
A dive inside the bill
SB 17 has a similar bone structure to S7900, which was introduced by Bonacic during the 2018 legislative session. Bonacic's bill, however, failed to pass on the Assembly floor before session's end.
The bill allows for both mobile and land-based New York sports betting, and permits the gaming commission to enter into "agreements" with other states to share information for "integrity monitoring purposes."
A significant component is the inclusion of a 0.2 percent "royalty fee" to professional sports leagues along with an 8.5 percent tax on gross sports wagering revenue.
Language in the bill also requires customers to sign up for their mobile accounts in person, which could prove difficult for any residents in the southern part of the state.
One highly debated topic in statehouses across the country is the use of "official league data." The New York bill is no different.
According to the bill:
"Provides the ability for sports governing bodies to require the use of official league data for certain wagers on sports events."
It clarifies that the provisions regulating sports betting do not include daily fantasy sports.
Path to New York sports betting legalization
States around the country will have their eyes fixated on sports betting and the Empire State. With major changes coming to NY state politics, sports betting might — yet again — be difficult to pass.
Currently, New York is the only state with a bill that requires the use of official data and a royalty fee. Of the seven states that legalized sports betting in 2018, none required either provision. These two requirements may provide substantial roadblocks as many gaming stakeholders have vocally opposed such provisions.
The new chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee is Sen. Liz Krueger. Krueger has opposed any form of gambling expansion in the state. She will pose a serious threat to any and all sports betting legislation.
Should a bill move through the Senate without any complications, eyes will then shift to Assemblyman Gary Pretlow. Pretlow is the chairman of the Racing and Wagering Committee in the House; however, he has failed to get a sports betting bill passed through the Assembly. Going into 2019, he remains confident in his ability to do so.
Other forms of gaming
Addabbo also introduced legislation that would legalize and regulate online poker in the state.
Senate Bill 18 would legalize online poker as a game of skill, bypassing the constitutional amendment that would otherwise be required to expand gambling in New York.
New York has flirted with online poker for several years but has failed in every attempt to get a bill over the finish line. This new bill has many of the same similarities.
Tax rate of 15 percent on gross gaming revenue.
Issuing no more than 11 licenses.
Each license will cost $10 million, which will go toward the first 60 months of the licenses' tax obligation.
Commercial and tribal operators will be permitted to conduct online poker.
There will be no limit to the number of skins.
Players must be 21 years old and located within the state.
Nicholaus Garcia
Nick comes from West Texas where he graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in psychology. After a five-year stint in Chicago, where he wrote about local politics and graduated with a master's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, he moved to Washington, D.C. to write about issues related to gambling policy, sports betting and responsible gaming.
View all posts by Nicholaus Garcia


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Clear Criteria Needed for Beneficiary Selection in South Africa's Agricultural Land Redistribution
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 11, 2018 | General Comments | 0 comments
THE WEEKEND ESSAY: By Wandile Sihlobo and Professor Johann Kirsten
Some of the successful land reform programmes in the world took place in countries where the beneficiaries were those who occupied the land at the time of the reform. This may be true for the provision of secure tenure to occupiers living under legally insecure tenure arrangements in communal areas, however, the context is quite different for the redistribution and restitution programmes in South Africa.
Because of the long history of dispossession, the land redistribution and restitution programmes will naturally involve the displacement of current land owners in favour of the resettlement and relocation of beneficiaries. Such processes require that clear criteria and principles be established at the outset, in order to guide participation as well as to achieve the objectives of the programme. In the case of the restitution programme, the criteria have always been clear since it was linked to those families, communities or their successors that have previously occupied the specific piece of land as verified by oral or documentary history and via the land claims process.
This is in contrast to the redistribution of agricultural land, currently owned under free hold arrangements, where clear criteria for selecting beneficiaries are needed. Section 25 of the Constitution places an obligation on the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to foster conditions which enable citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis. The Constitution does not prescribe which citizens need to be prioritised as this detail was left to the policymakers, however, it is generally accepted that equitable access should enable previously disadvantaged citizens to access land on an equal footing.
During the design phase of the land reform programme back in the mid-1990s, Johan van Rooyen and Bongiwe Njobe documented[1] the criteria formulated for beneficiary selection but was never fully applied nor captured in legislation. Hence, we have decided to revisit their original work in our attempt to start a conversation about the selection of beneficiaries for land redistribution.
The main aim of the land redistribution programme is to redress the impact of past wrongs. For this reason, the programme would generally support aspirant black farmers. However, a programme of this nature will not make an agricultural producer out of every participant although it should go a long way in creating an inclusive and viable rural economy within which agriculture and the related linkages can develop.
There exists a rather obvious trade-off between having bureaucratically administered criteria that could be exclusionary or a broader-based programme that could allow for self-selection among the potential beneficiaries themselves. International experience highlights the limitations of officially administrated programmes where bureaucrats select the beneficiaries, while the pure reliance on the market mechanisms alone also has its disadvantages. Therefore, there is a need to have a balance between criteria setting and self-selecting processes.
In a market-driven land reform process (which was anticipated in 1996) the market will do the selecting, generally favouring those already empowered, albeit on a limited basis and leaving out the poorest and landless of the poor. It is, therefore, logical to assume that the market alone is not enough to do justice. At the same time, there are imminent dangers in relying solely on bureaucratic institutions to effectively distribute land.
Experiences in Mexico, Zimbabwe and now also in South Africa, as highlighted in our previous article on June 11, demonstrate that in addition to the opportunity for corruption, it also takes a long time to carry out effective administrative functions related to land reform. As a consequence of the history of South Africa, four sets of principles for the selection of beneficiaries are relevant. These are:
(i) Victimisation and disentitlement: It is obvious that one needs to consider those South Africans who were historically disadvantaged and victimised through disentitlement and denial of access to land and support services, to be beneficiaries.
(ii) Poverty and need: a land reform programme should provide the rural poor with access to opportunities for income generation, employment and self-employment. It becomes critical therefore to incorporate criteria which give preference to the poor and the landless amongst the previously disadvantaged as beneficiaries.
(iii) Productivity and sustainability: It is recognised that productivity in agriculture is a determining principle for participation in the land reform programme, particularly in relation to designing the level of support services needed to enhance the productive capacity of the beneficiaries.
(iv) Participative processes: International experience shows that problems almost inevitably arise when groups are moved on a top-down basis into land-based schemes with unrealistic expectations as to what is involved in resettlement, with unclarity in what they are expected to do for themselves and what will be done for them. The expectations therefore of the beneficiaries, once identified, need to be anticipated and fully integrated into the planning process and subsequently dealt with in the implementation stage.
One of the key objectives of the programme to redistribute agricultural land has become the need to ensure the productive use of the land to promote agricultural growth, food security and exports – as was recently echoed in the ANC's December 2017 resolution on land reform. In this context and in light of the principle of "productivity and sustainability" we need specific criteria to select the best beneficiaries to transform the commercial agricultural sector and at the same time ensure productive use of the land.
There are the obvious elements such as good health; age between 30 and 45; education (not always formal but also years of experience); and gender (ensuring that women are included as beneficiaries). Moreover, Njobe and Van Rooyen highlighted specific criteria that have been shown through international experience to improve 'agricultural success':
Net financial worth. This is a useful criterion to target the poor but also helps to identify those beneficiaries that exhibit strong repayment ability as well as willingness to increase the size of the holding and other assets. Obviously imbedded in net financial worth are the principles of financial leverage and secure rights to land.
Previous farming experience. Many studies have found that successful farming experience and acquired skills are strongly predictive of good performance. The main argument here is that previous farming experience and the understanding of the farming environment could ensure a productive and sustainable use of land. These aspects include: formal or informal training in farming practices; the previous existence of a viable black agricultural community; the existence of (indigenous) knowledge of viable farming; those who have lived and or worked on white-owned farms have through practice acquired knowledge of farming; and women involved in food production activities.
Entrepreneurial skills. Modern farming is a business like any other business but with far greater (external) risks. Entrepreneurial and business skills are therefore critical for the financial success of the commercial farming enterprise (i.e. to make money and a living from agriculture). These skills include: the cultivation of cash crops and marketing of the crops/livestock; the inclination to grow more cash crops; a desire to increase landholding; a more positive orientation towards training; employment of other people; exposure to agriculture and other information through the media; openness to the advice of fellow farmers, co-operatives and extension officers; the desire to contribute to the decision making process; awareness of the need for insurance; forward planning; a good knowledge of and a willingness to apply modern crop and cattle farming practices; some form of previous management training.
Managerial aptitude. This has always been a major factor influencing the success of commercial farming ventures. Many white commercial farmers faced bankruptcy in the past due to their inability to manage risk, finances and marketing. It is for that reason that our Professors spend a lot of time talking to farmers (during the 1970s and 1980s) about the importance of management (financial, human resources, water, risks, markets). Farm management became a core of the agricultural curriculum at most universities and agricultural colleges as it became clear that the managerial skills of the farmer are critical for the success of any commercial farmer.
Overall, the criteria for selection of beneficiaries is critical when one thinks about the ideal scenario to fast-track sustainable land reform. A parallel process can be followed that combines the streamlined benefits of a market-led approach for aspiring farmers to purchase commercial land through blended finance products and a decentralised process led by local institutions, such as District Land Committees to ensure that the landless and resource-poor are not marginalised.
These committees would have to make use of the aforementioned criteria for beneficiary selection to ensure the allocation redistributed land is equitable and just, but at the same time ensure that there is a productive use of land and food security. This is a juggling act, but which can be mastered through the application of a well-designed set of criteria.
Wandile Sihlobo is head of agribusiness research at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and Professor Johann Kirsten is the Director of the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) at Stellenbosch University.
Written for and first published on Business Day on 25 June 2018.
[1] For the full text see Johan van Rooyen and Bongiwe Njobe-Mbuli (1996). Access to land: selecting the beneficiaries. Chapter 18 in Agricultural land reform in South Africa: Policies, markets and mechanisms edited by Johan van Zyl, Johann Kirsten and Hans Binswanger, Oxford University Press, Cape Town.