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FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
FAO in the region
Programmes and projects
Deputy Regional Representative
Celebrating 40 years of country representations
Regional Representative: Julio Berdegué
Name: Julio Antonio Berdegué Sacristán
Languages: Spanish: Native language, English: Fluent
1977 - 1980 Bachelor in Agricultural Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
1981 - 1982 Master's of Science in Agronomy, University of California-Davis, USA.
1982 - 1983 Course work completed for Ph.D. in Genetics, University of California-Davis, USA.
1998 - 2001 Ph.D. in Social Science, Wageningen University, Department of Social Sciences, Communication and Innovation Group, The Netherlands.
Since 22 April 2017
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.
1995 to April 2017
Latin American Center for Rural Development (RIMISP), Santiago, Chile
Principal Researcher, 2009 to April 2017. Executive Director (interim), 2009-2010. President, 1995-2009. Coordinator of Working Group on Development with Territorial Cohesion. He was responsible for more than 40 projects involving research, capacity building and design of public policy. These projects have been implemented in nearly all of Latin America, through various types of collaborative relationships with partners in government agencies, universities, think tanks, international agencies, NGOs and social organizations.
National Agriculture and Livestock Development Institute, (INDAP Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario), Ministry of Agriculture, Chile.
As Director of Agricultural Development, he was directly responsible for management of extension, credit, irrigation, agroindustry and commercialization programs, working with around 700 organizations of small-scale producers, 120 private enterprises, a staff of 1,500 people and an annual budget of US$120 million, serving around 100,000 rural farm families.
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, (IICA) Santiago, Chile.
As Researcher and Extension Specialist, he designed and coordinated a system for streamlining the relationship between Chilean government agencies working in agricultural research (INIA) and extension (INDAP).
Agricultural Research Group (GIA), Grupo de Investigación Agraria, Santiago, Chile.
Researcher and later Senior Researcher at one of Chile´s most important non-governmental organizations. He participated in various studies of agriculture systems and development programs with poor rural farming families.
Other recent relevant responsibilities in the last years
He participated in the design of a program to promote production, linked to the Guatemalan Ministry of Social Development's conditional cash transfer program.
Drafted the International Fund for Agricultural Development's country strategy for Colombia.
Coordinator of the technical team responsible for the design of a quality certification system for Chile's regional governments, and for "Region Contracts," a new instrument for coordination between regional governments and the national government; contracted by the Chilean Interior Ministry's Vice Ministry of Regional Development.
By invitation of the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), he was member of the Advisory Committee for the "Inclusion in Agriculture and in Rural Territories" Project.
Member of the coordinating team responsible for preparation of the Rural Development Report 2015, published by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He also co-authored two chapters of the report.
Led the team responsible for designing the implementation strategy for the Integral Rural Development with a Territorial Approach Program, commissioned by Colombia's National Planning Department.
At the invitation of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, he served as a member of the Advisory Council for the Rural Transformation Mission (Rural Mission), for which Colombia's National Planning Department is the Executive Secretariat.
Coordinator of the technical team responsible for designing the Rural Territorial Development Plan for the Regional Government of Chile's Los Ríos Region.
Coordinator of the technical team responsible for designing the Productive Territories Program implemented beginning in January 2015 by PROSPERA; commissioned by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Social Development Secretariat, the Finance and Public Credit Secretariat and PROSPERA, Mexico.
Responsible for preparation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development's Strategic Opportunities Paper for Mexico 2013-2018.
Consultant for preparation of the FAO Strategic Framework and Medium-Term Plan 2014-2017.
Evaluator in the Policy Decision and Analysis Research Area of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
Responsible for preparing the International Fund for Agricultural Development's Results-Based Strategic Opportunities paper for Guatemala.
Associate Editor of Agricultural Economics, the journal of the International Association of Agricultural Economists.
Member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED), London, United Kingdom.
Member of the Board of Directors of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and Chair of the Board since 2008.
Collaborator on the preparation of the World Bank's World Development Report 2008, "Agriculture for Development," including management of a project that prepared about 20 input articles for the report, collaborating on writing of various sections and chapters of the report, and coordinating civil society and global electronic consultations.
Consultant on the FAO Independent External Evaluation.
Member of the Advisory Committee ISNAR program for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Direction of research, capacity-building and public policy design projects, 2000 to present
Transforming Territories Program.
Research, capacity building and political advocacy program. The topic of the program is the relationship among: (a) patterns of urbanization, with emphasis on small and mid-size cities; (b) transformations of agrifood systems; and (c) rural labor markets. The program is mainly implemented in three Latin American countries: Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
Development with Territorial Cohesion Program.
Research and political dialogue program about the causes and impacts of territorial inequality affecting non-metropolitan territories in Latin America. Accomplishments to date: (a) research: 41 working papers, 3 published books, one special issue of the journal World Development, with 11 articles; (b) advocacy: four new development policies or programs with territorial cohesion have been designed and have been approved by the governments of Mexico, Colombia and Chile. Implementation began in 2015.
Cities and rural territorial development.
Studying the role of small and mid-size cities in Mexico and El Salvador in the development of rural territories in those countries. Eleven technical papers were published.
Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Territorial Development.
Designing public policy instruments that strengthen the institutional capacities of regional and municipal governments, and which promote territorial development, supporting the strengthening done by the Chilean Interior Ministry's Vice Ministry of Regional Development as part of the discussion of political and institutional reforms.
Technical assistance for the Government of Mexico.
Contribute to the Mexican government's strategic objective of increasing the production and income of 1.2 million small farmers in 400 municipalities characterized by very high poverty levels. The program began 1 January 2015, with an initial population of 10,000 families.
Analysis of rural economies, with an emphasis on small producers.
The objective was to help the Ford Foundation gain a better understanding of rural and agricultural economies in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Analysis of inclusive rural-urban connections.
The objective of the study was to increase understanding of socially inclusive rural-urban relationships and evaluate opportunities for programmatic activities in this area.
Poverty and Inequality in Rural Latin America.
An analytical research project on poverty and inequality in seven Latin American countries.
Knowledge for Change Project.
A public policy advocacy program on rural poverty and development in Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador. Public-private Rural Dialogue Groups (RDGs) were established in these four countries, and are still operating today. Each RDG influenced specific public policies.
Rural Territorial Dynamics Program.
An advisory program on public policies and capacity building based on research about the relationship among economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability in rural areas.
International Conference on "Dynamics of Rural Transformation in Emerging Economies."
This conference was held in New Delhi, India, organized by RIMISP in collaboration with the governments of India, China, Brazil and South Africa. The purpose was to foster discussion of the new theoretical frameworks and approaches and political strategies used by the world's emerging countries to promote and govern the dynamics that enable them to address the main challenges posed by rural transformation. More than 200 experts from 14 countries participated.
The financial crisis and its impact on rural poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Research and communication project financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The Chilean Rural Sector in 2030.
A prospective analysis commissioned by the Agricultural Innovation Fund, an agency related to the Chilean government. The Report influenced the preparation of the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture's strategy, "Chile, a food power."
Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction.
The research project included five case studies, later turned into chapters of a book published by FAO.
Social Movements and Territorial Development.
A research project on the role of social movements in territorial development processes in five Latin American countries.
Inputs for the World Bank's World Development Report 2008.
Preparation of input papers and other contributions to the report, financed by the Development Research Center.
Food Markets, Supermarkets and Small Producers Program.
The purpose was to investigate the determinants and dynamics of transformation of national agrifood markets resulting from the rapid growth of supermarket chains since the 1980s, and their effects on small-scale producers and agricultural and rural enterprises. The program ran for seven years through nine sub-projects.
Rural non-farm employment and income in Latin America.
The purpose of this program was to determine changes in the structure of employment and income among rural families, highlighting the growing weight of rural non-farm income. The program included various specific projects that made it possible to study the problem in 10 countries in the region and hold several international seminars.
Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water Department
Programme Support and Technical Cooperation


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Both Wyoming cross country teams picked sixth in MW
Cody Tucker Published: August 26, 2021
The 2021 men's and women's pre-season Cross Country polls have been released by the Mountain West on Wednesday afternoon with both the Cowboys and Cowgirls picked in sixth by the league's coaches./ UW courtesy photo
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 2021 men's and women's pre-season Cross Country polls have been released by the Mountain West on Wednesday afternoon with both the Cowboys and Cowgirls picked in sixth by the league's coaches.
With a total of 31 points the Cowboys are slated to finish in front of Nevada (19), Fresno State (17) and San Jose State (9). Air Force with five first place votes and 61 total points are the league pick to win the conference with Utah State (56), Boise State (48), Colorado State (45), and New Mexico (38) all ahead of the Pokes.
The Cowgirls tallied a total of 52 points in the preseason poll ahead of Nevada (48), Fresno State (37), San Diego State (28), San Jose State (20), and UNLV (12). The defending league champs, New Mexico were picked first with nine first-place votes and 98 total points, followed by Boise State (91), Colorado State (78), Utah State (71) and Air Force (70).
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will get their first crack at a conference opponent on Sept. 3 in Cheyenne, Wyo. at the Wyoming Invite as Colorado State will be among the participants in the meet.
UW's Full Schedule:
September 3rd | Wyoming Invite | Cheyenne, Wyo.
September 24th | Griak Invitational | St. Paul, Minn.
October 15th | Pre-Nationals | Tallahassee, Fla.
October 29th | 2021 MWC Championships | Albuquerque, NM.
November 12th | NCAA Mountain Region | Provo, Utah.
November 20th | NCAA Championships | Tallahassee, Fla.
Stay up to date with Wyoming Cross Country and Track & Field by following @wyo_track on Twitter.
* University of Wyoming press release
10 Reasons Why You're Lucky to Be Living in Wyoming
Here Are the Top 10 Reasons Why You're Lucky to Be Living in Wyoming
- 10 Reasons Why You're Lucky to Be Living in Wyoming,
Filed Under: Wyoming Cross Country
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Cowgirls Receive Votes in USTFCCCA National Poll For First Time In Program History
Pokes Gearing up for 2022 Cross Country Season
Cross country teams ready for Wyoming Invite
Pokes' cross country teams kick off season in Cheyenne
Cowboys, Cowgirls roll six's in Sin City
MW Championships ahead for UW cross country teams
Watch Wyoming AD Tom Burman Look Forward To Fall Sports Seasons
Wyoming Men's Cross Country Reaches NCAA Championships

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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I Don't Gamble, But Vegas Gets My Two Cents
By Barbara D. Phillips
During my years as a Wall Street Journal TV critic, my motto became "I watch so you don't have to." There were good shows to be found. But some of the most highly touted new series could serve as sleep aids for insomniacs, if only someone would lower the volume on those braying sitcom laughtracks. All too often, I'd wonder how programs ever got past -- or even to -- the pilot stage. By the time I'd popped them into my VCR, plopped myself down on the living room loveseat and propped my feet on the armrest, such shows were beyond critical help -- and about to debut.
I've been a TV civilian for a couple of years now, but time served left its mark on more than my loveseat and waistline. So when I came across the following Vegas.com item, I had to carve out time for a visit: "Ever thought you could do the job of a network executive, deciding which shows are put on the air and which ones end up in the waste bin? The network jobs are hard to come by, but you can weigh in on the decision-making process by letting your opinions be known at CBS Television City Research Center at MGM Grand...."
The center, which opened in 2001, is managed by Paramount Parks, which like CBS is part of the Viacom empire. It uses ACNielsen ReelResearch technology. According to the aptly named David Poltrack, an executive vice president at CBS Television, "about two-thirds of the shows tested there currently come from CBS and UPN, while the rest come from both inside and outside of Viacom" -- though not from ABC, NBC or Fox. (A similar site at another hotel on the Strip, Las Vegas Preview Studios at the Venetian, had nothing on offer when I stopped by, while an operation at the Aladdin run for NBC was closed.)
Mr. Poltrack, who designed the Television City Research Center, says that about 175 people a day take part in program testing there, providing "very, very valuable" information. "The audiences are perfect for us at the MGM Grand: Younger and more upscale than the general population, but not too upscale, with heavy viewing habits. These are just the sorts of people that Madison Avenue wants to reach." Before, he said, the network had to commission outside firms ad hoc to compile such data. Now the information comes in "every single day and it costs less money."


• In the 2014 Autumn Statement the Chancellor suggested that individuals will be able to offset losses from bad loans against other P2P gains.
• There is currently a consultation going on as to whether to extend ISA eligibility to lenders using crowdfunded debtbased securities but the timescales are unclear.
One of the most important areas for you as a P2P business borrower to focus on is answering questions posed by potential lenders about your project. Responding quickly, accurately and in as much detail as possible will significantly improve your chances of converting those potential lenders into actual investors.
Some small businesses list several loans on different platforms at the same time, and then only choose to accept one of them when the auctions finish. This can be a good way of getting the best rate on the market, but be mindful of having to pay listing fees for the pleasure. Others choose to take smaller loans from multiple platforms rather than a bigger loan from one.
View our full Peer to Peer Lending Guide or browse through the content below to learn more.
How does P2P business lending work?
What is British Business Bank backing?
Peer to Peer Lending Guide – How does P2P business lending work?
Peer to Peer Lending Guide – What are the risks?


If you will use an automatic irrigation system, make sure that it'll correctly water your complete yard. Don't waste any water, by putting sprinklers too near a wall, or to your patio. You also needs to remember to show your system off if rain correctly irrigated your backyard earlier. Use stones, and pebbles to decrease the amount of grass on your lawn. Stones and pebbles are engaging additions to any yard, and they do not require regular upkeep. Grass requires common mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Lowering the amount of grass in your yard can assist to save lots of you time, and power.
When planning out your panorama design, fastidiously consider the colors of the flowers, bushes and grasses that you simply intend to use. It's possible you'll uncover that limiting your palette to just one or two colours has the best visual impact. Choosing too many contrasting colors might make your landscaping seem disheveled and wild. One of the vital important suggestions one can use close to landscaping, is to come up with a plan earlier than you begin doing something. It is important to fastidiously consider exactly what you want your yard to seem like,after which make a detailed plan as to what steps you will need to take.
If you're embarrassed by the brown spots in your lawn, look into turf paint. It is a fast repair for a garden that appears lower than stellar and is fast and simple to have performed. You can take a garden that doesn't look inviting and switch it right into a golf course inexperienced garden that any neighbor would envy. Use a range of evergreen vegetation to boost a feel of privacy and add depth to a yard. Evergreens develop rapidly and their foliage can cowl a large area in a relatively brief time frame. They make a natural privacy fence if integrated into the yard in a nicely-deliberate and applied landscaping method.
If in case you have children, or would like an space to entertain company, it would be wise to plan out an open area in your landscaping. Just be sure you allocate this house, before starting your landscaping project, in order that you make sure that you will have enough room as soon as you are carried out. Select applicable vegetation in your local weather zone, and be taught which crops are perennial and which solely last for a single 12 months. It is best to hold seasonal variations in mind once you select vegetation, too. It is very important perceive which vegetation do effectively during particular seasons to get good outcomes out of your landscape plans.
Be neighborly. Divide your landscaping project into phases.
Frequent annuals and perennials will doubtless be cheaper for you to buy at giant residence improvement stores than they would be if bought at a greenhouse. These kinds of crops are going to be of the identical high quality and you don't want to spend a great deal of money on them. Examine the crops closely earlier than you purchase them regardless of the place you buy them from.
Contemplate rising a hedge or bamboo plants so as to add privateness to your hard. Bamboo is a hardy grass, and it grows in a short time. It may well add a whole lot of magnificence to your property, and in addition give you a privacy barrier from neighbors or noisy streets. Simply be cautious when growing bamboo because it does develop very quickly, that means you'll have to prune it commonly to maintain it from becoming over grown.
Do not underestimate the great thing about patterns inside flower beds. Many annuals come in a wide range of colors, that can be combined in numerous patterns to add beauty to any flower bed. Some popular designs are diamonds, stripes, and swirls. Patterns present attention to element, and convey an increase curiosity by the one viewing the flower bed. When hiring a professional landscaper, it is very important make sure they have a license, and legal responsibility insurance. You would not need a tree to fall on your car, and never be capable to collect for the damages! Always shield yourself, and your property by requiring proof of license, and insurance.
Relating to buying landscaping supplies, don't always imagine that cheaper is healthier. Yes, these supplies will prevent cash, however more often than not, the quality of these materials just isn't superb. Ask the staff of the shop you go to, which manufacturers are the most effective. Don't forget your hardscape relating to your landscaping plans. A deck or patio is a vital aspect in your landscape's appearance. There are many options for decks and patios that include rock designs or woods that coordinate with the colors of your timber, shrubs and flowers. Don't forget this essential facet.
You are not alone in your quest to a prettier landscape. Read on for simple methods which will show you how to create beauty the place there was as soon as nothing but despair.


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A Better Way to Launch Your Apparel Brand
Posted August 22nd, 2013 by DCBeatty
Add Comment Watch Thread
I haven't been extremely active on Mintees since Emptees ended. Some of you might remember me from there as being the guy who started up Open Your Eyes back in 2009. I even received some votes for "Worst Brand of 2009" in the 2009 Emptees Awards voting. My brand really wasn't a huge success, and it slowly died out. When I left for South America in October 2010, I had all but forgotten about it.
In June, I began working with some friends on a new project and as it has developed, I've been able to work a lot of the lessons that I learned from Open Your Eyes into it, and I wrote a short piece about it. Go check it out here:
A Better Way to Launch Your Apparel Brand | Pivitr
Basically, what we've done is create a platform where you can presell all of the shirts for your brand. Your customers won't be charged unless you reach the presales goal a la Kickstarter. Unlike KickStarter, your products will all be organized into a store, and so you can fund individual tees under your brand and figure out which ones are actually going to sell. Check it out and let me know what you think. We're looking for any suggestions we can get on how to improve it and make it more useful.
Dr_Worm	said about 5 years ago
Neat, so after you get funded, you stay with the store front provided?
Matt Borchert	said about 5 years ago
Best of luck, you have a huge uphill battle ahead of you.
Keep in mind that a lot of people who use kickstarter don't use it simply as a funding platform, but as a massive marketing platform. If you get a hot item on kickstarter, you potentially have hundreds of thousands of people looking at your project. The dollar investment amount that it is going to take to try to compete with that will be quite significant.
Skull With Hair	said about 5 years ago
this is neat, but its sort of geared towards a casual "brand owner" rather than someone who really wants to grow a legitimate business. It doesn't help someone with mediocre products sell more, it helps them lose less money. Thats only gonna get you so far you know?
It takes some of the risk out, but no one ever made any money in business without risk.
jared	 said about 5 years ago
This is really interesting. If you ever want to talk about integrating on-demand printing option for people who are under-funded, please email me.
DCBeatty	said about 5 years ago
Dr_Worm said: Neat, so after you get funded, you stay with the store front provided?
I didn't really direct the post too much into how the whole process works. Basically, we are set up to keep preselling indefinitely. You keep your products on the same store at the same URL, and after the time is up, the funding resets to 0 and a second round begins so that people who missed out on the first round can get in on the second. If enough people are interested, we could then transition the product into a normal sales model so that after preselling a round you could then sell like normal.
So long story short, yes, you can stick with the same storefront.
Matt Borchert said: Best of luck, you have a huge uphill battle ahead of you.
Yeah, we realize we're kind of jumping into the fire here. Right now we're in a startup accelerator and we're currently raising our first round of investment. We know it will be difficult, but investors are really interested, and we're already seeing quite a bit of success, especially when compared with KickStarter's initial sales. We're also in talks with a couple of larger corporations to partner with them.
Skull With Hair said: this is neat, but its sort of geared towards a casual "brand owner" rather than someone who really wants to grow a legitimate business. It doesn't help someone with mediocre products sell more, it helps them lose less money. Thats only gonna get you so far you know?
I completely agree with what you say after reading my page. That post was targeted specifically at tshirt brands from mintees, because I feel like that is what will be most useful for the majority of the people on here. The idea though isn't so much to just get rid of risk as it is to get customer validation. I know there are several designers who have a bunch of stuff that they haven't been able to sell to brands to get printed and I think this would be a good way for them to see what designs have enough demand to feasibly print and sell without a brand. Other brands could use it to see which five designs they should print of the eight they've created. I see this more as a way to help the cream rise to the top, more than help crap die.
jared said: This is really interesting. If you ever want to talk about integrating on-demand printing option for people who are under-funded, please email me.
I think we could make something happen, but we're not quite at that stage yet. I'll probably email you in a month or two.
jumpy	said about 5 years ago
if the brand pages became customisable then i think this would be sweet
FakeBonanza	said about 5 years ago
Skull With Hair said:
Very cool idea....
I agree with skull with hair though, takes a lot of the risk & learning process out of the equation.
I'm sure tons of upstarts would give it a shot simply to save on initial production cost & test their potential product.
jumpy said: if the brand pages became customisable then i think this would be sweet
This is actually in our build queue. We're finishing up right now having an embeddable widget so that you can run the crowdfunding campaigns through your own site, rather than having to use our platform.
FakeBonanza said:
Even successful people flop though, and so this will help even established brands to test new lines.
ShineOn	said about 5 years ago
Interesting idea that I would probably have taken more seriously if the site was better designed. That personally kind of killed it for me.
ShineOn said: Interesting idea that I would probably have taken more seriously if the site was better designed. That personally kind of killed it for me.
We are going to be working more on design in coming weeks. We've been spending most of our time on core functionality because that's what is most important at the moment. Once everything is working correctly, we will be pouring more resources into design.
DCBeatty said:
I think this totally has a place and a niche that will use it, but no established brand should revert to something like this. Its a stepping stone at best, not a sales model.
Jason Carne	said about 5 years ago
Not a bad concept, but how is this much different than Cotton Bureau?
Yeah, I don't think any established brand would use something like this to "test" sales.
If you successfully fund your developer costs for this on Kickstarter, you will have successfully beat the internet.
jonkruse	said about 5 years ago
There was also a website called camisa (couldn't find the website not sure if thats its exact name) which did the same thing.
Interesting idea but not for business owners more towards designers that just want a product made without having to invest their own money.
Jason Carne said: Not a bad concept, but how is this much different than Cotton Bureau?
With Cotton Bureau, you give them the design and they take care of everything. With Pivitr, you have full control over the brand and everything. It's sold under your name rather than ours. Right now we're working on a widget and API so you can even do the whole thing on your own site, rather than having to use ours so that you have full control over everything.
jonkruse said: Interesting idea but not for business owners more towards designers that just want a product made without having to invest their own money.
At this point, we'd love to have that crowd too.
HighFive	said about 5 years ago
It would have been awesome to know, that this didn't include europe before making a project.... (stripe)
HighFive said: It would have been awesome to know, that this didn't include europe before making a project.... (stripe)
My apologies for not mentioning that. At this point, we're only able to work with those in the United States, Canada, and the UK. As Stripe expands in the future, we will be looking to expand to other markets. If you're interested, we would be willing to look into a custom solution for your situation though. If you're interested, feel free to email us at admin@pivitr.com.
Who's Talking?
Aimless Arrow07/16


text:
Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study
Jessica A. Thomas, Joshua Trigg, Julia Morris, Emma Miller, Paul R. Ward
Citizen science connects academic researchers with the public through combined efforts in scientific inquiry. The importance of involving impacted populations in health research is well established. However, how to achieve meaningful participation and the methodological impact of citizen science needs further examination. We examined the feasibility of using citizen science to understand the impact of alcohol advertising on Australian women through a breast cancer prevention project. Two hundred and eighty-two ('participants') citizen scientists completed demographic and behavioural questions via an online survey. The research participants moved into the role of citizen scientists by completing the data collection tasks of capturing and classifying images of alcohol advertising they saw online. Interrater reliability tests found high levels of agreement between citizen scientists and academic researchers with the classification of alcohol advertising brand (Kappa = 0.964, p < 0.001) and image type (Kappa = 0.936, p < 0.000). The citizen scientists were women aged 18 and over, with 62% between 35 and 55 years old. The majority were from major cities (78%), had attained a bachelor's degree or higher-level education (62%) and were recruited via email or Facebook (86%). The use of citizen science provided methodological gains through the creation of a unique dataset with higher levels of validity than the existing literature, which employed traditional investigator-driven research methodologies. Citizen science enriched the dataset and provided a powerful methodological vehicle to understand an environmental determinant of health. The study illuminates how public participation benefitted the research process, the challenges and the potential for citizen science to improve public health.
daab139
Health Promotion International
https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab139
10.1093/heapro/daab139
Torrens University Repository
Dive into the research topics of 'Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Citizen Science Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
alcohol Social Sciences 40%
Alcohols Medicine & Life Sciences 39%
public health Social Sciences 38%
Public Health Medicine & Life Sciences 37%
citizen Social Sciences 32%
Thomas, J. A., Trigg, J., Morris, J., Miller, E., & Ward, P. R. (2022). Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study. Health Promotion International, 37(2), [daab139]. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab139
Thomas, Jessica A. ; Trigg, Joshua ; Morris, Julia et al. / Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study. In: Health Promotion International. 2022 ; Vol. 37, No. 2.
@article{d753eb1804234446bf3276030ebdf0e2,
title = "Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study",
abstract = "Citizen science connects academic researchers with the public through combined efforts in scientific inquiry. The importance of involving impacted populations in health research is well established. However, how to achieve meaningful participation and the methodological impact of citizen science needs further examination. We examined the feasibility of using citizen science to understand the impact of alcohol advertising on Australian women through a breast cancer prevention project. Two hundred and eighty-two ('participants') citizen scientists completed demographic and behavioural questions via an online survey. The research participants moved into the role of citizen scientists by completing the data collection tasks of capturing and classifying images of alcohol advertising they saw online. Interrater reliability tests found high levels of agreement between citizen scientists and academic researchers with the classification of alcohol advertising brand (Kappa = 0.964, p < 0.001) and image type (Kappa = 0.936, p < 0.000). The citizen scientists were women aged 18 and over, with 62% between 35 and 55 years old. The majority were from major cities (78%), had attained a bachelor's degree or higher-level education (62%) and were recruited via email or Facebook (86%). The use of citizen science provided methodological gains through the creation of a unique dataset with higher levels of validity than the existing literature, which employed traditional investigator-driven research methodologies. Citizen science enriched the dataset and provided a powerful methodological vehicle to understand an environmental determinant of health. The study illuminates how public participation benefitted the research process, the challenges and the potential for citizen science to improve public health.",
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author = "Thomas, {Jessica A.} and Joshua Trigg and Julia Morris and Emma Miller and Ward, {Paul R.}",
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journal = "Health Promotion International",
Thomas, JA, Trigg, J, Morris, J, Miller, E & Ward, PR 2022, 'Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study', Health Promotion International, vol. 37, no. 2, daab139. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab139
Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study. / Thomas, Jessica A.; Trigg, Joshua; Morris, Julia et al.
In: Health Promotion International, Vol. 37, No. 2, daab139, 01.04.2022.
T1 - Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study
AU - Thomas, Jessica A.
AU - Trigg, Joshua
AU - Morris, Julia
AU - Miller, Emma
AU - Ward, Paul R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
N2 - Citizen science connects academic researchers with the public through combined efforts in scientific inquiry. The importance of involving impacted populations in health research is well established. However, how to achieve meaningful participation and the methodological impact of citizen science needs further examination. We examined the feasibility of using citizen science to understand the impact of alcohol advertising on Australian women through a breast cancer prevention project. Two hundred and eighty-two ('participants') citizen scientists completed demographic and behavioural questions via an online survey. The research participants moved into the role of citizen scientists by completing the data collection tasks of capturing and classifying images of alcohol advertising they saw online. Interrater reliability tests found high levels of agreement between citizen scientists and academic researchers with the classification of alcohol advertising brand (Kappa = 0.964, p < 0.001) and image type (Kappa = 0.936, p < 0.000). The citizen scientists were women aged 18 and over, with 62% between 35 and 55 years old. The majority were from major cities (78%), had attained a bachelor's degree or higher-level education (62%) and were recruited via email or Facebook (86%). The use of citizen science provided methodological gains through the creation of a unique dataset with higher levels of validity than the existing literature, which employed traditional investigator-driven research methodologies. Citizen science enriched the dataset and provided a powerful methodological vehicle to understand an environmental determinant of health. The study illuminates how public participation benefitted the research process, the challenges and the potential for citizen science to improve public health.
AB - Citizen science connects academic researchers with the public through combined efforts in scientific inquiry. The importance of involving impacted populations in health research is well established. However, how to achieve meaningful participation and the methodological impact of citizen science needs further examination. We examined the feasibility of using citizen science to understand the impact of alcohol advertising on Australian women through a breast cancer prevention project. Two hundred and eighty-two ('participants') citizen scientists completed demographic and behavioural questions via an online survey. The research participants moved into the role of citizen scientists by completing the data collection tasks of capturing and classifying images of alcohol advertising they saw online. Interrater reliability tests found high levels of agreement between citizen scientists and academic researchers with the classification of alcohol advertising brand (Kappa = 0.964, p < 0.001) and image type (Kappa = 0.936, p < 0.000). The citizen scientists were women aged 18 and over, with 62% between 35 and 55 years old. The majority were from major cities (78%), had attained a bachelor's degree or higher-level education (62%) and were recruited via email or Facebook (86%). The use of citizen science provided methodological gains through the creation of a unique dataset with higher levels of validity than the existing literature, which employed traditional investigator-driven research methodologies. Citizen science enriched the dataset and provided a powerful methodological vehicle to understand an environmental determinant of health. The study illuminates how public participation benefitted the research process, the challenges and the potential for citizen science to improve public health.
KW - alcohol
KW - breast cancer
KW - citizen science
KW - community engagement
KW - methodology
UR - https://doi.org/10.25905/21839022.v1
U2 - 10.1093/heapro/daab139
DO - 10.1093/heapro/daab139
JO - Health Promotion International
JF - Health Promotion International
M1 - daab139
Thomas JA, Trigg J, Morris J, Miller E, Ward PR. Exploring the potential of citizen science for public health through an alcohol advertising case study. Health Promotion International. 2022 Apr 1;37(2):daab139. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daab139


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text:
Browse Applicants

            This is the Recipe Organizer default content, should change based on the user's authentication status.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Adam Simpson says West Coast will have a better idea of where they're at after a challenging next month.
The second-placed Eagles play Collingwood, Sydney, Gold Coast, Hawthorn.
But the coach of the Eagles, who have won 10 of their last 11 matches, says he is excited by the challenge.
'Our next month of football is going to be really challenging,' Simpson said.
'I think you'll find out a lot about us and where really at.
'We're really excited about the challenge, we think we're ready.


Tehonbiki is a gambling game, whose name is impossible to translate literally; the closest attempt may be "the draw of a model", which does not make much sense, unless one is acquainted with the rules.
Unfortunately, there is little that can be said about its history, as no source seems to provide information concerning when was Tehonbiki created, and the only logic deduction, looking at the cards used, is that one of the two types was borrowed from Mekuri decks, whence the birthdate of the game cannot be set before the mid 18th century, but it may likely be less old than that.
Watching others play, at first sight Tehonbiki may loosely resemble Baccarat, or Black Jack (among Western games). However, the only thing in common is that the players who take part bet against a bank; the rules and the complicated system of stakes are rather different and, as previously mentioned, two different types of cards are used. Let's introduce them.
Their name literally means "papier-mache cards", although their cardstock is the same sturdy material used for making any other type of Japanese gambling cards. They are the ones handled by each player, but not by the bank.
Their size is just slightly larger than the cards found in a standard Hanafuda or Mekuri deck (see other relevant pages of this gallery for details), but unlike any other pattern described so far, they feature stylized Chinese numerals ranging from 1 to 6. Their backs are plain black, as usual.
A full deck contains seven series of six numerals, i.e. 42 cards all together, but such quantity is not important, because each player only uses up to four harifuda at a time: one deck would be enough for seven people.
Nevertheless, often individual players carry along with them their own full deck.
Their name literally means "cards to be drawn"; also this may be slightly deceptive, as hikifuda are never handled by the players, but only by the bank. However, the latter does actually draw one of these cards.
They are slightly smaller than the standard Japanese gambling cards; also these ones feature six values, from 1 to 6, by means of pips whose shape corresponds to the suit of Ôru, or Coins, found in Mekuri patterns. The backs are black.
Usually, the hikifuda found in a full deck are 48 cards, but once again this is not really important: the bank uses only one series of these cards, i.e. from number 1 to number 6.
An alternative name for hikifuda is KURIFUDA ("shuffling cards"). Since the bank hides the six cards from the players' view as he shuffles them, their small size helps him do this operation with one hand alone, in particular using his thumb.
They are also referred to as MAMEFUDA ("bean cards"), a generic name borrowed from Mekuri decks that contain only the suit of Coins, or Ôru (see page 7).
Unlike the design of the more popular Hanafuda cards, harifuda editions produced by different manufacturers do show slight differences, despite their very simple pattern, while hikifuda editions are practically identical.
Their name literally means "eye-cards", or "easy eye-cards", i.e. "cards to be (easily) looked at". Actually, they are six thick wooden tiles, as remarked by their other name MEMOKU, loosely "wooden (pieces) to be looked at".
Both their size and their pattern are the same as the harifuda's, except that these tiles only feature the black numerals, without the decorative red lines. Also the mefuda are handled only by the bank.
This is a simple cloth, such as a handkerchief or small scarf, used by the bank for hiding one hikifuda in its folds. It is not a specific implement, as it has no special size nor pattern on it.
The rules of Tehonbiki go beyond the purpose of this webpage, but some collectors may find them useful, as very few Western sources provide information about the game, only played in Japan, and in particular about its complicated code of stakes. Furthermore, since playing for money in Japan is officially banned, although undercover gambling houses do exist, any specific information is hard to obtain from local sources, as well.
The game is played between a bank and a variable number of guest players ( kyaku), that may range from one to eight or nine, but there is no fixed limit. The bank is called dôshi, or dômoto, "bookmaker" (whereas in any other Japanese gambling card game the same position is usually called oya, i.e. "parent" or "boss").
The players take position all around the table, or floor mat, with the guests facing the bank. The latter ("B" in the picture below) arranges the mefuda tiles in front of himself, ordering them from 1 to 6.
When a hand starts, he picks up the hikifuda, and keeping them either behind his back or in his pocket, he shuffles them, and then chooses one of the cards. Without looking at its value, he hides it between the folds of the kamishita (i.e. the square cloth), and then calls: "it's in".
Tehonbiki bank holders are particularly skillful at picking the value they wish without looking at the card's face, so that what appears to be a random choice is usually the bank's actual preference.
The players must try to guess what is the value of the hidden card. Each guest may choose one to four harifuda, which are placed face down in front of the player, together with the relevant bet, usually in cash money (no chips are used in undercover parlours). Either individually or in bundles, the banknotes are folded in standard ways, so to suggest the sum they represent.
four cards: in each combination the stakes sum up to 1.8, and some of them are negative (i.e. the player pays the bank).
Each betting combination has a special name, such as suichi, roughly meaning "just one", or yasuhari / yasu-uke, more or less "easy bet" / "easy gain". Most of the meanings, though, are obscure, referring to the special cant used by Tehonbiki gablers.
The following illustrations feature the different position of the cards and the relevant stakes, i.e. the white numerals on their back. For each combination, the sum obtained in the case of a win by placing a sample bet of 5 Euro or US$ is shown (as will be said further in the page, the minimal bet by a real gambler is over ten times this sum).
A few position variants are shown (when known). Other minor differences may exist: for example, some sources maintain that the sum of the stakes of two- and three-card bets is 3.5 (not 3.6), while some others mention a fewer number of combinations than the ones shown in this page. Furthermore, at some Tehonbiki tables special indicators are used (they are mentioned further in the page). Players will obviously follow the rules of the gambling parlour they attend.
A few combinations are considered optional; two of them are shown below. In particular, the one on the right consists of two separate bids, that match the standard ones called kuichi (a three-card bet) and suichi (single card): in our example, 15 and 10 Euro (or US$) have been bet, respectively. In this particular case the suichi bet is obtained by placing the money under the card. If the correct number is guessed with either bet, the plain amount of the other bet is subtracted from the win.
Once all the guests have placed their bets, the bank too makes his guess by choosing one of the mefuda, which he places at the right end of the series. Only then the kamishita is opened, and the hidden card is revealed.
In some Tehonbiki parlours additional indicators are used, as an optional implement. They are rectangular, more or less the same size of the harifuda, or slightly larger; their purpose is to modify or somehow influence the effect of a bet.
TOORI and HANCHÔ - When using these indicators, the player has the opportunity of betting half the sum he declares by exposing hanchô (literally "half portion"): in this case either his gain or his loss is reduced by 50%. Instead exposing toori (more or less "all the way through") means that he is betting the actual sum placed next to the cards.
RAITÂ - The indicator marked raitâ (Japanized spelling of "writer") may be arranged together with the harifuda, in order to obtain some special bets, such as the one on the right called TOMARI HACHIBU.
In Tehonbiki, unlike most gambling games played in the Western countries, if both the bank and the player guess the right card, not the former but the latter wins, and is payed according to his bet. If the bank is skilled (as in most cases), his mistake in guessing the hidden card is an unlikely event, even sneered at by the other players. Despite this advantage, the bank only wins in the case he makes a right guess, and the guests fail in doing so.
However strange this rule may seem to Western players, one should keep in mind that the bank is almost free to choose the card to be guessed, and that all the stakes are lower than the mathematical probability of making a right guess (e.g. betting on a single card does not pay 1:6, but 1:4.5, and so on). Furthermore, a player who has guessed may still have to pay the bank if the card's stake is negative.
In modern Japan Tehonbiki is one of the least considered among card games, because gambling is officially banned, and therefore the game itself carries the heavy burden of being an illegal pastime, traditonally enjoyed by gangsters and outlaws. At most Tehonbiki tables the minimal bet may be fixed at 5,000 or 10,000 Yen (about 37 and 75 Euro or US$, respectively), which means that within a few hours very high sums can be won or lost.
But since both harifuda and hikifuda are still produced by all Japan's main card manufacturers (yet without giving too much publicity to this particular item), we may think that the game is probably played also in private houses, obviously for much smaller sums than in a Tehonbiki parlour, as in Western countries one would play Poker with friends without the risk of losing a fortune.


In the final chapter in our series of features articles on the 60th anniversary of the iconic Omega Speedmaster, going decade by decade, we present the thirteen most noteworthy Speedmasters from 2010 to today, including the recently launched special edition for #SpeedyTuesday, the Speedmaster 38mm, and the Speedmaster Racing.
This watch celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo XV moon landing and is included in a numbered series of 1,971 pieces. The red, white, and blue colors on the dial were inspired by the colors on the mission patch and the caseback features an engraving of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used on the moon for the first time during the mission.
A tribute to the 45th anniversary of the Apollo XIII mission, and the Silver Snoopy Award that Omega subsequently received from NASA, this watch features a white dial with special comic-strip inscriptions and a small Snoopy illustration decorating the 9 o'clock subdial. On the caseback, a Snoopy medallion in 925 silver is surrounded by dark blue enamel. More details on the watch can be found here.
You review of Speedmasters excluded the Speedmaster Mark II.
You don't mention the Speedmaster Mark II!
Nice to see my watch – Apollo 15 40th Anniversary – at the very top of this list of great watches. Don't tell me it's just chronological order. It's a beautiful watch with some understated flash, and is the watch I wear most frequently.


text:
Q: Search Service is not found in TFS WSS3.0 SP2 version I am trying to configure search service on WSS 3.0 which is installed with TFS 2010. I don't see the search service in "Servers in Farm". Without that I cannot do anything.

I tried to start service in "Services", got an error.

A: The SharePoint version that comes with TFS is SharePoint Foundation. SharePoint Foundation does not include the Search Service. You will need Sharepoint Standard or Enterprise.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Wier RDW-2 Draggin' Fly was a homebuilt light aircraft, designed in the United States in the 1970s, aimed at fairly inexperienced builders and flyers. Plans were available but only one was built.

Design and development
The Draggin' Fly was designed to be easy to build, to have good short field characteristics and to have control characteristics matched to the skills of less experienced pilots.  A four-cylinder Volkswagen air-cooled engine was selected for reliability and ease of maintenance.  The sole example was constructed over ten months without plans, though a rib jig and propeller plot were used. It was first flown in May 1972.

The Draggin' Fly had a constant chord parasol wing, built around two spruce spars and having slight dihedral.  The wing was Dacron covered and carried no flaps; the ailerons were aluminium with a full span torque tube.  It was held well above the fuselage on a pair of V-shaped bracing struts, assisted by inverted V-cabane struts fore and aft of the cockpit.  The fuselage was a steel tube structure and Dacron covered over the forward, pod like part that housed the engine and cockpit but open and triangular in section as it extended rearwards into a tailboom at cabane height.  The tail surfaces were again Dacron covered steel, wire braced with the tailplane placed at the bottom of the boom and with the lower rudder and a small ventral fin projecting below it.  The Draggin' Fly had a fixed tricycle undercarriage, the mainwheels mounted on two V-form struts and half-axles hinged to the fuselage underside.  All undercarriage legs used spring and rubber in compression type shock absorbers; the nose wheel was steerable.

For its first flight and first eight hours of flight testing the Draggin' Fly was powered by a 36 hp (29 kW), 1.2 L Volkswagen engine but this was then replaced by a more powerful Volkswagen variant producing 50 hp (37 kW). Plans for amateur building were produced in March 1974.

Specifications

References

External links
USA35B airfoil

Homebuilt aircraft
1970s United States sport aircraft
Parasol-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1972
Single-engined tractor aircraft

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


PLEASE NOTE IN SOME EARLIER PUBLICITY THE DATES WERE SHOWN INCORRECTLY AS 10-13 August. THE DATES FOR THIS CAMP ARE 11-14 AUGUST.
Camp kalliergó (Camp Kalli) is a brand new 3.5 day overnight camp specifically for young people who want to grow in their Christian life. 'Kalliergo' means cultivate, nurture, and nourish. As Christians, no matter how old we are - whether a child, young person, adult, or older adult, the Bible tells us we should be nurtured and nourished in order to be able to grow. Colossians 2 v 6 says "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue in Him, rooted and build up in the faith, and overflowing with thankfulness". We are not meant to stay as Christian toddlers, but we're to grow to be more like our Saviour, learning more about who God is, and who WE are - both sinners saved by grace and Christians who still have much of the old nature in our lives.
Camp Kalliergo is a camp which will both encourage and disciple you in your growth. If you are not yet a Christian but you have a real interest in finding our more then this camp is also for you. There will be twice daily 'taught' sessions as well as break-out group times when you will have a specific chance to begin to explore further so that you can apply what you have heard to your lives. Alongside the learning, you will also have chance to take part in the typical summer camp activities that Pleasant Bay offers - archery, climbing, sports, swimming, water sports etc. An example of what the schedule will look like is shown below. And further below you will find the camp application form.
We look forward to seeing you at Camp Kalliergo in August!
By completing and submitting this form, I am aurhorizing the Camp Nurse/Camp Director to act on my behalf in an emergency.
Additional Waiver for Water Sports - Response required: ALL campers are given the opportunity to go tubing and ride in the power-boat. Anyone who would like to participate in these activities will be required to sign a WSWC waiver form in order to participate. For participants 17 and under, the form must be signed by a parent/guardian. Participants 18 years or older must sign the form for themselves. Unless the waiver is signed, your child the camper will not be able to take part in tubing or ride in the power-boat. The waiver has space for up to four campers who have the same parent. It will need to be printed and completed before scanning back to email to: Charles-tracy@pleasantbaycamp.org You can also bring this form with you when you bring your child to camp. Right click on this link now to open the form in a new tab on your browser.
I am attending Kids' Camp this year and would like to receive the Special Offer of 20% off to attend Camp Kalliergo also.


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'The Shallow State': The Divide Between Trump's Words And His Administration's Policies The divide between the president's words and the policies carried out by his cabinet has been on full display this week on the Mueller investigation and Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The divide between the president's words and the policies carried out by his cabinet has been on full display this week on the Mueller investigation and Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The president's top national security team delivered a pointed message today. Russia is continuing to attack America's democracy. A little more than two weeks ago, President Trump stood next to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, and he refused to confront him about election interference. It was another example of the disconnect between what the president says - or tweets - and what top White House officials and cabinet secretaries do. NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson reports.
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: The sheer number of top officials in the briefing room today was meant to be a show of force. And their message was something the president himself has never delivered.
LIASSON: Today's high-powered briefing by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and others was about the government's approach to a problem the president often still calls a hoax. And it wasn't the only time this week that the gulf between the president and his top officials was on full display. Just yesterday, the president woke up early and in a tweet told his attorney general what he wanted. Quote, "Jeff Sessions should stop the Mueller investigation." And he told him when he wanted it done - quote, "right now." But then his top lawyers and his press secretary jumped into action. No, no, they said. The president wasn't issuing any commands at all.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: It's not an order. It's the president's opinion.
LIASSON: The president's opinion, expressed repeatedly, is that the Mueller investigation is a rigged witch hunt - something else that top administration officials, including the president's FBI Director Christopher Wray, also disagree with.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY: I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt.
LIASSON: Former Clinton White House official Elaine Kamarck says Donald Trump increasingly operates as a party of one, untethered from his own administration.
ELAINE KAMARCK: This president simply seems to wake up in the morning and say things with nothing behind them - no preparation, no coherency. And it's causing a lot of confusion in his White House because they're always scrambling after him.
LIASSON: Sometimes that scramble ties Cabinet secretaries in knots. Last week, the president told reporters he would be willing to meet with the leaders of Iran.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I would certainly be willing to meet.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you have preconditions for that meeting?
TRUMP: No preconditions, none. If they want to meet, I'll meet.
LIASSON: But hours later on CNBC, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a long list of preconditions.
MIKE POMPEO: If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, agree that it's worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president has said he's prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him.
LIASSON: Then there was the time national security adviser John Bolton was asked on ABC about the president's suggestion that he might recognize Russia's forced annexation of Crimea.
JOHN BOLTON: Look. That is not the policy of the United States.
LIASSON: The difference between what the president says and the policy of the United States is yet another question that tripped up the secretary of state, who seemed to suggest to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that presidential pronouncements were not always U.S. policy. But then Pompeo asked for a do-over.
POMPEO: I misspoke. It is the case. The president calls the ball. His statements are in fact policy.
LIASSON: Is that clear? Not really. Elaine Kamarck says what is clear is that the president is pretty disconnected from the government he runs and the political party that he heads.
KAMARCK: Just the other day, he said he was going to shut down the government because they haven't appropriated money for the wall. And it took hours - if not minutes - for Mitch McConnell to say, no, we're not shutting down the government.
LIASSON: There was the time Trump said he'd forgive Puerto Rico's debt, and his budget director said, no, that wasn't happening. And the time at NATO headquarters when Trump refused to say the U.S. was committed to NATO's mutual defense pact - his defense secretary and vice president rushed out to say, in effect, the president's words - or in this case, the absence of them - was not U.S. policy toward NATO.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Make no mistake. Our commitment is unwavering.
LIASSON: Elaine Kamarck says that, on some level, this means what the president of the United States says doesn't matter.
KAMARCK: What's important to remember is we have never been a government of men. We are a government of laws. So the laws of the land, the treaties that we have signed too, that's what is operative for the United States government - not what any president may say one morning.
LIASSON: So right now, the U.S. government is operating on two levels. There's the president and what he says. And then there's the administration and what it does. Trump and his supporters have often complained about the deep state - supposedly a shadowy cabal of opposition bureaucrats deep inside the government. But maybe the biggest impediment to the president isn't the deep state at all. It's the shallow state that exists right below Donald Trump at the Cabinet level. That's what we saw today - an administration willing to send a strong message to Russia even when the president is not. Mara Liasson, NPR News, Washington.


text:
On The Download: Beyonce's "I Am…. Sasha Fierce"
Published November 26, 2008 • Updated on November 26, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It's hard to avoid Beyonce this month – In the last two weeks alone I've watched her on "Saturday Night Live," the American Music Awards, at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, on the red carpet for her premiere of her new movie "Cadillac Records," on "Ellen," on the finale of "TRL" and on the "Today" show.
And she's got a lot more to go in promoting her third studio album, "I Am… Sasha Fierce," which came out last Tuesday, November 18. This morning we all learned that her album debuted #1 on the Billboard album charts.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: On The Download
Her live performances have been nothing short of incredible. While the "SNL" windblown version of "If I Were A Boy" was a tad awkward, she blew us away on the AMAs and on "Today" this morning. Her accompanying all-female band is refreshing to see, and the "Single Ladies" choreography is infectious, even starting a wave of YouTube imitations.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the first two singles from the album – the uptempo jam "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and the ballad "If I Were A Boy" – each of them equally strong, and amongst her best songs to date.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: MTV's 'TRL' Memories
This past weekend I finally listened through the full album a few times. Beyonce and her father / manager, Matthew Knowles, have divided it into two-discs – the ballads (the "I Am…" disc) and the bangin' hits ("… Sasha Fierce" – Beyonce's on-stage alter-ego).
Now, the album was released in 3 different versions – the Standard Edition, which is the only version her record label has sent thus far to Access Hollywood, and has only 5 songs on each disc – the Deluxe Edition, which has 10 (ballads) and 9 (uptempo) tracks on each disc – and an International version. The different versions are meant to market to different folks.
I was annoyed at the Standard Edition, because of the simple fact that I didn't want to go through with the physical act of hitting Eject on my CD player and changing discs after only listening to 5 songs. It's an awkward user-experience.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Beyonce
That being said, the ballad CD is infinitely better than the uptempo disc. Beyonce has refined her voice to a level that it's never been at before, and in my opinion, it works best when not accompanied by all of the surrounding action.
The best song on this new disc is undoubtedly the ballad "Halo," which could very well go on to be the best-selling single of her career. Her vocals soar high and the reverb on the refrain of the chorus is actually used well in the recording studio for once. Also standing out on this disc is her version of "Ave Maria," which is truly a religious experience for anyone who listens (this coming from a Jew).
There wasn't a single track on the "Sasha Fierce" disc that I enjoyed as much as lead single "Single Ladies." "Sweet Dreams" and "Radio" are both cute, but left me wanting more.
Now, that being said, I haven't heard 9 of her 19 new tracks. I've heard that "Ego" and "Hello" are both stand out tracks from the Deluxe version of "…Sasha Fierce," but I haven't heard them yet.
I was hoping this would be the magnum opus album of Beyonce's career thus far, but I think that honor still belongs to her debut disc, 2003's "Crazy In Love," which didn't have a generic song anywhere on it.
Then again, the label has apparently put the Deluxe Edition in the mail for us, so when I get it, maybe I'll write about it a third time and hold some new opinions.
PLAY IT NOW: 'Cadillac Records' Premiere, Los Angeles
PLAY IT NOW: Beyonce Talks Married Life On 'Ellen'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: On The Download - Beyoncé Knowles - Music - TV One - Red Carpet