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Let Them Drive Teslas
September 8, 2014 /1 Comment/in 2014, NEWSLETTER /by Jon Coupal
Once again, Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg has thumbed his nose at the working class and other Californians of modest means by blocking legislation that would have slightly delayed implementation of carbon emission fees charged to oil companies. The fees are part of the state's "cap-and-trade" program, California's one-of-a-kind effort to reduce wordwide carbon emissions. These fees are really taxes that will be passed on to consumers.
California drivers need to brace themselves. We already have the highest gas tax in the nation and this silly scheme will add between 15 and 40 cents a gallon after the first of the year. Bigger increases are a near certainty after that.
The effort to postpone the harm to citizen taxpayers was no right wing conspiracy. Indeed, its champion was Democratic Assemblyman Henry Perea. He introduced AB 69 to spread the implementation of the new fees over a three-year period to allow those who must buy gasoline more time to adjust to the higher costs. The measure was supported by other moderate Democrats and Republicans but, in a letter to Perea, Steinberg made it clear that he would not allow its consideration by the Senate.
In his letter to Perea, Steinberg paid lip service to the cost of combating carbon emissions, but added "the cost of doing nothing is much greater." That opinion, however, is not shared by the rest of the civilized world. Virtually all other nations have backed off their aggressive "global warming" policies. Australia is but the most recent country to abandon carbon taxes because of the "costs to households."
Steinberg's refusal to recognize the needs and problems of average state residents is typical of majority thinking around Sacramento. Steinberg and his colleagues would do well to emulate gubernatorial candidate Neil Kashkari who spent a week in Fresno living on the streets while looking for work. If the Senator and other disconnected legislators would spend a little time in the real world they might learn something.
While the unemployment rate has declined — California still ranks seventh highest in unemployment — areas like the Inland Empire are still suffering with nearly 10 percent out of work. And our state, at 23.8 percent, has the highest poverty rate in all 50 states.
Excepting the moderate Democrats and Republicans who understand the severity of working class problems, the detached political left is mistaken to overlook the millions of low income Californians — many of whom are working, but only part time — who are not happy relying on entitlement programs to get by. Most of these need a car to look for work and, if they're lucky enough to land a job, a way to get there.
The cost of gasoline is already sky high and the dirty little secret is that 71.29 cents of what the consumer pays per gallon is state and federal tax. The "evil" oil companies' profits on a gallon are about 7 cents. So, we have to ask – who's ripping off whom? Having to pay another 40 cents a gallon in additional government imposed taxes is the last thing that those of low and moderate income need right now.
Assemblyman Perea has pleaded for consideration for these folks, only to be rebuffed. Steinberg's response reminds one of Marie Antoinette's who, when told that the people were starving because they had no bread, infamously said, "Let them eat cake." In the case of those fervently devoted to the rigid implementation of California's cap and trade program, it is as if when told that a low income citizen can no longer afford gasoline for their 1991 Toyota Corolla, they respond with "Let them drive Teslas." The Tesla, of course, is a taxpayer subsidized electric car that will set the buyer back north of $100,000, which is well beyond the means of those who will be most hurt by this new gas tax.
Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association — California's largest grass-roots taxpayer organization dedicated to the protection of Proposition 13 and the advancement of taxpayers' rights.
Tags: AB 69 Henry Perea, California Global Warming Act, cap and trade, carbon emission fees, Darrell Steinberg
https://californiapolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LOGO_v2_white_269x70.png 0 0 Jon Coupal https://californiapolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LOGO_v2_white_269x70.png Jon Coupal2014-09-08 08:00:382016-12-14 05:08:31Let Them Drive Teslas
Fritz says:
Californians have not learned that a vibrant economy is perquisite to any sort of environmental improvement. In fact, with a healthy economy, we can't even afford clean water and safe food, much less change the climate of the planet. And the lower economic classes, having less to give to the "cause," suffer most from the taking. Cap n Trade is a dumb idea founded on a false premise (man-made global warming) that we've known will cause a great deal of economic harm and undermine individual prosperity and well-being in the process. A better solution would be to do away with the entire idea.
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Posts Tagged ''death of old media''
Musicians, Labels, Bankers and Retailers: Who Gets Paid What in the 'Digital Music Age'?
June 2, 2011 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog	Leave a comment
Here's something to get you seething, especially if you're a musician. I came across it the other day in a book I'm reading: William Patry's (2009) Moral Panics and Copyright Wars (Oxford U. Press).
Patry is a lawyer at Google, but as he admonishes us at the beginning of the book, don't mistake him as a shill for the company. No, he seems much smarter than that and he gives us a learned treatise on copyright, its history, and the repeated ways in which the copyright industries have tried to whip up the public, nay, the politicians who write the laws, into moral panics.
As he notes, the Copyright Wars have broken out repeatedly for nearly 300 years. In each case, morality and the sanctity of the artist is invoked, yet mostly as a way of legitimating claims that allow the distributors (who are also often the financiers) and not the creators to obtain the lion's share of the spoils from whatever art form is at stake — books, music, films, etc.
In terms of moral panics, the basic ingredient is to make the industry's problem a public problem of the highest order, one in which deviants — mods and rockers in the UK that lead to Stanley Cohen's pathbreaking sociology on 'moral panics' in the 1970s that Patry borrows from for his own title– threaten the fundamental foundations of society in one way or another. Now, it is pirates and people who rip and burn music, so the saying goes, that threaten to suck the lifeblood out of cultural creativity.
Patry, perhaps not surprisingly comes down full-square on behalf of the communication and media technology companies, the ones who make things from the VCRs and DVDs of yesteryear to the computers and smart phones of today: the Apples, Nokias, Microsofts, LGs and Google's of the world. Copyright industries, in a tale well worn, but novelly told by Patry, are the enemies of innovation.
It's a great read for anyone who wants to see how media technologies over the past four decades have been shackled by the music and movie industry's penchant for either eliminating or blunting new capabilities that would allow people to say, record a broadcast and watch it at their own time (time shifting) or shift it from one device to another so that they can watch, read or listen to their content on a device or at a place of their choosing (space shifting). Great stuff indeed.
Now here's the part that really got my goat, from page 118, where Patry breaks down who gets what in terms of the revenue generated from the sale of music. When CDs were king, musicians received about 9 percent of the sales revenues, the big labels (Warner, Sony, Universal, EMI), about 46 percent and the retailers (Walmart) 45 percent. Key point: those who created the music to begin with were the low folk on the totem pole.
Now, fast forward a few years to the 'digital music age', where stuff is downloaded or streamed online from the likes of Apple, Amazon, Spotify and the 460 some odd other legit sites now in operation, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. So, have things got better or worse for musicians?
Worse. When it comes to digital downloads, musicians now get 8 percent (vs. 9), the label's stake has soared to 68 percent (vs. 46 percent), the digital download sites get 15 percent (although Apple typically gets 30), and those who finance the transaction — credit cards and Paypal — get 9 percent.
It is a bit of a crazy, upside down world when those who facilitate the purchase of music actually get more than those who created the stuff in the first place. This is the intermediaries' grubby tail wagging the musicians' creative dog.
It is an index of a world out of whack. It is a world in which it is not pirates or music swapping amongst fans that are the problem but a set up in which the source of it all to begin with rank at the bottom of the heap.
More on how and why all of this ties back to Google, Patry's place of business after all, and the rest of the 'consumer electronics' and 'network' industries in the next few days. There is a tension between the latter and the 'content industries', and they are constantly at odds with one another, albeit just as often aligned. As Google introduces its own 'digital swipe payment' system, it now gets to stand midstream in the flow of money between media sellers and their audiences, as Visa, Mastercard, Paypal now currently do.
Google, like Apple want to bundle music and other media, with search or devices, and in their own digital lockers, or the more cuddly sounding notion of the cloud. In each, the bundling practice is presented as convenient, effective, technologically sleek and seductive overall. The name bandied about for such arrangements is 'Total Systems Integration" (TSI).
I'm not sure why this is necessarily a bad thing. However, TSI sounds a lot like the notion of "one system, universal service" that AT&T rode to monopoly status for nearly a century. It sounds administratively technocratic.
Timothy Wu writes nicely about this in the Master Switch. I'll write more about it, as I said above, in the next day or two. You may find the 'refresher' that I offered a few weeks ago on how the telegraph and telephone gave birth to the recorded music in the 1870s.
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', copyright, Digital Media Industries, International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), Music Industry, Recording Industry Association of America
LobbyNomics: Kings, Queens, Copyright and Canada — Lessons to and from the UK
May 19, 2011 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog	3 comments
A new, independent report commissioned by the British Prime Minister has just come out. It's observations are astute and damning: mostly with respect to the claims used to rush the Digital Economy Act of last year into law after only 2 hours of Parliamentary debate and for the exceedingly poor quality of the evidence upon which that questionable law, and the debate over copyright/intellectual property generally, takes place.
The report was penned by respected journalism Professor Ian Hargreaves, Digital Opportunities: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, and based on a team of highly regarded scholars, including the amazingly talented story teller and legal scholar, James Boyle (his 1996 Shamans, Software and Spleens is one of the most splendid books on knowledge and copyright in the 'digital age' that I've ever read). The people behind the report are impressive; the range of sources consulted even more so.
The tone is set clearly in the Foreword. On page 1, it asks whether the U.K approach to copyright and intellectual property stifles innovation? Yes, Hargreaves states without hesitating. Google, for instance, is on record stating that it couldn't set up shop in the country
Are piracy and copyright infringement real problems. Absolutely, he states. "No one doubts that a great deal of copyright piracy is taking place" (p. 6).
However, the report tempers that with two key provisos — the equivalent of a double-knuckled blow against the central props of the 'copyright industry'.
First, "sales and profitability levels in most creative business sectors appear to be holding up reasonably well. We conclude that many creative businesses are experiencing turbulence from digital copyright infringement, but that at the level of the whole economy, measurable impacts are not as stark as is sometimes suggested (p. 6). This is pretty much the conclusion I reached in my column for the Globe and Mail this past Tuesday.
Second, "reliable data about scale and trends is surprisingly scarce" (p. 6). Since I've dealt with issues surrounding the economic state of the music and other media industries in other posts, including yesterday's column, I will focus on the 'quality of the evidence' issue here.
Hargreave and colleagues are crystal clear that bad evidence is central to the whole issue of copyright law and adequately determining the vitality of the copyright industries as a whole, from music, to books, television, radio and animation — the whole gamut, including patents. A few examples help to illustrate the point:
"A detailed survey of UK and international data finds that very little of it is supported by transparent research criteria" (p. 6);
"There is . . . next to no evidence on copyright policy (p. 17);
"[R]eliable data is surprisingly thin on the ground" (p. 69).
"[W]e have failed to find a single UK survey that is demonstrably statistically robust" (p. 69).
The estimated scale of music piracy in the U.K. in the many studies they reviewed ranged wildly from 13 to 65 per cent (pp. 70-72). Studies globally are much the same, although a single study by Industry Canada and another by the Government Accountability Office (2010) in the U.S. (equivalent to the Auditor General in Canada) are singled out as exceptions to this rule, i.e. they're good and follow valid analytical methods.
Based on the extremely poor quality of the evidence, the report states, "we should be wary of expecting tougher enforcement alone to solve the problem of copyright infringement" (p. 6).
Worse, not only have lobbyists been remarkably successful at driving an agenda on the basis of poor evidence, they have made "stronger Government action against online infringement . . . their top priority" without the evidence needed to support such priorities (p. 67).
And the root of the problem? The authors hold no punches there, either. "Lobbynomics", they call it, a set of unfortunate circumstances whereby:
"Much of the data needed to develop empirical evidence on copyright and designs is privately held. It enters the public domain chiefly in the form of "evidence" supporting the arguments of lobbyists ("lobbynomics") rather than as independently verified research conclusions" (p. 18).
As Lord Puttnam, a leading light in the UK film industries and now MP, stated in regard to the rush job on the Digital Economy Act, "We have been subjected to an extraordinary degree of lobbying… The lobbying process . . . has done none of us very much help at all" (p. 6).
Worse, other MPs have apparently been star-struck by songstresses, celebrities and cinema stars: "there is no doubt that the persuasive powers of celebrities and important UK creative companies have distorted policy outcomes. (p. 92)
Cont'd on Page 2 . . . . . . . .
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', copyright, digital locks, Digital Media Industries, Internet control, Network Media Industries, Piracy
"The Death of the Music Industry" in Canada and other Copyright Myths
The following is my column for the Globe and Mail today, with the addition of a few links here and there. I am fully alert to the fact that this is a very, very touchy subject, not least because musicians and artists are at the centre of the debate, but have been, other than a few megastars, the least to benefit financially from either conditions in the past, or those that prevail today.
Those interested in the topic might find my previous two posts of interests in this regard: the first one looks at the 'methods' involved in assessing the state of the music industry. It ends with the crucial proviso that we can collect "all the evidence in the world but still be morally stupid because you've thrown the artists and musicians amongst us under the bus". In other words, this is not just about fun and games, but real people trying to make a real living.
That said, however, I am skeptical of the claims typically made on behalf the 'music industry', and equally circumspect that the interests of musicians are interchangeable with those of 'the suits' in the business. For those who want to hear something similar from somebody 'inside the biz', and who really knows his stuff, look at Bob Lefsetz's newsletter.
Thanks to Bob, I'm listening to two great bands right now: Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons. It's all about the music, being good, nay great, at what you do, and crucially the fans, those who adore your stuff and rave about you to others.
The second of these two posts sets out the idea that the music industry was in many fundamental ways the offspring of rivalry between the telegraph giant Western Union and then snarly upstart Bell Telephone Company in the late-1870s and 1880s. If rivalry between 'network technologies' gave birth to the music industry in the late-19th century, I think it is unlikely that 'network technologies' like the Internet and P2P are going to lead to their demise in the 21st century. History, in short, may be a useful and sturdy guide for thinking through the issues now in front of us.
Now, I'll turn to the slightly revised/extended version of my column from today.
For more than a decade, the music industry in Canada, and globally, has been cast as being in dire straits — a portent of things to come for all media in the 'digital age', unless copyright laws are updated soon to combat illegal downloading.
The notoriety of file-sharing networks from Napster in the late-1990s, to Pirate Bay and the meting out of stiff punishment to Limewire is legendary. New sites emerge as swiftly as old ones are prosecuted out of business, fueling perceptions that the music industry is under siege.
Many claim this will only get worse as broadband Internet becomes a taken-for-granted fixture of everyday life. Copyright legislation has been proposed three times since 2005 by Conservative and Liberal governments alike.
Last year's effort, The Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C-32), died when the election was called. It'll be back. The Conservative's election manifesto said it would be.
The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), backed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), argues that legislation delayed is justice denied. While Parliament dithers, they say, musicians and the music industry are getting slaughtered.
According to the IFPI, "overall music sales fell by around 30 per cent between 2004 and 2009" worldwide. The trend in Canada appears even worse, with "recorded music sales" plunging to a third of what they were in 2004, as the following figure shows.
'Recorded Music Industry' Revenues in Canada, 1998 – 2010
Source: Statistics Canada; PriceWaterhouseCooper.
But stop the music. What if this image of a beleaguered music industry is badly flawed?
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', copyright, Digital Culture, digital locks, digital media, Digital Media Industries, Internet control, media consolidation, Network Media Industries, Network Neutrality, Piracy, Political Economy of Media
The Great Struggle for the Soul of the Internet and Network Media in Canada (Part 1)
April 16, 2011 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog	3 comments
A strange confluence of forces has just made the push to have Netflix and other over-the-top video distributors (OVDs) such as Amazon, Apple and Google regulated by the rules of the Broadcasting Act a whole lot stronger.
Events kicked into high gear this week when Astral Media renewed calls for the CRTC to regulate OVDs just like any other broadcaster. Bell, Rogers and Shaw quickly endorsed the call.
Astral, Bell and other incumbents are coming under increased scrutiny from investment bankers worried that OVDs could wreck their bottom line and this seems to have increased their resolve to thwart would be rivals. Moody's — the investment ratings agency – also recently raised such concerns, while casting doubt on the dominant integrated media companies' — Bell CTV, Shaw Global (Corus), Rogers City TV and Quebecor Media – decisions to acquire ever bigger stakes in the television business.
When investment bankers worry, CEOs tremble and Netflix as well as the open Internet generally could end up paying the price.
The Canadian Media Production Association's recent appeal to the CRTC to regulate Netflix under the Broadcasting Act added to the full court push, as did the Supreme Court's decision last month to hear a case from various groups representing media workers who want ISPs as well as Netflix, Apple, Google, and so on to be regulated like broadcasters.
Lastly, a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage report published last month and the CRTC's upcoming reviews of its unpopular wholesale UBB decision and vertical integration have also brought the issues to a head.
These issues are not new. In fact, in its famous "new media" decision in 1999, the CRTC categorically asserted its authority to regulate broadcasting services delivered over the Internet, but decided to stand on the sidelines while such services were in their infancy.
The vertically-integrated, dominant telecom, cable and internet service providers love the approach because it has given them a green light to develop new markets while letting them off the hook with respect to issues about vertical integration, anti-competitive behavior, Cancon requirements and funding commitments in the emerging digital media universe.
The CRTC's decision to stand on the sidelines has no doubt played well to the 'hands-off-the-Internet' crowd, as well. The truth is, however, that this has only postponed the day of reckoning.
That day of reckoning has been moving ever closer since broadcasters finally made a concerted effort to launch substantial video portals in 2007/2008 (e.g., CBC.ca, CTV.ca, GlobalTV.com), while offering some programs through Apple iTunes and YouTube. Simultaneously, they have fought tooth and nail to defend their existing markets and expand into new ones, while using a well-stocked arsenal of measures to block rival OVDs such as Netflix. Six such tactics stand out:
First, bandwidth throttling was used by Bell in 2008 to cripple the CBC's attempt to use BitTorrent to distribute an episode of Canada's Next Great Prime Minister, while today Rogers' throttling of P2P applications causes no end of frustration for those who play World of Warcraft online.
Second, 'bandwidth caps' and Usage-Based Billing are being used by all of the major ISPs to deter online video use. Netflix has deliberately degraded the quality of its service to help subscribers avoid these punitive and restrictive measures as a result.
Third, the incumbents do not apply the same measures to their own services. Bell's chief regulatory officer, Mirko Bibic, recently provided a great example of the tortured logic used to justify such treatment when he argued that, despite using the same network facilities, Bell's OVD service is not a 'true' Internet-based service, while Netflix is.
Fourth, the incumbent telecom and cable companies' refusal to interconnect their systems with others has blocked large OVDs and Internet companies such as Amazon, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, and Netflix from bringing their 'content distribution networks' as close to users as possible.
Fifth, Canada's integrated multimedia conglomerates have used a combination of program rights, geo-gating and digital rights management (DRM) technologies and a smattering of deals with Apple and Youtube to shore up their control over access to our 'national media market'. The Rogers, Bells, Shaws, Quebecors, and so on of this country do not like the prospect of having to compete for each and every new digital market with newcomers one bit; nor do cable providers in the United States.
As a recent New York Time's article observes, Time Warner and Cablevision are locked in battle with Viacom (MTV, VH1, etc.) and Scripps Howard (HGTV, Food Network, etc.), with the cable companies arguing that the rights they have acquired to deliver channels to audiences' tv sets also lets them beam those same channels over the Internet to iPads and iPhones. Viacom and Scripps Howard vehemently disagree.
In the incumbents' "perfect world", they would simply fold the OVD market into the suite of rights they acquire for traditional television markets without having to compete with Netflix at all. If they had it their way, the Internet would just be bolted on to the side of their lucrative television business.
Netflix strengthens the hands of content creators and rights holders on both sides of the border relative to traditional broadcasters. In Canada, this battle over the essential resources of the media economy — networks, money and copyrights — are concealed by a fog of sanctimonious rhetoric about cultural policy led by vested interests.
Seen from the broadcaster's point of view, Netflix's recent acquisition of new drama series and its deal with Paramount Studios for online video distribution are just further evidence that the company is steadily encroaching on their turf — one more reason why it should be quickly brought to heel. Even if we thought for a moment that regulating Neflix and OVDs was a good idea, what should we do as Hollywood experiments with using Facebook as a new 'window' for blockbusters such as The Dark Knight, Philosopher's Stone, Yogi Bear, and Chamber of Secrets, among others?
Do we regulate Facebook as a broadcaster too? I'm all for attending to that company's privacy issues and other mattters, but Facebook and broadcasting? Obviously, there is no shortage of slippery slopes and pitfalls along the incumbents' garden path.
The sixth defensive weapon in the incumbent's bid to hobble new rivals is their coordinated push for government regulation. Perhaps the award for sharpest U-turn on these issues goes to Shaw after it acquired Global TV in the fall of 2010.
After a decade of opposition to the CRTC in general and to the regulation of the Internet specifically, Shaw President Peter Bissonnette laid out the new gospel in front of the Canadian Heritage Committee referred to earlier: "If there's one message we want to leave with you . . . it is that over-the-top competitors have a free ride. They're aggregators of broadcasting. They provide broadcasting services in Canada." They should be regulated like broadcasters.
For anybody still under the illusion that the Internet is unregulable, Shaw and others point to extensive regulatory tools that they'd like to see pressed into service: e.g. ISP levies; extending Section 19 Income Tax Act Exemptions so that adverting on Canadian Internet sites can be written off just as it is for Canadian-owned newspapers, magazines and broadcasters; Canadian Media Fund contributions; Cancon Quotas, etc.
Acceding to the full sweep of this agenda would not just wreck Netflix's 'business model', it would destroy the future of the Internet. To stem the tide, we need to understand just how wildly out of synch the 'sky-is-falling' rhetoric is with the fact that the television industry is more lucrative then ever. We also might wonder if Netflix, Apple, Google, Amazon, et. al. might agree to adding some water to their wine in return for a quick stop being put to the discriminatory practices that now hobble their activities in Canada?
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', Bandwidth Caps, Broadband, copyright, CRTC, culture, Digital Culture, digital media, Digital Media Industries, Economics, Google, Internet control, Media, Netflix, Network Media Industries, Online Video Distributors, over-the-top video, Political Economy of Media, politics, Usage Based Billing
Cassandra's and Copyright: Creative Destruction and Digital Media Industries
March 22, 2011 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog	5 comments
A new study released yesterday on peer-to-peer content sharing and copyright in the United Kingdom, Creative Destruction and Copyright Protection, provides a further challenge to those who claim that strong new measures are needed to make sure that swapping digital content online does not damage the bottom line of the media and entertainment industries. The study was co-authored by London School of Economics and Political Science Professors Bart Cammaerts and Bingchun Meng.
It is a part of several steps being taken in the U.K. that challenge last year's hastily passed Digital Economy Act. The bill became law after only two hours of debate in the House of Commons and is a real gift to the media and entertainment industries and the various lobby groups that represent them: e.g. the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), its British counterpart, the British Phonographic Industry Association, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Motion Picture Association (MPA), and so on.
Among other things, the Act turns Internet Service Providers into agents of the media and entertainment industries. Upon notification, ISPs must send a warning notice to suspected copyright infringers and if that does not work they can be directed by the Secretary of State to disconnect the offending user.
As the IFPI noted in its latest Digital Music Report, it has been pushing for such measures around the world in the past couple of years. Indeed, this push supersedes the emphasis earlier in the decade for DRM (digital rights management technologies). The IFPI has chalked up several 'wins' for this approach in the UK, France, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, and a few others (see pp. 25-27).
Two of the biggest ISPs — BT and Talk Talk — in the UK have not taken these requirements lying down. They have launched a legal challenge that will be heard this week by the UK High Court of Justice on the ground that the Digital Economy Act's requirements amount to overkill.
Cammeart and Meng are clear that P2P technologies should be encouraged rather than discouraged. In contrast, the Digital Economy Act stifles innovation and attempts to shore up faltering traditional business models. The message of this report, in other words, is that governments are not in the 'business model' protection racket. However, as I have written in earlier posts, that they are in just such a business is also evident in Canada, where Usage Based Billing is clearly linked with attempts to protect the cable and telephone companies forays into the online video business by hamstringing would-be rivals such as Netflix, Apple TV, even Youtube.
In contrast to the current approach, the authors and various people interviewed for the study suggest a significantly different approach. Thus, as one of the report's authors, Bart Cammaerts states,
"The music industry and artists should innovate and actively reconnect with their sharing fans rather than treat them as criminals. They should acknowledge that there are also other reasons for its relative decline beyond the sharing of copyright protected content, not least the rising costs of live performances and other leisure services to the detriment of leisure goods. Alternative sources of income generation for artists should be considered instead of actively monitoring the online behaviour of UK citizens."
Early in the report, they also quote from Ed O'Brian from the band Radiohead, who had the following to say:
"We disagree with the industry on what should be done with the persistent file-sharers. The industry has said we will suspend their internet accounts. But you can't just do that, it isn't possible and neither feasible. The kind of technical measures that are required to implement this get you into dodgy areas such as civil liberties, tracker software and the second thing is that it costs a lot of money to do this, and even if you do it, you are going to drive a lot of people underground into darknets. Our problem is how do you differentiate between a serial infringer and someone who does it in the spirit of discovery" (Ed O'Brian from Radiohead on BBC, 22/09/2009).
My only real criticism of this report is that the authors take the IPFI's data on the drastic decline in sale of recorded music at face value, but attempt to offset it by pointing to changing patterns of music consumption, falling disposable household income and the rise of online digital platforms. Their points are well-taken.
Indeed, income levels in western capitalist democracies, including Canada, have largely stagnated for the past 30 years, while wealth has concentrated at the top. To this, we can also had the decline in 'liesure time' over the same period, as the historical tendency for the workday to shorten was reversed, resulting in people spending greater and greater amounts of time at work. It doesn't take a genius to understand that less time and money erodes media consumption.
Such trends run exactly counter to the massive rise in both income and 'liesure time' that gave rise to the media and entertainment industries between 1870 and 1945, as Gerben Bakker exhaustively illustrates in his 2009 book Entertainment Industrialized.
These points are indeed important, but I would add another that I think is even more important: namely, that taking into account all sources of income, the music industry has not contracted, but expanded greatly since the late-1990s, precisely alongside the massive popularization of the Internet. In order to understand that, we need to focus not just on the sale of 'recorded music' and 'online revenues', but also publishing royalties and, crucially, live entertainment. When we do that, as I showed in another post last week, the music industries have expanded greatly.
Here's the data showing, first, the drastic decline in the sale of recorded music, followed by the full picture:
Figure 1: Worldwide 'Recorded Music Industry' Revenues, 1998 – 2010 (US$ Mill.)
Source: Source: PWC (2010; 2009; 2003), Global Entertainment and Media Outlook
Clearly, just on the basis of recorded music sales, the music industry is in dire shape indeed. However, things look decidedly different once we take a look at the full picture, as the following figure does.
Figure 2: Worldwide 'Total Music Industry' Revenues, 1998 – 2010 (US$ Mill.)
Sources: PWC (2010; 2009; 2003), Global Entertainment and Media Outlook and IDATE (2009). DigiWorld Yearbook.
The top line shows the picture: a sharp increase in total revenues. Against declining revenues for recorded music, each of the other segments has risen considerably: Internet/mobile; publishing and concerts. Cammaerts and Meng do an excellent job showing the rise of digital revene
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', copyright, culture, Digital Culture, digital economy, digital media, Digital Media Industries, Economics, Internet, Media, Network Media Industries, Piracy, Political Economy of Media, politics
Rogues, Pirates and Bandwidth Bandits
Yesterday was yet another day in which the struggle over copyright seemed to be going on at a feverish pitch.
In the U.S., hearings before the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet provocatively pitted Internet investment and commerce against pirates and parasites. Daniel Castro from the supposedly 'non-partisan' Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) tried to set the tone by describing "the impact of parasitic websites" as "an economic leech on the Internet economy".
Castro set out the costs to various industries, and they were, if he's correct, staggering:
the U.S. motion picture, sound recording, business software, and entertainment software/video game industries lost an estimated $20 billion dollars in 2005 due to piracy;
the U.S. recording industry and related alone lost industries lost over $5 billion altogether and 12,000 jobs in the sound recording industry alone, according to estimates by the music industry trade group, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI);
the U.S. motion picture industry, by one estimate, lost $6.1 billion to piracy, which resulted in either the elimination or prevention of 46,597 jobs in the film industry.
This is indeed dire stuff (if true). Dire stuff also requires drastic measures. Here's some of the drastic measures Castro put on his wish-list:
cooperation between the federal government and business to identify "rogue" sites around the world;
require ISPs to combat piracy by blocking websites that offer pirated content;
encourage bandwidth and usage caps that discourage online piracy;
require search engines to remove links to websites that facilitate piracy;
require advertisers and financial intermediariers (e.g. Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to stop doing business with 'illegal websites';
further private/government cooperation around development, promotion and adoption of anti-piracy technology, including 'deep packet inspection' (DPI) by ISPs.
This is essentially a recipe to impose a lockdown on digitally networked media. It makes a mockery of the separation between state and media demanded by 'free press' traditions. But rather than government nefariously interfering with the media, in this scenario, the state is called on to act as the tool of the media industries. Proposals to seize the domain names of rogue sites, cut them off from ISPs and payments, and so on threatens to balkanize the Internet further as nation-States assert their 'sovereign authority' over whatever slice of cyberspace they deem necessary to pursue 'rogue pirates' (in the US and elsewhere) or to suppress dissident voices and the free access to information elsewhere (Egypt, China, Iran, etc.).
For Canadians, the emphasis of putting ISPs in the role of gate-keepers and promoting the use of UBB and bandwidth caps to thwart would be bandwidth bandits adds another layer to the ongoing debate over these issues in Canada.
But what about these claims about dire losses? They are mostly a product of cherry-picking data to support foregone conclusions. As my post earlier today showed, worldwide box office revenues for the movie industry are up, not down, from roughly $25 billion to $32 billion over the past five years. And that's just the half of it, with total worldwide film revenues from all sources up from about $46.5 billion in 1998 to $87.4 billion last year.
Rather than being under assault, as Castro and others would like us to believe, the vast expansion of the film industry is not surprising. This is not surprising given the massive growth in global media markets generally, particularly in China, Brazil, Russia, and India.
This is also not surprising given the vast number of new media channels and distribution platforms. Note the huge difference between total revenues versus just box office revenues, i.e. $87.4 billion versus $32 billion. That $55 billion gap between the two is the space occupied by new media technologies. These are basically new media markets.
DVDs and the corner video shop may be going the way of the Dodo bird, but cable and satellite channels have doubled, according to the OECD, from 600 to 1200 channels worldwide over the past decade. Add to this pay-per view, video-on-demand, streaming internet video (Hulu, Daily Motion, YouTube, etc.) as well as digital download and subscription services (Apple iTunes, Netflix, BBC's iPlayer, mobile smartphones, etc.), and the vast expansion of the global media economy comes clearly into view.
Let's look at the music industry. Sure, if we take a tiny slice, say just the 'recorded music industry revenues', and let it stand for the whole, than things look bad indeed. Just how bad is shown in the Figure below:
Source: PWC (2010; 2009; 2003), Global Entertainment and Media Outlook
Seen from just this angle, things are bad. the sale of "recorded music" (i.e. cds, vinyl, cassettes, etc.) has plunged by nearly half since 2004. These are the figures that Castro and his preferred source, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), point to in order to paint their 'sky is falling' scenario. It is also the backbone of their efforts to push through an egregious revamping of digital media in the service of the 'traditional media', a set of efforts that would likely never see the light of day were it not for the superficial persuasiveness of the case made.
The problem with the case, however, is that it takes the worst part of the entire music business and lets it stand for the whole. A decidedly different view emerges once we take the blinkers off that Castro, the IFPI, MPAA, etc. would like us to where and look at the whole picture. The whole picture doesn't just look at 'recorded music', but concerts, publishing and copyright revenues, Internet and mobile phones.
When we do that, here's what things look like:
The fact of the matter is, these trends are similar across almost all of the media industries from television, film, music, radio, magazines, book publishing, Internet access and Internet advertising, except with a partial and heavily qualified exception for newspapers.
The media, as I have said repeatedly before, are not in crisis. Thinking otherwise only gives the likes of Castro and the lobbying groups of the traditional media a blank cheque to push an agenda that ought to be stopped dead in its tracks.
Thankfully, there are other sources who see things from a broader point of view. Thus, over and against Castro, take a look at the much more interesting presentation of David Sohn from the Centre for Technology and Democracy yesterday before the same committee in Washington. Or take a look at the paper published by the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan that was released last month. Looking at the impact of files-haring and YouTube on the sale and rental of Japanese animated television programs, the author concluded that:
Youtube "does not negatively affect DVD rentals" and appears to "help raise DVD sales,'
"file sharing negatively affects DVD rentals, [but] it does not affect DVD sales."
Youtube's effect of boosting DVD sales can be seen after the TV's broadcasting of the series has concluded (the 'electronic water-cooler' effect);
YouTube can be interpreted as a promotion tool for DVD sales.
Repeat after me: the sky is not falling; new media are not bad media; we must be careful because the doomsday sayers, more often than not, would like nothing more than to throttle the hell out of digital media. That would not just be dangerous for the media economy and technology, but for democracy, how we socialize and communicate with one another, and for an open and creative culture overall.
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', Bandwidth Caps, copyright, digital locks, Digital Media Industries, Media in Crisis, Network Neutrality, Usage Based Billing
The Search for 'New Media Models'
March 2, 2011 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog	Leave a comment
Here's an interesting link to a talk given by Alan Rusbridger, the editor of the Guardian in the UK. It offers a glimpse of how he, and the Guardian, see the emerging media environment. The tone that he strikes is interesting insofar as it is not one saturated with the 'journalism in crisis' trope, but rather the opportunities that exist as established models are forced to adapt to fast paced and relentless changes.
Rusbridger demonstrates an openness and understanding of media trends that appears well ahead of his counterparts in NA media. He also fleshes out some of the potentials of a 'collaborative model' of journalism between the traditional media and new developments in social media, from WikiLeaks to Twitter. In this regard, he points to how the Guardian now casts itself not just as a newspaper publisher, but also a platform for OPC (other people's content).
Finally, Rusbridger offer his thoughts on the way ahead not by throwing history and serious thinkers from the past overboard, but by embracing them. He discusses the continued threats of media concentration, highlights the undeniable dependence of most media on some form of subsidy, whether advertising, allocations for public broadcasters, wealthy patrons, etc. by drawing on Walter Lippmann's 1922 classic, Public Opinion and waxes about the relationship between Raymond William's observations from 1958 on communication and culture and conditions today.
In other words, media ownership and concentration, how stuff is paid for, and the relation of each to bigger questions about the kind of societies and cultures we currently live in, and those that we might imagine, are all given a serious nod.
Categories: Internet Tags: 'death of old media', digital media, Digital Media Industries, Internet, mass self expression, Media in Crisis, social media, user created content

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Albergue Espanhol

    ★★★★☆

 Wanderley Caloni, May 28, 2019

Este é um guia de como fazer um filme sobre sensações da juventude, das relações entre conhecidos que com o tempo se tornam algo mais, algo etéreo, que gera sensações fortes; saudades que se carrega pra vida toda, familiaridade com um tempo que não voltará nunca mais.

Seu protagonista, Xavier (Romain Duris), é um jovem tímido, de pais separados e uma namorada da adolescência (Audrey Tautou, de Amelie Poulain). Ele decide crescer, fazer uma pós em país estrangeiro para aprender o idioma. Seu sonho quando criança era ser escritor, mas ele parte em uma missão de um ano para conseguir emprego em um escritório. E quando se despede de sua antiga vida, namorada e mãe, segue chorando. Seu choro é um misto de patético com fofinho.

Escrito de maneira autobiográfica e primeiro filme de uma trilogia do diretor Cédric Klapisch (os próximos seriam Bonecas Russas e O Enigma Chinês), Albergue Espanhol deve despertar um sentimento muito bom de amizades passageiras em uma época em que é só isso que temos. Feito com carinho e sinceridade, ele nos mostra que às vezes é tudo o que você precisa na vida.

É difícil fazer um filme que passe essa impressão sem soar cafona, e este consegue, exceto quando usa de colagens excessivas (como nos créditos iniciais), e ainda que não tenha a mínima coerência nem ritmo em fazê-lo, por outro lado este nada mais é que um aspecto da vida real, onde os eventos não seguem um roteiro definido, mas se constrói em uma sucessão de memórias que se conectam.

A história de Klapisch tem até o cuidado de inserir um impertinente neurologista para nos lembrar disso: as memórias que se firmam no hipotálamo. Nunca mais nos livramos delas. E nem gostaríamos. São elas que definem quem seremos pelo resto de nossas vidas.

Esse filme também tem ótimos momentos. É dele a melhor cena pós-balada, quando um grupo de jovens sai pelo resto da noite pelas ruas cantando e vomitado, tudo em uma sucessão caótica de eventos que torna tudo mais rico e mais interessante. Nessa cena que nos dá a impressão exata do efeito do álcool também recebemos a noção exata da amizade ou do apego que se forma orgânico. As pessoas que nos cercam não são perfeitas, mas estão aí, e é o que realmente importa.

Além disso, a direção de arte se aproveita de várias locações espanholas, que se beneficiam do “sol de Barcelona”, para construir uma narrativa orgânica inserida na cidade, ainda que na maioria do tempo seus personagens convivam no pequeno apartamento que lutam para manter alugado.

Por falar nos personagens, sua construção não poderia ser mais caótica e perfeita. Cada pessoa tem seus cacoetes, manias e temperamento, e não precisamos aprender sobre todos eles. Mais uma vez, assim como na vida, nos afeiçoamos com algumas pessoas que fazem parte da nossa vida, e o resto simplesmente está aí.

Falta unidade nO Albergue Espanhol, mas é isso mesmo o que o torna tão adorável. O que se diz quando os defeitos de um filme soam mais como suas virtudes? Isso se chama amor. A admiração do imperfeito porque é imperfeito, e por isso faz parte de nós mesmos.

           Imagens e créditos no IMDB.

    ★★★★☆

 Albergue Espanhol ● L'auberge espagnole. França, Espanha, 2002. Dirigido e escrito por Cédric Klapisch. Com Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France, Cristina Brondo, Barnaby Metschurat, Kevin Bishop. ● Nota: 4/5. Categoria: movies.  Publicado em 2019-05-28.  Texto escrito por Wanderley Caloni.

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I started blogging in November 2011 as a place to share my creative ideas. I knew right from the get-go that I also wanted to make money with my blog – but wasn't sure how I was going to do that. So I just created stuff and wrote about it… Eventually, first contact was made, and I did my first piece of paid content. It makes me laugh to think back on it – I earned less for it than the cost of the things I had to buy to set up the photo shoot for the post! You live and learn!
These days my sole income comes from my blogs (I run two these days), and I closed down my web design business of 10 years, to put all of my time and energy into blogging. When I tell people that I am a blogger – many reply with the question "how do you make money blogging?" I explain that I earn money through different avenues – selling ad space, running giveaways, and writing sponsored content, among other things. Most recently I signed up to blogfoster UK, an influencer marketing platform, as another way to earn money.
If you've read this far, you are likely to either a) have a blog and want to make [more] money, or b) thinking about starting one and wondering how you can make money with your blog.
If you are already working with brands you are probably familiar with some of the hoops you have to jump back and forth through to work out: what the the client wants, how much their budget it, what your fee will be, when you'll be paid (and the chasing up of payments…) etc., On top of that you might need to share a media kit, or your blog and social stats.
For some new bloggers (and even us old timers) this can be really stressful. So that's why I really like working with platforms like blogfoster UK, as I don't need to worry about any of that… Let me give you a quick run down.
Your first step is to signup on the blogfoster UK website which is super simple to do, just fill in your details, read the T&Cs, then create your account. You can then spend a few moments to fill in more details about your blog and social networks, as well as selecting which categories your blog falls into.
You are given a little piece of code to pop onto your blog (don't worry, they walk you through where it needs to go) so that it can be verified and also provide you and blogfoster UK with the insights to your blog's analytics like visitor numbers, and your top blog posts. I love looking through my analytics to see what is working, (and what isn't), as well as seeing all the different places my readers come from. The amount of money you can earn is based upon your influence and reach, which I think is a fair way to get paid.
As a sidenote, blogfoster integrates with the following blogging platforms: WordPress.com, Tumblr, Jimdo, Squarespace, Weebly, Blogger, WordPress.org, and Wix. I love that so many platforms are included.
With the signup process done, you can now browse through the campaigns that are on offer. At the moment, there aren't many to pick from, but as more UK bloggers sign up (what are you waiting for?!) and blogfoster UK grow their presence here in Blighty, there will be many more available. Make sure you switch the email notifications on – it's how I heard about this campaign, without it, I wouldn't be earning money already!
My first experience of a campaign has been a good one. The brief was clear, and well laid out – a mission statement about the campaign, followed by a bullet list of tasks, and the main goal of the work. I love this kind of brief – it means that nothing is misconstrued as it's all there upfront. I was then able to pitch for the campaign, and sent it off – I also knew in advance how much I would be paid if I was selected. I received an email to let me know I had been successful, and I just had to login to my blogfoster UK dashboard to accept my mission!
There was a handy checklist of all the different tasks and things that should/shouldn't be done – a feature I also loved. As it keeps me focused on all of the objectives.
My time with blogfoster UK has been short, but already I feel like this is setting itself up to be a great influencer marketing platform for UK bloggers, and can't wait to see what the future campaigns bring!
Ah this is a great post, I'd heard of it but hadn't taken the plunge – you've managed to persuade me. Hopefully there'll be lots of fun campaigns to apply to soon. Thanks.
Ooh, thanks have signed up with them but haven't done the whole process yet – thanks for the reminder!
It can be difficult to decide on getting payment for blogs, especially if you're starting up and don't know how to manage it. Good options.
Sounds interesting, I'll be sure to check it out and sign up.
Sounds like a good scheme to be on and could work out really useful for bloggers.
Ooh this sounds interesting! I will definitely look into it, thank you!
Thank-you for sharing this! I haven't heard of these before, and had no clue where to start myself. Off to sign up I think!
This sounds very interesting – I have been blogging for years and am hopefully looking to make a bit of pocket money from it soon. It's just a bit scary taking those first steps, up until now I've turned down paid work as I didn't have a clue how to manage it!
I am off to sign up. Thanks for sharing this post.


The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, begun in 2014, is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking. The Fellowship will provide 700 outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. college or university with support for professional development after they return home.
The Fellows, who are between the ages of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive impact in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries.


Des Troyer slammed the door on his cape and cursed.
'Times are tough my friend,' Kat Tastrophy replied menacingly.
August 12th – A day that would forever go down in infamy – the day we harnessed the power of children's adrenaline. It seemed so simple at the time – take them to a fairground, let them become excited, or better still, a little afraid, (painlessly) extract the chemicals from their tiny bodies and convert them into chalky bricks of unbridled combustibility.
The energy crisis was solved over night!
But then came the drawbacks.
The children became bored with their escapades and ceased to produce the desired fight or flight responses, but by then the world's economy had been built upon their backs, forcing scientists to find new and ingenious ways to stimulate the release of hormones, heightening tolerance, pumping up body mass and creating something wholly other – unwieldy, petulant and indestructible.
What little effort it would take to snip the silk strings and banish you from my home – a fleeting act of domesticity.
…the Career careen off the rails into sidings.
Liquidate and eek out – conventions unbinding.
A duster makes light work of a spider's domain.


What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?
What makes them choose your product over someone else's?
Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.
We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That's the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!
What are you going to do today to build your network marketing business? If you have a list of activities to complete that work for the good of your business, wonderful! If you do not, it may time to take a look at your goals for your business and your motivation to succeed in it.
If you were truly inspired enough about your product and the opportunity to build your own business when you joined your company, you should be excited to get up every morning and talk with everyone you meet about it. The time you spend actually presenting either your products or the opportunity to others is what your day should be based on. However, there will be days when you do not have anyone new to talk with. When that happens, you still need to be productive.
The most powerful desire of human beings is the desire to be comfortable. I'm sure you've heard or read about many of our strong desires or needs such as security, achievement, recognition, money, love, etc., but they all boil down to the fact that we all want comfort more than anything.


text:
Olivia de Havilland is NO MORE, Classic Hollywood star, dies at 104
Olivia de Havilland is NO MORE,
Classic Hollywood star, dies at 104
She won two Oscars for Best Leading Actress for The Intimate Life of Julia Norris and The Heiress.
She was a member of the cast of "Gone with the Wind" , a film for which she was nominated by the Academy
WEB DESK BREAKING NEWS:
By Prabir Rai Chaudhuri
British-American actress Olivia de Havilland, one of the protagonists of the legendary Gone with the Wind (1939) has died at 104 years of age from natural causes in Paris, France, where she resided more than 60 years ago, according to Its publicist Lisa Goldberg has confirmed .
De Havilland was born in 1916 and was the winner of two Oscars for Best Leading Actress for The Intimate Life of Julia Norris (1946) and The Heiress (1949). In addition, her participation in the film Gone With the Wind in the role of Melanie Hamilton earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Born in Tokyo to British parents
The daughter of a British family residing in Japan for work reasons, Olivia de Havilland was born in Tokyo in 1916. The family returned shortly after to England but after the marriage separation, De Havilland moved to the United States with her mother and her sister, the also actress Jean Fontaine , with whom she had a tortuous personal relationship.
After taking her first steps in the theater, director Max Reinhardt discovered her in a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream and offered her a role in the cinematrographic version of Shakespeare's play she directed in 1935.
Impressed with his talent, the Warner Brothers studio offered him a seven-year contract, as was the custom at the time .
Along with the actor Errol Flynn, he starred in a series of adventure films, such as Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) and Robin of the forests (1938), which gave him great popularity.
Consecration with 'Gone with the Wind'
But his great leap came in 1939, with Gone With the Wind , in which he played the character of Melanie , which earned him the first of his five Oscar nominations. "I was very attracted to Melanie, she was a complex personality, compared to the heroines that I had played over and over again," the actress would say years later.
Despite the popularity of Gone With the Wind and the prestige of the Oscar nomination, de Havilland did not get the roles he aspired to, leading to differences with Warner Brothers, who suspended it on several occasions.
In 1943, the interpreter stated that her seven-year contract had expired, but the studio claimed that she still owed her six months, that the actress was suspended.
De Havilland brought the matter to court and won, which was a setback for the dominance that the major studios at that time exercised over the actors. However, the challenge cost him dearly since he did not star in any movies in three years.
Olivia de Havilland would triumphantly return to the big screen in 1946, playing the role of a single mother in The Intimate Life of Julia Norris , which earned her her first Oscar. Three years later, her portrayal of a spinster in The Heiress would earn her her second statuette .
Tags-
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text:
Sony Ericsson/
X10i Xperia Mini Pro Pink
Sony Ericsson X10i Xperia Mini Pro Pink
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
Available. Released 2010, June
90 x 52 x 17 mm (3.54 x 2.05 x 0.67 in)
TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors (65K effective)
240 x 320 pixels, 2.55 inches (~157 ppi pixel density)
Timescape UI
microSD, up to 16 GB, 2 GB included
Up to 85.6 kbps
Up to 236.8 kbps
HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Wi-Fi hotspot (v2.2 or higher)
Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Yes, microUSB v2.0
5 MP, 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Geo-tagging
Yes, VGA@30fps
Android OS, v1.6 (Donut), upgradable to v2.1 (Eclair)
600 MHz ARM 11
SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Black, Red, Pink
ANT+ support, SNS integration, MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player, TrackID music recognition, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Document viewer, Voice memo, Predictive text input
Li-Po 930 mAh battery
Up to 4 h (2G) / Up to 3 h 30 min (3G)
MMC 2GB
Sony Ericsson Pc Companion
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Pro 2 Pink is a slide phone powered by Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) 1 GHz OS''s. It has a QWERTY keyboard, LED-backlit display and exceptional 5 MP camera. This phone also supports applications for social networking like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and it connects to the Internet with a Wi-Fi, DLNA & Wi-Fi hotspot technology. It also has FM radio with RDS and MP3 player for music lovers.
/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson/x10i-xperia-mini-pro-pink/


Purchase discounted tickets for August 31st using the link and special promo code below.
Adult general admission tickets can be purchased at the discount rate of $18 (regularly $26). Offer available online only!
See you on Friday, August 31 at Believe in CLE 2018!


The most important thing to maintain safe Internet use within your household is 'open communication'. Talk to your children regularly, about their online activities and help them understand how to use the Internet responsibly.
While the Interent is a fun way to communicate, children sometimes need to be reminded that real-life communication is just as important - promote a more balanced lifestyle for them, online and off.
Maintaining your privacy has never been so crucial. With the entrie world available at our fingerips, it is vital that your children understand that by posting information online, it receives public exposure. Personal information should not be shared - "Think before you post."
Set up a family email account which can be used specifically to register for websites, competitions etc.
There is a huge, vast audience out there. If someone is your friend's freiend, they can see everything.
Chat facilities, Web Cam Chats, File Sharing Systems should NOT be used, even if they state they are for children only. The users are only electronically verified and so anyone can join. Chat facilities do not require profiles and allow for complete anonymity.
The best person to keep a child safe is the child so tell them that some people on line are not who they say they are. They may lie, by pretending to be someone else, like a child when in fact they are an adult. Tell them that if they are ever asked to do something or told something that either worries them or causes them concern they must tell you or an adult about it.
The NCA's CEOP command is here to help children and young people. We are here to help if you are a young person and you or your friend (up to age 18) has been forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity with anyone online, or in the real world. We also have advice and links to support for other online problems young people might face, such as cyberbullying and hacking. Vist our Safety centre for advice and to report directly to CEOP, by clicking on the Click CEOP button.


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Tag: mobile game technology
Mobile games graphics could rival that of current consoles
Stephen | July 11, 2013
EA has high hopes for next generation mobile games
Major game publisher Electronic Arts believes that the next generation of mobile games will have the same graphical capabilities of games for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. This would have been a bold claim, if mobile technology had remained relatively stagnant over the past few years. Technology has, however, advanced at a very rapid pace and modern smartphones and tablets are equipped with hardware that could rival the current generation of consoles.
Mobile games manage to gain popularity with modest graphics
Mobile games are already quite popular among consumers, so much so that they have begun to cut into the sales of console games in some parts of the world. These games have not won consumers over by offering high quality visuals, however, as most mobile games are designed with very simple, approachable graphical content. The modest graphics of most mobile games is directly linked to the hardware capabilities of smartphones and tablets. Until very recently, these devices have not been designed with gaming in mind, thus did not boast of high performance graphics processing units (GPUs).
New technology enables games to become more visually impressive
Because smartphones and tablets have become major entertainment platforms for many consumers, device makers have been working on making these devices more accommodating of mobile games. Electronic Arts notes that the progress these devices have made in terms of graphical power has improved significantly over the past two years and could lead to a new generation of mobile games that provide a visually stunning experience as well as one that is enjoyable for consumers from a gameplay standpoint.
Graphics engines could signal a bright future for mobile games
Electronic Arts notes that many of the graphics engines that it uses for console games can be modified to be used on mobile devices. These engines are common in games that have been made for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, but have seen minimal use in the mobile sector. As these engines become more available to developers and help usher in a new generation of smartphones and tablets, mobile games may soon become a much larger and more prolific part of the game industry in the near future.
Square Enix sets sights on mobile games
BWild | May 30, 2013
Mobile games prove attractive for Square Enix
Acclaimed game developer and publisher Square Enix has suffered through a turbulent year. The famed Japanese company had once been considered a titan of the game industry, but has struggled in the wake of the release of several lackluster games that have not performed well in any market. Even though the company's most recent releases, such as Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs, have received critical acclaim, these titles have failed to meet the company's lofty expectations. The poor performance of Square Enix's console and PC games may be pushing the company to show more interest in mobile games.
Company continues to struggle with criticism from consumers
In the past, Square Enix has received praise for providing gamers with quality experiences that were almost impossible to find elsewhere. The company has a tendency to push the boundaries of modern console technology in an attempt to provide gamers with enjoyable experiences that have been difficult to find elsewhere. In recent years, the company has been met with increasing difficulty in this endeavor, often receiving criticism for focusing too much on the technology aspects of gaming and not enough on the actual experience of gaming.
Square Enix aims to bring console experience to mobile games
With the advent of mobile games beginning to draw attention away from traditional consoles, Square Enix is beginning to see a new opportunity to dazzle consumers with its extensive experience in the realm of gaming technology. The company has begun to show its interest in bringing the console experience to the mobile space, effectively improving the quality of mobile games significantly in the future. The company has plans to publish mobile games in the future and intends to focus on games that deliver a quality and technologically advanced experience to consumers.
Game industry growing increasingly mobile
Much of the game industry has begun to show interest in the mobile space. Mobile games have been drawing consumers away from traditional gaming platforms for some time, but have only recently begun cutting into the sales of traditional consoles. Square Enix is not t he only company with plans to take mobile games more seriously and a new focus on these kinds of games may help the company recover much of the support it has lost among consumers.
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Massachusetts study: School nurses provide economic benefit
The National Association of School Nurses provides the following information about school nurses:
How many school nurses are there in the United States?
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), there are 73,697 registered nurses working as school nurses (HRSA, 2010).
Click to access rnsurveyinitial2008.pdf
How are school nurses funded?
Local school district budget, state budget, EPSDT, Title I, Medicaid (accessed by only 42% of schools), and community sponsors. http://www.nasn.org/AboutNASN/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported in School Nurse Shortage May Imperil Some Children, RWJF Scholars Warn:
Demand for school nurses is growing.
Medical advances are allowing more premature babies and others with severe health conditions to survive into adulthood, but these children often require complex, continuous care at home and at school. There is a rising incidence of diseases with life-threatening implications such as diabetes, seizures, asthma, bleeding disorders, and severe allergies, according to a 2010 report on the future of nursing by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). And there is an increase in mental health disorders, such as substance abuse problems, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and aggression. "What we saw 20 years ago in acute care hospitals is what we're seeing now in the schools," Newell said.
Growing poverty rates are also taking a toll, Newell added. She sees students with rotting teeth who can't afford dental care; students who share asthma inhalers and insulin strips with relatives because their families cannot afford enough supplies for each individual member; and students who go to school sick because their parents can't afford to take unpaid time away from work to care for them.
Under these circumstances, an inadequate supply of school nurses can be deadly. In September, Laporshia Massey, 12, died after suffering a severe asthma attack at a Philadelphia school on a day when no nurse was present. Massey's father has said that an on-site school nurse could have saved his daughter's life. "We're worried that more tragedies like this will occur" if students don't have access to a school nurse, Maughan said.
A Vital Role
School nurses serve nearly 50 million students nationwide in nearly 100,000 public schools, according to the IOM report. They are a subset of the nation's public health nursing workforce; learn more about this workforce in a 2013 RWJF report…. http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/12/School-Nurse-Shortage-May-Imperil-Some-Children.html
See, Are school nurses disappearing? http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/04/school.nurse.shortage.parenting/
Denisa Superville and Evie Blad reported in the Education Week article, Philadelphia Tragedy Highlights Role of School Nurses:
The value of full-time, registered school nurses is not limited to the medical assistance they provide; there is also an economic benefit to society, according to a study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers studied 78 Massachusetts districts that participated in the state's Essential School Health Services Program during the 2009-10 school year to demonstrate the benefits of having a full-time registered nurse on staff. The program cost $79 million, but researchers estimated that it saved $20 million in medical-care costs; $28.1 million in parents' productivity loss; and $129.1 million in teachers' productivity loss, generating a net benefit of $98 million.
Despite their medical and economic value, nurses are often among the first to go when districts face budget constraints because not every state requires a nurse to be in every school building, according to experts in the field. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends a ratio of one full-time, registered school nurse to every 750 students. The National Association of School Nurses suggests a lower ratio for schools with high numbers of students with special health needs, chronic illnesses, or developmental disabilities.
But in a 2013 survey of nearly 7,000 school nurses by the National Association of School Nurses, only 48 percent of respondents said they worked in environments that met or exceeded the federal recommendation—an improvement over 2011, when 43 percent met or exceeded that standard.
In the 2013 survey, 21.7 percent of the responding nurses reported that they covered several buildings and thus trained unlicensed co-workers to perform daily routines. And 16.2 percent of respondents said school nurse jobs in their areas had been threatened by cuts. Nearly 6 percent of nurses surveyed said other nurses in their district had been cut… http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/06/04/33philly_ep.h33.html?tkn=NYVF%2Fx9i5XFMOi7aMUx8sW20naBH5P%2FvtW78&intc=es
Cost-Benefit Study of School Nursing Services
Li Yan Wang, MBA, MA1; Mary Vernon-Smiley, MD, MPH1; Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN2; Marie Desisto, RN, MSN3; Erin Maughan, PhD, MS, RN, APHN-BC4; Anne Sheetz, MPH, RN, NEA-BC2
JAMA Pediatr. Published online May 19, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.5441
ABSTRACT | METHODS | RESULTS | DISCUSSION | CONCLUSIONS | ARTICLE INFORMATION | REFERENCES
Importance In recent years, across the United States, many school districts have cut on-site delivery of health services by eliminating or reducing services provided by qualified school nurses. Providing cost-benefit information will help policy makers and decision makers better understand the value of school nursing services.
Objective To conduct a case study of the Massachusetts Essential School Health Services (ESHS) program to demonstrate the cost-benefit of school health services delivered by full-time registered nurses.
Design, Setting, and Participants Standard cost-benefit analysis methods were used to estimate the costs and benefits of the ESHS program compared with a scenario involving no school nursing service. Data from the ESHS program report and other published studies were used. A total of 477 163 students in 933 Massachusetts ESHS schools in 78 school districts received school health services during the 2009-2010 school year.
Interventions School health services provided by full-time registered nurses.
Main Outcomes and Measures Costs of nurse staffing and medical supplies incurred by 78 ESHS districts during the 2009-2010 school year were measured as program costs. Program benefits were measured as savings in medical procedure costs, teachers' productivity loss costs associated with addressing student health issues, and parents' productivity loss costs associated with student early dismissal and medication administration. Net benefits and benefit-cost ratio were calculated. All costs and benefits were in 2009 US dollars.
Results During the 2009-2010 school year, at a cost of $79.0 million, the ESHS program prevented an estimated $20.0 million in medical care costs, $28.1 million in parents' productivity loss, and $129.1 million in teachers' productivity loss. As a result, the program generated a net benefit of $98.2 million to society. For every dollar invested in the program, society would gain $2.20. Eighty-nine percent of simulation trials resulted in a net benefit.
Conclusions and Relevance The results of this study demonstrated that school nursing services provided in the Massachusetts ESHS schools were a cost-beneficial investment of public money, warranting careful consideration by policy makers and decision makers when resource allocation decisions are made about school nursing positions.
According to Truth About Nursing.org school nurses are a first defense against disease and injury. See, Why School Nurses Are Good for Children and Schools https://www.aft.org/pdfs/healthcare/value_schoolnurses.pdf
In Why do we need school nurses? Truth About Nursing summarizes the importance of school nurses:
School nurses save lives, increase student attendance and decrease early dismissals. Here's what school nurses do. They:
•	are the first line of defense against epidemics and disease outbreaks, monitoring the health of the overall population and connecting with public health officials;
•	are the first responders to critical incidents on school property;
•	provide direct health services for students;
•	identify threats to health in the school community (peanut butter, dogs, traffic, broken equipment and facilities, bullies, lack of clean water or hand soap) and work to elimate those problems as a cause of ill health;
•	provide leadership for the provision of health services, health policies and programs;
•	provide a critical safety net for the most fragile students;
•	provide screening and referral for health conditions such as vision, hearing;
•	promote a healthy school environment;
•	enable children with chronic health conditions to attend school;
•	promote student health and learning;
•	serve as a liaison between school personnel, family, community, and health care providers.
Important information from the National Association of School Nurses: http://www.nasn.org/
"The Role of the School Nurse" http://www.nasn.org/Portals/0/positions/2011psrole.pdf
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Bills http://www.nasn.org/PolicyAdvocacy/StudenttoSchoolNurseRatioImprovementAct
"Unlocking the Potential of School Nursing: Keeping Children Healthy, In School, and Ready to Learn," by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2009/01/charting-nursings-future-archives/unlocking-the-potential-of-school-nursing.html http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/action/school_nurses.html#ixzz33YEv89BA
The study indicates that in the long run school nurses save money and increase the quality of life for children, their parents, and their communities. There is a nursing shortage and financially challenged school districts are in no position to compete for the scarce supply of nurses.
Where information leads to Hope. © Dr. Wilda.com
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Tags: Children's Health, Cost-Benefit Study of School Nursing Services, education, National Association of School Nurses, Philadelphia Tragedy Highlights Role of School Nurses, School Nurse, School Nurse Shortage May Imperil Some Children RWJF Scholars Warn, school nurses, Schools, Why do we need school nurses?
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Muharram is the first month of lunar calendar when my people try to show their love and respect for Imam Hussein (the grandson of Prophet Muhammad) in lots of traditional rituals during the first ten days of this month. The tenth day of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura, is the most important day of the Mourning as it's the day of Imam's martyrdom.
This tour is an opportunity to experience Passionate Ashura in Yazd. Although these rites take place in numerous parts of Iran and you can visit the gangs of mourners in every street, in some cities including Yazd, they are held much more glorious with more Iranian local foods as Nazri.
There are various traditions such as Ta'zieh, a kind of street theater in costume inspired by historical and religious events which happened in Karbala battle about 1400 years ago and Nakhl Gardani, carrying a majestic wooden Nakhl – a symbol of Imam Hussein's coffin – on the shoulders of mourners.
will be transferred to hotel for rest.
Time permitting, we can walk around Tehran Bazaar, few steps far from Golestan Palace. At first, you'll visit Old Sepah Salar Mosque. It's built about 150 years ago, one of the last historical grand structure which is remained up to now.
Near Grand Bazaar, you'll also visit the oldest Jame mosque of Tehran. From here we'll continue along the Bazaar route, we go to the Timche Akbarian.
Timche Akbarian dates back to almost 260 years from the Qajar era when its main purpose was for exchange and gold. Later it was developed into the first bank of Iran ran mainly by Jews who were the prominent residents of Oudlajan neighbourhood. As of today, there's no bank or money exchange but the place has been delicately restored into a Dizi Sara and the tea house where tea comes in thin waist cups and along with sugar canes.
Dining in the capital offers a chance to experience another slice of modern life. In our carefully selected city restaurants, you'll sample traditional Iranian cuisine as it's enjoyed today by the cosmopolitan citizens of the capital. You're likely to meet smiling young Iranians who are delighted to engage with you.
This morning you will visit National Museum of Iran, where you can see fabulous historical items from 5000 BC to the advent of Islam in Iran which shows the brief history of our Land. The National Museum of Iran now has two new complexes. The Museum of the (post-) Islamic Era which is consists of three floors. It contains various pieces of pottery, textiles, texts, artworks, astrolabes, and Adobe calligraphy, from Iran's post-Islamic era and The Prehistory section of the National Museum of Iran is devoted to artefacts ranging from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Covering a wide spectrum of materials ranging from terracotta, metal, stone, and bitumen.
In evening, we take you to the airport in Tehran for your included flight to Isfahan. After arriving in airport our local guide transfer you to the hotel.
Next up is Chehel Sotun. Set in a landscaped and forested park in front of a tranquil reflecting pool, this graceful pavilion was built by Shah Abbas II for entertainment and court receptions. Entering through a portico with twenty slender wooden columns, you'll discover soaring halls embellished with frescoes, paintings and mosaics; the Hall of Mirrors is especially breathtaking! In the afternoon, you'll return to the center of town to continue exploring the shops and landmarks that surround Imam Square.
Today, you'll join our expert guide to begin your exploration of the city, starting with some of the centuries-old, still elegant bridges that span the Zayandeh River. The 14th-century Shahrestan Bridge, for example, evokes the greatest aqueducts of ancient Rome and is the oldest bridge in Iran. Other famous bridges on the Zayandeh River are Sio-ce-Pol and Khaju. There are sluice gates below the bridge to let the water runoff from Zayandeh River in the spring, and there are beautiful stone archways above each gate. These archways provide a great acoustic place for every man who wants to sing. You can always find a man or a group of men singing under the bridge. The songs are usually about betrayal or unrequited love. You have the chance to chat with these men and listen to their songs.
Leaving Isfahan behind, we'll have a short stop in the small town of Na'in, an ancient community with origins dating back to the 8th century to visit the Jamé Mosque. It is one of the oldest mosques in Iran and is known for the beauty of its brickwork. You'll learn more about the region's cultural traditions.
Today is the ninth of Muharram is named Tasoa. You can visit domed mosques, walking on the street, listening to Persian poetry and participate in this special festival.
Your overland journey continues to the most sacred Zoroastrian site in the world, Chak Chak. Once there, climb the steep hill with over 300 steps, to reach the Pir-e-Sabz Fire Temple, the most sacred of the Zoroastrian mountain shrines. The shrine enclosure is floored with marble and its walls are darkened by fires kept Eternally Burning in the sanctuary. In the cliffs below the shrine are several roofed pavilions constructed to accommodate pilgrims. Each year from June 1418 thousands of Zoroastrians flocks to Chak Chak for pilgrimage.
From here we will continue to Yazd, driving through a desert lined with mountains, often snow-capped. We start our tour of Yazd after arriving in this city. Yazd is one of Iran's oldest continuously inhabited towns, its silhouette punctuated by minarets and the ingeniously-designed wind towers that capture desert breezes to cool homes during the hot summer months.
Today is Ashura and you have a chance to experience Passionate Ashura in Yazd. Although these rites take place in numerous parts of Iran and you can visit the gangs of mourners in every street, in some cities including Yazd, they are held much more glorious with more Iranian local foods as Nazri. There are various traditions such as Ta'zieh, a kind of street theatre in the costume inspired by historical and religious events which happened in Karbala battle about 1400 years ago and Nakhl Gardani, carrying a majestic wooden Nakhl – a symbol of Imam Hussein's coffin – on the shoulders of mourners.
The ceremony in Amir Chakhmaq starts when the heavy decorated Nakhl is carried on the shoulders of hundreds of male mourners, old or young, symbolising the coffin of Imam Hussein and his martyr companions. This ritual is called NakhlGardani (literally carrying and turning the Nakhl). Almost all the other male mourners gather in the centre and the women in a bigger circle around them and on the rooftop of the buildings nearby. The population is said to reach millions, especially in the nearby town of Taft where so many tourists also visit to watch the ceremony. There are some guys standing on top of the Nakhl, among them, an old Sayyed (descendant of the prophet) chants Ya Hussein and guides the passionate mourners carrying it, so that no one is left under. They turn the Nakhl several times around the square and at the same time the people cry out religious chants.
After the Nakhl-Gardani ritual, people continue mourning and listening to the religious sermons until sundown. After the night prayers, they hold the Sham-e Ghariban (literally the night of the strangers) as candlelight vigil for the martyrs of Karbala. Children often go to different districts holding candles and light up the streets, symbolizing children of Imam Hussein and his companions who search for the corpses in the dark night of the Karbala desert. And that is how and when the massive rituals to observe the first ten days of Moharram end in Yazd.
We have a full day of driving today to reach our destination of Shiraz; it is a good idea to stock up on locally bought and easily found dates and pistachio nuts for the journey.
On route we will stop at Pasagarde, UNESCO World Heritage Site, tomb of Cyrus the Great and former capital of the Achaemenid Empire. We will spend some time exploring the site and though not as striking as Persepolis, there is a great viewpoint where we can look over the site and the surrounding area.
From here we will continue to Naqsh-e-Rustam, the Necropolis where Darius and his successors are buried. Carved into the side of a cliff, the site is extraordinary in its magnitude and sheer ambition and does not disappoint even after the impressive Persepolis.
From here we will drive a couple of miles to the legendary city of Persepolis, the former capital of Darius the Great and founded in 512 BC. There was no more impressive construction in the ancient world, except perhaps Karnak in Egypt.
Then we'll continue to Shiraz.
After that, you will visit Eram Garden with its aromatic myrtles, beautiful flowers, fruit trees, and towering cypress (one of which is said to be 3,000 years old). You will also visit Karim Khan Citadel. Built during the Zand Dynasty.
In the morning, we drive to Ahvaz. But on the way, we'll have a chance to visit several outstanding sites dating back to Elamite (3-5 thousand years ago) and Sassanid eras (1800 years ago). These monuments are interesting and worth visiting.
Bishapur city remains is situated south of modern Faliyan in the Kazerun County, on the ancient road between Persis and Elam. The road linked the Sassanid capitals Istakhr (very close to Persepolis) and Ctesiphon.
We will continue to Ahvaz and check in to our hotel.
Today we drive from Ahvaz towards Susa to see the exquisite beauty of the magnificent Chogha Zanbil Temple, the temple belongs to Elam Period, 3200 years old. It is one of the few extant ziggurats outside Mesopotamia. Archaeological excavations undertaken between 1951 and 1962 revealed the site, and the ziggurat is considered to be the best-preserved example in the world. In 1979, Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After visiting Haft Tape Museum near the Ziggurat, we'll visit the Tomb of Daniel, a very famous Jewish saint. We'll continue the tour and will drive to the next city known as Shushtar where is popular for waterfall and mills, the old water reservoir system of Persia.
In this city, you'll see a Historical Hydraulic System (A registered site in UNESCO world heritage) and a traditional house. We will return to Ahvaz from here for your included flight to Tehran where you'll be escorted to the Hotel.
This morning we take you north of town into the mountain foothills to a lovely park-like setting to visit the Sa'ad Abad Palace. This was the coronation and marriage palace of the Pahlavi Dynasty – and the residence from which the last Shah of Iran fled after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Now a museum, its extensive collection includes period furnishings and décor, and even the personal effects of the last Shah. Our guests also enjoy an exclusive tour through an intimate gallery dedicated to the 20th-century art collection of Iran's last Empress.
Then we'll visit the Niavaran Complex that is a historical complex situated in Shemiran, Tehran. It consists of several buildings and monuments built in the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. From here we go to Tajrish Bazaar that is in northern Tehran and a great venue for a spot of afternoon shopping. Boasting a vibrant central section selling fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as traditional Iranian sweets, the other alleyways of the bazaar peddle everyday items alongside traditional crafts and touristy merchandise. The Bazaar backs onto the picturesque Imamzadeh Saleh shrine, a popular local pilgrimage site, and also houses an excellent value kebab restaurant and teahouse.