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Interdisciplinary Social Science
Pursue Undergraduate Program in
About Program
How do culture, politics and the economy intermingle to inform current debates on social justice in Canada and around the globe? Choose a program that will let you contribute to meaningful change in the world by establishing a sound foundation in social theory and practice.
York's Interdisciplinary Social Science program (ISS) provides students with a solid grounding in cross-disciplinary social science research methods and critical social theory.
Students have the opportunity to explore courses from a range of fields including Work & Labour Studies, Development Studies, Health & Society, Urban Studies and African Studies to critically examine historical and contemporary issues related to social and political thought, social justice and diversity, sustainability and the environment, social exclusion and identity, diaspora and global development.
In addition to fostering strong theoretical and methodological training, the ISS program grounds itself in the belief that social analysis cannot be separated from social practice. Professors and many students affiliated with the program are actively engaged in fostering social change.
Students are strongly encouraged to combine their ISS degree with another Major or Minor program, either within the Department of Social Science or outside it.
Students may choose among one of the four different degrees:
BA: 90 Credits
Honours BA: 120 Credits
Honours Double Major BA: 120 Credits
Honours Major/Minor BA: 120 Credits (where the Major is Interdisciplinary Social Science)
Students who choose the Honours degree will not have to select a stream, but they will have to choose from an approved list of Theory Courses as part of the degree requirements.
A degree in ISS will benefit students interested in studying the relationship between culture, politics and the economy in Canadian and global contexts. Our degree programs prepare students for a wide variety of careers in the public, private, volunteer and community sectors, as well as for further post-graduate studies.
Contact us at goyork@yorku.ca
Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Winter Entry
Summer Entry
Sample Schedule (First-year)
AP/SOSC 1000 9.00 / E.S.L. 1009 9.00 Introduction To Social Science
AP/SOSC 2000 6.00 Interdisciplinary Approaches To Social Inquiry
AP/SOSC 4000 6.00 Topics In Social Science Research
Possible Career Paths
Social policy worker
Social advocate
Community relations officer
Explore what you can do with your degree
Viewbooks
LA&PS
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Transfer & Mature
Select your academic history I am a high-school student I have completed at least one year of full-time study at college or university I have been away from high-school for at least two years I have never studied in a formal academic high-school environment Returning / Reactivating student (previously York) Visiting Students
Select your high-school curriculum - Ontario British Columbia Yukon Alberta Nunavut Northwest Territories Saskatchewan Manitoba Quebec Grade 12 Quebec CEGEP New Brunswick Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island Newfoundland & Labrador US High School (including AP exams) International Baccalaureate General Certificate of Education (GCE) Baccalauréat Français Bachillerato Devlet Lise Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Hong Kong Indian Chinese High School Tawjihyah West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examinations Council (NECO)
Select your academic status I have attended/am attending university I have attended/am attending college
Requirements for admission:
Alberta High School Diploma
ELA30-1 or English 30
And four additional academic courses numbered 30 or 31
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 72.
British Columbia Secondary School Graduation Diploma
English 12 or English 12 First Peoples
And four additional Grade 12 Academic subjects
Baccalauréat Français
Baccalauréat Général with a minimum overall score of 10 (mention passable) from a French lycée accredited by the Ministry of Education or an accrediting agency in France.
Some programs require a higher GPA. Please review the requirements for your program below.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
The following documents are required for your application to be reviewed for a conditional offer of admission. Documents can be uploaded to your MyFile account after you apply. Decisions are typically made 4-8 weeks after all required documents are submitted.
High School Transcript(s)
Grade 12 First Trimester Grades for Terminale Year
Other documents may be required, and are determined by your academic background (please check your MyFile)
Baccalauréat Général
A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click "Transfer Credit Requirements" for details.
Successful completion of the final year of senior studies.
Exceptions: Students presenting strong academic profiles with Bachillerato programs from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay & Venezuela will be reviewed on an individual basis for admission consideration.
Grade 12 Mid-year/Semester 1 Grades
Successful completion of the final year of senior studies
Minimum overall result of "Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good" on all academic courses.
Some programs require a higher GPA.
CXC Certificate(s)
CAPE Unit 1 Examination Results
CAPE Unit 2 Predicted Grades
Diploma with a total of at least six units, including prerequisites, and grades of 1, 2 or 3 in each unit.
A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click "Transfer Credit Requirements" for details.
One year of CEGEP
2 semesters of English/anglais
And ten additional academic courses (high-school equivalent courses not accepted)
Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
Chinese High School
Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate
Successful completion of the final year of Senior 3/Grade 12 level of study with a minimum overall average of 75% on all academic courses.
Grade 12 Mid-year Grade
Turkish High School
Devlet Lise Diplomasi with a minimum overall average of 4.0 or 70% is required in the final year of senior studies to be considered for most programs.
Some programs require higher. Please review the requirements for your program below.
Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 4.0 or 70%.
Grade 12 Semester 1 Grades
Lise Diplomasi
Minimum of two Advanced-level (A2) passes and three GCSE or IGCSE Ordinary-level (O-level) passes.
Minimum average of "C" is required on Advanced-level and Ordinary-level passes.
Prerequisite courses must be presented at the Advanced-level.
High School Transcript
Advanced-level (A2) Predicted Grades
GCSE/IGCSE (O-level) Certificate(s) (e.g. Pearson EdExcel, AQA, Cambridge, British Council, etc.)
General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examinations
GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click "Transfer Credit Requirements" for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum average of C is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of C.
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Successful completion of the Twelfth Year of senior studies with a minimum overall average of 4.0/5.0 required.
Grade 12 Predicted/Mid-year Grades
To gain admission to this program, successful completion of the Twelfth Year of senior studies with a minimum overall average of %cutoff.hk%/5.0 required.
IB Predicted/Expected/Anticipated Grades
For most programs, minimum IB Diploma point scores of 30 or higher recommended (scores of 28 will be considered) - please check individual program requirement.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click "Transfer Credit Requirements" for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum IB diploma point scores of 28 is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires minimum IB diploma point scores of 28.
Indian High School
Grade XII graduation with minimum overall average of 60% is required to be considered for most programs.
Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 55%.
Grade X Certificate, and Grade XI Final Transcript
XII Predicted Grades
Completion of one of the following:
All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
Indian School Certificate (ISC)
Intermediate Examination Certificate
Pre-University Examination Certificate
Manitoba High School Diploma
English 40S
And four additional 40S level academic subjects (no more than one at the 40G level)
New Brunswick High School Graduation Diploma
English 120, 121 or 122
And five additional Grade 12 academic subjects (college preparatory 120, 121 or 122)
Newfoundland and Labrador High School Graduation Diploma
And nine additional credits at the 3000 level
Nova Scotia High School Graduation Diploma
And four additional Grade 12 academic subjects (university preparatory academic or advanced)
Nunavut High School Graduation Diploma
Northwest Territories High School Graduation Diploma
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
ENG4U
And five additional 4U or M courses
OUAC code YRH
Completion of a diploma program or at least two full semesters or one year of full-time academic study at an accredited college
Overall average of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)
To be considered a mature student, you must:
Be at least 20 years old by the end of the calendar year of admission to the University
Have been out of full-time high school studies for at least two years or have returned to upgrade after a two year absence
Have attempted less than one full year of studies at an accredited university or college
Have demonstrated potential for success through academic, professional or volunteer activities and other accomplishments
Completion of at least four full-year courses or one year of full-time degree studies at an accredited university
Applicants to Honours-level program: Overall average of 2.3 or better on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)
Applicants to Bachelor-level program: Overall average of 2.0 or better on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)
Prince Edward Island Senior Secondary School Diploma
And four additional Grade 12 academic subjects (numbered 611 or 621)
Quebec Grade 12 Certificate of Graduation
Grade 12 English
And five additional academic (university preparation level) subjects
Transcript of Secondary Level Achievement
English A30 and English B30
And three additional Grade 12 academic subjects numbered 30
Tawjihyah
To gain admission to most programs, senior school Leaving Certificate with a minimum overall score of 70% is required in academic courses.
General Secondary Education Certificate
United States High School
Grade 12 graduation with a minimum overall average of "B" on Grade 11 and Grade 12 academic courses is required to be considered for most programs. Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
SAT score of 1170 (SAT submission code: 0894) or ACT score of 24 (ACT submission code: 5250).
SAT or ACT scores are not required for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam.
SATs/ACTs are considered in combination with high school grades.
Transfer credit granted for final scores of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) exams, depending on the program (maximum 30 credits). Please click here for details.
Grade 9-12 Semester 1 High School Transcript(s) (with grading scale)
AP Exam Results (if applicable)
For Fall (September) 2021 and Winter (January) 2022 entry, York University will deem the SAT/ACT as optional for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam. However, students who have completed a standardized test are encouraged to submit their test scores as it may support your application for competitive programs. SAT/ACT scores must be sent electronically from the College Board directly to York. Please browse the section below for pre-requisites and detailed admission requirements.
Note: An SAT/ACT test will be required from students who are not enrolled in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam or have not studied in a formal academic high-school environment.
AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click "Transfer Credit Requirements" for details.
West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examinations Council (NECO)
West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examinations Council (NECO) with grades of C4-6 or better are required for most programs.
Grade 11-12 Semester 1 High School Transcript
If you have already completed the WAEC or NECO exam, you can provide your scratch card access information for grade verification.
Yukon High School Diploma
And three additional Grade 12 Academic subjects
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.


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Category Archives: Definitions
Climate issues, Definitions, Science stories, Soapbox
The FAA and the Ideals of Science
Today, its not unusual to see researchers publishing seemingly important findings in journals accompanied by a global news release at the time the article appears. At this point, such research has perhaps been reviewed prior to journal publication by only several individuals.
However, it has become fairly common for researchers asscociated with globally impactful findings to withhold methodologies that led to them. The natural result, particularly in the climate change domain, is a firestorm since critics in that research domain are SURE that there are misdeeds or errors due to "confirmation bias."
An example in point is the important "Hockey Stick" paper by Mann et al. 1998 (Nature), one that was to have tremendous influence before it could be checked by outsiders on how exactly it came about. This paper showed a sharp rise in global temperatures during the past 30-40 years, one commensurate with the thought that rising CO2 concentrations were already having a noticeable effect on global temperatures. Eventually, a number of errors were found in this paper, and the Hockey Stick, as presented, was thrown in doubt. It should be kept in mind, however, that just because the original paper was flawed, that there is not going to be such a rise–the author tends to agree with this proposition that global temperatures will gradually rise in the future.
This long, tortured chapter involving the "Hockey Stick" should not have happened. It was clearly due to the original researchers believing that their results were too important for others to learn how they got them. Sadly, in this writer's opinion, it is a position of the National Science Foundation well that researchers can hide their methodologies and the exact data they used under a "proprietary" umbrella. A scientific horror story in concerning the Hockey Stick has been laid out in detail by A. W. Montford, in "The Hockey Stick Illusion", a book I highly recommend.
Withholding methodologies and data suggests that something is wrong with the outcome of the research, and, furthermore, is anti-science. Imagine, a lab announces that it has cured cancer, but can't tell us exactly how they did it, and so no one can replicate their results! In the domain of medicine, this would be a ludicrous, surreal example; it wouldn't happen. It should not happen in the important climate change domain, either.
On the other hand, the view that opening the door to skeptics of your work can lead to a lessening of conflict in research domains, and even more likely, an improvement in the robustness of the orignal work, is one that is shared by numerous scientists.
Who among us as science workers, is so arrogant that we think our work cannot be improved upon?
While we depend on peer-review to catch errors, it has been this writer's experience that hundreds of pages of peer-reviewed literature in the domain of cloud seeding research can reach the journals and stand untouched, uncritiqued for years at a time. This is because peer-review in conflictive environments can easily fail with soft reviews by advocates of the conclusions being reached in a manuscript. No scientist reading this doubts this.
The Federal Aviation Administration is fully aware of the hazards of "soft reviews". The attached statement at left concerning work on the writer's former research aircraft at the University of Washington might well be a metaphor for our science environment. "….there will be a paper trail." "…there will be an inspection by someone other than the person doing the work."
We all know that these kinds of rules established by the FAA is to protect us from plane crashes. But imagine, that there is no "paper trail", no documentation of what's in and what's off the aircraft! That's how we get journal "plane crashes."
It is the same with journal articles on scientific results. How our results were arrived at is mandatory for purposes of replication, of which the first, most basic step is to use exactly the methodologies and data that the original researcher (s) claimed they used and see if you get the same result.
Altostratus clouds, Cirrus clouds, Definitions, Sunsets
"'Altostratus'" at 30,000?"
January 7, 2011 Art Rangno
I'm glad you asked that question. Has to do with rules, cloud rules. It is true that at that altitude above the ground, 30,000 to 40,000 feet, we mostly think of cirrus or "cirriform" clouds. But those clouds, by our cloud definitions, cannot have shading during the daytime with ONE exception, Cirrus spissatus, a thick, but PATCHY ice cloud. Cirrus clouds CAN have shading when the sun is low in the sky, say, near sunset and sunrise. Widespread sheets of gray during the daytime, as we saw over Catalina two days ago, cannot, therefore, be called "Cirrus" unless you want to seem quite ill-informed about clouds. Below is an example of just plain Cirrus clouds, ones that floated overhead at about 100 mph (!) yesterday. In the first photo below, you would not be wrong, however, by referring to that thicker patch in the center as "Cirrus spissatus", or more colloquially, "Cis spis."
An example of "conversational meteorology" concerning Cirrus: you and your friend are horseback riding (as I do twice a week, really!) and you see this scene. The correct thing to say to your friend (in this case, "Nora", who, interestingly, is not my wife) is; "Looks like we got us some Cis spis today. Maybe we'll have one o' them great sunsets again tonight."
Well, that's the way I would say it, anyway. And we DID have one of those GREAT sunsets last evening that make living here in Arizona so special. Below are a coupla shots of "Cis spis" at sunset yesterday. (There are some other varieties of Cirrus in these shots, but I won't bore you with a list.) ((BTW, as an aside, a footnote, I've learned as a novice rider here in Catalina, that an awful lot of the guys don't ride but their spouses do. One husband told me, "I don't get on anything that doesn't have a motor."))
Altostratus clouds, Definitions, Ice crystals, Stratus clouds
Altostratus: a misunderstood cloud and for good reason
Yesterday afternoon the clouds thickened and dimmed the sun, and our high temperature struggled only into the mid-50s. What cloud was that? Here it is, with Twin Peaks on the horizon.
Our names for clouds, originating with English pharmacist, Luke Howard, are based on visual attributes from the ground. Here, "Altostratus" (As) does RESEMBLE its lower namesake cloud, Stratus, a low fog-like cloud with little definition often found in summer along the West Coast. See a rare example of Stratus (St) hereabouts below. Note that it is topping the Tortolita Mountains to the west, it is that low.
However, about the only thing that these clouds have in common is that they are both relatively smooth looking clouds. Inside them, they are totally different. Also, St is a shallow cloud usually less than 1 km (3,000 feet) in depth, while As is normally 2-3 km 6,000 to 10,000 feet) in depth. In Stratus, you just have cloud drops and maybe, as below, a few drizzle drops (mist-like) falling out. OK, once in awhile in cold locales you have a few ice crystals falling out, but drops rule! On the other hand, in Altostratus, if you were flying in them with a 1998 version of the Stratton Park Engineering Company's Cloud Particle Imager ($130,000 or so–I've added a link in case some of you want to go shopping now), you would find nothing but ice crystals for the most part. Water droplet clouds are sometimes found in them, and, oddly, if the top is not too cold (warmer than about -30 C), at cloud top, the coldest place! So, it is not unusual to see, even in journals, a thin layer cloud consisting of drops called, As. Makes sense really. (A name change of As to "Altonimbostratus" would be helpful to emphasize its internal ice and falling snow particles.)
An example of the kinds of crystals found in a As clouds is shown below, collected over Barrow, AK, in a 1998 project called FIRE/ACE/SHEBA.
These typical crystals, having grown on the way down from simple plates or tiny columns, or sphere-like "germs", are called "bulett rosettes."
Aircraft Produced Ice Particles, Altocumulus clouds, Cirrocumulus clouds, Cloud seeding, Contrails, Definitions, Science stories
What's Up with This?
Got pretty mad yesterday when I saw this overhead in some Altocumulus perlucidus clouds. You'll have to hold your monitor or Ipad, or cell phone, or whatever, over your head to see it EXACTLY the way I saw this because it WAS overhead; straight up. (Actually, doing 3 sets of 12 might be good for you.) Also, click on images to get the full view.
As you can see, the white strip below in these clouds is a contrail caused by an aircraft, but a special one that occurs in "supercooled" clouds. Supercooled clouds are clouds that are composed of drops, yep, they're still liquid, even though the temperature is FAR below freezing. Here, the clouds were likely colder than -20 C (-4 F) and yet there is no ice forming in them! (You don't see trails of snow coming out, do you? No.) Run of the mill contrails occur at cirrus levels at temperatures below about -35 C (-31 F).
Note that except for being much whiter than the surrounding cloud, the elements are exactly the same size and texture as those around it. That is going to change, because this white strip is composed of "horrendous" concentrations (probably thousands per liter) of ice! You can only know this by what happens later.
In the next shot below, is an example of what happens later, trails of tiny snow crystals fall out leaving a hole in the droplet cloud, so called, "hole punch" clouds, a form of inadvertent cloud seeding by aircraft. Note the delicate strands of ice crystals falling out of this cloud from the hole, so pretty because they are so delicate looking. Note, too, I am one of the "trailing authors" of the journal article above, like one of those itty bitty ice crystals in the second photo which are almost evaporated at the bottom of those fine strands.
So why be upset?
Rather than looking forward to good things in the coming year, this happenstance yesterday reminded me of all the trouble we had in the early 1980s trying to get our paper published on this phenomenon; namely, that an aircraft could produce tremendous amounts of ice when flying through supercooled clouds, inadvertently seeding them.
In the SECOND rejection of our manuscript (with Pete Hobbs), the Editors words still burn; "(the reviewers) are still unconvinced by these controversial claims."
We had to do a LOT of extra work on this to convince those reviewers. The third version was more convincing, I guess, for intransigent reviewers, and got published. In fact, one of the great scientists of our time as far as clouds and ice crystals go, John Hallett (yes, the same one as in the "Hallett-Mossop" ice splintering process), speaking at the Peter Hobbs Symposium Day in 2008 called this episode, "an embarrassment for the airborne research community." "Hey", he wasn't referring to our paper!
He was referring to the fact that such a phenemenon had been overlooked and not accounted for in research studies of clouds by aircraft. Actually ground observers had been reporting this kind of thing (ice canals and hole punch clouds) since, if you can believe it, the 1930s!
BTW, this hole is not the one from the first shot; I got distracted and forgot to follow it until it was disappearing over the horizon.
BTW#2,, this shows what happens when you introduce ice into a supercooled cloud; "stuff" falls out. Proves cloud seeding works, though for sure in limited venues like these (non-precipitating, supercooled clouds).
BTW#3: The second photo is a nice example of the difference between supercooled clouds composed of tiny drops (probably less than 20 microns in diameter), and cirrus-ee ice clouds, composed of much larger crystals (here probably 100 or 300 or so microns in maximum size) that tend to settle with time. (Hence, those strands in most cirrus clouds.
BTW#4: Today's title is cribbed off the world's most viewed climate website, "What's Up With That?" Mr. Watts, host of the site, has made significant contributions to our climate network by pointing out flaws, but has no "credentials" beyond having been a TEEVEE meteorologist. He is excoriated on this point alone by "credentialists", as I myself was when I first began to reanalyze other folks' cloud seeding experiments such as this one.
BTW#5, a movie about credentialism is now out, called, "The King's Speech." I highly recommend it. In this documentary, which I just saw yesterday, it will be seen that the credentialists in the King's Court were royally put out by the help the King got by his uncredentialed therapist.
Altocumulus clouds, Altostratus clouds, Definitions, Ice crystals, Stratocumulus clouds, Virga
Arizona: Colorado temperatures, Colorado clouds
It was a mind-boggling, hiking-challenging -30 F at Grand Canyon AP yesterday morning. Overhead of Flagstaff, at 5 AM MST yesterday it was -38 C (-36 F) and that temperature was the lowest temperature at 500 millibars in all of the US. It is really, really rare to see -38 C over Arizona! Temperatures in the Tucson and north area in the shallow cloud deck we saw creep over the sky from the west near dawn, were running around -15 to -17 C (5 to 1 F) at cloud top (around 11,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level) according to the Tucson sounding at 5 AM. Bases were just above Mt. Sara Lemmon. For those of you who think I might lie about how high the bottoms of those clouds, I present a photo of Ms. Mt. Lemmon at that time (slight hump beyond first range).
Who cares, you're thinking? Well, in these photos, there is a curiosity; the lack of snow coming out of the bottom of these clouds (called "virga", and you'll want to concentrate when you pronounce this word so it doesn't sound like a popular drug for older males). Normally, in the Arthur's experience, clouds this cold produce virga, that is, there are natural "ice forming" aerosol particles in them that result in snow crystal that grows and falls out of the cloud, a lot of them so that the bases of the clouds are partly obscured by falling snow.
Also there was no radar echoes around at this time. This was to change.
Here is a 30 h loop of the radar imagery for the whole US. You'll have to get a microscope out or zoom in a lot to see our area of SE AZ here, but, it'll be worth it, he asserts. Also, turn the loop speed up to the highest level at left on this web page, or you'll get upset over how long things are taking to view. Don't want any "Web rage" out there! Too, I thought it would be fun for you to see all the echoes and the things they do over a long period, in a fast loop. You'll see here that around AM in our area of SE AZ there is a patch of echo that develops and then kind of hangs out over us until mid-afternoon or so when it disappears.
Here's what the sky looks like when there is widespread ice forming in the clouds and falling out, MOSTLY as virga, and when we had that little patch of radar echo over us:
Note how "smeared" the sky looks now! Also my apologies that a bird was going by obstructing some of the sky…
Well those heavier patches that are hanging down a bit and trail off to the side is what "virga" is. Its often more spectacular than this, I have to say.
What happened to cause this rather sudden transformation of this layer, this sky; why did all this ice begin forming in that cloud layer when it had little or no ice over most of it around dawn?
I don't know. End of blog.
That would be a little too honest, and so I will guess. If you've worked in science, and this kind of thing is your specialty, its REALLY not good to say you don/t know something.
There was a disturbance aloft that was about to come through, and I will GUESS that the tops of this layer got a little bit higher and colder as it approached. If you saw the clearing later in the afternoon, for example, your instincts would have told you about this event. However, after it went through, and when tops were definitely falling in height, the Tucson sounding at 5 PM MST also indicated they were slightly warmer than they were on the first sounding in the morning, and so, I am, in effect, filling in a blank, hypostulating that there was a hump in the tops that was not observed. Oh, well. If nothing else, you might now know the difference in the appearance of the sky when ice is not present (first two pics) and when it is falling out at you (last pic).
If you want to see an action shot of all the happenings described above, here's a movie from the U of A Department of Atmospheric Sciences rooftop of the Catalina Mountains. My location is under the leftmost portion of this view, beyond Pusch Ridge. This movie will take a couple of minutes to load, and is only available today (for yesterday).
The Colorado connection: Wintertime clouds in Colorado are generally as cold as our clouds yesterday, and are constantly producing falls of ice crystals and snow when present, and so to me, a six year resident of Durango, it was a "Colorado" wintertime sky over Arizona yesterday due to the really cold air over us.
Catalina climate data, Definitions, Frontal passage, Nimbostratus
Seattle comes to Catalina
December 30, 2010 Art Rangno
Yes, if you're from Seattle or the west side of the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, you are going to feel especially at home today. Its dark, even with the sun up, low ceilings and visibility, steady light rain mixed with snow, temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s, well, that's home in January. And, here is that "home" right here in Catalina, AZ, for us to experience again! Cloud type? Nimbostratus, often with an underlay of….Stratocumulus and Stratus fractus clouds to kind of provide that ragged, dark and gloomy, splotchy look.
As you may have experienced this morning, an extremely sharp cold front came through with a spectacular drop in temperature and a windshift at 6:30 A. M. The temperature dropped from the upper 40s down into then upper 30s in only about 20 minutes, which it pretty unusual. Along with the that temperature drop, the rains came in the "frontal band", now totaling 0.80 inches here since the first period of rain began late yesterday afternoon (local weather station data here). (BTW, this station's wind data are averaged over 10 min, and gusts are 1 min averages. Multiply gusts by about 1.5 to estimate the velocity of the strongest, few second duration puffs.)
This storm, still in progress, brings the Catalina rainfall for December up to 1.93 inches. Normal, based on a 31 year record provided by the folks at Our Garden here in Catalina, is 1.44 inches. So with this storm, we have exceeded the normal AND crushed the monthly NOAA prediction of well below normal precip this month. Yay! Such predictions are partly derived from the effects of the strong La Nina now in progress-note colder than normal water along the Equator in the eastern and central Pacific. La Ninas normally hedge the climate of the SW toward drought, and so this has been a great December if droughty conditions materialize later in the winter. The December US-wide precip prediction, FYI: (I should acknowledge a bias here: I am overjoyed when droughty forecasts fail but also overjoyed when wet ones verify.)
Aerosols, Definitions, The weather ahead
Catalina-Smog before the storm
Those of us awaking this morning were literally a-palled by the amount of smoke around. Not even Twin Peaks was visible, some 10 miles to the SW. See examples of smog in the photos below.
Where did it come from? Back trajectories, ones that end in Tucson as of this morning at 5 AM shown below, suggest the smog came from the SE of us (red and blue lines. The green line for air around 12,000 feet, represents where the air came from that air came from the off the California coast ; it was too high to be involved in our smog episode. Best guess, could be smog from El Paso and/or from burning in northern Mexico, that in the presence of light winds, has kind of muddled around and drifted N into Tucson.
Note the pooling of smoke in the low valley ahead in the Golder Ranch area in the first photo. Probably the result of wood-burning stoves used in the small housing development back there. What it shows you is the persistent nighttime inversion that forms in that bowl, the flat top of the smoke indicating a temperature inversion. You then see a "clear slot" of little smog and then the overall deeper smog layer above that, also very laminar in appearance. With the sun's rise over the mountain, that kind of structure/separation is soon removed as bubbles of warmer surface air float upward and are replaced by downward moving blobs, mixing all the structure you see in the first photo out. In the last photo, a few tiny cumulus fractus clouds composed of droplets have formed over the Catalina Mountains. The droplets in those clouds are probably 10 microns in diameter (about 1/10 the size of a human hair). These droplets are about 100-1000 times bigger than the aerosol particles making up the smog. This makes the clouds to tell from transparent haze blobs because the smog particles are too small to scatter much light while the cloud particles even in small clouds, prevent you from seeing through them. Well something like that.
Hang on to your hat tomorrow; windy, thinking momentary gusts here in "Catalina Heights" will hit 30-50 mph by late afternoon and overnight before a very strong cold front rolls through around dawn tomorrow. This is an unusually strong upper level AND lower level system with a deep low expected to form over southern Nevada during the day tomorrow. Looks like the rain could change to snow above 3,000 feet after the front goes through, too. That would be terrific! The clearing after the front goes by will probably be late in the day with passing light showers possible until early Friday morning. The ones later in the day and overnight, are likely to be snow flurries above 3,000 feet . Don't expect the temperature to do much tomorrow. And, the amounts of precip are likely to be substantial putting us at or above normal for the month. Yay! Well, this what it looks like to me; check the NWS for the official forecast!
December 4, 2010 Art Rangno
Many of us here in SE Arizona will not be outside today no matter how nice it is because of historic sports emergencies that will require viewing of the TEEVEE at all times. However, if we do go outside to BBQ some hot dogs or prepare other similar worthwhile foods common to "football day", there will be LOTs of icy cirrus clouds to view, such as those in the photos.
However, there is also likely to be the quite odious contamination of these clouds by aircraft contrails as we have seen over the past few days. Aircraft produce long contrails when the air is at or near "ice saturation" and the temperatures at flight level are below about -35 C. Flight levels over Arizona for aircraft traversing the state are typically between 32,000 and 38,000 feet and the temperatures at those levels are almost always low enough for contrails. Its only the moisture that is usually missing to allow them to happen. These flight levels may be tuned depending on headwinds.
Often over Catalina, AZ, we only see contrails to the N for the heavily traveled airways above Casa Grande to PHX or to the S of TUS. Lately there seem to have been an abnormal of contrails. Not sure why. The TUS balloon soundings have suggested that it is damp up there from about 25,000 feet to more than 40,000 feet over the past couple of days, the highest levels of that moisture a bit high for wintertime. Perhaps that extra height explains the abnormal number of contrails.
OK, second post, still testing. 1-2-3, 1-2-3.
Widipedia: Definition
November 30, 2010 jennyrink
A cloud is a visible mass of droplets of water or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or other planetary body. Clouds in the Earth's atmosphere are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The University of Tampa's master's degree program in physician assistant medicine was granted Accreditation-Provisional status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
The University of Tampa's master's degree program in physician assistant medicine was recently granted Accreditation-Provisional status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
The first cohort beings Fall 2019. For more information about the program, including admission requirements, see www.ut.edu/physicianassistant.


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Television personality Kelly Osbourne was introduced to audiences as a member of the lovable reality TV family The Osbournes, and further distinguished herself through her music career and appearances on shows like Dancing with the Stars. She can now be seen every Friday night at 10:30/9:30c on E!'s Fashion Police.
Following her comments about a transgender friend in Glamour UK, Kelly came under fire from transgender advocates for her use of the slur "tr*nny" among others. Kelly soon got in touch with GLAAD expressing her desire to apologize to the transgender community, but also to share some of the information she herself had researched about anti-transgender bias, slurs, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The essay also appears on Transadvocate.
I'd first like to make it clear that no one asked me to write this. After reaching out to GLAAD for advice and clarification, I thought it was imperative to explain and amend my wrong. I gained a lot of knowledge, and I now feel the urgency to speak out and teach others. As unfortunate as this incident was, I assure you it was taken out of context, but I cannot deny the words; they did come out of my mouth.
As a lifelong LGBT ally and friend, I feel it is my duty to not only apologize for my wrong but to also correct it. The word "tr*nny" is a derogatory and hurtful word. I was completely ignorant to this and soon came to realize most of my peers and LGBT friends are too. This is a word I will no longer use or allow. It wasn't until I googled it after speaking with GLAAD that I found out just how unbelievably offensive it was. When friends jokingly called me that in the past, I took it as a compliment or a joke, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
Transgender people are some of the bravest people on Earth and among the LGBT community. I cannot imagine the courage it takes to live your life openly and honestly, reflecting who you truly are, or the hurt that comes from having to hide who you are because others may not support and accept you. Due to the fact that it is Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, I would like to raise awareness to this injustice in society. It is a day to remember those who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence and speak out against the fact that transgender people face disproportionate amounts of discrimination and harassment every day. The lack of knowledge about transgender people contributes to the unparalleled number of violent acts against them every day.
A part of me is happy I've made such an awful mistake because I can now use this as a platform to help speak out against the use of such hurtful and dehumanizing words. With your assistance and support, we can get this word out of television/media. It is still being used today; I've seen it four times in the past week.
My sincerest apologies to any ally or member of the LGBT community whom I have hurt or offended. That kind of representation goes against everything I stand for and is the last thing I would ever want to do. I would also like to thank The Transadvocate for educating me and bringing this to my attention. Nobody can tell you whom to love or what gender to be. That is your basic human right, and certainly nobody has the right to discriminate against you for who you truly are!
Comment from Mike Thompson of GLAAD: "Kelly is taking the right step by using this as an opportunity to express her support of the transgender community and educate her fans about the hardships that they face for being who they are. We hope she inspires more allies of the LGBT community to speak out and have their own voices heard."
Comment from Marti Abernathey, Editor of Transadvocate: "With this post Kelly has proven she is a responsible ally to the transgender community. She made a mistake that was borne of ignorance, not malice. This post is will go far in healing that mistake. It will also serve to educate and inform others within the LGBT community and beyond about transgender people's lives. As I said to Kelly on Twitter, "You get to speak about it [the mistake], and trans people are seen as people and not things. Besides hatred, who's the loser in this?" I'm grateful to Kelly for taking the time to learn and educate others. In the process she's turned a mistake into a teachable moment. That is what an ally does. Thank you Kelly!"


Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York played host to the $600,000 Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Saturday, September 3. Horses three years old and upward were featured when they took to Saratoga's dirt track and raced 1 1/8 miles. Stronach Stables' Ontario-bred 2015 Queen's Plate winner Shaman Ghost posted the upset win in the field of nine - by just a head at 9-1 odds for his first Grade 1 score. Mubtaahij, who was sent off as the 5-1 second choice finished a razor-close second while overwhelming 2-5 favorite Frosted, who was plagued by a bad start got up for third. Breaking Lucky finished fourth while Tapin Mojo, Catholic Cowboy, Tale of Verve, Bradester, and Samraat completed the order of finish.


Selected Spot:	Barking Dog Current Flow: ?
I had seen a few people squirting here this past fall, but they were playing the upper of the 2 squeezes--which is also fun, but doesnt compare to the lower one :) Noah joined me yesterday to explore the lower squeeze (20 feet below the wave on the right convergence). We had a BLAST. This seam is truly world-class, offering us up LOTS of 10-20 second rides with a TON of variety in the realm. Its a small channel that reconnects to the main flow on river right below the wave--we generally entered the small channel from the downstream side just above the convergence spinning clockwise (front cut). Wed often be head-down before hitting the main squeeze, but 1/2 the time, the seam would push us upstream into a calm zone above the squeeze with little support. 1/2 the time itd push us out into the main current where it gets deep and great. Sometimes it would do one, then the other--way fun! Anyway, the water is clear and just warm enough to avoid brain freezes and its often warm and sunny there. This place is definitely worth playing any time--Its right up there with Halls and Smoothie. -StephenWright PS if you park at Lotus Campground to park and play, you cant have a dog in your car...the manager lady there freaked-out on us and I may have been permanently banned from that access....doh!


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The first developer preview of Android O already allows you to use Notification Channels, a new feature enabling users to browse and manage notification by categories, Android Police uncovered. While third-party developers need to add support for the new functionality to their apps, Google already updated the Android System service with the necessary code as notifications sent by Android System can now be browsed and managed by categories. Android System notifications pertain to those users receive regarding system-critical information like the availability of over-the-air (OTA) updates and individual requests for permission to install apps from unknown sources. Additionally, Android System in Android O is also sending notifications when an app activates a screen overlay, meaning you'd be notified after doing something like launching a game through Samsung's Game Launcher. This is how Android System's support for Notification Channels was discovered, as seen in the screenshots below, courtesy of Android Police.
In case an app like Twilight starts drawing on a screen, Android System will send you a single notification telling you about what's happening and showing you how many categories of notifications sent by the service are waiting for you in the notification bar. Long-pressing that notification will unveil an "All Categories" field in the bottom right of the notification card, and tapping the newly uncovered option will open Android System's settings page where you can enable and disable its notifications by channels or simply use the global setting supported by older iterations of Google's operating system. Apart from turning Notification Channels on and off, you can also customize the way Android handles them, i.e. allow only specific types of notifications to pop up on your screen or make noise, do both, or do neither and only appear silently in the notification panel.
Overall, Notification Channels allow users more control over not only the types of notifications they're receiving but also the manner in which they're receiving them, which adds yet another layer of customizability to an already extremely customizable operating system. As future developer previews of Android O roll out, third-party developers will likely start updating their apps to support this new feature. More details regarding the next major iteration of Google's operating system are expected to follow next month once Google I/O 2017 kicks off.


Then once the determination of eligibility has been made, the Public expects that enrollment/service delivery take hours, not days.
But when it comes to the latter – interacting with government for services – there's a lot that can be done to make this a better experience.
With a paper-based government, these interactions always start with the need to submit documents and information to initiate a process. This is followed by department reviews, collaboration and communication, and finally a decision or a completion of the interaction.
Over the course of our lives, we do this again and again. And, while it is interesting for agencies to talk about engagement platforms, social media and apps, the stuff of local government is in these thousands of transactions that document and govern our lives. To be a responsive and trusted institution, local government needs to be both open and efficient, and it can be argued that the most profound way to positively impact that equation is to make those thousands of transactions move faster, make them easier and have them happen in the most convenient way possible for the constituent.
Lofty ideas, but there are four easy steps to make this happen. And the nice part is that they will positively impact your internal efficiency while making today's and tomorrow's constituents very pleased.
Don't make constituents complete paper forms. This is everything we all hate about government, even those of us that work for government.
Don't make staff type data from paper forms or pass them around to get their work done. This is one of the worst tasks you can assign to anyone. Data entry can also be error-prone, and you probably don't have enough staff to complete this time-consuming task. Eliminating this means freeing up staff time and faster process.
Don't make staff or your constituents have to call for status updates. This is hard on your staff and the caller, it interrupts the staff trying to process the request and forces your constituents to call when they might be working and have little time to wait for an answer.
Don't make constituents come to your offices to interact with their government. This is good advice whether you have a rural county or you are trying to grapple with the heightened expectations of a new generation of constituents. People consume and expect to find things on websites and through apps on their smartphones.
Lists are great for blogs, but it may seem impossible for a local government to make these changes. It would require paradigm shifts and technology investments. But what if you could purchase one technology solution to support this list?
While there are many solutions that could help with parts of this list, enterprise content management (ECM) can handle it all and many more potential projects to improve your constituent service. There is always a temptation to buy a department solution or the latest technology trend or tool. But going paperless and being able to automate processes create web-based services and forms – this is where ECM excels.
So, as you look for the efficiency and constituent experience that will define your leadership, consider ECM as a platform for you to change their experience for the better.
Wondering what goes into a document management or ECM software deployment in government? Darryl Wiggins, Document Manager's Principal and CEO, has your answer. In his 25 plus years in partnering with both state and local government, he's managed Major Accounts for Xerox, implemented ECM strategies and program policies as the owner and Founding Partner for Document Managers. If that isn't enough to prove his IT expertise in government, he has also designed and implemented data systems and Public Portals to manage vendor payments, and Federal Audit compliance. Have a question for him? Contact her at dmwiggins@documentmanagers.us.
Digidoc Incorporated is being honored as a charitable small business, by TV One's News One Now program for taking part in The "Working Together" initiative that gives back to the local community. Document Managers, known as Digidoc, has an extensive history of participating in programs to stimulate employment opportunities in the DC, Metropolitan area.
Digidoc is a small progressive firm that specializes in IT solutions and services for document management and conversion. We provide advisory services to Local, State, and Federal government agencies.
DigiDoc is involved in a business partnership with the D.C. government. As part of their arrangement, they serve as an outlet for their constituents, letting them know about the programs that are available.
Created by Darryl Wiggins, and supported by Chief Operating Officer, Janel Merritt, Digidoc's mission is to provide business improvement solutions and document management services to address the challenges facing a technology-driven, information-based market place. Through these programs, businesses are introduced to "great candidates" for employment. "We have been able to retain some of those students from year to year," said Janel Merritt.
Document Managers, Digidoc Inc., is a small IT firm that provides document management solutions to solve the problems that face major agencies. Digidoc supplies professional services such as data scanning and indexing, destruction, shredding and hosting, training, helpdesk support, software maintenance, and IT and office equipment. Digidoc supplies enterprise content management tools such as OnBase, Filenet, and Kofax to help assist these services. Created in 2000, Darryl Wiggins has created a seasoned team of account managers to aid in the distribution of document services that help stimulate the job market. According to DigiDoc's CEO, the relationship between business and the community is "couched as social responsibility and not good business and not part of the profit equation." Wiggins continued, "We recognize it as being part of the profit equation."For detailed information on Digidoc's "Working Together" initiative, please watch out interview on News One Now: http://newsone.com/3467029/wells-fargo-celebrates-black-business-owners/.
During my time in state government, I was part of many discussions about portals. When I worked on a portal for a small business in 1998, they were really seen as an indication of your tech functionally. They looked a lot like electronic brochures or phonebooks. The goal? Making sure that you knew who to call in government when you need something. You could argue that many websites still follow that model.
Our expectations for speed, responsiveness and mobility have created a different set of drivers for government IT. Many local officials and state leaders are trying to figure out how to use technology to change the face they present to their constituents. Smart leaders are realizing that a portal isn't an online phone book. It's a giant step toward transforming government inside and out. And you can do this with one solution – enterprise content management (ECM).
Talking about a portal isn't just a discussion about a web solution – that's an oversimplification of the demands of constituents. A nice website is great, but it doesn't address an efficient backend that supports effectiveness in your processes. That's why ECM is critical.
Using ECM, you can create a self-service portal to manage all kinds of government transactions electronically, from paying taxes to reporting conditions to applying for a business license or a benefit. Eliminating paper isn't the only benefit – the ECM-driven portal accepts documents using a workflow that routes these documents and applications directly and immediately to the staff that need to respond.
This same workflow creates email correspondence with constituents, who can view the status of their requests when they log in to the portal – making it a two-way tool, without the staff time and effort. An ECM solution can even integrate into data systems, accepting constituent documents submitted through the portal and allowing them to be retrieved from accounting, GIS, HR, permitting and other key systems.
An ECM-driven portal is quicker to deploy than a custom solution, which needs to be written again and again for each department that wants a portal presence. This kind of redundant expense is a deal-breaker for strapped governments. An ECM solution has tools to configure quickly and without expensive custom code, and it can be used across the enterprise, so more and more functionality can be added to your portal affordably, and at a sustainable TCO.
The new government portal isn't an online phone book. It's a way to securely begin a transaction. Using ECM and workflow lets you reduce paper and automatically route information for faster action.
Citizen engagement happens when governments provide good service. The ECM-driven portal supports the promise of a self-service government whose constituents can access what they need when they need it from their device of choice. ECM makes this feasible from both a deployment and cost perspective, and is the engine for the new government portal.
Wondering what goes into a document management or ECM software deployment in government? Darryl Wiggins, Document Manager's Principal and CEO, has your answer. In his 25 plus years in partnering with both state and local government, he has managed Major Accounts for Xerox, implemented ECM strategies and program policies as the owner and Founding Partner for Document Managers. If that isn't enough to prove his IT expertise in government, he has also designed and implemented data systems and Public Portals to manage vendor payments, and Federal Audit compliance. Have a question for him? Contact her at dmwiggins@documentmanagers.us.
In every level of government, self-service is one of the driving forces behind investments in IT systems and solutions. Paper-based processes hinder the ability of government staff and constituents to obtain the documents and information they need on their own, making systems that remove paper – like an enterprise content management (ECM) solution – crucial to self-service goals in government.
Replacing paper forms with eforms, and providing constituents with an online portal to review and request information speeds up processes and reduces the number of interactions required to complete them. It also means staff no longer has to drive from branch to branch acquiring the documents they need.
But equally important is finding an ECM solution that can accomplish these goals without adding a heavy burden on IT departments. Below, listen to Kevin Keller, IT manager for the state of Nebraska, describe how OnBase by Hyland enables most agencies in Nebraska to create paperless, self-service environments – without the hassle of slow and expensive custom coding.
Establishing eligibility is one of the most common, and paper-laden, processes in government. From human services to business licensing to permits and more, government process often starts with a paper application, supplemented by supporting documents. These documents are dropped off, faxed or sent and the great mystery begins. Common questions at this point include, did someone receive the documents and how long will it take to get a decision? Your customers are right to ask these questions, after all, their well-being or their livelihood depends on this process and its conclusion. So what does your intake process say to your customers? Not sure? Consider these questions. Does the process require use of fax, mail or drop-in rather than web submission? Online, self-service capabilities have taken government by storm and for good reason. This makes access very convenient for applicants since it can happen without a visit, a fax machine or the unknown of the mail. And, online options can ensure a reduction in paper and its associated costs for your staff while ensuring that your customer's application is not lost. You can even use a web-based solution to prompt applicants to fully complete an electronic application, saving time later over incomplete or error-prone applications. The point is, starting with an electronic application on a website is an expectation now, but it is one that has benefits for your agency as you evaluate applications. How do your applicants know what's happening with their application? Sending your application off to an agency can be scary for your applicants. And your staff, burdened with the extra tasks required to manage all that paper, can't move towards decisions as quickly. They are also interrupted by phone calls, from the applicants, from their colleagues, trying to figure out how long it will be before they receive a decision. In a world that uses paper, there isn't an easy automated way to notify applicants of each stage of applicant review. And, if your staff stops to answer calls and send letters to notify applicants, they have less time to finish the reviews. It's a difficult place to be, and your customer service may not be all it can be as a result. How long and how much do you spend sending out "needs more information" or even, rejection letters? Delivering programs and managing registration requirements also includes a great deal of correspondence to those who are not eligible. Many programs and processes have far more people turned away than helped or registered. This means that your staff are overwhelmed by applicants who will not be eligible or be registered. And, the reality of this workload ratio means that far more time can be spent on those you were not meant to help. What's the answer? See the first question. The use of a web-based, paperless system can automate tasks including the creation of correspondence. This saves staff time and allows you to deliver answers, even rejections faster. A fast answer, even the wrong one, is better customer service and it helps your staff to eliminate backlogs in notification to your applicants. As these questions illustrate, your intake process needs modernization. Moving to a web-based submission process with electronic forms can change the service equation offering you the chance to meet customer service expectations while removing significant and low-value tasks from your staff. Moving away from paper can help you do more with your existing staff and it presents a modern front to timeless government process. Your online presence, or the lack of one, speaks volumes to your customers, are you comfortable with that?
I spent most of my government career, in the Private Sector, marketing to agencies that have a combination of state and federal funding sources. Because of this, I have seen significant issues around compliance responsibilities – including program delivery, reporting, long-term compliance and even HR and accounting policies that were layered on top on top of obligations as a state agency.
Not surprisingly, the scope and breadth of this compliance is usually very complicated. As the government hired new staff members, there usually is no clear way to train them and teach them about compliance policies and procedures. And, if there we any gaps in understanding of how rules were applied, these knowledge gaps are usually passed on through an informal training process. The consequence has been errors that are usually discovered later by auditors, which inevitability cause Agencies to lose funding and gain additional scrutiny.
Government's strategy to cope with compliance burden, more often than not, is to buy data systems, from vendors, who understood the types of programs being delivering. Within the database, by virtue of fields, this provided staff with the most rudimentary of tools that ensured that certain basic project tasks are performed. Except, this usually isn't enough. Because databases typically don't dynamically notify staff about tasks, times processes or even tell managers which tasks are seriously overdue.
This is where I see my customers' really needing help.
Enter enterprise content management (ECM).
There are three key pieces of a robust ECM solution that support the delivery of programs and services in the public sector.
Let's start with the piece that also has the potential to reduce the workload for your program staff: Workflow. Imagine a process where electronic forms replace paper, grantees upload and submit documents and payment requests via an online portal and your staff receives notifications when work has arrived for them to review.
Now imagine that these notifications automatically route to a manager if they are approaching overdue status. Workflow automation helps your staff members know what work has arrived and what deadlines are approaching, supporting them in their compliance tasks.
In the paper-driven world of service delivery, work is divided into task-driven, individual grants and grantees – or other transaction processing – and overall management of programmatic delivery, funding and expenditures. The ECM-based automation that you deploy to ensure individual transactional compliance gives managers and directors visibility into the overall performance at the program or agency level using dashboards.
Imagine that you can see how many applications or contracts are awaiting review, how many clients were interviewed in the month or how many activities are overdue. ECM with embedded dashboards provides a level of service delivery transparency that helps managers understand bottlenecks or areas that need action or attention.
Lastly, but critically, going paperless has a huge potential benefit in policy administration and distribution. The public sector is full of policies, many which are updated every year. There are ethics requirements, rules, regulations, codes and ordinances that must be preserved for the future, even if they are changed.
You can securely maintain all of these using ECM. But, ECM can also manage their distribution by notifying relevant staff the moment staff saves them into the ECM repository. Once policy documents are stored, notifications go out to staff to read and acknowledge them – and to take a test to ensure the policies are understood.
ECM also simplifies audits and compliance. When auditors visit, managers can easily run and show reports that demonstrate how the policy administration and testing capabilities of your ECM solution are part of the overall effort of your agency to sustain compliance with regulations governing service delivery.
Many times, we consider an ECM investment to prevent the paper avalanche, but ECM represents more than that. Removing paper is the best way to build a sustainable and compliant agency that will achieve high performance year after year, whether your key staff retire or the rules change every month. ECM makes policy administration and compliance the backbone of your agency's efforts, freeing you to focus on getting things done for constituents.
When working with state governments to assist with the development of Retention Schedules and Accession Plans, I discovered I needed to implement an enterprise content management (ECM) solution. I was required to visit the State Archives and have my project approved. It turns out that my state has standards and protocols that I needed to adhere to, this ensures that my digital solution would adequately safeguard their records.
It has been my experience that State Archivists are big fans of digitizing records as long as their standards are being followed. These Records Professionals shared some great and exacerbating stories concerning the preservation and management of records.
Early recognition and classification of documents that have a records management requirement can be tricky. Several archivists have horror stories to tell about the loss of documents long before the department's designated records person could preserve them. Often, staff whose job it was to originate and collect documents, at the earliest moment of classification, didn't know if a document was classified or what classification they should use.
My ECM project would have solved this problem, because documents are classified when they initially are archived into the ECM solution. Staff could use a classification that they are familiar with, that without any more staff input, the solution would already be configured to meet document management requirements.
This problem regarding records preservation has kept many an archivists up all night. The perils are many. I can recall the time in my home state; when a storm caused a roof collapse in the building neighboring our Archives. Both buildings were constructed with the same type of flat roof architecture. This pales in comparison to catastrophic events that can occur, like hurricanes and fires. The loss of records can make information retrieval difficult or in some cases impossible. In my state, where records are needed to secure Homeland Security, the insecure nature of paper documents can be devastating for archivists. My state's archives are currently housed in a facility that is hundreds of years old. But fortunately for the citizens of our city, Mayoral leadership has seen fit to invest in a new secured state of the-art research building, with climate control and special sprinklers. But how many counties and cities can afford such a facility or the forward thinking and permanent costs associated with secured offsite storage?
My ECM solution provided redundant copies, and now even has a cloud-based back-up system housed in a secure data center to ensure business continuity. The move to digital files has made it easier to manage records even when events compromise traditional physical storage.
In my home state, new government facilities are being built everyday and agencies are moving from one location to another. I can confess to hearing more than once people saying "that if they didn't know what it was or what is was for, trashed it" This wasn't an intentional act of negligent, just the end result of having to relocate records with no direction as to their origin or intent. This can be true of entire agencies and departments, without early classification of documentation, whole stacks of documents can sometimes be simply thrown out. This happens whenever file space gets tight or not easily accessible… This isn't intentional; it's simply that agencies usually don't have enough space to manage the tons of paper documents.
The paper doesn't stop, unless you move to digital records and use a tool like an ECM solution to manage the records. ECM means never running out of space and never worrying that staff is getting rid of records that need to be preserved.
Enterprise content management projects make archivist happy because they solve these problems and many more that records managers face every day. Many Archivist are looking forward to the day when ECM-driven records management solution, are implemented facilitating early capture, classification and redundant preservation of government mission critical records. An ECM platform has tools that make everyday government tasks faster and cheaper to perform. It's a win-win that helps avoid ever hearing these comments again.
Wondering what goes into a document management or ECM software deployment in government? Darryl Wiggins, Document Manager's Principal and CEO, has your answer. In his 25 plus years in partnering with both state and local government, he's managed Major Accounts for Xerox, implemented ECM strategies and program policies as the owner and Founding Partner for Document Managers. If that isn't enough to prove his IT expertise in government, he has also designed and implemented data systems and Public Portals to manage vendor payments, and Federal Audit compliance. Have a question for him? Contact Darryl at dmwiggins@documentmanagers.us.


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Stories FOR and ABOUT Mountain Bikers
Join the Sphere!
Bikes, Gear, Reviews
5 Fantastic Holiday Gifts for Mountain Bikers in 2020
Buying gifts for mountain bikers is no easy task. Most riders are particular about the gear they allow into their packs or onto their bikes. And let's face it, a lot of mountain bike accessories are expensive. But there are a few gifts out there that are affordable and will be sure to make every rider smile when they find them in their stocking or under the tree. I've put together a list of five of those items, with the hope that it will save you some time and effort, as well as the worry of buying the mountain biker(s) in your life a gift they won't use or appreciate.…
Luke Marshall
Adventure and Self-Discovery Take Centre Stage in "Chasing the Yeti"
Planning a Long Weekend of Riding in Fernie? Get the Best Bang for Your Buck!
Red Bull Freezride: A Look Back In Time!
Gear, Opinion, Reviews
I Love My North Shore Bike Rack —3 Reasons Why
You've probably seen one at a trailhead or attached to the hitch of a vehicle driving around mountain biking meccas like Moab or Squamish. And you've surely seen one if you've ever spent time at a trailhead at their namesake: Vancouver's North Shore. Of course, I'm talking about North Shore Bike Racks. And it's no coincidence they're found anywhere mountain bikers gather, all over North America. The North Shore Rack is one of the most popular bike racks out there. They are efficient, well-engineered and well-built. I love mine and wouldn't trade it for any other rack, but they do have some significant drawbacks. I love mine and wouldn't trade…
Who Needs Studded Fat Bike Tires Anyway?!
Fernie Campground Review – Mount Fernie Provincial Park
Rossland Lions Community Campground Review – There's Riding Everywhere You Look!
Film, Industry, Reviews
What's the most exotic location on earth to shoot a mountain bike film? This question has a lot of answers and can mean many different things to different people. But if you were to put this question to a group, it's unlikely you would hear anyone utter the name Bhutan. Not because Bhutan isn't exotic — it certainly is. But it is because the country is relatively unknown to most people. It has only recently, in 1974, opened its borders to tourists. More and more people visit the country every year. But in Bhutan's mountain ranges, there are still places where no outsider has ever set foot. The country is…
Why Do We Love Such Low Mountain Bike Tire Pressure?!
Tell Me About the 3 Best Places to Mountain Bike in Calgary
The Space Around Us Will Never Be the Same
Campground/RV Park, Reviews, Travel
High up in the mountains of southern British Columbia, near the United States border, you'll find the town of Rossland. The town has a rich history in gold mining dating back to the 19th century and walking through the streets, you get a sense of it — from the old architectural style of the buildings, to the museum that houses artifacts from Rossland's heyday as a boomtown. This review covers everything you need to know about the only campground in historic Rossland. "It is the only campground in the area and it serves as a basecamp for riders visiting from all over North America and the world." Today, Rossland's mining…
Mountain Biking in Moab: 3 Great Trails for Different Skill Levels
Beowulf Trail – RideSphere's Definitive Guide to This Epic Loop
The Trail Dog Chronicles: Our First Mountain Bike Trail Dog!
Cedar Falls Campground Review – Vernon, BC
Looking for a place near Vernon, British Columbia to set up your RV, pitch your tent or park your van and sample some of the local mountain bike trails? This Cedar Falls Campground review will have just the information you're looking for. "It's the closest campground to the top-rated SilverStar Bike Park." When I look for a campground, my main concern is access to riding. I want to be able to get to and from the trailhead or parking area as quickly and easily as possible. Cedars Falls Campground certainly checks that box. It's the closest campground to the top-rated SilverStar Bike Park, and the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA)…
Bone Conduction Headphones Review – Aftershokz Trekz Titanium
An Argument for Morning Indoor Trainer Rides
Golden Campground Review – Golden Eco Adventure Ranch
Golden, British Columbia is an adventure town. Whitewater rafting, paragliding, climbing and of course mountain biking, are just some of the activities it is known for. People travel to Golden from near and far looking for adventure and many of them arrive by van or RV, pulling a trailer or carrying a tent. If you're one of these people and looking for a campground for your Golden mountain bike adventure this post is for you. This Golden campground review looks at one campground that embodies the adventurous spirit in Golden. As the name suggests, the Golden Eco Adventure Ranch (GEAR) puts outdoor adventure at the forefront. And with riding nearby,…
Why a Hitch Rack is Worth Getting a Trailer Hitch
The Trail Dog Chronicles: Puppy Training
Great access to trails, without all the frills! Fernie is a great place to mountain bike. It's got an engaged community of mountain bikers and plenty of good restaurants, bars and hotels. But what if, like me, you prefer to camp rather than stay in a hotel, and hang out at a sunny campsite rather than at restaurants and bars? Well, you're in luck, this Fernie campground review will have just the information you're looking for. Fernie has two campgrounds very close to town and they both offer great access to trails, right from your campsite. Great access to trails is where the similarities end however, as they both offer…
The Trail Dog Chronicles: Puppy Training Gear List
3 Crucial Decisions I Made During BC Bike Race
Electronics, Gear, Reviews
Hear your music and what's going on around you! I love listening to music on the trail. If I'm out for a ride on my own it helps get me stoked for a fun descent or breaks the monotony of a long climb. On the other hand, I also feel a need to hear what's going on around me. Being able to hear your surroundings while on your mountain bike is essential. Sure, if I'm on my own, I'd rather be on a quiet trail with no interruptions and no need to hear the world around me. However, most of the time that's not reality. There are people riding up…
The Seven Summits Trail – An In-Depth Guide to a Truly Epic Experience!
Structure Cycleworks Introduces the SCW 1, and With it a Revolution in Front Suspension Design
As a mountain biker, does grabbing a big handful of front brake as you race down a steep, gnarly descent make you nervous? Wouldn't it be nice if you could descend at higher speeds and know that when you reach for your front brake lever you'll have plenty of stopping power, and it won't eat up a large chunk of your fork's travel, or send you flying over the handle bars? It's 2019, and yet, if we want to decrease brake dive we still end up decreasing bump compliance. Telescoping front forks have been around a long time and have come a long way over the years, but performance improvements…
Building the Stoke: Structure Cycleworks Has Big Plans for 2020
Climbduro: Bringing Cyclists of All Disciplines Together
Bike Parts and Beer: What the Updated NAFTA Means for Mountain Bikers
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// NEW BLOG POST // 🎅It's December and the
Roxy killing it on her first fat bike ride! #trai
🏔 Lockdown Daydreams Vol. 3🌈 . One of the pl
📖NEW BLOG POST❗Our trail dog in training,
🐕 Chair thief❗At least she didn't drink
🏔 Lockdown Daydreams Vol. 2 🌈 . One of the p
Campground/RV Park
The Epics
© RideSphere 2021


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Investing in ports to navigate
the world.
1.000 M €
Operating employees
equity IRR
We Invest In Long-Term Sustainable Value
We manage, operate, and invest in long-term, high-quality assets and businesses in the ports and maritime industry using our extensive expertise and innovative approaches.
Our team is composed of more than 150 professionals specialized in the ports sector.
We specialize in Marinas and Passenger Terminals.
We have a proven, successful track record in winning industry tenders.
Hyperspecialization in the ports and maritime industry.
Over 50 years of experience in the sector.
We provide a 360-degree customer service, providing specialized services to our assets throughout their entire lifecycle.
Where do we Invest?
IGY Málaga Marina
Headquarters: Málaga, Spain
Sector: Marinas
The IGY Málaga Marina is owned by IGY, the world's leading operator of luxury marinas, and OCP. Located in the port of Málaga, the marina will occupy an area of 19,189 m2 and have 31 berths for yachts ranging from 30-100 meters in length. With an investment of €8.56M, the marina is expected to have an annual economic impact of €6.62M, which will create more than 800 jobs. This will also position Málaga as a key tourist destination.
Marina Aucanada
Headquarters: Mallorca, Spain
In 2020, OCP obtained the concession of the Port of Aucanada, which will last for 21 years. OCP will manage the construction of three docks with a total capacity for 161 yachts ranging from 10 to 20 meters in length. This project also implies the development of the land area adjacent to the port, including shopping areas, restaurants, a sailing school, car parks, green areas and promenades.
Eurogate Group
Sector: Passenger Terminals
OCP is the concessionaire, manager, and controlling shareholder of the Málaga Maritime Station. Since it was awarded its concession in 2016, OCP has helped the port become a national benchmark in the ports and maritime industry. The implementation of new national and international passenger lines, the exponential increase in passengers, and the addition of complementary passenger services have led to historic figures and passenger records.
Maritime Terminals of the Strait
Headquarters: Algeciras, Spain
Terminales Marítimas del Estrecho (TME) originated from a consortium of passenger terminal managers led by OCP. In 2019 it obtained a seven and a half years license for passengers and vehicles, in the port of Algeciras. This is one of the most important ports in Spain and Europe regarding freight and passenger traffic. Through this new management team and the different strategies that have been implemented, it has been possible to increase the traffic of passengers and vehicles annually, reaching historical figures of more than 4 million passengers and 1.5 vehicles.
Oil Deposit Corunna
Headquarters: Corunna, Spain
Sector: Oil Deposits
OCP is an active shareholder and manager of Oil Deposit Corunna (ODC), located on the new Corunna port infrastructure. OCD aims to create the pan-european intercontinental transshipment oil hub (not dedicated to the hinterland). With the goal of creating a limitless gateway, we introduce innovative logistics solutions and reduce logistics costs. With an investment of 1 billion Euros, ODC will be the most modern European deep-water port on the Atlantic coast.
The port of málaga awards IGY and ocean capital the management of the megayates navy
More than 400,000 passengers pass through the maritima station of málaga in 2019, setting a historical record
The port authority of málaga grants the concession of the megayates terminal to island global yachting and Ocean Capital Partners


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Planet Update
Solar Eclipse in Taurus:
Stability is Shaken
A Solar Eclipse is a stunning natural spectacle and if you are ever lucky enough to witness one, it will stay with you for sure. In astrological terms, a Solar Eclipse is highly significant for its symbolism and potency.
The Solar Eclipse in Taurus on April 30th, 2022 is particularly significant, because Taurus is a sign of stability and the status quo - when our foundations are shaken during this Eclipse, the consequences could be important.
What is a Solar Eclipse in Astrology?
A Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon's orbit takes it directly between the Earth and the Sun, briefly blocking the Sun's light. This always occurs during a New Moon, which is technically a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon.
Solar Eclipses are not as rare as you might think - there are at least two every year, but many are partial eclipses rather than total ones. It is rare to be able to view a Solar Eclipse from any given spot on earth, however, because each eclipse is only viewable from some part of the world. However, whether you can see it or not, every Solar Eclipse, including partial ones, has a profound astrological significance.
What is the Astrological Significance of a Solar Eclipse?
The astrological Solar Eclipse tends to bring shocks and surprises - as you might expect from such a dramatic visual event. Events coinciding with the Solar Eclipse may wreak temporary havoc in our lives, but the key is to remember that the Eclipse is also an opportunity.
Solar Eclipse effects tend to be not much fun to live through at the time, but on reflection, perhaps only years later, we realize that these were significant milestones in our lives, and that the changes they brought enabled something more positive to flourish.
The exact astrological effect of each Solar Eclipse depends on where in your own personal natal birth chart the Eclipse occurs - some will be more dramatic than others for you personally.
In world astrology, however, a Solar Eclipse almost always has geopolitical implications, which of course touch all of our lives to a greater or lesser extent. However, these things take time to manifest, so the immediate significance of any given Solar Eclipse might be hard to spot at the time.
What Does the Solar Eclipse in Taurus Mean?
Because Taurus as a zodiac sign is associated with stability, structure, building, materialism, wealth, money and abundance, all of these are issues which are likely to be triggered by events surrounding this Solar Eclipse.
Solar Eclipses also have a connection to the past, and in particular to events we experienced during the previous Eclipse cycle involving the same zodiac sign.
Look back to the events surrounding the last Solar Eclipse in Taurus, in late April 2014. What themes were surfacing in your life at that time? This Eclipse will re-visit those same themes.
Discover how your zodiac sign can make the most of the Taurus Solar Eclipse -
Register here for our FREE Zoom event.
How Will the Solar Eclipse in Taurus Affect Each Zodiac Sign?
Each zodiac sign will experience the Taurus Solar Eclipse slightly differently, and some signs will be much more affected than others – it all depends on the individual's natal chart and on what other planetary activity is triggering the chart at the same time.
Aries Sun Sign (Aries Dates: March 20 – April 19) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
This Solar Eclipse impacts your financial zone - watch for unexpected news related to money. Events around this Eclipse are likely to change or shift your relationship with money, either positively or negatively. Try not to make any major monetary decisions until matters become clearer. It's important to seek expert advice where large sums of money are involved.
Taurus Sun Sign (Taurus Dates: April 20 – May 20) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
A Solar Eclipse in your own sign is a very strong connection to your past. For you, events in April 2014 will take on renewed significance now. Meanwhile, a major lifestyle change is on the way for you, whether you want it or not. Try to embrace the change which is on its way, because even if you would prefer to maintain the status quo, there are clear advantages to your new beginning.
Gemini Sun Sign (Gemini Dates: May 21 – June 20) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
This Solar Eclipse activates your spiritual zone and urges you to not allow your spiritual self to stagnate. You can be a little lazy when it comes to your spiritual development, but this Eclipse urges you to be more proactive in understanding the mysteries of life. If events around this time set back your spiritual development, or if you feel blocked or prevented from making progress, ask yourself why.
Cancer Sun Sign (Cancer Dates: June 21 – July 21) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
This Solar Eclipse impacts the friendship zone of your natal birth chart; this can mean new friendships, or a breakup of an existing friend link. If the latter, it can be very upsetting, but understand that a new tribe is waiting for you. Try to let an old friend go with your blessing and avoid playing the blame game if a friendship does reach the end of its natural life.
Leo Sun Sign (Leo Dates: July 22 – August 21) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
Your career may be rocked by this Solar Eclipse, which hits your ambitions zone and hints at very significant developments in your long-term plans. Prepare to take on unexpected responsibility or to have to work through a crisis of some kind. This will be a very testing period, but know that your talents are being noticed and will be rewarded.
Virgo Sun Sign (Virgo Dates: August 22 – September 21) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
Truth itself is under attack during this Solar Eclipse, as far as you're concerned. You may feel very strongly that your beliefs or your views are under pressure, and you may have to stand up for yourself and your opinions quite vehemently. Don't back down from what you believe. You are entitled to speak your truth, but you must understand that not everyone will share it.
Libra Sun Sign (Libra Dates: September 22 – October 22) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
With this Solar Eclipse impacting the most psychologically sensitive zone of your natal birth chart, you may have a lot of emotional processing to do. Think about any trauma you experienced around April 2014, and work out what you can do to finally heal from this if you have been carrying it all this time. Don't be afraid to face fears, wounds and major issues head on.
Scorpio Sun Sign (Scorpio Dates: October 23 – November 21) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
This Solar Eclipse may bring shocks, surprises or drama within your closest relationship. Don't panic - this is not necessarily a bad thing, or even an upsetting thing; it could be that you will fall instantly in love with someone karmically linked to you. However, it could also be that infidelity or other unwelcome surprises are revealed. Even so, how you handle this is what matters; your relationship can heal from anything if you wish it to do so.
Sagittarius Sun Sign (Sagittarius Dates: November 22 – December 20) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
Your wellbeing is under scrutiny during this Solar Eclipse. Look out for both your physical and mental health and take any warning signs seriously - get advice from a health professional if any doubt at all. This Eclipse may particularly rock your self-confidence, self-esteem or overall mental positivity; it's OK to feel sad, withdrawn or anxious for a while. If these feelings persist, however, do seek help from those who love you the most.
Capricorn Sun Sign (Capricorn Dates: December 21 – January 18) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
For you, the Solar Eclipse brings the gift of creativity - perhaps in a major flash of insight, genius or inspiration, right out of the blue. You can use this to break out of a rut, or even to create a new income stream - it's up to you how far you want to run with this newly discovered talent. It will be freeing and inspirational, for sure, but you may also feel rather reckless and drawn to unnecessary risk taking.
Aquarius Sun Sign (Aquarius Dates: January 19 – February 17) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
Your family stability is under question during this Solar Eclipse, which may well bring domestic drama of some kind. However, behind every surprise there is an element of joy and positivity if you look carefully. Even family upheavals are worth it if they mean that you and your loved ones can enjoy a new beginning together. Don't be too quick to consider something a crisis.
Pisces Sun Sign (Pisces Dates: February 18 – March 19) During Solar Eclipse in Taurus
This Solar Eclipse may reflect problems with gossip or social media - communication which takes on a life of its own, much to your dismay. Be extra careful with what you say or post if you don't want it to be twisted or used against you. Be careful too with who you trust; don't confide a secret to anyone unless you want it to become not-so-secret with great speed.
Your Boss According to Their Zodiac Sign
Sun in Sagittarius: Adventure Calls
Jupiter Retrograde in Taurus: Reviewing finances
Glossary | Planets & Asteroids
Your Planets and You: An Easy Guide to Planetary Influences in your Birth Chart
Sun in Pisces: Mystical Sensitivity
Moon Phases & Eclipses | Planet Update
New Moon in Leo
Uranus in Taurus: Shocking Change and Popular Protest
Planets & Asteroids
Juno: Asteroid of the Wife
How To Learn Astrology for Beginners: The Easy Way
Elements | Glossary | Signs
The Fire Signs: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius: Power, Passion and Purpose
Taurus and Taurus Compatibility: Heart and Soul Investment
Taurus and Pisces Compatibility: A Relationship That Dreams Are Made Of!
Glossary | Houses | Moon Phases & Eclipses | Planets & Asteroids
Solar Eclipse: Life Changing Events
Virgo and Gemini Compatibility: The Analyzers
Planet Update | Special Events
Equinox: A Time of Balance and Compromise
Surprising Zodiac Sex Secrets, Sign-by-Sign
Pisces and Gemini Compatibility: The Chameleons
Aspects and Orbs | Glossary
Aspects and Orbs: Understanding the Planetary Interplay in Your Birth Chart
The Fourth House in Astrology: Home and Family
Moon in Sign
Aries Moon: A Warrior Moon
New Moon in Virgo: A New Broom Sweeps Clean
Dating Advice for the Zodiac Signs
Moon in Taurus
Mercury in Aquarius: Brilliance, Invention and Innovation
Moon in Sagittarius
Mercury in Capricorn: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
Planet Update | Planets & Asteroids
Sun in Leo: Claiming the Throne
Solar Eclipse in Capricorn: Unexpected Luck and Growth
New Moon in Aquarius
The Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn: Grounded Traditional Wisdom


 Tidewater Musings: PETA: Are they a case study waiting to happen?
These are Peter Stinson's musings, ruminations, rants, & raves about the swirling haze around him: politics, technology, poetry, life, war, peace, conflict, love, crisis, education, news, leadership, organizations, the Coast Guard, sons, teaching, confinement, family, friends, ideas, relationships, community, schools, independent schools, education, and pretty much anything else that catches his fancy.
PETA: Are they a case study waiting to happen?
I saw this headline today: PETA's Pet Killing Program Set a New Record in 2008: Public Records: PETA Found Adoptive Homes for Less than 1 out of 300 Animals.
My wife, generally more optimistic than me and certainly less cynical: "Oh, that doesn't surprise me."
Are you looking for Peter Stinson's news, commentary, and opinion about the Coast Guard? If so, you're on the wrong blog. Peter's running Coast Guard musings have moved to An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog.