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I know very little about Egyptian Modern art. I was most recently exposed to it at the Christie's Dubai sales, notably through the collection of Mohammad Al Farsi. The paintings that sold in Dubai were of landscapes and peasants. I have only seen his nudes in photographs but when I saw them I was reminded of the painter Mahmoud Said from theYacoubian Building and his image of a sensual nude.
Alaa AlAswany does not worry about censorship in his novel. All topics are mentioned: adultery, sex, homosexuality with the detailed naturalism of Zola. Sensuality permeates his novel. I considered the cover of the book, in French translation, as ill-fitted to the images I had imagined myself while reading it.
While reading the Yacoubian Building, photographs by contemporary Egyptian artist Youssef Nabil sprung to mind. Amongst Youssef Nabil's rich repertoire, are Egyptian movie actresses and singers, preserved in large photographs to which he adds his signature paints to render them nostalgic and hyperbolically sepia toned. These photographs are sensuous and sultry, as are the descriptions of AlAswany. Nabil's male models, in galabiya also could inhabit The Yacoubian Building.
This novel has become a contemporary classic with large success. I am almost certain to have read it before viewing the breakthrough film. It hit box office records in the Middle East because it was the first time an Arabic movie actually raised so many controversial topics, social and political.
But my father recenly purchased the book for me as a surprise and dedicated it to me: "With the January 2011 Revolution in Egypt, it is time to read Aswani".
I am sure not to have first read it in French, so I decided to read it again in this translation gifted to me. As I read, and the story unfolds and the characters' destinies progress, I cannot help making the cliche link to Naguib Mahfouz's Midaq Alley, in their similar ambiance of debauchery.
An Egyptian friend of mine told me as we discussed the similarities: " both stories are based around the tales of normal Egyptians, Midaq tells the tales of a working class area in Old Cairo, Yacoubian in a more middle class neighbourhood in Downtown Cairo. This was the heart of Cairo in 1950s,60s and early 70s. The buildings, like their inhabitants, are past their prime, yet they are still trying to hang on to their former glory. "
The Yacoubian Building has become a figure of speech, in reference to the gossip and stories that happen in apartment buildings, where neighbors know each other all too well. It stands as the Melrose Place of Egypt! While my father invited me to reflect on the political dynamics of the novel, to better understand the social roots of the January 2011 Revolution, I somehow skipped the political analysis (I am halfway through) but I did grasp the artistic undertones.
Paris of the East,Hollywood of the Middle East,Cairo was the capital of the Arab world and still is.It produced and trained artists,writers,publishers and philosophers in the Levant.
Nasser was the young groom who supposedly saved Egypt al Fatat( the young), from the debaucbhenry and decadence of the Royalty of Farook.Little we knew that Nasser ,Sadat and Mubarak locked up a whole population for almost 60 years,until the January revolt of Tahrir Square.
Yaqubian( an Armenian developer) built the latest living quarters during the royal days to be degenerated slowly but surely into Nasser's days.What happened was a seismic mingling amongst the social stratas that caused the ugly transformation of the country to an unbearable situation that couldn't be fixed without the Million demonstrators a day revolution.
Strangely enough,the same Yacoubian developed another building in Beirut after his move due to the July 52 Revolution in Egypt.That building housed the latest cabaret,and the introduction of furnished apartments which was a reflection of the decadent city that allowed everyone in.Is Dubai the new Cairo and Beirut?
Glad you enjoying it!! The location of the building in the heart of Cairo, and the decay of the morality of its tenants, can be seen to be representative of the ethical, political & moral rot that spread through the country like a disease under the previous regime.
Is the Capricorn Tower the new Yacoubian?
Fangyaya August 5, 2016 at 3:37 AM
ray ban sonnenbrille
FINA Shanghai Swimming Championships: A Vignette
A City that has lost its Luster
La Tortue et le Scorpion
Promenade at the Kabul Zoo
Hanna, the film
Reading Duets
Hotel Memorabilia
Woody Allen Strikes Again
Summer Resolutions
My Personal Kidzania
The Scavenger Hunt
Peak Tourism
Moby in Dubai by Guest Blogger
A Concerted Effort
Modern Day Fairy Tales
Gir Oftadan


Almost everyone who has driven a car in their lives has had the unfortunate timing of being pulled aside by a police officer, and told they were going over the speed limit. It could have been accidental, it could've been on purposes, but either way, it results in dings on the driving record and increased insurance costs. For those looking for an edge, radar detectors have been around for some time, but have historically been expensive and only in the hands of the few. But, as technology has evolved, it has made radar detectors cheaper and more affordable, and even brought them down to under $100. If you were able to curtail speeding tickets and get an edge over the police, then why would you not want to own one. For those, the Cobra XRS9470 is the choice for the masses.
The Cobra XRS9470 is a entry level radar detector, but don't let the idea of it being cheaper than the rest scare you away. It comes with a full set of features that will make the most advanced radar detectors on the market be jealous. One of the best features of the Cobra XRS9470 is the voice alert function. This will alert the user with a specific band annunciation, and let them know there is trouble ahead. Combined with its superfast sweep circuitry, it enhances the range of the Cobra XRS9470, and helps it evade even the fastest of radar guns on the force today. Even the Pop Mode as Cobra calls it, will detect the latest Radar Gun Pop, which has been used more often by traffic police.
But, as police use a variety of different bands to detect speeders, the Cobra XRS9470 adapts to use the VG-2 and Spectre alerts, and these will alert the driver to VG2 or Spectre I/V+ Radar detector-detectors. Additionally, just because you use the Cobra XRS9470, it doesn't mean that you have to just drive on the highways to use it, as it utilizes modes for the city and highway. The two different modes adjust the Cobra XRS9470 to reduce the frequency of false alerts i densely populated urban areas, and thus keeping the driver safer. It includes up to 7 different radar signal detectors, 6 laser signals, and 1 safety signal, known as the Safety Alert Traffic Warning System. Lastly, it features the UltraBright data display, which gives you band identification icons, in addition to the voice alert of the bands. For a price that comes in often well under $100, the Cobra XRS9470 gives you everything that you would want in a radar detector and at a fairly good price. Cobra has been making radar detectors for over 20 years, and uses their excellent technology resources to make it safer for drivers on the roads.
With its superfast sweep circuitry to provide an extended range, modes to alert drivers to highway and city conditions, and 13 different radar and laser signals, the Cobra XRS9470 gives you a well balanced radar detector for under $100. It is easy to install, comes with a full set of instructions to use, and makes it easy to use. It's mounting bracket, suction cup, electrical cable, and radar detector can be mounted on the window or dash, and get working for you in minutes. It picks up signals from all angles, and will alert you when the radar guns are pointed your way when driving. If you have always wanted a radar detector, but haven't wanted to spend a ton of money, the Cobra XRS9470 is a great pick, and a solid investment for any driver or possible lead foot's passing through on highways and roads throughout the world.


text:
See to see—
Marisa Grizenko
On Anna Moschovakis's Participation
Marisa Grizenko January 4, 2023
Participation (Book*hug, 2022) is a story about two reading groups, Love and Anti-Love, the former based in a city and the latter in a village some 150 miles away. Love's members once met in person but now communicate over email, perpetually adding to their syllabus of poets, philosophers, and theorists—Bersani and Barthes, Ovid and Aristotle, hooks and Sedgwick.
Anti-Love's members gather after hours at a café-bar, discussing texts that speak to their righteous anger and desire for revolution. And who wouldn't be angry? The news, blaring from TV screens and popping up on phones, is dire as usual: white supremacists march in the streets and environmental disasters loom.
E, who starts off as our narrator, belongs to both groups. She spends most of her time in the village, living in a trailer that's been converted, collage-like, into a house. She works at the café-bar where Anti-Love meets and in an information sector job where she's met someone she refers to as "the capitalist." She also frequently commutes into the city, where she rents a room in a shared apartment and pursues training as a mediator. When Participation begins, E's mediation mentor has mysteriously disappeared, leaving her in an unsettled, in-between state that also gives her more time to catch up on Love's syllabus. As she thinks about eros, agape, and philia, she starts exchanging emails with S, a fellow member of Love. Gradually, E and S are brought together as are the two reading groups—a kind of merger.
E might take issue with my synopsis. It's a little too tidy, too linear. From the beginning, E questions storytelling's relationship to reality. In ordering events, privileging certain perspectives, and drawing a frame around its subject matter, a story can achieve coherence. But this, E knows, is often false or misleading. In fact, halfway through the novel, E stops narrating altogether. "I'll leave you here, hand myself over," she tells us, and from this point on, another, unnamed narrator takes over. "I know it's sudden," E explains, "but there are parts of this story that can't be told from the inside. I don't trust myself. (Why should you?)"[1] Still, as she knows, stories have their uses. They're what the narrator calls "a safe emergency," a means to freely explore fraught material without getting hurt.
Participation revolves around a series of questions. How can our subjective experience of reality be shared with others? How can we love those who are different from us, marked by different joys and wounds? The syllabi of Love and Anti-Love may provide a formal means of weighing these questions, but they ultimately encourage reflection of a broader kind. What syllabus do we follow as a society? What have we learned to desire, to fear, to accept?
These questions aren't purely theoretical. For one thing, the tropical storms forecasted by the news finally arrive, followed by earthquakes, battering parts of the countryside and rocking the city. Messages from a liveblog interrupt the narrative, relaying information and directing help to where it's needed, a reminder of the necessity of mutual aid and care. Moreover, Participation's characters, like its readers, live under capitalism, a system the second narrator likens to a game of musical chairs: according to its logic, there simply aren't enough chairs for everyone. But, the novel insists, we might be enjoying a very different world had this missing chair not simply been presented as a game in our childhoods but "as a fact that could provoke instinctual dissent."[2]
Lest this account give you the impression Participation is didactic or dull, consider that these critiques of the status quo are preceded by E's extended fantasy "about the extraction of pleasure from a capitalist,"[3] who, lying prone in a playground sandbox, is tasked with explaining the peak-end rule (a cognitive bias that influences people's memories) while E insistently pulls on his nipple rings. "What if the desire to be challenged could be taught, could be learned?" our second narrator later asks. "A top who knows how much pain to dole out per thrill, how much thrill per unit of pain?"[4]
Like its characters, self-styled students of the syllabi of Love, Anti-Love, and life, Participation is exploratory, open-hearted, and playful. As a story, it's a bit of a tease, doling out information bit by bit, deferring closure, jumping around in time, and making use of diagrams and lists—but this is fitting for a novel about desire, narrative and otherwise. Ultimately, Participation is a compelling, charming, and surprisingly sexy exploration of vital questions of selfhood and community.
[1] Moschovakis, 104.
[2] 188.
[3] 61.
Participation was published by Book*hug in 2022.
Marisa Grizenko is a writer and editor based in Vancouver. She writes and illustrates Plain Pleasures, a monthly newsletter about books, occasionally publishes elsewhere, and enthusiastically serves as the Reviews Editor for EVENT Magazine.
New Associate Editor Announcement
Capilano Review
On Gail Scott's Permanent Revolution: Essays, with a foreword by Zoe Whittall and afterword by Margaret Christakos
Donate to TCR in 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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How to adopt the mindset of listening
We'd all like to be better listeners, but it can be hard to will ourselves to pay full attention. Here's how to get in touch with your motivation for doing so, so that the behavior will stick.
- We'd all like to be better listeners,…but it can be hard to will ourselves to pay full attention.…Here's how to make behavior stick.…First, get in touch with your motivation.…Why are you doing this?…Why are you taking time out of your day to watch this…and work on building this skill?…Maybe your boss told you that you need to get better,…in which case, this is something…important for your career advancement.…Or maybe a friend or colleague said something…about your not listening well and you realized,…I want to do better, I want to be a better friend.…
Keep your reasons in mind as a way to stay focused.…Second, know that becoming a better listener…is a powerful way to show other people…that you care about them and their perspective.…You can probably even think back to romantic comedies…where the hero or heroine is extolling their love interest.…He's such a good listener!…It's a subtle and quiet skill,…but it's one that makes a deep impression.…Third, listening well enables you to understand…the real problem or the real issue.…
Dorie Clark
Just as public speaking is a skill that you can hone through practice, good listeners aren't in possession of a special, unattainable gift—careful listening is a skill that you can learn. In this course, join career expert Dorie Clark as she helps uncover why it's hard to listen well, and how to develop the mindset of a good listener. She also provides multiple listening strategies to help you manage when you're the one not being listened to, how to keep yourself from interrupting, and how to listen to what's not being said. In addition, she explains how to let others know that they've been heard, and how to listen when someone is annoying.
Describe common challenges to listening.
Identify signs of poor listening.
List effective strategies to recapture attention.
Adopt the mindset of listening.
Outline the structure of meaningful listening.
Describe how to keep yourself from interrupting.
Explain how to let someone know you've heard them.
Effective Listening
with Brenda Bailey-Hughes
Giving and Receiving Feedback
with Gemma Leigh Roberts
Coaching Employees through Difficult Situations
with Lisa Earle McLeod
47m 16s Intermediate
Laying the Groundwork for Listening
Why do you have a hard time listening?
What are the signs you're not listening?
What to do when you're not being listened to
How to set the stage for high-stakes conversations
Listening Well, Even When It's Hard
The structure of meaningful listening
How to listen for what's not being said
How to keep yourself from interrupting
How to let them know you've heard them
What to do when you're listening to someone annoying
Video: How to adopt the mindset of listening


The Asia Pacific region has been facing a variety of water issues and is now being expected to be the center of growth to lead the world economy, therefore coping with water-related issues in an appropriate manner forms a basis for sustainable development of the society not only in this region but also in the world.
In pursuit of the SDGs adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, the upcoming 3rd Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) will be held in Myanmar under the overarching theme "water security for sustainable development".
– to provide and share concrete actions, solutions, innovation toward transboundary and multi-partnership cooperation for integrated water resources management, water-based economy and implementation of globally agreed agendas.
A Message/Declaration will be shared in relevant international water conferences such as the 8th World Water Forum held in Brazil on 18th- 23th March 2018.
The number of the target countries and regions for the APWS is 49 according the criteria of the Asia-Pacific region in the preparatory process of the 4th World Water Forum; Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Korea, Kyrgyzstan , Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.


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Bangladesh to auction 4G frequencies this year
Posted by Mary Lennighan | Sep 13, 2017 | TECHNOLOGY, 5G, FFTX, COMPANY NEWS, AI, Cloud, Governance, IoT, Open RAN, Asia-Pacific, Security, News
Government cuts licence and licence conversion fees, but price per MHz of spectrum to be auctioned is higher than operators had hoped
Bangladesh will hold an auction of spectrum suitable for 4G services by the end of this year, according to a local press report, but it appears that prices will be higher than the operator community had hoped.
The government on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to push ahead with the spectrum sale, the Daily Star said.
The country plans to sell of frequencies in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands.
The government has set a minimum price of US$30 million (€25 million) per MHz for the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, while the 2.1 GHz band will start at $27 million per MHz.
According to the paper, operators had lobbied for a starting price of $15 million per MHz in all three bands.
The country's telcos will have other fees to pay on top of the cost of the spectrum.
The cost of a 4G licence is 100 million Bangladeshi taka ($1.2 million/€1 million), down from an earlier proposal from the BTRC of BDT150 million, while the regulator has cut the annual licence fee to BDT50 million from BDT75 million.
In addition, operators will pay BDT1.5 billion to participate in each band of the spectrum auction.
The paper also noted that telcos face extra charges to convert their existing licences in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands to technology-neutral permits. The state has set the conversion cost at $7.5 million per MHz, down from an earlier proposal of $10 million.
Mobile market leader Grameenphone uses 14.6 MHz of frequencies in the 1800 MHz band and 7.4 MHz at 900 MHz, while Robi Axiata has 26.4 MHz of spectrum across the two bands, the Daily Star said. Bangalink has 15 MHz and state-owned Teletalk 15.2 MHz.
The BTRC expects mobile operators to roll out 4G services as soon as they receive their licences. They have three years to cover the whole country with 4G.
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text:
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
"Great powers and great responsibilities": A brief comment on "A brief mobile app reduces nonsuicidal and suicidal self-injury: Evidence from three randomized controlled trials" (Franklin et al., 2016).
Kirtley OJ, Nielsen E, Townsend E
Online and mobile mental health applications (apps) herald exciting new opportunities for the treatment and prevention of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs). With such rapid technological advances, it is paramount that health care innovation not be achieved to the detriment of intervention quality. Franklin et al.'s (2016) therapeutic evaluative conditioning (TEC) app is a novel and timely addition to the mobile health landscape; uncommonly for such apps, it is evidence based. There are, however, several crucial challenges to be surmounted for TEC to be successful; arguably, interventions ought to build lasting skills that can be subsequently and consciously recruited to manage distress beyond the intervention period. Furthermore, SITBs are a coping mechanism (albeit maladaptive); thus, extinguishing SITBs via TEC must be bolstered by the development of alternative coping strategies, particularly if the psychological distress that underlies SITBs is not addressed therapeutically. Stigma exacerbates the psychological distress of those engaging in SITBs; therefore, we question whether the types of stimuli employed in TEC may further add to this stigma, potentially affecting future help seeking. One solution may be to explore a positive-only TEC; enhancing positive self-worth may provide a more sustainable and meaningful treatment target, particularly when used as an adjunct to therapy or as a waiting list intervention. Mobile interventions for SITBs bring unique ethical challenges, including individuals' right to be fully informed about potentially distressing stimuli. This commentary aims to highlight the methodological and ethical challenges faced by TEC and encourage further discussion around this topic. (PsycINFO Database Record
Publisher URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28726482
DOI: PubMed:28726482


Burrage Pond is a 1,638 acre wildlife management area. It was created in 2002 when the state purchased land used for cranberry bogs. This means 90% of the trails are completely flat double track which makes for very easy mountain biking. It's the perfect place to introduce newer riders to the sport, or for families who's children are riding on small wheeled bikes.
The main park is completely open with a large pond on one side and bogs on the other making for great scenery. Some trails go into the woods where they turn into narrower single track. The woods trails are still flat and smooth with few roots, rocks or muddy areas to deal with. There are at least 15 miles of trail. This makes for a great beginner riding area.
However, there's a vast network of trails linking into Burrage Pond. After a ride or two go exploring. You won't be disappointed and you'll find many more miles of trails.
This is a great park for viewing wildlife. Birders come from all over to check out the birds, wood ducks, geese and Ospreys. A bald eagle has been known to visit a few years. Bass fishing is popular in the ponds. Lots of turtles including snappers abound in the marshy areas and deer can be seen in the early morning.
Being a wildlife management area, hunting is allowed. Check with the MA hunting schedule and take proper precautions. Deer and duck hunting are especially popular here.
The main parking lot is down a dirt road off of Hawks Avenue, right where Pleasant St. crosses the railroad tracks in Hanson.
Another popular place to park is at 395 Elm St, Hanson, MA.


When you take out a subscription for articles you must decide to purchase 1000 word lengths, 2000 word lengths, or both versions.
If your readers are in a hurry and want the most important bullet points with limited explanations, then shorter articles will appeal to them.
In a PDF file, this version will print out as the front and back of two pages.
If you feel your readers will want more information, some research details that back up the concepts, and have time to read through a longer article, then this is the version you'll want.
In a PDF file, this version makes up a 4-page newsletter.
Why bother ordering both versions?
Having both lengths allows you to do a better job of cutting and pasting into blog posts and e-newsletters and still maintain coherence. A full length article of 2000 words can easily be re-purposed into 4 blog posts or 2 or 3 e-newsletters using the same topic. The condensed version will show you how we've edited it into shorter versions without losing important meaning.
Both versions are professionally written, reviewed, and edited by myself and my experienced editor.
We encourage you to use our articles and add your own perspectives and business experiences. Inserting your own consulting case studies will make your e-newsletter or blog post more effective for marketing your services.


In June of 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury formally launched the nation's first-ever public outreach process to solicit feedback from the American people on who should be featured on the next generation of currency via social media, roundtables and town halls. Through this process, Treasury generated a database of almost 250 names and also surfaced an extraordinary number of individuals and groups collaborating on other "righting history" efforts as well as a broad set of historic archive partners that could support the work.
The goal is not necessarily to focus on women alone. The goal is to integrate women and men into the classroom discussions so that students can have a more comprehensive understanding of the story of our country. Here are some approaches for what your school can do.
To start, teachers can use the database above as well as the additional resources below to think through whom they would like to highlight. A simple step is for schools to begin by posting images of historic American women on their classroom walls in addition to historic American men. If you can see it, you can be it.
Schools can integrate the information into other classes besides History. The summaries in the database include women who have made great contributions in STEM, literature, civic engagement and the arts, among others.
The more students are interactive, the better they retain information and understand stories. Use technology, original art, performance interpretations or other innovative platforms that allow students to infuse their own ideas however they would like.
Watch student Rahul Joshi choreograph and perform his interpretation of Margaret Hamilton's journey for the Teachers Righting History project.
The Schlesinger Library documents the lives of women of the past and present for the future and furthers the Radcliffe Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society.
The NHF is at a dynamic evolutionary place in its history. The home of inspiration, innovation and imagination to learn more about great American women.
A non-profit educational organization committed to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and significant historical accomplishments of women.


Many new investors ask me why investing in smaller apartment buildings are better investments than houses. That's pretty easy to answer. They are widespread in every marketplace across the country. Here is just one small secret for you, you can buy up to a 4 unit apartment building using a residential loan. You have all the same protections you would have if you were purchasing a single family house because the purchase of a 4 unit apartment building is handled like buying a single family home. The owner must disclose everything that the property needs to be repaired. Think about this you could live in one of the 4 units of the apartment building. This option alone could save you 25% to 40% of your monthly living expense. Your tenants could pay for you to have a home. Your tenants would help you save money, build equity while also contributing to your apartment building's value and appreciation.
Okay, let's talk about money for a moment. When your rent a house out and increase the rental price by $75 dollars, well this will only bring you $75 dollars. But if you increase the rental price on each of the 4 units in your apartment building then your income will increase by $300 dollars. When you have one rental property and you cannot rent it out then this vacancy means that your extra income is non-existent in fact this vacancy has put you in a big losing position. In contrast, when you own a 4 unit apartment building 1 vacancy translates into a 25% vacancy rate while you continue to receive income coming in on the other remaining 3 units. So, take all these issues into consideration and what you get is 4 times more cash flow than one house will produce.
Easy to buy into – Same as buying a residential house. Easier to qualify for. Can assume or lease option it. No commercial loan needed. Protected under the "full disclosures act" of all states. The easiest and most protected type of apartment building to buy.
Common in the market place – Smaller apartment buildings are in every town, state, and market place across the country. Within a 50 mile radius there could be enough apartment buildings to make you financially free beyond your wildest dreams.
Most investors are looking for single family homes – It's no secret that new investors are on the hunt for single family residences. For almost 3 decades the so-called real estate blow hard "gurus" have sold courses that concentrate on buying houses, buying foreclosures, and buying houses to flip. Why would ANYBODY want to run with that pack? Your financial freedom is waiting to be had with small apartment buildings with significantly less competition.
Cash flows – The monthly mortgage amount for a small apartment building will not be that much higher than that of a house payment. It's really easy to see that you have 4 times the renters than a house has. A 4 unit apartment building will potentially earn 4 times the cash flow as a house. Why even try to fight the winning numbers with a 4 unit apartment building?
Rent increases – A $50 rent increase in a house is just $50. A $50 rent increase in a 4 unit apartment building is $200. Over a 3 year period of rent increases that's $600 dollars each and every month. Using the same reasoning you can see that a rental house will only produce $150 dollars a month. Doesn't it just make more sense to own a small apartment building?
Vacancies – If you have 1 vacancy in a house you have a 100% vacancy rate with no money coming in and that's a big losing position to be in. In a 4 unit apartment building 1 vacancy equals to a 25% vacancy rate with money still coming in and that is a much superior position to be in. YOU choose which position YOU want to be in!
Repairs – Spread out repair costs over 4 tenants in a small apartment building. When you own a house and it needs a repair YOU pay for all the repairs yourself. Why spend all your hard earned money on a property when you can have your 4 tenants pay for it instead?
You can now clearly see what a superior investment small apartment buildings are when compared to single family houses. I'm confident that no one has ever explained any of this to you before. Imagine what else you will learn when you obtain The Wealth Amplifier System. Finally, if you are looking for a proven method to amplifying your wealth you have found it. The Wealth Amplifier System will show you all the basics, and will catapult you to a more enriched life. If you demand more from life and you want to start living the lifestyle you dream of then simply order The Wealth Amplifier System today!


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Vinson & Elkins Adds Partner to Tokyo Office
April 23, 2012 — James Watson has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the global Energy Transactions/Projects practice group in the firm's Tokyo office.
A versatile corporate transactions lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, Watson focuses his practice on oil and gas exploration, power projects, LNG, petrochemicals and renewables, as well as infrastructure development projects.
V&E's Tokyo office serves as an important base to assist both Japanese and international energy and natural resources clients on a wide range of matters in the energy sector, including on international mergers and acquisitions, LNG sales, and project development transactions.
"Over the past five years, our Asian book of business has grown significantly across all aspects of the energy industry," said James Atkin, Managing Partner of V&E's Tokyo office. "James is a terrific addition with his background in representing Japanese companies engaged in outbound projects and transactions, most notably in the Middle East, Australia, Russia, Africa, South America and Asia. He will be a great asset to our Firm in supporting Japanese clients who are expanding their businesses."
Watson was previously joint head of energy and infrastructure at Herbert Smith's Tokyo office, where he was involved in the strategic direction of the practice, management and resourcing of Herbert Smith's team in Tokyo.
From 1996 to 2007, Watson served in Herbert Smith's London office, where he led significant transactions in the energy and infrastructure group involving professionals from construction, planning, environmental and tax groups with respect to large construction and development projects in the UK. Those projects included advising on the structuring and execution of PPP projects for the public and private sector, energy and all forms of corporate joint ventures and acquisitions.
"We are delighted to have James join our team," said Scott Wulfe, V&E's Managing Partner. "Going forward, Japan expects to place a higher focus on securing hydrocarbons, especially LNG, to serve its energy needs, which is a key strength of V&E. Adding James will enhance V&E's commitment to our global clients doing business in Asia and Japan and to our Japanese clients doing business in the United States and throughout the world."
Vinson & Elkins' Tokyo office is staffed with U.S.-and English-qualified lawyers, including native Japanese speakers, who have experience in energy and infrastructure; mergers and acquisitions; project finance; real estate; and securitization and structured finance. These lawyers work closely with other V&E lawyers located in 14 additional offices around the world.
"I am thrilled to join V&E and was especially attracted to their premier energy M&A, LNG, and project development practice in Asia," Watson said. "The global capabilities of V&E and the depth of experience their lawyers possess deeply impressed me. It is an exciting time to be in Japan and I look forward to being involved in our clients' cross-border opportunities in new jurisdictions."
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Somehow I didn't have the chance to see the blood moon last night but tonight's moonlight is worth capturing as well.
Since my iPhone 5s can't get the moon's perfect beauty, I decided to just give a try to captured the blur detail of it.
I used the Brooklyn filter of Flickr app for this one. What can you say?


Thousands of drivers have been recorded breaking the speed limit on a residential road in Keynsham in just one month – with some travelling at three times the limit.
Motorists using Park Road are being urged to stick to 20mph after the results of a month of monitoring in July sparked serious safety concerns.
The checks recorded an astonishing 39,485 vehicle movements along the road, 25,607 of which were going faster than 20mph.
Among them, four vehicles were recorded going at speeds of between 56mph and 61mph while one was going even faster than that in a section where parked cars reduce it to a single lane as it approaches a blind bend, said Keynsham South councillor Alan Hale.
Mr Hale organised the checks following concerns raised by residents about the volume of traffic using the road and the speed at which drivers were travelling.
He said: "My own observations told me that there was a problem and the constituents' information backed that up. When the outcome of the check was revealed I was astonished.
Concerns about traffic have been raised frequently by residents of Park Road, which is used not only by themselves but by construction traffic and growing numbers of people moving into Taylor Wimpey's development The Meadows.
Mr Hale says he and fellow ward councillor Lisa O'Brien had been told by senior council staff that their calls for a relief road leading to the development to ease traffic on Park Road would be considered as part of the development of Keynsham's transport strategy.
Meanwhile, Mr Hale is urging traffic calming measures to be urgently considered and has asked police to step up speed enforcement in the area.
He said: "We now have to make this work both for the original community and the newcomers, who also need a safe environment when travelling about along Park Road.
"It is appalling for everyone that with a third of The Meadows still to be completed there is already in excess of 39,000 vehicle movements per month on this residential road and indeed up into The Meadows.


My friend and genius designer Natalie Jost has a new site called TwitterPatterns, which has lots of free backgrounds for your Twitter page (check mine out). There are even some great "pink for October" patterns! She is also selling some beautiful brushes and patterns on her OliveManna site that you should definitely check out if you're a Photoshop user.
Fellow Perfomancing Hive member, Sid Savara recently reviewed a new virtual assistant service that offers unlimited tasks for just $59 a month. Take a look a the article not only for an interesting review of the service, but also for an excellent example of how to write a review article. He is clear, easy to read, offers visual aids and very thorough.
Just a side note… what do you think about the above service business model? If you're in the virtual assistance business, does it concern you?
Considering using a VoIP service like Skype or something similar? This article compares the 10 best free VoIP options.
I recently did some work modifying the premium WordPress theme One Theme for a client, and found it to be an excellent theme right out of the box. There are many options for layout, featured posts, header and logo customization and ad management in the admin panel, and without any custom modifications at all you can have a very sharp looking site.
And finally, some more recent work of mine: two sites still a bit in development, but nearly finished, and I have really enjoyed working on them with some wonderful clients.


The East End of the Abbey of Saint-Denis is famous as the first truly Gothic building. From 1135 onwards.
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that was very popular in England from about 1180 until about 1520. As with the gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted rooves, buttresses, large windows, and spires.
Ribbed vaults: arched ceilings made of stone. In the Gothic style they were held up by stone ribs.
A skeleton of stonework with big glass windows in between.
Flying buttresses: buttresses that help to hold the vault up. They are made with an arch that jumps over a lower part of the building to reach the outside wall.
Many sculptures, sometimes of animals and legendary creatures. Gargoyles spout water from the roof.
The various styles are seen at their best in the cathedrals, abbey churches and college buildings. It is a distinctive characteristic of the cathedrals of England that all but one of them show great stylistic diversity and have building dates that range over 400 years. The exception, Salisbury Cathedral, was built in 38 years.
Examples: Salisbury Cathedral, Whitby Abbey, the nave and transept of Wells Cathedral (1225—1240).
The clearest sign of the Early English period was the pointed arch known as the lancet. Pointed arches were used for nave arcade, the doorways and lancet windows. The windows are narrow by comparison to their height and are without tracery. Lancet arches are a sign of the style.
The Lancet openings of windows and arcades are often grouped in twos or threes. This is seen throughout Salisbury Cathedral where there are groups of two lancet windows lining the nave and groups of three lining the clerestory. At York Minster there are, in the north transept, a cluster of five lancet windows known as the Five Sisters, each fifty feet high and still have their ancient glass.
Romanesque (Norman architecture) builders generally used round arches. Compared with the rounded Romanesque style, the pointed arch of the Early English Gothic looks more elegant and, more importantly, is better at distributing the weight of the stonework above it. This makes it possible to span higher and wider gaps using narrower columns.
Instead of being massive, solid pillars, the columns were often composed of clusters of slender, detached shafts surrounding a central pillar.
By using the pointed arch, walls could become less massive and window openings could be larger and grouped more closely together. This gave a more open, airy and graceful building. The high walls and vaulted stone roofs were often supported by flying buttresses: half arches which transmit the outward thrust of the superstructure to supports or buttresses, usually on the outside of the building.
At its purest the style was simple and austere, emphasizing the height of the building, as if aspiring heavenward.
Examples: the east ends of Lincoln Cathedral and Carlisle Cathedral, and the west fronts of York Minster and Lichfield Cathedral. Much of Exeter Cathedral is built in this style.
Decorated architecture has window tracery. Elaborate windows are subdivided by closely-spaced parallel mullions (vertical bars of stone). The mullions then branch out and cross, intersecting to fill the top part of the window with a mesh of elaborate patterns called tracery. The style was geometrical (more straight lines) at first and flowing (curves) in the later period. This evolution of decorated tracery is often used to subdivide the period into an earlier "geometric" and later "curvilinear" period.
Some of the earliest examples of the "perpendicular period", from 1360, are found at Gloucester Cathedral. The masons of the cathedral seem to be far in advance of those in other towns; the fan-vaulting in the cloisters is particularly fine. Also noteworthy are the Quire and tower of York Minster (1389–1407); the nave and western transepts of Canterbury Cathedral (1378–1411). Bath Abbey, Eton College Chapel and King's College Chapel, Cambridge (1446–1515) are also examples.
Calle perpendicular because of its emphasis on vertical lines. This is particularly obvious in the design of windows, which became very large, sometimes of immense size, with slimmer stone mullions than in earlier periods. This allowed more scope for stained glass craftsmen. Buttresses and wall surfaces are likewise divided up into vertical panels. Another major development of this period was fan vaulting.
Some of the finest features of this period are the magnificent timber rooves. Hammerbeam rooves, like those of Westminster Hall (1395), and Christ Church Hall, Oxford, appeared for the first time. In areas of southern England elaborate decoration in flint was used, especially in the wool churches of East Anglia.
Westminster Hall and its hammerbeam roof, pictured in the early 19th century.
The entirety of Salisbury Cathedral (excluding the tower and spire) is in the Early English style. Lancet windows are used throughout, there is less embellishment than is found in Romanesque buildings, and less detailed tracery than would be used in later buildings.
The interior of Gloucester Cathedral conveys an impression of a "cage" of stone and glass, typical of Perpendicular architecture. Elaborate Decorated style tracery is no longer in evidence, and the lines on both walls and windows have become sharper and less flamboyant.
Finely decorated two-storey Perpendicular south porch of 1480 at Northleach, Gloucestershire.
Fan vaulting in Bath Abbey.
The West Front of Exeter Cathedral.
The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral.
English Gothic architecture Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.


text:
Q: Multiple session on server - Alamofire I am using Alamofire for service call. Everything is working fine from my side. But on server side, backend people are saying that I am creating multiple session. I don't understand why it is happening.
Can anyone please help me out?
Thanks in advance.

A: There could be a variety of causes for this issue. Perhaps you're logging in a user for every network call instead of reusing a token, or perhaps you need to attach a cookie to the requests. You need to work with your backend team to see what is required to use a single session.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Step into a thriving business where no advertising is required to maintain current levels of revenue. Most Clients are repeat and regular with little or NO advertising!
Currently 2 groomers and 1 receptionist handle the day to day activities. The owner works 2 days per week at the reception and customer relations activity. The studio is only open Mon-Fri!
The company prides itself for excellent work, caring for pets with high quality shampoos and conditioners as well as hand drying with brush out. All the loving services you would expect.
The company was started in 2014 with current ownership since 2017. At that time, the new owners improved the leased space with additional equipment, tubs, crates, open kennels, dryers, etc.
By adding a 3rd groomer and possible person dedicated to bathing, the studio can handle additional revenue with little trouble. Additional sales can be achieved by opening on Saturday.
Facilities-Well located space, approx..,1250 sq. ft. in a well-established neighborhood shopping center with easy access.
Seller will assist new owner in transition at no additional cost.


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Q: Why with scala, using the same regular expression, using 2 different matching methods lead to 2 different results? Why there is a match here:
scala> """\bdog\b""".r
res65: scala.util.matching.Regex = \bdog\b
scala> res65.findFirstIn(" The dog plays in the yard")
res66: Option[String] = Some(dog)

But not here:
scala> "The dog plays in the yard".matches("""\bdog\b""")
res67: Boolean = false

?

A: In the second case, the whole stirng has to match the regex, in the first case, any part of the string can match. Compare the second case to this:
"The dog plays in the yard".matches(""".*\bdog\b.*""")

A: You're comparing findFirstIn with matches, and of course the string contains, but doesn't match \bdog\b.


Located in West Perth, Quest on Rheola is within a 5-minute drive of Kings Park War Memorial and Watertown Brand Outlet Centre. This 4-star aparthotel is 1.2 mi (2 km) from RAC Arena and 1.9 mi (3 km) from Elizabeth Quay.
Make yourself at home in one of the 21 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchens with full-sized refrigerators/freezers and ovens. Rooms have private balconies. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 42-inch LCD televisions and DVD players provide entertainment. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and microwaves.


There's no better place to experience life on a yacht than the Land of Smiles. Thailand has become a favoured destination for putting up sail, and with good reason: beautiful expanses of calm water, postcard-perfect islands and impeccable ground service at marinas are just a few of the draws of docking here.
And thanks to prestigious yacht shows in Phuket and Pattaya, yacht enthusiasts from around the world are heading to Thailand for more than just sailing adventures. Whether for racing, sunset champagne cruises, a weekend getaway or a luxurious stopover, there's something for everyone.
By invitation only, the Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous is designed to bring like-minded people together from a personally curated guest list that features Kata Rocks villa owners, superyacht owners, and discerning guest interested in yachting and luxury lifestyle, industry professionals plus an influential mix of international and regional lifestyle, luxury travel and yachting media.
This elegant location serves as an idyllic backdrop for a truly first class three-day programme. The event is open to both sailing and motor yachts measuring over 24 meters in length, visiting or based in Phuket – Southeast Asia's leading luxury location and superyacht hot spot. The KRSR signals the opening of Phuket's luxurious charter season offering superyacht owners a prime-time opportunity to showcase their flagship vessels.
Last year, The KRSR welcomed 17 superyachts to Phuket's sun kissed west coast including iconic superyachts such as the 93m Lauren L and 51m Northern Sun. We anticipate an even more impressive turnout this year as KRSR establishes itself as the ultimate luxury event in Thailand and the leading superyacht event in Asia.
Moreover, The KRSR will be welcoming an even more impressive list of leading luxury, lifestyle and superyacht media to this year's event. Last year's KRSR generated excellent value and exceeded all marketing goals. Numerous media endorsed the fact that thanks to Kata Rocks Phuket is now firmly on the global superyacht map.
"We are also pleased to announce that Feadship returns to the KRSR. This year the famed Dutch superyacht builder with roots dating back to 1849, increases its involvement in the 2017 event as a co-sponsor while hosting the exclusive superyacht owner's dinner for a second consecutive year. Feadship is recognised as the world leader in the field of pure custom superyachts in terms of craftsmanship, design, engineering and construction", said Michael.
In addition, Benetti, one of Italy's most prestigious motor yacht brands, returns this year as a participating partner and host of the Benetti and Vista Jet Owner's Dinner. Based in Italy and with over 144 years of history, Benetti epitomises the finest craftsmanship and a refined sense of Italian design.
"We are pleased to announce that Vista Jet, one of the world's most innovative private jet companies, will be joining the KRSR. There are incredible synergies between superyachts, luxury villas, and private jets and this partnership will further position Phuket as an elite yachting and luxury destination in Southeast Asia" said Scot Toon, General Manager of Kata Rocks.
Other partners returning for KRSR 2017 include Lee Marine who will host a private champagne tasting; The Surin Phuket which will again host the private beach barbeque on day two. Also, back for a second consecutive year are Burgess, Hemisphere Monaco, Northrop and Johnson, Bristol Charter, Benetti, Princess, Sea-Doo, and Seal Superyachts. Additional partners will be announced shortly.
Highlights from the fun-filled and action-packed programme that are too extensive to list in detail here include welcome reception on a superyacht plus a cruise with the fleet to a secluded beach for a gourmet BBQ at The Surin Phuket. There is also a sunset cocktails, a 'yacht hop' and 'big boy's toys' on the water showcase followed by the exclusive 'Feadship Owner's Dinner' and 'the Benetti and Vista Jet Owner's Dinner' in Kata Rock's iconic Sky Villa Penthouse and a grand finale that concludes with the Rendezvous closing party.


It didn't take long for Frazer Nagy to become disillusioned with politics.
The idealistic student from the countryside close to Guelph, Ontario, came to study International Economics and Development at the University of Ottawa in 2010, with a view to working for the federal government. Now he's running an internet start-up.
It sounds so old-school. And that's the point. Nagy and his team of 10 are determined to drag the fine dining restaurant industry, one stuck in the digital ice age, into the interactive age of live websites and handheld devices.
According to Nagy, your old-fashioned website with a static PDF menu just won't do anymore for any restaurant that aspires to offer the whole supercharged night out experience. From finished food to suppliers, from décor to ambiance, the web experience that Transparent Kitchen aims to provide is all about getting a true feel for the place where you will spend your hard-earned dining dollars — before you book.
Transparent Kitchen employs two photographers, has signed on 25 restaurants in Ottawa at rates starting from $200 monthly since it's 2016 launch, and has clients in six cities across the province. Everything they shoot is saved in a unique digital format that can be used all over the internet and social media. "We want to modernize and digitize," says Nagy. According to their website, "Transparent Kitchen leverages technology to empower local food entrepreneurs to sell better, so that we can all eat better." From the Transparent Kitchen perspective, chefs are not trained to be photographers, they are not trained to be marketers and they probably don't know much code; what they know is food and that knowledge and passion should be conveyed to customers.
The company is also working on capabilities to allow diners to savour their dining out experience longer, by enabling them to buy the bottle of wine they enjoyed at dinner and have it shipped directly to their door, or order a particular recipe and the ingredients to make it, much like Chefs Plate, the meal kit ordering service. They are already sharing supplier information, so that consumers can source ingredients directly if they choose.


text:
Public transit fares are left over from the time streetcars were privately owned and operated. Today fares are a diseconomic tariff that benefits the carbon and auto industries at the expense of business in general.
Public Transit Fares:
slow commerce
hurt small business
promote sprawl
clog the streets with cars
add to global warming
increase the need for oil wars
and many more ... [read]
Eloquence on Streetsblog
Streetsblog - the inimitable New York City quality-of-life symposium, posted an entry on the transportation plans of presidential candidates [pathetic stuff, as you can imagine]. The post elicited this sparkling comment:
I'll vote for whoever plans on removing all subsidies from auto based infrastructure (including Middle Eastern wars for oil resources) and then using that money to pay back the once thriving private transit industry for 70 years of lost progress due unfair government competition. Then, let a balanced transportation system rebuild itself using market forces instead of government coercion. We'll see how many people choose to not share rides when they bear the true cost private automobile mobility. Dear U.S. government, I know you know best, but the people would rather choose their preferred mode of transportation. Thx bi.
Comment by Fred Camino — February 27, 2008 @ 4:27 pm Link
USA a backward country
photo from http://www.gmw.cn/01gmrb/2007-01/17/content_537065.htm
China goes forward... [April, 2007 - WorldWatch]
The Chinese government will provide a total of 1.3 billion yuan (US$167 million) this year to help Beijing's bus companies reduce fares to only 1 yuan (US$0.13) per ride. Passengers and students using the "smart card," an electronic debit card for transportation, will pay even less—only 40 cents (US$0.05) and 20 cents (US$.025), respectively, Xinhua News reports.
U.S.A. goes backward... [February 2008 APTA]
The budget request also recommends that Congress authorize the U.S. Treasury to transfer funds from the Mass Transit Account (MTA) of the Highway Trust Fund to the Highway Account to address the projected impending insolvency of the Highway Account next year. The Administration estimates that this could require a transfer of up to $3.2 billion out of the Mass Transit Account by the end of FY 2009.
New York Press interviews Ted Kheel
...[NYC Mayor] Bloomberg told WABC radio's John Gambling in March 2007 that "from a public policy point of view, you really should have all of your mass transit free. And then raise fines and parking fees and everything else." During his weekly broadcast, the mayor has made the same point at least two more times, calling free mass transit "the ultimate system," and most recently calling it "the perfect system," on the February 1, 2008 broadcast....
...Kheel's vision for a fare-free New York goes something like this: In a New York where subways, buses and even commuter trains are free to ride, and motorists pay for the system through congestion pricing, pedestrians would be able to get around much easier, breathe cleaner air and, as he puts it, "every working person who uses the subway would have $1,000 more a year to spend...."
...residents would be more productive because they'd spend less time inching along in traffic. Stores would do more business, since people would have more time and more money to shop with and because so many businesses are located around subway stations, there would be much more public space that would, in effect, turn New York into a walking city with wider sidewalks and public plazas. More working class and poor New Yorkers in the outer boroughs would be able to commute to work, which would increase productivity and offer them a chance to improve their financial situations and lifestyles, which would in turn improve the economy and society as a whole. And with fewer cars and trucks, and more bikers and walkers, there would be fewer auto accidents, which would lower insurance costs....
...Increased traffic congestion will soon cost the city as much as $13 billion a year. At an average of 7.9 miles per hour, New York City buses are slower than Chicago's (9.7), Boston's (10.5), Washington, DC's (11.2) and Los Angeles's (12.3). According to a study conducted by New York City Transit (part of the MTA), 133.50 million subway riders in October 2006 became 143.50 million riders in October 2007, that's an increase of one million people per month in just a year's time....
Monbiot crunches the numbers
...the government has calculated the economic benefits to the United Kingdom, weighed them against the global costs of climate change and discovered that sacrificing foreigners - especially poor ones - is a sensible economic decision....
Community Transp Assoc publishes Dave Olsen
Dave Olsen, a writer internationally recognized as a leading advocate of Free Public Transit, writes in Community Transportation Magazine
...more people are taking a hard look at just how many of their tax dollars subsidize the private car versus less polluting buses and trains. You have to figure in roads, parking and other infrastructure, tax breaks for car and fuel companies, as well as subsidies for car-carrying ferries and federal income tax reductions and write-offs for companies that use motor vehicles.
By some estimates, the government subsidy to each private vehicle owner is about $3,700, while a common cost for providing a single trip by transit is about $5....
read the whole pdf...
London, Ontario - pro-FPT blog.
2005/02/16 - FMBS: Cashless public transit?
2005/02/24 - FMBS: the LTC response…
2005/09/16 - FMBS: LFP poll re public transit
2007/02/12 - New York Sun: Idea of Making Subways Free…
2007/03/20 - FMBS: Transportation choices & their true cost
2007/04/02 - StreetsBlog: …proposal to Robert Moses
2007/04/16 - FMBS: Cheap cars are a hoax
2007/12/18 - Hall Marks: Free transit?
2007/12/19 - Hamilton Spectator: Who else does it?
2007/12/27 - Hamilton Spectator: Free-ride proposal makes sense
2007/12/17 - New York Times: Fare Enough
2007/12/18 - StreetsBlog: Double the congestion charge & make transit free
2007/12/19 - FMBS: Shooting for free transit
2007/12/31 - Carectomy: Hasselt proves free transportation works
Biofuel benefits a hoax
Photo from BiofuelWatch
This From Alice Friedemann at CultureChange:
These practices lead to lower crop production and ultimately deserts. Growing plants for fuel will accelerate the already unacceptable levels of topsoil erosion, soil carbon and nutrient depletion, soil compaction, water retention, water depletion, water pollution, air pollution, eutrophication, destruction of fisheries, siltation of dams and waterways, salination, loss of biodiversity, and damage to human health (Tegtmeier 2004).
FPT for 350,000 riders in Paris suburbs.
Île-de-France - March 2007 - 350,000 low-income citizens were granted free public transit. Another 700,000 disabled and students were given 75% off.
À partir du 31 mars, 150.000 allocataires franciliens du RMI et les membres de leur foyer, soit 350.000 personnes au total, vont pouvoir bénéficier de cette mesure.
read more (en français)...
Externalities - costs not counted.... yet
The automobile and sprawl generate profits for the carbon-auto industry. But there are costs that are not being counted. These costs are "externalized" from the profit calculation, passed on to taxpayers and the future.
Some people ask "who will pay for free public transit?"... they should ask who will pay for the floods, whirlwinds, and drought to come from the free carbon dumping?
The ice is melting, yes, in winter. -- from the CalgaryHerald:
...Giant fractures have been cracking open the ice in the Beaufort Sea in recent weeks, creating extraordinary stretches of open water and giving researchers from around the world a first-hand look at the Arctic meltdown. "It's shocking to see," says David Barber, a climate specialist at the University of Manitoba...
see also FreePublicTransit.org - Externalities
Labels: #autosprawlsubsidy, #eco, #freeischeaper
Benefits of the NYC Free Transit Proposal
Universal free transit with less crowding than today.
25 percent less traffic within the Manhattan business district, and 9 percent less citywide.
More travel, not less, as growth in transit trips more than offsets the drop in auto trips.
Huge gains in recovered productivity from saving over 100 million "vehicle hours" a year that are now wasted in traffic.
A revenue infusion of almost half a billion dollars a year for the city's transit system.
Vast new public space in the heart of the city.
Impressive environmental and health benefits stemming from decreased driving and increased walking and bicycling.
-- Charles Komanoff - plan team leader - from Downtown Express
"automobile trip is subsidized" ...David Kack
David Kack Says: January 25th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I helped start two new fare-free transit systems in Montana. Streamline, in the Bozeman area, and Skyline, in the Big Sky area. You can go to www.streamlinebus.com or www.skylinebus.com to see more info. While some in the general public think it makes no sense to give a "free ride" to someone, they need to realize that their automobile trip is subsidized. We have proved that people will ride a bus in areas that had no previous public transportation.
Over 30 years your auto costs you $1 million.
Chris Balish has written a book on how to survive without a car. He estimates that a car would cost him a million dollars over 30 years and he figures he can do better with other modes of transit. Read more on Carectomy.com.
See the list of blogs on the right for more ideas on living car-free.
S.F. Sees shadow of carbon-auto Lobby, kills FPT
Surely few people thought that free public transit would be adopted easily. The carbon-auto lobby has the power to direct the U.S. government to illegally invade and occupy a country. It can surely stop a mayor. So when the mayor of San Francisco ordered a study of free transit, a quick cost/cost analysis was done that "discovered" that more riders would mean more costs.(!) (SFGate) So now the carbon-auto industry may safely continue pouring carbon into the air for free in San Francisco.
The study "result" gave the mayor cover to kill implementation. Don't blame him. No one person, mayor, governor, or president, can stand up to the carbon-auto lobby. We need to get involved. This means you. Take action. Join your local bus riders union. If you like this free public transit blog or the website, then spread the links around by email and blog comments.
Negatives of the private auto...
Great post from Alex Steffen at WorldChanging
...more than 3.5 million Americans now drive more than three hours a day to get to and from work, spending a month of their lives on the road each year. Meanwhile, people who live in the newer fringe-burbs are reportedly the least happiest of Americans, and the long commutes they endure are a major reason why...


text:
Sierra Leone To Survive Austerity In 2017, SEE What NRA Is Planning To Do
As the country is fighting to overcome the current austerity precipitated by economic slowdown, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has on Monday disclosed that they have a financial target of three trillion, five hundred billion Leones for this year.
Updating the press at their Wellington Street Office about their 2016 successes and challenges and also what they intended doing in 2017, Director of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at NRA, Dr. Philip Kargbo, said people sometimes ask as to how NRA set their annual target.
He said as Director of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, he was part of the group that set yearly target led by the Economic Policy and Research Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, plus other representatives from different departments and agencies in the country.
ALSO READ: Austerity Measures: Sierra Leone Yet To Pay Leone Stars Coach Two Months Salary
He said when setting the forecast, they first start with the economic performance of the past years, thereby enabling them to set a target for the New Year.
"But before doing so, we reach out to various economic entities like hotels, mining companies and all other sectors of the economy to get an understanding as to what was their performance during the previous years," he said.
He said in 2016, the initial target during the process at NRA was two trillion, four hundred and forty six billion, but when they reached out to various sectors of the economy, they realised that the NRA was collecting significantly high at their first quarter.
ALSO READ: Koroma Is Using Austerity To Raise More Money Ahead Of 2018 Election – SLPP Member Reveals
"We have to increase the target to two trillion six hundred and forty-eight billion Leones which showed two hundred and two billion Leones increase on the initial target. We also later realised that Airtel was going to be sold to Orange which was also added revenue and the final revenue that was raised for 2016 was two trillion, seven hundred and ninety-nine billion, seven hundred and four million Leones. That indicated we collected ninety-seven point nine billion Leones as against our target," he said.
He disclosed that in the final figure, the Domestic Tax Department collected eighty- three billion more than what was targeted, while custom collected four point five billion, and the nontax Revenue department collected nine point nine billion, which implied that all departments at NRA met their set targets and exceeded them.
He said in the area of reform at NRA since 2009 to 2016, they have done a lot in transforming the authority to a better institution.
ALSO READ: Keifala Marrah, Momodu Kargbo Ordered To Apologise To Sierra Leoneans Over Failed Economy
Also speaking, Commissioner for Domestic Tax Department, Ibrahim Sorie Kamara, said meeting their target was not something easy, and that at the 1st of December, 2016, they had over three hundred and twenty billion Leones collected.
He said domestic tax was actually exceeding target based on actions they have been taking in the area of tax collection, and that they shall continue to put more effort for more tax collection.
Director of Finance at NRA, Abdulai Conteh, said their corporate social responsibility was a mandate from State House, and that a few years back they saw students suffering to go for classes at Fourah Bay College, they decided to buy and donated a 24 seater bus to the college, adopted a village that they were transforming, as well as donated to Ebola victims and flood victims.
Tags Austerity Measures National Revenue Authority (NRA) Sierra Leone's Economy
BREAKING: Ebola Fully Returns To Sierra Leone As Another Woman Tested Positive, 50 Victims Missing
FBC Economics Professor Reveals The Cause Of Economic Crisis In Sierra Leone
President Koroma Explains Why He Is Yet To Sign The Controversial Abortion Bill Into Law
United Nations Delegation Reveals Something You Don't Know About 2015 Census Results


Looking back, Monique Wyssmüller can grin about how she came to join Montblanc. Like many of her colleagues, this trained watch adjuster had no choice but to pack away her traditional watchmaker's tools in 1976 and begin a new career in a different profession. But she never doubted that she would one day return to haute horlogerie – as indeed she has.
We at Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret are proud to have Monique Wyssmüller among our staff. She is an internationally recognised authority. There are no templates for her work and no technical aids. Relying solely on her skilled sensitivity for the task, she adjusts and readjusts the "breaths" of the handmade hairsprings until they perfectly set the rate in the balances of high-precision timepieces. So when she gives each watch its precision, she also gives it a special additional quality: personality.


Though it is so sad that I'd like to stop making accessories continuously until two more years that my official term will be finished.
I've moved to the disaster stricken area since April, 2013 and I'm helping them in the edge of the reconstruction aid.
Three years has passed since the triple disasters of earthquakes, tsunami and the nuclear power plants accident. It seems the most of the rubble has been cleaned up, but a lot of towns are still staying as that time. 1, 400, 000 people have been still forced to life as evacuees.
I've brought the materials of the beadworks here, but I have no time to make new works and no mental capacity everyday.
Though the manpower is always lack in Tohoku, here in this area is the worst. We are afraid that the more lack will come when the constructions will start for the Tokyo Olympic games.
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This gem aims to be a complete implementation of the Netvisor API (WIP)
You might want to check [this](https://github.com/Eficode/netvisor) instead.

## Installation

Add this line to your application's Gemfile:

```ruby
gem 'netvisor'
```

And then execute:

    $ bundle

Or install it yourself as:

    $ gem install netvisor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Just Sing It Turns iPhone Karaoke Into A Social Game
There are plenty of smartphone karaoke apps, but no one has really figured out how to turn the act of singing into your phone into an addictive social experience — at least not in the United States — according to Alec Andronikov, CEO of mobile startup AnyoneGame.
That's why Andronikov and AnyoneGame have developed a new app called Just Sing It. The app allows you to choose a song based on genre and difficulty, find other users in an app, and sing to them. You can also adjust the sound using different voice effects.
Then it's up to other users to guess the name of the song. If they're right, then both the singer and the listener earn virtual coins, which can be used to unlock additional content. You can buy coins too, which is how Just Sing It makes money.
Again, there are other karaoke apps out there, and they often include a significant social networking element — for example, Smule launched its Sing app last year allowing users to collaborate on songs, and I've also written about startup StarMaker's apps tied to the TV shows The Voice and American Idol. However, I haven't seen any apps with Just Sing It's specific game mechanic.
Andronikov sold his last startup, mobile ad company MoVoxx, to Adenyo (which in turn was acquired by Motricity). He said the big opportunity here is not to release a bunch of music apps, but rather to use karaoke as a hook for a broader social platform.
Andronikov noted that most Just Sing It users are in their 20s, and that 85 percent of them are female. There's already a subtle dating dynamic evolving, Andronikov said, with many guys trying to find cute women to sing to in the app, and asking for other ways to interact with those women — right now, all they can do is sing. Andronikov said he plans to add messaging features and virtual gifts. He also plans to launch contests where the most popular singers can be rewarded with even more coins.
The app recently left beta testing. It has been downloaded nearly 10,000 times, and its users have sung 65,000 songs. Andronikov also pointed out that it currently has a 5-star rating in the Apple App Store.
You can download Just Sing It here.


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Into the fire: Jemison resident thrust into Osceola role
Published 9:46 pm Wednesday, September 16, 2009
By Stephen Dawkins
Drake Anderson was set to join a rodeo team at Troy or Mississippi State when the opportunity of a lifetime came along.
Anderson still rides a horse for a college, but instead it's as part of one of college football's most famous traditions.
As Seminole Chief Osceola, Anderson inspires more than 80,000 Florida State fans before and during home football games at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.
Anderson, an FSU freshman from Jemison, was supposed to take over the role for the second game of the season, against Jacksonville State on Sept. 12. But last year's Osceola, Chris Gannon, got the flu the night before the first game of the season, against the rival Miami Hurricanes.
So, Anderson got his introduction to college football (he had never seen a game in person) and Chief Osceola during one of the most pressure packed games of the year.
"It was really unbelievable; it's so intense," Anderson said. "Holding in the tunnel was the most nerve-wracking part, then you run onto the field.
"All I could see was a sea of red. You can feel the people yelling; it's almost like the bass in a car."
Anderson admitted he was nervous, but it wasn't for lack of preparation. Anderson has been riding since he was about 10, and he arrived in Tallahassee, Fla. with two months of the summer left to familiarize himself with the Osceola and his Appaloosa horse, Renegade.
On game days, Anderson wakes at about 5 or 6 a.m., drives to the farm, practices the routine and helps wash the horse. The 10-20 person Renegade Team arrives at the stadium four hours prior to kickoff, and the routine is run again. It then takes about 45 minutes for Anderson to have his face painted and get dressed in authentic Seminole regalia.
The authenticity is important. Bill Durham, the man responsible for beginning the Chief Osceola tradition, sought and received permission from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for the portrayal of Osceola in the 1970s.
Durham's son, Allen, now heads up the Renegade Team and takes the responsibility to the actual Seminoles just as seriously as his father (the family also provides the Appaloosa horses).
Anderson was schooled on Seminole history and, before being offered the position, had to report on the book "Light a Distant Fire," about the mid-19th Century Seminole Indian Wars and the life of Osceola.
Forced into the Everglades by U.S. forces, the Seminoles never surrendered and style themselves the "Unconquered People."
"The whole purpose is to represent the unconquered spirit of the Seminole nation and to portray it accurately," Anderson said.
In one of college football's most recognized traditions, Osceola rears Renegade and plants a flaming spear into the turf at midfield a few minutes before kickoff.
The chief and his horse also perform after FSU touchdowns.
"This is the fifth year this horse has been Renegade, and he gets very excited and into the game," Anderson said. "When they score a touchdown and the crowd gets loud, he knows what's coming."
Coastal inks Jemison's Martin for volleyball commitment
CCA girls stay unbeaten in conference play
CCA extends winning streak against Victory Christian
Kendrick leading Isabella, Mustangs improving overall


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Even as President Donald Trump's spokespeople attack the political motives of Democrats, White House lawyers are building legal arguments against their investigations. | Win McNamee/Getty Images
White House launches fire-breathing campaign to attack House Dem probes
The Trump administration has refused or delayed turning over documents in 30 investigations by 12 House committees, Democrats tell POLITICO.
By ANITA KUMAR
President Donald Trump's strategy on congressional investigations has amounted to a two-pronged strategy: dodge requests — and attack, attack, attack.
The White House launched a fire-breathing public relations response to House Democrats while the Trump administration has refused or delayed turning over documents in 30 investigations by a dozen committees, according to House Democrats.
The delays buy time for White House officials to weigh important legal decisions, including whether to claim executive privilege or inovke a policy that provides immunity for senior White House aides.
White House allies, meanwhile, are in favor of a prolonged fight with Capitol Hill.
"They shouldn't roll over," said Scott Jennings, a public relations executive who is close to the Trump White House and was subpoenaed by the Senate when he worked for Republican George W. Bush. "This entire exercise is to paralyze the administration and grind it to a halt."
Officials who refuse to comply could be held in contempt by the Democratic-controlled House and hauled into court, according to lawyers familiar with the process. But Congress historically been very reluctant to take that path.
Trump clings to economy as woes mount
By NANCY COOK and CAITLIN OPRYSKO
Already, the administration has failed to turn over requested documents covering a wide range of issues, from security clearances to Trump's communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin to his policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern U.S. border.
Even as Trump spokespeople attack the political motives of Democrats, White House lawyers are building legal arguments against their investigations. In a Monday letter to the House Oversight Committee about security clearances, White House counsel Pat Cipollone argued that the panel "has failed to point to any authority establishing a legitimate legislative purpose for [its] unprecedented and extraordinarily intrusive demands."
In total, the administration has 30 times refused or delayed turning over documents to 12 House committees. They include Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs, according to a House Democratic document obtained by POLITICO. In one case, the IRS not only failed to provide documents but removed information from its website related to the issue, according to the document.
Six administration officials refused to appear before five committees while two officials have refused to come in for interviews with two other committees, according to the document.
Some Democrats are repaying the Trump administration's early unresponsiveness by upping the ante.
"The White House failed to provide any response to our inquiry," several Democratic committee chairs wrote in letters to multiple Trump officials about a February request for information about Trump's private communications with Putin. "As a result we are now expanding our investigation."
Neil Eggleston, a former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, said the House committees' meticulous detailing of the administration's failure to respond helps "set up the groundwork" for them to issue subpoenas — a precursor to the chamber voting to hold a person in contempt of Congress.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee issued a massive request for documents from 81 entities and people in Trump's orbit — including his two adult sons — as it tries to investigate a slew of allegations against the president.
Democrats' demand for Trump's tax returns expected in about 2 weeks
By BRIAN FALER
Trump and his allies responded with fury. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a white-hot statement decrying "disgraceful and abusive" queries and the Republican National Committee's chairwoman tweeted about "investigations in search of a crime."
At the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the latest round of Democratic requests is illegitimate.
"The witch hunt continues," Trump said. "The fact is that, I guess we got 81 letters ... And they want to do that instead of getting legislation done ... It's a disgrace, it's a disgrace for our country. I'm not surprised that it's happening."
The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.
"Instead of quickly getting caught up in the quicksand of the oversight process, the White House is focusing on framing this in the media as a partisan assault by Democrats aimed at taking out Trump and stopping the progress he's made for Americans," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, who has advised the Trump White House.
Trump aides were ill-prepared to handle the onslaught. They were slow to hire lawyers and other staff, warn aides to retain personal attorneys and research sensitive issues to prepare for the investigations even after it became clear the Democrats would win the House, according to several Republicans close to the administration.
"It's still a work in progress," said a former White House official.
White House tells Dems it won't hand over Kushner security clearance docs
By ANDREW DESIDERIO
When Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress during the first two years of Trump's term, they largely protected the White House from turning over documents — a common practice when both branches of government are controlled by the same party.
But since January, nearly every House committee has launched investigations into everything from the easing of sanctions on businesses tied to a Russian oligarch to the federal government's lease with the Trump International Hotel in Washington. In many cases, the deadlines to respond have not passed.
Some requests have been sent directly to the White House while others have gone to individual departments or agencies, where they are reviewed before being sent to the counsel's office and Cabinet Affairs office at the White House, according to people familiar with the process.
The White House will need to eventually decide whether to invoke executive privilege, which allows a president to shield certain communications from legislative and judicial branches.
It also can use a long-standing Department of Justice policy, affirmed by presidents of both parties, that allows top White House advisers to be immune from testifying. In the Trump White House, those officials likely include acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, counselor Kellyanne Conway, and daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both senior advisers.
If the administration ignores a subpoena, the House could vote to hold an official in contempt of Congress — and then take them to court.
The GOP-led House in 2012 voted to hold President Barack Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, in contempt for failing to turn over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" scandal. But two years later, a federal judge rejected a bid to hold Holder in contempt, calling it "entirely unnecessary."
Trump's former acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker, initially sought to delay testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee, which was eager to speak to him about the investigation into whether the Trump campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. But he eventually struck a deal with Democrats last month to testify.
Don Goldberg, who worked on congressional investigations as an aide to President Bill Clinton and as a staffer on Capitol Hill, said presidents rarely invoke executive privilege and Congress rarely holds administration officials in contempt — extreme measures. Instead, the executive and legislative branches try to negotiate a compromise before it gets that far. "It's talked about a lot but it's rarely invoked and rarely litigated," he said.
Jerrold Nadler
Mick Mulvaney
Adam Schiff
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Ronna Romney McDaniel
Pat Cipollone
Matthew Whitaker


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Canada hoping to take advantage of NBA talent against Brazil
Canada's Tristan Thompson. (Bullit Marquez/AP)
Michael Grange | @michaelgrange September 11, 2018, 6:53 PM
Michael Grange @michaelgrange September 11, 2018, 6:53 PM
MONTREAL – The nature of the new qualifying format for the 2019 FIBA World Cup of Basketball means constant change, with fluid rosters and coaching staffs, multiple far-flung venues and progress that can only be measured in months.
All of this so the Canadian men's national team can get somewhere it hasn't been in years – decades, even: competing among the very best on the planet.
So sometimes it's nice to have something you can rely on.
For Cory Joseph who — along with Kelly Olynyk – has been the backbone of the men's program in its slow transition from global also-ran to a potential power, seeing Tristan Thompson on the floor this week has been as comforting as a favourite pillow or a perfectly worn pair of shoes.
It just feels right.
"I love it," said Joseph — who will be running the point for Canada in a crucial game against Brazil Thursday night at Place Bell as World Cup qualifying enters its second stage — when asked about what it will mean to see the Cleveland Cavaliers big man in a red-and-white uniform again.
The pair have been linked in the same sentence since high school as they starred at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas and then for one season at the University of Texas before they were each taken in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft, putting them very much at the forefront of the Canada's long-simmering basketball revival.
Reach Deep
Jamal Murray on meditation, influences and not joining Canada at world cup qualifiers
They've played together sporadically since then – most recently when Canada lost to France in a last-chance qualifier for the 2016 Olympics – but the connection remains, easy to pick up at a moment's notice.
"Obviously he's my childhood friend, he's still one of my best friends, [we have] a lot of chemistry, we know each other's game [from] playing with and against each other for so long," said Joseph. "Him, Kelly, all these guys, not just Tristan, everybody here, it's much more than basketball. Off the court and on the court, it's a brotherhood … that's why I'm always here."
Joseph is somewhat of an exception given the nature of international basketball when who's not playing sometimes becomes a bigger story than who is. This week Canada will be without NBA talents Andrew Wiggins, Jamal Murray, Trey Lyles, Dillon Brooks, Nik Stauskas and Tyler Ennis. Health concerns have been cited for Murray and Brooks; Ennis is starting a new job in Turkey and Stauskas is battling for one in Portland. Lyles hasn't played for Canada since he finished high school while Wiggins has been off the radar since Olympic qualifying in 2015.
But then again several countries are entering this qualifying window without any of their best NBA talent. In this context, that Canada has five NBA players ready to line up against Brazil (who don't have any of their NBA players in Montreal) should be applauded.
Consider Thompson: As a key cog in the LeBron James-era Cavaliers' run to four straight Eastern Conference finals, Thompson hasn't been with the national team quite as regularly as Joseph or Olynyk, but few have.
That Thompson made the effort to be in Montreal speaks volumes about his determination to complete what he sees as unfinished business. At 27 he's been with the national team in some shape or form for nearly a decade and clearly wants to not only earn a chance to compete for a world championship and Olympic medal – hardware that would go nicely with an NBA championship ring — but to see Canada make it a habit.
Good Show
Even without a certain Timberwolf, Canada well armed for FIBA tourney
"It's not just myself, it's me, Kelly and Cory, we have a lot of experience both NBA and international where we can help these guys and kind of just build a culture," Thompson said after practice Tuesday in Montreal. "I think that's the most important thing, you've got to build a culture. You see that in the NBA, teams that have long-term success and longevity [are] teams that build a culture, and that's what we're trying to do here."
It's a process that needs to take the next step. No country other than the United States has put as many players into the NBA as Canada in recent years but that hasn't translated to international success. Canada last played in the world championships in 2010, finishing 22nd out of 24 teams. It hasn't made it to the Olympics since 2000 – the only trip the men have made since 1988.
A win against Brazil would further the cause significantly. With the first round of qualifying complete there are 12 teams in the Americas trying to earn seven spots for next September's World Cup in China. The top three teams in two pools of six advance along with the team with the best record outside those six teams. Canada is one of five teams with a 5-1 record with six games to play. A win over Brazil – 5-1 – would put it in the driver's seat for a spot; another win in Chile on Monday would almost seal it.
Thompson's toughness and energy is essential to the cause.
"He has a big presence, a huge presence. Just his motor, just the way he plays, obviously always competitive, always getting second opportunities for us," said Joseph. "I can just kind of throw up any shot, he's going to get it. I think he's going to get the rebound for us, or he's going to get the putback where I just throw it up to him by the rim and he's going to dunk it. Makes my job that much easier."
Thompson's role doesn't expand too much while playing for Canada as compared to his NBA duties with the Cavaliers – screen-setting and generating second chances on offence while providing versatility defensively and energy in all phases of the game are qualities that translate on any level. But Thompson's willingness to do the simple things makes it easier for everyone else to buy in to their roles.
"His presence is a tremendous confidence builder for everybody," said Roy Rana who will be coaching Canada against Brazil and Chile as head coach Jay Triano starts a new NBA job in Charlotte. "His presence just changes the environment, everyone feels a lot more confident with him around and obviously he's such a warrior, he impacts the game in so many small ways that people don't see and he's a winner, he's won an NBA title, that's always nice to have on your roster."
It's a roster Thompson wants to be on as Canada's tries to unlock its bright basketball future.
"When you're able to play for your country, and represent everyone back home, there's no feeling like it," said Thompson. "So it's definitely something we're trying to build up and have guys being prideful to play for their country, and take it serious … there's opportunity here, and you don't get it always.
"Right now we have a wave of really good players in the NBA, but who knows? Maybe 15 years from now we have a drought, so while guys are here and at a high level, let's take advantage of it."
Steve Nash: Visionary - Kid Canada's rise to the NBA's best
Erick Evans
Last chance for Canada's NBA players to help in World Cup qualifying
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Posted inCatalyst Chicago, Education
Scalding school closing report unlikely to get a hearing
by Sarah Karp July 31, 2014 August 15, 2016
A scalding report that criticizes CPS for the way it handled the mass closing of schools last year likely will not get a public hearing as requested by state task force members.
As for why, that's in dispute.
State Rep. Linda Chapa La Via, chair of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, said she requested a hearing but has little hope that it will ever be held. "Everything is politics," she said with a sigh.
However, Steve Brown, House Speaker Mike Madigan's spokesman, said that Chapa LaVia doesn't need permission to hold a hearing. He was incredulous as to why she doesn't just move forward.
Chapa Lavia did not respond when re-contacted. Also, representatives Cynthia Soto and Esther Golar, both of whom sit on the task force, did not respond to calls and emails on the subject.
Members of the Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force said they are convinced that Madigan's office—with the encouragement of Mayor Rahm Emanuel—is preventing the hearing. They suspect that Emanuel wants to avoid a discussion on the school closing process during an election year.
"It was shut down," said Clarice Berry, a task force member and president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association. "There is tremendous political pressure not to hold a hearing."
Cecile Carroll, chair of the task force, said she was told the request for a subject matter hearing was denied and was given the impression that it was over Chapa Lavia's head.
The final report criticizes CPS on a range of matters, from not announcing the school actions in time for students to apply to magnet or selective enrollment schools to not taking heed of the opinions of Independent hearing officers, some of whom recommended—to no avail—that a school not be closed.
Mike Rendina, who at the time was CPS' Chief of Policy, wrote a three-page rebuttal to the final report, accusing task force members of not consulting district officials as they were writing it. He said there are several instances where the report is inaccurate or misleading.
One point of contention is that the report says CPS has not developed a defined system or policies to evaluate the school actions. Rendina notes in his letter that CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett issued a mid-year preliminary report that looks at attendance and other issues. The task force report acknowledges Byrd-Bennett's report, but notes that it is not online for the public to review.
Catalyst reported that the gains touted by Byrd-Bennett in the mid-year report are minuscule. Catalyst also has asked for a final report now that the school year is over.
The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force was created after community activists, frustrated by earlier school closings made their case to state lawmakers. Based on the task force's recommendations, state lawmakers passed a bill in 2011 that established a process for school actions as well as forced CPS to come up with a master facilities plan. Newly in office, Emanuel grudgingly supported the bill after getting a provision removed that would have allowed the task force to override school actions.
Ever since, the task force has been responsible for monitoring CPS' implementation of the bill, and task force members have often grilled CPS officials. They also have drawn a lot of information out of CPS that had not been made public. Rendina, now in the mayor's office, attended most of the meetings.
What the task force's next step is unclear, Berry said that even without a hearing, she is hopeful the task force's report will send a lasting message. "I am hoping to never see this kind of mass closings again," she said. "It does not serve the children well."
Anger with CPS over closings and turnarounds spreads in the Legislature
Legislators grill Brizard on school closings, turnarounds
State task force to ask for school closing moratorium
Tagged: Chicago Public Schools, CPS, government and policy, Policy & Finance, school closings
Sarah Karp
Sarah is the deputy editor of Catalyst Chicago.	More by Sarah Karp