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rock and rollMark Rudio August 15, 2010 AC/DC, Back in Black
AC/DC's Back in Black- 30 years later
Recently I received an email from AC/DC announcing the 30th anniversary of Back in Black's release. The best part of the email was a link to where the original band members and Brian Johnson talk about what it was like to go forward in the wake of Bon Scott's death. Now, to be frank, I'm a purist and in my opinion AC/DC has never been the same without Bon. Embarrassingly, I still remember how I felt upon hearing about Bon's death- his is the only "celebrity" death which ever brought a tear to my eye. I loved Bon Scott, and all these years later, he still epitomizes to me what a "Rock and Roll Singer" should sound like more than anyone else- Jagger, Plant, Rose, Mercury, etc. No one compares to Bon Scott. Period. Of course it wasn't the "quality" of the voice, because let's face it, Freddie Mercury was probably the finest singer ever to sing rock and roll, but no one sang rock and roll better than Bon Scott, except maybe Jagger, Joe Strummer or Johnny Rotten, and that's a heavily qualified maybe.
In April of 1980 I went to Moby Disc on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, Cali and they had a big-ass sign announcing the new AC/DC album had been released and the "singer sounds a lot like Bon Scott" (how is it I remember this stuff?). I was skeptical but willing to give it a listen because it was AC/DC after all, and I basically trusted the people who worked at Moby not to talk out of their ass because at that point it was the best record store in my part of L.A. - and that's saying something.
When I got home, unwrapped the cellophane wrapper and removed the inner sleeve, I expected some mention of Bon but there was none to be found. The solid black cover was going to the sole acknowledgement. Fine, I thought- let the music do the talking. I put it on the turntable. Looking at the label of record itself I noticed the song line-up didn't correspond to the outer sleeve. No biggie. What I really wanted to know was what did it sound like?
"Hells Bells" is the lead track and the "bells" themselves rang out as a perfect tribute to Bon. At this point there was really no reason to mention his death at all on the cover or the inner sleeve. I got it (I wonder at this point how many people own this record around the world who have no idea why the cover was solid black or the back story behind it).
Back to the bells: so far so good, and when Malcolm starts off with that slow, churning riff it sounds fantastic.
But it sounds noticeably different. Angus's guitar comes in behind Malcom's and the chugging beat starts and it sounds like AC/DC and yet it doesn't. The guitars sound nothing like those on "Highway to Hell" or any of the records produced by Albert Productions. The crunchy, raunchy, sharp guitar sound is gone, replaced by a muddier, thicker-sounding sludge that would be omnipresent in every subsequent release. It was like listening to something you knew by heart broadcast from an entirely different planet- recognizable yet wholly different because they were using a different medium to speak through.
Brian Johnson then makes his entrance and my mind reeled and I thought to myself "Those dumbshits at Moby Disc have no idea what they're talking about!" Johnson sounded nothing like Bon. Not even close. Bon's voice had character and he delivered the lyrics and double-entendres with wit and a "devil-may-care" wink that let everyone in on the joke and the fun. Johnson sounded like he took all of this way too seriously. There is no fun in his voice at all. It's just a raspy, creaking frog sound that can scream when needed. And the lyrics? Banal. Juvenile. Not clever, not funny. It was immediately obvious that Brian was not Bon Scott and never would be.
And yet I ended up loving this album and can't even begin to count the number of times I've heard it . True, it was never my favorite of theirs, which forever will be If You Want Blood, but I understand why it is one of the best-selling albums of all-time and the single best-selling rock album ever. Why? Because despite it being a very different AC/DC then they were with Bon, the record kicks ass all the way through in a way that transcends language barriers, genres, and whatever else you want to come up with to pigeonhole your particular favorite flavor of rock and roll. AC/DC with Bon was probably too raw to ever achieve the status they got with Brian. The reboot accomplished something different- it removed the threat (sexual and libertine) and replaced it with a party spirit that would prove irresistible worldwide. Bon-era AC/DC was salacious, raunchy, fun and unique. Brian Johnson turned them into the world's hardest-rocking party band. It was never going to be the same, but it was still going to be a very good time.
In the thirty years which followed, AC/DC released album after album, and each one seemed to be a little less interesting than its predecessor, though they always seemed to be able to come up with at least one great song per album ("Thunderstruck," "Big Gun," "For Those About to Rock," Heatseeker" to name a few). Their sound never really changed again, the lyrics continued to be middle-of-the-road dumb, and AC/DC became the rock equivalent of comfort food. They did their thing, and no one complained because they always delivered exactly what was expected- especially onstage, where the shows continued to have a power that was surprising for guys their age and hasn't really changed that much since 1980.
Last year's "Black Ice" was widely heralded as a "return to form"- their best, tightest album since "Back in Black." I'll admit it's the first one I've listened to all the way through in years. The guitars have more of a "Highway to Hell" sound to them, which to these ears is a welcome return, and though there are some bluesy touches that hearken back to the Albert years, it's probably too late for me to get that excited about it. Yeah, I like it, but it's not going to return me to a fold I left a long time ago.
However, when I put "Back in Black" on my turntable for the first time in many a year I was blown away by how great the album is and how well it stands up after all this time. In fact, I'd have to say that it's a better album than I thought it was. As far as their studio albums go, it's as good as "Highway to Hell," though that's an admission I can only make after all these years. Still, there's nothing like AC/DC with Bon at the helm but "Back in Black" is the next best thing- and it kicks ass.
Track by track:
Hells Bells: the most ominous opening riff since the first Black Sabbath album, a monster by Malcolm. Brian Johnson enters and announces himself with the subtlety of a punch to the face- "I'm rolling thunder, pouring rain I'm coming on like a hurricane." It has a beat you can dance to, and many people did. Catchy, immediate, nothing else of the era sounded quite like it, and besides it had the great line "if you're into evil you're a friend of mine" which guaranteed every teenage boy would be singing along with this song. It's genius, and the solo, while slow, is memorable, as if the riff, which is irresistible. The lyrics actually suck, but who cares?
Shoot to Thrill: more than any other song on the album, this sounds like Bon and I would bet this one, though listed as a Young/Young/Johnson song was actually something the Young brothers had worked out with Bon before his death. It's all there- the double-entendres, the riffs, the break in the middle where the percussion forms a danceable beat that would please strippers all over the world with Brian talking shit over the top of it, with "shoot you" becoming a metaphor for jizzing wherever you want to, this song is the best of the album. It kicks ass and they know it.
What Do You Do For Money Honey: Riff-wise, this is the closest to the old-school AC/DC we get on the album and you know if you've ever seen them live the Young brothers love performing this song. It's nasty, it's fast, it's dirtry. It's Bon without Bon, but Brian can't sell it in the same way so it's up to the Young brothers and they do it with an almost punk vengeance unique to the record. Musically, it may be the most rocking track on the album. A true classic.
Given the Dog a Bone: musically this song rocks, but the lyrics are lame beyond belief. This is the future, and it ain't pretty. The riff is irresistible, but who wants to sing these lyrics? They suck beyond belief and are only repeatable/singable once you're drunk.
Let Me Put My Love Into You: see above- great music, embarrassingly banal lyrics and vocals. Thank God it's the last song on side one. If my memory serves, we would have to be really shit-faced not to turn this one over at this point, because you have to be seriously drunk to want to be rocking out to "let me cut your cake with my knife" and think it's going to work with any woman except the biggest skank you've ever met. It's probably the single-most ever song responsible for spreading myriad venereal diseases that's ever been recorded.
Side Two:
Back in Black: One of the most instantly recognizable openings ever. Ridiculously simple, devastatingly effective, simply irresistible. Maybe the biggest song they've ever done, the dumb lyrics are almost like a rock and roll nursery rhyme, but when you have a riff so huge that even Shakira ends up covering it, you have one of the most enduring rock songs of all time.
You Shook Me All Night Long: lyrically the best song on the album pants down. It all makes sense, it may be the best song about unbridled lust ever, which is why it's their biggest hit. A contender for the hardest rocking pop song ever made- but it's definitely pop.
Have a Drink On Me: Bon personified, and why you hear this song in San Franicsco's Whiskey Thieves and other hard-drinking bars around the world all the time. 'Nuff said.
Shake A Leg: the fastest song on the album and the closest thing to having the sound of the Australian/ Highway to Hell records. It's reminiscent of the glory of "Whole Lotta Rosie" but falls slightly short. Okay, way short, but still, there's an adrenaline rush built into this one. For that reason alone it may be the album's best track. Okay, so that's the second time I've written that, and in truth the reason this album has endured so long is because it's impossible to decide which song is the best one, since 9 out of 10 are great and 5 of the nine are - what? Classics- that's what.
Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution: another loser as far as lyrics, but irresistible because of the riffs. Again pointing to what the future of the band would come to be- it's fun, it rocks, but isn't as thrilling as the greatest stuff on the record or in the past, and epitomizes the somewhat characterless, working-man, cliche-ridden AC/DC that would go on for another 30+ years and counting. And yet how many times have you sung the stupid chorus?
One final note: if Brian Johnson ever meets his demise and the band wants to rock on, they should hire Amy Ward of AC/DShe to replace him. Hell, they should just go ahead and do it anyway. She sounds just like Bon Scott and how cool would it be for AC/DC to have a hot woman fronting the band at this point?
Mixed Meters' modest proposal for LA Opera's future
OperaMark Rudio August 15, 2010 bloggers, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony
The Little Chinese Man Hits Back
madeleines, Urban livingMark Rudio August 13, 2010 The Little Chinese Man


The web provides an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate innovation by evaluating ideas quickly and accurately using controlled experiments (e.g., A/B tests and their generalizations). From front-end user-interface changes to backend algorithms, online controlled experiments are now utilized to make data-driven decisions at Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Intuit, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix, Yahoo, Zynga, and at many other companies. While the theory of a controlled experiment is simple, and dates back to Sir Ronald A. Fisher's experiments at the Rothamsted Agricultural Experimental Station in England in the 1920s, running online controlled experiments at scale—hundreds of concurrent experiments on a given day at Bing---has taught us many lessons. We provide an introduction, share real examples, key insights, cultural challenges, scaling challenges, and humbling statistics.
What applications of analytics and data mining have you seen applied to "big data" style problems?
In such applications, how did the organizations collect the "big data"? Did they have them already? Or did they have to pro-actively collect them?
What kinds of benefits did these organizations get from analysis and mining of "big data"? How did they establish a value proposition for their customers and management?
Are there cases in which analytics and data mining did not deliver stellar results – and if so, why?
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Each participant will make a brief position statement at the beginning of the panel discussion followed by a discussion among panelists for about 30 minutes. After this, the floor will be thrown open to the audience for a free flowing discussion.


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Q: Formatting string from resource in XML I have a fragment with ViewModel and a string resource like this
<string name="money_format">Money: %1$d</string>
In ViewModel I have MutableLivaData money. How I can set in fragment's XMLfile a text property to money_format with parameter Money from viewModel

A: It'll look like this
android:text="@{@string/money_format(viewModel.money)}"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Can HUPD Reform?
Nearly a year after HUPD Chief Victor A. Clay took over the department on a pledge to reform, he faces fundamental questions about the department's role on campus.
By Camille G. Caldera
By Sarah Girma and Brandon L. Kingdollar
When Francis D. "Bud" Riley took over as chief of the Harvard University Police Department in January 1996, he did so on a mandate of reform.
The department, which had faced allegations of racism and misconduct in the years prior, appeared set to move in a new direction under the former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant colonel. A new method of "community policing" was the future of HUPD, he contended.
Just shy of a quarter-century later, in 2020, Riley left Harvard facing allegations that he fostered a culture of racism, sexism, and favoritism within the ranks of his department.
Now, a new voice for reform has taken his place.
Victor A. Clay, who took over as HUPD chief in July 2021, has said he will shift the department's philosophy.
In his first year on the job, Clay has made a number of internal changes, some of which follow recommendations from a 2020 external review of HUPD that called for major shifts in the department's approach. In an interview this month, he pointed to an array of reforms: expanding officer training with a focus on emotional intelligence, developing a closer working relationship with Harvard Human Resources, and exploring alternatives to armed police response.
Clay's message sounds different than his predecessor's: He rejects the term "community policing," which Riley championed. But he faces a skeptical campus: Nearly half of respondents to The Crimson's Class of 2025 freshman survey expressed support for defunding the police. Unlike the 1990s, campus activism on policing often centers around calls for abolition — not just reform.
Asked about student calls for police abolition, Clay said he believes it is important to listen to students' concerns, rather than responding in an "adversarial" manner.
"I think that's a slippery slope, for a chief of police to say something in opposition of a group that is calling for you to do better, to be better," Clay said. "I say listen, take the lessons learned, and then move forward from that point."
Some students, though, say Clay's talk of reform means little to them.
"Even these reforms that Chief Clay is proposing aren't going to change the fundamental purpose of HUPD," said Claire E. Pryor '23.
"I want to call out what I see as a level of appropriating reformist rhetoric in order to fundamentally continue the status quo," Pryor said.
'A Cycle that We've Seen So Many Times'
In the early morning hours of March 6, Marissa J. Joseph '23 stood at the gates of Kirkland House trying to prevent HUPD officers from entering her dorm.
Her roommate, Hoda E. Abdalla '23, had contacted the house's tutor-on-call about a medical emergency — a friend who was unconscious — but, according to both students, they had explicitly requested that HUPD not be involved.
In interviews this month, Joseph said she told the officers they did not have her consent to enter the dorm, as they were not medical professionals. She said she only wanted emergency medical technicians who had arrived on scene to enter.
The EMTs proceeded through, but an HUPD escort accompanied them into the dorm, Joseph and Abdalla said. At the gates, the situation escalated: Joseph and the tutor were engaged in an argument about the tutor's decision to bring in HUPD.
Soon, according to Joseph, an HUPD officer became involved. Joseph said a female officer who was already present at the scene began to laugh at her and, after Joseph confronted her about it, pulled up her face mask and began filming Joseph on a personal cell phone.
The department's public log for March 6 reports that HUPD was dispatched to Kirkland's Bryan Hall at 2:30 a.m. in response to an individual who was reported unconscious.
"Officer responding to a report of an unconscious individual was approached upon arrival by an individual who engaged in confrontational and argumentative behavior," the log reads. "To prevent further delay in response to the unconscious individual, additional officers were dispatched. Officer reported that additional officers arrived on scene and the individual left the area."
In a tweet later that morning, Joseph, a Crimson Editorial editor, wrote that the conduct of the officer who she said recorded her was racially motivated, alleging that the officer "accosted and harassed" her.
"Her first instinct when seeing a black person in crisis, particularly one who attends the university she is directly in service off, was to treat me like a minstrel show for her enjoyment," Joseph wrote of the officer who recorded her.
"Me who stands at 5ft4inches and has zero physically threatening attributes aside from my Blackness," she added in a subsequent tweet.
Artha K. Jonassaint '24, who witnessed the altercation outside with the officers, wrote in an email that she felt "helpless" during the situation.
"Witnessing a Black student, my friend, being mocked and harassed by the HUPD is not something I will soon forget," wrote Jonaissant, a Crimson Sports editor.
HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano declined to comment on the allegations, citing department policy against discussing specific incidents.
"It is the long standing policy of the Harvard University Police Department not to comment on specific events or name witnesses, victims or other people involved in an incident," Catalano said.
It was not the first time HUPD officers had come under fire for alleged racism.
Riley's "community policing" tack, new to Harvard in the 1990s, came in response to tensions between students and the department under the school's previous police chief, Paul E. Johnson.
Johnson's HUPD had received scrutiny in the early 1990s over several incidents of alleged racial profiling. In 1992, the Harvard Black Students Association — then called the Harvard-Radcliffe BSA — published a flyer calling for police reform, entitled "On the Harvard Plantation," that detailed four police stops it said were racially motivated.
"Even at one of the most prestigious universities in America, YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK people are treated like second-class citizens," the flyer read.
"We realized that there might be a systemic issue here," the BSA's then-president, Zaheer Ali '94, said in an interview this month.
Ali said one of the BSA's primary concerns was the department's "prevailing assumptions" about who should be on Harvard's campus.
"We were calling for sensitivity training, and I think that tells you how much the Overton window has shifted," Ali said. "At the time, that was a big deal for us as students to even make the claim in writing that we did."
The BSA document was released the same month that police officers who brutally beat Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991 were acquitted in court, sparking a wave of protests in the city.
In 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, murdered George Floyd, a new group was formed calling for the abolition of HUPD — the Harvard Alliance Against Campus Cops.
Protesters called for then-HUPD Chief Francis D. Bud Riley's removal. in February 2020. By Ryan N. Gajarawala
In a report released in 2020, the group cited concerns about the standards officers use to determine who belongs on campus — similar to the BSA in 1992. The 2020 report said HUPD treats differently "students of color, poor and houseless community members, or community members living with mental illness."
Data provided by HUPD's workload and crime dashboard show the department arrested Black people at a disproportionate rate from 2018 to 2020.
Pryor said the stops described in the 1992 flyer are emblematic of HUPD's "history of discriminately surveilling Black students and students of color." She cited a 2019 incident in which students of color were questioned in Harvard Yard while setting up a class art exhibit.
The police behavior drew backlash from students and faculty, though a subsequent Faculty of Arts and Sciences report found that officers did not operate with "malicious intent" when stopping the students.
HUPD officers have continued to face allegations of bias and misconduct in recent years. Officer Anthony T. Carvello was involved in multiple use of force incidents that took place in 2019 and 2020, when he allegedly used excessive force against at least three Black men while removing them from for trespassing at Harvard's Smith Campus Center.
A 2020 Crimson investigation also revealed multiple instances of racist and sexist behavior internal to the department. In an interview this month, Clay said he "will not tolerate" similar behavior, adding: "I was a consumer of that article, too."'
"I'm actively looking to make sure things like that don't exist today," Clay said. "If there's smoke to that fire, I'm going to investigate it. I'm going to use HR as a partner, and we're going to resolve the issue quickly."
Clay has restructured the department since arriving in July 2021. More than half of the senior staff in place when he arrived has departed or been reassigned. He created a new rank of captain, and is now in the process of hiring a new group of lieutenants, he said.
"The captains were all promoted from within, so there's a boost in morale," Clay said. "There's a lot of movement within the department, and I think it keeps folks energized."
The Harvard University Police Department has undergone an internal restructuring since its new chief, Victor A. Clay, took over in July 2021. By Julian J. Giordano
Pryor said the department's history leads her to doubt the current reform efforts, which she said are part of "a cycle that we've seen so many times" of nonsubstantive reform in response to criticism.
Others, though, are more optimistic. Noah A. Harris '22, who served as president of the Undergraduate Council and sits on the HUPD Advisory Board, said he is "pleased with the reforms that have happened" under Clay.
"I have seen genuine, thorough efforts being made to make changes that students have been calling for for decades," Harris said.
Harris said part of the Advisory Board's work has been to restore trust damaged by actions of officers in past years and to "help those wounds heal faster."
'Re-Imagining Public Safety'
The external review into HUPD — launched by the University in June 2020, just days after Riley said he would retire — called on the school to begin the project of "re-imagining public safety," including finding alternatives to police response to some emergencies.
Clay said he regularly speaks with the executive director of Harvard University Health Services, Giang T. Nguyen, about improving strategies to address student mental health crises and exploring alternatives to armed police response.
"I talk to him monthly and we talk about programs — we're looking," Clay said. "We're trying to find one that fits the Harvard community well, because, again, it's about protecting the rights of the students."
Clay added he is working on a proposal to add five new Campus Support Officer positions to the force. CSOs would be unarmed, uniformed officers who would respond to calls that do not require an armed presence, such as students who are locked out of their dorms.
Clay is also a member of the Reimagining Campus Community Safety initiative, a working group launched at the recommendation of the HUPD external review. He described his work with the group as "really, really positive." In his "Chief's Greeting," Clay pledged to work with students to reevaluate HUPD's role in campus safety.
"I am excited to partner with a variety of student-based groups and with faculty and staff on campus to rethink, and reassess, how we serve you, and also, to determine when another professional might be better suited to provide support," Clay wrote.
HUPD Chief Victor A. Clay. By Courtesy of Curtis Dahl
But when Joseph and Abdalla sought medical help for their friend, HUPD got the call and responded alongside EMTs — even though the pair said they asked the tutor multiple times not to involve the police.
Abdalla said when they called for help, they did not know about Harvard's policy requiring tutors to call campus police in order to obtain medical assistance. The rule was explained to Abdalla only after HUPD had arrived in her room, she said.
Harvard College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo confirmed that tutors are required to call HUPD in the event of a student medical emergency so that officers can direct responders to the proper location and provide building access.
"If I would have known that, then I would not have called my tutor," Abdalla said.
Abdalla said there should be greater transparency surrounding this protocol and others that would bring in HUPD, adding that police involvement should not be a requisite to obtaining medical help.
"If students are not comfortable with it, they should have the clear option to just not have to interact with the police," Abdalla said. "Just disentangle HUPD with medical services."
The external review into HUPD cited several examples of police responding to calls for medical services, an issue it suggests "may not require the response of an armed law enforcement officer."
"It may be possible for Harvard to develop more precise rules and protocols for when police respond to medical emergencies, or to eliminate police response to medical issues altogether," the report reads.
These emergency response concerns are not limited to HUPD. The external review cited a 2018 incident of alleged police brutality against an unarmed Black student as a "turning point" in campus views on policing. Harvard University Health Services was criticized for referring callers concerned about a student's mental health to the Cambridge Police Department. CPD officers tackled the student and struck him in the head and abdomen.
Jarrett M. Drake '23, a proctor, said Harvard should prioritize investments into non-police response, rather than funding HUPD-run initiatives. Drake said the University's mental health programs are "under-resourced," citing long wait times students face to get an appointment with the University's Counseling and Mental Health Services.
"What is the limitation on the imagination at Harvard?" Drake said. "Law enforcement agencies have mastered the art of making themselves seem to be the only viable option for anything."
Clay has already addressed other recommendations raised by the external review. In an interview, he discussed several HUPD initiatives, including revamped officer training.
Clay said he has overhauled the department's training procedures, expanding beyond state-mandated programs to sessions focusing on empathy, de-escalation strategies, and emotional intelligence. Members of the department attended a training session earlier this month on "empathy and healing," according to Clay. He said the trainings were provided by non-police vendors, representing a unique opportunity to "step outside of our circles."
These changes to HUPD training practices are in line with the report's recommendations — including one that suggested "training on the particular emotional needs and mental health challenges of young adults," among other possible improvements to the department's approach to training.
Two Harvard University Police officers stand in the Smith Center. By Angela Dela Cruz
Yalile J. Suriel, a professor at the University of Minnesota, wrote in an email that efforts around empathy training have been part of police reform for decades, but have not substantively changed how departments operate.
"The question Harvard seems to be facing now is how exactly does this initiative around empathy and emotional intelligence differ from the past and how exactly will it be implemented?" Suriel wrote.
Francis X. Hartmann, a criminal justice expert at the Harvard Kennedy School praised Clay's reform efforts, saying his focus on emotional intelligence is "the right direction." Hartmann said Clay would be "a pace-setter" in "trying to even have that conversation introduced" into policing.
'Lack of Transparency'
Clay's flagship pledge has been to lead HUPD with greater transparency and communication.
One of Clay's first meetings as chief was with faculty members and tutors at Mather House, who requested that the department remove a HUPD substation attached to a dormitory. Students had long complained about the facility's presence, citing feelings of intimidation.
With the appointment of a new chief, Faculty Deans Amala Mahadevan and L. "Maha" Mahadevan saw an opportunity for change: They presented students' concerns to Clay in a fall 2021 meeting. After examining the substation's activity, Clay found that officers were not using it enough to justify keeping it open given the complaints.
"If the residents don't feel comfortable with it, then by all means, let's find a better solution," Clay said. "That was solely my decision on that one."
Clay ordered the substation's closure in February, subsequently increasing HUPD patrols around Mather House to maintain police visibility in the area.
The Harvard University Police Department said it would close its Mather House substation in February By Angela Dela Cruz
Pryor, a self-described police abolitionist, said the substation's closure represented a "huge victory" for students, but she said she remained skeptical of Clay's overall reform efforts.
"He is trying to create a HUPD that is less vulnerable to criticism, that is less vulnerable to changes that will actually take real power away from it," Pryor said.
Clay also said a crucial element to greater department accountability has been a closer relationship with Harvard Human Resources. The department now forwards all internal affairs reports to HR, Clay said, and has incorporated it into its use of force review process.
"Nothing inside of the department is done just within our walls," Clay said. "We give everything to Harvard HR because we are employees of the University. I'm not sure if that was done before, but I know going forward, that's the way it's going to be done now."
Although the reports no longer stay within the department's walls, they remain internal to the University. Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said HR does not provide sufficient accountability.
"I would disagree with their definition of in-house, if they're sharing information with other departments within the University, but not with students," Silverman said. "That's not the type of transparency that we should be advocating for."
Instead, Silverman said, the department should be doing more to disclose information to the public.
Unlike municipal police forces, HUPD is not subject to state public records laws, meaning that the department does not have to turn over official incident reports or other documents requested by the public.
Joseph described a series of difficulties in obtaining information from HUPD and Harvard administrators about the incident. The day after it took place, she emailed Catalano, the longtime HUPD public information officer, seeking access to the report. He denied her request.
"The Harvard University Police Department is a private police agency and therefore the reports are not public documents," Catalano wrote in an email to Joseph that was provided to The Crimson. "We release reports in very limited circumstances, almost exclusively for insurance purposes, and do not provide copies of reports for person's records. We are not going to release a copy of this report."
Yet, Kirkland House's resident dean, Leslie Rith-Najarian, was able to obtain a copy of the report, according to Joseph, and referenced it during a conversation with Joseph following the incident.
Joseph said Rith-Najarian communicated with her in an inappropriate manner about the incident and did not provide information about what took place to faculty deans or tutors — some of whom Joseph said reached out to her only because she tweeted about the incident.
Rith-Najarian, who is not returning to Kirkland in the fall, did not respond to requests for comment about the incident.
Joseph said the department's policy against granting students access to police reports represents "a blatant lack of transparency."
"Is your purpose not to protect and defend the students of this university?" Joseph said. "And if you aren't accountable to the students here, then who the fuck are you accountable to?"
In an interview, Clay said HUPD will not change its disclosure practices.
"I think our primary goal is to protect the identity and the privacy of some of the folks that are involved in the incidents that we investigate," he said. "It's not for me to go out and change it and just leave open reports or investigations out there for public review."
The Harvard University Police Department's headquarters are located on Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. By Julian J. Giordano
The Crimson sued HUPD in 2003, arguing that the department should be subject to state public records laws, which require the disclosure of police reports upon request. But the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2006 that the department's records are not subject to the same disclosure requirements as municipal forces because HUPD is a private entity. Campus police forces in some other states — such as the Yale Police Department — are required to abide by public records laws.
Catalano said the department provides more detail in its reports than municipal police departments, which it would not be able to do if the reports were public.
"A lot of our reports contain really confidential information about students who experience alcohol or substance abuse, mental health issues, going through traumatic potential self-harm," Catalano said. "We'd be forced to write less reports or even less detailed reports, and I don't know if that is in the best interest of everyone involved."
But Silverman said HUPD can make incident reports available to the public while still protecting sensitive information.
"You can address that concern by allowing for certain information to be withheld or for certain redactions to be made, similar to how that can occur under our state's public records law," Silverman said. "They can continue to write very detailed reports."
Disclosures or not, some students say they should be more involved in the effort of police reform. The HUPD Advisory Board has just one undergraduate student: Harris, who graduated Thursday.
"I always thought that there should have been more student voices on the Advisory Board," Harris said.
"I don't think we can ever be satisfied until we have a department that makes everyone feel safe, regardless of their background," he added.
—Staff writer Sarah Girma can be reached at sarah.girma@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SarahGirma_.
—Staff writer Brandon L. Kingdollar can be reached at brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newskingdollar
CollegeCollege AdministrationCollege LifeHUPDYear in ReviewMetro NewsMetro

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Madrid has invested over 42 million euros over the last four years to open 21 new schools. Madrid now boasts 36 educational facilities that are generally of a good quality. Public schools are free to attend and survive on government funding. Therefore, the Spanish government has a say in the educational process and syllabus taught at public schools. However, in the majority of cases, families still have to pay for texts books, extracurricular activities and learning material, unless they qualify for a grant from the local authority. Below is a small selection of secondary schools in Madrid.
Instituto de Educación Secundaria (IES) Príncipe Felipe
C/ Finisterre, 60
METRO: Barrio del Pilar
Specializes in humanities, technology and the sciences.
Instituto de Educación Secundaria (IES) Antonio Machado
C/ Alfonso Fernandez, 25
Specializes in the sciences and humanities.
Escuela de Arte de Madrid Número 2
C/ Marques de Cubas, 15
METRO: Banco de España
Specializes in the arts (textiles, fashion, etc.).
Instituto de Educación Secundaria (IES) Juan de la Cierva
CALLE LA CAOBA, 1
C/ La Caoba, 1
METRO: Acacias
Specializes in Science, health, technology and humanities.
Enrolment for public schools generally begins in March. Early enrolment ensures that your child will be placed at the school of your choice for the coming school year, which starts in September. If you apply too late, the local authority is obligated to find your child an open space at another local school.
In order to enroll, you will need a sworn copy of your child's educational record, which can be an expensive (300-1200 euros) and time consuming process, so it is advised to have the document validation completed before your arrival in Spain. Enrolment also requires a parent interview with either the admissions director or the principal and, in rare cases, an exam. Furthermore, you will have to present your child's birth certificate or passport and proof of immunization, and proof of residency in Spain, which can be either a bill with your name and address on it or a lease or rent receipt. If the child is entering secondary school, you will also need a passport sized photograph, which is used for a student ID.
Public schools do admit foreigners into their classes, however, the teaching language is Castilian Spanish, with English taught as a foreign language. This does have the advantage of immersing your child in the language, but bear in mind that homework, letters home and exams will all be issued in Spanish, and it is the job of the parent, not the school, to ensure that the child is performing well at school.
The following Web site displays an extensive list of both public and private schools. It shows the location, specialty and contact details:
http://www.aprendelo.com/colegios/
The majority of expats enroll their children in public schools because it helps the child integrate into the community and learn Spanish. Moreover it is also a matter of economics, as international and private schools charge a sizable fee each term.
01 Start learning Spanish and have at least a basic comprehension before arriving in the country, it will get you off to the best start.
02 Give yourself enough time to adapt to your new city. Leave sufficient time to perform the required administration before starting work.
03 Expect to spend a bare bones minimum of 1000 Euros per month, but if you want to live somewhat comfortably, plan on spending twice that amount.
04 Make the effort to strike up relationships with Spaniards, and don't be afraid to be the one who suggests getting together for coffee or a night
http://www.in-madrid.com
Regularly updated concert information, restaurant guides, nightlife listings and big parties in Madrid, all in English.
http://www.retratoiberico.com/galeria/gallery…
Photogallery containing a large range of photos of the city Madrid.
http://www.gomadrid.com
An intereractive Madrid Street Map that uses advanced Google Maps technology to show a detailed city map of Spain's capital.
http://www.metromadrid.es
Site containing information about the metro schedules together with a plan of the underground in Madrid.
http://nadyamadrid.blogspot.com
Regularly updated blog that contains narrative about a British expatriate living in Madrid.
The only statue in the world dedicated to the Devil can be found in Retiro park. It was made in 1877 by Ricardo Beliver for his patron Duke Fernán Gómez and sits at 666m altitude above sea level.
Expat Infants – Madrid
Baby-sitters


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CyberNaught
IdeaLog
Process Pragmatist
Waxing on Waxman-Markey
An action alert from Citizens for Global Solutions prompted yet another message to my U.S. Representative:
Congressman Kirk:
I am pleased that Congress has made global warming a legislative priority. I understand that the Waxman-Markey Bill, H.R. 2454, is being rushed to vote in the U.S. House of Representatives as early as tomorrow, June 26. As you know from my previous correspondence, I strongly support strong action to mitigate the worst effects of climate change due to greenhouse gas pollution. However, with H.R. 2454 weighing in at more than 1200 pages of text that has yet to be officially published on Thomas.gov, and with it still undergoing revision just a day before it is slated to be voted on, I cannot comment on its merits. I doubt you or your staff can either. This is itself an issue worthy of attention and one reason I support theSunlight Foundation's call for all non-emergency legislation to be posted on-line for public review for a minimum of 3-days prior to debate, as embodied in H.R. 554. I urge you to support legislative transparency and allow room for thoughtful policy-making by enacting a 3-day minimum public review period.
However, with respect to the more immediate issue of H.R. 2454, I ask that you work quickly to streamline and strengthen the bill. Given its length, I have no doubt that this legislation has been loaded with dubious programs and budget allocations inserted as concessions to move it through the legislative process, while at the same time, I suspect the core cap and trade program to actually limit greenhouse gas pollution has been weakened. This legislation should be about one thing only: avoiding the most devastating potential impacts of climate change by meaningfully reducing greenhouse gas pollution in the most economically efficient manner. To that end, I ask that you work to strip out any extraneous, over-regulating, money-wasting provisions, and pass legislation that puts a price on greenhouse gas pollution, letting the market work out the details of how to actually reduce emissions. In particular, please strive to see that any enacted legislation:
Enforces hard, significant near-term cuts on global warming pollution with a specific, realistic, and aggressive timetable for a progressively decreasing cap based on the best available, continuously updated science, which currently calls for decreases to 35 percent below current levels by 2020 and at least 80 percent by 2050 to achieve atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of no more than 350 parts per million;
Ensures that all forms of global warming pollution are covered, with no sectors or industries exempted and no loopholes, such as unlimited "offsets" allowing polluters to postpone emissions cuts or "safety valves" limiting the fees polluters must pay for their emissions;
Sets greenhouse pollution allowance quantities low enough & trading prices (&/or tax rates) high enough to avoid the mistakes of the EU cap & trade system & force real market competition for nonpolluting energy sources;
Provides an offset mechanism or other revenue stream that promotes sustainable practices and carbon offset projects in developing nations so that global greenhouse gas pollution reductions may be made while directing economic development in impoverished nations in toward sustainable economic growth, targeting equatorial countries in particular to prevent tropical deforestation, which accounts for 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions;
Forces all technologies to compete on their merits in the open marketplace, without "picking winners" in advance through subsidies, tax credits, or other government favoritism, in particular to nuclear power, which presents its own enormous set of environmental, health, safety, and national security issues;
Phases-out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, which artificially increase production of these polluting energy sources;
Phases out subsidies & set environmentally sound sourcing standards for biofuels ensuring these interim energy sources actually reduce global warming pollution, do so at an efficient cost, and come from waste biomass so that they produce energy without threatening world food supplies;
Lessens the short-term economic pain of higher energy prices to U.S. consumers by applying credits against or reductions to personal income taxes;
Invests any revenue generated from polluters in transition/training programs for fossil fuel energy industry workers displaced by the disruption, as well as in clean energy research, energy efficiency incentives, and additional protections for consumers;
As repeated reviews of scientific studies by the Nobel prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have made clear, we must take action now to curb greenhouse gas pollution in order to head off major climatic change and its potentially devastating consequences. The longer we delay taking remedial action, the greater the climatic change, the more pronounced its impacts, the more dramatically we will have to cut emissions in future years to achieve the same results, the higher costs to do so and the higher the costs to recover from the consequences of storm damage, flooding, crop failures, water shortages, and forced migration, and resultant human suffering and political turmoil that may result from significant climate change. Particularly in context of the upcoming December 2009 meetings in Copenhagen to discuss the terms of the environmental agreement that is to replace the Kyoto Protocol, it is imperative that the U.S. takes a firm stand in leading environmental protection. As the largest of per capita emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, America must shoulder its responsibility by taking meaningful action to protect the commons of the global climate and securing a platform for negotiations with the international community.
By Keith.Gillette|2021-01-31T15:11:53-05:002009-06-25|Cybernaught|0 Comments
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