text:
Causal modeling performance excellence in higher education : 2001-2003 Baldrige National Quality Program Education for Performance Excellence
Marjorie Ann Wall鉍
Wholeben, Brent E.
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
Universities and colleges--Evaluation; Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Ronald Reagan signed the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act (Public Law 100-107), on August 20, 1987 creating the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and thereby honoring the Secretary of Commerce (1981 to 1987) for his managerial contributions to government. The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), administers the award program funded by the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. In 1998, Bill Clinton signed legislation allowing education and health care institutions to enter the competition. In 1999, NIST introduced the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (EC), using a modified version of the business framework. Winn and Cameron examined the validity of the Baldrige business framework at a single, large Midwest university and found nonsupport for the assumed Baldrige relationships. The current study explored the 2001–2003 EC causal model, compared regional accreditation criteria to the EC, and probed for complexity theory attributes using the following research hypotheses: (1) The BNQP framework (causal model) is applicable to higher education. (2) Regional accreditation criteria are similar to the BNQP EC. (3) Respondent colleges and universities exhibit characteristics of self-organizing systems. Item three arises from the current popularity of applying complexity theory to socio-cultural systems. Invitations were mailed to presidents at 566 colleges and universities offering at least one doctoral program. Of those, 135 institutions agreed to participate; 69 returned completed EC-based survey questionnaires, a 51% return rate. Significant phi and Kendall tau b correlation coefficients were analyzed using factor analysis since planned structural equation modeling could not be supported. However, study data do not support EC-depicted Baldrige relationships. EC Core Concepts and Values were compared to regional accreditation criteria. Using the EC as a reference standard, accreditation criteria were scored, results tallied in the aggregate, and means compared. Regional accreditation criteria were found to be significantly different from the EC. Six survey questions dealt with complexity theory. Kramer's V and Eta correlation coefficients, analyzed using a sign test, indicate that colleges and universities participating in this study do not exhibit key characteristics of self-organizing systems.
Includes bibliographical references (pages [84]-91).
Wall鉍, Marjorie Ann, "Causal modeling performance excellence in higher education : 2001-2003 Baldrige National Quality Program Education for Performance Excellence" (2004). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 1701.
xxiv, 258 pages


text:
Q: Não possível converter JSON List para Array em Javascript Estou com dificuldades de pegar os dados em javascript vindos de um json.
Para melhor explicar, os dados vem do banco de dados, assim:
//PHP
$rs = mysqli_query($con, "SELECT id_acao as id, text FROM acoes");
$data = array();
if (mysqli_num_rows($rs) > 0) {
    while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($rs)){
        $data[] =  $row;
    }
}
echo json_encode($data);

Isso Está me retornando o seguinte (como uma string) :

[{"id":"1","text":"bla bla bla"},{"id":"9","text":"bla bla bla"}]

Ou seja, ele retorna uma lista e não uma JsonString.
Na pagina que recebe não consigo convertê-lo para acessar os dados..
Assim:
var data = JSON.parse(ajax.responseText[0]);

ou assim (como vi em alguns foruns o uso do [].concat)
var data = JSON.parse(([].concat(ajax.responseText))[0]);

dá o mesmo erro.

Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token  in JSON at position 0 at JSON.parse (<anonymous>)

Só consegui converter o  mesmo para um objecto, fazendo isso:
var data =  [].concat(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(ajax.responseText)));

Mas ao tentar acessá-lo com
var valor = data[0];

ou até mesmo com
var valor = data[0]['text'];

está me retornando um tipo (string) com todo o conteúdo do ajax!!
O que estou esquecendo ou fazendo errado? Obrigado a quem puder me ajudar!
At
UPDATE:  estava testando inserindo o valor diretamente em JSON.parse em vez de utilizar uma variável.
Por incrível que pareça, se eu digito exatamente o que há em ajax.responseText
 dá certo. Se copio e colo o conteúdo, pelo console.log, dá erro.
// digitado , dá certo
var data = JSON.parse('[{"id":"1","text":"Windows XP"},{"id":"9","text":"não concluído"}]');

// copiado e colado do console.log(ajax.responseText);, dá erro
var data = JSON.parse('[{"id":"1","text":"Windows XP"},{"id":"9","text":"não concluído"}]');

Eu estou achando que é algum caractere especial e invisível que está no meio da string de ajax.responseText.
Eu testei ambos códigos acima , minhas ultimas duas citações, e deu certo ambas.

A: Partindo do principio que o responseText é exatamente [{"id":"1","text":"bla bla bla"},{"id":"9","text":"bla bla bla"}] o parse funciona bem:

var ajax = {
  responseText: '[{"id":"1","text":"bla bla bla"},{"id":"9","text":"bla bla bla"}]'
};

var data = JSON.parse(ajax.responseText);

console.log(data);
console.log(data[0].text);

Se o pedido foi feito em JQuery e o tipo de dados já tiver sido especificado como dataType='json' então a resposta já vem em json e já não é possível nem necessário fazer o parse.
Aconselho também a confirmar através de console.log o valor exato que está a receber na resposta, para conseguir perceber de onde vem o problema.

A: Depois de  muito pesquisar e testar, encontrei o problema!
Meus códigos PHP estavam infectados com um caractere invisível chamado "ZERO WIDTH NO-BREAK SPACE"
Mesmo eu "settando" formatação correta no Notepad++ ele persistia.
Consegui Resolver com um script PHP que remove esse caractere invisível em todos meus arquivos PHP!
O mesmo pode ser encontrado no post gringo aqui: https://stackoverflow.com/a/9773452
Espero que ajude outros com o mesmo problema!
At

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Technology Scotland and ScotlandIS are pleased to announce the launch of MaaS Scotland, a new organisation that will support companies and organisations engaged in the development of Mobility as a Service (MaaS), the dominant force in the future of travel.
MaaS represents a step change in the world of travel, driven by both technological advances and changes in people's needs and values. With increasingly complex and fast-moving lifestyles, people want personalised services that are convenient, carefree and easy to use. MaaS fulfils users' needs for mobility with a wide range of on-demand, tailor-made transport services. With convenience at its heart, MaaS brings all means of travel, transport providers and payment options together into one single service, giving customers instant access to all public transport, from trains and trams to buses and bikes.
With the backing of two of Scotland's leading trade associations, and additional support from Scottish Enterprise, MaaS Scotland aims to be the champion of future mobility in Scotland, leading the conversation and highlighting the social, environmental and economic benefits of MaaS to key stakeholders. In addition, the team will continue develop its national and international links, securing Scotland's future as one of the leading locations for the development of MaaS.
To find out more or to join MaaS Scotland, please visit our website at www.maas-scotland.com or email alastair.mcinroy@technologyscotland.scot.
Technology Scotland is the Trade Association for companies, universities and other organisations engaged in the Emerging & Enabling (E&E) Technology sectors in Scotland, including photonics, micro and nano-electronics, advanced materials, nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing.
Technology Scotland brings like-minded companies together to solve problems, drive economic development, and build supply chains. In addition, Technology Scotland provides a range of services including events, workshops, Special Interest Groups, and collaborative networking, to help its membership improve their global competitiveness.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I have always been a huge fan of QR codes. There is so much potential in the value that they offer, and that allows you share information about a product/place/person, in fact anything, with a simple image.
Google have seen the opportunity in QR codes and have started offering US businesses that are listed on Google's local business listings, a couple of free decals which they can now apply to their shop windows, or wherever they want.
The idea is that, if you need more info on the specific shop, you simply load up you your QR code reader, and snap the QR Code. You will then be redirected to the businesses listing on Google. Here you are able to see tons of information pertaining to the business and even reviews on it.
Click here to see a couple of the businesses in the US which have been given the opportunity.


text:
Hadi Choopan Looks Stacked as He Preps for Mr. Olympia Title Defense
Choopan wants a repeat, and he appears to be all programs go.
Published by Robert Zeglinski Very last current on January 24, 2023
Just after years of competing at the greatest degree of bodybuilding, and coming so shut to capturing a Mr. Olympia title, Hadi Choopan ultimately claimed the throne as the vaunted Mr. Olympia in December 2022. Top up to the most the latest iteration of bodybuilding's flagship opposition, the Iranian athlete had notched numerous prime-amount finishes, standing on the podium twice (2019, 2021) but in no way rather concluded the position. Now, as Choopan seems to defend his initial vocation Olympia title and enter scarce air as a repeat winner, he would seem to be wasting no time preparing for ongoing glory.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Choopan posted a pic to his Instagram demonstrating off a pumped chest and piston-like arms value just about every bit the profile of a defending Mr. Olympia. Provided an appropriate published caption of "repeat almost everything to repeat," it appears crystal clear that Choopan is useless established on education and consuming nicely to incorporate one more Mr. Olympia trophy to his mantel.
Extra from Breaking Muscle:
With his prolonged journey to the top rated in account, and the reflective standing of his friends like ousted two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay, Choopan undoubtedly understands how tenuous an Olympia defense can be. In a sport with various mammoth-like titans seemingly often gunning for the best and trying to keep their eyes on the prize, if one is the defending champion, they may possibly as effectively have a giant concentrate on on their back again.
At the time of this creating, it's unclear specifically how Choopan plans to assault his off-period and planning for the 2023 Mr. Olympia with approximately nine months to go. Even so, a person of his very first general public physique updates of the 2023 calendar is a probably illuminating perception into an athlete that will probable not relaxation on his laurels.
In the weeks and months ahead, a spate of challengers for Choopan's crown will, in all likelihood, keep on to make their existence regarded. For one, the 2022 Olympia runner-up in Derek Lunsford, is scheduling on skipping the forthcoming 2023 Arnold Vintage (AC), so he can be prepared to topple Choopan on Nov. 3-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. There's also the 3rd-position 2022 Olympia finisher, Nick Walker, who, however participating in the 2023 AC in early March, seems to think he did not leave his best on phase in Las Vegas, NV, in December.
When looking at latest improvements to the Worldwide Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League's qualification for the 2023 Olympia — which eradicates a past in depth details method — a new battle-analyzed challenger may even emerge who a lot more than pushes Choopan. It is crystal clear this version of the contest could, unsurprisingly, existing alone as a gauntlet.
By the time the 2023 Olympia rolls around, it appears clear Choopan will be primed to choose the ideal photographs from any contenders for his title. After all of his challenging get the job done and dedication around the years, this doesn't feel to be a competitor prepared to release his grasp on greatness any time shortly.
Showcased image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram


How to stop your dog from barking at the wrong time.
Inappropriate barking is one of the most annoying behaviors dog owners have to deal with—whether your dog starts up in the middle of night or barks at every little wisp of air, the first thing you must do to stop the problem is identify what's causing the behavior. To do this, you have to understand a little about why dogs do what they do. As much as you may not want to believe it, dogs always have a reason for doing what they do—including barking.
If you're not sure what sets your dog off, you have some homework to do. If, like most owners, you are away from home when the barking occurs, you should invest in a remote monitoring system that alerts you when it detects noise. Most of these systems also record the event so if you're not able to log in right away and see what's upset your dog, you can watch the event later.
Communication: One of the most common purposes of barking is to communicate. This might be a way to scare prey out of hiding, talk to a friend over the fence (much as we might do when asking for information or just saying hello to a neighbor), letting others know they are displeased (or pleased) with any event, or to warn a fellow dog about a potential threat.
Solution: This is a tough thing to stop, as your dog is about as likely to stop talking as you are. However, there are things you can do to lessen the frequency of communication. Teach your dog a "quiet" command by following these instructions.
If your dog is just a "talker" by nature (you'll often see this with hunting dogs and other specific breeds), then you'll have to work a little harder to stop the ongoing communication. The first thing is to keep your dog engaged with other items (such as chew toys, smart toys and or even a two-way talk system that rewards your dog for not barking).
Boredom: This is one of the most common reasons dogs bark; they might simply be bored with their lives. We see this a lot with dogs who are left outdoors, tied to a tree for hours on end or have owners who work long hours.
Solution: It's going to be very important to keep your dog's active during the times you're home so he won't become bored. The goal is to have him fall asleep into a long nap while you're away at work. If it's hard for you to get your dog out during the shorter winter days, consider doggy daycare or hiring a dog walker for a few days a week. The only effective way to stop boredom barking is to ensure your pets don't become bored.
Smart dog toys will also go a long ways toward stopping your dog from barking. Consider leaving a Kong or BusyBuddy toy to keep him busy while you're away. There are myriad interactive dog toys designed specifically to keep pets active and engaged.
Anxiety: Anxiety is another reason dogs bark. They might be missing their human companions, they might be fearful being left alone or they might be wondering if their owners will ever return. The noise your dog makes actually reinforces the behavior—he might be barking to "self-soothe." Anxious barks tend to get higher in pitch as a dog becomes more upset, which can become particularly upsetting to neighbors (and your neighbor's dogs).
Solution: Alleviate anxiety by giving your dog a special shirt that smells like you; provide him with interactive toys and make sure he is tired before you leave. You can also try music; Pet Acoustics offers specially created tunes to help soothe pets.
Play/Excitement: This is the type of bark you'll hear while at the dog park or a special event where other dogs are.
Solution: Read this article about how to reduce barking in public places for detailed instructions on stopping your dog from barking while in public.
Warning: This is the "special alert" bark you'll hear when your dog senses someone on the other side of the gate. It's their way of saying, "I hear/see you and if you come over here, I'm going to stop you." This is the type of barking you want your dog to do in most cases, but if it becomes excessive, you will need to address the problem.
Solution: To stop problematic "warning barking" it's important to teach your dog what constitutes "threats." This means you'll need to teach him the "quiet" command. (This video can help you do that.) You will also need to reduce barking opportunities by keeping your dog away from "triggers," such as blocking access to part of the yard, keeping him out of a room with a window or other logistical solutions.
The most valuable thing you can do to stop barking is to keep your dog tired with plenty of mental stimulation. You can use smart toys, chew toys and activities (e.g., agility or new tricks training), as well as providing him with new sensory data, such as long walks or hiking. In addition, doggie daycare is a great way to get your hyper or stressed-out dog active and more socially comfortable with other dogs.


text:
Teenage girl, fiancé murdered over 'meeting, taking selfies'
Imtiaz AliUpdated December 04, 2018
A teenage girl in Karachi and her cousin/fiance in Swat were both murdered for "meeting and taking selfies" in the city last month. ─ File photo
KARACHI: A girl and her fiancé were murdered in Karachi and Swat, respectively, for "meeting and taking selfies" in the city last month, it emerged on Monday.
The 19-year-old girl was allegedly poisoned to death by her father in the Pirabad area of Orangi Town while her fiancé, Salman, who is her maternal cousin also, was shot dead in Swat, police here said.
The girl's father and grandfather have been arrested after a murder case was registered on directions of the court concerned on a complaint of the girl's mother, said Pirabad SHO Ayaz Brohi.
The arrested father claimed that her daughter had committed suicide by taking a poisonous substance inside their home in Qasba Colony.
The SHO said the girl, Marina, died on Nov 7. The next day, the father and other relatives buried her body claiming that she had committed suicide. No post-mortem examination was conducted.
Father, grandfather of the girl remanded to prison for questioning
However, the girl's mother, Abida, filed an application before the district and sessions judge West, who ordered the police to get the murder case registered on her complaint.
The Pirabad police in compliance with the court order registered the murder case on Nov 24 and arrested the girl's father, Abdul Raheem, and grand-father, Abdul Hakeem, who have been remanded to prison. The case was handed over to the investigators for further investigation.
The mother told the police that several days before the incident her sister had come from their native place in Swat with her son, Salman, who was engaged to the girl. She stated that they both met and took pictures with a smartphone, which was objected to by the girl's relatives.
SHO Ayaz Brohi said that as per the statement of the mother, her maternal nephew was shot dead in Swat over so-called honour and later on her daughter was murdered here.
The officer said that since the youth's murder did not take place here, they were not in a position to say anything about those charges. He said that as per information gathered by the police, they were murdered by relatives over "meeting and taking pictures together prior to their marriage".
He said the police were waiting to exhume the body of the girl buried in a local graveyard to ascertain the exact cause of death. The complainant has gone to her native place in Swat.
The police on Monday approached the court concerned to seek its order for exhumation of the body in the presence of a magistrate and medical board, but the judge did not issue any order and told the investigators to bring the complainant before the court.
The police approached the complainant's brother, who was in Peshawar. He said he would come to Karachi on Tuesday with his sister to appear before court.
The investigation officer of the case, Inspector Farooq Janjua, said three other suspects were also nominated in the case but they had fled.
The IO said that the girl was engaged to be married to her maternal cousin around 20 to 25 days before the incident.
Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2018
Govt plans to rig elections in tribal districts: ANP
4,700 cops to be deployed in Khyber during polls
Prisoner succumbs to injuries in Mardan jail hospital
Dec 04, 2018 10:01am
Sick society! They were husband and wife!
Maboob Saleem
Very common and hardly news worthy these days.
Ahmed bin Babar
Dec 04, 2018 03:45pm
This is all ignorance coupled with emotions brings such tragedies...


Don't judge the Keyboard Buddy Folio Case by just its cover! The Keyboard Buddy Folio Case's durable design ensures a close and tactile feel for your Apple iPad Air while holding it in securely by its sturdy internal frame and velcro flap closure, making sure that all buttons, speakers, charging port, and camera are fully accessible. A built-in stand pops your Apple iPad Air up at your convenience to provide a comfort viewing angle while you are typing away at the full QWERTY keyboard, that you can detach via magnetic attachments for easy portability. Compatible with quick Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity and high-speed syncing technology, connecting your Keyboard Buddy Folio Case will be as easy as pressing a button!


What is the Salary Range for a Lawyer?
How Many Lawyers Are Nationally Employed?
Where Are Most Lawyers Employed?
Is a Lawyer Entitled to Overtime Pay from the Law Firm?
Can a Salaried Attorney Sue His Firm or Company for Unpaid Overtime?
Lawyers represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. They may specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
Depending on the work setting and state, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted that in 2016, 80% of lawyers made between $56,910 to $208,000, with the average annual salary being approximately $118,160.
Yes, a lawyer may be entitled to overtime pay from the law firm they work for, unless otherwise exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If you believe you have been wrongfully denied overtime, the best option is to contact an experienced overtime pay attorney who can advise you on your rights.
According to the FLSA, if you have a law degree, but have not passed the bar exam; or if you are currently employed in a non-legal position you might be eligible to recover back pay or unpaid overtime from your employer.
Yes, a salaried attorney may be able to sue his firm or company for unpaid overtime, unless otherwise exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Typically a salaried attorney who earns more than $100,000 per year are generally ineligible to sue and considered exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
There are strict time limitations for filing a claim so it is important that you discuss your case in a timely manner. If you wait too long, you may lose your ability to recover some or all of your back pay. An experienced lawyer overtime pay attorney can determine whether you are entitled to overtime wages based upon your job description, job duties, rate of pay, and number of hours worked.
Some states have their own overtime pay laws that may be slightly different from the FLSA with respect to overtime pay for lawyers. An experienced overtime pay attorney can determine whether you are entitled to overtime wages based upon your job description, job duties, rate of pay, and number of hours worked. There are strict time deadlines for filing lawsuits so it is essential that you contact an attorney immediately.
To determine whether you are eligible for filing a wage claim, contact our experienced lawyer overtime pay lawyers at (855) 754-2795 for a Free Consultation to discuss your case or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review Form on this page. We will discuss your situation and determine if you have a claim. If you are owed unpaid wages, we will represent you under our No Fee Promise, which means there are never any legal fees or costs unless you receive a settlement.


A compilation of some favorite projects.
I have been a SAG-AFTRA Voiceover performer since before there was a SAG-AFTRA, 2004 to be precise. Always a consummate professional, I provide prepared, intelligent and responsive reads to make you sessions a breeze and your spots pop. In addition, my long history of theatrical work, and childhood passion for mimicking cartoon voices can bring your animated characters to life. Coaching and demo directing services are also available.
"I've been fortunate to work with Brian on a number of animated shorts. Brian is the most versatile, energetic, and personable voice over actor I have ever worked with. Brian is an asset to any production he is part of."
"For a Millennial sound with attitude, Brian's your guy. Regardless of how dense or complex the copy, Brian makes it come alive. He's definitely a "go-to" guy."
"... we produce videos that could easily end up feeling pretty dull. Brian is one of my go-to actors for taking this dry content and adding life. He can take a video about benefits enrollment and make it fun. Or serious. Or quirky. Or straightforward. Whatever mood I'm looking for, Brian does something brilliant and somehow ends up conveying an approachable tone and delivery that just draws people in—He speaks with clarity and always comes prepared to nail the project on the first take."
My passion for the craft of voice over, and a long history of teaching naturally lead me to become vo teacher, coach and most recently a demo director. I teach Voiceover at Columbia College Chicago, and the Acting Studio Chicago, and I have taught workshops for University of Illinois Chicago, WIRE School of Music, and Dominican University. I'm also a private VO coach and Demo director.
Check the Voice Over Class schedule at The Acting Studio Chicago for Summer and fall classes. Or contact me below to set up a 1 on 1 coaching session.
Affordable in-studio, at home, and remote coaching available. Get your skills up to peak levels before going on your agent meetings or for that next big audition. Be able to deliver your own distinctive read, and incorporate notes in a heart beat.
Demo's can cost, a lot, and actor's are on a budget. Through partnerships with various high quality engineers and studios, I'll set you up with a package right for where you are at in your career guaranteed to save you money, and still get you a product you can be proud of.
"I loved working with Brian. He's a great coach and I really appreciated the positive and collaborative environment he engendered - really trusted him, his taste level, his choices in scripts, his coaching and felt like I could do my best work with him at the helm. My demo is great and my agent loves it, too!"
"Brian really understood how to challenge everybody in class according to their individual needs and styles. He assessed and refined my strengths and helped me to identify areas I can improve to become more well rounded and prepared for a career in voice over."
"I had no experience with voice over work before the beginner's course with Brian, and I didn't know what to expect. Brian fosters a supportive and encouraging environment, and I felt I was comfortable pushing myself and let myself take risks."
Copyright © 2019 Brian Plocharczyk's Services as an Actor, Voice Over, Fight Choreographer, and Trade Show Presenter - All Rights Reserved.


Kirstine Roepstorff's collages exude primal instinct at its best; getting back to basics has never been so glamorous. Excavating the most rudimentary cornerstone of culture, Roepstorff takes her departure point from rocks (yes, those hard things on the ground!) In Roepstorff's hands this unorthodox and quirkily luddite theme becomes a shrewd and astucious metaphor for the historiography of civilisation as we know it, with cunning satire propelled fast and hard.
juxtaposed with media images and consumer materials, they evoke blood diamond allure, revolutionary dissent, grass roots community, global economics, and a primordial urge for violence, lionising the heathen ritual of modern living.
Presented in faux museological display, her works frame the archaic crudeness of raw capitalism with rarefied preciousness, both as contemporary talismans and hauntingly obsolete relics. Set within and around glass vitrines, her intuitive compositions reinforce the malleability of history with the tactility of making. Contriving an alternative mythology through the free-flow associations of acquisition and value, Roepstorff wittily poses primitivism as the epitome of cultural hierarchy; her luxuriously fabricated ruins celebrate the vestige drive of desire: indulgent, consumptive, unabashedly unpolished and fundamentally sublime.


text:
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

#import <React/RCTComponent.h>

@interface RCTSwitch : UISwitch

@property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL wasOn;
@property (nonatomic, copy) RCTBubblingEventBlock onChange;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Biggest Anti-Immigrant Myths — And The Facts
Today's most pervasive anti-immigrant myths
As the race for the Republican Party presidential nomination speeds up, one topic has consistently reverberated across TV and online news channels: migration. From Donald Trump's plan to build a wall across the entire U.S.-Mexico border (and make Mexico pay for it) to the slew of conservative politicians motioning to keep Syrian refugees out of the U.S., it's clear that migration is a subject in which rhetoric can wander far from reality.
Here are six migration myths being pushed by public figures, and why they are just plain wrong:
1. They steal our jobs
The facts: This is one of the most common myths about migration, and it is patently false. Many studies over the years have shown that migrants actually create jobs through starting new businesses and their substantial purchasing power. According to Newsweek, so-called 'illegals' "do take jobs, but they also create more jobs for Americans. They use some social services, but a lot of that is offset by how much they pump into the economy."
Famous chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain debunked this myth himself when he explained how Trump's idea of deporting the 11 million undocumented migrants would negatively impact the restaurant industry. The following are his own words, after 30 years of working in restaurants:
"Twenty of those years in this business I was an employer, I was a manager/employer. Never, in any of those years, not once, did anyone walk into my restaurant — any American-born kid — walk into my restaurant and say I'd like a job as a night porter or a dishwasher. Even a prep cook — few and far between. They're just not willing to start at the bottom like that."
2. They come for free schools and health care
The facts: First of all, as non-U.S. citizens, immigrants are not even eligible for many of the benefits that some believe they "steal," such as food stamps and Medicaid. Every product an immigrant purchases in the United States has taxes added to it, meaning that migrants — "legal" or not — help promote the solvency of programs which they cannot use.
Likewise, documented migrants also contribute to these programs through payroll taxes. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in an April 2015 report, "The 11.4 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States collectively paid $11.84 billion in state and local taxes in 2012. ITEP's analysis finds their combined nationwide state and local tax contributions would increase by $845 million under full implementation of the administration's 2012 and 2014 executive actions and by $2.2 billion under comprehensive immigration reform." As the institute's executive director said, "The fact is, undocumented immigrants already are paying billions in taxes to state and local governments, and if they are allowed to work in the country legally, their state and local tax contributions will increase significantly."
3. They bring crime
The facts: According to a report by the American Immigration Council, "Even as the undocumented population has doubled to 12 million since 1994, the violent crime rate in the United States has declined 34.2 percent and the property crime rate has fallen 26.4 percent." In a 2015 article by Newsweek, an author writes that "other than their violation of immigration laws, these 'illegals' commit far fewer crimes per capita than lesser educated, native-born Americans."
Protesters in Dallas, Texas, March 2006.
4. They erode our values
The facts: First of all, "values" is a squishy term. Before discussing them, we need to acknowledge the fact that values are inherently elastic, which means that they change over time, often for the better. Before 1920, for example, traditional American values said that women should not — and therefore could not — vote. Likewise, values-based arguments often helped continue policies of racial segregation well into the 20th century. If we are going to proceed with values-based arguments, though, the fact is that Latino migrants in the United States tend to come from countries whose "traditional values" are quite conservative given their close, historical association with the Catholic Church.
5. They don't want to learn English
The facts: The American Immigration Council reported that within ten years of arrival, 75 percent of immigrants speak English well. Likewise, while an overwhelming majority of immigrants to the United States do not speak English at home, a recent survey by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that 57 percent of Latinos believe that immigrants have to speak English to be a part of American society. Furthermore, the poll found that Latino immigrants, not native-born Latinos, were more likely to say that immigrants have to learn English.
6. Almost all of them are here illegally
The facts: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has noted that around 75 percent of today's immigrants have legal permanent (immigrant) visas. Of the 25 percent that are undocumented, 40 percent overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas. Likewise, as Ezra Klein pointed out in a Washington Post piece, it's actually stricter border controls that have encouraged "illegal" immigration, not the other way around.


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You will "Mclove" 'Superbad'
BY CAITLIN COGGINS
Every now and then, a summer movie comes out that features all of the typical high school movie clichés. Moving on to college, hooking up with girls (or guys), essentially, taking the big steps toward adulthood. Superbad features all of these same themes, but something sets it apart. Actually, many things set this comedy about growing up and moving on apart.
Like most high school boys who are not blessed with social skills, longtime best friends Seth (Jonah Hill of Knocked Up) and Evan (Michael Cera of TV's Arrested Development) have one thing on their minds: girls, and more specifically, how to get into their pants.
Along with fellow geek Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, appearing in his first film), the guys are desperate to impress their female classmates.
When they are finally invited to a party, where all of their perspective hookups will be, Seth and Evan want the atmosphere to be perfect. After Fogell acquires a fake I.D. (whose name on the I.D. is simply McLovin') the plan is set, and the boys set out to have the time of their lives.
What follows is a series of hilarious misadventures, all in the name of getting to the party and hooking up with Jules (Emma Stone) and Becca (Martha MacIsaac). Without giving too much away, let's just say that these misadventures involve two deadbeat cops (played by SNL's Bill Hader and co-writer Seth Rogen), an accidental adult party, a number of illegal and disgusting acts, and surprising revelations about the guy's friendship. And finally of course, Jules' party.
What seriously sets apart Superbad from other films in its genre is the truly brilliant writing of Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who were also best friends in high school. Every joke is perfectly timed and never overdone. The relationship of the three friends and their female counterparts is not only hilarious but also endearing. Although very crude at times, Superbad stands out as one of the funniest summer flicks in years.
Another standout aspect of Superbad is the brilliant performances by everyone involved. Hill's scheming and outrageous behavior juxtaposes brilliantly with Cera's awkward and deadpan, but still incredibly endearing personality. Both Hill and Cera have really set themselves at the forefront of up and coming comedy actors. The ridiculous and scene stealing antics of Mintz-Plasse keeps the audience in stitches for the entirety of the movie, and is likely to go down in history as one of the greatest movie geeks of our time. Whereas in many comedies, which can be drawn out and overdone, the chemistry of these three friends keeps viewers in tears from start to finish. Stone and MacIsaac also hold their own as very likeable and adorable costars.
If crude and sexually-explicit humor isn't your thing, then this probably isn't your movie, because Superbad does not hold back, even for a moment. However if you're simply looking for a laugh and a good time at the movies, Superbad does not disappoint. Although outrageous and crude, Superbad reminds us that at the end of the day, a good friend is really all you need.
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'Teenage Ghost Punk' is Quirky Good Fun (Review)
Posted on May 20, 2017 in Reviews S-U, Uncategorized // 1 Comment
Punk rock and ghosts? I'm in.
Director: Mike Cramer
Cast: Grace Madigan, Jack Cramer
Teenage Ghost Punk is a fun horror comedy about a family that has recently moved into an old Victorian house and the ghost they encounter there.
While trying to cope with her family's move from Michigan, Amanda (out teenage protagonist played by Grace Madigan) notices strange things happening in their new home: a tapping on her window, her mother's record collection mysteriously in a new location, and a boy standing in the rain playing his guitar. And yet, no one believes her when she suggests that their house might be haunted. In fact, she's not sure herself.
Then Brian shows up. He's a 17-year-old kid who's into punk rock and also happens to be a ghost. It's his fellow dead friends and him who Amanda has been sensing. As Amanda and Brian's friendship begins to blossom, so does the larger story of Brian's world.
Director Mike Cramer's film is a super fun time with great characters and funny jokes, but don't expect scares. This tale uses the paranormal sub genre as a structure on which to hang a comedy/romance, and it totally works.
Although I enjoyed many of the larger story elements (the innocent romance between the main characters was charming, the egghead younger brother trope was spot on, I even could get behind the generally overused "divorced mother starting over" subplot), it was the opening sequence that sold me on this film.
The film starts with a montage of paranormal investigators and a medium exploring the house in a hilariously silly fashion. At a particularly funny high point, the investigative team hears a sound and starts shaking and screaming in fear, making more noise than any team listening for whispers from the dead I've ever seen. If there's ever a Teenage Ghost Punk 2 I hope that those guys are back in glorious fashion.
The one element that felt off was the pacing. Although I appreciated that Cramer kept his story chugging along without long digressions, the breakneck speed at which the story was told became a bit tiresome after a while. For sure, too fast is better than too slow, but some of the sequences felt a bit relentless.
Teenage Ghost Punk is a fun film filled with quirky characters, fun dialogue, and a satisfying ending. If you're looking for ghosts, romance, and laughs, you've come to the right place.
Adrienne Clark
teenage ghost punk
About Adrienne Clark (69 Articles)
Adrienne Clark is a writer, editor, and musician living in Seattle. She writes about pop culture around the internet and specifically about all things spooky at AddictedtoHorrorMovies.com. When not writing, she can be heard playing with indie dance band Killer Workout. She's a firm believer that every day is Halloween.
1 Comment on 'Teenage Ghost Punk' is Quirky Good Fun (Review)
mikeivens // May 22, 2017 at 5:54 am // Reply
The ghost hunters were the best! The opening scene and the sasquatch-obssessed guy, loved it.


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Press cuttings 2013
Various, 2013
View Social Cleansing in Tower Hamlets: Interview with Balfron Tower Evictee, Novaramedia
London's most underappreciated architecture – in pictures, The Guardian
Owen Hatherley, This Property is Condemned, Mute
Jackie Sadek, Art for art's sake – and much else besides, Estates Gazette
Peter Golds, Towers of London, Conservative Home
Grub @ Balfron Tower
Owen Hatherley, The Brutal Truth of saving Twentieth Century Architecture?, Architectural Review
I have included excerpts below but encourage you to visit the websites to see the full articles, accompanying images and comments.
Social Cleansing in Tower Hamlets: Interview with Balfron Tower Evictee, Novaramedia
The Balfron Tower is famous. Designed by Ernö Goldfinger, it is the older – and less loved – sister of the Trellick tower in North Kensington. Standing 27 stories tall, and adjacent to Carradale House, another Goldfinger block, it has become a Poplar landmark. Built after World War II as a solution to the devastated housing stock in East London, it has seen its popularity wane and grow, becoming an object of architectural appreciation by the end of the last century. Both the Balfron and Carradale House are now Grade-II listed buildings, and are often spoken of as "monuments to idealism in social housing." But among its residents, it has also become a byword for monumental council neglect and mistreatment.
Though it stands in the shadow of the vast wealth of Canary Wharf, very little of the glittering cash of the financial sector seems to have made its way to Goldfinger's buildings. Formerly council-owned and managed, the buildings were transferred to Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association (HARCA) in 2007, which is undertaking the refurbishment and "regeneration" of the block. At the beginning of this process, social tenants were assured of their right either to return to the block after the refurbishment process, or choose to move to a new-build. More recently, however, Poplar HARCA has made the decision to sell off the refurbished flats, completing the block's transfer from social to private ownership.
While there has been much celebration in the architectural and art worlds that this Brutalist icon will be receiving much-needed refurbishment, rather less attention has been given to the tenants being displaced ("decanted", as the jargon goes) by the process. I meet Sara and her 5-month-old daughter at my flat near Elephant & Castle – her flat in Balfron Tower is crowded with the detritus of preparing for eviction – to talk about the way she has been treated by the local authority during the decant. Sara moved in to Balfron in 2010, following a fire in her previous block – she shows me some of the scars on her hands from the fire – and is now in the thick of a battle to demand decent rehousing for her and her daughter. "As soon as I moved into that flat they suddenly 'lost' my housing application," she says, "and told me I wasn't on the list. So I wouldn't have moved then if I had known, but I also wasn't planning to have a baby."
"But Balfron, as you know is being sold off now, so they're getting rid of everyone. I was on the list anyway, and now I've got a child, and I'm going to be evicted, and I've got nowhere to go. Because I grew up in care, I've got no family to help me either and basically they just don't want to know. They're trying to push me into private rent or move me way out of the borough, like Bradford or Southend or somewhere. I don't know anyone in those areas."
Sara had been a low-paid clerical worker in the NHS prior to the fire that led her to living in the Balfron. After that, she lost her job and has been able to survive because of her social rent since. "I could only afford to work if I was on social housing. And… there's hardly any work in London at the moment, so let alone if I moved – they suggested Dagenham – there's no work in Dagenham! And even if I did find work in London, I couldn't afford to commute." She has been told by officers in the housing department to try to find a private rental, but the costs and insecurity associated with the private sector, and pressure from the local authority to get her off the housing list give her reservations. "The woman from the housing office said to me, well, you know, people are expected to commute for an hour and a half – and well it's alright if you're on 150 grand – I'll have your job!"
As Sara unfolds the story of trying to get the council to fulfill their duty to rehouse her, it seems clearer and clearer to me that Tower Hamlets simply want to find any way to get her off their list. "Yeah, they're definitely trying to get rid of me, they told me, they really really pressured me with the rent deposit scheme, and I was told by Shelter not to take it." She explains that the deposit scheme is a way of shunting social tenants into the private sector without any guarantee of security in their housing. "The guy dealing with my case said to me – off the record – don't go with the rent deposit scheme, they're just trying to get rid of you. He told me that, and then of course, in front of his manager he's trying to get me on the RDS and they're really pressurising me. And as you know, if you go on the rent deposit scheme, then the landlord can then just put the rent up in 6 months time – once you're in there, they can just do what they like. If I could find a decent flat and rent it long-term, I would do it, I wouldn't need the council's help. I would just go and do it! But everyone I know who's in renting – you know what it's like, you have to move every six months to a year – and then with a child, with schooling, I don't want that, plus the rent going up, I can't – I can't live like that. Otherwise I would. And they probably don't understand, because when they're renting, and they're in the higher end of the market, it must be completely different then." She has even been told to try 'cosmic ordering': "I really wish I'd recorded all of my interviews in housing. I had to start taking someone along with me, because I couldn't believe it. That's just what you want to be told by a housing officer at Tower Hamlets, try cosmic ordering, I mean it worked for Noel Edmonds! I'm sure the few million behind him helped a bit."
It's not only Sara who has been affected by the push toward Rental Deposit Scheme: "There's another couple on my block, they've got a kid as well, they've both got learning difficulties. They agreed with the council to go on a rent deposit scheme, and the council don't even pay the whole of the deposit, they pay half of it – and they lost their money – this couple with learning difficulties, and they lost their money. And they saved for it for months."
The pressure from the council to move to another area fails to take any account of the difficulties of raising a child, or the change in culture: "They suggested Dagenham, which I've never even been to, and I don't know anyone there. And when I googled it, it came up with 'strong EDL', and I was like, yeah, great, I really want to move there. Yeah, please. I'm mixed race, I really want to take my mixed race daughter to live somewhere I don't know which is full of EDL."
"I've got friends in the east end I've had since I was 12, and I'm 37 now, I'm not going to suddenly just make those new relationships overnight. It's OK to relocate and relocate if you're rich – if you're rich and you don't like it, you can come back. But if you go into social housing up north, then that's it – you're stuck there then, for the rest of your life. It's not the same as if you've got money, you can just say, oh, I don't like it after 2 months and come home."
The way the council has been carrying out the eviction seems to have been particularly sly. The council issued Sara with a Notice Seeking an Order for Possession (NOSP) on the grounds of rent arrears. But, like many social tenants, Sara relies on housing benefit, which is paid in arrears, to cover her rent. The notices were issued in the third week of the month, just prior to payment, claiming three weeks of arrears. A notice on those grounds can impact future chances of housing: post-Right To Buy depletion of council-owned housing stock, most social stock is now owned by housing associations, who have greater license to bar tenants with arrears, or keep them on permanent introductory tenancy, effectively denying them the greater security of a social tenancy. Those presenting with arrears notices can be marked as "intentionally" homeless. Fortunately, because Sara has a daughter, social services will have a duty to house her – but the arrears notice means this would likely be on a permanent introductory tenancy, removing anything in the way of housing security. "They did it to everyone," she says.
Sara's experience of the housing office has been like many other people's: varying between uncaring incompetence and box-ticking malice. From what she tells me, I get an uncanny sense that Tower Hamlets really will apply any pressure possible to get people needing housing off their list. It doubtless looks good for targets, but in reality this means a miserable experience for many, and one founded on misdirection by council workers. When she took in a support worker to witness a meeting, her housing officer went to find a manager: " I thought, why are you not telling me what you were planning to tell me as soon as I've brought someone else in. And even with the woman there, the housing support worker, she told me: it's a lovely day, if I was you, I'd go out and walk the streets and find a flat. Do you think I want to be sitting in a housing office? Do you not think, if I could sort out housing without the help of these condescending arseholes I would quite happily do without their help? But I need it, unfortunately. And most of the people in there do. All of them do."
Sara has been told many things by her housing workers: that they have no duty to house her, that the bidding systen won't work, that unless she takes the deposit scheme she'll be taken out of London, or they'll put her in a Premier Inn, or B&B. B&Bs are something Sara has experience with: " Before I got my Housing Association flat I was housed in a B&B – this was in the early 2000s. I saw a bill, and it cost the council so much money, often £700 a week or something ridiculous, to house me in this crappy B&B in King's Cross. And it was absolutely huge, it housed about four hundred homeless people. And someone was making a lot of money out of that."
We get to talking about the changes the area has seen in the last few years. The flats in the Balfron Tower, once emptied but prior to their refurbishment, have been used to host "artists' live/work studios" by Bow Arts, but are also being farmed out to 'property guardians', and, lately, being used as temporary accommodation for homeless from outside of Tower Hamlets. "But more than Bow Arts, in my block is guardians. And that's like basically paying to squat. You get no rights, you get a work contract. And there's absolutely loads of them. People hate them, but I think that they're just in the same position as everyone else. Why would you want to live like that? And you can be out in 24 hours. There was a guy in my block who was a guardian, and someone complained he had his music too loud, and he got a 24 hour notice the next day. So living like that, they don't care about the block, and I don't blame them either, you're not going to put down roots in the community."
Artists are the shock troops of gentrification, of course, in varying degrees of complicity: where artists pop up, rocketing house prices and dispossession soon follow. It seemed strange to me that so many journalists and commentators write about renaissance or regeneration of an area without bothering to talk to people who are being slowly disappeared from it. Sara tells me that the media attention Balfron Tower receives is largely from people who want to write about its architecture, or praise its preservation. They don't seem to have bothered to talk to anyone actually living in it – or if they do, it's the more media-palatable artists.
"People write about it, but a lot of the media interest in the block is always from an art point of view. There's a couple of galleries in the building. Because of BA – and the block's always had an association with artists – the council are doing that to make out as if they care about arts – they don't care about arts, not local arts in the area, they do not care. As soon as they get the investors in they won't care about the artists. So we get tourists coming to look at the block every day. It feels like you're living in a zoo, peering through your window and then going back to their nice posh house in the suburbs.
"They do a little tour round the area – Robin Hood Gardens, Balfron Tower, go look at the Banksy – and then I think they get on the DLR and get out of there."
Such changes are easy to notice for anyone who's lived in the area for a while. Sara reserves special anger for anyone who wants to pretend that the Olympics did anything useful for the area. "It's just so gentrified. I went to a jumble sale in Hackney last week, walking around and hearing everyone talking, and thought – this isn't the Hackney that I remember. It's really changed. All those houses that were working houses, that had people who worked in shops – now they're millionaires' houses.
"These people don't provide jobs. Like, Canary Wharf, did not provide any jobs for local people apart from cleaning jobs, and some jobs in shops. Just like the Olympics. All the people who work high up, they bring them in from outside. They don't bring money into the area, they take it out, and they keep it all to themselves. Like the Olympics didn't provide jobs for local people, apart from say McDonald's or cleaning, that's it – minimum wage, zero hours contract, that's all it is for us. And if you look at Canary Wharf, there's no space there, they've built all that up, so that's why they're now going to Poplar. And it's like they want to build up in between Stratford, Poplar and Canary Wharf – all the area in between. 'Cause if you look at the other local shithole – it's been a shithole for years – Canning Town – they're putting up loads of those luxury flats, they've redesigned the station. They want to do it all, but it's not for the people who live there at the moment."
The changes that come quick on the heels of artists moving into an area are easily seen: "I've heard locals in the social club complaining about them just playing at living on a council estate for a few years, and they're like, 'they're all right', because when they're talking about the block being sold in the social club, "they're all right 'cause their Mum and Dad will buy them a flat somewhere else." And it's probably true. And you could notice the change when you started seeing Waitrose delivering outside Balfron Tower."
It's hard not to see a policy of deliberate neglect operating in blocks like the Balfron – as is true elsewhere, like the Heygate in Elephant and Castle. "They've allowed [Balfron] to get run down, so that people want to get out of there as well. Everyone says, oh, it's such a crap place, that they hate living there – the flats themselves are really, well, can be really nice, because they're big." With the changes to the overcrowding rules, things only get more difficult, but the changes to quality in housing are obvious to anyone who has had to live in them, or move between different types of housing. But selling the flats in the Balfron into private ownership means these types of flats will no longer be accessible to people like Sara.
"The last one I was in was a new build – built in the 90s – and it was horrible. The ones built twenty years later are absolutely horrible. Low ceilings, dingy walls, no storage – I found it difficult living there just on my own, and it was only twenty years old. It's like they've looked at buildings like Balfron, and thought, well, why should poor people have them? They did consider them crap once, and as soon as they consider them not crap, they say, well, we don't want the poor to have them."
Poplar HARCA have just completed a £140m bond issue to finance their regeneration work – the credit report from Moody's makes for some interesting reading – but the question of where the money's going, and who benefits is a more pressing one. Though there has been some resistance to the idea of being moved, it's been gradually worn down.
"There are people who've been living there for quite a long time, there's a woman who was living underneath me, and she'd been living there since it opened, and when I first moved in there, they didn't want to go – they were all saying, oh, I'm not going, the council can kiss my arse, I ain't going nowhere – and now they're all saying, oh, I can't bear it, I'm sick of it. They've been starting doing a lot of work around the block, so the noise is unbearable, and it starts at 8 in the morning. The council aren't doing any repairs at all to the block – anything that needs doing – they put in new gardens and things like that, which are obviously for the *next* lot of people. But anything, like the tiles coming up in the corridor, anything like that, they'll just wait, so it's getting even worse there.
"Apparently they gave people that had assured tenancies, that had been there over 20 years, ten grand. And they're all really excited – oh, I've got ten grand – well, yeah, I would be as well. When you've got no money, ten grand's a lot of money. But then if they're selling off a 1 bed flat for £330,000, ten grand's taking the piss, isn't it? Especially if people are giving up three bed maisonettes for ten grand."
Sara worries about additional rates of council tax and increases if Tower Hamlets were to succeed in moving her to another area, and the way this will affect people being moved out. "A lot of people out of the borough, they won't realise that. That they're going to have to start paying more money that they haven't got. If you're working, it's not going to affect you, but if you're moving people out that are disabled, that are single mothers with kids – even if they are working, or are in the position where they've got a kid and put the kid in childcare, started work, and are maybe £10 a week better off. Because the rents are so high. I don't want to spend my life on benefits, I only stopped working in 2010, after my accident, I don't want to spend my life on benefits but I feel like they're forcing me. If they move me too far away, or into private housing, they'll be forcing me to spend the rest of my life like that."
"I know to people outside of London it doesn't sound like… it sounds like a lot of money to a Daily Mail reader, but when you're living in an area where the rent on a 1 bedroom flat is £350 per week, and you've got a bigger family, and that flat was once a council flat that was £100 per week, but now it's much higher because it's private. All this moving people around… it'll end up costing the government more in the long run. Putting me in social housing, and me being able to work, that's going to cost less money than moving me to the private sector and never being able to afford to work. But they don't think about the long run, they think about the now, and getting the money in now."
I ask Sara if she were presented with the people in charge of Tower Hamlets housing policy, what she'd say to them. Her answer, to my mind, encapsulates everything that's wrong with the way housing works in places like Tower Hamlets:
"If I could say anything I wanted to them, I'd ask them where they all live, and how they paid for it, and I wouldn't be surprised if they said something like "my parents gave me the deposit for a flat." I think they assume everyone else has got these options. They think everyone's coming to them, taking the piss, wanting a free flat, thinking everyone else can just go and get a deposit off their parents, or that their parents have got a big house that they can go and live in. I'd like to know where they all lived, and how they paid for it, and how much money they earned to do their job. I'd like to ask them whether they think Tower Hamlets should stay working class – not middle class-working class, even them they don't want – but proper working class. I don't think they do want it to. They think the land's too good, it's too prime for normal people.
"I was going to say, who do they think is going to look after their children, or work in shops, or will they just bring in more people from abroad and treat them even worse? 'Cause the racism in Tower Hamlets has got worse as well, really, I think I've noticed it a lot more over the last few years. Obviously there's always racism, especially against Muslims in the area, but I never overheard it so much as I do now. Now, barely a day goes by when I'm getting on the bus or going round the supermarket that I don't hear it. And I never used to notice it so much, but I think it's because everyone is so much under pressure. Somehow, this government, especially on housing, they've got everyone thinking that all these other groups are getting things that they're not getting. A lot of people on the estate, a lot of older people in my block, have said to me "I don't like this area any more, it's full of Bengalis and Polish." So they're getting the blame for what the Tories are doing, they're getting the blame for the lack of housing. And it's all just simmering under. It must be to do with housing, and everyone feeling like they're getting pushed out – but I'm sure the Muslim families feel like they're getting pushed out as well.
"People think someone else has got it – they don't, it's not there, but they think someone else has got it.
"People have lost faith in Tories and Labour – even if you had faith in either of them to start with – and that's why the EDL are doing so well, people are just desperate. And it does kick off racism, when there's no housing and no money. Even with immigrants from different countries turning against each other as well. People hate to be on the bottom rung, so as soon as they see someone else coming in, they think, great, gang up against them. It's a horrible situation. It's got worse, with benefits cap, and not being allowed to live on your own in a flat if you're under 35… I think there will be more riots. I just want it to change. I thought Labour were bad – because they're all out for themselves – but nothing compared to this lot."
"I don't think [somewhere like Balfron Tower] crosses their mind. I don't think they're thinking of the future at all, or money saved – like with Universal Credit, apparently that will take twenty years to make back what it cost to implement. By then they'll have something else. They just want to win Daily Mail votes, by making people think they're doing something about "spongers"… This attitude that people have about "why don't you just get a job and get a flat" –– that's what people want to do, they want to work, there's not the jobs out there, and when there are, the wages are so low, you can't pay private rent, and you can never buy a flat. You work your arse off for nothing, and get treated like crap – the way they've got around employment law, giving people breaks, zero hour contracts… and how the hell are you supposed to arrange childcare when you don't know whether or not you're working until a few hours before? You're not going to do it. Or buying weekly travelcards, then not using it and not earning money. It's all adding up to make it impossible for people. They just want to get people out of London is the overall feeling I've got – they're not even saying to move to another borough."
"I don't know anyone that's not struggling with housing. Even people who are a class above me. They're struggling with it, even if they're in regular work."
Something that occurs to me while Sara is speaking is to wonder about what local authorities think their job is. They've never been perfect, of course, but now they treat Sara – and many others in the same position – as problems they desperately want to be rid of. To stand up to the council, as Sara has done, and demand they fulfil their obligations, is a tricky business: it can mark you out as troublesome, and bring reams of bureaucratic bullying and harassment down on your head. When people I've met who work in offices dealing with housing defend their work, they've often talked about mitigating the effects of government policy on those who are vulnerable – but such an ethic is notably absent from the way Tower Hamlets have behaved here. It's not like when the council does something the middle class doesn't like and it makes the front page of the newspapers: people are being 'decanted' out of London without even a whisper of attention.
"They think I'm dumb because I haven't got a posh accent. And they probably look at me and see I'm mixed race and have tattoos and think I'm rough as fuck, but I'm not.
"I think they think I'm really stupid. I think they think everyone's stupid. I think they know we're desperate, and they think we're stupid as well. But they know I'm desperate. They know I've got no choice. Because if you weren't desperate, you wouldn't put up with it."
Owen Hatherley, Mute
The earliest demolitions of council estates and their replacement with the requisite 'urban renaissance' newbuild were relatively uncontroversial, entailing some degree of genuine 'consultation' and direct rehousing of those who were to be cleared; the demolition of the '70s estates in Hulme, Manchester, even gave rise to a mildly radical housing co-operative on part of its former fabric, in amongst the usual developers' 'townhouses'. Again, however, the process rapidly shed its social democratic covering, and became increasingly ruthless. In Keeling House or Balfron Tower in London or Park Hill in Sheffield, clearance was justified by architectural fame (all three are listed buildings, and hence need expensive levels of care) and a convoluted socio-historical argument whereby the clearance of 'communities' in the first instance when these places were built justified the clearance of the 'communities' that lived there by the 2000s.
Jackie Sadek , Art for art's sake – and much else besides, Estates Gazette
A brilliant, and hugely effective, arts project was brought to my attention last week by my friend Michael Owens (champion of the Lower Lea Valley and all round good geezer).
The Bow Arts Trust manages artists' studios, runs a gallery, and manages short life live-work studios. They have about 400 artists on their books (must truly be like herding cats) across six sites, mainly in the East End, with a main studio complex in Bow, and others in Southwark, Stratford, and Poplar. They do fascinating things, like working with over 30 schools across London; they have an education department run by a team of four, from which they supply a huge team of artist/teachers.
Marcel Baettig, who runs Bow Arts, won a Social Entrepreneur award the other day, and has just about recovered from his hangover. Bless. But he has built a serious community-minded operation funded largely from the rental income stream, ploughing profits back into arts and culture education and regeneration. Although Bow Arts is largely funded from its own enterprise, it is one of the Arts Council's nominated providers, and so can access grants for added-value projects.
Michael Owens says rather charmingly in his understated way: "It is easy to get hooked on the romance of what they are doing." Now, Marcel has embarked on ambitious new plans to expand the business, starting with its property portfolio. Thanks to Michael's efforts, they have got through the door of a number of public sector contacts. But they need to open up a dialogue with the private sector property world, and I was asked if I could spread the word.
Naturally, I am helping and it starts with me cajoling you lot. The Bow Arts Trust will consider any scheme; your thing can be truly modest in scale if it is in east London, but they can certainly look at the rest of London, and indeed the rest of the UK, if you have something of a medium or a large scale for them to get their teeth into.
Basically, Bow Arts needs space that it can convert to studios: commercial, retail, community, or live-work (thus far, the latter is typically on license as a part of estate regeneration projects). Bow Arts has taken commercial space from East Thames Housing Group on this basis, and delivers arts and creative enterprises on the ground floor of residential blocks; it also manages short-life, live-work space for Poplar HARCA. I am thrilled to report that there is a growing relationship with our mates over at Willmott Dixon who are cleverly embedding a cultural strategy in their development at the Aberfeldy Estate (including the radical Be:Here PRS pilot). The boys at Willmott Dixon have clearly seen that working with Bow Arts can add a lot of value. And good for them.
Naturally Bow Arts needs its space for nothing (What? You want jam on it?). Or at least as cheap as chips. In return, they will do something invaluable for you: they will animate your dead space with imaginative arts, culture and regeneration programmes. The model works best where planners have pushed ground floor space in the absence of a market, or where space, or a neighbourhood, needs to be brought to life (and we're not short of those!) or value added for the long term.
I urge all you guys out there who are attempting to bring sterile new space to life: give Bow Arts an hour of your time, and let them present their story to you. They can access their networks to animate your space and bring some much-needed lifeblood (and hence long-term value) to your assets. There now. What's not to like?
Peter Gidds, Conservative Home
Erno Goldfinger designed tower blocks whilst annoying his Hampstead neighbour, Ian Fleming, who extracted his revenge on the troublesome architect, by using him as a character in a novel. When Goldfinger threatened to sue him, Fleming offered to rename the character and book "Goldprick".
Residents of Ballroom Tower, designed by Goldfinger, were left to fume and lock their doors as their block became less and less attractive, whilst Ian Fleming enjoyed his royalties.
Grub & Balfron Tower
A train carriage on Deptford High Street, an old timber wharf on Regent's Canal, a 1930s park keeper's lodge on Hackney Downs, a Greenwich art gallery… and now a top-floor apartment in a Goldfinger-designed tower block in Poplar. If you're going to be a nomadic dining company, you might as well be as free ranging as possible – but the efforts of Grub are still quite something, from waterside munching to sky-high tasting, public transport sampling to grassy knoll dining.
After a summer break while chef Matt Klose moonlighted at Franks Café in Peckham, the pop-up restaurant is serving a wintery 5-course menu for 20 people per night over two weekends. The 24th-floor Balfron Tower adventure begins with delights such as leek and oysters, and then dances through dishes like onions, sheep's curd, bone marrow and celery, and pheasant, quince, celeriac and sage.
Tickets are selling mighty fast, so book pronto – booking closes 29 October.
Owen Hatherly reviews Brutal and Beautiful: Saving the Twentieth Century, an exhibition at Wellington Arch
'You're telling me that's beautiful?' a voice asks, echoing around a gallery built into a triumphal arch. 'You're having a laugh.' He's not talking about Wellington Arch itself. This sits at the middle of a strange memorial roundabout just next to Hyde Park Corner, an accretive and sometimes bizarre landscape of legislated memory.
Dedicated to the victory over Napoleon's France, the arch features, inter alia, an equestrian statue of Wellington himself in full regalia and headgear, two recent memorials to the Antipodean presence in the imperial armies, both in an uneasy combination of 'accessibility' and abstraction, and two memorials to specific groups of combatants in the First World War, one the gross kitsch of Francis Derwent Wood's Grecian spearman-cum-machine gunner, the other the utterly convincing violence of CS Jagger's terrifying monument to the Royal Artillery.
Within this space, English Heritage present a celebration of the second half of the 20th century, the era where morbid or aggrandising monuments to imperial grandeur and suchlike were, supposedly, to be vanquished in favour of an optimistic, equitable, technologically-driven new society. The exhibition raises the question of whether this tension even matters any more, or how sincere it was in the first place.
The upper floors above the arch contain three small rooms profiling a selection of the buildings constructed since 1945 that English Heritage has successfully had listed. Necessarily, there is no space for those that got away, that EH tried to list only to be batted off by central government − John Madin's Birmingham Central Library, Ahrends Burton & Koralek's Redcar Library − but it's a rich selection nonetheless, divided into discrete sections: on 'The Years of Austerity', 'The New Brutalism', 'The Swinging Sixties', and finally 'The 1970s and 1980s', perhaps too diverse or divisive to receive a snappy epithet.
A lot is squeezed in here − photographs, by James O Davies, crisp, laconic and elegant; models, some forgettable, others intriguing; and short films, which resonate in the background, one on Denys Lasdun's Royal College of Physicians, one on Peter Aldington's own house, and a documentary 'What is Brutalism?' presented by EH's main specialist on the era Elain Harwood, whose tireless enthusiasm and erudition helped get many of these buildings listed in the first place. The dissenting voices in the latter, such as that quoted at the start of this review − a passer-by commenting on Goldfinger's Balfron Tower − suggest that English Heritage still have some work to do in convincing people that the buildings represented inside Wellington Arch might have as much value as its imperial bombast.
Because of that, there's an underlying sense that the choice of exhibits is there to answer various possible objections from the punter with a more traditional view of Heritage. You thought postwar buildings were all hostile to their classical neighbours − well, look, here's Albert Richardson's brick and sandstone palazzo for the Financial Times, with a high-tech, contextual (and also listed) extension by Michael Hopkins built right into it. You thought that Modernists wanted to erase the past, well look at the way Lasdun managed to accommodate and display the Royal College of Physicians' venerable history within a marble-clad geometric block. You thought that Modernists all lived in Georgian houses, well here's private house after private house designed by architects for architects − Derek Sugden, George Marsh, Peter Aldington, Gordon Yates, John Bonnington, all happily living in clean-lined, glass-walled seclusion. You almost certainly can't visit these Modernist retreats, but at least you can have a peek into them here.
It sits strangely with the claim in the captions and the films that Modernists were 'gripped by a fervour for change', intent on shaking up the built environment and all the things that happened in it, proud to build things that don't get built any more, like comprehensive schools, municipal libraries and most of all council housing. These are present and correct, but are unexpectedly downplayed. The rationale is no doubt to show the true diversity of the era, and the diversity of what has actually been listed − but council housing and comprehensive redevelopment really did dominate the era and its architectural debates. Why be ashamed of it? Wouldn't it be better to face all the prejudices head-on, rather than sidestepping them?
The future they didn't expect is just outside, among that somewhat variable reservation of monumental sculpture. Poking their heads above the trees are speculative blocks dating from various eras − the London Hilton, Portland House, the slender green glass finger of the new St George Wharf tower. You can see the Park Lane Playboy Club, that was partly designed by Walter Gropius himself, in the near distance.
Looking at central London it becomes abundantly clear that Brutalist architects did not permanently change the structures of class and power, and nor did the social democracy they worked for. But unlike us, they tried, and it's worth remembering that, rather than dwelling on their equally impressive ability to provide well-designed luxury for themselves and their mates.
& Answers
Who lives in Balfron Tower?


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With the advent of ISIS, threats from Iran and Russia, the specter of Ebola, and rising unrighteousness, people all over the globe are wondering, "are we living in the 'time of the end?" The Bible, of course, has the answer for us.
The book of Daniel makes six direct references to a period known as the "Time of the End" in Daniel 8: 17,19; 11:35,40 and 12:4, 9. This time period is also referred to in Amos and Habakkuk. Although the New Testament makes no direct references to this phrase, the Greek words found in the phrase in Daniel 8 in the Septuagint: "time" (kairos) and "end" (peras) shed some additional light on what this phrase means.
The most important reason to understand what this phrase means is so that we understand the times we live in. If we are truly living in the time of the end, our preparation and strategy as a Church needs to change, just a a football teams strategy changes at the two minute warning.
One other important reason to understand the phrase is that the messenger angel tells Daniel that the book of Daniel will be sealed or the "words shut up" until the time of the end.
If we are going to understand the Book of Daniel it is important to know when it will become unsealed. Does this mean we need to be careful when reading old interpretations of Daniel? Yes, it means exactly that! Now some sections of those old commentaries on Daniel are valid, but if the book was truly made unintelligible by God then we need to carefully examine what was said.
The first thing we need to gain a grasp of is the sealing of Daniel. If Daniel is still "sealed," even our understanding of the phrase "time of the end" may be compromised. So we need to return to Daniel 12:4 above and understand the meaning of that verse clearly.
The verb "dash" (some translations say "go to and fro") holds the key for how the book is to be unsealed. This is the Hebrew word shuwt which literally means "(go) about." The first use of this verb in scripture is found in Numbers 11:8 where the Children of Israel would "go about and gather" manna each day. This is an awesome picture of what I think this verb means. The Book of Daniel will be unsealed by the Church "going about and searching" through the rest of scripture to discover clues to the meaning. Our modern computers makes this type of study time efficient and easier.
Many commentators have said that Joel Richardson unsealed Daniel 2 or that Mark Davidson unsealed Daniel 8. Although I highly respect the work of these two men, I'm sure they'd agree that just as the entire nation of Israel shuwt manna, the Church universal is unsealing Daniel, not individuals.
Many other commentators have said that "going to and fro" was a reference to our modern era when people travel all about on planes, trains and automobiles. Close examination of the Hebrew word' however, clearly shows that its meaning is closer to gathering or searching than to traveling.
This use doesn't mean this is the only meaning of "end," in the phrase "time of the end" but I find it interesting that the covenant with Abraham is mentioned and the end of disputes is also mentioned. The "time of the end" will be the end of God's dispute with us and will usher in the Abrahamic Covenant's fulfillment. I find that very interesting.
So in review, "time of the end" means the period of time in which Jesus returns and God's dispute with our sin is ended and we receive our inheritance. The end of this period is easy to determine, it's Jesus' return. The beginning, however, is what we are looking for.
WHEN DOES THE TIME OF THE END BEGIN?
We can see that this entire vision in chapter 8 pertains to the appointed "time of the end." We learned in ARE WE ABOUT TO SEE IRAN FULFILL DAN. 8? that the first prophecy in the vision is that the modern nation Iran will invade the Middle East then Turkey will counter-attack.
When Iran Invades the Middle East, the "Time of the End" will begin.
I think this is the most biblical answer. It is also possible that the "time of the end" has already begun, perhaps with the reformation of the nation of Israel, but the Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says the "time of the end" begins with Iran's invasion of the Middle East. To my thinking that is the event we should look for to mark the beginning of the end.
Previous PostWhat Will the Great Tribulation Look Like?Next PostARE WE LIVING IN THE DAYS OF LOT?
I am leaning in agreement with you, Nelson. It appears that anything prior to a very hard, global birth pang (i.e., the Iranian invasion of the Mideast per Daniel 8) will not get the sleeping church's attention like that one. All other developments prior to the Iranian blitz are what I call "setting the stage" by God and for those who watch and pray do see what God is doing, but when we tell church leaders they counter with, "Well, that is just speculation…" (my pastor) oh, really?
Time will be the great teller and then when Iran does as prophesied, then perhaps we will have a more attentive church to hear the prophetic Word of God.
when the invasion happens, as a Church we need to hit the ground running. READY FOR JESUS MINISTRIES needs to be blowing our trumpets as one body, It is our calling.
We are in the seventh day,we are in the last days.


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Should we be required to live in the body in which we were birthed? The Bionic ear is with us in the form of the cochlear implant. We have bionic arms and legs attached to the war wounded. Now the Bionic Eye is here.
We are slowly becoming a body of technology as the flesh weakens and decays. Does bionics confirm or deny the existence of God? The most religious among us will claim — in a fascinating metaphysical dance around an illogical argument — that God invented everything and so He invented Bionics and therefore it is God's hand that is creating the technology to replace failing body parts.
Do you find that argument curious? Doesn't bionics show the failure of God in preserving the body? Is it possible bionics exist in spite of God instead of because of Him? Why would God create a body that can wear out? Why would God create a mechanical replacement that is not of the flesh and spirit? Is bionics Anti-God and Pro-Science? Is it our bodies or our minds that make us human?
If it is spirit that gives us cogent life over inanimate objects, where then, does the mechanical eye fit into that lifeforce equation? How far away are we from interchangeable body pieces? If your eye is wearing out, head over to the vending machine and buy a new one in a different color for $20. Is your heartbeat weak? Order the latest mechanical model from Amazon.com and feel better in 2-3 business days.
Is your arm feeling tired after pitching 3 innings in the Major Leagues? Screw in a new arm and double your pitch speed.
We are on a doomed route of falling for a life without the failures of the flesh.
The forced, artificial, regeneration of human cells will lead to a propagation of lives that — 100 years ago — would not last past the age of 30. In 20 years the life expectancy — the demand for "continuing" — will be 200 years. Will that sort of fake, extended, life be worth living? Is everlasting life what we all seek?
Is that why science leads us into total-body bionics? What percentage of a regenerated body must remain "original flesh born of original sin" in order to still be considered "human" and not artificial life? 51 percent? One percent? One one hundredth of one percent? Is a whisper of breath from a mechanical lung enough of a human mark to be considered alive and not just powered up?
Is the ultimate test of science verses faith merely a game of cosmic one-upmanship: The divinity of disease eradicates the body and science removes the flesh with a soulless replacement made of plastic and titanium?
I'm surprised nobody has jumped into the mix on this subject yet.
I say people are people no matter what — even if they are young, old, supplemented with electronics, assisted with medical devices, etc.
As far as the God argument is concerned, I don't think that using medical devices takes does anything to reduce a person's faith in a supreme being.
Thanks for leaping into the null!
What is it that makes us human then, if not our bodies filling with blood to feed our minds?
What's the difference between a robot and a human being?
It's our soul that makes us human and not just robots. While there are some robots that seem to be getting closer to being human-like, they will always be "cold" machines crunching 0s and 1s to make decisions. They will never love or have feelings like human beings have.
What about the people in the world who do not believe in souls? Are they not human?
Do you not believe God could place a soul in a robot if He so chose? How do you know he hasn't made that decision?
I am reminded of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
I have to agree with Chris. It is not our body that makes us human but our souls. As for those people who do not believe in souls, well, that is their opinion. I think opinion is all we can really have on this matter.
Do you think that a person in a comatose state is still human? Or not?
Where does the soul reside? Can science find it and replicate it?
If the soul is part of a belief system, then to non-believers a soul does not exist, right?
Isn't it intellectually disingenuous to argue "well, they don't think they have a soul even though they do" because that presses a belief system into the realm of fact finding and scientific evidence.
If you want to have your head swim in the "soul, not soul" debate, do a quick search on "Do Animals Have Souls?" and you'll see just how silly, petty and furious the arguments are over that shallow topic.
If God creates everything, why wouldn't he want a Roomba to have a soul if it serves you, makes your life better and provides intelligence and prescience of its own independent of human intervention?
As the line fuzzes between human and mechanical I think we're in trouble if we make the matter one of value judgments and belief systems instead of one of what it means to be alive and living — with or without a soul.
Is being removed from a womb the only way to be considered human?
"Screw in a new arm and double your pitch speed." I think there might have to be a few rule changes made in the Major Leagues. This would make the flap over Sammy Sosa's bat a few years ago seem like chicken feed.
There was talk of disqualifying Richard Whitehead from the Comrades Marathon because of his "springlike" prosthetics. They did not. Here is a link to coverage of the winners that talks about him.
"Thirty-year-old Briton Richard Whitehead became the first runner with artificial legs to complete the tortuous Comrades, a symbol of the tough spirit which over the past 80 years has become synonymous with the ultra marathon.
This guy totally blows me away. I think he would be good evidence that supermen do exist today.
Even inside the womb a human is still a human. They might not be considered a person with all of the same Constitutional rights that Wal-Mart might have, but it doesn't change the fact that Wal-Mart will never become a person, while most fetuses will end up being born and lead lives common to humans all over the world.
It's hard to prove the existence of a soul using an empirical proof. It would be the same as trying to show a proof that Michael Moore is brilliant to a family that just washed up on the shores of South Miami after fleeing from Cuba and their socialized health care benefits for the great unknowns of American-style freedom of self-determination. Those folks will just have to agree to disagree.
The same is with a soul. Notwithstanding Stephen King novels, my car will never be evil because it can never have a soul. But, if we wired in a human brain using some sort of neural network that allowed the car to be controlled by the human who had become a bionic being, that might make a difference.
To clarify the first paragraph above. Wal-Mart is a person as defined by our legal system, but it will never be a person like the people who are reading this blog.
I am reminded of Lance Armstrong's struggle against doping charges. He has an enlarged heart due to his cancer treatment and some, in France, were arguing that his larger heart was an unfair advantage and his post-cancer Tour de France wins should be stripped from him. The fact that he had cancer and beat it gave him a disadvantage in winning not an advantage.
It's that sort of canonical thinking that is going to hold us back from moving forward into the next, great, technological realm where robots have the same rights as "humans" and if the United States doesn't tempt that playing of God, some other country will, and they'll rule the world –- and our Christian nation — for the next thousand years.
I am not sure if I will seek everlasting life, let alone a life-expectancy for 200 years.
Changing a worn-out body part is ok – but I don't want to live for ever – things will be extremely "lifeless" then.
Yes David, we still cherish our life because it's short!
Without an end we run in circles.