text:
Why the n-word doesn't go away
By Steven A. Holmes, CNN
Updated 5:40 PM EDT, Mon June 22, 2015
Other racial and ethnic insults have thankfully gone away; why does this one persist?
Steve Holmes: For different reasons, blacks and whites continue to use the n-word
Editor's Note: Steve Holmes is executive director of Standards & Practices at CNN and formerly covered race and demographics for The New York Times. The opinions expressed are his. This is an updated version of an article first published in March.
Warning: This article contains offensive language.
There's that word again, muscling its way into the public square, prompting sharp intakes of breath, embarrassed silences, euphemisms and lots and lots of heated discussion. And this time, the speaker is the President of the United States, unabashedly using and forcing all of us to deal with that hateful (to some), endearing (to some) and confusing (to many) word: nigger.
"Racism, we are not cured of it," President Barack Obama said in an interview released Monday for the podcast "WTF With Marc Maron."
"And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public. That's not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don't, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior."
Whether or not his point is valid, there are, no doubt, millions of people saying, why did he have to use that word? Why does anyone have to use it anymore? Why won't it just go away?
Like those other words did.
Like the one in the headline Anthony Federico wrote two years ago; the one that cost him his job at ESPN.
Jeremy Lin, a Chinese-American point guard for the New York Knicks, had been lighting up NBA scoreboards with his play and generating a wave of rapturous excitement among fans. Finally, the player had an error-filled game, prompting Federico, 28, to note Lin's fall from grace with the headline, "Chink in the Armor: Jeremy Lin's 9 Turnovers Cost Knicks in Streak-stopping Loss to Hornets."
The outcry over what many considered a racist headline was immediate. ESPN promptly fired Federico, who apologized and defended himself by saying that he had used the term in hundreds of headlines and that he had connected it in his mind to Lin's play, not his race. "This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny," he said.
If true, Federico can hardly be faulted for his failure to draw the link between the word and its history as a pejorative for Asian-Americans.
Over the years, a curious phenomenon has taken place.
So many of the racial and ethnic pejoratives for a whole host of groups – Irish, Italians, Jews, Latinos, Poles, even, with the exception of a notable football team, Native Americans – thankfully have virtually disappeared from the lexicon.
Terms such as "Spic" or "Polack," which used to be fighting words back in the day, now elicit blank stares and confusion when mentioned to teenagers, millennials or Gen Xers. Blank stares or answers like I got from Justin Morton, a 35-year-old grad student from New York, when I tossed some old-time epithets at him.
Wop.
"What?" asked Morton, who is black.
Wop. W-o-p.
"I don't know. We used to chant, 'wop, wop, wop' at concerts when we wanted to boo somebody off the stage."
Mick.
"Never heard of it."
Dago.
Kike.
"Is that for somebody who's gay?"
No one can argue that the reduction in the use of traditional racial and ethnic slurs means that American society has rid itself of all its prejudices. At the same time, it is undeniable that so many racial and ethnic slurs have been driven out of the public square by a general view that uttering such words is unacceptable. And that's a good thing.
"These are hard, hard, bigoted words," says Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "There are consequences for their use – social consequences, political consequences, commercial consequences."
So many racial and ethnic slurs have been driven out of the public square by a general view that uttering such words is unacceptable. …
Steven A. Holmes
To be sure, there are new terms generally targeting immigrants, just like the old pejoratives were directed at folks just off the boat from Europe. "Terrorist" has become a euphemism for Arabs and Muslims, whether or not they are law-abiding. "Illegal" is used for Latinos, no matter what their citizenship status. And, as Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman has noted, black people, especially black men, have collectively become "thugs." What binds these new terms is that they are ambiguous.
In today's supposedly more tolerant society, they serve a dog whistle function that allows users to denigrate people without suffering social consequences.
"People can evade accusations of racism," says Paul Garrett, associate professor of linguistic anthropology at Temple University. "But everybody knows exactly who you are talking about."
There is, of course, one slur that has refused to be consigned to the dustbin of linguistic history and one whose target is clear: nigger.
The n-word's resiliency is probably because of two major factors.
It is evidence that bigotry against black people is more virulent than animus toward any other racial or ethnic group. Sure, it's been driven underground too. As Obama noted, it's no longer polite to use it in public – at least in its use among white people. But, it seems to dwell there like subsurface magma rather than die out like other slurs. While white use of "nigger" may occasionally burst through to the surface, no one is going to produce a cell phone video of a bunch of frat boys singing, "there will never be a guinea in SAE."
But let's face it, another reason the n-word has a half-life that rivals plutonium is that black people keep it alive; and not just alive in the code-switching way where it is bandied about in private, but shunned in public.
"When I was growing up, black people would get together in a group, and we would use it," says Randall Kennedy, a Harvard law professor and author of "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word." "But it was for in-group use only, and we would be watchful that other people didn't hear us.
"Today, you're on a bus, or in the subway or in a mall and people are just out-and-out using it. There's no self-consciousness, no embarrassment. It's normalized. That too has led to its singular prominence in the society."
A mock funeral to symbolically bury the 'N-word' was held at the NAACP National Convention in 2007 in Detroit. It was part of the NAACP 'STOP' campaign which aimed to eliminate the negative portrayal of African Americans in the media.
PHOTO: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
The generational divide in the black community over the use of the word has been noted many times. But black baby boomers like myself have to acknowledge our role in keeping it alive. Go to any barber shop or beauty parlor with a black clientele on a Saturday afternoon, and you will hear phrases like the dismissive putdown, "nigger, please," uttered repeatedly in storytelling, followed by riotous guffaws from 50-, 60- and 70-year-old men and women.
And it was members of my generation who, 40 years ago, laughed uproariously at Richard Pryor's brilliant albums like "That Nigger's Crazy," and his n-word-infused comedy routines in front of mixed audiences that helped give the term its shaky public acceptability.
Who are we now to wag our fingers at rappers like Trinidad James? Can we ask whites and other blacks to not use the word and not give up our love of Chris Rock?
So, for better or worse, what the n-word has – and what other racial and ethnic slurs lack – is a constituency, a broad-based coalition whose component parts have embraced the word for their own reasons.
There are white racists who use it because they are, well, white racists.
There are black baby boomers who may decry the term, but use it in private settings and are loath to fess up to the fact that it is they who let "nigger" out of the black closet.
There are black rappers and other entertainers who make millions of dollars exploiting a word associated with poor people in the ghetto.
There are younger black people who have embraced it as a hip term of endearment.
There are whites who are not racists but who want to sound cool and feel protected by black people's use of the term. And now there are analysts such as President Obama who will make use of the term apparently to get our attention as they seek to explain the country's still-volatile racial dynamic.
In the face of this army of the n-word, do those who wish it would go the way of the ethnic slurs of yesteryear really have a chance? Or should we all resign ourselves to the idea that, despite the hand-wringing, this nettlesome word sadly isn't going away anytime soon.
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Kelly Ann Keiderling-Franz (born 1966) is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Uruguay from 2016 to 2019.

Early life and education
Keiderling was born in the Dominican Republic. Keiderling's father was in the U.S. foreign service and had met her Bolivian mother on his first international assignment in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Keiderling grew up primarily in Latin America and Portugal.

Keiderling earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and later a master's degree from the National War College.

Career

Keiderling joined the foreign service in 1988. Her U.S. assignments included ones as Senior Panama Desk officer, Public Diplomacy Desk Officer for the Caribbean, acting deputy director for Central American Affairs, Strategic Language Issues Coordinator in the Bureau of Human Resources, Chief of Staff in the Iraq Office, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Her foreign assignments have included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Chișinău, Moldova. She has served as Public Affairs Officer in Cuba, Botswana and Kyrgyzstan. Her other international assignments include ones in the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Zambia.

In 2013, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro expelled Keiderling and two other US diplomats from the country.

When tapped by President Obama to become United States Ambassador to Uruguay. She was confirmed by the Senate on May 17, 2016. She assumed her role on June 23, 2016. Her appointment as Ambassador ended on June 29, 2019. Keiderling was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), a role she had held since December 2013.

Personal life
Keiderling is married to David Franz, a foreign service officer, and they have two children. In addition to English, she speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian, as well as some Italian and Romanian.

References

1966 births
Living people
Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela
Ambassadors of the United States to Uruguay
American women ambassadors
Georgetown University alumni
American people of Bolivian descent
American politicians of Bolivian descent
Hispanic and Latino American diplomats
National War College alumni
Obama administration personnel
United States Foreign Service personnel
21st-century American women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


SKU: 40149. Categories: Concealer, FACE. Brand: Maybelline.
This is it! Everything you'll ever need to look flawless forever. Maybelline Master Camo Color Correcting Concealer Kit is 6-pan palette with the necessary steps to correct, conceal, and highlight your complexion. Following the 3 simple steps guide apply the two correcting colors, followed by the concealer and the highlight to brighten your face and enhance your features. Includes a dual-ended brush and detailed instructions on the back on the compact.


Surprising to see one of these here in the UK, there is or was quite a few of the later models but this is the first K body model I have seen. Unusual as well for having the top down whilst parked too…. Imported in 1991.


text:
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hunter, John (d.1809)
< Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900
Hunter, John (1728-1793)
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 28
Hunter, John (d.1809) by Charles Creighton
sister projects: Wikipedia article, Wikidata item.
Date of birth 1754 in the ODNB.
624878Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 28 — Hunter, John (d.1809)1891Charles Creighton
HUNTER, JOHN, M.D. (d. 1809), physician, was born in Perthshire, and studied medicine at Edinburgh, where he graduated M.D. in 1775. His college thesis, 'De Hominum Varietatibus et harum causis,' shows him to have had a good education as well as a turn for research and correct reasoning. It was republished in an English translation by Bendyshe in 1865 as an appendix to Blumenbach's treatise on the same subject in the publications of the Anthropological Society. Hunter's essay had appeared just a month or two before Blumenbach's. 'Some parts of it,' says Bendyshe, 'are quite on a level with the science of the present day.' He was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians of London in 1777, and appointed physician to the army through the interest of Dr. Baker and Dr. Heberden. From 1781 to 1783 he was superintendent of the military hospitals in Jamaica. On returning to England he settled in practice as a physician in London. In 1787 he contributed to the third volume of the `Medical Transactions published by the College of Physicians' (a work mainly supported by Heberden and Baker) three papers: one on the common occurrence of typhus fever in the crowded and unventilated houses of the poor in London, another on two interesting observations in morbid anatomy, and a third on the cause of the 'dry belly-ache' of the tropics. In the last of these the discovery made by Baker two years earlier, that lead in the cider was the cause of Devonshire colic, was extended by Hunter to rum which had been distilled through a leaden worm, an observation of Benjamin Franklin's being adduced in proof. In 1788 appeared his principal work, 'Observations on the Diseases of the Army in Jamaica' (2nd ed. 1796; 3rd ed. 1808, with 'observations on the hepatitis of the East Indies'), which gives an amplified account of the 'dry belly-ache,' and deals with yellow fever and other diseases of the troops, as well as briefly with some of the more curious negro maladies; it was translated into German, Leipsic, 1792. Previous to 1787 he had been elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and contributed to the 'Philosophical Transactions,' 1788, vol. lxxviii., a paper on 'Some Observations on the Heat of Wells and Springs in the Island of Jamaica, and on the Temperature of the Earth below the Surface in different Climates,' the subject having been suggested by Cavendish to him when he was about to embark for Jamaica in 1780. He contributed to the first volume of 'Transactions of a Society for the Improvement of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge,' 1793, a valuable memoir on canine madness, drawn up at the society's request, and another on hydatids. In London he practised first in Charles Street, St. James's Square, and afterwards in Hill Street, Berkeley Square. He was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians speciali gratia in 1793, and was made censor the same year. As Gulstonian lecturer in 1796 he lectured on 'softening of the brain,' which he is said to have been the first to treat as a distinct pathological condition. The lecture was not published. He delivered the Croonian lectures from 1799 to 1801 (subjects not stated). He was afterwards physician extraordinary to the Prince of Wales. He died on 29 Jan. 1809 at Hill Street, Berkeley Square, London.
[Hunter's writings; Munk's Coll. of Phys. ii. 425; Gent. Mag. 1809, pt. i. p. 188.]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Hunter,_John_(d.1809)&oldid=10759526"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
RODJA RO* GALLI
Rodja ro* Galli (*1979), who commutes between Lucerne and Berne, earned his degree in illustration at Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst und Kunst and at Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin. Since 2006 he has been working on a freelance basis under the pseudonym ro*.
He explores the diverse visual creative spectrum with humor, objectivity and esprit. His portfolio includes graphic and layout works, magazine illustrations, interior and stage designs and designs for industrial clothes and skateboards.
ro* also feels at home in the field of fine arts. Everyday global urban culture functions as a source of inspiration for his uncommissioned works, which he wittily and at times ironically reflects, while staying true to its characteristic graphic style, with markers and acrylic – also with spray can in public spaces in his youth. In his paintings and graphic prints, especially in the medium of silkscreen, the viewer encounters a cloud of white poodles, the dense architectural structures of a favela or a hooded person whose brain floats in the form of a lamp outside the picture and who craves love and appreciation, as expressed by the little heart prints on his scarf.
Ever the tireless networker, ro* periodically initiates creative projects, such as the "cu(t)bus" event (since 2016), for which he brings together (friendly) artists. Spontaneously and in situ, they createfor several days a "cardboard room" in the public sphere, consisting of four walls created around a specific topic. At the closing interested parties have the possibility, as in an auction, to bid on sections of the wall paintings for a price per square meter.


How many coins in block?
Are you mining your coin?
This total supply of the coin is huge to say the least ... Too bad it's premined even though not that heavily i'll let it pass by for me.
Orientation on Telegram is really interesting concept. Pairing the most anonymous messenger with discrete payment system is going to be amazing!
joined, connected, already received a payment from the pool, when added to the stock exchange?
Very interesting project, but mining program only for Windows? I have interes for linux-consol CPU mining program.
Such a huge premine..cryptonote...mmmhh....i'm out!
It's about 0.22%... Is it huge?
People say huge premine. Talk about etherum, monero, sumokoin etc. The person saying huge premine, can he pay for listing the coin in exchanges. The answer is no. then why do you say or think it is bad.
how pay to another wallet? id ?
I join this project what link for telegram chat?
Just think about it, can the dev pay for listing with this coin? I don't think so, so how is he gonna list it with this premine? Well by dumping it the moment it comes on an exchange and starts to get some traction, that's how he turns his premine into BTC to 'maybe' get listed elsewhere and repeat the process. If he holds 400 million coin, if it's a 1 sat it would be 4 BTC in total and that's alot of money these days.


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'The Walking Dead's Josh McDermitt on Eugene's Mysterious New Friend
Emily Hannemann November 11, 2019
Jace Downs/AMC
Don't Be a Braindead Walker
Subscribe to our The Walking Dead Newsletter:
[WARNING: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 6, "Bonds."]
When one radio channel closes, another opens — or so it seems for Eugene Herman(!!!) Porter.
"Bonds" set Eugene (Josh McDermitt) up for heartbreak yet again when, unbeknownst to him, Rosita's illness made her unable to talk with him about their friendship. As it turns out, that might have been for the best; Because he wasn't chatting with her, he made a connection with a total stranger who has very specific (and very sentimental) ties to his pre-apocalyptic life. Comics readers will recognize Eugene's story as a potential indicator of communities yet to come, but as we all know, TWD rarely adapts things straight from the source material.
We chatted with McDermitt about Eugene's new friend, what his character's perfect match would be like and what might happen as a result of these clandestine-yet-comforting radio conversations.
The show has a habit of remixing or changing things from the comics, but based on this episode, it looks like Eugene's radio conversations are staying the same. Were you excited to see him keeping that story arc?
Josh McDermitt: It still remains to be seen if we're going to do exactly what's done in the comics, but I think last season Gabriel started tinkering with the radio. I was like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Then he sends Rosita and Eugene out to boost the signal and all that, and I was like, "Is my story from the comics being given away?" So I was happy to see that come back, because I think it's a nice, fun storyline for him — whatever version we do. It's exciting, and I was happy to see him get that back.
Father Gabriel got Rosita, but you got the radio.
[Laughs] I know!
'TWD's Eleanor Matsuura on Yumiko's New Leadership Role & Magna Heartbreak
It was also neat that we found out a little more backstory about Eugene during this episode, like the fact that his middle name is Herman. Did you have any input on that?
No. The writer of this episode, Kevin Deibolt, made me laugh out loud when I read that. Of course his middle name is Herman. That fits Eugene's name perfectly.
You know, I love that we're able to find out more things about him. We don't have many specifics from his past, and I don't think he's talked about what his life was like before the apocalypse. I would say his life probably wasn't that great. He was probably bulled, and people probably thought he was weird. So for a person to be interested in who he was before all this, and for him to find that connection through Strasburg, Pennsylvania, and that train fan expo was huge. It was a fun, tender moment from his childhood, and he has that connection with this stranger.
I found it very interesting, too, that this whole thing happened when Rosita wasn't answering — he then hears this new woman on the radio. Would it be accurate to say that while one door has closed for Eugene's love life, maybe another has opened?
I mean, I think that's one of the truths of life. He's in a dark, lonely place after having the reality of the relationship he has with Rosita come crashing on his head. So he was just trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces and get over to Hilltop and separate himself a bit, throw himself into his work and figure out what's next.
And for Rosita to be the first one to reach out to him on the radio, I thought was really interesting. She's longing for her friend. It's a little awkward because neither one of them knows the new parameters for their friendship. What's going to be OK, moving forward? So they set that time to talk, and he doesn't know she's even more sick than she was, so he's let down. Then he's picked up by this stranger who knows nothing about him, and who finds him amusing and finds him engaging, and he can have that fresh start with someone that he's desperately looking for.
Will Lauren Cohan Be Back on 'The Walking Dead' Sooner Than We Thought?
What do you think his perfect match would be like?
I think Eugene has a sense of humor that nobody understands, because it's very smart. Like, Neil DeGrasse Tyson might think Eugene's hysterical. A normal person with a normal IQ probably wouldn't understand the references. So I think he's looking for someone who's intelligent and understands his humor, and can actually have a conversation with him and nerd out about the things he nerds out on.
But then, [he also wants] someone who doesn't judge him. He's at a place now where he doesn't have to wear a mask and lie to people about who he is and that sort of thing, so I think he just wants someone that would accept him.
Going forward, how is Eugene going to manage keeping these radio conversations a secret? If he's always on the radio at the same time, and he's on there for hours, eventually someone's going to notice…
I think people know he's building the radio, and I think people know he's using the Russian satellite parts to boost the communications between the communities, but he's also kind of left alone. Not many people are coming up to poke around in what he's doing. The biggest threat he would see is Nabila, who was helping him initially. She could wander back up there like, "Hey, let's play with the radio!" and see what's happening. But other than that, I think he's kind of left alone. That's his domain.
'Caryl' or 'Donnie': Who Should Daryl Be With on 'The Walking Dead'? (PHOTOS)
Is there anything else that you can tell me about this character on the other side of the radio? To me, someone who has knowledge of the comics, she sounds a lot like Stephanie.
I can't say anything! You're just going to have to tune in and find out. Like you said, we do things differently from the comics, so the fans will have to see if this is something we do different. I think the fans will be really excited with what's to come.
How's Eugene feeling about the Whisperers? He's in a place where a lot of people want to go out and fight, but fighting's never really been his style.
I think he'd still prefer to use his brain, although at this point in the apocalypse he's proficient with his knives and he can fight. But I think you're right — he would still prefer to be the general, drawing up the game plan and the plan of attack.
We're just a few months removed from the heads on the pikes, and that's still rattling the communities. Eugene is definitely feeling that, and it's a nice escape for him to be on the radio. There's not a lot of hope in this world, and even though he's not really sure what's going to come of this conversation with this person, it's certainly promising that he'd at least have a new friend.
8 Things to Expect From 'TWD' Season 10, Based on the Comics (PHOTOS)
When he was talking with Rosita, he said he wasn't sure when he'd come back to Alexandria. Has this development with the radio made him more certain he wants to stay at Hilltop?
He doesn't know where this person is, and if he goes back to Alexandria, he doesn't know if the setup Gabriel has there will reach them. He's fine with staying at Hilltop, but he hasn't given much thought to when he's coming back because he doesn't know the parameters and boundaries between him and Rosita. But now he thinks he's been stood up, and he's thinking, "Well, I got stood up. Whatever." Then he finds this new person just having a normal conversation with him, and he's like, "This is great! I want this to continue." They spent the whole night, for hours, talking. I don't think he's thinking about getting back to Alexandria right now.
Michael Cudlitz directed two episodes in this half of the season. Was it fun having him back on set?
Yeah, he's great. We don't see each other as much as we used to because he's not on the show anymore, but when he comes out to direct, we try and get some time. We talk on the phone a bunch, but there's nothing like having some cuddle time with the "Cuddles." I don't think he likes that nickname, but we used to call him "Cuddles." He's a fantastic director, and I'm excited that he got to do two episodes this year. I hope he's able to do more. He does episode 7 for us this year, which is one of my favorites this season for sure.
'The Walking Dead': Michael Cudlitz on That Big Kiss & a 'Compassionate' Negan
In the comics, this first radio call is the start of a pretty huge journey for Eugene. What can you say about what's coming up for him?
I think there's going to be some major consequences just in talking on the radio with this person. He's making some decisions that could severely alter everyone's way of life, and I don't know that that's solely his decision to make. There could be some life and death consequences based on those decisions he's making. Everyone's got a different opinion about how to do things, so it'll be interesting to see how these conversations that he's going to keep secret as long as he can, how they impact everyone else's way of life.
The Walking Dead, Sundays, 9/8c, AMC
The Walking Dead where to stream


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Internal USPS documents raise questions about effectiveness of sorting machines removal order
The potential effectiveness of an order issued Sunday to stop the removal of United States Postal Service sorting machines is now in question.
Internal USPS planning documents obtained by CNN indicate nearly 95% of the mail sorting machines that had been set for removal during the last few months were already scheduled to be taken out of service by now.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" that the USPS would not remove any more mail sorting machines until after the election.
Documents from June, obtained by CNN, show the USPS planned to remove 502 DBCS (Delivery Barcode Sorter) machines, or 13.2% of its total inventory by September 30. These machines make up the bulk of the USPS mail sort operation. They sort envelope mail, which would include ballots en route to voters. However, nearly 95%, or 475, of those were scheduled to be removed by the end of July according to documents.
CONTINUE READING AT » ABC17NEWS
Chicago station gets new sorting machine
USPS processing operation ready for peak season
Packages and mail may be delivered at night this holiday…
Postal Service completes install of package-sorting machines
USPS Reports Strong Performance Through October; Ready for…
Mail Delivery Remains Strong as Holiday Season Nears


Suddenly it looks like the planets are starting to make more sense. Jupiter turns direct after months of sleeping on the job. Neptune, that old illusionist, retires for a well-earned rest for a few months in mid-June.
Could we begin to see a little more clearly? Could optimism come back into fashion? Will people start being nice to each other again?
Click here for your June horoscope. This month it includes a 12-page supplement on the North and South Nodes of the Moon, which have just changed signs. The download button is at the end of each article.
Bless your heart Christina. Thank you! Look forward to a more positive summer and to the change of sign in the Nodes…the last few years I've been paying more attention to them and they're just fascinating. What will happen to our Aqua venuses?! lost love?


In recent years, I've become a big fan of games that are easy-going and allow me to relax while playing at the end of a long day. Some of my favorite games of this ilk that I've played in the past are Hyper Light Drifter, The Witness, and Journey. Each of these titles new how to combine engaging gameplay with an aesthetic that felt calming and almost hypnotic.
Recently at E3, I was able to see the next game that I think fits perfectly into this same mold. Tunic is an adventure game developed solely by Andrew Shouldice that features a cute anthropomorphic fox exploring a mysterious world. With subtle sound effects and a beautiful synth-heavy soundtrack, Tunic quickly pulls you in piques your curiosity about what lies around every corner.
Shouldice showed off about twenty minutes of Tunic gameplay to give me an idea as to how it will play. The demo opened with our adorable unnamed fox protagonist waking on a beach. Upon making your way forward into the world, you quickly run across your first set of monsters. Without a weapon to defeat them, you quickly run into a nearby cave and find a treasure chest that contains a stick within it. Armed with this new item, our fox reemerges and can smack the monsters to death with its branch.
Gaining new items like this is what allows you to continue to progress within the world of Tunic. Later on in our demo, a set of large bushes were blocking our character's path. After wandering around for a bit though, our cute fox found a sword, returned to the bushes, and was able to cut through them like butter.
Shouldice told me that Tunic will often gate players advancement in this manner but won't always wholly prevent them from moving forward in the world without a specific item. While it might not always be advisable to move on without specific gear, there are other ways to navigate past obstacles that don't require specific items.
From the description of Tunic's moment-to-moment gameplay, you probably have realized that it shares a lot of commonalities with one classic gaming franchise. Tunic wears its inspirations on its sleeve and Shouldice had no problem admitting to me just how much of an influence The Legend of Zelda games were for him. While some might quickly glance at Tunic and see it as a ripoff of Zelda, it's the overall tone and feeling of Tunic that makes it feel distinct from those in its genre.
One of the most impressive things about Tunic and one of the biggest things that set it apart is its fantastic animations. From the simple bouncing of your fox character as they trot to the way that foliage moves when you walk through it, each of these animations look visually appealing and further add to the game's charm.
These gorgeous animations combined with the stellar sound effect work which is being done by Kevin Regamey and the team at Power Up Audio help give Tunic a unique vibe that looks and feels different from anything I've seen in quite some time. Even if it is sharing ideas from other classic adventure games, Tunic's proof that an art style, soundtrack, and overall aesthetic can go a long way to making a game feel entirely original.
The one thing that I'm still left thinking about with Tunic weeks after seeing the game is its story. Shouldice was dodgy when I asked about story details, but he told me that there's a tale to tell. Even though there is no dialogue within Tunic, there did happen to be a secret language that conveyed written words. When I asked Shouldice about whether or not this text could be translated to English, he had a smirk on his face and told me that he's too busy to do something as crazy as creating a different language. I have a feeling that deciphering this language once Tunic releases will help reveal more of its story.
At its core, Tunic is about exploration and discovering what lies within this island that your fox is on. While many adventure games emphasize exploring, some of them don't succeed due to their worlds not being intriguing enough. Even though I only saw a small slice, Tunic seems to have one of the most exciting game worlds I have seen in quite some time. What Andrew Shouldice has created all on his own is nothing short of remarkable. If the rest of the game turns out as impressive as the slice that I saw, then Tunic could end up being one of the next big indie darlings.
My only complaint with Tunic is that it's not arriving sooner. Shouldice told me that Tunic is still a way out, but he hopes to release it in 2019. While I'm saddened that I have to be patient for a bit longer, I do not doubt that it'll be well worth the wait. Whenever Tunic does end up launching, it'll be published by Finji and will arrive on PC and Xbox One as a console exclusive.


The stories about Biglaw over the past five years have been grim, but a closer inspection shows that despite a cacophony of daily doomsday stories from The New Republic, the Wisconsin Law Review, The Atlantic and other publications of varying quality, the future of Biglaw looks promising.
The size of modern-day, Am Law 100 firms allows them to downsize or expand as the market conditions dictate, but as a profession of perception, firms have to handle RIFs with care. Partners and clients might go next door if they doubt the capabilities of the firm. I have worked with partners before who moved simply because the perception of their firm's stability was questioned by their clients….
Why? Well, as the average Am Law 100 firm composition approaches 900 attorneys, what these firms are finding is that clients are regarding firms less as partners and more as service providers. Clients are balking at paying full freight for first-year associates and are trying to negotiate discounts for bulk work. Small and mid-sized law firms are seeing a rise in demand as they undercut Biglaw's potentially four-figure rates.
Pressure from clients could eventually lead to a rise in alternative fee agreements or even more high-end temporary staffing models that utilize associates only when there is enough work to support their hours. One such company is Cadence Counsel, which seeks to make law firms more competitive to clients without compromising quality.
In ALM's AFA report, they noted that 95% of law firms use alternative fee arrangements. 66% of firms reported that the number of AFAs increased from 2011 to 2012. Clients are increasingly trying to negotiate rate discounts, sometimes in excess of 15%, for bulk work. Some firms don't have the profit margins to accommodate these rate discounts and could consequently cannibalize their clients (and service partners) to other firms.
The pressure from clients on firms to reduce hourly rates is hardly new, and in times of financial distress, firms sometimes relent. However, these concessions usually recede as financial normalcy returns. The question for Biglaw firms is, what will be financial normalcy?
In general, around 80% of associate hours worked are billed. That's around two hours a day that are not being billed. As law firms push to increase their profit margins, we should see firms adopt better workflow practices and integrate cutting-edge technology.
A major drag on law firm productivity is the MS-DOS-era equipment that many firms still use. In light of the recent celebrity leak scandal, it is easy to see why law firms are hesitant to adopt cutting-edge or cloud based technology, but the tradeoff is efficiency for firms, clients, and PPP, and potentially less hours or higher compensation for associates. Either way, reducing costs and overhead is a good thing, leading to generating more money to invest elsewhere (in people or otherwise) to achieve higher ROIs.
Gross income is at its highest peak ever for the Am Law 100 (adjusted for inflation) and real growth has occurred tepidly but steadily for the last four years. From 2012 to 2013, real gross income grew by 2.57% in the Am Law 100. This was well under the mean of 6.02% but just a little over half a standard deviation from the mean (Z = -.64). Nonetheless, the growth was much improved from the 4.9% drop in the 2008/2009 fiscal year.
As the economy settles, so will Biglaw. The days of double-digit growth are likely long gone (and have been since 2002). In the future, firms will have to address the attacks against the billable hour from undercutting boutiques and irate clients, inefficiency from technological lag, and diseconomies of scale. Nonetheless, the reports of Biglaw's death have been greatly exaggerated.


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The South Asia Channel: Elections for the elite Elections for the elite...
The South Asia Channel
Elections for the elite
Last month, Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce, the ACCI, elected its new leadership. The process was not without controversy. A lively pre-election trade in ACCI membership* cards allowed large numbers of underage children and people who had nothing to do with running a business to participate in the vote at the provincial level. And at the ...
By Martine van Bijlert
MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images
Last month, Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce, the ACCI, elected its new leadership. The process was not without controversy. A lively pre-election trade in ACCI membership* cards allowed large numbers of underage children and people who had nothing to do with running a business to participate in the vote at the provincial level. And at the national level there were allegations of deal-making, money transfers and ethnic politicking. The fact that highly powerful individuals and networks find these positions worth competing over illustrates their importance. The controversies surrounding the vote also underscore how deeply problematic elections - of any kind - have become, and how the involvement of the Independent Electoral Commission is no guarantee for a serious vote.
The ACCI's leadership elections, organized by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), took place between September 11 and October 14, 2011 in the 21 provinces that have their own ACCI departments. It was followed by the election of the national Executive Board on October 24, 2011. Most of the provincial-level elections went unreported, with the exception of Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif where there were at least some echoes of the tumult going on behind the scenes.
Last month, Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce, the ACCI, elected its new leadership. The process was not without controversy. A lively pre-election trade in ACCI membership* cards allowed large numbers of underage children and people who had nothing to do with running a business to participate in the vote at the provincial level. And at the national level there were allegations of deal-making, money transfers and ethnic politicking. The fact that highly powerful individuals and networks find these positions worth competing over illustrates their importance. The controversies surrounding the vote also underscore how deeply problematic elections – of any kind – have become, and how the involvement of the Independent Electoral Commission is no guarantee for a serious vote.
The ACCI's leadership elections, organized by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), took place between September 11 and October 14, 2011 in the 21 provinces that have their own ACCI departments. It was followed by the election of the national Executive Board on October 24, 2011. Most of the provincial-level elections went unreported, with the exception of Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif where there were at least some echoes of the tumult going on behind the scenes.
In Mazar the vote was postponed for weeks due to complaints over the irregular distribution of ACCI cards and the high number of candidates. Local traders hinted that they expected Governor Atta to step in and solve the problem (read: pre-select the members of the provincial ACCI board) and, indeed, by the time the Mazar election took place there were exactly the same number of candidates as there were seats. In Kabul the Chamber's CEO, Mohammad Qorban Haqju, assured the media that the electoral procedures had been fully transparent and that all allegations of fraud were baseless. A video obtained by AAN, however, suggests otherwise.
This video is a collection of short recordings, 15 minutes in total, taken in one of Kabul's polling centers in what appears to be a large tent.** It shows, among other things, considerable chaos, with multiple voters behind the cardboard voting booths (which can be partially explained by the complexity of the vote; in Kabul voters could mark up to 19 candidates).
More seriously, the footage also shows a large variety of obviously ineligible voters, who were nevertheless allowed to vote. This included men and women who indicated that they were not involved in any kind of business (in some cases whole groups of what appeared to be family members of candidates were brought to the polling center, receiving last-minute voting instructions) and large numbers of under-age voters. The video shows groups of students, some of them in identical uniforms, and interviews with boys and girls as young as 14 years old, all of them holding ACCI membership cards. There is a recording of a member of the ACCI leadership, who is shown a very young boy and asked whether the boy should be allowed to vote, telling the staff that it is alright as long as he holds a card.
The footage confirms allegations, including by businessmen who chose to boycott the vote for this reason, that there had been a lively and uncontrolled trade in ACCI cards in the run-up to the election (in an ironic parallel to the country's presidential and parliamentary elections, which have become increasingly impossible to control due to the massive over-registration of voters). This is also borne out by the figures, as described with an admirable lack of irony by the ACCI in their own report of the election:
'During this period [i.e. during the weeks of the provincial level elections] membership in the Chamber increased from approximately 35,000 to an estimated 62,000 as individuals and enterprises sought to exercise their right to vote for the future of ACCI.'
A total of around 29,000 members are said to have voted countrywide.
There were also complaints of ethnic campaigning, for instance in Kabul (and during the national-level vote), alleging that separate lists with either Pashtun or non-Pashtun (Northern Alliance-linked) candidates had been created and distributed, and that candidates and their backers were encouraging voters to vote along these lines. The video footage does indeed show voters holding photocopied pieces of paper with selected candidates and using them while filling in the ballot (there were 57 candidates in Kabul and voters were allowed to mark up to 19 candidates, given that there were 19 seats).
The national-level election of the ACCI Board took place during the High Council Congress on October 23 and 24. It was not plagued by the same level of controversy, if only because the number of voters was fixed and limited to the 319 provincial representatives that had been voted in at the provincial level. There were, however, allegations of behind-the scenes deal-making, money transfers and a similar kind of ethnic politicking as took place on the provincial level (with candidates and their backers seeking to secure bloc votes along ethnic and factional lines).
The ACCI in its current form is a relatively recent institution and was established after the merger of two initially competing bodies. The pre-existing body, the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) was a Soviet-era government institution, whose main function had been the valuing of imported goods against a fee to facilitate the government's collection of custom taxes. The second, much more recent body – the Afghan International Chamber of Commerce (AICC) – was an independent, market-oriented business association. It was established in 2004 by none other than Sher Khan Farnod and Mahmud Karzai, two protagonists in the Kabul Bank scandal. The two chambers were supported by competing donors with diverging agendas: GTZ, the government-owned German development agency (now renamed GIZ), and USAID.
The new ACCI that was established in 2008 represented a compromise: the old-style chamber was reformed rather than dissolved, but its character is much closer to what the U.S. had in mind than what the Germans and the Afghan government had initially been working toward (a government-led single point of contact for all businesses). When the new ACCI held its first leadership elections in 2009, Sher Khan Farnod and Mahmud Karzai were re-elected as chairman and first vice chairman, as they had been in the U.S.-supported association.
The ACCI's second leadership election in October resulted in a national board in which half of the members are newcomers. Sher Khan Farnod and Mahmud Karzai, the leaders of the first hour, have both gone (neither of them were candidates) and the new ACCI chairman is Hassin Fahim, another leading protagonist in the Kabul Bank saga and brother of Vice President Qasem Fahim. His main competitor for the seat of chairperson was Dr. Faridun Noorzad of the Maiwand Bank, who also has deep roots in the Kabul Bank network (originally a medical doctor, Noorzad started his banking career in the hawala businesses of Shaheen Exchange and Kabul Exchange, after which he became deputy CEO for Kabul Bank and Azizi Bank, before taking over Maiwand Bank. Shaheen Exchange was founded by Sher Khan Farnod and was instrumental to the irregular financial transactions of the Kabul Bank).
The backgrounds and business interests of the ACCI board members provide an overview of where money can currently be made and influence peddled: banking, construction, oil and gas, and trade (mainly import of consumer goods, fuel and construction materials). Much of this is related to the international presence, which has allowed newcomers to rise to prominence and in some cases outflank the more established businessmen. A case in point is the election of the head of the Transport Committee, Ajmal Rahmani, a young Bagram contractor and son of Parwan MP Rahman Rahmani.***
Many of Afghanistan's large businessmen run groups of companies, allowing them to be involved in multiple sectors at the same time, in an effort to maximize influence and profit. This is also the case for several of the ACCI board members, including most prominently the Zahed Walid Group (Hassin Fahim), the Ghazanfar Group (Ismail Ghazanfar), Kamgar Group, which includes Kam Air (Zmaray Kamgar), the Javid Jaihoon Group(headed by 'Lala Javid' now also head of the Afghan United Bank), and the Zamindar Group (headed by Latif Khan Zhwanday, son of former Azizi Bank vice chairman, Ali Akbar Zhwanday). Some of these business groups have their roots in generations of cross-border trading, such as for instance Ghazanfar, while others, such as for instance Jaihoon, became well-established in the years of war and resistance. Others are newcomers and rose to prominence through their ties to government and international contracting, like Hassin Fahim or Ajmal Rahmani. Many of them have headquarters abroad.
The new board also has a few remarkable omissions, for instance Abdul Ghaffar Dawi of Dawi Oil, who used to be on the board as previously the Deputy for Services. But also some of the other big name companies are unrepresented, such the Azizi Hotak Group, known for its banks (Azizi and Bakhtar), fuel, import of cars and watches, and real estate investments; Habib Gulzar, known for its Coca Cola plant and cigarette imports; or the Alokozay Group, famous for its tea, but also cooking oil, fuel, cigarette imports, real estate, biscuits and tissues.**** None of them, incidentally, were candidates, at least not in the national election. There were no women elected to the board this time. Last time there was one: Hossay Andar, known to many as an unsuccessful, but very active and vocal parliamentary candidate. She was one of the three female candidates but failed to secure sufficient votes.
Serving on an ACCI board is clearly not just a matter of prestige. Although the Chamber of Commerce has no direct executive powers, it is an influential body that can help shape policies, legislation and business practices. It also provides its members with important opportunities to raise their profile. Several senior government officials, including former Ministers Rahimi, Qaderi and Eilaghi, are believed to have started their rise to prominence here.
It will be interesting to watch how the new ACCI board uses its influence. There is a great need, not just for an improved investment climate and better legislation, but also for greater self-regulation in the various sectors – as was rather dramatically illustrated by the Kabul Bank crisis (and the fact that many of Afghanistan's other banks remain shaky in their own ways). The controversies surrounding the ACCI election, however, seem to suggest that we should not be holding our breath just yet.
* Acquiring ACCI membership does not require much more than a copy of a valid business license and a yearly fee (and even that may have been recently 'waived'). 'Ordinary membership' costs 500 Afghanis (10 USD) per year according to the website – although this may also be an outdated figure, given that the membership form mentions 2000 Afs (40 USD) as the yearly ordinary fee. Silver, Gold, Platinum and VIP memberships cost 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 USD per year respectively and provide an increasing scale of privileges, including invitations to conferences and matchmaking events, visa recommendation letters, legal services, access to credit, VIP vehicle passes, and invitations to regular meetings with the President, donors and other high-level officials.
** The quality of the footage strongly suggests that it was recorded by a professional journalist, and there is evidence on the video of a considerable and active media presence during the Kabul vote. The lack of media reporting, despite the obvious and on-tape irregularities, can probably be explained by the ongoing parliamentary scuffle and hunger strike of Semin Barakzai at the time, which probably took precedence.
*** The company name given, Ahmad Rashed Rahmani Ltd, does not appear in an internet search, but his other companies do, including Ajmal Rahmani Construction and Road Building and Afghan International Transport and Logistics (the company briefly featured on what appears to be a blacklist – the EPLS; Excluded Parties List System – before it was apparently removed again).
*** The Alokozay Group has also secured the exclusive bottling rights for Pepsi and the acquisition of Brac Bank. The group is not to be confused with Khan Jan Alkozay Ltd, the company of ACCI First Deputy Khan Jan Alkozay. Alikozai is a wide-spread tribal name (and the variations in spelling here follow the transcriptions used by the companies themselves).
The newly elected ACCI national board (with company names as given by ACCI, and * signifies that the person is a new member):
1. Hassin Fahim (Zahed Walid Construction Company); Chairman (previously ACCI Deputy for Industries and Mines)
2. Khan Jan Alkozay (Khan Jan Alkozay Ltd); First Vice Chairman (previously Deputy for Commerce)
3. Mohammad Ismail Ghazanfar (Ghazanfar Oil and Gas Trade Company); Deputy for Services
4. Mohammad Yunus Momand (Shadab Zafar Construction Company); Deputy for Commerce*
5. Baz Mohammad (Afsar Khan Ltd); Deputy for Industries and Mines*
6. Zamarai Kamgar (Kamgar Trade Company); Adviser International Affairs*
7. Ajmal Rahmani (Ahmad Rashed Rahmani Ltd); Head of the Transport Committee*
8. Mohammad Daud Yusufzai (Afghan Petrol Group Ltd.); Head of the Oil Committee*
9. Azarkhash Hafizi (Afghan-German Company and on the Board of Directors of Azizi Bank); re-elected as Head of the International Relations Committee
10. Sadullah Haqyar (Khalid Jaihoon Construction Company); re-elected as Head of the Secretariat
11. Javid Jaihoon (Afghan United Bank); re-elected as Treasurer
12. Gholam Nabi Eidizadah (Nabi Akbar Ltd); Member
13. Mohammad Ebrahim Zarif (Arif Zarif Ltd); Member
14. Esmatullah Wardak (Kabul Fulad); Member
15. Assadullah Faruqyar (Rahim Farid Ltd.); Member
16. Khairuldin Mayel (Bashir Nawid Group); Member
17. Latif Khan Zhwandai (Zamindar Group); Member*
18. Nezamuldin Tajzadah (Ettehad Aftab); Member*
19. Jamaludin Ishaq (IRAA Ishaq Construction Company); Member*
20. Mohammad Latif Ghanawizian [sic] (Super Cola); Member*
21. Faridun Nurzad (Maiwand Bank); Member*
A total of 46 candidates, including three women, competed for 21 seats. The electoral results can be found here.
Martine van Bijlert is the co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, from which this piece was adapted. The original article can be found here.
Tags: Afghanistan, Business, Democracy, Elections, Law
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Pakistan Has Lost Its 'Angel of Mercy'
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Ethnic Minorities Are Fueling the Taliban's Expansion in Afghanistan
The Taliban is gaining dangerous leverage by recruiting Tajiks, Turkmen, and Uzbeks.


Tied on a Gamakatsu barbless midge hook. Every trout stream in America has a steady supply of midges year round that are important to the fish's diet. When hatches are small the fish will key on micro patterns. Fish with light fluorocarbon tippet and set the hook gently. The trout's resistance will strengthen the hookset.


AV and security integration groups could work together on more projects, USAV members may become stakeholders in PSAV after blockbuster deal.
PSA Security Network had been looking to expand into new segments of the integration world. What president and CEO Bill Bozeman didn't know, though, is the expansion of the group into AV was only about 8 miles away.
PSA bought USAV Group, a consortium of almost 60 integration companies across the U.S., and CI Edge, an affiliate of USAV dedicated to small and mid-sized integration companies, in an effort to diversify what it can offer to ever-more-demanding customers.
Before the acquisition went through, PSA had been talking to an 18-year AV pro about coming aboard as its new president, says Bozeman. Had they gone that route, though, USAV CEO K.C. Schwarz says he told Bozeman they'd become his competitors.
Bozeman and Schwarz, along with USAV founder and CFO Chris Whitley, started talking about a possible partnership about eight months ago, says Schwarz. While the geographical proximity is nice, that wasn't the driver for the deal, he says.
The talks with PSA led to "considerable discussions" among USAV dealers, says Schwarz. Both groups are taking the future in steps, not forecasting too far out as far as what might or might not happen.
Mass notification and emergency communications offers opportunities for AV and security integrators. Find out why you should get involved in MNEC.
Among the discussions of what the new group will look like is talk about expanded benefits, new education opportunities and possible crossover on jobs.
Both entities have a "heavy emphasis on education and training," says Whitley.
"There will be opportunities for [PSA and USAV members] to work together, but we're not going to force it," says Bozeman. He pointed to video walls in command and control centers as one area that's ripe for AV and security integrators to pair up.
PSA and USAV have no crossover among their memberships. About two-thirds of PSA's 213 members are equity partners. That's something that could become an opportunity for USAV dealers in the future, says Bozeman.


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Center for Historic Preservation
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You are here: Home / Center for Historic Preservation / Center Projects & Events
The University of Mary Washington Center for Historic Preservation engages UMW Historic Preservation students and the preservation community in a number of ways. Below is a selection of the Center's current and past projects, events, and initiatives.
Fall 2020 Events & Projects
Center for Historic Preservation Series of Lectures: "Evidence of Dental Intervention from a Late Woodland Burial in Virginia"
Speakers: Kerry Gonzalez, Lab Manager/Project Archaeologist, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group
Joe Blondino, Field Director-Archaeology, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group
Joanna Wilson-Green, Archaeologist, Easement & Archaeology Stewardship Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Center for Historic Preservation Book Prize Lecture: "Preservation and Place: Historic Preservation by and of LGBTQ Communities in the United States"
Past Events & Projects
Cultural Landscapes Inventory Summer Field School – Prince William Forest Park (NPS)
Funding: $98,000
During the summers of 2019 and 2020 University of Mary Washington Historic Preservation and GIS students worked with Professor Michael Spencer and National Park Service personnel at Prince William Forest Park to conduct a series of cultural landscape inventories for the parks C.C.C. era cabin camps. During this time students honed their research and documentation skills as well as learned new methods associated with the interpretation of large scale landscapes. These new methods included learning how to use GPS in conjunction with cultural landscape survey methods defined by the National Park Service.
University of Mary Washington students learn how to use the new Trimble GPS device at Prince William Forest Park.
Mortar Re-pointing Workshop at the Mary Washington House
During the spring of 2020 the University of Mary Washington, Center for Historic Preservation partnered with the Washington Heritage Museums, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc., Kjellstrom & Lee, and Dominion Traditional Building Group to conduct a mortar re-pointing workshop. The objective of the workshop was to provide students as well as community members with a free, hands-on opportunity to learn traditional lime re-pointing methods. At the same time the workshop would address needed Portland cement remediation on the rear (west elevation) of the historic Mary Washington House. Due to the scale of the project the number of participants were limited but included three UMW students and three community members.
UMW students and community members work side by side to re-point damaged sections of the Mary Washington House.
Dendrochronology Study at the Mary Washington House
Simply put, dendrochronology is an accepted method of dating historic buildings using tree rings. While there is lots of science and database creation behind this process, UMW students were just exposed to the basics during a fall 2018 study of the Mary Washington House done by Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. This study was funded in part by the Center for Historic Preservation as well as the Stuart Jones Charitable Trust. Ultimately the south wing of the Mary Washington House, where Mary lived, was dated to 1759, indicating that it was built by none other than Fielding Lewis!
Students look on as Mike Cuba extracts a core sample from white oak puncheon joists at the Mary Washington House.
Reconstructive and Experimental Archaeology Conference (REARC)
The Center for Historic Preservation helped support the Reconstructive and Experimental Archaeology Conference during the start of the fall 2019 semester. This conference provided UMW students an opportunity to try their hand at using some of the historic techniques used to manufacture items which they not only study but might one day excavate. Such experiences offer additional insight and allow for a deeper understanding of cultural artifacts.
UMW student assists in one of the demonstrations taking place during the conference.
Permanent Museum Exhibition "For the People Had a Mind to Work": A Century of African American Education in Spotsylvania County – John J. Wright Education and Cultural Center, Spotsylvania, Virginia
Funding: $3,000
The Center for Historic Preservation serves as a grantee in applications for external funding that support student-faculty projects. A $3,000 grant from Virginia Humanities made possible the completion of a new permanent exhibition at John J. Wright Museum in Spotsylvania. 250 sq.ft. of new museum displays were planned and installed by Professor Cristina Turdean and the students enrolled in her Museum Exhibitions course in Spring 2019.
In the Museum Exhibitions course, students develop an exhibition from the research phase to its actual installation in the space of the partnering museum.
Lecture "Ordinary Treasures: The Material Culture of the Enslaved" (February 2020)
Some of our lectures are organized in partnership with local museums and historic preservation organizations. Scholar Marta Katz-Hyman presented her research on the material culture of enslaved people at the invitation of the Center for Historic Preservation and James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library. The subject of this talk supported the research interest that our students and faculty have in the subject of diversity in historic preservation.
Martha Katz-Hyman
Lecture "Virginia Tribes and the Challenges of Smithsonian Repatriation Efforts" (November 2019)
In support of the Native American Heritage Month, which is observed every year in November, Dr. Dorothy Lippert, Tribal Liaison with the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, lectured on the challenges of repatriation of Native American artifacts in the museum's collections. Several representatives of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia were in the audience.
Dr. Dorothy Lippert
Workshop "Introduction to historical surveys and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources standards" (October 2019)
The mission of the Center for Historic Preservation is to link the resources of our department with those of the preservation community at local, regional, and national level. For several years, Professor Spencer has been assisting the College Heights Civil Association in Fredericksburg with information on preserving the character and physical integrity of their neighborhood. In two recent workshops, College Height residents learned about historical surveys and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources standards.
Members of the College Heights Association during the Q&A session with Prof. Spencer.
Grad School Fair (November 2019)
Every fall, as some of our majors prepare to apply for admission in grad school, the Center for Historic Preservation organizes a grad school fair, whose panelists are recent alumni of our program. They hold graduate degrees in historic preservation disciplines (i.e. urban planning, museum studies, anthropology/archaeology, historic preservation) and are employed in the field. The fair has an informal format, with current students asking questions on topics ranging from preparing for the GRE test and selecting a graduate program to financing studies and employment prospects.
The 2019 Grad School Fair panelists represented our 2014-1016 classes.
2019 Book Prize Lecture "The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World" (September 2019)
Every year since 1988, the Center for Historic Preservation has been conferring the Historic Preservation Book Prize to the book with the most potential for positively impacting the discipline of historic preservation in the United States. As the 2019 winner of the Book Prize, Dr. Michele Valerie Cloonan, Dean Emerita and Professor of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College, gave a talk on her book The Monumental Challenge of Preservation. The Past in a Volatile World published by The MIT Press.
Dr. Michelle Cloonan and HISP majors at the end of the talk.
Project: Processing of 2018 Survey of Nomini Plantation
Grantor: 2019 Threatened Sites Grant, Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Amount:$1,604.02
Grantee: Prof. Lauren McMillan
Project: Archaeological Field School 2018
Grantor: sub-award from St. Mary's College of Maryland: "Rappahannock Indigenous Cultural Landscape Survey."
Project: Analysis of the Nomini Plantation (44WM0012) Archaeological Collection
Amount: $4,999.23
Alumni Talks, Danny Messplay (September 2019)
Student Choice Lecture: Kate Wagner (April 2019): McMansion Hell
Career Fair (March 2019)
Caitlin DeSilvey (February 2019) – winner of the Book Prize 2018: Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving
David Givens (February 2019): The Angela Site: An Archaeological Study of Race, Inequality, and Community in Early Jamestown
Julia King (September 2018): Researching Rappahannock Indian History: Archaeologists and Tribal Members Working TogetherCollege Heights Neighborhood
Tax Credit Workshop (November 2018)


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Home Happening Now Ex-Wife of Hunter Biden breaking silence in "Tell All" Memoir
Ex-Wife of Hunter Biden breaking silence in "Tell All" Memoir
Jon Heltzel
Kathleen Buhle, the ex-wife of Hunter Biden will be breaking her silence in a "tell all" memoir that is bound to filled with lots of humiliating anecdotes for the son of President Joe Biden.
Buhle told People magazine "I felt like I'd lost my sense of who I was. Anyone who has seen addiction ruin a relationship, or been through infidelity and divorce, can tell you how devastating it feels. But what I also realized through those crushing experiences is that I needed to find a way to stand on my own."
"Anyone who has seen addiction ruin a relationship, or been through infidelity and divorce, can tell you how devastating it feels," Buhle added. "But what I also realized through those crushing experiences is that I needed to find a way to stand on my own."
According to DailyMail "The book will discuss the 'heavy toll' drug addiction takes on relationships, as Hunter Biden, fueled by a coke and alcohol habit, spent the couple's money on drugs, alcohol, strippers and prostitutes, and engaged in an affair with his dead brother Beau's wife Hallie."
"Buhle accused Hunter of having an affair, being 'emotionally abusive' and using Viagra after she discovered his relationship with his brother's widow, emails obtained by DailyMail.com have shown. She tried for years to try help him beat his addiction to crack cocaine and booze, before he found out that he was having a relationship with his sister-in-law Hallie," the report adds.
Hoo boy: Hunter Biden's ex-wife is releasing a memoir ahead of midterms discussing the breakdown of their marriage, his drug use, affairs, etc https://t.co/r323lrHdPI
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 12, 2022


Baltimore, MD, USA. November 18, 2003.
Today, the Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I) announced that the Object Management Group (OMG), the Open Applications Group, Inc. (OAGI), and the Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium (POSC) have become associate members of WS-I. This new membership category was created to improve communication and cooperation between WS-I and standards development organizations to best meet the needs of customers and the Web services industry. The announcement was made at the Gartner Application Integration and Web Services Summit being held this week in Baltimore.
"While WS-I and standards organizations like the ones announced today have different purposes, we share a common vision for the future of Web services," said Ed Cobb, board director and chair of the WS-I Liaison Committee. "WS-I is committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with these organizations, and the associate membership category enables these organizations to participate more directly in the work of WS-I. In addition, WS-I continues to work with other standards organizations through informal liaison channels."
"Standards for portability, interoperability and reuse have been the Object Management Group's bedrock since our founding in 1989," remarked Richard Soley, chairman and chief executive officer of the Object Management Group. "We are delighted to support WS-I's effort to provide best practices and guidelines to ensure those standards solve real end-user problems. OMG brings widely deployed specifications such as UML, MDA(R) and CORBA(R) to the Web services world and the IT community in general, specifications which make designing developing and deploying Web services much simpler. OMG looks forward to working through WS-I to support interoperability in the nascent Web services marketplace."
"We are very pleased to become an associate member of WS-I," said David Connelly, chief executive officer of the Open Applications Group, Inc. "We already have a Web services workgroup within OAGI where many of our members are developing innovative approaches to using Web services based on the WS-I Basic Profile in combination with the OAGIS XML Canonical Business Language. Since OAGIS has been broadly adopted in more than 40 countries around the world and is independent from technical frameworks, OAGIS is rapidly becoming the premier payload for Web services solutions for end-users and solution providers alike. Our OAGI community is determined to leverage as well as contribute to the work at the WS-I in order to maximize their goals for interoperability."
"As an international consortium focused on the development and deployment of open standards for interoperability in the exploration and production sector of the energy industry, POSC was an early proponent of both XML and Web services," said David Archer, president and chief executive officer of POSC. "The industry is busily at work in pursuit of interoperable systems covering activities from the drill site, to the back office and beyond. Web services are already playing an important role in this work, and many oil and gas players see Web services as a central component of future 'digital' architectures. We are very pleased to be an associate member of WS-I as this class of membership offers an excellent opportunity to engage with the broader WS-I community as representatives of the POSC membership with regard to Web services technologies."
Associate member benefits to qualified organizations include access to the WS-I member website and its documents, access to technical working group materials, participation in technical working groups and community meetings, and the use of the WS-I logo. For more information, contact WS-I at info@ws-i.org.
WS-I is an open industry organization committed to promoting consistent and reliable interoperability among Web services across platforms, applications and programming languages. The organization unites a diverse community of Web services companies to provide guidance, recommended practices, and supporting resources for developing interoperable Web services. Since its formation in February 2002, more than 170 companies have joined WS-I. For more information please visit http://www.ws-i.org, or e-mail info@ws-i.org.
Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. General references in "Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I)."


All mystical traditions are one. They are the seed of all religions.
Tao. Zen. Tantra. Yoga. Kabbalah. Sufi. Mystic Christianity. Shamanism. And so many more secretly treasured by their adherents. These all share the same mystical sense of communion with the divine.
Meditation is not something peculiar to one culture. All cultures know a mystical core that emphasizes continuing refinement, meditation, and unification with the greater cosmos.


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« What's Hot/What's Not: 03/06/11
Lawrence O'Donnell Profile… »
Life Without Beck?
The New York Times' David Carr writes about Glenn Beck. Everyone will be zeroing in on this paragraph and the next few that follow it…
He still has numbers that just about any cable news host would envy and, with about two million viewers a night, outdraws all his competition combined. But the erosion is significant enough that Fox News officials are willing to say — anonymously, of course; they don't want to be identified as criticizing the talent — that they are looking at the end of his contract in December and contemplating life without Mr. Beck.
This entry was posted on March 7, 2011 at 12:13 am and is filed under FNC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
29 Responses to "Life Without Beck?"
fritz3 Says:
It won't surprise me if Beck gets dumped before 2012. FNC doesn't need Beck as much as Beck needs them: despite the size of the Beck media empire. Fox could replace Beck with Steve Doocy or a traffic cone and still draw 1.5 million viewers.
By Dec. 2011 it would be easy to replace him from the large stable of dropped out Republican POTUS candidates or some right wing pundit/host; eg Newt Gingrich or Lou Dobbs.
Also 2012 is an election year and FNC will want a host in that slot who can stay on Fox News message track and be not preaching the end of the world is coming, you better stock up on food and hoard gold.
The last line of the article says it all for me.
"The problem with predicting doomsday is that if you are wrong, you have to figure out what to say the next day. And if you are right… well the ratings will be terrific , for what that's worth."
You have to know once FNC's anonymous cowards get on record.. Beck will be hitting the bricks.
But, as Fritz said — Beck has a lot going for him besides FNC. So, he'll get by fine even if he's not on television.
That said, wouldn't it be funny if the 'ole Becker showed up on MSNBC or Current?
Josh Kalb Says:
Beck can be moved into FBN's non-business primetime. He wouldn't damage FNC's news credibility if he's sent to the obscurity of FBN.
Interesting, Josh Kalb.
Do you mean until his contract runs out in Dec? Or perhaps a renewal over there?
Looking past the ideology and politics, I can see FNC and Beck parting amicably at the end of his contract. I don't know what FNC would do with that hour, but Beck may leave TV altogether. Lately I've noticed his vision is getting worse. At time he has trouble reading the huge monitor on his set. That's not good for a TV host.
lonestar77 Says:
"FNC doesn't need Beck as much as Beck needs them"
I don't Beck needs FNC. He's a huge star. Rush doesn't need TV.
Maybe a Republican will win in 12′, Beck will go back to criticizing R's and the left will like him again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKXzn6BOw5g
I think a renewal over there, but not for a while. Beck has a huge following, and moving him over to FBN would force more cable providers to carry it and ratings for FBN would increase.
Glenn would get the 9 PM slot. I doubt this would hurt FNC's ratings at 9 because Hannity and Beck both have devoted fans.
It probably won't happen but it would be a good idea. At some point Neil Cavuto should move exclusively over to FBN along with the Saturday biz block. Megyn Kelly could take over the two hours from 4-6, and a new 1-3 show could be developed. I suggest Rick Folbaum and Harris Faulkner as the two anchors.
I just think FNC would greatly benefit from more news programming and FBN would benefit from Beck's ratings.
whitneymuse Says:
Recall what Ailes said when Paula Zahn left FNC? something like anything we use will draw eyeballs…wish I could recall the exact quote. You get the picture.
Sorry, libs; it ain't gonna happen.
John Gibson had that time period for years, and while his show was decent, they made him do a lot of Natalee Holloway crap and other tabloid news. But when Beck took over, ratings skyrocketed.
Beck was certainly responsible for the Tea Party wins in November, and will probably re-emerge as a ratings "get" once we near the next elections.
Libs like the NYT just love to conjure up problems where none exist.
Yikes. I just realized that I should not have called the Natalee story "tabloid crap", because certainly this young woman is missing and likely dead. But this was not the type of story political or news junkies follow, and I, and possibly others turned Gibson off when he covered such things.
Missy, did you bother reading the quotes from anonymous FNC'ers? If you can't figure out there is a fire in the kitchen.. Maybe its time we staged an intervention on your behalf. I was thinking something along the lines of installing an FNC blocker at your house and using parental filters so you can't read any right wing sites!
Beck's arguments are far too complex and fallacious too. He wanders into Old Testament stories and leaps to the Revelation Apocalypse and expects us to buy it. IMHO, he's in the weeds.
Once he stated he chose Mormonism; because he needed a religion of principles…
Beck, it's either God's story or men's tales.
His ratings did well when he started crying and concluded that he " loved his country."
Even Tina Brown took notice…
He's an opportunist and we're catching on to his schtick.
terance, now you and the Slimes are relyinbg on "anonymous sources"? I thought that was disallowed in journalism. FYI, "anonymous sources" think I could be Miss America! Prove me wrong.
And whitney, you're citing Tina Brown, of all people? Right. I'm sure she would LOVE to see Beck and his politics succeed big time (not). And she's calling HIM an opportunist?
jackyboy Says:
I don't see Beck leaving FNC anytime soon. Yea I do agree his message has become somewhat muddy and very paranoid but his ratings are the best any cable news channel has ever seen. You don't just dump someone who brings in that many viewers, regardless of how controversial they are.
Does Beck need to change back into his funny self? Yes. Will he leave Fox? I highly doubt it.
Not citing her (Tina Brown) as an authority, was up the day Scarborough played the Beck clip..and he howled …Brown was his guest….
Serendipity and caught a good show as it was funny…really funny. as I rarely watch the MSNBC channel at that time of moning…I'm in the PT and it's way too early.
Missy, we've been relying on anonymous sources for a while now on these here blogs. Just because you don't like what "these" anonymous sources are saying is no reason to act as if they're inaccurate.
Now, if you'd like me to judge your Ms. Americaness — provide a photo and I'll get to judging!
starbroker Says:
http://www.mediaite.com/print/ny-times-report-fox-news-contemplating-life-without-glenn-beck/
I think Mediaite hit the nail on the head with their last line:
Then, just in case the article is completely wrong, Carr mentions "But the partnership, which has been good for both parties, may yet be repaired." In other words, yes Beck and Fox News can survive without one another, but since the relationship is highly profitable and consistently headline generating for all involved, might Carr's conjecture be nothing more than an attempt to stir the pot?
NY Times is just making stuff up to stir the pot.
Of course this attack on Beck comes only a few days after:
Executive Editor Bill Keller called Fox viewers "among the most cynical people on planet earth" and blamed Rupert Murdoch for the agitated tone of today's media.
No way, Terance. I was just stating that I believe anonymous sources have little credibility. Besides, I'm way out of the running in the age and weight categories!
BTW, Scarborough is obsessed with trashing Beck. If Joe had 1/10 of Beck's audience, he'd be doing great! He seems insanely jealous of Beck and loves to deride Tea Party members.
Missy — I hate anonymous sources as well.
However, if anything these 'anonymous sources' said wasn't accurate you can rest assured FNC would have their sanctioned PR hacks in full gear shooting the quotes down.
Interestingly, there is also a Cheatwood quote on page 2. IIRC, doesn't FNC usually abstain from commenting on articles that aren't 100% positive?
Btw, by 'commenting' I mean allowing themselves to be quoted in the article itself.
I think we all know they've shot TVN nasty quotes concerning things written in the papers.
laura l Says:
I liked Beck without the paranoia, but even then you needed many grains of salt. When the crazy starts to outweigh the useful info, and the host loses his sense of humor, it's hard to see the upside.
From Glenn's daily e-mail:
"NY Times rumor mill: Beck/Fox divorce?
David Carr over at the New York Times is doing his best to tabloid up the aging paper of record. He's gone diving into the rumor mill, citing unnamed sources who claim that Beck and Fox may decide not to renew at the end of the current contract. As Scott Baker from The Blaze put it, Carr's 'hypothetical musings' will certainly excite the left and cause relentless speculation around the blogosphere. Check out The Blaze for Baker's take on the story and the Times rumor piece."
starbroker,
Hell yes, we're agitated. Because Fox is often the only source of some of this news! Most people just watch network news or read MSM newspapers, hearing/reading bits of 0bama's speeches, which are usually OK. But they have no clue as to how he typically contradicts himself with his actions and those of his cabinetl.
The accusation that the NYT made up quotes is silly. The anonymous sources may be full of it, but it's safe to assume they exist, and said what they said.
mlong5000 Says:
Beck isn't going anywhere…..sadly.
alindc Says:
joeremi is correct. Carr would not have a job at the New York Times or any other serious newspaper if he wrote articles just to make things up and attack another news organization. That's nonsense, but some Fox people will spin it that way because it's a game they play.
It was Rick Santelli who made the statement that got the Tea Party fired up when QE was initiated. Beck is an opportunist and has cased in and is hardly a conservative; more like a showman with a Schtick.
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How Does Bravo Choose "Real Housewives' Cast Members?
Gina Ragusa
The Real Housewives franchise continues to tear up the ratings for the last 12 years so it is natural to wonder: what's the secret sauce to choosing the right women for the series?
Some cast members like Vicki Gunvalson from The Real Housewives of Orange County have significant staying power. Whereas others like Peggy Sulahian (who?) fizzle after a single season. While there may not be an exact science in selecting the cast, there is a method.
One Bravo executive shares the process they go through to not only poach new cast members but also determine who stays (and who goes).
The cast is first evaluated
While Bravo won't cop to saying they "fire" any of the wives, they definitely do an inventory before the upcoming season. Bravo executive, Ryan Flynn told The Daily Dish podcast the review is a collaborative effort.
"It takes a village," Flynn said. "It is definitely not a one-person decision. Every season always starts with who wants to come back? Who maybe doesn't want to come back?" What do we feel like in terms of what might be missing [from] the dynamic within the group?"
So do cast members get fired?
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY — "Reunion" — Pictured: (l-r) Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Bethenny Frankel — (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo)
Mystery surrounds the concept of whether cast members are fired (or not). The rumor mill churned when Carole Radiziwill from The Real Housewives of New York City was allegedly fired for her alteration with both cast member Bethenny Frankel and producer Andy Cohen.
Frankel didn't help matters by tweeting, "Bravo has reasons for not asking hwives to return. It's based on research & focus groups & YOU. Aside from 3 years I left, no RHONY cast member has ever quit. One saying they chose to depart & attributing it to me is fiction. It's healthier to be truthful about a hard situation."
However, Flynn insists the decision to leave the show is mutual. "Most often than not it is a mutual understanding and a decision and it's not even so much of a we're telling someone to leave," he told Bravo's The Daily Dish. "Everyone knows the time is just right." What defines that 'right time' could be a myriad of things, according to the exec. "Whether it's a first season Housewife that just didn't click or never sort of found the rhythm, or whether it's someone who's been on many seasons who is just a very different person from when we started with them and their life is in a place now where it just maybe doesn't make sense for us to be sort of in their lives every day."
So how do they get new cast members?
Typically a current cast member is already connected to a potential new member. "We always start with the women, sort of the core group that we think is coming back," Flynn says. "It's always like, 'Who do you know that we should know?' Because it's always best to have a real-life connection and to have that history."
For instance, cast member Dorinda Medley from RHONYC previously knew Luann de Lesseps and Ramona Singer before joining the cast. "And I think we definitely see that on The Real Housewives of New York City," Flynn remarks. "Like it always felt like Dorinda [Medley] was there, because in a way she always was. It always felt like if you just turned the camera a couple of feet one way or the other, Dorinda has always been there. And so that's why I think her inclusion has been so successful. It's just so natural."
But cast members still audition
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY — "Femme Finale" Episode 1318 — Pictured: (l-r) Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson — (Photo by: Phillip Faraone/Bravo)
The casting "tape" still rules. So new prospects are interviewed by the Bravo team to see if there is a fit. "There are interviews on tape," Flynn says. "We've now gotten to a point where when we sort of narrow the list down, we'll go do a home shoot, just sort of a slice of life. What does a day in the life look like for our top choices? You know [we] meet husbands, meet kids, meet friends…You know what does that life look like?"


Here at Northwoods, we're big believers that our past should always shape our future. This week, we're sharing a little piece of Northwoods' history—as told by our executive vice president and chief operating officer, Chris Carlson—to give you a glimpse into where we've been and where we're heading. This is chapter 4 (here are chapter 1, chapter 2, and chapter 3 in case you missed them).
Here at Northwoods, we're big believers that our past should always shape our future. This week, we're sharing a little piece of Northwoods' history—as told by our executive vice president and chief operating officer, Chris Carlson—to give you a glimpse into where we've been and where we're heading. This is chapter 3 (here are chapter 1 and chapter 2 in case you missed them).
Here at Northwoods, we're big believers that our past should always shape our future. This week, we're sharing a little piece of Northwoods' history—as told by our executive vice president and chief operating officer, Chris Carlson—to give you a glimpse into where we've been and where we're heading. This is chapter 2 (here's chapter 1 in case you missed it).
Here at Northwoods, we're big believers that our past should always shape our future. This week, we're sharing a little piece of Northwoods' history—as told by our executive vice president and chief operating officer, Chris Carlson—to give you a glimpse into where we've been and where we're heading. This is chapter 1.


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Glasgow. 55.8554N, -4.3024W
We know how the land lies
This area is set to be Glasgow's next property 'hot spot'
The average selling price of two-bedroom flats in Glasgow's East End have jumped by almost 20% - or more than £15,000 - in the last year.
GSPC said in its latest quarterly house-price report that the area is the latest first-time owner 'hot spot'.
The East End area of Dennistoun is said to be particularly very popular for new buyers, with a young population who are serviced by bars and eateries opening up.
With fewer properties being brought to market in the area, flats are typically selling faster and for more than the home report valuation.
Rise in value
Two-bedroom flats in Glasgow's East End were sold for an average of £93,435 during July to September - 19.4% ahead of the £78,235 achieved in the same three-month period in 2016.
This rise in value was in contrast to a more modest 3.2% increase in average selling prices to £139,736 in Glasgow, while west central Scotland recorded a rise of 5.9% to £142,607.
GSPC also said the median selling time of properties in Glasgow is now down to 22 days - 21.2% faster than the same time last year. Meanwhile, the figure for west central Scotland fell to 29 days from 33 days.
Outside of Glasgow, three-bedroom houses in North Lanarkshire are showing the highest increase in average selling prices, up 27.3% to £146,451, while three-bedroom homes in Renfrewshire increased by 18.5% to £193,179.
Solicitors are reporting that selling prices for two and three-bedroom homes in East Renfrewshire are continuing to rise at a rapid rate due to the good school catchment area. Properties are going to a closing date and obtaining up to 10% above home-report value.
Austin Lafferty, director of GSPC, said: "Properties in Glasgow and west central Scotland are continuing to be in high demand, with market conditions remaining consistent with the overall trend of fewer properties being available for sale, and as a result faster selling times for particularly desirable areas.
"The East End is proving to be the new property hot spot for first-time buyers, while good family homes in East Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire are also selling well, partly due to a short supply."
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