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How to Create a Successful Family Dynasty
Why is it that some families are successful for multiple generations? They maintain their health, wealth, and property from one generation to another. Their children are not spoiled, but are industrious. The parents and grandparents are respected. Why does the family grow in number and power and continue to contribute generation after generation to business and society? If you want to learn how to create a successful family dynasty, keep reading.
Below are some of the characteristics of families that are successful for multiple generations.
Dynasty Families Operate a Business Within the Family and Are Their Own Bosses.
For long-range survival, Dynasty Families operate a family business that produces income and provides jobs for family members. The family business is the boat in which the family sails through the winds and waves of economic changes. In our practice, we have found that, whenever a family sold the family business or family farm, they usually regretted it in the end. Only a small percent of our clients who have sold their family business was happier after the sale. Two families repurchased their businesses at a higher price when they realized that the hard work of the family business was more fun than the feelings of insecurity and lack of purpose that arose after its sale. The Dynasty Family is its own boss!
Dynasty Families Own Their Own Business Property and Residential Property and Are Their Own Bosses.
The property occupied by the family business should be owned by the family inside of Family Limited Partnerships and Family Limited Liability Companies to avoid paying rent to outsiders and being subject to the caprice of an outside landlord. Further, such ownership allows the family to enjoy the rental income and the appreciation of the property. Recently, wealthy Dynasty Families have also been buying residential property that will be used by their children and grandchildren—realizing that suitable real estate is appreciating to the point where future generations of young married couples may be financially unable to buy their own homes. This way, all members of the family are assured a life style without landlords. The Dynasty Family is its own landlord!
Dynasty Families Develop Their Own Cache of Safe Liquid Funds Used as a Family Bank.
The survival-oriented Dynasty Family establishes and maintains (a) safe Irrevocable Trusts for children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and (b) Family Limited Partnerships and Family Limited Liability Companies. These entities generate liquid funds in low income tax brackets. These funds are available to lend to the family business and to the family members in need. The family business, therefore, does not have to depend on the caprice of banks and financial institutions. Instead, the family business borrows from the Family Banks. This family lending arrangement also allows the family trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, Family Limited Liability Companies, and other lending entities to receive high interest rates with the corresponding interest income in the safe legal receptacles taxed at low rates. In turn, the family business gets to deduct the high interest expense from its tax returns. Even though most large families try to finance their businesses within the family, they still maintain good relations with their bankers and once a year fix a line of credit, even if they do not need to use it. The Dynasty Family is its own best bank!
Dynasty Families Have a Family Leader and a System of Succession.
Like Indian tribes, successful families that are prepared for survival all have a leader (matriarch or patriarch) who makes the ultimate decisions for the family. A characteristic of Indian tribes was that every tribe had a chief and a system of knowing who was the next chief in line if the current chief was killed in battle. The chief always counseled with the elders, but if the elders could not arrive at a consensus, there was no doubt as to who made the ultimate decision. In some modern families, the brothers and sisters are equally educated and experienced. The siblings act as co-leaders of the family on the death of the parents, functioning in the same way as a corporate board of directors who select "officers and managers" of the family holdings. These officers and managers may be either family or non-family with appointments being either long-term or on a rotational basis for a certain period of time. Even when families run their business affairs with a group of members acting as a "board of directors," they usually try to concur unanimously on all major decisions. For example, if they run into a 2-to-1 vote, they will bring in advisors to arbitrate and mediate rather than to push the majority decision and risk a family breach. The king is dead. Long live the new king!
Dynasty Families Have a Simple, Private System for Settling Family Disputes.
The "chief" establishes a method for settling disputes so that family disputes do not end up as serious family fights. Sometimes, the leader of the family or an advisory group offers itself as a mediator or arbitration committee. In any event, all family members agree to settle their disputes in accordance with family procedures. We use an alternative dispute resolution agreement that everyone in the family is required to sign to become a beneficiary of any trusts and to participate in the family's financial affairs.
Dynasty Families Have a Confidentiality Agreement to Keep Secrets and Confidential Matters Inside the Family.
Successful families deal with many people every day. Such families can require anyone dealing with the family to sign a Confidentiality Agreement in which the signer agrees not to disclose the secrets and private matters of the family and not to bad mouth the family. The signer further agrees to allow disputes over breach of this Agreement to be resolved quickly under the alternative dispute resolution agreement mentioned in the previous paragraph. We can think of many Presidents who have wished they had a Confidentiality Agreement signed by everyone who worked in the White House.
Dynasty Families Have Well-Chosen Professional Family Advisors Who Serve the Family over the Long Haul.
Dynasty Families that are surviving successfully have a group of long-standing outside professional advisors: an attorney, accountant, life insurance agent, property and casualty insurance agent, financial planner, investment advisor, doctor, banker, and possibly a public relations advisor and technology advisor. These professionals are available to the family to provide objective, specialized advice for hybridization with the ideas developed within the family. The family meets at least annually with the advisors so that their own ideas and procedures do not become obsolete or too in-bred. The professional advisors give the family intellectual vitamins!
Dynasty Families Own a Family Farm or Ranch.
To enable a family to survive in the "ultimate national disaster," it is beneficial for them to own a farm or ranch that is capable of providing sustenance for all the members of the family for a prolonged period of time. Ownership of a farm or ranch also keeps the family close to the land so that they understand self-sufficiency. The farm or ranch may be sharecropped or managed by someone else if family members are not willing to operate it themselves. With long-range investments in animal breeding and orchard crops, the family farm or ranch also provides some outstanding tax shelters and tax deferrals for high income in peak years and postpones it to retirement years. The family farm or ranch is an educational playground for grandchildren.
Dynasty Families Insist on Maximum Education of Offspring.
Dynasty Families make available and set aside funds sufficient for the maximum education of all children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The family tries to steer the children and grandchildren into fields that do not conflict so that eventually the family will have within its own structure persons capable of providing professional advice in law, accounting, medicine, art, public relations, computer technology, business management, and other key areas. Care must be taken so that too many family members do not educate themselves for the same position or specialty within the family.
Dynasty Families Have Regular Family Meetings and Ceremonies.
Dynasty Families schedule times to meet on a regular basis to celebrate family traditions, discuss business, network ideas, and maintain relationships. These meetings and ceremonies must be carefully planned and orchestrated so that the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will enjoy and remember these festive and interesting occasions. Many of these family meetings may be organized so that they may be income tax deductible! The play is the thing that will grasp the soul of the family!
Dynasty Families Have Objectives, Vision Statements, Value Statements, Budgets, and Strategic Plans.
Frequently, and at least annually, Dynasty Families meet to discuss the family mission, vision statements, budgets, strategic plans, and the objectives of the family so that a consensus will be reached and so that the family culture is always clear to all family members. The objectives of the various branches and individuals of the family also are discussed so that other family members will be able to assist reciprocally all branches and individuals in reaching their respective personal objectives. Businesses have been incorporating these soul-creating techniques for decades with success.
Dynasty Families Encourage Arm's Length Transactions between Family Members and Family Business.
Dynasty Families insist that all salaries, rents, loans, management agreements, and other arrangements among Dynasty Family members and family entities are set up on an arm's length basis, using the current market rates at that particular time for the compensation. The agreements among the family members are documented legally and precisely to avoid misunderstandings and to permit an objective evaluation without mixing gifting with business. If family members need gifts or other financial help, the transactions are clearly marked as gifts or loans rather than as sweetheart deals in salary, rent managements, and other legal relationships. By doing so, reality does not become distorted. Nor do non-family individuals who work for the family business become discouraged by seeing unrealistic economic relationships and accounting numbers when the business deals with a family member. Business is business! Gifting is gifting!
Dynasty Families Insist on High Standards Among Its Members.
Dynasty Families set certain minimum standards of honesty, integrity, personal habits, and physical fitness. Regardless of the amount of love of one family member for another, the family members must meet certain minimum standards. Even with loving support and counsel, the remiss member may be temporarily excluded from the family group at large. Someone within the family may be appointed to monitor the family members "in exile," assisting them to change their ways, to re-establish themselves back into the family. Forgiveness is always encouraged, as exemplified in the parable of the prodigal son. Bad apples must be taken out of the box and put in the refrigerator!
Dynasty Families Have a System for Indoctrination and Integration of "Blood Brothers" – Non-Family Employees of Family Enterprises.
Many Indian tribes included skilled, non-blood warriors who fought with the tribe and whom the tribe integrated as "blood brothers." Many family businesses have trusted executives and other loyal employees who are treated like members of their extended family. On occasion, children of the employees even join the family business. The family cannot prosper on blood alone!
Dynasty Families Will Not Tolerate Negative Gossip.
One of the fastest ways to break down a family or impair the image among its members is to tolerate gossip — that is, talking derogatively about certain family members to outsiders or to other family members. The family must have an agreement not to gossip, even though such gossip sometimes provides an easy, relaxed subject of conversation. If any family member is critical of another family member, he or she must agree to convey his or her discomfort in private to the family member concerned. When this rule is violated, the gossip intensifies by reciprocity as one family member "gets even" with another. Gossip destroys families!
Dynasty Families Have a Comprehensive Risk Management Master Plan.
Large families usually engage one life insurance advisor and one property and casualty insurance advisor to serve as their agents of record. These insurance experts determine all likely risks to the extended family and recommend whatever insurance is needed to minimize every insurable catastrophic loss. Because all insurance is purchased through the same sources, the family has greater bargaining power with its rates, coverage, and recoveries.
Dynasty Families Are Segmented Into Separate Legal Entities to Prevent "Domino" Destruction.
Large successful families do not operate as "general partners," exposing all branches to a disastrous lawsuit if a catastrophe occurs. If any family member were to run into a bus load of brain surgeons while driving, the entire dynasty wealth could disappear. To avoid this, we will often restructure each branch with its own limited partnership, limited liability company, revocable trust, and Asset Vault Trust with a grouping of legal fortresses — a Family "Zaibatsu" — with arm's length contracts between branches and individuals for employment, management, leasing, loans, and sales. This process is called "segmenting the family."
Dynasty Families Have Family Foundations.
Members of families that operate Family Foundations for some reason live 10 years longer on the average then those who don't. The Family Foundations allow the families to end up with more personal cash flow, more wealth, more prestige and more power—for generations. Foundations lift the family "out of the peasant class." They will always be esteemed in their communities. By strategically using a Family Foundation with life insurance a family will be able to "disinherit the IRS" (i.e., avoid estate taxes) and expand their beneficial influence in every generation.
Dynasty Families Have Well-Organized Multi-Generation Wealth Protection and Enhancement Plans.
These plans consist of protective trusts in all generations, businesses and investment interests in protective corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies, and smooth transition plans from one generation to another. These comprehensive plans covering all generations of the family are updated annually with the families' professional team.
In many respects, the families of this country are like clumps of "bunch grass" on a desert hillside. Its deep roots, expansive clumps, and tight and tangled roots allow it to survive the worst of drought, flooding, and overgrazing. The many tight-knit families of our culture hold and will continue to hold the rest of our society together in the same way that the bunch grass safeguards the soil of the desert hillside from erosion.
To create these protective structures, we must analyze the Dynasty Family's circumstances with a preventive law approach — like an international chess player examines all likely areas where financial checkmate may occur — and prevent checkmate by following the guidelines of this article and expert estate, business, legal, and accounting advice.
Want to Learn More About How to Create a Successful Family Dynasty?
If you want to create your own successful family dynasty, give us a call at 602-443-4888. Or you can get in touch with us HERE.
This memorandum is general in nature and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Due to possible changes in the law and its interpretation as well as the uniqueness of each individual's situation, this memorandum should not be relied upon as an expression of legal advice. Before any action is taken by the reader, it is imperative that legal counsel or professional advisors be consulted.


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Aaron Bartell
Aaron M. Bartell is a member of the firm's global project finance group. Mr. Bartell is a versatile lawyer who focuses on providing legal and commercial advice to project developers and investors regarding the development, financing, and purchase and sale of energy and infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on renewable power assets. He also advises clients on a wide range of business, legal and policy issues facing the telecommunications, media and technology industries. His diverse experience includes representing clients in equity and debt financings, public and private mergers and acquisitions and other commercial transactions, federal and state regulatory compliance and policy advocacy matters, and adversarial matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.
Representative Work:
Mr. Bartell's experience includes representing:
an international customer contact company with respect to telecommunications regulatory issues, including universal service, Voice over Internet Protocol and compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
a U.S. customer contact software platform and service provider in negotiating commercial agreements related to the provider's selection as technology outsourcing provider for a major U.S. bank
a telecommunications company in the proposed acquisition of a regional dark fiber network provider
a publicly traded specialty telecommunications company in four strategic acquisitions valued at US$122 million, as well as establishing the related US$85 million secured credit facilities
a U.S. customer contact software platform and service provider in the acquisition of a unified communications service provider headquartered in the United Kingdom.
a major solar developer in raising several hundred million dollars of tax equity for multiple commercial and industrial portfolios and in the sale of a portfolio of residential solar projects to a large, investor-owned energy company
a major solar developer in obtaining a revolving credit facility for the construction of commercial, industrial and utility-scale projects
a large financial institution as tax equity investor in a portfolio of commercial, industrial and utility-scale projects
a major solar developer in raising US$600 million of project finance for the development of solar projects and the sale of a portfolio of residential solar projects to a tax equity fund
a solar developer in connection with the restructuring of construction and term debt for two commercial solar projects in connection with the issuance of qualified energy conservation bonds
a wind developer in connection with a construction loan and tax equity financing for a 106.5 MW wind farm
as outside general counsel for nearly five years, a large regional cable operator, working closely with management regarding day-to-day business issues and advising the company on a wide variety of legal and policy matters, including transactions, commercial agreements, federal and state regulatory compliance, federal and state litigation and adversarial administrative proceedings
as outside general counsel for more than three years, a nonprofit foundation founded and run by an Oscar®-winning actor and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, working closely with management regarding a wide variety of business and legal matters, including corporate organization and governance, commercial agreements, employment, intellectual property and brand development
a large international port operator headquartered in the Middle East with respect to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States review of the port operator's investment in, and operation of, a new cargo terminal at a major U.S. port
a major foreign media company with respect to potential entry into the U.S. media market, including a contemplated acquisition of a U.S. cable network
a wind developer in connection with the tax equity and debt financing of an approximately 156 MW wind farm
J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 2006
B.A., University of Michigan, with distinction, 2003
What types of cases Attorney Aaron Bartell & Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP can handle?
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Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is located at 1564, 1333 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States. You can reach out to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP using their phone line 202.887.4451. You can also check their website akingump.com or email them at [email protected].
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If you are seeing multiple signs of aging then Avon Genics is for you.
The concentrate softens expression lines. Improves wrinkles, skin discoloration and age spots.
The eye cream diminishes the appearance of fine wrinkles and fine crow's-feet. It restores the look of brilliance, smoothness, definition and elasticity.
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WOW! I am looking for something like this, I'm just at an age where the crow's feet and wrinkles are starting to show through you know? Yikes! I need a little help from this Avon Genics to smooth out some years.


No one likes to downsize. But if your company is facing a financial crisis or a problem with overstaffing, it may be time to look at downsizing as a way to increase the health and longevity of your business. Properly planning a downsizing will not only save your company headaches, but will allow you to give employees the proper amount of notice and protect yourself from potential lawsuits. There is no such thing as a perfectly planned downsizing, and something is always bound to go wrong, but having a plan in place can greatly reduce the chances of something extremely negative happening to your company and its reputation during a rough time.
The perfect case of a company not downsizing properly is Zynga. After the game bubble burst, Zynga was forced to lay off the majority of its staff so it could stop bleeding money. But they did it wrong. Employees had no notice, no warning, and were shocked to find out via email one day that it would essentially be their last day. Not only did this negatively affect their company culture, but the employees who didn't get the axe wanted to leave because of how the company treated their friends and co-workers.
In order for your company to avoid making the same terrible mistakes as Zynga, here are three simple things to do if your company decides that a downsizing is necessary.
Not only should you give your employees plenty of notice if the company plans to downsize, you should plan to serve as a resource to help them find new jobs. Nothing is more devastating then walking into work one day and learning that you're being laid off and it's your last day. In a tough economy, it's important to allow your employees some time to find a new job, which could in reality take from a few weeks to a few months. Since you can't give them a few months notice in all likelihood, have someone from your HR department coach them and provide advice on resumes and job search tips, to hopefully speed up the process of finding a new job. Having a dedicated, full-time HR practitioner take on the role of helping these employees find new jobs is a big commitment, but in the long run your company will save major face value in an already incredibly hard time.
Laid-off or terminated employees have nothing to lose. Challenging your company on why they were let go may be tempting, and it's not really something you can prevent. Having solid documentation on why your company needs to downsize will give you a solid defense against any lawsuits former employees may bring against you. Documentation is the key to downsizing, and if done well it will protect you in the long run. This point is non-negotiable and should begin the moment your company decides that a downsizing is in order.
The last thing on your mind during this kind of upheaval is probably your current employees. During a downsizing, you're mostly worried about those you've laid off, and you may not realize that your current employees, who've just lost several of their friends and co-workers, are also impacted. Make sure to reassure them that the downsizing was necessary and let them know that you'll be completely transparent about what's happening and that their jobs are still secure. Keep your current company culture intact while going through this difficult time, or you could be losing more employees than you want to.
Downsizing isn't fun, and learning to cope with the challenges it brings will allow your company to come out ahead. Downsizing in a hurry—only to lose lawsuits from discrimination issues that arise—will have the opposite effect of what you were going for in the long term.
3 Biggest Mistakes in the Workplace DO's and DON'Ts for Motivating Employees Promoting Creativity in the Workplace Should You Care About Employee Happiness?
Downsizing has become a normal business practice, so managers should improve their ability to manage the changes, motivate the traumatized employees, and manage the business to get it back on track. Managers should deal with this difficult situation, not deny it, and maintain honest communication with the employees.
An employer should certainly not forget about the employees that are still with the company. Employees need reassurance about their security, they need to know the reasons that they were chosen to remain, and they need reassurance about their future. As an employer, try to keep in touch with them constantly and give them reasons to feel safe despite the hard times that the company is going through.
It's true: documents are important too. Employers should be prepared with a solid defense against any lawsuits that employees may bring against them. Having documentation and being transparent are the best ways to avoid any problems with the law.


Kids need to be in school, engaged in high-quality teaching and learning, as much as possible. In Eugene School District 4J, we've made strong strides toward achieving that goal by returning to a full school year with no furlough days.
Other critical changes are still needed. 4J schools have individual site-based schedules and calendars, and a close analysis has shown both that some schools provide too little learning time for students, and that there are big differences in the amount of time students are in class depending on which school they attend.
That's not fair to our students and teachers, not best serving our community, and not acceptable to the district—a student's neighborhood should not determine the extent of their education. We're actively working to fix it. Our intent is to ensure that all 4J schools provide the quantity and quality of education that our community values and supports.
There are sharp differences between schools in the amount of time each student is in class learning, and each teacher is teaching students. Under current schedules, a student who attends the 4J elementary, middle and high schools offering the least amount of instruction time would receive 7 months—nearly a full school year—less schooling by graduation than a student attending the 4J schools with the most instruction time.
The district is negotiating with the teachers' union to address these inequities and provide equal and sufficient teaching and learning time for all students and teachers.
• while still providing for teachers' voice in site-based decisions about teaching and learning within the school day and week.
Any new calendar would be developed with input from staff, families and the community to replace the site-based early-release, late-start, and full-release days that currently are different at each school. The district is discussing this with the teachers' association as an important issue in contract bargaining.
What counts as instruction time? Oregon law allows a limited amount of certain activities that support learning but aren't actual classroom learning time—recess, parent conferences and teacher professional development—to be counted toward instruction time. The appropriate level of credit, if any, is up to each school board and its community to decide. The 4J school board has approved a one-year plan applying about half of the allowed credits, as a short-term measure to allow schools to plan for the coming school year while a longer-term fix is resolved.
All schools must provide at least the state-required amount of instruction time. We're working to make sure that happens. Some current schedules at 4J elementary and high schools would fall short even if all of the credits allowable under state law were applied. Schools are adjusting their schedules to ensure they meet or exceed the requirements with the temporary credits the school board has approved for next year, while the district works toward a longer-term solution.
Meeting the letter of the law is one thing. Meeting the spirit of the law and doing what's right for students is another. The district is having important conversations about what our 4J students deserve, what expectations for teachers should be, and how to provide equitable teaching and learning time for students and teachers, no matter where they live, learn and work.
The district welcomes community feedback about this important issue. Public comment is invited at every school board meeting (see schedule at tinyurl.com/4Jboardbook) and the school board and superintendent receive emails sent to board@4j.lane.edu.


More pay: better teachers, therefore, better students. Wait a second!
Teachers are paid differently by different countries. Some countries pay very high salaries others very low. If we compare only statutory (compensations and fringe benefits apart) salaries for all levels of education (pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary), Luxembourg and Switzerland, followed by Korea and Germany, are the highest paying countries among OECD countries. The Czech and the Slovak Republics are the lowest paying countries. (OECD, Education at a Glance 2018).
It is extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to make sound comparisons of teachers' salaries among countries. It is even more difficult to correlate that feeble comparison with the performance of students. If we did that, we would have very awkward relationships. Let's take for example a very high performing country in PISA, say Finland, and very low performing countries, say Mexico and Chile, among OECD members. Let's then compare their statutory salaries, converted to purchasing power parity (a metric "that compares different countries' currencies" with a basket of consumption goods; for example, what can a US dollar buy in the US and the same dollar buy in other countries like Finland and Mexico).
Let's see the comparison of statutory salaries—in purchasing power parity (ppp) dollars—of Finnish, Mexican, Chilean, American, and Czech teachers. Let's take the salary of lower secondary (middle school) teachers at the top of the scale in each country. Finnish teachers make $46,257 USD (ppp-converted US dollars), whereas Mexican, Chilean, American and Czech teachers make: $51,139, $43,760, $68,046 and $24, 901, respectively. The OECD's average salary for teachers at this level of education is $56,874. (OECD, Education at a Glance, 2018, Table D3.1.a. Data for 2017).
Well, as we all know Finland is the highest, or one of the highest, performing countries in PISA among OECD's members. Mexico and Chile are the lowest performing countries. The Czech Republic with the second lowest salary among all OECD's countries performs high in PISA, certainly, at a higher level than Mexico, Chile and similar to the U.S. The Czech Republic students and the American students performed more or less at the OECD's mean level for PISA 2015 for Reading and Science. In mathematics, the U.S. students performed below the OECD's mean level.
At the same level of education and top of the scale, the Luxembourg teachers make the highest salary, $138,279 per year; the Slovak teachers make the lowest salary, $21, 225; however, the students from both countries performed more or less similar in PISA 2015. Whereas the Luxembourg students' performance level in Science, Reading, and Math were 483, 481 and 486; Slovak Republic students' performance was 461 for Science, 453 for Reading, and 475 Math, not very far away even though with the huge differences in salaries (OECD, PISA 2015. Vol 1, p. 44).
Then, what is the story behind the story? First of all, the statutory salary is just part of the story; there are other benefits that teachers receive that are not included in the statutory salary making the comparison extremely difficult. Second, even though the "ppp" metric tries to standardize salaries, there is no metric for the quality of the products in the basket of goods. The "ppp" metric measures the quantity of say milk, meat, public transportation or vegetables, but not the quality. And still, there is a totally different factor that is not captured by the international comparison, i.e., the teaching and learning environment.
Of course, we all want better salaries. Teachers deserve high salaries. Their work is extremely important not only for the individual, community and national levels but for the global society and global citizenry as well. That is the extrinsic motivation. But core to teaching and learning, and the happiness of teachers comes from the intrinsic motivation. Why do teachers want to become teachers in the first place? We need higher salaries to reinforce, no to supplant intrinsic motivation; and also, in symphony with the intrinsic motivation and rewarding salaries, we need nice, collegial and positive learning environments in the schools and societies.
*The author is a Visiting Research Professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Human Development, and Education, New York University and author of Teacher's Perspectives on Finnish School Education: Creating Learning Environments. Springer. 2014, and of Curriculum, Policy and Pedagogy in Finland: Meaningful and Interactive Learning in K-12 Education. Oxford University Press. New York. (Forthcoming, 2019).
How much US Teachers earn?
Publicado en 22/05/2014 por Eduardo Andere M.
U.S. teachers: Do they earn too much or too little?
The talk about teachers is a fad. They are the subject of the public agenda, the big and the small screens, international organizations, the media, parents, the public opinion, and politicians, of course. Around the world there are bad teachers and good teachers. For every bad teacher there are hundreds of good teachers.
Mapping the global comparative education with OECD's data (2011), the average U.S, lower secondary (grades 7 to 9) teacher, at the beginning of her/his career, makes $37, 595 international dollars (adjusted by the purchasing power), and at the top level of her/his career, 56 364 ID. Where is the U.S. in the world's education map? Well, the OECD average for those levels are, respectively, 30, 216 and 48, 177. But the tops and the bottoms are dramatically apart. A lower secondary teacher from Luxembourg can make 125, 962 ID, and from the Slovak Republic 13, 864, both at the top of their career.
Earning more or less, according to the OECD does not buy PISA points. The U.S. students with teachers who earn much less than the Luxembourg teachers and much more than the teachers from the Slovak Republic perform worse in mathematics, better in science and the same in reading than their peers in Luxembourg, and equal in mathematics but better in science and reading than their peers in the Slovak Republic. As per the OECD global student, the U.S. student performs worse in mathematics but equal in science and reading. A more dramatic comparison comes from Estonia where the teachers make, at the maximum level of their careers 16, 985 ID and their students ranked, in 2012, at the same level than the Finnish students both in mathematics and science.
Where is the U.S. compared to the two consistently top OECD performers, Korea and Finland? Korean lower secondary teachers, at the top of the scale, earn 76, 424 whereas Finnish teachers make 43, 372. Both, Korean and Finnish kids perform much higher than U.S. kids, PISA-wise, and yet the salaries levels are so different among them, and yet not so different from the U.S. ones.
But life for teachers and students in Korea is not the same as life in Finland or in America. One has to be Korean, and Finnish, and American to fully appreciate the differences. Is a Korean salary too high or too low compared to that of an American teacher or the Estonian teacher?
Well, let's see again at the OECD's relative numbers; let's look at the salary per net contact (teaching) time. Again Luxembourg is at the top of the rank with a salary of 115 ID per hour of teaching time, versus an Estonian teacher at the OECD's lowest level with 20 ID per hour. The U.S. teacher earns 43 ID per hour at the lower secondary level against the 58 OCDE's global teacher. The Korean teacher makes 78 and the Finnish teacher makes 69, well above the U.S. teacher. Again, this indicator is not an answer either to the best quality of learning recipe or formula but helps to locate the countries relative differences. Paying more or less per hour is not the explanatory variable, but it seems that the U.S. teachers earn far too little within the education league of industrialized nations or teach too many hours of net contact time, or have too few hours for planning, discussion and creating collective and collaborative professional learning environments.
How are teachers appreciated in their own countries? Are the U.S. teachers socially appreciated? For starters, one could go and ask people about their perceptions and get answers that mean very little in factual terms. Or we could go, and try to measure, albeit imperfectly, as the OCDE has done, the salaries of teachers in international dollars and compare those to the average income of the population. Presumably, if a teacher earns, on average, more than the gross national income per capita, it is said that the teacher is appreciated and vice versa. With this in mind, the most "appreciated" teachers from public lower secondary schools are the Korean ones with a salary relative to the GPD/per capita of 1.82 followed by the Mexicans at 1.78 and the Germans at 1.75 even the Canadians at 1.58. The OECD average is at 1.24 and the U.S. is below par, at 0.98 with lowest one being Estonia at 0.68. Again, teacher appreciation does not buy PISA points either, but who cares?
How have the salaries of U.S. teachers grown in the last decade in comparison to the global map? Well, salaries in the U.S. have stayed almost flat in real terms from 2000 to 2011 (2000 base=100). The OECD growth has been to 116 where as the U.S. has grown to a mere 103, well below Finland (109) and Korea (119).
With this huge difference in prices we will soon see the Gresham's Law in education. If we couple the apparently low pay and low pace with high-pressure the system will collapse, or worse, will harbor low-quality teaching and a large number of depressed mentors.
The author is a Visiting Research Professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Human Development, and Education, New York University and author of Teacher's Perspectives on Finnish School Education: Creating Learning Environments. Springer. 2014.


text:
Home Business Business Briefs: April 2021
Business Briefs: April 2021
Theresa Curry
Chuck Walker is looking for a buyer for Rockfish Gap Outfitters in Waynesboro. Photo: Theresa Curry.
Outfitter Looks Back on Decades of Provisioning
For 23 years, Chuck Walker has been the man to see about gear for the back country or advice about anything that might come up on the trail or in the water. The long-time proprietor of Rockfish Gap Outfitters in Waynesboro has listed his business for sale, and he's holding out for a buyer who shares his love of nature.
Walker worked for chain outfitters long before he and his partners bought the store in 1998, but he liked the idea of working for himself. He immediately saw the potential in the business established by Madison and Dorothy McCall in 1987, just a few miles from the Appalachian Trail.
For the next ten years or so, "I made a little money and had a lot of fun," he said, and he was able to buy out his partners as the 2007 recession loomed. All along, he could see the business subtly changing, because of both technology and customer preferences.
A good through-hiker's backpack today weighs only slightly more than a pound—a fraction of the weight of the backpacks of the 90s. Photo: Theresa Curry.
"When I started, they probably sold eight or nine boats a year," he said. "I sell many times that now." He's also seen freeze-dried food become much more palatable, camping gear become lighter, and sleeping bags become warmer, all thanks to technology. By far the biggest change, though, an enormous innovation for all those seeking outdoor adventure, was the invention of Gore-Tex. "Sure, your urethane-covered parka might keep the rain out, but in the end, you'd be just as wet, since the fabric didn't breathe," Walker said.
The invention (discovered by accident in a Teflon factory) was a material that had holes much larger than water vapor but much smaller than raindrops, and soon became incorporated into clothing, footwear, gloves and boots.
Walker also admires low-tech, old-school products, chosen for quality rather than innovation. He stocks Gransfors-Bruk axes, made in Sweden for more than a century; Helle knives, made in Norway; Bertucci field watches, known world-wide for their accuracy and durability.
For backpackers, especially those on long trips like the Appalachian Trail through-hikers, every small reduction in weight is significant. He notes that, with better equipment, a hiker who once carried 45 to 50 pounds of essentials can carry the same gear in a pack that weighs 30 to 35 pounds.
Walker keeps up with new products and also learns from his own experience and that of his patrons, so he's often called upon to give advice for those contemplating a long journey on foot. "Probably the biggest mistake people make is to carry too much," he said. He tells novice backpackers to divide everything into three piles: one for what's absolutely necessary; one for things you might need; and one for luxury items.
"They'll need to take everything from the first pile, of course," he said. "Then ignore the second pile and pick one from the third."
What's Walker's one luxury when he heads out on the trail? "I pack a frozen steak," he said. "When I get to my first stop, it's defrosted and I cook it. It's always been worth the extra weight on the first day."
Find details about the sale at rifkinassociates.com.
Fardowners to Open with State-of-the-Art Air Purifier
All of us who miss the food, drink and convivial atmosphere of Fardowners will be glad to know that the Crozet landmark will open up inside as soon as a special-order air purifier is installed.
"This is not just an circulator," said W. C. Winkler, one of the owners. "It actually removes viruses from the air." He noted that logistics would make it hard for the beloved gathering spot to open otherwise. "We're just too small inside," he said. "Following government measurements, we would be able to have only three tables inside." Even when those regulations are relaxed, Winkler said they all feel a responsibility to protect Fardowners cooks and servers as well as their loyal clientele.
The Fardowners tent, shown here from last fall, is up again for the season, and a new anti-virus ventilating system is to be installed inside. Photo: Malcolm Andrews.
Winkler said the system should be in place within 30 days or so. Meanwhile, the tent is now back up and will remain there until October, when parking lot renovation will begin.
While looking forward to seeing his customers again, Winkler said the community response during the past year has been amazing. "I feel so lucky," he said. "The staff has stuck with us, people have gone out of their way to patronize us, and everyone has been generous with their carry-out orders."
It seems there's more than one mysterious benefactor in Crozet (see "Why," page 6). An anonymous Fardowner's fan bought a $200 gift certificate, then gave it back to the restaurant for staff to use at their discretion for people in need.
"This is what we love about Crozet," Winkler said. "What a community we have here!"
'Waynesboro Marketplace' Planned for Exit 94
A thirteen-acre tract that now houses the vacant Ladd Elementary School in Waynesboro's west end could soon be a retail destination, joining the mix of box stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and motels available to those leaving Interstate 64 at Exit 94.
Bill Mitchener, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based developer, has formed MP Waynesboro, LLC to develop the grounds of the former school into a complex called Waynesboro Marketplace.
Developer promises more fast food, retail for Exit 94 in Waynesboro. Photo: Malcolm Andrews.
In February, Waynesboro's city council endorsed a performance agreement that includes Mitchener, Augusta County, and the city of Waynesboro. The school's ownership is complex: the land has been within the Waynesboro City limits since the property was annexed in 1980, but the school is owned by Augusta County and served Augusta County schoolchildren until it closed in 2014.
Authorities thought they had a buyer in 2015 and rezoned the property to allow retail stores, fast-food restaurants, a hotel and 62 town homes for a project–– also named Waynesboro Marketplace––to be developed by NAI Michael of Maryland. In 2017, that sale fell through.
In 2018, the Augusta County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Berkeley Development LLC, an Atlanta, Georgia firm. Details were not released and those plans were also scrapped.
Greg Hitchin, director of Waynesboro's Office of Economic Development, said Augusta County is negotiating with the developer for the sale of the property. Although the County is the seller, Waynesboro is involved since it will be the beneficiary of tax revenues and is in a position to provide incentives for site improvements. The sale price will not be made public until the final amount is negotiated, Hitchin said.
Mitchener plans to demolish the former school and build a number of buildings that will total almost 70,000 square feet.
Because of the $500,000 required to make the necessary traffic and wastewater improvements, the developer asked Waynesboro for help. The performance agreement passed unanimously by the city council February 22 promises that help in the form of tax reimbursements over seven years.
Time is of the essence for the reimbursement process: to receive the full value set out in the performance agreement, the developer must have the whole project finished by the end of 2024.
The first phase, consisting of retail shops, is allowed by right and includes at least two fast-food restaurants along Rosser Avenue, to be completed by the end of 2022.
Phase 2, planned for the rear of the property, will require rezoning and is to be completed in 2024.
The new fast-food and retail stores to be built were not named. "They'll be consistent with what you usually find along Interstate exits," Hitchin said.
The developer's website notes existing retail clients in currently developed locations that include Verizon, Advance Auto, Sheetz, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Food Lion; and fast-food restaurants Arby's, Chipotle and Popeyes.
Currently doing business within sight of Exit 94 are Cracker Barrel, Wendy's, Golden Corral, Applebee's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Waffle House, Outback Steakhouse and Logans Roadhouse.
Walmart, Aldi's, Target and Martin's and six motels are within a half-mile of the exit.
Hitchin said the first step would be the demolition of the building, then replacement of the water main. The traffic improvements required of the developer will be turning lanes at the intersection of Rosser Avenue and Lucy Lane, adjustments to the median, and some changes in traffic signals, according to the document submitted to the Waynesboro city council. Hitchens said these improvements can be made concurrent with the construction of Phase I to meet the 2022 deadline.
Meanwhile––also close to Exit 94––VDOT has begun a $1.3 million project to help with traffic congestion in the area by repaving the long-term parking area for commuters and adding a second entrance and a bus stop with a covered shelter. Better pavement marking, improved lighting, bicycle racks, and sidewalks are also part of the plan. VDOT's Josh Hall said the bus stop will serve riders of BRITE, a bus company operating between Waynesboro, Staunton, and Blue Ridge Community College.
Improvements for commuters, transit riders begin at Waynesboro Town Center. Photo: VDOT.
Local Wines Picked for Governor's Case
Crozet-area wineries continue to do well in statewide competitions. Two local wines beloved by the wineries that produce them were chosen for the Governor's Case, a selection of 12 wines considered to be the dozen best among the top winners in the prestigious Governor's Cup competition. The winners are a Veritas 2017 Petite Verdot and a 2017 King Family Mountain Plains, a blend.
The Virginia competition, held in March, is considered one of the most stringent national contests. Over ten days, a panel of judges tastes more than 500 wines from state wineries, awarding bronze, silver and gold medals to deserving bottles.
The case is made up of the top 12 bottles of red and white wines from the gold medal category.
The Petite Verdot by Veritas was one of two local wines chosen for the Governor's Case in last month's statewide competition. Submitted photo.
George Hodson of Veritas noted that Petit Verdot (a Bordeaux grape) is used as a blending grape in the rest of the world, and often contributes just a tiny percentage to some of the world's great wines. It's a different story in Virginia, he said, where it can stand alone: "Here in Central Virginia we are able to ripen this fruit to produce a smoother, more enjoyable wine."
Hodson said Petit Verdot has always been the winery's premier wine, and he's glad to see it get the recognition it deserves. "Personally, I feel that Petit Verdot is the grape that can bring Virginia world renown, and it has always been my favorite."
Despite the publicity surrounding the barrels (from the Troncais forest in Central France) used in making King Family's Mountain Plain blend, winemaker Matthieu Finot said the oak aging is just a tiny part of the winemaking process. "Every detail counts," he said, "but in the end what is really important is the grapes."
Mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with some Petite Verdot (all grown on the estate) make up the Mountain Plains wine. Finot said he makes it only in years that are very good: "If you have good grapes then it is easy to make wine, and my job is just to not mess it up."
In the three years Finot has considered the grapes good enough to make the blend, Mountain Plains has won a gold at the Governor's Cup, and it has been chosen twice for the Governor's Case.
Crozet Connect Continues with Covid-inspired Alterations
Crozet Connect, the Jaunt commuter bus service connecting Crozet neighborhoods with U.Va. and Charlottesville's downtown, has continued through the pandemic, with extra precautions as well as a consolidated route.
Jaunt staff member Jody Saunders said the new configuration seems to be working well. Previously, there were two routes: one leaving from Crozet's east side and one from Old Trail. With reduced ridership, the route combines pick-up from both sides of town, taking I-64 for the morning commute, and returning via Rt. 250 in the evening. There are still three morning and three evening timetables, with stops in multiple neighborhoods adding a few minutes to the commute, depending on where you live.
A later "loop" shuttle initiated at the request of commuters who wanted to stay in Charlottesville after work has been temporarily halted.
Saunders said ridership for all has been free since the beginning of the pandemic. She noted that 85% of those using the shuttle are U.Va. employees, and they've always traveled at no charge. The university is one of Jaunt's partners in the shuttle operation, and Saunders expects any future changes to reflect employee needs.
"Without any fees, it's hard for us to measure ridership," Saunders said. The pandemic came just as ridership was increasing and the agency was considering larger buses. To assess Crozet's needs as more employees return to work, the agency is preparing a survey.
Increased ventilation, careful spacing, and thorough cleaning of each bus has brought the service through the year with no known exposure incidents, Saunders said.
Saunders noted that JAUNT has a new interim CEO, Karen Davis, who has been with the agency for more than 10 years, and in a number of executive positions for more than 30 years.
For more information on JAUNT service and schedules, visit findyourconnection.org/covid-19-connect -transit-impacts.
Biz bits
The Crozet Farmers Market will open on Saturday, May 8 in the grassy area behind the RE/MAX Realty Building. Market hours are 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through mid-October. If you are a new vendor, please call Market Manager Al Minutolo at 434-823-1092 before April 20 to discuss your product, space availability and market rules.
Restoration Crozet closed suddenly in February. The winter Covid-inspired igloos have been removed and the Restoration Crozet Facebook page promised a reopening with a new chef, new staff and new menu March 31. As of press time, no one was available to comment.
At Crozet Pizza, Mike Alexander said the owners and staff agreed late March was a good time to allow guests to dine in, with plenty of room to keep their distance in the more than 4,000 square feet of dining area. The popular downtown restaurant opened inside March 22 at half occupancy and with a requirement for face masks at entrances. Alexander thanked his staff for their forbearance throughout the pandemic and their willingness to switch roles and assist in areas unfamiliar to them. He said the hours, (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.) will change as the season progresses.
Bold Rock Cidery
Rockfish Gap Outfitters
Previous articleCrozet Arts & Crafts Festival—It's a Go!
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Massive Flooding Closes Piedmont Place
Sweet Season: Bakers Bring Out Their Best for Winter Holidays
New Bluebird & Co. Annex Space Hosts Poetry Reading
Christmas Greetings from The Green Olive Tree


text:
package net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.element;

import fr.ourten.teabeans.binding.BaseBinding;
import fr.ourten.teabeans.value.BaseListProperty;
import fr.ourten.teabeans.value.BaseProperty;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.behavior.GuiListViewBehavior;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.component.GuiNode;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.control.GuiScrollableBase;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.data.RectAxis;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.data.RelativeBindingHelper;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.skin.GuiListViewSkin;
import net.voxelindustry.brokkgui.skin.GuiSkinBase;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.function.Function;

public class GuiListView<T> extends GuiScrollableBase
{
    private final BaseProperty<Boolean> editableProperty;

    private final BaseListProperty<T>    elementsProperty;
    private final BaseProperty<GuiNode>  placeholderProperty;
    private final BaseProperty<RectAxis> orientationProperty;

    private final BaseProperty<Function<T, GuiListCell<T>>> cellFactoryProperty;

    private final BaseProperty<Float> cellWidthProperty, cellHeightProperty;
    private final BaseProperty<Float> cellXPaddingProperty, cellYPaddingProperty;

    private final BaseProperty<Integer> selectedCellIndexProperty;

    public GuiListView(List<T> elements)
    {
        super("listview");

        this.elementsProperty = new BaseListProperty<>(elements, "elementsListProperty");

        this.editableProperty = new BaseProperty<>(false, "editableProperty");
        this.placeholderProperty = new BaseProperty<>(null, "placeholderProperty");
        this.orientationProperty = new BaseProperty<>(RectAxis.VERTICAL, "orientationProperty");

        this.cellFactoryProperty = new BaseProperty<>(null, "cellFactoryProperty");

        this.cellWidthProperty = new BaseProperty<>(100f, "cellWidthProperty");
        this.cellHeightProperty = new BaseProperty<>(20f, "cellHeightProperty");

        this.cellXPaddingProperty = new BaseProperty<>(0f, "cellXPaddingProperty");
        this.cellYPaddingProperty = new BaseProperty<>(0f, "cellYPaddingProperty");

        this.selectedCellIndexProperty = new BaseProperty<>(-1, "selectedCellIndexProperty");

        this.getChildrensProperty().addListener(obs ->
        {
            if (!this.getPlaceholderProperty().isPresent())
                return;

            if (this.getChildrensProperty().size() == 1 && !this.getPlaceholder().isVisible())
                this.getPlaceholder().setVisible(true);
            else if (this.getChildrensProperty().size() != 1 && this.getPlaceholder().isVisible())
                this.getPlaceholder().setVisible(false);
        });

        this.getTrueWidthProperty().bind(new BaseBinding<Float>()
        {
            {
                this.bind(orientationProperty, cellWidthProperty, cellXPaddingProperty, elementsProperty);
            }

            @Override
            public Float computeValue()
            {
                if (getOrientation().equals(RectAxis.HORIZONTAL))
                    return getCellWidth() * getElements().size() + getCellXPadding() * (getElements().size() - 1);
                return getCellWidth();
            }
        });

        this.getTrueHeightProperty().bind(new BaseBinding<Float>()
        {
            {
                this.bind(orientationProperty, cellHeightProperty, cellYPaddingProperty, elementsProperty);
            }

            @Override
            public Float computeValue()
            {
                if (getOrientation().equals(RectAxis.VERTICAL))
                    return getCellHeight() * getElements().size() + getCellYPadding() * (getElements().size() - 1);
                return getCellHeight();
            }
        });
    }

    public GuiListView()
    {
        this(new ArrayList<>());
    }

    @Override
    protected GuiSkinBase<?> makeDefaultSkin()
    {
        return new GuiListViewSkin<>(this, new GuiListViewBehavior<>(this, this::getChildrensProperty));
    }

    public BaseListProperty<T> getElementsProperty()
    {
        return this.elementsProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Boolean> getEditableProperty()
    {
        return this.editableProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<GuiNode> getPlaceholderProperty()
    {
        return this.placeholderProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<RectAxis> getOrientationProperty()
    {
        return this.orientationProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Function<T, GuiListCell<T>>> getCellFactoryProperty()
    {
        return this.cellFactoryProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Float> getCellWidthProperty()
    {
        return this.cellWidthProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Float> getCellHeightProperty()
    {
        return this.cellHeightProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Integer> getSelectedCellIndexProperty()
    {
        return this.selectedCellIndexProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Float> getCellXPaddingProperty()
    {
        return cellXPaddingProperty;
    }

    public BaseProperty<Float> getCellYPaddingProperty()
    {
        return cellYPaddingProperty;
    }

    /**
     * @return an immutable list
     */
    public List<T> getElements()
    {
        return this.getElementsProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setElements(final List<T> elements)
    {
        this.getElementsProperty().muteWhile(() ->
        {
            getElementsProperty().clear();
            getElementsProperty().addAll(elements);
        });
    }

    public void addElement(T element)
    {
        this.getElementsProperty().add(element);
    }

    public boolean removeElement(T element)
    {
        return this.getElementsProperty().remove(element);
    }

    public boolean hasElement(T element)
    {
        return this.getElementsProperty().contains(element);
    }

    public boolean isEditable()
    {
        return this.getEditableProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setEditable(final boolean editable)
    {
        this.getEditableProperty().setValue(editable);
    }

    public GuiNode getPlaceholder()
    {
        return this.getPlaceholderProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setPlaceholder(final GuiNode placeholder)
    {
        if (this.getPlaceholder() != null)
        {
            this.getPlaceholder().getxPosProperty().unbind();
            this.getPlaceholder().getyPosProperty().unbind();
            this.getPlaceholder().setFather(null);
            this.getChildrensProperty().remove(this.getPlaceholder());
        }

        this.getPlaceholderProperty().setValue(placeholder);

        if (this.getPlaceholder() != null)
        {
            RelativeBindingHelper.bindToCenter(placeholder, this);
            this.getPlaceholder().setFather(this);
            this.getChildrensProperty().add(this.getPlaceholder());

            if (this.getChildrensProperty().size() == 1)
                this.getPlaceholder().setVisible(true);
            else
                this.getPlaceholder().setVisible(false);
        }
    }

    public RectAxis getOrientation()
    {
        return this.getOrientationProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setOrientation(final RectAxis orientation)
    {
        this.getOrientationProperty().setValue(orientation);
    }

    public boolean isEmpty()
    {
        return this.getElementsProperty().getValue().isEmpty();
    }

    public void setCellFactory(final Function<T, GuiListCell<T>> cellFactory)
    {
        this.getCellFactoryProperty().setValue(cellFactory);
    }

    public Function<T, GuiListCell<T>> getCellFactory()
    {
        if (!this.getCellFactoryProperty().isPresent())
            this.setCellFactory(this.getDefaultCellFactory());
        return this.getCellFactoryProperty().getValue();
    }

    private Function<T, GuiListCell<T>> getDefaultCellFactory()
    {
        return content ->
        {
            final GuiListCell<T> cell = new GuiListCell<>(this, content);

            if (content == null)
                cell.setGraphic(null);
            else if (content instanceof GuiNode)
                cell.setGraphic((GuiNode) content);
            else
            {
                GuiLabel label = new GuiLabel(content.toString());
                label.setExpandToText(false);
                cell.setGraphic(label);
            }
            return cell;
        };
    }

    public float getCellWidth()
    {
        return this.getCellWidthProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setCellWidth(final float cellWidth)
    {
        this.getCellWidthProperty().setValue(cellWidth);
    }

    public float getCellHeight()
    {
        return this.getCellHeightProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setCellHeight(final float cellHeight)
    {
        this.getCellHeightProperty().setValue(cellHeight);
    }

    public void setCellSize(float cellWidth, float cellHeight)
    {
        this.setCellWidth(cellWidth);
        this.setCellHeight(cellHeight);
    }

    public float getCellXPadding()
    {
        return this.getCellXPaddingProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setCellXPadding(float cellXPadding)
    {
        this.getCellXPaddingProperty().setValue(cellXPadding);
    }

    public float getCellYPadding()
    {
        return this.getCellYPaddingProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setCellYPadding(float cellYPadding)
    {
        this.getCellYPaddingProperty().setValue(cellYPadding);
    }

    public void setCellPadding(float cellXPadding, float cellYPadding)
    {
        this.setCellXPadding(cellXPadding);
        this.setCellYPadding(cellYPadding);
    }

    public int getSelectedCellIndex()
    {
        return this.getSelectedCellIndexProperty().getValue();
    }

    public void setSelectedCellIndex(final int selectedCell)
    {
        this.getSelectedCellIndexProperty().setValue(selectedCell);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
2011 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film Program
Park City, UT – Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival's Short Film Program comprises 81 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,467 submissions up 6% over 2010. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.
This is a single DVD in a box full of submissions. There were over 6,400 more of these that were considered by the Shorts Programming team this fall. 81 have been selected to play at the 2011 #Sundance Film Festival.
"It's a marvel to discover the creativity in this year's shorts program. These filmmakers are charged with telling compelling stories, nurturing breakout performances and engaging the audience, all in a fraction of the time allocated to features, and each one delivers," said Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. "For 2011, we are pleased to be able to shine a light on indigenous filmmakers working around the world in the short-form medium, and to provide festival goers with a window into native storytelling."
"These directors have once again raised the bar to show us the endless possibilities in short filmmaking," said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Programmer. "It's especially rewarding to see shorts alums such as Andrew MacLean, Sean Durkin, Dee Rees, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Madeleine Olnek, Tiffany Shlain and others returning this year with feature films."
The short films selected for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival are:
U.S. NARRATIVE SHORTS
This year's 44 U.S. short films were selected from a record 3,453 submissions.
After You Left (Director: Jef Taylor; Screenwriters: Jef Taylor and Michael Tisdale) – A man in his mid-thirties searches for meaning in the aftermath of a relationship.
Andy and Zach (Director and Screenwriter: Nick Paley) – When Zach decides to move out, his roommate Andy tries to set up a new life without his best friend.
AWOL (Director and Screenwriter: Deb Shoval) – Days before her deployment to Afghanistan, Joey, 19, comes home to rural Pennsylvania for Christmas, with big dreams of running away to Canada.
Babyland (Director and Screenwriter: Marc Fratello) – A woman seeks love and beyond in a small American town.
Brick Novax (Director and Screenwriter: Matt Piedmont) – Penniless and now living in a seedy motel with only weeks to live, international super legend Brick Novax records his amazing tales as an astronaut, movie star, corporate CEO, and famous musician to preserve his legacy as the coolest guy in the history of the world.
Close. (Director and Screenwriter: Tahir Jetter) – One night after a casual 'visit', Angela is all but ready to leave Derek's apartment. Derek, however, is determined not to let her go without a fight.
Crazy Beats Strong Every Time (Director and Screenwriter: Moon Molson) – An African-American twenty-something finds his Nigerian-immigrant stepfather passed out drunk in their project-building hallway and is pressured by a friend into murdering him.
Das Racist "Who's That? Brooown!" (Director and Screenwriter: Thomas De Napoli) – An epic quest through the streets of New York City made in the style of -bit video games from the 1980's.
Excuse Me (Director and Screenwriter: Duncan Birmingham) – A couple threatens to splinter apart due to what may or may not have been said in the heat of passion.
EX-SEX (Director and Screenwriter: Michael Mohan) – Two former lovers navigate their fizzled relationship by confusing their emotional needs with their physical desires. Ex-sex makes it better. Ex-sex makes it worse.
Fight For Your Right Revisited (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Yauch) – After the boys leave the party… Cast: Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Jack Black.
Forever's Gonna Start Tonight (Director and Screenwriter: Eliza Hittman) – A Russian teenager in Brooklyn makes an unimaginable decision to protect her aging father and herself.
The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting (Director and Screenwriter: Emily Carmichael) – A Brooklyn couple have dinner with a hunter and his girlfriend, a magical swan woman. It doesn't go well.
I'm Having a Difficult Time Killing My Parents (Director: Jeff Tomsic; Screenwriter: T.J. Miller and Jeff Tomsic) – Thirty-two, unemployed, and derailed somewhere on the path to adulthood, T.J. has boomeranged back home. There, his ennui takes the form of increasingly real fantasies about offing his parents and becoming man of the house.
The Pact (Director and Screenwriter: Nicholas McCarthy) – As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death, an unsettling presence emerges.
Pandemic 41.410806, -75.654259 (Director: Lance Weiler; Screenwriters: Lance Weiler and Chuck Wendig) – Bree and her little brother Tyler know that their parents awaken only at sundown and are capable of strange and dangerous nocturnal behaviors. Running low on supplies and forced to act, Bree plots their escape, but Tyler stands in her way, unwilling to leave their family home and give up on the parents he loves so much.
Pioneer (Director and Screenwriter: David Lowery) – A father tells his little boy the most epic bedtime story ever.
Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 (Directors and Screenwriters: Zellner Bros.) – An unprecedented peek at the mysteries of nature.
sexting (Director and Screenwriter: Neil LaBute) – People are not who they seem when a misdirected text message leads a young woman to meet with the wife of her boyfriend and ask what is really going on in their relationship. Cast: Julia Stiles.
The Strange Ones (Directors and Screenwriters: Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein) – A man and a boy, traveling to an unknown destination, find respite in a motel swimming pool. On the surface all seems normal, but nothing is quite what it seems to be.
The Terrys (Directors and Screenwriters: Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim) – Two down and out losers named Terry conceive a child in a fit of drug-induced passion. The child is an abomination, or so they think, but what they come to learn is that this 'special' child was sent to them for a purpose: to teach them how to love.
We're Leaving (Director and Screenwriter: Zachary Treitz) – Rusty has to find a new place to live with his wife and his teenage American Alligator, Chopper.
Worst Enemy (Director and Screenwriter: Lake Bell) – A comedy about a female misanthrope who gets herself stuck in a full body girdle.
YEARBOOK (Director: Carter Smith) – Something strange is going on at Rockdale high school…
U.S. DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Animals Distract Me (Director and Screenwriter: Isabella Rossellini) – A day in the life of animal-obsessed Isabella Rossellini as she visits with Mario Batali, Andre Leon Talley, Charles Darwin and a host of urban creatures in New York City.
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement (Co-Directors: Gail Dolgin and Robin Fryday) – 85-year-old Mr. Armstrong, an African American barber in Birmingham, experiences the manifestation of an unimaginable dream: the election of the first African American president.
Living For 32 (Director: Kevin Breslin) – The inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, April 16th, 2007. The winning combination of Colin's passion, charisma and optimism has commanded the attention of the American public and media since the devastating incident which left 32 dead and 17 injured.
The Majestic Plastic Bag (Director: Jeremy Konner; Screenwriters: Sarah May Bates and Regie Miller) – A plastic bag encounters enemies and escapes death on its epic migration to its final destination, the great Pacific Garbage Patch.
oops (Director: Chris Beckman; Screenwriter: Billy Rennekamp) – A lucid, seamless voyage through the Internet's infinite repository of "throwaway" social documentation and into the humanity of everyday life – via YouTube's clumsiest videographers.
Satan Since 2003 (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Puga) – Three weeks' access to The Hell's Satans (Richmond, Virginia's premier moped gang) presents an eye-popping peek into this otherwise reclusive society, but also a satirical jab at the process of documentary film-making.
U.S. ANIMATED SHORTS
Bike Race (Director: Tom Schroeder; Screenwriters: Tom Schroeder and Hilde De Roover) – Two friends decide to stage a bicycle race to determine who is the best racer of all time, Eddy Merckx or Lance Armstrong. A love triangle develops during the race and the stakes of winning grow in importance.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp; Screenwriters: Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp) – A short conversation with Marcel, a shell with shoes on.
Something Left, Something Taken (Directors and Screenwriters: Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter) – Everyone who enters a crime scene leaves something behind and takes something away, which proves true during a vacationing couples' encounter with a man they believe to be the Zodiac killer.
Xemoland (Director and Screenwriter: Daniel Cardenas) – This animated short film recounts the story of a seven-year-old boy who is led to believe there is a portal to an alternate reality where all his dreams come true. However, the boy quickly realizes that Xemoland is not the place of his dreams, but of his nightmares.
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
This year's international short films were selected from a record 3,014 submissions. This year's international shorts include 38 films from 21 countries.
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORTS
Baby / United Kingdom (Director and Screenwriter: Daniel Mulloy) – A young woman intervenes when she witnesses men mugging a girl. Now they won't leave her alone.
BLOKES / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas) – 13-year-old Luchito fantasizes about Manuel, his 16-year-old neighbor, whom he can see standing by a window in an adjacent project building. Oblivious of the gaze of his precocious voyeur, Manuel discovers his own sexuality with a girl from the neighborhood.
Cinderela / Brazil, France (Director and Screenwriter: Magali Magistry) – Luiza and Rico. Love and loss in a Rio nightclub.
Deeper Than Yesterday / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Ariel Kleiman) – After three months submerged underwater in a submarine, the crew have become savages. Oleg, one of the men onboard, fears that losing perspective may mean losing himself.
Diarchy / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Ferdinando Cito Filmomarino) – Giano and Luc are traveling through the woods when a storm breaks, forcing them to take shelter in Luc's villa. Gradually and insidiously, a competition emerges between them, with terrible consequences.
The Legend of Beaver Dam / Canada (Director: Jerome Sable; Screenwriters: Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion) – When a ghost story around the campfire awakens an evil monster, it's up to nerdy Danny Zigwitz to be the hero and save his fellow campers from a bloody massacre.
Little Brother / United Kingdom (Director: Callum Cooper; Screenwriters: Callum Cooper in collaboration with Oni Family) – A teenage boy uses his hearing impairment to escape his daily routine and the responsibility of looking after his wheelchair-bound little brother.
Love Birds / Czech Republic (Director and Screenwriter: Brian Lye) – A humorous love story that reflects the similarities between bird and human life.
Protoparticles / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Chema García Ibarra) – The experiment was a success: protomatter exists.
shikasha / Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Isamu Hirabayashi) – Imprisoned and bound, a mother and child lay in darkness as investigators search a wasteland.
Small Change / Ireland (Director and Screenwriter: Cathy Brady) – Karen, a young single mother is bored by routine as slot machines have become her secret thrill and addiction. With Christmas looming, a desperate hope for a big win sees her life spiral out of control.
SPRING / United Kingdom (Director and Screenwriter: Hong Khaou) – A young man meets a stranger for an experience that will change his life forever.
Stardust / Belgium (Director and Screenwriter: Nicolas Provost) – An investigation of the boundaries between fiction and reality. The camera ventures to Las Vegas and uses the glorious and ambiguous power of the gambling capital to turn everyday life into an exciting crime story.
Stopover / Italy, Romania (Director: Ioana Uricau; Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu) – Lost and found in between plane rides.
The Wind is Blowing on My Street / Iran, USA (Director and Screenwriter: Saba Riazi) – A young girl in Tehran accidentally gets left on the street with no head scarf. She is forced to interact with a neighbor who keeps her company in an environment where her mishap could equal trouble.
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Grandpa's Wet Dream / Japan, USA (Director: Chihiro Amemiya) – A 75-year-old Japanese man has been acting in adult videos for 15 years without telling his family.
The High Level Bridge / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Trevor Anderson) – Trevor drops his camera from Edmonton's High Level Bridge in memory of those who have jumped.
Incident by a Bank / Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Ruben Östlund) – A detailed and humorous account of a failed bank robbery.
Negativipeg / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Rankin) – Rory Lepine gives a personal account of his fateful and infamous encounter with The Guess Who's legendary lead singer, Burton Cummings, in a Winnipeg 7-Eleven in 1985.
Out of Reach / Poland (Director and Screenwriter: Jakub Stozek) – Karolina and Natalia seek refuge from their domineering father and reminiscence about sad childhood without a mother in a basement of their block of flats.
Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul / United Kingdom (Director: Orlando von Einsiedel) – In a country with innumerable problems, Skateistan represents an oasis where children can be children and build the kinds of cross-cultural relationships that Afghanistan needs for future stability.
INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORTS
1989 (When I was five years old) / Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Thor Ochsner) – Poetic memories of a five-year-old boy who ends up in a dramatic car accident with his dad.
8 BITS / France (Directors: Valere Amirault, Sarah Laufer, Jean Delaunay, and Benjamin Mattern) – A fight between an 8-bit superhero and a high-def boss, in a retro-gaming world.
The Eagleman Stag / United Kingdom (Director and Screenwriter: Mikey Please) – If you repeat the word "fly" for long enough it sounds like you are saying "life". This is of no help to Peter. His answers lie in the brain of the beetle.
The External World / Germany, Ireland (Director and Screenwriter: David O'Reilly) – A boy learns to play the piano.
The Greatness / China (Director and Screenwriter: Yi Zhou) – Inspired by the Divine Comedy. An imaginary journey through the circles of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise where music is a central character. The video begins with the notes of a mysterious waltz-like rhythm, and the soundtrack itself directs attention to the special collaboration between Yi Zhou and Ennio Morricone.
Love & Theft / Germany (Director: Andreas Hykade) – And I'm still carrying the gift you gave, it's a part of me now, it's been cherished and saved, it'll be with me unto the grave, and then unto eternity.' (Bob Dylan)
Storm / Brazil (Director: Cesar Cabral; Screenwriters: Cesar Cabral and Leandro Maciel) – A lone sailor sails through stormy seas, seeking to reunite with his beloved. He follows a strict routine until unexpected changes in his path alter his destiny.
Tord and Tord / Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Niki Lindroth von Bahr) – One day Tord accidentally walks in to the apartment next to his own. Another person named Tord lives there, he has just moved in. Tord and Tord start to spend time with each other.
Tussilago / Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Jonas Odell) – In 1977 West German terrorist Norbert Kröcher was arrested for having planned to kidnap the Swedish politician Anna-Great Leijon. Among the people arrested during the following raids was Kröcher's former girlfriend 'A.'
NEW FRONTIER SHORTS
An electrifying celebration of innovation in filmmaking, New Frontier shorts are a platform to showcase the wonderment that is modern film. Through bold color and thought-provoking messaging – these films electrify and energize the mind.
ALL FLOWERS IN TIME / Canada, USA (Director and Screenwriter: Jonathan Caouette) – The director of Tarnation takes us on a guided tour through the shattered remains of memory and identity. Cast: Chloe Sevigny.
Anne Truitt, Working / USA (Director: Jem Cohen) – A short portrait of artist Anne Truitt (1921-2004).
The film consists of an interview and 16mm footage made in and around her studio at the Yaddo artist colony, as well as footage from her home studio in Washington, D.C.
Jupiter Elicius / USA (Director: Kelly Sears) – A haunted meteorologist dreams of storms that are a lot closer and further away than he thought.
On the Way to the Sea / Canada, China (Director and Screenwriter: Tao Gu) – A poetic vision that weaves together fictional elements, documentary fragments and visual abstraction, investigating the dreams, memories and sensory perceptions of two earthquake survivors.
This Is Not A Suit / United Kingdom (Directors: Adrien Sauvage, Chris Gaunt, and Jon Clements; Screenwriters: Adrien Sauvage and Madeleine Morlet) – An instructional guide to the art of dressing that explores the creative quandaries of the mind. Who is the designer? Well, we will look into that. Here we learn the principles of easy dressing as you have not seen them before. This is not a suit.
Tornado / Mexico (Director: Francis Alys de Smedt) – The film combines four basic movements: waiting for tornadoes, chasing, hitting or missing them.
Triumph Of The Wild / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Martha Colburn) – An exploration of the impulses of hunting and the resiliency of the people and animals in times of battle. The film is made using stop-action animation of cut-out paintings and puzzles to explore the psychological states of players and victims in the 'game of war' over the past 300 years of American History.
Venus / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Jessica Oreck) – Planets. Women. Sun. Heat. Time.
Yelp (With Apologies to Allen Ginsberg's Howl) (Director: Tiffany Shlain; Screenwriters: Tiffany Shlain and Ken Goldberg) – Sophocles once said, 'nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse,' and this couldn't be more true of technology.
INDIGENOUS SHORTS SHOWCASE
?E?anx (The Cave) / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Helen Haig-Brown [Tsilhqot'in]) – A hunter on horseback accidentally discovers a portal to the afterlife in this fantastical version of a true Tsilhqot'in story.
Choke / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Michelle Latimer [Métis]) – Upon leaving his First Nations reserve, Jimmy encounters the lost souls of the city and is reminded that no matter how far you travel, you cannot escape who you are.
Ebony Society / Aotearoa-New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: Tammy Davis [Ngāti Rangi & Atihaunui a Paparangi]) – One night out stealing; two boys learn a lesson.
Redemption / Aotearoa-New Zealand (Director: Katie Wolfe [Taranaki/Ngati Tama Ngati Mutunga]; Co-Screenwriters: Tim Balme, Renae Maihi [Nga Puhi/Ngati Hine, Te Arawa/Ngati Wakaue], and Katie Wolfe based on the short story by Phil Kawana [Ngaruahinerangi, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitane]) – A boy. A girl. A step too far.
The Rocket Boy / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Donavan Seschillie [Navajo Nation]) – A young boy's limitless imagination creates a dilemma between reality and dreams.
Stones / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Ty Sanga [Native Hawaiian]) – Set in the ancient times in the islands of Hawai'i, a forlorn woman living in isolation with her husband meets a child from a nearby village and contemplates whether she should bring her into her mystical world.
Wapawekka / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Danis Goulet [Métis]) – A final visit to their isolated cabin in northern Canada reveals the inter-generational rift between Josh and his traditional Cree father.
The 2011 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors-Entertainment Weekly, HP, Sundance Channel and Chase SapphireSM; Leadership Sponsors-Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Honda, Southwest Airlines; Sustaining Sponsors-FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, L'Oréal Paris, Stella Artois®, Timberland, and Trident Vitality™. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute's year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. In return, sponsorship of the preeminent Festival provides these organizations with global exposure, a platform for brand impressions and unique access to Festival attendees.
About Sundance Film Festival
Supported by the nonprofit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water and Napoleon Dynamite and, through its New Frontier initiative, has brought the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julian, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp and Matthew Barney. www.sundance.org/festival
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. www.sundance.org
Amy McGee
amy_mcgee@sundance.org
brooke_bond@sundance.org
For images go to http://press.sundance.org/press.


MenuPages for Android is a new app that supports all of the markets that MenuPages does, and has complete menus and restaurant details for well over 30,000 restaurants and cafes.
MenuPages has been around for a long time - it's been something of the yellow pages for restaurants and eateries, with complete menus so you can browse what's available to eat before you get to the restaurant. The service has been displaced in recent years by more mobile-focused services like Yelp and SeamlessWeb, but they haven't gone anywhere, and to prove it the service just unveiled MenuPages for Android - a new Android app that supports all of the markets that MenuPages does, and has complete menus and restaurant details for well over 30,000 restaurants and cafes.
The MenuPages network is available in New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn only,) Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, San Francisco, and South Florida (from Palm Beach to Key West,) so if you're outside of one of those areas, the service won't be of much use to you. Still, for those users the app does cover, it's a great way to find a well-regarded place to eat, and to determine what you'll order before you get there.
MenuPages for Android is completely free. If you're an iPhone or iPod Touch owner, you can snag a MenuPages app for iOS that's also free. In both cases, you have access to a wide range of restaurants and cafes in your area, and complete menus for each. Simply tap the "current location" button to see what's in your vicinity, or you can search the app for specific cuisine options or dishes that you're interested in. If you want Mexican, you can search for that, but if you're in the mood for Lasagna (not just Italian, but something more specific,) you can search that as well.
Once you have a listing of available restaurants, you can further narrow your search based on the atmosphere you want: outdoor seating, good for families, intimate and private, and so on. You can also see the menus for each of the restaurants in your area to see whether the food there is something you'd be interested in trying. The app features reviews and ratings from other MenuPages users, so you can see what others think of the place before you visit.
Finally, you can browse a Google map with all of the locations marked on it, get driving directions to the restaurant you choose, and even contact the restaurant directly through the app to make a reservation or find out their hours.
MenuPages doesn't support nearly enough locations to be the only app you'll want on your phone when it comes to finding something to eat in your area, but if you live in a supported city or region, there's no reason not to have it - especially since the app allows you to make reservations and view detailed menus.


This lightly oaked Chardonnay has versatility and is adaptable. A persistent lemon back palate is well supported by a host of flavors, with grilled nuts, roasted almonds, vanilla, mascarpone and dried herbs making for a crisp clean wine.
Fine rich fish such as salmon, grilled veal chops with mushrooms, Late summer vegetables such as red peppers, corn, butternut squash and pumpkin (pumpkin ravioli). Cheddar cheese.


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text:
PART V - MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 15 APPEARANCE BY COMMISSIONER ETC.
In any action, prosecution or other proceeding under, or arising out of, a taxation law instituted by or on behalf of the Commissioner, a Second Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner, to which the Commissioner, a Second Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner is a party or in which the Commissioner, a Second Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner intervenes or seeks to intervene, the Commissioner, Second Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner, as the case may be, may appear personally or may be represented by:
(a) a person enrolled as a barrister, solicitor, barrister and solicitor or legal practitioner of a federal court or of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory; or
(b) a person authorized by the Commissioner, a Second Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner, by instrument in writing, to appear.
The appearance of a person, and the statement of the person that the person appears by authority of the Commissioner, a Second Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner, is prima facie evidence of that authority.
This section applies in relation to the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 as if:
(a) references in this section to the Commissioner were references to the Tax Practitioners Board (within the meaning of that Act); and
(b) references in this section to a Second Commissioner or to a Deputy Commissioner were omitted.
S 15(3) inserted by No 114 of 2009, s 3 and Sch 1 item 20, effective 1 March 2010.
Former s 15(3) omitted by No 82 of 1993 and inserted by No 138 of 1987.
(Repealed by No 4 of 2018)
S 15(4) repealed by No 4 of 2018, s 3 and Sch 6 item 24, effective 21 February 2018. For application provisions, see note under s 8AB . S 15(4) formerly read:
This section applies in relation to the Development Allowance Authority Act 1992 as if:
(a) that Act were a taxation law; and
(b) references in this section to the Commissioner were references to the Development Allowance Authority; and
(c) references in this section to a Second Commissioner or to a Deputy Commissioner were omitted.
S 15(4) inserted by No 98 of 1992.
(Repealed by No 54 of 2003)
S 15(5) repealed by No 54 of 2003. For transitional provisions, see note under definition of " Customs diesel fuel rebate provision " in s 2(1) .
S 15(5) inserted by No 201 of 1999.
S 15 substituted by No 123 of 1984, and amended by No 59 of 1979.


Summary Detail of the 127 West Fourth Street residence on "Millionaire's Row" in Leadville, Colorado, shows a wood frame house, known as the "House with the Eye." Architect Eugene Robitaile designed in 1879 with clapboard siding, a swept dormer with stained glass, which has the eye design from Colorado's state seal. Other features include decorative gables with a diamond pattern on the porch gable, spool and spindle porch frieze and turned posts, a wood panel entry door with two rectangular and two square glass panels and a stained glass window to the left of the door. Several metal bed frames are on the porch and a mailbox hangs on the right side of the door. A Christmas tree is on the side of the house and snow covers the roof and ground. The edge of a wood frame house is on the left.
Subject Leadville (Colo.); Houses--Colorado--Leadville; Robitaille, Eugene.