Are FIRB figures a good guide?
Kevin: One of the challenges we find in real estate as we have a requirement to put things in smaller places is just how can we creatively use these small living areas? I was fascinated to read the feature in the latest Your Investment Property magazine, which came out about a week ago. It was an article around my next guest, the CEO of Adrian Ramsay Design house. Adrian Ramsay is in fact the CEO of his own company.
Good day, Adrian. How are you doing?
Adrian: Good day, mate. Yes, really well, Kevin.
Kevin: Yes. Good article in Your Investment Property magazine about the bedroom.
What are some of the key things that you find in getting good things in small spaces?
Adrian: I think that you have to look at the whole space. for starters. One of the key things there is keeping a color pallet that actually transitions comfortably. Not necessarily exactly the same, but just keeps it a gentle transition. Because what happens is your eye doesn't have to adjust to a sudden change.
That doesn't mean you don't use feature walls or something in your coloring, but like if you were chopping your floor up into three or four different surfaces, you're more likely to run into problems than if you keep it consistent. Or if you have hallways and living rooms, if you're keeping the shades tonal as they run down through those, your eye extends down the line.
Obviously, light is always a huge one, and the other one is getting variation in your ceiling heights. Something I learned from looking at Frank Lloyd Wright's work years ago now was just the way he would steal a bit from one room and put it into another room in the form of like a bulkhead. So he might add some space into the living room and take it out of the bedroom, but only 300 mm from the ceiling down or something like that.
You're more likely to do that one the opposite way around, by the way. You're more likely to add the 300 mm into the bedroom because it's going to be the smaller room, and then make it a bulkhead in the other room.
And in doing that, it extends the ceiling in one part and it reduces it in the other. But it doesn't actually change the volume from wall to wall. It changes the effect of the volume in the room.
Kevin: Yes, you deal with bulkheads, I think, in step one of the article. But they can also occupy a lot of space, can't they?
Adrian: They can. You have to be really careful with them. Often, they become service ducts and stuff like that, and suddenly you have plumbers or electricians or air conditioning guys designating what size they're going to be. So, you have to be very mindful of where you position them and how you position them.
I've often used them as a way to, say, take power off a power point to put lighting above a bed when I don't want to rip off wallboard, I don't want to chase into walls, and I don't want to chase into ceilings. Because in a lot of apartments, the ceiling is actually the floor below. It's just got a spray coat over it. It doesn't have battens and there's no extra space.
So, I'll often use something to bring myself up the wall with a small buildout on the wall, but then a low bulkhead in the ceiling so that I can spread the lighting around.
Kevin: Yes. The article is just fantastic because it gives you so many great ideas on what you can do inside a very small space. And I have to say that there's some really creative furniture that's come out that allows us to put a lot into a very small space, Adrian.
Adrian: Totally agree; there is. The furniture market has really met this, and one of the things that I see has happened there is (a) we have a lot more urban, inner city living, so the furniture market has… In Australia, different from overseas. Take somewhere like Europe; they've always had small spaces.
You have to remember that in Australia, we have the second biggest homes in the world outside of America, so if you're looking at that and you go "Europe have shoe-horned themselves into tiny spaces and the Japanese have done the same," and then when you look here, this new urban density living that we do in cities with apartments and stuff is actually relatively new to us. It's been a holiday home before, it's been an investment property, but now we are going into our urban density as city dwellers more and more.
And because of that, the furniture market has responded to it by going "How has Europe dealt with that before?" And other big cities. And then they get clever about it: storage solutions, the way the pieces are made modular so that they can fit into lift-shafts, all of those things.
Kevin: Yes, you have to bear all that in mind. I noticed, too, that wallpaper is making a bit of a comeback, and I'm really pleased about that because you can get so much feature into a wall with design and with color, can't you?
Adrian: Yes, I totally agree. Wallpaper has been a cold climate off the back of Europe and also Melbourne, Victoria, Tazzie, those kinds of places, and places like New Zealand. At one stage, it meant you didn't have to finish the wall behind it, so it was cheaper for the plasterer. He'd just bang up a bit of plasterwork and then he'd put wallpaper over it.
And I think that mainly the trend has been off the back of the show The Block. Those guys are obviously working in New South Wales or in Victoria, and with that, what they tend to do is they're using it as a feature thing. And even up here in Queensland where we tend to paint things white, there's a big call for wallpaper. We're using it more and more and more.
And when we're designing a whole structure – not just a redesign or a remodel but if we're designing a new home for somebody – then when we get through the actual design phase of the bones of the house, then we're doing the interior, we're going "Those walls need to be plastered for this and these walls need to be plastered for that," and we're featuring wallpaper in our design brief right from the time that we start drawing from the slab.
Kevin: Yes. Now, the renovation that's featured in Your Investment Property magazine – which, as I said, is out right now – your budget for that was $200,000 and the total spend was $220,000. Is that quite normal, the 10% over? Is that how you would do it?
Adrian: I have a process that I developed over the years, which I call design magic, and I say, "Look, there are things that you're going to be looking for that you want extra." If you have a budget of $200,000, start out that you're going to spend $180,000.
Kevin: I was going to say $180,000, yes.
Our budget over-runs in that particular one was we spent an additional $24,000 removing the asbestos from the place. They came with a $200,000 budget, we trimmed it, and then we trimmed it back at the time to about $190,000.
And then I said to them, "Look, when this is being renovated, we have asbestos in these different areas, and I know that for you guys in particular, you had feared about how much asbestos is in it." Now, we had asbestos ceilings, asbestos in most of the walls, and don't forget in that case, we were actually doing a four-bedroom apartment as well, so a big apartment.
And so I got onto the guys and we got the builder to getting various different quotes. And our asbestos removal quotes ranged from about $40,000 to about $18,000. We went with the guys at about $24,000, so that was our biggest budget over-run, but it wasn't actually something that we'd ever budgeted to do.
Kevin: Just very quickly – we're going to have to move – in removing asbestos, is it more expensive to do it in an apartment block than it would be on a single house?
Kevin: Yes, I thought it might be.
And also in a case like this, every ceiling was asbestos as a spray-on, so it had to be scraped off the ceilings and made damp for the guys in the space suits when they were bagging it and removing it from there. And asbestos removal costs have gone up considerably.
Kevin: Yes, those asbestos ceilings, they were great in their time but horrific to rectify nowadays.
Kevin: Mate, great talking to you. Thank you so much for your time.
Adrian Ramsay has been my guest, he's the CEO for Adrian Ramsay Design House, and you can read all about his renovation in the latest edition of Your Investment Property magazine, which is our right now. It's the July issue. It comes out in June. I don't know why they do that, but that's what they do anyway, Adrian. They like to be one step ahead of us.
Adrian: Get a jump on the month. Maybe they're trying to get the profits in before the end of the financial year.
Kevin: That's a good idea. Mate, great talking to you. Thanks for your time, Adrian.
Adrian: Awesome, Kevin. Thank you. Take care, mate.
Kevin: Joining me once again, Cate Bakos. Cate is a buyer's agent out of Melbourne. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the four incorrect assumptions that investors can make. I want to swing this across… Cate is back with me again.
Kevin: I want to talk about finance now, because there are some finance misunderstandings that I've come across as well, and I'd love to get your tilt on these. People get equity confused with savings.
Cate: Yes. This is a significant point, but it's a really short and sharp point for me to make. There is a big difference. When you have equity available to you for investment purposes or for whatever, it's really just an easier way than saving the old-fashioned way where you're putting money aside until you have a substantial enough deposit. You can use that equity as a deposit, but the key thing is that you're still borrowing it.
Kevin: Yes, very important. What about P&I as opposed to interest-only? Because P&I at a lower rate is sometimes thought to be better than interest-only at a higher rate. What's your take on that?
Cate: It's a really topical discussion right now, because obviously, we've had a lending clampdown on interest-only that was instigated by APRA some time ago now. But a lot of people are asking me this question, and sometimes when we run the numbers, the P&I option might win. It really does depend on the differential, but there are critical things to bear in mind. You have to factor in your cashflow, obviously, and there are tax deductions to calculate.
Now, I never let tax deductibility be a reason to do something, but it's definitely a benefit. So, when you're deciding between interest-only lending or principal and interest, you have to be looking at what else that principal could be doing for you. And if you could offset it against a principal place of residence and achieve your goals that way and it still stacks up for you to do so, then the interest-only option might be the one to go for.
You also have to bear in mind how it impacts your future borrowing capacity, because interest-only will be for a period of time, and then when that fixed term lapses, you'll then face the prospect of P&I over a shorter period, so your payments will be pushed up as well.
So, it does require sitting down and running the numbers, and if you're unable to do so, you need to talk to your banker or broker about giving you that information so that you can see it for yourself.
Kevin: Yes, I think it's an important point that you actually discuss it with your banker or your broker, because everyone's situation is different, isn't it, Cate?
Cate: It absolutely is, and future planning comes into it, where you might be with your income. There's a lot to take into consideration, and it shouldn't be taken lightly.
Kevin: I want to deal with another one now, Cate. This is a big one, I think, and that is that past approval borrowing as a capacity and the conditions that apply to that approval don't last long-term and they need to be renewed or reviewed, don't they?
Cate: Yes. This is one that I couldn't agree harder on. We're in a really turbulent time when we consider lending pre-approval and the rate of change in policy and how tough it is out there for a lot of borrowers.
So to assume that your borrowing capacity has lapsed but you're in a safe place because your situation hasn't changed is really naïve and really dangerous, because the lenders are changing their policy at quite a rapid rate, and for some people who did service a particular loan comfortably, they can go back to the lender and find that that amount has reduced because the lenders have really clamped down on all kinds of things, including discretionary spending, and they're paying very careful attention to it.
Kevin: Yes, and this applies very much to anyone who's, say, bidding at an auction, as an example, or buying in any situation where you don't have a finance clause. Another instance in here could be – and I'd love to talk to you about this – buying off the plan, because when you buy off the plan, it's possible that you won't be settling for anything up to a year, and with finance-only, that approval sitting in place for three months, it should be renewed before you go to settle.
Cate: A really interesting point, Kevin, and it's a frightening one when you think about it. Off-the-plan purchases can sometimes span for years, and you can look at sunset dates, but there is no pre-approval that will eclipse a sunset date that's a year or two.
People need to have contingencies for all kinds of things, whether there's market movement and the price drops, whether lending scrutiny continues and they find themselves unable to settle the purchase themselves. They really need to think carefully about plan B if they're taking that risky step.
Kevin: Yes, that's a great topic, and we've demystified a few more of those finance misunderstandings for you. Cate Bakos has been my guest. Cate is a buyer's agent out of Melbourne.
Cate, thanks again for your time.
Kevin: My next guest is Georg Chmiel. Georg is the director for Juwai.com. I want to focus very much on the most recent Foreign Investment Review Board report, which covers the period up to the end of the financial year last year, the end of June. It shows a very clear picture about what's happening with foreign investment in view of some of the recent changes that have occurred to investment in Australia.
Georg, were there any surprises in this report? Because it does actually reflect that investment may have just slowed down from China?
Georg: There were a couple of surprises, especially in the reaction to the report by various media outlets. I was reading headlines like "China crackdown sees property investment fall by 65%," referencing the study.
Now, first and foremost, the total investment into Australia has dropped from $250 billion to $200 billion. Of that, residential property is a small share. So, all the other investments stayed pretty stable – so investment in non-real estate and investment in commercial real estate.
When it comes to residential, we are talking about approvals. We're not talking about actual purchases that the report covers. And there was a fee introduced for lodging an application to obtain FIRB approval. And this has actually distorted the result, because people in the past lodged multiple applications for approval – the same person multiple applications – and with the fee, that has slowed down.
So, long story short, on the one side, we have the press who obviously say China is slowing down its investment into Australia. On the other side, there's actually far more to this story. Yes, there have been capital controls put in place on the Chinese side to streamline the investments overseas. However, this hasn't really slowed down overseas investments.
The second bit is that there have been some factors being put in place – like stamp duty increases, certain regulations on the side of Australia – and that has led to a certain change in terms of the investment pattern. But I would not want to say that there is a dramatic drop in purchases.
Kevin: Yes, and we'd hope that wouldn't be the case, because if we look a little deeper into the figures, about 88% of investment approvals in residential property are actually for new development, and we need new development. We need increased housing stock. We're not even meeting the current demands, Georg.
Georg: I completely agree. The ultimate aim of everyone living in Australia is to live the Australian dream – to own a home, be it an apartment or a house. This is for the people in Australia. The focus for foreign investors is only on the new properties.
There were certain legislation introduced that actually make complete sense. One is a cap for foreigners to invest into a property to 50%. So, 50% of the units in an apartment block can go to foreigners. Why is this important? It's very important for people coming to the country – I migrated myself – to get integrated. Not live in isolation in a foreign community but become a real Australian.
The second bit of legislation that was introduced was around vacancy, a penalty for leaving properties vacant. Again, this makes perfect sense. And the last one is I think it's very important to get these foreign investments into Australia because there's also additional investment and infrastructure investment following, and that actually helps everyone, the foreigners as well as the locals.
Kevin: Georg, just turning our focus to commercial property for a moment, I noticed that commercial real estate investment dropped by just a touch over 10%, from $50 billion down to $44 billion. How much of that has to do with the new China-Australia free trade agreement?
Georg: There might be a link to it, but I don't have any data to say it has a lot to do with it. There could be many factors. There are always variations from year to year, so the investment in service assets has more than doubled, the investment in mineral exploration has come down by roughly 40%. So, there are year-on-year changes.
I think that the big trend is pretty stable in commercial investments, but the key determining factor was really the big variation in residential real estate, which got everybody a bit excited.
Kevin: I notice in that free trade agreement that Chinese investors no longer need to request investment approval before purchasing developed commercial property worth less than just a touch over $1 billion. I just wondered whether that had something to do with it.
Georg: It probably would have something to do with it, but there wasn't much context given.
Kevin: So, what does the future hold? What sort of properties are Chinese investors looking for? What are you seeing through Juwai?
Georg: It depends a bit on the usage. There's the education segment. Obviously, that targets predominantly the apartment market. There's a certain retirement segment, which is more towards apartments and also detached houses or townhouse categories, and there's the investment segment, which goes across apartments as well as houses.
Most of the new building approvals and the big growth in the building approvals has been in the apartments. And even Australians are preferring more and more apartments. It swung back a bit to landed properties a couple of years ago, and it seems to go back because the type of apartments are getting far more sophisticated, far more luxurious, and so on, and they're hassle-free for people who want to downsize.
Kevin: It's always interesting to follow it, Georg, and I appreciate you giving us that update. Georg Chmiel has been my guest. Georg is the director of Juwai, which is the number one Chinese international real estate website.
Georg, thank you so much for your time.
Kevin: With so much talk about what's happened through the Royal Commission with the banks, many people are wondering how they can go about getting a better home loan. What's their relationship with the bank? What's it going to be like going forward? Joining me to talk about this is Siobhan Hayden. Siobhan is the CEO of HashChing.
Siobhan, thanks again for your time.
Siobhan: Thanks for having me, Kevin. Nice to chat.
Kevin: There have been some revelations coming out of the Royal Commission, haven't there? People are very concerned about what the banks have done.
Siobhan: Definitely. I suppose it's quite disappointing to see such large institutions that people have traditionally put a lot of trust in really breaking that trust.
Kevin: Do you think that's irreparable, or is it going to drive more people to not be as loyal to their bank? Because there has been a lot of loyalty in the past.
Siobhan: I think you definitely have the traditional view of loyalty to big banks, but that is costing people a lot of money. That loyalty is sometimes misplaced. And I think we're also seeing an emergence in the last five to ten years – with the advent of social media and phones and consumers' voices – that consumers do put themselves at the middle of a transaction far more than we ever did, and we care more about how we're treated and what services were offered.
So, I think we're getting more and more groundswell of consumers wanting to get a better outcome for themselves and think that they should be able to do that.
Kevin: Is it driving change? Are there more people who are actually getting proactive about shopping around for a better loan?
Siobhan: We're definitely seeing it. The cash rate, as you know, in August of 2016 was sitting at 1.5%. It hasn't changed in that time, but what customers have been seeing is basically out-of-term rate hikes on their existing variable rates, whereas new customers are being offered enticing interest rates to come and join the bank.
So, we're seeing a trend, particularly with customers… Over 25% of our customers are on rates less than 3.7%. Whereas a year ago, 4% was enticing, now it's getting even better.
Kevin: It's an interesting view that because the rate hasn't changed from the RBA, most people think "Oh, the rate that I have now is probably the best rate I can get," when in fact, as you just said, many of the banks are offering much better rates to newer customers.
Siobhan: That's right. Look, there are two real options: customers can get on the phone and talk to their bank, and I would recommend they do that. Not always do we have the right terminology to demonstrate we're quite committed to changing banks, so if you can't talk to your broker to negotiate a better rate, or of course, look at the option of refinancing.
Kevin: What sort of language should you use with the bank when you're talking to them?
Siobhan: Definitely talking about what rates are available in the market – so, you need to know what other options are there – that you've been offered a great rate already by an alternative bank, and that you're willing to move today or tomorrow if you don't get some relief on the current existing rate that you're repaying.
Asking for a mortgage discharge form is always a good way to say that you're willing and prepared to move.
Kevin: What's a mortgage discharge form?
Siobhan: It's a form to say that you'd like to discharge your mortgage to obviously refinance a move to a new bank.
Kevin: That would be a trigger for them, then they'd want to know where you're going and what you're doing?
Siobhan: Yes, and they would also be aware that you've spoken to another bank that has asked you to get a mortgage discharge form for you to then move to them.
So, I think you need to be a bit fore-armed. We look at our health plan every 12 months; I think looking at your home loan rate every 24 months makes good sense. It doesn't mean you need to do anything or move or refinance, but it does mean you know you're in a good position.
Kevin: For those uncomfortable with being that confrontational with the bank– and there would be many people like that – the alternative is a broker, HashChing as an example.
Siobhan: We're an absolute broker advocate, and brokers are supporting customers nearly 60% of the time around Australia with new residential lending. So, definitely partner with a broker.
Obviously, we have great broker partners at HashChing, both rated and reviewed, so customers can definitely come to us and find a local broker in their area.
But definitely get the professional to lift a phone and do that work for you.
Kevin: Tell me how HashChing works.
Siobhan: HashChing allows customers to come to our site. They can look at the options on deals that we have, which are all broker-introduced home loan deals. And once they've added their basic information and their mobile number and what they're looking to do, we instantly partner them with a local broker in their area that they can then have personalized service to complete the transaction.
Kevin: As I said, for those who are uncomfortable and want to stay at that arm's length, if they were to do that, is that going to affect their credit rating?
Siobhan: No. The broker working with you will first look at your financial aspirations and goals, work out where you're at currently with your income, expenses, and your current repayments, and then ensure that you are moving to something that will make it a better outcome for you and your family.
It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to refinance, but it does mean that you'll get a bit of a mental health check that you're actually in a good position.
Kevin: Because if I were to shop around and maybe go to one of the other banks, the moment I make an application or an inquiry with them, that is recorded on my credit file, isn't it?
Siobhan: It definitely is if you make a formal application. A number of ours are actually committed to doing the research firstly. So, you need to know before you make the application that you are moving to something that will be better for you and your family financially down the track.
Kevin: That is very much why so many people are now using brokers, because you don't have to make that commitment there across all those home loans and can give you that advantage, can't they?
Siobhan: Absolutely. It's not uncommon to see a customer who comes to HashChing and says "My bank said I couldn't borrow." So, they think because one bank has said no, every bank will say no. That's completely not correct.
And brokers are well positioned across nearly 30 different lenders to provide a good review of the market and what is actually possible for that particular customer.
Kevin: Yes. HashChing, we'll put a link inside this interview so that you can get to them. Siobhan Hayden is the CEO for HashChing. She's been my guest.
Siobhan, thanks very much for your time.
Siobhan: Thanks for having me, Kevin. Have a great day.


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Kim Kardashian and Family Arrive at Wedding Location in Florence, Italy—See the Pics!
by Cinya Burton & Melanie Bromley | Sat., May. 24, 2014 8:02 AM
Here comes the bride!
E! News can exclusively confirm that both Kim Kardashian and Kanye Westhave arrived at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy, that will hold their nuptials on Saturday, May 24.
According to an eyewitness: "A convoy of cars arrived at around 3 p.m. local time. Kim was in the first car, which was a Mercedes-Benz. They drove the car right up and her assistant opened the door and Kim dashed in. She looked to be wearing white." But she was not alone in the vehicle; she chose to ride with her grandmother Mary Jo.
VIDEO: What's next for Kimye? Find out!
As for the other cars? Well, they were transporting her bridesmaids, of course.
"Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner then got out of one of the later cars. They looked to be wearing black pants and white tops. Kendall waved to the small group of fans overlooking from a gate just above the entrance," says the source, adding that Khloe Kardashian—in a white top and white skirt—also "waved at the fans."
Then came Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian. "Kourtney was carrying her daughter Penelope and her son Mason—in a red-striped outfit—followed behind."
VIDEO: Kimye's star-studded wedding guest list
Last but certainly not least was the Kardashian matriarch. "Kris Jenner got out of second car wearing black suit. And she put a big professional camera on a strap on her shoulders. She has obviously been taking professional pictures to remember the occasion."
Kanye previously arrived at the venue earlier in the day. And it should be noted that "large dress bags were also transported inside."
If your countdown clock hasn't already begun, consider this the official start to Kimye's I-dos.
Watch the Congrats Kim & Kanye Marathon all this weekend on E!, and don't forget Keeping Up With the Kardashians premieres Sunday, June 8, at 9 p.m.
The Kardashians Arrive in Florence
PHOTOS: See the guests arrive at the Kimye wedding!
TAGS/ Kim Kardashian , Weddings , Top Stories

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sergio came to Dr. Khanna after years of suffering from poor vision, a lazy eye, and high astigmatism. He became frustrated with his vision and his quality of life was becoming impaired. Dr. Khanna decided that wavefront Lasik surgery was the best option for Sergio. Prior to wavefront Lasik Sergio could not participate in many of the activities he enjoyed. As an avid gun shooter, Sergio had a difficult time aiming and hitting the targets at the shooting range. Now after surgery, Sergio says that his vision has improved drastically and having better aim at the shooting range has been the most exciting advancement. Sergio remarked "I had a quick recovery and I would recommend Khanna to anyone that is interested in improving the quality of their vision." High astigmatisms such as Sergio's can be treated with wavefront Lasik eye surgery.


Anthony Gonzalez speaks at a candidates' debate in Wadsworth on Monday.
CLEVELAND — A former Ohio State University football star has won the Republican nomination in the race to succeed Rep. Jim Renacci in Ohio's U.S. House District 16.
Renacci's northeast Ohio seat is coming open because of his run for U.S. Senate.
Six candidates were battling Tuesday in the Democratic primary in the district.
With Renacci running for governor, who will take his House seat?


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Sen. Darling blames Milwaukee
By: Isiah Holmes - July 29, 2019 5:41 pm
Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Fals)
While Republicans organized in the legislature to make cuts to Milwaukee's share of the state budget, Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) focused on child welfare. Darling stated during a Joint Finance Committee hearing that improving child care in Milwaukee "can't happen at the state level."
"We need to get the community to care about these kids," Darling said.
Republicans attempted to make a $14 billion cut to state aid Milwaukee recieves through the shared revenue program, arguing that the cut would make up for the state's expense in administering Milwaukee County's child welfare program. Gov. Tony Evers restored the funds in the final version of the budget.
Mentioning her experience working within and making policy around the child welfare system, Darling said during the June 4th hearing, "I'm really confident that what we need to do is to get the community to care about these kids."
"Until the community decides these children are valuable very little is going to change," Darling said, adding, "it can't happen at the state-level. We can't just throw money at it."
She also blamed Milwaukee leaders for not doing enough to fix the city's struggling school district and foster care system. "We put together a program to have these children in sub-standard schools have other opportunities," she said. "You know what? It failed because the school board decided that they weren't going to cooperate."
Sen. Darling has been an advocate for private and charter schools, while decrying Gov. Tony Evers for "trapping poor students in failing schools" and blaming communities in Milwaukee for being "willing to let them [children] have sub-standard schools."
Sen. Darling went unchallenged during the hearing. Democrats were given only two chances each to speak during the lengthy committee session. Darling spoke toward the end of the hearing, after the Democrats' opportunities had been spent.
Darling focused on drugs as a major factor in child welfare issues, "throughout the state, but mostly in Milwaukee County where these children are taken out of their families because the parents, or usually the parent, or maybe the grandparent, can't take care of them." Later on, Darling pin-pointed Milwaukee zip codes 53206-12 as the locus of failed leadership. Milwaukee's 53206 zip code is the most incarcerated zip code in Wisconsin, the state with the largest rate of African American men in prison in the country. The other zip codes Darling named are largely African American districts, with some scattered throughout the city's north side.
Darling said that she is "disappointed that we keep pointing the finger at someone else. It's state, it's this, it's that, it's this, it's that, it's money, you're not giving enough money. We have to change our attitude and the culture that we have or nothing's going to change."
Will the Lincoln Hills youth prison finally close, and at… by Isiah Holmes February 9, 2022
Wisconsin has plenty of money for schools — too bad kids… by Ruth Conniff August 31, 2022
Finance committee adds police to $31M opiate settlement… by Erik Gunn September 9, 2022


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Romney, Newt And Mandates Sitting In A Tree
Newt has constantly denied that he once supported Mitt Romney's health insurance mandate in Massachusetts, but the wayback machine has something else to say about that. Here's a letter written by Newt in April of 2006: The most exciting
By Jamie — December 28, 2011
Newt has constantly denied that he once supported Mitt Romney's health insurance mandate in Massachusetts, but the wayback machine has something else to say about that. Here's a letter written by Newt in April of 2006:
The most exciting development of the past few weeks is what has been happening up in Massachusetts. The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system.
We agree entirely with Governor Romney and Massachusetts legislators that our goal should be 100% insurance coverage for all Americans. Individuals without coverage often do not receive quality medical attention on par with those who do have insurance. We also believe strongly that personal responsibility is vital to creating a 21st Century Intelligent Health System. Individuals who can afford to purchase health insurance and simply choose not to place an unnecessary burden on a system that is on the verge of collapse; these free-riders undermine the entire health system by placing the onus of responsibility on taxpayers.
The Romney plan attempts to bring everyone into the system. The individual mandate requires those who earn enough to afford insurance to purchase coverage, and subsidies will be made available to those individuals who cannot afford insurance on their own. We agree strongly with this principle, but the details are crucial when it comes to the structure of this plan. Under the new bill, Massachusetts residents earning more than 300% of the federal poverty level (approximately $30,000 for an individual) will not be eligible for any subsidies. State House officials had originally promised that there would be new plans available at about $200 a month, but industry experts are now predicting that the cheapest plan will likely cost at least $325 a month. This estimate totals about $4000 per year, or about 1/5 of a $30,000 annual take-home income.
While in theory the plan should be affordable if the whole state contributes to the cost, the reality is that Massachusetts has an exhaustive list of health coverage regulations prohibiting insurers from offering more basic, pared-down policies with higher deductibles. (This is yet another reminder that America must establish a cross-state insurance market that gives individuals the freedom to shop for insurance plans in states other than their own.)
In our estimation, Massachusetts residents earning little more than $30,000 a year are in jeopardy of being priced out of the system. In the event that this occurs, Governor Romney will be in grave danger of repeating the mistakes of his predecessor, Mike Dukakis, whose 1988 health plan was hailed as a save-all but eventually collapsed when poorly-devised payment structures created a malaise of unfulfilled promises. We propose that a more realistic approach might be to limit the mandate to those individuals earning upwards of $54,000 per year.
While the Commonwealth's plan will naturally endure tremendous scrutiny from those who assert that the law will not work as intended, Massachusetts leaders are to be commended for this bipartisan proposal to tackle the enormous challenge of finding real solutions for creating a sustainable health system. I hope that Massachusetts' initiative to provide affordable, quality health insurance for all continues to ignite even more debate around the subject of how to best address our nation's uninsured crisis and the critical problems within the health system at large.
(emphasis added)
Not only did Newt support the mandate, but it sure sounds like he was pushing for subsidies to be offered to those making more than even the Affordable Care Act offers. If you go to the Kaiser Foundation's health reform subsidy calculator, you see that a single person stops getting government subsidies once their yearly salary hits around $36,500.
And let's not forget that we are talking about the federal poverty level of 2006, not the estimated on of 2014. In 2006 the FPL was at $9,800 as compared to $10,890 in 2011.
So knowing those numbers, let's break out the calculator and figure out where subsidies would stop under what Newt wanted. $54,000 is about 550% of the 2006 FPL. 550% of the 2011 FPL would be $59,895. By 2014 it would be into the $60,000 range. That is a lot more giving than the current plan that Republicans decry as "socialism" today.
Now I want to clarify that I'm not so unreasonable that I can't believe someone won't change their mind. The problem is that Newt hasn't said he has changed his mind. Instead Newt has been out there denying that he ever supported a mandate. Now we see that isn't the case.
So how is the GOP going to stomach having their two front runners previously showing enthusiastic support for the one main issue that Republicans are against? Even more interesting is how are these individuals going to be able to stand up to President Obama in a debate over the health care bill?
A lot of people are looking towards the Supreme Court's decision on the law this summer and many are predicting that if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional that it could hurt President Obama. I'm not entirely sure now considering the man President Obama will be facing in the general most likely supported this same law previously. Many on the right will point to such a decision as an "overreach of government", yet that is an overreach that Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich previously supported. It really makes it hard for the likely GOP nominee to talk their way out of it, though Romney has a better chance than Newt.
(cross-posted at IntoxiNation)
free-riders, Kaiser, machine, Mike Dukakis, Really


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text:
PRINTED MATTER VANCOUVER
we write because we must
August Postcard Poetry Fest
Clark County Poets Directory
Creative Writing Workshops
TESTIMONIALS FROM AUTHORS, CLIENTS, & STUDENTS
Work with our experienced and published editors to review, expand, or prepare your writing for publication.
Toni Lumbrazo Luna by Maria Vara Photography
Toni Lumbrazo Luna (formerly Partington) is a poet, editor, visual artist, and life/career coach. Her poetry has appeared in the NW Women's Journal, The Cascade Journal, VoiceCatcher (editions 3 & 4), outwardlink.net, Perceptions Art Journal, Writing the Life Poetic E-Zine, and various other publications. She is the author of three books of poetry, Jesus Is A Gas (2009), WIND WING (2010), and Driven By Hope (2019). Toni co-hosts the popular Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic with Christopher Luna, a monthly forum for writers since 2004.
As a life/career coach, Toni loves to work with writers and artists interested in exploring ways to integrate lifestyle and their creative work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Chapman University, an MA in Humanities with a major focus in Literature and Literary Editing from the California State University, Dominguez Hills, and post-graduate work at the University of Oregon to become certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator. Before embarking on other adventures, Toni spent over ten years teaching and advising women in transition returning to college. From there she spent the next fifteen years as a consultant to non-profit organizations and community colleges writing grants, developing fundraising plans, facilitating board development, and executing business and infrastructure planning.
Toni began writing at age ten and has integrated writing into many facets of her life. She believes it is never too late to begin something you've dreamed of doing. With fellow poet and life partner Christopher Luna she has realized her dream of assisting writers to bring their work into the public realm. Toni relishes the look on a writer's face when they first see their words in print.
Enjoy this video of Toni reading her poetry at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, OR on April 4, 2015:
Christopher Luna by Alisha Jucevic for the Columbian
Clark County WA's inaugural Poet Laureate (2013-2017) Christopher Luna is a poet, publisher, visual artist, writing coach, teacher, and editor. He has an MFA in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. He is also the editor of The Work, a monthly email newsletter featuring poetry events in Portland, Vancouver, and the Pacific Northwest.
Together he and his wife, Printed Matter Vancouver co-founder Toni Lumbrazo Luna, edited and published Ghost Town Poetry volumes one and two, featuring poems from the popular open mic poetry reading series that Luna established in 2004. Printed Matter Vancouver also published the full length debut collections for two Vancouver, WA poets: Serenity in the Brutal Garden, by Jenney Pauer, and Meet Me Where I Left You, by Tiffany Burba.
In 2011 Niche Wine and Art Bar and Angst Gallery proprietor Leah Jackson named him the poet laureate of her businesses. Luna teaches a monthly poetry workshop at Niche and has organized a series of bilingual poetry readings at the bar since receiving this honor. Printed Matter Vancouver and Jackson also sponsored several poetry contests to find short pieces to be printed on Niche coasters.
In 2012 Luna was the subject of Innovators of Vancouver, one in a series of films by Chris Martin showcasing pioneering Vancouver, WA artists, business owners, and community leaders.
In 2013 the Clark County Arts Commission named Luna the first Poet Laureate of Clark County, WA. He used the position to establish a Poets in the Schools program for Clark County, and he and Toni created Poetry Moves, a program that places poems by local students and adults on buses in the C-Tran system serving the county.
Luna has been a featured reader and workshop leader at Burning Word (Whidbey Island, WA), California's New Way Media Festival, Auburn Days (Auburn, WA), the Tacoma Poetry Festival (Tacoma, WA), Poets in the Park (Redmond, WA) and the Inland Poetry Prowl (Ellensburg, WA). For more than two decades, he has collaborated with musicians including Jason Levis (Heftpistole Chamber Ensemble, Joseph's Bones, duo B.), Rob Ewing (Disappear Incompletely), Lisa Mezzacappa (duo B.), Tyler Burba, Matt Meighan, Totter, Liquid Logic, Steven Taylor (the Fugs, Allen Ginsberg), and local favorites Rich and Carson Halley, Eric Padget (Future Fridays, Sigourney Reverb, Orkestar Zirconium), River Twain, Julio Appling (Trio Flux, the Student Loan), Five Guys Playing Jazz, Beth Karp, Lincoln's Beard, headshapes, David Chaparro, Caroline Chaparro, BRIZBOMB, Jim Templeton (Cosmic Dust Fusion Band), and Aram Arslanian. He has appeared on recordings by Pimpcore and Dystopia One. "Steve Buscemi," an ode to the actor and director that Luna recorded with Dystopia One, appeared on Dr. Demento and Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight." More recently, Luna has appeared on the air on KBOO FM's Talking Earth (hosted by Walt Curtis and Barbara LaMorticella) and Radio Lost and Found (hosted by Rich Lindsay).
Luna's poetry has appeared in publications including Birds Fall Silent in the Mechanical Sea, WA 129, The Poeming Pigeon, Gobshite Quarterly, Clark College Phoenix, Sharon Wood Wortman's Big & Awesome Bridges of Portland and Vancouver, Bombay Gin, World of Change, Twenty Four Hours Zine, The Understanding Between Foxes and Light, Continent of Light, It's Animal But Merciful, gape-seed, Unshod Quills, Take Out, Night Bomb Review, Soundings Review, Chiron Review, Full of Crow, Cadillac Cicatrix, The Lion Speaks: An Anthology for Hurricane Katrina, eye-rhyme, Gare du Nord, Exquisite Corpse, Many Mountains Moving, the @tached document, and Big Scream.
Luna's articles and criticism have appeared in the e-zine Writing the Life Poetic as well as Rain Taxi Review of Books, New York Journal of Books, the Poetry Project Newsletter, Current Biography, the Columbian, the Oregonian, Willamette Week, the Vancouver Voice, the Vancouver Vector, and the Boulder Planet.
His books include tributes and ruminations (Dristil Press, 2000), On the Beam (with David Madgalene, 2005), Sketches for a Paranoid Picture Book on Memory (King of Mice Press, 2005), and GHOST TOWN, USA (This is Not an Albatross, 2008). To Be Named and Other Works of Poetic License, a poetic travelogue and art book created in collaboration with David Madgalene and Toni Lumbrazo Luna was released in July 2010, and accompanied by an art show at Angst Gallery in Vancouver, WA displaying many of the one-of-a-kind covers for the book, each of which was made by altering an album cover.
"More than we can bear," an epic investigative poem about the aftermath of September 11, was anthologized both online (For Immediate Release) and in print (On the Way After 9/11, 2002 and Candles in the Dark, Flames for the Future, 2003, ed. David James Randolph, New Way Media). Brutal Glints of Moonlight (2014) is a chapbook containing poems based on Norman Mailer's 1980 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Executioner's Song for Pulitzer Remix, a National Poetry Month project sponsored by the Found Poetry Review.
Luna is also the author of Literal Motion (Bootstrap Press, 2001), which features three interviews with the filmmaker Stan Brakhage. In May 2011 Big Bridge published The Flame Is Ours: The Letters of Stan Brakhage and Michael McClure 1961-1978, an important piece of Twentieth-Century literary and cinema history that Luna compiled and edited at Brakhage's request.
In November 2018 Flowstone Press published Christopher's first full-length book of poetry entitled Message from the Vessel in a Dream.
4 thoughts on "THE EDITORS"
Kamela Sowards says:
Would you have an interest in publishing a coloring book for adults by and about local? -Kami
Printed Matter Vancouver says:
Dear Kamela:
Printed Matter Vancouver does not publish unsolicited manuscripts, but thanks for your inquiry. We wish you luck as you look for a publisher for your book.
Christopher Luna
Hello Vancouver – when is the next gathering of the Ghost Town Poets? Is there a regular meeting time and place one could plan to attend? Gracias!
Hi, Janis. Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic takes place on the second Thursday of every month, and has been on the same night since it was founded by Christopher Luna in November 2004. You can find the complete schedule for this year on our EVENTS page: https://printedmattervancouver.com/events/
Leave a Reply to Printed Matter Vancouver Cancel reply
Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Armin Tolentino at Angst Gallery Thursday, February 13, 2020 January 10, 2020
Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Luther Allen & J.I. (Judy) Kleinberg at Angst Gallery on January 9, 2020 December 13, 2019
Christopher Luna's Winter 2020 Creative Writing Workshops [UPDATED December 19, 2019] November 27, 2019
Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Darryl Foto at Angst Gallery on December 12, 2019 November 22, 2019
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My first ever teacher was called Mrs Green. Or as I secretly called her, "Grisses Mean", and by that I meant that I viewed her as a perambulating vinegar cruet*, a shameless child-hater and a nasty bigot; I just didn't have the words for it when I was five.
I cried on my first days at school. I was scared and not happy about being separated from my mum. I'd lived a life full of change and unusual events up until then and I guess I wasn't the most secure of five-year-olds. I'd lived in Singapore, Poland and Egypt and it was in Egypt that we felt the threat of war and had a rabies scare. Our pet dog got the virus and attacked us all. We had to have hideously painful shots in our stomachs every day for weeks. The memories are still vivid.
So being dropped off at my first school on that September morning in 1976 wasn't my cup of tea at all. Especially since I was delivered into the hands of Grisses Mean. I played truant that year to cope with the horridness.
"Stop crying, or I'll give you something to cry about!" were among the first words she hissed at me. I didn't really understand the saying back then, but there was no misinterpreting the threat.
My school was also attended by local Romany families, whose encampment was nearby. Christopher was a young boy from the encampment and given his unkempt appearance, probably didn't have access to the laundry and bathing facilities the rest of us took for granted. But he was nice enough and the children treated him no differently. On the other hand, Grisses Mean and the other Reception teacher, Miss Humble (no, she wasn't), were awful to him. When Miss Humble announced her engagement, we all rushed to congratulate her, Christopher included. He, like many of the other children, gave her a big hug. Grisses Mean turned to her and said, "You've probably caught something nasty now!" and they both laughed. You can imagine the effect it had on Christopher.
I've had lots of great teachers since then (and some terrible ones), but I paint the picture of Grisses Mean to highlight one particular point. You see, I was one of the lucky children that just took to reading and writing like a duck to water. I was doing both proficiently before I even entered the World of Mean. She taught me NOTHING in terms of literacy, and the thought of her somehow claiming that she did makes my skin crawl.
I'm not the only child who was literate before school entry. Quite a large number of children achieve this easily and many more achieve it with minimal guidance. This is why weaker, lower quality methods of literacy instruction still exist. For some, it doesn't matter how badly you teach, they're going to learn anyway. How good does that make an inefficient teacher look?
That's why, if you show me a bunch of beautiful writing samples, you fail to impress me. Those samples prove nothing.
In fact, I think it's somewhat creepy that any teacher would consider reveling in phony glory over achievements that mostly had nothing to do with them.
For every one of those samples, I can show you samples of children in all grades, all the way to adulthood, who slipped through the net of poor instruction and ended up illiterate.
Show me instead, your outliers: the ones whose odds are already stacked against them, the Christophers of this world, the ones from backgrounds that don't support literacy development or the ones who got first prize in the dyslexia lottery (not a great prize, I can tell you).
Six year old boy after one year of 'balanced literacy', 3-cueing and analytic phonics.
The same boy after one year of systematic, synthetic phonics and structured literacy.
If you want to make an impression, show me the samples of those who struggle and the difference you're making to them over time. Show me them two, three, four years up the track. Show me how you've passed them on to their next teacher with a meaningful learning plan and the intention of checking back on them to make sure they're progressing. That's something that takes expertise and excellent tools. That's impressive.
If you can make a difference in their lives, you have my attention. If you understand, campaign for and demand a better deal for them and the thousands all over the world like them, you have my respect. A better deal means higher quality teacher training, phonics screening and decodable reading material that matches the sequence of your systematic synthetic phonics teaching. It means understanding the Simple View of Reading and the Big Five of literacy.
As for those who were going to read and write anyway, try to remember this: it's not because of you and it's not about you. Put your samples away. I'm not interested, and neither is anyone else in the field who has the slightest understanding of how literacy acquisition works.
*I stole this insult from an excerpt of a 1922 will.
Exactly – anyone can teach some children to read. It is how well you do with the strugglers that counts.
And it's how well they do over time, not just a temporary placebo or Hawthorne effect that you might see in Reading Recovery or other whole language/balanced literacy-based interventions.
Thanks Lynne. A timely reminder as I head into a new school year supporting and teaching students with complex reading difficulties.
Fantastic Lyn. I hope you don't mind if I share this with staff at my new school. Thank you.
Lovely to hear from you, Kym and sorry I missed you yesterday. We must catch up.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The best upcoming gigs of 2018/2019
By Ella Cory-Wright on 27/9/2018
Our round-up of the hottest gigs this autumn and winter, from new faces to old-school favourites
Moses Sumney
Moses Sumney is your new favourite singer. No, really. With his saintly falsetto, Californian languor and scholarly bent, this former choir boy is utterly irresistible. His debut album, last year's much-praised Aromanticism, is a genre-defiant meditation on loneliness in the age of the dating app. We hear touches of Thom Yorke, James Blake – even Nina Simone in its spacious tracks. It'll be exquisite live. Don't miss this: he's going to be huge.
For ten years, over three albums, Swedish sad girl Lykke Li has been making scuffed-up pop with a dark, dark heart. With her fourth record, the archly-titled, so sad so sexy, we hear her flirt with R&B, trap and hip-hop. It could be her best yet: listen to Utopia with its deluxe anguish, or the genuinely addictive Deep End: 'Indigo, deep blue, deep blue. Oh, baby I know where you've been…'
From hawking jazz standards on the streets of Paris to selling out concert halls, Madeleine Peyroux's silken voice has a lot to answer for. She sings Billie Holiday's blues, by way of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Serge Gainsbourg. It's a satisfying blend. This November, Peyroux returns to the Royal Festival Hall with a new album and a full band. Expect late-night vibes.
The world has changed since pianist Abdullah Ibrahim emerged in 1959 as part of the golden era of South African jazz. But the spiritual, meditative melodies of Duke Ellington's protégé remain undimmed: at 83, this giant of jazz is as charismatic as ever he was. Born in one of South Africa's toughest ghettoes, exiled during the apartheid years, Ibrahim's reflective and progressive music became a force for peace. Don't miss this rare chance to hear him in action.
Barbican Centre
Charlotte Gainsbourg's music career began when she was 13 with Lemon Incest – a duet with her father in which she warbles and he croaks about how much they want to sleep with each other. Still bird-voiced, but long flown from that particular nest, the Anglo-French singer-songwriter makes stylish, detached music about love, loss and being shy. Her latest release, the electro-powered Rest, is undoubtedly her best.
Can anyone resist Red Eyes? The War on Drugs' 2014 anthem is a near perfect piece of Americana: a hazy tale of heroic melancholy on the open road. It breaks your heart and keeps the engine running. The Philadelphian band released their fourth album, A Deeper Understanding, last year, to great acclaim. Come and hear them fill the stadium with their particular brand of wide blue yonder, alongside very special guests Slowdive.
Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon
American singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek wants to tell you about his day. In. The traffic on a way to a gig, his bowl of ramen, a phonecall with his mother. In a tumbledown conversational drawl, he lays out the minutiae of his life. 'Bought a 350 dollar pair of lampshades, And we ate at Perry's and I ordered crab cakes/ Blue crab cakes/ Blue crab cakes /Blue crab cakes'. The effect of these lackadaisical meanderings is poignant and compulsive. Over eight albums, he has captured the variety and nuance of human life.
Lily Allen has had a hard time of late. Divorce, controversy, depression, paparazzi, a stalker – it's been a rough couple of years. In her latest album, the deeply personal No Shame, Allen tackles her issues, one by one, with the same West-London-mucker delivery that made her famous. These Roundhouse gigs are the only London dates on her album tour. With one show already sold out, you'll have to act fast to catch Allen's bawdy humour and interminably catchy song-writing in action.
Nile Rodgers and Chic
Dance Dance Dance. I Want Your Love. Good Times. Le Freak. Everybody Dance. Nile Rodgers is responsible for some of the most danceable songs ever written. And those are just the tracks he wrote for Chic. There's the string of hits he produced for Sister Sledge: He's The Greatest Dancer, Lost in Music, We Are Family. Diana Ross' I'm Coming Out. Madonna's Like A Virgin. David Bowie's Let's Dance. Daft Punk's Get Lucky. There's a reason they call him The Hitmaker. Chic will draw on all these hits and more at the O2 this December. Put on your dancing shoes.
'Don't beat the girl out of my boy', bellows Anna Calvi, in her trademark contralto. After a five year hiatus, it's good to have south London's very own rock goddess back. Calvi's third album, Hunter, is full of the virtuosic riffs and operatic swells of her former releases. It's a carnal record – alive with masculine and feminine forces. 'I want to go beyond gender. I don't want to have to choose between the male and female in me. I'm fighting against feeling an outsider and trying to find a place that feels like home,' she wrote online recently. In Hunter, she may well have found it.
Dance Umbrella 2018
The best 2018 Edinburgh Fringe shows coming to London
Heathers: The Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket review ★★★★★
Our London Fashion Week guide
Barbican Classical Music 2018/19: sparkling symphonies and soloists
Summer jewellery trends 2019
Your update on what's on in London from theatre to visual arts, from fashion to pop-ups and more…
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Players race to be the first to create an A to Z list of words associated with Babies. One blank for each letter. 24 paper game sheets per package. Prize may be awarded for first finished, most unique, etc.


text:
North Idaho AIDS Coalition
Providing care, prevention, and advocacy for people infected with and affected by HIV in North Idaho
About NIAC
Program Providers and Community Partners
On behalf of the Board of Directors of North Idaho AIDS Coalition (NIAC), I wish to thank you and/or your company for your generous donation to support HIV education, prevention, and awareness in the northern region and north central region of Idaho that encompasses the state's ten most northern counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, Shoshone, Clearwater, Latah, Idaho, Lewis, and Nez Perce.
All donations are greatly appreciated and go directly to NIAC.
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North Idaho AIDS Coalition (NIAC)
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text:
Q: Using FOR loop to move files into another directory What I am trying to do:

*

*Prompt the user to enter an account number.

*The account number is the their folder.

*The user is then prompted to select another directory (their time-stamped folder).

*The script will then kick off an executable.

*There will then be the parsing for findstr in a log file.

*If the string comes back that it exists, then the script will then goto the :move sub-routine to attempt to recursively move through the "time-stamped" directory that the user selected to move all "*.ARC" files into their "Media1" folder.

The issue I am having is that the final step of running the for loop command in the "sub routine" :move is outputting the following error:
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
I'm not sure what is going on here as I can input this into a command prompt (without the !variables!) and get it to work. However, using the variables doesn't seem to work.
Another interesting point is that I am basically using the same !variables! under the :string "sub routine" and it finds exactly what I asked it to. So, I'm thinking there is nothing wrong with the !variables!?
Am I missing something here?
    :main

    cls
    echo.
    set /P acct=Please type the 9 digit account number you would like to restore:
    set acctDir=x:\!acct!
    set acctDir2=media1\Setup\setup.exe /cd
    set log=c:\log.txt

    echo. Starting on !date! !time! on !Computername! >> !log!
    echo.
    echo The account number you selected is: !acct!
    echo.

    goto :user

:user

    set /p answer=Is this correct (Y/N)?
    echo.

    if /i !answer!==y goto :yes (
    ) else (
        echo.
        echo Ok. Let's try again^^!
        echo.
        pause
        cls
        goto :main
        )
    )

:yes

    set c=0
    For /f %%a in ('dir !acctDir! /B /A:D') do (
    set /a c+=1
    echo !c!    %%a
    set dir!c!=%%a
    )

    echo.
    set /p userIn="Select a directory [1-!c!]: "
    set userDir=!dir%userIn%!

    echo.
    echo You selected !userDir! for your data retrieval.
    echo.
    goto :string

:execute

    echo.
    echo The Data Protector Program will now be initialized...
    start !acctdir!\!userDir!\!acctDir2!

    goto :string

:string

    set sumLog=!acctdir!\!userDir!\SummaryLog.txt
    set succ=finished
    set acctDir3=media1
    set x=x:\!acct!\!userDir!

    findstr " .*!succ!" !sumLog!
    if exist errorlevel 0 (
        pause
        goto :move
    ) else (
        goto :eof
    )

:move

    for /r "!acctdir!\!userDir!\" %%g in (*.ARC) do echo move "%%g" "!acctdir!\!userdir!\!acctdir3!\"
    if exist errorlevel 1 (
        echo Cannot move files. Error occurred.
        pause
    )

endlocal
goto :eof

A: Here is another tack to test your variables.
Add the four lines below after the :move label and run your batch file.
If there are any spaces or illegal characters you will see them there before the first pause.
:move

    echo "!acctdir!"
    echo "!userDir!"
    echo "!acctdir3!"
    pause

        for /r "!acctdir!\!userDir!\" %%g in (*.ARC) do echo move "%%g" "!acctdir!\!userdir!\!acctdir3!\"
        pause

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Gilles Crampes, né le 27 novembre 1969 à Tarbes et a grandi à Toulouse, est un photographe et un photojournaliste français.

Ses reportages ont été publiés par la presse française et internationale, notamment par Newsweek, National Geographic France, Géo, The Independent, Le Monde, Libération et Grands Reportages.

Biographie
Gilles Crampes suit des études de photographie à l'ETPA de Toulouse (1991-1993) lors desquelles il effectue un stage à l'agence Magnum (1992) à Paris. Durant les années 90, il fait plusieurs reportages ethnographiques en Asie. Son reportage sur la diaspora tibétaine fait l'objet de parutions internationales et d'une projection au festival VISA pour l'Image, et son travail sur les pays producteurs de pierres précieuses fait l'objet de nombreuses parutions et deux livres.

De 1997 à 2003 il effectue un reportage documentaire de longue durée sur le quartier de Pigalle à Paris.

De 2002 à 2008 il travaille régulièrement avec le magazine Grands Reportages pour lequel il  effectue de nombreux reportages notamment en Terre de Feu.

De 2010 à 2015 il illustre la présence laïque et religieuse des peuples du monde à Paris et sa proche banlieue. Le livre Paris Célébrations, préfacé par Frédéric Lenoir, est publié par les Editions Magellan & Cie en 2016. Vingt photographies tirées de ce corpus entrent en 2021 dans le fonds de collection et l'exposition permanente du Musée de l'Histoire de l'immigration.

Crampes a également collaboré avec des entreprises et plusieurs fondations, notamment Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, Fondation Nicolas-Hulot pour la nature et l'homme, SOS Racisme).

Vie Privée
Gilles Crampes habite à Paris. Il est le compagnon de la chanteuse Armelle Yons.

Monographies

 2016 : Paris Célébrations, Magellan & Cie.
 2006 : 1956-2006 L'énergie au Cœur, GDF- Livres collectifs.
 2004 : Pierres précieuses et terres d'aventure, éditions Hermé.
 2002 : À la poursuite des pierres précieuses, éditions Privat.

Expositions

 2020 : Galerie Terrain Vagh, Paris
 2019 : Galerie Terrain Vagh, Paris.
 2019 : Galerie Orpiment, Liège.
 2018 : Pagode de Vincennes
 2018 : Espace des Blancs Manteaux
 2018 : Salons de la photographie Saint-Sulpice, Paris
 2018 : Salon de la photographie, Bordeaux.
 2018 : Galerie Kerchache-Pivaty
 2017 : Galerie Comtesses, Lyon
 2017 : Espace des Blancs Manteaux, Paris.
 2017 : BHV Marais.
 2016 : Echomusée de la Goutte d'Or, Paris.
 2016 : Café social Ayyem Zamen, Paris.
 2013 : Théâtre de Ruthebeuf, Clichy.
 2012 : Musée du Montparnasse.
 2012 : Bordeaux, quartiers Caudeyran et Grand Parc.
 2012 : Pagode de Vincennes. Paris.
 2012 : Espace Moisant, rue de Seine. Paris.
 2012 : Echomusée de la Goutte d'Or, Paris.
 2011 : Festival Chroniques Nomades. Honfleur.
 2008 : 60 ans de Tati. Exposition, vente aux enchères. Le 104, Paris.
 2008 : Biennale des Agents Associés. Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.
 2002 : Projection à Visa pour l'Image, Perpignan.

Collections publiques

 Musée National de l'Immigration, Paris : Paris Célébrations (2021).

Liens externes

 Site officiel de Gilles Crampes.
 Le portfolio de Gilles Crampes, site de Grands Reportages.
 Paris Célébrations, Gilles CRAMPES, la chaîne YouTube de GIGM - Grande Image Grand Merci, 3 mai 2020.

Notes et références

Photographe français
Voyage
Documentaire
Naissance en novembre 1969
Naissance à Tarbes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Manchrian Media Personality and the Reality of the Mind Control War
June 1, 2014 by Yvonne Nachtigal
While I am not inclined to trust what Glenn Beck or Alex Jones have to say, this is still an excellent article by Paul McGuire. These things are happening (mind control). These agendas, strategies and results are observable and soberingly real.
Paul McGuire
NewsWithViews.com
In my previous article on Manchurian Candidate's for political office, I describe how sophisticated mind control technologies like MK ULTRA and social engineering, can be used to create politicians who have been programmed to carry out specific assignments. These same brainwashing technologies can be used to develop media personalities. Manchurian media personalities dominate radio, television and the Internet. Their personalities and perspectives were created in the mind control factories of our universities, business corporations, motivational seminars, ideological programming, consensus building and, in some cases, targeted mind control and brainwashing. Since John Dewey, the founder of modern public education, began using Soviet techniques of brainwashing in the 1920's, the collective mindset of our culture has been moved strategically from a Judeo Christian one to an atheistic, humanistic and socialist worldview.
For the last century, the psycho-social strategies used in Communist nations to indoctrinate children with Communist ideology and to monitor compliance for the rest of their lives, have been used in the United States. Christian leaders who were called to be "watchmen on the wall," neglected their duty before God and allowed America and its children to be transformed into an occult, immoral, godless and humanistic / socialist state, in spite of Jesus Christ's clear warnings regarding allowing little children's faith in God to be harmed in any way.
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." -Luke 17:2
Despite the very clear warnings of Christ, Bible-believing Christians chose to deliberately ignore the fact that their children were being systematically brainwashed through the Hegelian Dialectic, focusing on facts and feelings, tolerance, communitarianism, collectivism, politically correct thinking, the rejection of absolutes, attacking the history of America and Judeo Christian values, breaking down traditional morality and the promotion of immorality.
Aldous Huxley, author of "Brave New World," commented on the importance of breaking down all forms of sexual morality: "A new consensus that embraces the new immorality is accomplished through a felt crisis, and today's moral crisis — created by trading moral boundaries for sensual freedom — serves the purpose well. The proliferation of all kinds of pornography, aggressive sexual promiscuity of all forms and the absence of absolute boundaries leads to social chaos which, in turn, calls for social controls in areas outside of sex, which would have been unthinkable in a Judeo Christian culture. Pornography and the official promotion of every kind of what used to be called sexual perversions is the "new norm." It serves a political purpose."
"As political and economic freedom… diminishes, sexual freedom tends to compensate by increasing. And the dictator… will do well to encourage that freedom. In conjunction with the freedom to daydream under the influence of dope, movies and the radio, it will help to reconcile his subjects to the servitude."
The Manchurian Media personality often is involved in what have been considered immoral or perverted behaviors and actions a couple of generations ago. Not all Manchurian Media personalities openly engage in these lifestyles; some maintain traditional family values, but in many cases sexual excess is actually encouraged as a marketing tool. Angelina Jolie's flirtation with S&M and other celebrities' participation in group sex, threesomes, porn and an endless parade of sexual deviance was once unthinkable. The breaking down of all sexual morality has affected every level of our culture and makes people more vulnerable to mass brainwashing.
I am about to report a news story that you may find very offensive. Please do not read the next few sentences if you are offended. But, it is important to understand to the degree of just how far how sexual mores have changed in America. This kind of thing is not an isolated event. Our nation is inundated with what was once universally shunned as wrong and in comparison, this incident is relatively mild:
A highly regarded 44-year old female scientist at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, along with her boyfriend, were fired over allegations of molestation with a six year old boy and bestiality. The female doctor with the CDC, is highly regarded among her peers and holds a doctoral degree in immunology and molecular pathogenesis. This same female CDC doctor allegedly had the six year old spank her and use an electronic sex toy on her. In addition, photographs were found of her performing lewd sex acts on two animals. Unfortunately, new generations of women have become very sexually aggressive, including the epidemic of young female teachers seducing young boys.
The point here is that research in Soviet brainwashing techniques reveals that by using social engineering to encourage immoral and sexually perverse behaviors breaks down any connection between traditional morality, God and patriotism, thus making it far easier to control people's minds. I am not suggesting that every media personality is involved in this kind of behavior, but America as a society no longer has any real sexual boundaries, making it far easier to control people and media personalities.
On a separate note, William Colby, CIA director from 1973-1976, allegedly said, "The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." Although, we have no way of measuring the accuracy of the statement, whether he actually ever made it or was is boasting after a couple of drinks, it is doubtful that the CIA controls in some monolithic manner, the entire the media. However, it is not hard to imagine how intelligence agencies, both foreign and domestic, have infiltrated the media. In addition, the media has been infiltrated by international bankers, multi-national corporations, religious groups, cults and political movements. It would be fair to say that we have a Corporate-controlled media which essentially presents a uniform message that represents the interests of its globalist masters and not the American people. If anything, what really controls the media is a monolithic world view of liberal socialism and secular humanism.
Powerful financial interests on the right or left can and do influence the content of the media. These media personalities, including radio talk show hosts, celebrities, television commentators and pop stars have developed their worldviews in the same educational, media, cultural and psychiatric institutions as the rest of the culture. The Tavistock Institute and other social laboratories and think tanks frame human consciousness and program individuals on a mass level. Their political, cultural and spiritual viewpoints are the result of advanced Orwellian technologies of social engineering. Whatever their race, sex or ethnicity, left or right, they can represent the many faces of Big Brother. Although, there are strong exceptions, the new cultural narrative demands that their reporting and commentary break down traditional family values, eradicate patriotism and destroy faith in God and promote Marxist ideas like globalism and collectivism. Just look at the messages being sent by sitcoms, television series, music and feature films into the home. There is great danger beneath the manufactured smiles, make-up, expensive clothing, Botox, plastic surgery, movie star haircuts and frosted hair. Many are Manchurian media personalities and are not even aware of it. They are deceived into thinking their thoughts are their own.
Many people respond by saying look at all the Christian, Jewish and conservative media personalities. Really? How many of them are there really? Listen carefully to what they are actually saying and not what you think they are saying! For example, how can you believe in national sovereignty and be affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations? In many cases you do not make it to the top in media, unless you hold and espouse the right views. Observe the group think at the Academy Awards.
It is true that there are some media personalities who manage to keep their integrity, communicate as best they can truth and love for America, traditional values and faith in God. But they have to be very careful, because real McCarthy-like witch hunts are being conducted by the likes of George Soros and the radical left, who will target, lie and do anything they can to bring down those who dare to tell the real truth to the American people. Glenn Beck was systematically targeted and ousted from FOX News by the powerful elite who control the media. Beck's crime: he told too much of the truth. Michael Savage, who is one of the most talented radio talk show hosts in the nation, has been strategically demonized by a long term propaganda campaign designed to destroy him. He is a threat because he is one of the most powerful and persuasive radio talk show hosts in America. He is not a one dimensional radio personality and he understands the multi-dimensional and psychological war we are engaged in and how to disarm it. Savage instinctively understands that he is confronting the power of mass brainwashing and the subconscious. In the words of the former World Championship Heavyweight Boxer, Muhammad Ali, Savage knows how to, "dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee."
Whether you like Alex Jones or not, Alex Jones definitely has something to say and he more than deserves a place at the table. The media and in particular, the conservative media, have attempted to marginalize him. But check the integrity of Jones' content and it is apparent that he is very well read and understands history. The "dinosaurs" in the old media like NBC, CBS and ABC, are often in many cases intellectual pygmies in expensive suits.
Many conservatives do not realize that some of the media personalities and political candidates they adore, are being used to induce a state of psychological paralysis. They create the illusion that we are making progress, when in reality we are treading water and will soon drown. Be aware that there are plenty of Manchurian media personalities who masquerade as conservatives and are not at all what and who they appear to be.
David Rockefeller in an address to a Trilateral Commission meeting in June of 1991 openly admitted that the media was in on the conspiracy to create a one world socialist government:
"We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected the promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world-government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."
Rockefeller was thanking them for deceiving the American people concerning his plan to destroy America and create a one world government and his plan to destroy the dollar and create a world currency. He was praising the media for concealing the globalist agenda to bring the world into a World Socialist Government, where the American people would become serfs and lose their Constitutional freedoms to his New World Order. Rockefeller acknowledged that the media were his co-conspirators in hiding what the Federal Reserve was really all about and the fact that the CFR controls all the major media and the both the Republican and Democratic Parties.
For example, let's look at who is really behind the "Occupy Wall Street" protests outside of Wall Street and that have now spread across the United States. Billionaire George Soros, operating operating behind numerous front groups, continues his goal of the radical transformation of America into some kind Marxist state. But the majority of the media deliberately conceal from the public this important information about the financing backing the protesters.
It is important that we develop our capacity for perception and spiritual discernment, so that we are not manipulated by words and symbols. In addition, we must teach our children and others how to analyze political, religious and cultural messages, that are presented by the mass media. In practical terms, this means spending time with our children and friends and teaching them how to think critically. The entire educational process has trained people, not to use their minds, but to be swayed with their emotions. We must teach people how to detach emotionally and think clearly about what is being presented to them.
© 2011 Paul McGuire – All Rights Reserved
Categories awareness, disinformation, media, NWO, political, ritual abuse/MPD/mind control
The Illuminati Covenant
SATANIC BLACK MASS AT HARVARD, SATANIC MONUMENT IN OKLAHOMA


text:
Home > ETDS > OTD > 136
Lingnan Theses and Dissertations
From Soviet periphery to Kazakh heartland : economic crises, ethnic politics, and the Great Russian emigration from Kazakhstan, 1970-2000
Alexey MALIKOV
Prof. PIANCIOLA Niccolo
Prof. HAMPTON Mark Andrew
According to the 1959 census Kazakhs made up only 30 percent of the total population in Kazakhstan, while the share of European peoples (Russians, Germans, Ukrainians, etc.) was about 65%. Kazakhstan was the only Soviet Republic in which Russians outnumbered a "titular nationality". Starting in the late 1960-s, Russians and other Europeans began to decrease gradually firstly in relative numbers and then in absolute numbers. As a result the 1999 census showed that Kazakhs made up of 53.4 percent and became the ethnic majority in the country. The proposed research examines the role of outmigration in this demographic shift. It focuses on the different factors (the economic crisis, ethnic demography, the agency of the political elite, and social and national tensions at the local level etc.) effecting on the ethnic demographic change and causing the return migration from Kazakhstan in the late Soviet period and the first Post-Soviet decade (1970-2000).
Migration from Kazakhstan peaked in the 1990s. This period has very frequently been under special focus of many scholars who explore the return migration from Kazakhstan. At the same time, the roots of this huge wave of outmigration were in the late Soviet period. Migration between Soviet republics, had highly negative migration balance (more 1.5 mln. people) in Kazakhstan from late 1960-s to 1991. The negative migration exchange with other Soviet republics was caused by various factors. They include the changes in the priorities of the state migration policy, agricultural crises and poor living standards in rural areas, rapid growth of young working age population of indigenous nationality, difficulties in professional realization of Slavic young people, increasing Kazakh national consciousness, unsuccessful attempts of the Soviet government to solve existing economic, social and national problems.
The copyright of this thesis is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Malikov, A. (2021). From Soviet periphery to Kazakh heartland: Economic crises, ethnic politics, and the Great Russian emigration from Kazakhstan, 1970-2000 (Master's thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd/136/


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Here's a quick sneaky look at our production cyclocross frame ready for paint. Excuse the crappy camera-phone pics.
All production frames are configurable for any braze-ons. This one's getting a single bottle cage mount (I know!) and routing for a 1×10 drive train. Twist our arm and we'll put cantis on it instead of disks.
We're officially launching these at Bespoked Bristol but we're taking pre-orders now. Call or email for more details.


And why do we need to see this again?
(02-12-2018 03:43 PM)Frank Wrote: And why do we need to see this again?
The Information Commissioner's office have at last replied after such a long time. I am disappointed that they have not been able to get the information that i had requested from the the Gambling Commission. They have ruled out that in all probabilities the Gambling Commission do not have that information. It is beyond common sense and logic that the Gambling Commission did not know the number of Lottery Tickets that came out faulty for that 30Dec Draw. I had complained to them about the National Lottery telling them that i believed my Millionaire Maker Codes were never entered in that Draw. They had carried out a full review of my complaint ,contacted Camelot and even had face to face meeting with representatives them about that Faulty Lottery Ticket. And they want me to believe they never asked Camelot how many Tickets were affected. Of course it is most likely that they have the information and they do not want to reveal it because if they do they would be compelled to carry out a proper investigation into this whole affair. Regardless of the number of Faulty Lottery Tickets the Gambling Commission should have send someone to look into Camelot's Central Computer Database for details of that Faulty Lottery Ticket. This is how to make sure that everything is above board. When is the last time,if any,the National Lottery have issued a Euromillions Lottery Ticket with the Millionaire Maker Codes missing? I have not heard of any. Perhaps someone else has come across one. This is Gambling,if you sell me a bad ticket you have to prove to me 100% that it is not bad. Concrete proof must be given on demand and not three months after the Draw. We will never know whether that Faulty Lottery Ticket was the only one or one of many that came out FAULTY out of the many millions issued by the National Lottery for that 30Dec16 Draw.


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text:
Chicago Protesters Block High-End Stores, Demanding Inquiry Into Shooting : The Two-Way City and federal investigators showed a lack of urgency in dealing with the case, critics say. Local columnist and editor Carol Marin pins part of the blame on "the feds" and President Obama.
Chicago Protesters Block High-End Stores, Demanding Inquiry Into Shooting
Chicago Protesters Block High-End Stores, Demanding Inquiry Into Shooting 4:05
November 28, 201512:34 PM ET
Bill Chappell
Demonstrators do push-ups Friday as others block motorists along Chicago's Michigan Avenue as they protest the shooting of Laquan McDonald who was killed by a police officer in 2014. Joshua Lott/Getty Images hide caption
Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Demonstrators do push-ups Friday as others block motorists along Chicago's Michigan Avenue as they protest the shooting of Laquan McDonald who was killed by a police officer in 2014.
Days after a video was released showing a white police officer killing a 17-year-old black man, protesters in Chicago turned out to disrupt traffic and shopping along the city's famous "Magnificent Mile" retail strip on Black Friday.
The protesters chanted "16 shots, 14 months" — referring to the number of bullets that struck Laquan McDonald and the delay in both the release of the video and the pursuit of charges against Chicago officer Jason Van Dyke.
Earlier this week, Van Dyke, who had been placed on administrative duty as an investigation continued, was charged with murder in McDonald's death. That announcement came one day before a judge-ordered deadline for the city to release the video.
Critics say that city and federal investigators haven't shown urgency in dealing with the case; local columnist and editor Carol Marin pins blame on both "the feds" and President Obama, writing in the Sun-Times Friday, "The president doesn't hurry. Not even when his city is bleeding."
Noting that at the time of McDonald's death, Ferguson, Mo., and other cities were dealing with the fallout of controversial police killings — and that Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was also facing a tough re-election bid as Chicago's mayor — Marin tells NPR's Scott Simon today:
"The city kept it quiet. But worse than that... the city and the [police] union did not tell the truth about what happened, they both said hours after the shooting that this young man lunged at police. The video contradicts that utterly. The fact is that the police department, according to the lawyers for Laquan McDonald, shooed witnesses away or berated them for saying that they saw an execution."
Activists are calling for an outside investigation into how Chicago handled the shooting; they also want McCarthy and other leaders, including Mayor Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, to resign.
On Friday, protesters fulfilled plans for protests that were put in place before the criminal charges and video became public.
Banana Republic; Ralph Lauren; Victoria's Secret; Saks Fifth Avenue; Tiffany's, Disney: protesters blocked access to those retailers for at least part of Friday, chanting "No shopping today!" and "Find a door, shut it down!" according to member station WBEZ's Linda Lutton.
At the normally bustling Apple store, the AP reports, "dozens of employees in red shirts stood in an otherwise empty two-story space and watched through store windows as protesters linked arms to stop anyone from entering."
In addition to protests that targeted retail operations, the Rev. Jesse Jackson led a large group in prayer and a moment of silence Friday in honor of McDonald, who was killed on Oct. 20, 2014.
This week, the long-anticipated release of the dashcam video led to protests that, according to WBEZ, sought "to honor McDonald and protest police brutality. But the march downtown didn't result in property damage or anything resembling a riot."
Discussing how Chicago avoided the violence that followed controversial cases of police killings of young black men in other cities, WBEZ's Natalie Moore spoke to Veronica Morris-Moore, a protest organizer who said, "I think people expected Chicago to burst in flames because the dominate narrative out there is that black people are reckless and we don't care about our communities or neighborhoods."
During Friday's demonstrations, three people were arrested, the AP reports:
"Several protesters were seen lying face-down on the ground in handcuffs. A police spokesman said three people were arrested, two traffic-related and a third related to a battery. He didn't give details.
"Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said he believes the protests have gone 'exceptionally well' in large part because his officers have gone out of their way to let demonstrators express their outrage. He says despite people screaming in their faces, getting hit with spittle and thrown objects, officers are acting in a professional manner."
In at least one area, Friday's protests ended on a peaceful note, according to the Chicago Sun-Times:
"For some, the night ended just before 10 p.m., outside the Best Buy at the John Hancock Center — with an exchange of handshakes between protesters and some of the police officers they'd kept busy much of the day."
As Chicago copes with the aftermath of the McDonald shooting, the city has also been dealing with two other high-profile killings.
On Friday, authorities filed murder charges against a man in the death of a 9-year-old boy who was reportedly lured off a basketball court and shot in the head early this month, in a case that police say centers on gang rivalries.
And last week, Chicago's police chief recommended firing Det. Dante Servin, who shot and killed innocent bystander Rekia Boyd, 22, in 2012. Servin was acquitted on involuntary manslaughter charges this past April, when the judge in the case abruptly ended the trial before Servin's defense presented any witnesses.
As with the McDonald case, the outcome of the Servin trial sparked criticism of Alvarez. As WBEZ's Chip Mitchell reported in the spring, the judge in the Servin case "seemed to be saying the trial might have ended differently if prosecutors had charged the detective with murder."


Q: Do you have children?
A: 4 scattered around the country: Brian, Melissa, Amy and Michael.
Q: Do you have pets?
A: One dog (Lillie) and one turtle (Ted). Have had Ted for 25 years.
A: Not one favorite book. I like history, biographies and occasional historical novels.
Q: What factors influenced your career choice?
A: Serious illness of a close cousin at age 12, shadowing experience with a local GP when I was a teenager.
Q: What is one important skill every person should have?
A: The ability to listen.
Q: What's your favorite holiday?
Q: What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Dr. David Good's professional interests include Stroke, telestroke, stroke rehabilitation, methods to facilitate motor recovery following stroke.