text:
2 teens dead, community in shock after mass shooting at Cypress house party; Suspects remain at large
HOUSTON At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia described the event as a "birthday party gone wild."
The violence unfolded just before 11pm Saturday at a home in the 7300 block of Enchanted Creek Drive near FM 529.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office says at least 20 people were injured, and two of those victims are dead. HCSO authorities tell us Queric Richardson, a 17-year-old student of Morton Ranch High School in Katy, died at the scene. A 16-year-old girl died after being transported to Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital. Her name has not been officially released.
Richardson's father, Laurence Guidry, is having a hard time understanding how his two sons went to the party, yet only one of them came home.
"Queric didn't deserve this. He was just a child," Guidry said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Relatives told us Richardson, who would have turned 18 next week, was a good student and worked at a local Dairy Queen. His 16-year-old brother, Kenneth Guidry, was shot while trying to save him.
"He was shot 10 minutes before he even realized he was shot, trying to help his brother," their father said.
Richardson's brother was one of 18 survivors who reportedly suffered gunshot wounds. A 19th victim has a broken leg, officials said.
Injuries range in severity. As of Sunday night, one person remained in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
A BIRTHDAY PARTY GONE WILD
According to HCSO, close to 100 people were present when the shooting happened -- most of them young adults and teens. Guests were there to celebrate the 18th birthday of Mariah Boulden, who lives in the home. Officials said Boulden's mother was there as well.
Sheriff Garcia said the problems began when party organizers took to social media to promote the event.
"Anytime you promote a birthday party on social media, you have no control over who to expect at your door," Garcia said. "What it does is indicate, that your saying to the social media world, 'I don't know who you are, but you're invited.' That's not a good practice."
Authorities said there was no provocation and no evidence of a confrontation. The initial shot was reportedly fired in celebration, which caused someone to react and fire randomly into the crowd.
"It is just a horrible combination of immaturity, access to a firearm and the inability to control oneself," Garcia said.
As the gunfire erupted, guests fled the home in a panicked rush to escape.
We talked to a young man who was at the party, who asked us not to show his face. He described moments of sheer terror as bullets went flying and people were scrambling to get away.
"I'm by, like, the garage and the door with the other people. And I'm telling and pushing everybody like, 'Move to the garage,'" he told us. "Because I looked, and I could see him coming toward the door."
The garage door is now bowed out. That's where deputies say people were pushing, trying frantically to get out of the house.
The anonymous witness said the shooting went on for three to five minutes. When it ended, he walked by two young people who had been shot, trying to get to safety.
"I saw one guy. He was lying on the floor with blood leaking out of his mouth and off his body and stuff," the witness said. "And I saw another girl on the floor, and she looked like she was in shock, but she was also bleeding."
The birthday girl said she was outside when the commotion began.
"I was standing right there and all I heard was shooting," Boulden said. "So I ran toward the house, but the door was locked. So my cousin grabbed me and we ran down the street and called 911."
HCSO officials said investigators arrived within five minutes of receiving the call, and the sense of chaos remained.
"Victims lying everywhere, people running," HCSO Dep. Thomas Gilliland described. "Deputies were arriving, trying to figure out what happened, whether we had shooters on the ground, whether we had anyone with weapons still in the home."
A SCHOOL DISTRICT RESPONDS
Authorities said most of the guests at the party were high school students from the Cypress area.
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District officials tell us they plan to address the shooting Monday.
The district issued the following statement on Sunday:
"We are saddened to learn of the tragic shooting that occurred in a neighborhood close to one of our schools last night. We have very limited information available at this time as the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is still conducting its investigation. The Cypress-Fairbanks Police Department (CFPD) and district administrators are working closely with HCSO to obtain accurate information and to determine if any of our students were involved. District administration and CFPD are in the process of developing a plan of action for the next few days. Tomorrow, the district crisis management team, counselors and additional security will be on identified campuses to assist staff and students. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that have been impacted by this tragedy."
THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Sheriff Garcia said alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in the shootings, but the suspects may be gang-affiliated. No firearms have been recovered from the scene.
Boulden said she never expected this to happen at her birthday party.
"My brother and them were patting people down. [The suspects] didn't want to get patted down and they walked off. And then I guess they came back and went through the gate," Boulden said. "They weren't supposed to be here, whoever they were."
There is an active search underway for two unidentified suspects -- ages 17 and 22. Anyone with information is asked to call HCSO Homicide at 713-967-5810 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Please stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for updates as we continue following this developing story. We will also post any new information on our mobile news app.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
title: "Go Function Tracing, Part I"
categories: Go
tags: Go
enableChat: false
---

This is **Part I** of a two-part post on Function Tracing in `Go`. [`Part II`]({% post_url 2015-01-29-golang_trace_fns_part_2 %}) is now online!

Google's `Go` is pretty cool, and fairly fast. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to messing with it. I wrote a couple of simple library functions, and decided that I wanted to build a small lib to trace functions in golang.

The following is an attempt to document my previously stated journey. Be warned, I have only been `Go`ing for the better part of the week.

### Some code

Say we have the following code in file *foo.go*:
{% highlight go %}
package main
import "fmt"

func bar(i int) bool {
    fmt.Printf("Entering bar(%d)\n", i)
    return foo(i)
}

func foo(i int) bool {
    fmt.Printf("Entering foo(%d)\n", i)
    if i > 0 {
        bar(i - 1)
        return false
    }
    return true
}

func main() {
    fmt.Printf("Entering main\n")
    foo(1)
}
{% endhighlight %}

Running the code above with `go run foo.go` would produce something eerily similar to this:
{% highlight sh %}
$ go run foo.go
Entering main
Entering foo(1)
Entering bar(0)
Entering foo(0)
{% endhighlight %}

The above code just prints function names on entry (how boring). What if we also wanted to log the function exit? What if we wanted to visualize the nesting of calls?

### Track Function Enter / Exit (... easily)

Clearly, the naive approach here would be to just tag the **Enter** of a function on function entry (as we did), and then tag the **Exit** before any branches which invoke a return. Even thinking about that makes me feel icky.

Thankfully `Go` provides us with this nifty [`defer statement`](https://golang.org/ref/spec#Defer_statements), which we just might have to abuse a little.

From the documentation for `defer`:

{% include plugins/quote.html start=true %}
Each time a <b>defer</b> statement executes, the function value and parameters to the call are evaluated as usual and saved anew but the actual function is not invoked. Instead, deferred functions are invoked immediately before the surrounding function returns, in the reverse order they were deferred
{% include plugins/quote.html %}

So if we `defer` something immediately after we enter a function, then `Go` will invoke said deferred statement once the function we are executing returns. This is really cool! Without this, we would have to cover every returning branch of code with the exit message.

Now the same code, enriched with the power of `defer`:
{% highlight go %}
package main
import "fmt"

func bar(i int) bool {
    fmt.Printf("Entering bar(%d)\n", i)
    defer fmt.Printf("Exiting bar(%d)\n", i)
    return foo(i)
}

func foo(i int) bool {
    fmt.Printf("Entering foo(%d)\n", i)
    defer fmt.Printf("Exiting foo(%d)\n", i)
    if i > 0 {
        bar(i - 1)
        return false
    }
    return true
}

func main() {
    fmt.Printf("Entering main()\n")
    defer fmt.Printf("Exiting main()\n")
    foo(1)
}
{% endhighlight %}

Now `go run foo.go` produces:
{% highlight sh %}
$ go run foo.go
Entering main()
Entering foo(1)
Entering bar(0)
Entering foo(0)
Exiting foo(0)
Exiting bar(0)
Exiting foo(1)
Exiting main()
{% endhighlight %}

Great! We avoided having to print an exit statement for each branch which returned from the function. Wouldn't it be nice if we did not have to explicitly name the function in our `fmt.Printf()` statements?

### Extracting Function Names (at runtime)

`Go` includes a package [`runtime`](http://golang.org/pkg/runtime/) which will allow us to interact with `Go`'s runtime system. We will use this to figure out the function we are trying to trace by walking the current function stack.

{% highlight go %}
func getFnName() string {
    // Skip this function, and fetch the PC and file for its parent
    pc, _, _, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
    // Retrieve a Function object this functions parent
    functionObject := runtime.FuncForPC(pc)
    // Regex to extract just the function name (and not the module path)
    extractFnName := regexp.MustCompile(`^.*\.(.*)$`)
    return extractFnName.ReplaceAllString(functionObject.Name(), "$1")
}
{% endhighlight %}

The above code also uses the [`regexp`](http://golang.org/pkg/regexp/) package. Note that we pass `1` to `runtime.Caller()`, this is done to skip the current function's program counter. You can read all about the [`runtime.Caller()`](http://golang.org/pkg/runtime/#Caller) function.

After that, we fetch the [`Func object`](http://golang.org/pkg/runtime/#Func) by means of the `FuncForPC()` method. A `Func` object contains finer details about the function pointed to by the appropriate `pc`. Finally, since `Func.Name()` returns a decorated name, we do some parsing to fetch just the parent's "name" as we defined it.

We also probably don't want a bunch of `fmt.Printf(getFunctionName())` statements littering our code, so lets write little nifty `_enter()` and `_exit()` functions. Here is an updated *foo.go*:

{% highlight go %}
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "runtime"
    "regexp"
)

// Trace Functions
func _enter() {
    // Skip this function, and fetch the PC and file for its parent
    pc, _, _, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
    // Retrieve a Function object this functions parent
    functionObject := runtime.FuncForPC(pc)
    // Regex to extract just the function name (and not the module path)
    extractFnName := regexp.MustCompile(`^.*\.(.*)$`)
    fnName := extractFnName.ReplaceAllString(functionObject.Name(), "$1")
    fmt.Printf("Entering %s\n", fnName)
}

func _exit() {
    // Skip this function, and fetch the PC and file for its parent
    pc, _, _, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
    // Retrieve a Function object this functions parent
    functionObject := runtime.FuncForPC(pc)
    // Regex to extract just the function name (and not the module path)
    extractFnName := regexp.MustCompile(`^.*\.(.*)$`)
    fnName := extractFnName.ReplaceAllString(functionObject.Name(), "$1")
    fmt.Printf("Exiting  %s\n", fnName)
}

// Functions we wish to trace
func bar(i int) bool {
    _enter()
    defer _exit()
    return foo(i)
}

func foo(i int) bool {
    _enter()
    defer _exit()
    if i > 0 {
        bar(i - 1)
        return false
    }
    return true
}

func main() {
    _enter()
    defer _exit()
    foo(1)
}
{% endhighlight %}

Looking better, so now running `go run foo.go` produces:
{% highlight sh %}
$ go run foo.go
Entering main
Entering foo
Entering bar
Entering foo
Exiting  foo
Exiting  bar
Exiting  foo
Exiting  main
{% endhighlight %}

Seems like we lost the parameter logging, we will re-visit that later. Also, being the keen reader, and disciplined coder you are, the copy-pasted section in `_enter()` and `_exit()` is probably irking you. Good, we are on the same page.

One option to remedy the above issue is to invoke another helper function to simply fetch the caller's caller's name (change the "skip" in `runtime.Caller()` from `1` to `2`), another option is explored below.

### One* for the price of Two

So now we have this code block in every function we wish to trace:
{% highlight go %}
_enter()
defer _exit()
{% endhighlight %}

We could move them to the same line by simply adding a `;` between them to tell `Go` that these are independent statements.
{% highlight go %}
_enter(); defer _exit()
{% endhighlight %}

Ideally, we only invoke the `runtime.Caller()` method once per function being traced. Currently it is done twice (once for `_enter()` and once for `_exit()`). We also would like to express the trace function as a single statement.

What if the `_enter()` function, figured out the function being traced, and returned said function name to the `_exit()` function? Ignoring the changes in the function signature, the usage would become something like this:
{% highlight go %}
fn := _enter()
defer _exit(fn)
{% endhighlight %}

This only ameliorates the duplicate code issue, we still have two statements (arguably more complicated than before).

Lets re-visit the `defer` statement. The excerpt for `defer`, tells us that any arguments, to any functions which are being deferred, will be computed at the time of "deferring" and not when the function is eventually executed. This simplifies the above code to:
{% highlight go %}
defer _exit(_enter())
{% endhighlight %}

Putting it all together, *foo.go* should look like this (note that we made the function finding code more readable as well):
{% highlight go %}
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "runtime"
    "regexp"
)

// Regex to extract just the function name (and not the module path)
var RE_stripFnPreamble = regexp.MustCompile(`^.*\.(.*)$`)

// Trace Functions
func _enter() string {
    fnName := "<unknown>"
    // Skip this function, and fetch the PC and file for its parent
    pc, _, _, ok := runtime.Caller(1)
    if ok {
        fnName = RE_stripFnPreamble.ReplaceAllString(runtime.FuncForPC(pc).Name(), "$1")
    }

    fmt.Printf("Entering %s\n", fnName)
    return fnName
}

func _exit(s string) {
    fmt.Printf("Exiting  %s\n", s)
}

// Functions we wish to trace
func bar(i int) bool {
    defer _exit(_enter())
    return foo(i)
}

func foo(i int) bool {
    defer _exit(_enter())
    if i > 0 {
        bar(i - 1)
        return false
    }
    return true
}

func main() {
    defer _exit(_enter())
    foo(1)
}
{% endhighlight go %}

Sweet! Hope that was informative.

In [`Part II`]({% post_url 2015-01-29-golang_trace_fns_part_2 %}), we will investigate moving this code to a library and extending it with some simple options.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


ABOUT: Charlotte Brontë's classic story is re-imagined in a collaboration between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic. As inspiring as it ever has been, this bold and dynamic production uncovers a woman's fight for freedom and happiness on her own terms. Jane Eyre's determined heroine faces life's obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, prejudice and betrayal.


Welcome to the home of the Pasadena Coin Club. The Pasadena Coin Club meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at the Golden Corral Restaurant - 4021 Spencer Highway. Members and guests begin arriving as early as 5:30pm. The meeting starts at 7:00pm. Viewing of auction lots is before the club meeting and in a 10-minute intermission after club business is completed.
"Basics of Coin Collecting". Check it out! You'll need to use Internet Explorer to view it, and you will also need to have PowerPoint installed on your PC to see it.
The Pasadena Coin Club sponsors a "Coins for A's Program". The program rewards junior members with coins for each "A" that they get on their report cards. This encourages and fosters further numismatic interest among the junior members. Donations to this program are always appreciated.


It is always with great pleasure that I come to Madrid to skate with Madridpatina. I first came in 2009 to certify them in ICP Levels 1, 2 and 3 and now they had another 17 instructors to put through the ICP Level 1 training. Madridpatina is the largest skate school in the world with 38 active instructors and a huge client base of enthusiastic and involved clients. The skate industry in Spain is experiencing a huge boom and Madridpatina value the ICP certification and are the only Spanish instructors with ICP accreditation.
We took advantage of me being in Madrid to run SkateDance workshops for their clients (beginner and advanced levels) and also an instructor development session with their 12 full time instructors.
The ICP course began with the usual Friday night theory session of discussion and expansion of the ICP teaching model and codes of practice. There were 17 participants, most of which have already been through Madridpatina's internal instructor training, so they were above average in skate ability and teaching experience. On Saturday we had an extremely long day of skate and teaching practice in very hot conditions. The courts where we skated felt like an external oven and there was no wind and no shade. It has been the hottest and driest summer in Madrid for over 50 years.
On Sunday we started the teaching exams with each skater teaching a 15 minute lesson to 4 colleagues. I was impressed by how everyone managed to keep their energy and enthusiasm up as the day progressed, as this is often the most tiring part of the weekend. I certainly have never marked that many exams in one day.
The searing heat suddenly changed and as we finished the teaching exams a cool wind came over which was refreshing, but then followed by a heavy downpour. This was the first rain to have fallen all summer in Madrid and as an English woman carrying an umbrella in the morning (to give me shade while marking exams), it was jokingly deemed my fault! This was however the first ICP test ever where I gave full marks to each candidate for their backwards powerslides, as the wet ground created a wonderfully slide-able surface. We used our technical skills to continue skating on the damp ground as it dried out, choosing low speed skills with little edging while it was still wet. By the time we finished the skating skills exam the ground was dry and as the exams and the skating part of the weekend came to an end, the relief and sense of accomplishment from everyone was palpable.
Congratulations to the 15 candidates who passed the test and are now ICP certified. I look forward to returning, hopefully in 2013 as I always benefit and have so much fun working with Madridpatina. I am received with so much 'carino' and reminded of the great friendships I have made here. It is always so useful for skate school owners to meet and talk and exchange ideas. I recommend anyone visiting Madrid to contact Madridpatina, join their classes or regular tours, as you will not have more fun on your skates anywhere else.


Okay -- we're talkin deodorant today. A beautiful topic, I know.
If you're not on the natural deodorant bandwagon, then get on it! Conventional deodorant brands contain aluminum, which have been known to accumulate in breast tissue (source) and is linked to an increased likelihood of cancer. Eek. There are several reasons to opt for a healthier alternative. It's really quite natural for the body to sweat and anti-perspirant deodorants can kill good bacteria in the arms that are beneficial for healthy bodily function.
So that leaves us searching for a deodorant without these harmful substances -- and one that WORKS. It's harder than it sounds and to be honest, I haven't been PERFECTLY satisfied with any option yet, but I'm also not really willing to go back to conventional deodorant. If you've found one that works for you, PLZ help a girl out.
This one is really good. It does contain baking soda so it irritated my skin a little bit.
In my opinion, this one doesn't really work at all. LOL.
This one is one of my favorites. It does not sting the skin and I love the scent.
This is also one of my top choices. It does sting my skin just a little bit, but it works the best that I've found so far.
Have any of these worked for you? Or do you have other recs?


text:
Q: Unexpected behavior for KernelMixtureDistribution I have some data:
upL={0., -0.003, 0.003, -0.001, 0.005, 0.011, 0.007, 0.002, 0.006, 0.005,
0.01, 0.014, 0.006, 0.009, 0.011, 0.01, 0.004, 0.01, 0.003, 0.01,
0.01, 0.013, 0.019, 0.006, 0.009, 0.01, 0.005, 0.002, 0.006, 0.007,
0.006, 0.005, 0.008, 0.007, 0.009, 0.004, 0.006, 0.01, 0.005, 0.006,
0.005, 0.004, 0.003, 0.005, 0.01, 0.002, 0.01, 0.003, 0.007}

I am fitting a KernelMixtureDistrbution to it:
upKMD = KernelMixtureDistribution[upL]

It plots as expected. It provides some probability information as expected:
Probability[x >= .006, x \[Distributed] upKMD]

(* 0.541353 *)

Probability[x <= .008, x \[Distributed] upKMD]
(* 0.63786 *)

But when I attempt to combine these to get the probability of a range of x, it doesn't evaluate.
Probability[x >= .006 && x <= .008, x \[Distributed] upKMD]

When using EstimatedDistribution for example, this works as I would have expected.
upEND = EstimatedDistribution[upL,NormalDistribution[\[Mu], \[Sigma]]];
Probability[x >= .006 && x <= .008, x \[Distributed] upEND]
(* 0.199284 *)

A: upL = {0., -0.003, 0.003, -0.001, 0.005, 0.011, 0.007, 0.002, 0.006, 0.005,
   0.01, 0.014, 0.006, 0.009, 0.011, 0.01, 0.004, 0.01, 0.003, 0.01, 0.01,
   0.013, 0.019, 0.006, 0.009, 0.01, 0.005, 0.002, 0.006, 0.007, 0.006, 0.005,
    0.008, 0.007, 0.009, 0.004, 0.006, 0.01, 0.005, 0.006, 0.005, 0.004,
   0.003, 0.005, 0.01, 0.002, 0.01, 0.003, 0.007};

upKMD = KernelMixtureDistribution[upL];

I think this is a bug; however, use any of the following forms as a workaround
Probability[.006 <= x <= .008, x \[Distributed] upKMD]

(*  0.179213  *)

or
CDF[upKMD, .008] - CDF[upKMD, .006]

(*  0.179213  *)

or
Subtract @@ CDF[upKMD, {.008, .006}]

(*  0.179213  *)

or
Probability[x <= .008, x \[Distributed] upKMD] -
 Probability[x <= .006, x \[Distributed] upKMD]

(*  0.179213  *)

or
Subtract @@ Probability[{x <= .008, x <= .006}, x \[Distributed] upKMD]

(*  0.179213  *)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Take This, IGDA, and IGDAF Statement on Recent Events
Video Game organizations seek to create safer, more inclusive environments
SEATTLE, WA – September 4, 2019 — In this past week, many traumatic events have both been brought to light and have occurred within the game industry. The tragic nature of these events compels us to take action and to offer immediate support to those who are directly affected.
For those who are suffering:
We want to make sure the community is aware of the resources and tools available to those who are suffering.
The trauma and abuse that are currently news in the game community are horrific and can resurface memories and feelings which survivors of trauma prefer to leave in the past. It is important to acknowledge that these events and accounts can produce a wide variety of emotions and reactions. It can be very difficult to reconcile conflicting emotions without reacting strongly or quickly. These feelings are normal.
Harassment of any kind is terrifying and has very real consequences. These consequences can manifest differently for every person and can range from short-term discomfort to debilitating long-term trauma.
Suicide is tragic and traumatic for those left behind. It is estimated that every suicide affects about 135 people – and everyone's grief is very real.
It is also important to understand that suicide is not caused by a single event or traceable to a single cause. It is the result of an accumulation of factors, often very complex.
It is important to reiterate that everyone deserves help and safety, no matter what.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, in need of immediate intervention, and based in the US, please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 1-800-273-8255. You can also text AFK to 741741 in the US.
Additional mental health resources, including resources for other countries, can be found on Take This' website, and we also suggest reaching out to Rise Above the Disorder, which helps people in games access free mental health care.
For tips about how to talk about mental health in a way that is validating and supportive, please see the Take This FAQ on How to Talk About Mental Health.
Take This, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and the International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDAF) are working together on recommendations and next steps that will make our industry and games, in general, safer for all groups of people. We have invited experts and stakeholders to inform our approach, and we invite those who are passionate about these subjects to reach out to us to participate in this important discussion. We are working towards a day where anyone may play video games and pursue their game development dreams without fear of harassment and persecution.
There is no place in games or game-related spaces for harassment, whether online or in person. Everyone deserves to feel safe enjoying video games and pursuing their passions. It is imperative that we come together to create safer, more inclusive environments that can be enjoyed by the billions of gamers from all backgrounds.
About Take This
The mission of Take This is to decrease the stigma, and increase the support for, mental health within the game industry and the game enthusiast community. Our Vision is a game community that welcomes and supports people experiencing mental health challenges, and that recognizes the humanity and mental health of game creators. We combine clinical best practice with a love of all things gamer, providing a safe, accepting space for gamers and game developers.
Take This runs AFK Rooms at game industry conventions and tradeshows, publishes research on mental health in the game industry and in games, provides training and consulting to game companies, and works with Take This Streaming Ambassadors who amplify Take This' campaign against the stigma, hopelessness, and isolation commonly found when dealing with or discussing mental health issues in the game community.
About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is the world's largest nonprofit membership organization serving all individuals who create games.
The IGDA is a U.S.-based 501(c)6 non-profit professional association and a global network of collaborative projects and communities of individuals from all fields of game development. The IGDA's diverse membership encompasses programmers and producers, designers and artists, writers, business people, QA team members, localization experts, and anyone else who participates in the game development process.
The mission of the IGDA is to support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers.
For more info, please visit www.igda.org.
About the IGDA Foundation (IGDAF)
The IGDA Foundation advances a diverse workforce and ecosystem for the video game industry to better reflect the millions of passionate players enjoying video games worldwide.
The IGDAF focuses on promoting a game development community representative of, and welcoming and inclusive to, every person who wants to make games. The IGDAF garners support for diversity and inclusion in the video game industry with initiatives such as its IGDA Scholars, Velocity and Next Gen Leaders programs, with others in the pipeline.
The IGDA Foundation is a public charity, registered as a 501(c)3 organization in the United States.
To find out more about the IGDA Foundation's initiatives visit http://igdafoundation.org.
Lena LeRay / Robert Brown
Stride PR for IGDA
press@igda.org


Maja Wronska is a 21 year old student of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. Taking on her mother's trade of architecture, Maja has been drawing buildings and castles since she was a child. Poland's skill requirements for architectural school prompted Maja to attend drawing classes, which changed her attitude towards drawing and gave her inspiration as a developing artist. As you will see today, her talent shines through her work. We collected some of Maja's most impressive watercolor works for your enjoyment!


text:
Lafarge Pleads Guilty to Financing ISIS, Agrees to Pay $778M Fine
Lafarge, the world's largest cement manufacturer,pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Tuesday to conspiring to finance terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State, in exchange for preferential treatment for its Syria-based operations.
Pakistani Court Drops Terrorism Charges Against Former-PM Imran Khan
Pakistan's high court dismissed on Monday the terrorism charges brought against Imran Khan, the country's former prime minister, who appears to have escaped the latest of legal challenges brought against him since he was ousted from power last month.
Israel Sanctions Facilitators of Hamas Money Laundering Network
Israel's defense ministries levied sanctions Wednesday against 20 individuals and companies who have facilitated Hamas' money laundering network.
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan Charged for Threatening Police and a Judge
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was charged Sunday under the country's anti-terrorism act for making threatening statements against senior judicial and police officials whom he blamed for torturing his chief of staff.
A Disturbing Market in Illegal Surface to Air Missiles Grows Worldwide
While small arms like pistols and assault weapons such as AR-15 dominate debates around gun control and the illegal firearms trade, a disturbing trend is showing another type of weapon proliferating worldwide – shoulder mounted surface to air missile launchers.
Government of Burkina Faso Sued After OCCRP Investigation
A grassroots organization in Burkina Faso filed a complaint against the government Tuesday, citing an OCCRP investigationthat connected the state to a massive smuggling operation which financed regional terrorism.
Pakistan Quietly Removed Thousands From Its Terrorist Watch List
Without giving any public explanation, Pakistan removed about 1,800 names from its terrorist watch list since the beginning of March, according to data collected by New York-based regulatory technology company Castellum.AI.
UN: Halt Organized Crime Money Going to Terrorism
The United Nations Security Council asked its member states on Tuesday to do more to stop terrorists from making money through organized crime.
Argentina: Former President Charged With Treason
An Argentine federal judge indicted ex-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for treason and other charges related to allegations that she covered up Iran's possible involvement in a 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, according to Reuters.
ISIS Laundered Money into US Using eBay: Investigators
United States investigators have uncovered a money laundering operation run by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) that transferred funds to an alleged ISIS supporter in the US using fake eBay transactions, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Yakuza Prepares Members to Resist Japan's New Anti-Organized Crime Law
Japan's largest organized criminal group has published a manual for its members on how to avoid arrest under the country's new anti-terrorism and organized crime law, The Asahi Shimbun reported Wednesday.
Italy Cracks Migrants and Cigarette Smuggling Ring
Italian police arrested 12 suspects of migrant and cigarette smuggling who may have planned to bring migrants with jihadist links to Europe, media reported Tuesday.
Spain: People Smugglers May Have Brought ISIS Members to Europe
Spanish authorities detained four people on Monday suspected of being part of a migrant smuggling network that may have been used by the Islamic State (IS) to bring its members to Europe.
Montenegro: Special Prosecutor Says Russian Nationalists Behind Failed Coup
Montenegro's chief special prosecutor Sunday accused Russian nationalists of plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic on Oct. 16, Election Day.
United States: Banking Giant HSBC Sued For Alleged Laundering
Families of US citizens murdered by drug cartels in Mexico are suing HSBC, saying it let the cartels launder billions of dollars to operate their businesses, resulting in the destruction of numerous lives, according to a casefiled in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
DEA Cracks Down on Alleged Hezbollah Terror Financing Operation
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has made several arrests targeting a global drug trafficking and money laundering network as part of a larger investigation into Hezbollah activities, according to a Monday news release.
US: Bosnian immigrant jailed for financing terror groups
A U.S District Court in St. Louis sentenced Jasminka Ramic to three years in prison for financing ISIS terrorists.
Montenegro Announces Arms Smuggling Crackdown, Tightens Borders
Montenegro's law enforcement agencies have tightened border security in a crackdown on arms smuggling. The move comes in light of a new report released by human rights organization Amnesty International, according to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN).
Kurds Deny Russian 'Proof' of Turkish IS Oil Smuggling; Turkey Alleges Russian Links to IS Oil
Joining the war of words escalating between Turkey and Russia, the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) deny that the satellite images Russian defense officials displayed at a briefing in Moscow last week showed Islamic State (IS) militants selling oil to Turkey.
Bosnia Security Minister: Balkan Crime Groups 'Smuggle Weapons to France'
Organized crime gangs in the Western Balkans are cooperating with criminal French counterparts to smuggle weapons, according to Bosnia's security minister.


Well, this Civil War sword belonged to my great-great-grandfather, Morgan Lewis Smith. Morgan, at the beginning of the Civil War, raised the 8th Missouri, basically recruiting the men and training them. And he eventually became the colonel of the 8th Missouri. After that, he went to battle. He was... served under Grant and also Sherman. He was eventually shot in the Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs. So he was out of commission there for, oh, about six months, I believe. And when he came back, he went back to the battlefield and went basically through the Battle of Atlanta. At some point after that, he was put in charge of the city of Vicksburg. The city was under turmoil. He was there to bring peace and civility to that city. After the war ended, he was presented this sword by the citizens of Vicksburg.
So this man was a brigadier general in the Union Army. His service history is very impressive. The 8th Missouri did well, but he wasn't with them for long. He was promoted to command of a brigade right before the Battle of Fort Donelson. The battle where he was wounded, coincidentally, is outside of Vicksburg. It's Chickasaw Bayou, which was one of the early attempts by the Federals to envelop the city and come around the defenses. They were rebuffed by the Confederates. That's where he got his wound. Apparently, he was well-thought-of enough at Vicksburg for the citizens to purchase an extraordinary statue-hilt presentation sword for the general. It has a presentation on the scabbard. You've got his name and information there, "Presented by the Citizens of Vicksburg in 1865." The sword itself is absolutely gorgeous. There are two maker's marks. This one here, which is Collins & Company, they made the blade.
…that was intended to be worn in battle. This is a sword that is, it's a gift. It's, it's a fancy item. And they came in these beautiful walnut cases, which would have originally held his sword belt, his epaulets, his sash, other things. The cases get damaged along the way, and they're often discarded. So it's scarce to find one with the case.
The portrait is interesting, and we were able to confirm, yes, that is him, posed overlooking a map of the city of Vicksburg. It had to be kind of a real relief for the citizens of Vicksburg. Although I'm sure they did not want to fall to Federal forces.
They certainly would have gotten a lot more to eat at that point. They would have been under Federal Army control. Their outlook in life would have improved dramatically. Presentation swords are an interesting market. There is a certain value that is derived from the beauty of the artifact itself. There's value that either adds or detracts, based on the individual, of what they did. And in this case, this is a very well-regarded individual. It is very specifically personalized for him. The Civil War market has taken some hits lately. Here in 2018, we are about 15 years into a downward slide on that market. It has recovered, to a degree. Things are better than they have been in recent years. Even that being said, this is an item that would have a retail value today between $40,000 and $50,000.
Wow, wow-- that's amazing. (chuckling) Thank you so much.


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"They treated us like slaves"…
Posted on December 11, 2014 October 15, 2020 by CIW
[hupso title="They treated us like slaves… 2nd installment of @latimes investigative report on devastating conditions in #Mexican tomato industry " url="https://ciw-online.org/blog/2014/12/latimes-2/"]
Devastating tale of criminal brutality and cruel indifference at one labor camp in Mexico's tomato industry is a case study in the abject failure of the traditional model of Corporate Social Responsibility
First things first. If you haven't done so already, put aside whatever else you might be doing at the moment and go read the full second installment of the explosive four-part investigative series in the LA Times entitled "A Product of Mexico: Hardship on Mexican Farms, a Bounty on US Tables". Take your time and read it thoroughly, the power is in the details. Here are just a few:
"The compound was fenced with barbed wire and patrolled by bosses on all-terrain vehicles."
"You're trying to leave," he said, after spotting a change of clothing in a plastic bag Martinez was carrying.
"I'm just going for a walk," Martinez said.
"Get in the car or I'll break you," the boss replied.
One day, a mother confronted a boss. She asked for more tortillas. Ricardo Martinez, who was standing in the soup line behind the woman, recalled the boss' reaction.
"He told her she would only get a slap in the face," Martinez said. "Then an older man stepped in and said, 'Don't hit her, hit me.' "
Martinez said the boss knocked the man to the ground and beat him. "She just needed more for her kids. What they gave wasn't enough," Martinez said.
Workers would hatch escape plots as desperation gripped the camp… Two young women spotted by a company guard just outside the front gate were dragged back inside. A boss had each one by the collar. They hung their heads, Guillermo Martinez said.
"I just want to go home," he recalled one woman crying out.
Bosses threw the women's backpacks in a storage room filled with confiscated belongings. They routinely took escapees' shoes and docked them three days' pay.
On June 10, 2013, three people managed to escape. They hitchhiked 100 miles to Guadalajara, where they notified authorities. The next day, dozens of state and federal officials arrived at Bioparques.
Ricardo Martinez, who had resorted to rummaging through garbage cans for food, broke down when he saw police and soldiers pouring through the gates.
"To tell you the truth, I cried…. Everybody there was really sick," he said. "They treated us like slaves."
Two hundred seventy-five people had been trapped in the camp, including two dozen malnourished children.
At least one man had been tied to a tree and beaten by camp bosses, said Juan Ramirez Arrona, a director general of the state of Jalisco's Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare.
"They were totally captive, prisoners," Ramirez said in an interview.
It goes on, and on, a graphic story of unbridled power, greed, and inhumanity.
But perhaps the single most devastating line in the entire piece is this:
A year and a half later, however, the case of Bioparques speaks more to the impunity of Mexican agribusiness than to accountability.
Slavery in our supermarket aisles
While the details of the Bioparques case may seem so harsh, so extreme, as to be part of another place or time altogether from our daily lives here in the US, the story of how the tomatoes picked at Bioparques got to market — US markets — is even more disturbing. In fact, it is entirely possible that you ate tomatoes picked by the workers whose story is told in this second installment of the LA Times report.
Richard Marosi, the reporter behind this outstanding investigation, traced the tomatoes picked at Bioparques to three supermarket giants, where they were sold under the Kaliroy brand: Walmart, Safeway, and Albertsons. And what did those companies have to say when the LA Times confronted them with its findings? From the Times story:
Wal-Mart says it stopped buying produce from Bioparques after the raid. Spokeswoman Jo Newbould said the action was based on Wal-Mart's own inquiry into labor conditions at the farm, an independent audit and the Mexican government's investigation.
Albertsons declined to comment.
Safeway said in a statement that it takes "any and all claims regarding worker conditions seriously" and was looking into the alleged abuses.
And how did such an abject failure of social responsibility come to pass at three such powerful companies, companies that regularly demand that their suppliers meet their specifications for size, shape, and quality or lose their business if they don't? It came to pass, quite frankly, because no one who was in a position to stop the abuses at Bioparques — including, and perhaps especially, the brands — cared enough to do so.
Of the three, Walmart's answer comes closest to a satisfactory response, although their decision to cut off purchases only came in reaction to the raid and arrests and gives no indication of any kind of program ever having been in place to detect and prevent the abuses in the first place. Safeway's response is public relations boilerplate, a stock response taken from a well-worn playbook. And Albertsons didn't even care enough to answer.
There is an answer, however, that can end the abuse…
The unfolding story coming out of Mexico's tomato fields is beyond distressing. It confirms all the worst suspicions of anyone who ever wondered if Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was really only public relations by other means, a way to deflect public scrutiny rather than prevent human rights violations.
But there is another way, and readers of this site will be familiar with what the CIW calls "Worker-driven Social Responsibility," or WSR, to distinguish it from the traditional CSR model.
We have written about WSR before ("Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR): A new idea for a new century"), but in light of the horrific new case study of the CSR model provided by the LA Times investigation, it seems that a return to the theme, and a fresh comparison with the CSR model, is once again in order.
That analysis will come next week, once the entire series has run its course. For now we leave you with this remarkable graphic, below, courtesy of the LA Times, that provides some sense, however distant, of the humiliating conditions faced by those who break their backs harvesting tomatoes so that we can have fresh, vine ripe fruit in our supermarkets and restaurants. Click anywhere on the image to go to the LA Times page where you can see it, and an accompanying detail, in a larger format.
Think of it next time you buy a tomato, and then think about what you can do to help.
BREAKING NEWS: Explosive LA Times investigative report blows lid off "story of exploitation and extreme hardship" in Mexican tomato fields…
"I work because… we need money to eat things"…


Stefan 1x19. . Wallpaper and background images in the Stefan Salvatore club tagged: stefan salvatore the vampire diaries.
This Stefan Salvatore photo contains 商务套装 and 西装. There might also be 衣服套装, 套装, 西装, 衣服, and 套衣服.


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The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995 (No. 21) was a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies in light of the 1991 census. It took effect on the dissolution of the 27th Dáil on 15 May 1997 and a general election for the 28th Dáil on the revised constituencies took place on 6 June 1997.

It adopted recommendations from an independent Commission chaired by Richard Johnson, judge of the High Court, which delivered its report on 27 April 1995.

It repealed the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1990, which had defined constituencies since the 1992 general election.

It was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 2002 general election for the 29th Dáil held on 17 May 2002.

Constituencies for the 28th Dáil
Explanation of columns
 Constituency: The name of the constituency.
 Created: The year of the election when a constituency of the same name was last created.
 Seats: The number of TDs elected from the constituency under the Act.

Summary of changes
This summarises the changes in representation. It does not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.

See also
Elections in the Republic of Ireland

References

Electoral 1995
1995 in Irish law
Acts of the Oireachtas of the 1990s

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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GET THE PLAYBOOK
We spoke with Marty Posch, President of the Finish Line Youth Foundation, Vinay Mullick, Regional Executive Director at UpMetrics, ran down top plays in sports philanthropy, as well as brought you new MVPs in this month's edition.
Marty Posch
Finish Line Youth Foundation
Vinay Mullick
Regional Executive Director
UpMetrics
Dr. Nita Evans
catch education
Dr. Nita Evans is the Founder and CEO of Catch Education, a college success program designed to improve the college and career readiness of Black athletes transitioning from high school to Division I football and basketball programs. An education activist and social entrepreneur, Dr. Evans created Catch Education to equip Black males with the skills they need to excel in college, career and life after sports. With a combined fifteen years of collegiate teaching and education consulting experience she is an expert in the area of race and sports. She understands that while education is considered the "great equalizer," students are not equally prepared to maximize the higher education opportunities afforded them, especially in college athletics. Based in Dallas, TX, Dr. Evans' vision is that 100% of Black males who enter Division I football and basketball programs graduate high school college-ready and equipped with a career plan beyond professional sports. Catch Education's message is that it's okay to chase a pro dream but make sure to "catch an education" along the way. Through Catch Education, Dr. Evans is bridging athletes to a better future.
mat parker
director, athletics, activities, and program development
Mat is Director of Athletics, Activities and Program Development for the Rockford Public School District in Rockford, Il. Mat has been serving the 29,000 student school district in this position for eight years. He has a master's degree in psychology and foundations of education from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor's degree in History and Secondary Education from Castleton State University. Mat was a four sport high school athlete and four-year starter for Castleton's for men's basketball program and is currently 9th all-time in scoring. Parker taught history and coached in Winnebago and South Beloit for 14 years and revived a struggling SOBO boys basketball program earning their first regional championship in 31 years and three straight 20 plus win seasons. His 2008-2009 team that went 28-2 will be inducted into the South Beloit Athletic Hall of Fame in February 2019. Mat's work with Rockford Public Schools has earned him and his colleagues National recognition, most recently a feature on ESPN's Outside the Lines and in Athletic Business magazine. He resides in Rockford with his wife Jessica and two children who work and attend Rockford Public Schools.
Dr. kayleigh Mccauley
out in athletics
Dr. Kayleigh McCauley is the Founder of Out In Athletics, LGBTQA+ Athletics Programming and Consulting. Out In Athletics offers on campus education and programming, as well as distance consulting, to create and foster inclusive athletic environments for the LGBTQA+ community and allies. Dr. Kay also currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students at Lewis & Clark College.
McCauley has over 10 years of experience working in student-athlete development at NCAA Divisions I, II, and III. She is a leading scholar-practitioner in LGBTQA+ issues in athletics; specializing in transgender and gender-expansive inclusion policies. Her research on NCAA transgender inclusion policies was published in the Journal of Educational Issues in 2016; the policy she drafted for Lewis & Clark College is cited as a model policy by the NCAA Inclusion Office and TransAthlete.com.
Currently Out In Athletics is fundraising, during the month of June (Pride Month), to support low/limited resource intercollegiate athletic departments. Following the fundraiser Out In Athletics will release a grant application specifically for low/limited resource intercollegiate athletic departments. Out In Athletics will cover 100% of the costs for on-campus training facilitated by Founder, Dr. Kayleigh McCauley.
McCauley currently serves on the N4A Board of Directors as the Region V Director. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Higher Education in 2014 from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
ryan pelley
SportWorks, Commonwealth games canada
Born and raised in a small town on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada, Ryan has always been involved in sport.
After graduating with a Masters in International Sport Management from the Johan Cruyff Institute in Amsterdam, he has worked in the sport industry for 10 years, with a focus on the creation and management of sport for development initiatives, both in Canada and abroad.
Ryan currently leads the SportWORKS program on behalf of Commonwealth Games Canada. SportWORKS integrates sport for development programming to promote individual and community social development, and has led 125 local sport projects that have impacted more than two million youth in 30 nations and territories. These initiatives focus on the empowerment of women and girls, the promotion of gender equity, youth leadership development, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and the building of sport capacity.
He has previously worked as the Executive Director of Hockey Players for Kids, Sport for Change, and the Alberta Curling Federation. As well, Ryan was an Event Director for Hockey Night in Canada's Play On.
In a volunteer capacity, Ryan spent a year overseas in St Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, to offer developmental support to the national sport association and youth sport organizations. He also had the opportunity to travel across Canada with Five Hole for Food, an organization which brings together communities by using hockey as a vehicle for social change.


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Posted inFree, Outdoors
Longtime director says 'cancellation' of two canoe races won't stand
by John Holyoke February 6, 2020 February 6, 2020
A large group of paddlers near the finish line of Saturday's St. George River Race in Searsmont. Credit: John Holyoke
Despite a Wednesday social media post indicating that the first two canoe races on the Maine schedule had been cancelled, the longtime director of the St. George River Race and the Passagassawakeag River Race said paddlers should not be overly concerned.
"The races will go on," said Dale Cross, the director of both races. "We're exploring some things and working on options. I'm confident the races will go on, and we'll have some news to announce soon."
The Waldo County YMCA has organized the races for decades, and Cross, the YMCA's former executive director, served as race director. Cross retired from the Y in September 2018, but remained race director last year, for the 39th edition of the season-opening St. George race, and the 46th edition of the Passagassawakeag race.
But in a Wednesday Facebook post, the Waldo County YMCA announced the "cancellation" of the races. The fine print, however, indicated that the Y was simply stepping away from its organizational role.
"The Y was able to successfully run these races focusing on safety, excellence and fun for race participants under race director Dale Cross with his expert knowledge of [the] St. George and Passagassawakeag rivers," the post said. "We face the difficult challenge of no longer having a race director within our organization, therefore the Waldo County YMCA has made the decision to no longer run the races."
The post concluded with a hopeful message.
"It is our greatest hope that another organization will pick up these river races," the post said.
Jeff Owen, a longtime paddler and member of the Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization, said he and MaCKRO members are working to make sure that the traditional season-opening races will be staged.
"The race community is scrambling and is quite confident that the races will be held in some shape or form on their traditional Saturdays," Owen said.
Owen said MaCKRO won't stage the races itself, but will support the races in any way it can. And Cross is busy working on an arrangement that would lead to the continuation of the two races.
"A group of us are meeting Saturday afternoon … to try to solidify a plan," he said. "In the meantime, lots of emails and phone calls [are] zipping around. [It is a] bummer when an organization drops out."
A representative from the Waldo County YMCA could not be reached for comment.
Tagged: Canoeing, outdoors
John Holyoke
John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their...	More by John Holyoke


Today (Sunday, October 21, 2018) is marked by D.C. Comics as the Day of Wonder: Wonder Woman's birthday that now makes her officially 77 years old.
A perfect time to post my copy of Wonder Woman #7. The classic "Wonder Woman for President" cover went on sale to the public November 13th, 1943.
I've written about how Wonder Woman is the sole surviving female superhero of the early Golden Age and about the stark contrast between Wonder Woman's real life psychologist creator and his contemporary psychologist anti-comic crusader.
I've also written about how Wonder Woman stood behind fellow Justice League member Hawkman during his May 1943 "We are ALL Americans speech" in All Star Comics #16.
Being a founding member of the Justice League and honing her speech writing skills apprenticing under Hawkman no doubt formed a solid base from which to launch a run for the nation's highest office. Being "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, strong as Hercules, and swift as Hermes" probably didn't hurt the campaign either!
As the story goes, Diana "Princess of the Amazons" aka Wonder Woman visited Paradise Island to participate in the annual harvest festival. During the event, Princess Diana of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta (aka Wonder Woman) is shown the future through the Magic Sphere by her mother. What she sees is the United States of America in 3000 A.D.
In that future, the "L-3" vitamin invented by character Etta Candy back in the 20th century allowed people to stop aging after their mid-thirties. This conveniently facilitated the survival of Wonder Woman's boyfriend Steven Rockwell Trevor (aka Steve) all the way to the year 3000.
By that time, the United States of America had elected its first female President, Arda Moore. Under her successful leadership, the country routed out government corruption and jailed an evil politician aptly named Grafton Patronage.
Despite the country's flourishing prosperity and technological advancements political opposition still reared its ugly head in the form of Patronage's Man's World Party. Soon, Patronage led a prison rebellion and managed to capture Diana and Steve – successfully using them as hostages to get at President Moore.
Diana was able to change into Wonder Woman and escape. Along with Etta, the pair slipped a L-3 antidote into the prison's water supply and, once drunken, immediately aged the rebellious Patronage and his conspirators to ashes. With President Moore freed things could continue on happily – that is at least until the next election cycle.
Steve himself is nominated to run against President Moore in 3004. Having succumbed to the cunning and conning of Vice Presidential candidate Professor Manly, Steve joins the Man's World Party. When President Moore refuses to run again, Diana joins with Etta to win the Women's Party nomination for President and Vice President respectively.
Both parties launch vigorous campaigns, but on election night Professor Manly colludes with malevolent associates to rig the election – forging a win for the Man's World Party. Steve realizes he is an illegitimate President and refuses to be complicit in the corrupt scheme. Professor Manly promptly has Steve "done away with" and assumes the role of President.
As Wonder Woman, Diana infiltrates the headquarters of the Man's World Party where the Professor is keeping Steve in hiding. In the ensuing battle involving freezing chemicals Steve is saved. Manly's crimes are exposed, Steve's transgressions are forgiven and Wonder Woman is dutifully sworn in as the rightful President of the United States.
Pictured below are some of my Wonder Woman comics (a collection that also includes a cover-less #2). With an on-sale date of October 17, 1942 it makes #2 Wonder Woman's 11th appearance behind All-Star Comics #8, #11; Sensation Comics #1-#7 and Wonder Woman #1. Art by H.G. Peter.


A historic waterfront factory has been given a new lease on life thanks to New York-based architecture firm ODA and Triangle Assets. Located at 10 Jay Street in DUMBO, New York City, the project explores both adaptive reuse and historic preservation in its transformation of the former Arbuckle Brothers sugar refinery into creative office spaces. The sensitive renovation updates the building to modern standards while carefully preserving its history, from the restrained industrial-inspired material palette to a new reflective facade that evokes sugar crystals.
Built in 1898, the massive structure first served as the Arbuckle Brothers' sugar refinery. After the building was converted into a winery, the front structure of the building was torn down, leaving only three of the original facades intact. The building then remained vacant and abandoned for 50 years until real estate agency Triangle Assets purchased the property with aims of renovation.
To that end, Triangle Assets tapped ODA to turn the 230,000-square-foot warehouse and its 10 stories into flexible offices that overlook panoramic views of Manhattan and Williamsburg's waterfront. The interiors are also minimally dressed in exposed brick and steel in a nod to the site's industrial heritage. Existing historical features, such as the terracotta arches and octagonal columns, were restored and exposed. The building is also embedded in Brooklyn Bridge Park, making it the only privately owned building in the park thanks to the owner's donation of nearly 15,000 square feet of land to the park. The new crystalline west facade reflects the park and sunsets over the river.
ODA transformed an old sugar refinery into creative offices in Brooklyn.
The structure was originally built in 1898.
It was once a sugar refinery for Arbuckle Brothers, then it was a winery.
After it served as a winery, the front facade was torn down, leaving only three original sides.
Now, it boasts a shimmering front facade.
The new exterior pays homage to sugar crystals.
Inside, industrial design can be seen throughout.
The updated rooms are ideal for promoting creativity.
The project hopes to exemplify how to sensitively adapt older buildings.
Many of the original features were left intact.
The 10-story building blends historic design and modern elements.
The new facade catches the eye, even from a distance.
The green renovation will allow the building to thrive for years to come.


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Home » Articles » WHO's Striking
WHO's Striking
Roger Bate | 30 Nov 2005
National Review Online With the worst pandemic since the Black Death reaching its 21st birthday and another World AIDS Day this week (Thursday), staff at the World Health Organization's Geneva headquarters are preparing to strike over pay and conditions. Had the staff been striking in disgust at the woeful performance of the campaign to treat HIV around the globe then maybe they would gaine some sympathy.
As it is the WHO director-general, Lee Jong-wook, has been forced to remind key office staff that others in regional postings such as Darfur or Baghdad will be more than willing to step in and cover any "essential" work they are doing. He has said that "the threat of a work stoppage risks bringing WHO, and our achievements, into disrepute. It is unprecedented in the history of WHO. It is out of proportion to the concerns expressed by some of the staff. It undermines the credibility of WHO."
Lee should appreciate that the credibility of WHO has been undermined by his own staff's performance. It's ironic that they choose to strike on World AIDS Day. Toward the end of 2003 WHO established the 3 by 5 Initiative — to treat 3 million HIV-positive people with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by the end of 2005. It was a grandstanding, fundraising, overreaching epitome of counterproductive target-setting. To anyone monitoring the situation it was obvious that it would fail from the beginning, and that WHO had no real intention of the target being hit since they didn't even consult the key countries (South Africa, for example) as to the target set for them. Remember WHO does not provide many of the drugs, funds, doctors, etc. to hit such targets, so consultation should have been necessary.
Articles On This Issue
Arata Kochi: shaking up the malaria world
WHO's to Blame?
more articles on this issue
USAID's Health Challenge: Improving US Foreign Assistance
Malaria Initiative Progresses
Uganda: WHO Supports Spraying DDT
AFM Response to "WHO Promotes DDT?"
WHO urges free distribution of anti-malaria nets
This oversite led to an ugly, unprofessional, and damaging spat with the South African government. WHO set a target of 375,000 people and then blamed the South African government in June when it was clear that its arbitrarily set target would not be hit. The South African health minister hit the roof; she said that her "government is not withholding treatment for opportunistic infections, including ARVs, but our objective is to promote quality healthcare. We are not just chasing numbers."
Rather than help South Africa and other nations treat more HIV patients, WHO started a pointless war of words. Earlier this week WHO apologized for missing the 3 by 5 target — five months after it had attacked South Africa because its target would not be hit.
The cornerstone of this target-setting was WHO's promotion of cheaper, generic copies of ARV drugs. Generic drugs certainly can have a role in combating the HIV pandemic, but using drugs with untested efficacy or non-bioequivalence leads to clinical uncertainty, which undermines patient performance evaluation, and increases the risk of drug resistance. It also undermines future drug development by lowering profits of originator companies.
Lee's memo to his staff regarding the strike says that the threat of a work stoppage demonstrates "a betrayal of trust, and are neither in your interest, nor that of the hundreds of staff who are working in hardship posts around the world and field stations in Africa and Asia, nor those whom we serve.' The effect of Lee's administrative approach to combating HIV has been to betray the trust of the people of Africa and other increasingly HIV-prone locations. He should apologize to the world for that.
WHO has an important role as a purveyor of information and as an urgent responder to international concerns, like SARS (where it did well) or bird flu. Were it not for that I'd endorse the strike by WHO staff, not because I like strikes, but because WHO in so many of its roles is counterproductive — and fewer WHO staff on the job is therefore good news.
— Roger Bate is a director of health-advocacy group Africa Fighting Malaria and a resident fellow of the American Enterprise Institute.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/bate200511301644.asp
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The History of Bulgarian Jewry during the Holocaust
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If 48,000 Jews lived in Bulgaria before the Holocaust and nearly all of them were alive at the end of the Second World War, how could that not be called a rescue? The answer is fascinating and complex. Nearly 12,000 Jews in Bulgarian-occupied Greece and Yugoslavia were in fact, deported to their deaths--and it was carried out by the Bulgarian police at the order of the Bulgarian government.
But when it came time to deport Jews from historic Bulgaria, something happened. Through a mixture of luck, good friends and civil courage, Bulgaria's Jews were not sent away in March 1943 to the Nazi death camps. Two months later, however, 20,000 Jews from Sofia were deported internally, where they worked in forced labor, were stripped of their assets, and lived in terrible conditions.
This short film provides a context to one of the least known stories of the Holocaust.
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BULGARIAN JEWRY
Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years (1396-1878). Compared to other societies of the time, Ottoman rulers were far more tolerant to their Jewish subjects. Ottoman Bulgaria was incredibly diverse, its society comprised of Muslims, Armenian Christinans, Bulgarian orthodox observers, Roma, and Tatars. Learn more about Ottoman rule in Bulgaria here.
Find an overview of Ottoman history here. and explore this site from the University of Michigan's Turkish Studies Department for more information.
After a period of steady decline, the Ottoman Empire lost almost all of its remaining territory during the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars. The wars' events and combatants are all detailed in this Britannia Encyclopaedia entry.
To learn more about what happened and who was involved in the Balkan Wars here is an article from Britannica Online Encyclopaedia.
Bulgaria fought for the Central Powers in the First World War. After a turbulent interwar period, Bulgaria was then a part of the Axis Alliance in the Second World War. Examine this timeline of twentieth century Bulgarian history for more information.
The People's Republic of Bulgaria was formed in 1946, part of the Soviet Union. After forty years, a series of revolutions in 1989 overturned the communist governments in Cental and Eastern Europe. Read about the decline of communism in Bulgaria here.
Compared to other societies in Europe, where the situation for Jews was more dire, Bulgarian society was uniquely lacking anti-Semitism. Read about the history of Jewish life in Bulgaria here.
Bulgaria's Jewish community is mostly Sephardic, and before the 1940s Ladino was spoken widely. In the present day, most Jews live in Sofia, the country's capital. Learn about Sofia's Jewish history in this article. This page contains an in-depth summary of Jewish life and history in Bulgaria.
This article discusses Jewish Life in Europe before the Holocaust.
After the Second World War, 90% of Bulgaria's Jewish population emigrated to Israel. Prior to the formation of the state of Israel in 1948, immigration to what was then called Palestine was restricted under British mandate. However this led to high levels of covert immigration: as rising anti-Semitism in Europe prompted more Jews to leave for Palestine, numbers of those entering the country without official permission rose. In the period between 1920 and 1948, this was referred to as Aliyah Bet.
The history of Bulgaria during the Second World War is complicated and remains a point of controversy today. This article from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provides insight into the history of Bulgaria during the Second World War.
In the years leading up to World War II, Germany placed increasing pressure on Bulgaria to pass laws against its Jewish population. During October 1940, the Law of the Protection of the Nation was brought before the parliament. Many intellectuals opposed this law, but it was passed the following year. This law and a series of ordinances severely restricted the lives of Bulgarian Jews.
On January 20, 1942, several high representatives of Nazi Germany met in a suburb of Berlin called Wannsee, to discuss the systematic annihilation of European Jewry. This infamous meeting became known as the Wannsee Conference, the euphemistic name given to the fate of Europe's Jewish population being "The Final Solution".
Bulgaria's Jews were made to wear yellow-star badges in June 1942. This was part of the descriminatory legislation passed in Bulgaria during the war. Read more on the history of the yellow-star badge here.
Throughout World War Two, Bulgaria's anti-Jewish policies escalated, and in February 1943 Alexander Belev signed an agreement with Germany, deporting 20,000 Jews to the death camps. The first to be targeted by this agreement were Jewish residents of Bulgarian-occupied territories Thrace and Macedonia. As a result of these deportations almost the entire Jewish communities of Thrace and Macedonia were murdered in Treblinka. Historical footage of the deportation of Jews from Macedonia, which was occupied by Bulgaria during World War Two. Here is more information on the deportations from Macedonia and Thrace.
When Bulgarian intellectuals, clergy, and opposition politicians learnt about the fate awaiting those deported, open protests against deporting Jews from Bulgaria began. Dimitar Pešev, a member of parliament, was instrumental in halting these deportations. Pešev wrote a letter of protest to the government and the king, he managed to get 42 members of Parliament to sign off on his letter, which caused the government to reconsider its plans to deport the Jews of Bulgaria. Yad Vashem, The world Holocaust Remembrance Centre, posthumously honoured Pešev as Righteous Among the Nations. Read about Pešev on the Yad Vashem website here. For more information, read this excerpt from Manus Midlarsky's book, The Killing Trap: Genocide in the 20th Century.
While Bulgaria's Jewish population was saved from deportation to the death camps, the Bulgarian government did round up and deport Jews from the two countries they occupied during the Second World War: Macedonia (which had been one of the Yugoslav republics) and the Greek province of Thrace.
Find more information in our comprehensive Study Guide.
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The History of the Bulgarian Jewry - Interactive Film Script


The latest issue of the online magazine Southern Culture on the Fly (or "SCoF," if you're nasty) is full of the good, sometimes weird, always compelling stuff we've come to expect from David . . .
The post Check out the Fall Issue of Southern Culture on the Fly appeared first on Orvis News.


text:
// Copyright (c) 2016 The vulkano developers
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
// <LICENSE-APACHE or
// https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT
// license <LICENSE-MIT or https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>,
// at your option. All files in the project carrying such
// notice may not be copied, modified, or distributed except
// according to those terms.

//! Configures how input vertices are assembled into primitives.

use crate::{
    macros::vulkan_enum,
    pipeline::{PartialStateMode, StateMode},
    DeviceSize,
};

/// The state in a graphics pipeline describing how the input assembly stage should behave.
#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
pub struct InputAssemblyState {
    /// The type of primitives.
    ///
    /// Note that some topologies require a feature to be enabled on the device.
    ///
    /// If set to `Dynamic`, the device API version must be at least 1.3, or the
    /// [`extended_dynamic_state`](crate::device::Features::extended_dynamic_state) feature must be
    /// enabled on the device.
    pub topology: PartialStateMode<PrimitiveTopology, PrimitiveTopologyClass>,

    /// If true, then when drawing with an index buffer, the special index value consisting of the
    /// maximum unsigned value (`0xff`, `0xffff` or `0xffffffff`) will tell the GPU that it is the
    /// end of the current primitive. A new primitive will restart at the next index.
    ///
    /// Primitive restart is mostly useful in combination with "strip" and "fan" topologies. "List"
    /// topologies require a feature to be enabled on the device when combined with primitive
    /// restart.
    ///
    /// If set to `Dynamic`, the device API version must be at least 1.3, or the
    /// [`extended_dynamic_state2`](crate::device::Features::extended_dynamic_state2) feature must
    /// be enabled on the device.
    pub primitive_restart_enable: StateMode<bool>,
}

impl InputAssemblyState {
    /// Creates an `InputAssemblyState` with the `TriangleList` topology and primitive restart
    /// disabled.
    #[inline]
    pub fn new() -> Self {
        Self {
            topology: PartialStateMode::Fixed(PrimitiveTopology::TriangleList),
            primitive_restart_enable: StateMode::Fixed(false),
        }
    }

    /// Sets the primitive topology.
    #[inline]
    pub fn topology(mut self, topology: PrimitiveTopology) -> Self {
        self.topology = PartialStateMode::Fixed(topology);
        self
    }

    /// Sets the primitive topology to dynamic.
    #[inline]
    pub fn topology_dynamic(mut self, topology_class: PrimitiveTopologyClass) -> Self {
        self.topology = PartialStateMode::Dynamic(topology_class);
        self
    }

    /// Enables primitive restart.
    #[inline]
    pub fn primitive_restart_enable(mut self) -> Self {
        self.primitive_restart_enable = StateMode::Fixed(true);
        self
    }

    /// Sets primitive restart enable to dynmamic.
    #[inline]
    pub fn primitive_restart_enable_dynamic(mut self) -> Self {
        self.primitive_restart_enable = StateMode::Dynamic;
        self
    }
}

impl Default for InputAssemblyState {
    /// Returns [`InputAssemblyState::new()`].
    #[inline]
    fn default() -> Self {
        Self::new()
    }
}

vulkan_enum! {
    #[non_exhaustive]

    /// Describes how vertices must be grouped together to form primitives.
    ///
    /// When enabling primitive restart, "list" topologies require a feature to be enabled on the
    /// device:
    /// - The `PatchList` topology requires the
    ///   [`primitive_topology_patch_list_restart`](crate::device::Features::primitive_topology_patch_list_restart)
    ///   feature.
    /// - All other "list" topologies require the
    ///   [`primitive_topology_list_restart`](crate::device::Features::primitive_topology_list_restart)
    ///   feature.
    PrimitiveTopology impl {
        /// Returns the topology class of this topology.
        #[inline]
        pub fn class(self) -> PrimitiveTopologyClass {
            match self {
                Self::PointList => PrimitiveTopologyClass::Point,
                Self::LineList
                | Self::LineStrip
                | Self::LineListWithAdjacency
                | Self::LineStripWithAdjacency => PrimitiveTopologyClass::Line,
                Self::TriangleList
                | Self::TriangleStrip
                | Self::TriangleFan
                | Self::TriangleListWithAdjacency
                | Self::TriangleStripWithAdjacency => PrimitiveTopologyClass::Triangle,
                Self::PatchList => PrimitiveTopologyClass::Patch,
            }
        }
    }
    = PrimitiveTopology(i32);

    /// A series of separate point primitives.
    PointList = POINT_LIST,

    /// A series of separate line primitives.
    LineList = LINE_LIST,

    /// A series of consecutive line primitives, with consecutive lines sharing a vertex.
    LineStrip = LINE_STRIP,

    /// A series of separate triangle primitives.
    TriangleList = TRIANGLE_LIST,

    /// A series of consecutive triangle primitives, with consecutive triangles sharing an edge (two vertices).
    TriangleStrip = TRIANGLE_STRIP,

    /// A series of consecutive triangle primitives, with all triangles sharing a common vertex (the first).
    ///
    /// On [portability subset](crate::instance#portability-subset-devices-and-the-enumerate_portability-flag)
    /// devices, the [`triangle_fans`](crate::device::Features::triangle_fans)
    /// feature must be enabled on the device.
    TriangleFan = TRIANGLE_FAN,

    /// As `LineList, but with adjacency, used in combination with geometry shaders. Requires the
    /// [`geometry_shader`](crate::device::Features::geometry_shader) feature.
    LineListWithAdjacency = LINE_LIST_WITH_ADJACENCY,

    /// As `LineStrip`, but with adjacency, used in combination with geometry shaders. Requires the
    /// [`geometry_shader`](crate::device::Features::geometry_shader) feature.
    LineStripWithAdjacency = LINE_STRIP_WITH_ADJACENCY,

    /// As `TriangleList`, but with adjacency, used in combination with geometry shaders. Requires
    /// the [`geometry_shader`](crate::device::Features::geometry_shader) feature.
    TriangleListWithAdjacency = TRIANGLE_LIST_WITH_ADJACENCY,

    /// As `TriangleStrip`, but with adjacency, used in combination with geometry shaders. Requires
    /// the [`geometry_shader`](crate::device::Features::geometry_shader) feature.
    TriangleStripWithAdjacency = TRIANGLE_STRIP_WITH_ADJACENCY,

    /// Separate patch primitives, used in combination with tessellation shaders. Requires the
    /// [`tessellation_shader`](crate::device::Features::tessellation_shader) feature.
    PatchList = PATCH_LIST,

}

// TODO: use the #[default] attribute once it's stable.
// See: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/87517
impl Default for PrimitiveTopology {
    #[inline]
    fn default() -> Self {
        PrimitiveTopology::TriangleList
    }
}

/// Describes the shape of a primitive topology.
#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
pub enum PrimitiveTopologyClass {
    Point,
    Line,
    Triangle,
    Patch,
}

impl PrimitiveTopologyClass {
    /// Returns a representative example of this topology class.
    pub(crate) fn example(self) -> PrimitiveTopology {
        match self {
            Self::Point => PrimitiveTopology::PointList,
            Self::Line => PrimitiveTopology::LineList,
            Self::Triangle => PrimitiveTopology::TriangleList,
            Self::Patch => PrimitiveTopology::PatchList,
        }
    }
}

/// Trait for types that can be used as indices by the GPU.
pub unsafe trait Index {
    /// Returns the type of data.
    fn ty() -> IndexType;
}

unsafe impl Index for u8 {
    #[inline(always)]
    fn ty() -> IndexType {
        IndexType::U8
    }
}

unsafe impl Index for u16 {
    #[inline(always)]
    fn ty() -> IndexType {
        IndexType::U16
    }
}

unsafe impl Index for u32 {
    #[inline(always)]
    fn ty() -> IndexType {
        IndexType::U32
    }
}

vulkan_enum! {
    #[non_exhaustive]

    /// An enumeration of all valid index types.
    IndexType = IndexType(i32);

    // TODO: document
    U8 = UINT8_EXT {
        device_extensions: [ext_index_type_uint8],
    },

    // TODO: document
    U16 = UINT16,

    // TODO: document
    U32 = UINT32,

    /*
    // TODO: document
    None = NONE_KHR {
        device_extensions: [khr_acceleration_structure, nv_ray_tracing],
    },
     */
}

impl IndexType {
    /// Returns the size in bytes of indices of this type.
    #[inline]
    pub fn size(self) -> DeviceSize {
        match self {
            IndexType::U8 => 1,
            IndexType::U16 => 2,
            IndexType::U32 => 4,
        }
    }
}


The current working environment is characterized by constant change. It's been likened to the Industrial Revolution back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when society adapted to the switch from a self-contained subsistence way of living to one dominated by trade, and the organized creation of products and services based on specialism, mass production in factories and economies of scale.
Looking back we can see a certain amount of constancy in our working environment in the last fifty or so years. Of course, it never feels that way for the people living through such an era, but, up until recently, the prevailing mindset was for people to have a working life and a personal life that were often quite separate from each other. Of course, they overlapped, but, in general, people were happy to keep them separate. Working provided the resource that enabled a fulfilling personal and family life. It was a one way relationship, though, of course, people did what they could to feel happy and fulfilled within their working environment.
We are now a society in transformation with the phrase, The Future of Work, often used to allude to the growing alignment of people's work and personal lives, in addition to hypothesizing on various technology and design scenarios.
This blog post is not an exhaustive analysis of the drivers of how change has happened over the last ten years. We try, rather, to establish the success factors which can enable organizations of all kinds to embrace the change and make use of the positive energy that can be harnessed during this change. We should, however, establish quickly the drivers so we can understand our startpoint and context. Drivers divide into the two categories of Technology and Expectation.
Technology – this is the one we are all aware of. Information technology has evolved rapidly to permit global communication in ways that we could not even imagine 20 years ago. Connectivity is constant. Time for thought and uninterrupted personal work now need to be proactively built into our working days rather than happening by default. A direct consequence is the blurring between work and home life. Home workers report the difficulties of switching in to work or switching off from work when in the same environment. In addition, technology can automate and reduce the more administrative and repetitive tasks. These could also be physical tasks in a factory environment with robots able to work consistently and tirelessly. Partly for amusement; partly because it still might happen, I will quote from The Mighty Micro by Christopher Evans (Gollancz 1979).
The second aspect of the shift away from work will be a reduction in the working week which, in the mid-1980s, could be down to twenty-eight hours, or an average of four days, and by the '90s to twenty hours or less. There will also be substantial increases in vacation time, and by the final decade of the century people will look back in amazement at our present ludicrously small entitlements. Finally, "retirement" will occur much earlier. By the end of the next decade, fifty is likely to be the mean age beyond which it is not necessary to work and another five or ten years might be clipped off by the '90s. What we are talking about is a total working life, if one discounts education preparation, of fifteen to twenty years, with the workload spread much more thinly over that time. As we move into the twenty-first century these working "requirements" will lessen still further.
It would be the subject of another blog post to analyse this prediction more fully, but, suffice it to say now, that the time savings that technology in fact bring us seem simply to create a new base level of work, as everyone has access to similar time savings and our economy and society feeds off a constant desire for growth. It's just not possible to get off the fairground ride!
Expectation – this is less easy to assess objectively, but many commentators have pointed out the attitudinal change of the Millennials generation in many developed countries. We note a strong desire to balance working lives ever more carefully with their personal lives. Indeed the two merge far more completely, and we see the most recent workforce generation seeking out companies that display their own values in the same way that previous generations might have purchased certain brands. There are many consequences for organizations and employers, not least the requirement to be transparent about their values. Corporate Social Responsibility is vital, and not something to pay lip service to. We witness the continual adjustment from business (and indeed other organizations) who now realize that nothing less than full transparency will do. For people graduating from further education it's not all about the pursuit of a career; it's about a more holistic management of their lives. There's no longer an automatic assumption that a career is the backbone of one's life. It's anticipated that many roles will become external or contracted roles and whole swathes of junior and middle management could switch out of "standard" employment models. This is driven both by employers looking to reduce their fixed cost burden, but also workers looking for the benefits of flexibility. This then require all sorts of new "glue" mechanisms to create the social systems that create the appropriately supportive and efficient working environment.
Dr Frey, Sunday Times, The Future of Work supplement December 2015.
Now we have our context, I'd like to explain OTM's eight action areas to ensure you succeed in harnessing the capability and creativity within your teams. In each case, the activity can be done either at the macro head office level of a global organization, or at a sub-level, depending on the scope of influence of your leadership team. Do let us know if you'd like some further even more specific advice for your organization!
This is where it all starts. Without this, every further action will be built on shifting sands and the chances are it won't succeed. Also, as mentioned above, nowadays, people at the start of their careers thrive when understanding the complete picture, even if they might not always be fully prepared to contribute to the process. It's all part of the transparency requirement.
This refers to the need to align all aspects of the organization to one strategy, and to the work which is adding the value. OTM's Star Model of managing Organization Design does this in a systematic and holistic way ensuring everything is aligned to the same objectives. Future of Work features will naturally be included in this process and won't feel like "trendy" or temporary bolt-ons. The FoW features chosen will be chosen for the right reason and they will, therefore, have longevity within the organization.
The right culture is fundamental, but it can't, unfortunately, be simply "designed" into your organization. Culture is best understood as an outcome of all aspects of the management structures and processes which have been decided and implemented according to OTM's Star Model. Things change only when actual behavior changes, so ensure you have the right follow-through in place with the right leadership development and support. Then your behaviors will change within the supportive context, and the desired operating model and the right culture will be a natural consequence.
Things don't happen by chance. Plan it, visualize it & sell it.
This is a wonderful opportunity for HR to play a lead role. In those companies that have previously seen HR as an administrative function only, this initiative will be an opportunity to position you in a far more forward-looking and strategic light. Don't miss the opportunity. And your senor leadership team will be delighted that you are coordinating what would otherwise be a burden for them.
The work, the working cells and other ways of working (business scenarios) all have equal importance as the basis for the further refinement of products, work areas or management rules and these must be clear to all those involved in the creation of FoW strategies and their implementation. This might apply to the IT department, technology suppliers, systems architects and others.
Your innovations in the area of FoW must be accompanied by preparing the workforce for these changes. Implementation will often include some form of change readiness measures.
We have to realize we are in transition and it won't always be possible to create a compromise that appeals sufficiently to all people in an organization. Some people might need to leave. When this happens, everyone is watching (including those for whom change is positive) and the organization will put itself in the best possible light by showing appropriate empathy for those needing to leave. It might be them in a few years' time.
Be sure to integrate your FoW strategy and tactics into a disciplined design process and frameworks.