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Images >
Various places Visited
Cardiff & Newport - by Manish Abraham
Edinburgh - by Manish Abraham
Erasmus in Malta
Greece - by Manish Abraham
Linz Porsche Exhibition (Upper Austria)- by Manish Abraham
London - by Manish Abraham
Manchester - by Manish Abraham
Oxford - by Manish Abraham
Train Voyage Netherlands >< Austria
Venice, Italy- By Manish Abraham
York - by Manish Abraham
posted 13 Dec 2014, 09:35 by Manish Abraham [ updated 13 Dec 2014, 10:58 ]
Train Trip from Netherlands to Austria, travelled from Maastricht in Netherlands to Wels (return)
Few Stations in the video -
Maastricht, Netherlands.
Aachen, Germany.
Cologne (Koln), Germany.
Munich, Germany.
Linz, Austria.
Wels, Austria.
Frankfurt, Germany and many more......
posted 6 Dec 2014, 14:57 by Manish Abraham [ updated 6 Dec 2014, 16:30 ]
The Road to Black Forest. The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald, pronounced [ˈʃvaʁt͡svalt]) is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south.
posted 6 Mar 2014, 05:51 by Manish Abraham [ updated 9 Mar 2014, 05:19 ]
I spent my 3 rd semester of M.Sc. in Innovation and Product Management on an Exchange semester in University of Malta. The course was very much similar to the masters course we do in Austria and was called a masters in creativity and innovation with special focus on innovation management, idea generation, research methods, business venturing and leadership in organization. Additional to the academic knowledge the exchange semester helped me to learn a lot about a whole new culture, people, traditions.
I took an Air Malta flight from Munich to Malta on 29 th Sep, when I reached Malta I could already feel the difference in weather as it was much more hot and sunny. I took a cab from the airport to the flat where I was going to live (there is an official government of Malta prepaid taxi service which keeps the prices in control since not all taxis have a meter).
The next few days in the orientation week I made Arriva Saver card (a student bus card) which gives you a cheaper fare to use the buses in Malta, then I could travel in Malta for 21 euros per month instead of 2.60 Eur per day, The tickets you buy are only valid till 11 pm and if you want to take a bus after 11 pm there is a need to buy an additional ticket.
Air Malta flies directly from both Vienna and Munich.
In general, you have many options to choose your accommodation,[1] either a private flat, University Residence or the garden view apartment in sweiqi. In Malta generally it's not so difficult to find an apartment as there are a lot of apartments vacant. A private room is probably the cheapest and most convenient solution. Staying in the University residence has both advantages and disadvantages, The advantage is that you get to know more people more easily, A lot of Erasmus-students live there thus one can always do something like organized trips. As for me, I was an outgoing person and hence attended events hosted in other residences and came to know a lot people, the disadvantage in the University residence is that it is far, even though they provide a free shuttle bus, students normally have a lot of trouble getting to the classes because in Malta traffic is very different than it is in Austria. Secondly University residence is way overpriced for what they offer for the students compared to Maltese rental charges, Keeping the value of money and distance from the University I chose a private flat with my own he room for half the price of the University Residence.
In Malta they charge you a month's rent as a deposit generally, It is normally expected you to take a room for a long let, in case it shortlet it becomes a bit expensive and you are normally asked to find another student when you leave, but this could be spoken in the beginning so that in the end when you have exams you can focus on the exams and not on finding a next tenant.
Let it be University Residence or even a flat, the insulation of houses is very bad, the rooms get really cold in the winter, even though the temperature is not as low as it gets in Austria.
Most of the Maltese have their own car and so the streets are mostly full. Malta has left-hand-traffic which is different from Austria.
The only means of Public transport is the Buses, there are no trains, trams, subways or monorails in Malta.
The buses underwent a major makeover in the last couple of years, but still buses are not the most convenient mode of transportation in malta as the roads are so packed with cars hence buses normally don't run on time.
The bus company got changed in January 2014 again and because of this the coordination of buses is really a big problem, If you want to travel in the bus you need to plan a lot in advance.
It makes sense to rent a car on the island Gozo where the traffic is less and the island is smaller. Since my class also had Maltese students, most of them owned one or two cars (very common in Malta) so it was easy to go around if we had to go somewhere. Whenever the Erasmus events were organized normally a special bus would be arranged. One such occasion was when a bus was organized to go to Gozo for a Weekend trip.
Malta is not the cheapest place to do an exchange semester, the rents for the accommodation is cheaper than Austria, but there is no big chain of supermarkets like billa, spar or even Merkur for daily groceries, there is Lidl but the prices are more than its in Austria. This is explained since most of the things that comes to Malta is imported and transportation is not cheap as it is in the middle of the sea. There is no strong network of a shop which sells cosmetics or daily items like DM instead there are smaller shops and hence a higher price per item.
If you go to a restaurant you can find food for similar/ higher prices as Austria. Alcohol is cheap in Malta if you like to go out and party. You can get discounts in many places if you say you are a student. The tap water is not recommended to drink by the locals so there will be an additional expenditure to buy bottled drinking water.
The best things in Malta come for free, for example, time you spend on the beach or even going around the old cities.
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta offering undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates (PhD). It is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. The University traces its origins to the Collegium Melitense founded in 1592 making it one of the oldest universities in the World.
The present new campus, opened in 1968, has recently been greatly extended to include theater-type lecture rooms and science, language and computer laboratories. The ports complex includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a football ground, tennis courts, and a track. Most of the 8,000 Maltese students enrolled in this university not only don't pay tuition fees but receive a state funded student allowance[2].
The Edward de Bono Institute was a very interesting place to do an exchange semester. The lectures and the syllabus can be found online[3]. The difference that I found from other Erasmus students was that, I was doing a full time course which was a full time masters course and did not have to shift through classes, this helped me to integrate into the class as a normal student and also helped to make a lot of friends from Malta and additionally met the other Erasmus students in the events. It is recommended to get in touch with the local students as they can help to expand your vision and give an insight into malta and the university from their perception. It also has advantages in the exam-period because the students can give some advice about the exams as most of them had done a bachelors in Malta.
I got a chance to write a few papers and give a lot of presentations[4].
I attended two conferences
The First was on HRs contribution to Creativity & Innovation in an organization
The second was on Small and Medium enterprise growth in Malta.
I visited a lot of companies in Malta and other organizations like Malta Enterprise, Malta Council for Science and Technology as part of a University visits.
At the University of Malta you get a great chance to volunteer,
I took part in the Discover University event held at the University representing the Institute.
The University also has a degree plus program where you can volunteer for external organizations, I volunteered for SPCA Malta in their events to support animals in Malta
At the end of the semester, you need to give the list of volunteer hours and you get a certificate with the transcripts.
The University library[5] is generally open till 11 pm during the exam period, which is really helpful and you also see a lot of other students so you work collaboratively with others even for the exam. The library offers an online Refworks account which is a tool to manage references, they even provide a training session for Refworks which I attended.
There is a post office in the University, which is the cheapest place to print in the University, its even a stationary shop.
Sights:
Malta is divided in three main islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. All three islands have a wonderful countryside. In Malta the West and North-West coast is a good place to go hiking, Gozo is beautiful everywhere. Comino is a very small island where the only thing to do is swimming in the blue lagoon, the beaches are very beautiful. Malta culturally has a tradition of a lot of festivals all over the year, visiting which helps you to learn a lot about the place and the people.
Malta has a system of free public health service which is very similar to the NHS service in England, the main hospital in Mater die[6] is just opposite the University.
Things not to forget if you go to Malta
- Adaptor for the plug.
- Unlocked mobile
- Dictionaries
- Winter jackets and sweater for the winter semester
- Good shoes for hiking and slippers
- A good Camera for capturing the moments
The official tourism website of Malta http://www.visitmalta.com/de/ is the best place to find the day to day activity updates in Malta. The university has a lot of additional organizations like AEGEE, ESN, KSU (students' union) who normally organize activities and make sure that you get a chance to go around and see Malta.
Few Online Resources
Student Parties in Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups/student-parties-in-malta
Erasmus Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/247967528636853/
University Residence Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/1391526314401031/
ESN Erasmus Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/675474702493737/
Malta Friends. Rent a flat or share (no agency) - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/maltafriends.rentaflatorshare/
Share Flat in Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/shareflatinmalta/
Too much Events Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/toomuchevents/
Malta Friends - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/maltafriends/
Malta - https://www.facebook.com/groups-/maltagroup/
My Further Experiences
www.erasmusinmalta.manishabraham.com
A trading website in Malta for properties, gadgets, its like ebay but they provide phone numbers so you can pick up items directly.
www.maltapark.com
Online shopping is not so popular in Malta, but still if you want to save time and do grocery shopping online there are many websites which does free home delivery, I was comparing the prices and the prices are the same if you go to a store.
www.maltasupermarket.com
If you have time and can wait for 30 days for free shipping, then this website is like another Amazon, which does free delivery with a wider range for smaller items, but it comes from Hong Kong so takes some time and is not the best for electronics.
[1] http://erasmusinmalta.manishabraham.com/-accommodation
[2] http://erasmusinmalta.manishabraham.com/University-of-Malta-Erasmus
[3] http://www.um.edu.mt/create
[4] http://www.manishabraham.com/publications
[5] http://www.um.edu.mt/library
[6] https://ehealth.gov.mt/healthportal/health_institutions- /hospital
posted 18 Jun 2013, 09:08 by Manish Abraham [ updated 23 Sep 2013, 07:12 ]
Vienna entices visitors with its lavish, Old World charm. Gothic cathedral tower over richly ornamented baroque buildings and copper domed palaces from the glory days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The romantic city on the Danube is famous for its coffee, confections, ice creams, and cafés; Lipizzaner horses and leafy boulevards; Sigmund Freud and wiener schnitzel, but it is also the financial and the political capital of Austria. I went on a 3 day visit to this wonderful city. Though I had visited Vienna many times before but this was the first time when I visited Vienna along with my classmates of MSC IPM from FH Wels. It was a preplanned industrial visit.
We visited the underlying four companies.
On 13 th June 2013 early in the morning at 0630 we caught a train from Wels to Vienna , It was a 2 hour long journey before we reached Vienna. We were received by Dr. Thomas Weichselbaumer. Our first destination was the Airport where we had a Guided tour along with a presentation on the how the Innovation was managed by the Airport Authorities. We were also given a presentation on the Operations management and how to conduct simulations in an environment which is as important as an airport. We were taken to the Air traffic control towers and were shown how the systems work in such an environment.
It was already 11 50 am and the next visit was due in next half an hour. We took a train to the city from the Airport, The CAT (City Airport Train) is an additional service provided by the Viena Airport . What was different was that it it offers you a service where you can check-in your baggage up to 75 minutes before departure,you can get your boarding pass and enjoy the rest of your journey all in the city. One thing that I could learn was that most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning, hence in Vienna Airport they try to bring change as per the customer needs.
We validated our U Bahn Tickets and took a metro which is called U bahn in Vienna. We got down at Siemens Strasse since our next visit was in Siemens. Siemens City is in the 21st District. Around the area numerous research and educational institutions, and other companies are located. Thus, the Siemens City is also a lively center of a future-oriented industry and technology cluster.
We were marveled to see the modern buildings with excellent infrastructure. The City is a prime example of sustainability. We had our lunch at Siemens as we were invited for lunch in their café.
After the lunch we moved to the SIMEA workshop where Dipl.-Ing.Bernhard Höflechner a senior employee of Siemens briefed us about the whole production cycle of semiconductor devices. We were shown the different new and innovative methods of soldering in Industries.
After that we then had a presentation by Dr Michael Heiss principal open Innovation and scouting who gave us a presentation on how open innovation is managed in Siemens, he also gave us a deep insight into Technoweb which is Siemens internal knowledge networking platform which has a strong focus on corporate problem solving and uses the patented urgent distribution mechanism.
Till now we had not checked into our hostels, now we were free and got time to go and check in at our respective Hostels. After checking in and taking a shower we went for evening dinner to Restaurant Mill. It is located in miller gasse 32. The restaurant has a very nice garden and also the internal in particular is made up of recyclable materials. After the dinner we decided to try the famous Ice cream in Vienna which was located in Stephanplatz. Ice cream parlors are an institution in Vienna, It is said that Italian immigrants brought it over, and the locals perfected it here. So we could see the mixing of cultures and how globalization and the working of Intercultural Marketing. It was already too late and we headed back home after some so that we could catch up with the Schedule the Next Day.
At 9am we moved to Schönbrunn Palace. From the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is full of outstanding examples of decorative art.
The Cultural World Heritage Site of Schönbrunn Palace has been Austria's most frequently visited tourist attraction, since there is a deep history of Austrian culture hidden in it. In the palace the residential and state rooms with their original furnishings and decorations convey an authentic impression of the imperial lifestyle. I was shocked to see how well maintained it is till now.
The park and gardens surrounding the palace make Schönbrunn a unique synthesis of Baroque art. We took a lot of pictures in the garden.
Together with its gardens, the site of the world's first zoo in 1752, it is a remarkable Baroque ensemble and a perfect example of Gesamtkunstwerk.
The next visit was to cyLEDGE media GmbH. cyLEDGE stands for cyber knowLEDGE.
Paul Blazek, Founder & CEO cyLEDGE Media GmbH gave us a presentation on the importance of how to network and the importance of networking, he also gave us an insight into the digital ways of producing varients of products in the future. He said that the idea to start a company was Inspired by the vision of individuality, a non-compliant team got together in 2006 and it was formed, in case you feel to do t just do it.
You can see a lot of innovative solutions in the streets of Vienna one of which was this Motorcycle made out of Fur.
After the visit we went on a walking tour to Gebrüder Stitch which is a company which focuses on producing designer Jeans. The company was formed by two young entrepreneurs Moriz Piffl and Michael Lanner We were given a presentation about the company by Moriz . He said that It was a coincidence how they came together over a coffee in a bar and suddenly got the idea regarding the market or local custom made jeans. In May 2010, they rented the space of a gallery, rented machinery made in and started with the production. I could see the amount of effort and dedication put in by having a look at the marketing campaign that they had made. They have even taken part in the Vienna fashion week.
The importance of niche market was seen during the visit, I was able to visualize he a different kind of marketing the company was doing in order to get regular happy customers who would be willing to pay 350 Eur per Jeans.
The Visit had already come to the last day but we were left with the city tour. I went to the Nash Market which is the oldest market in Vienna which is in existence from the 16 th century. The Market has a unique uniform like structure.
The next we visited was the State Opera, here we started the guided tour , Travelling around the Goethe statue (who is considered as the Shakespeare of german speaking countries) we went into the garden. We then went to the location of the office of President of Austria. We saw the beautiful buildings around Neu burg. We saw the horses which were being trained at the Spanish Riding School.
In the picture to your left you can see me standing in front of St Stephans Cathedral.
Over all the whole trip helped me to open my horizon and I would say that we did a lot of things in a short span of three days. It is always an experience to see a lot of new innovative companies and things when you visit new places.
DO LIKE ME ON
About Me (Manish Abraham):
I am pursuing MSC in Engineering in Innovation and Product Management from University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, which involves Holistic integration of marketing, design and technology, combined with strategic thinking in order to develop product innovations in a sustainable way. Specializing in Development Process Engineering, Mechatronics, Business Economics and Marketing, also complemented by Industrial Design know-how.
To Read More about me Click Here or just view my Video Resume. If your company is looking for an enthusiastic employee do Contact me.
posted 28 Mar 2013, 06:25 by Manish Abraham [ updated 28 Mar 2013, 07:12 ]
Venice, Italy-
Me and three of my friends traveled from Wels in Austria to Venice in Italy on 21 st March. We took a Euro night train to Venice. We stayed at a friends house, here you can see the pictures of Venice.
Venice is a series of islands which is joined together with the help of bridges and has many canals. Cars are not permitted in Venice, so we had to walk all the way which was an experience in itself. Since its an island you cant get lost in the city.
The view when you get out of the train station.
The canal which you see is the grand canal which runs through the center of Venice.
On the second day we traveled from a nearby city to Venice by bus so this photo shows Venice from the bus station.
One of the major attractions is the Piazza San Marco and St Marks Basilica . The Grand canal is an attraction in itself. I was really amazed the way the city was built on swamps and about the engineering involved in the construction of such complex structures.
There are many bridges which connect one corner to the other. People in Venice live on the first floor and there are a lot of shops on the ground floor.
Gondolas are these boats which you can hire, and it takes you around the canals even to the lanes which are not connected by bridges.
If you go around Venice you find most of the shops selling this kind of mask,
It is worn though out the city during the Venice carnival. There are various colorful masks available and I personally got one because I think its a beautiful memory from Venice.
I got an opportunity to see two concerts in two days the first was Vivaldi s four seasons which was a full dress concert, and the second one was in a church near the Naval Museum. As per me if you visit Venice do visit one of the concerts because this takes you back in time and shows you some real things about Venice, its art and culture.
I visited the port of Venice and also saw some huge ships, one of it is in the picture.
There are a lot of museums around venice which show casts the rich history and technology advancements during the Renaissance.
I have even made a video of the boat trip around Venice through the Grand Canal.
Few Innovations that Venice gave to the World:
Creation and then expansion of the Arsenale and its related support industries, and its recent recycling into an international trade and conference center;
"Adaptive Reuse" of existing areas such as the Ghetto Nuovo, from which industries were relocated for centralization elsewhere;
Changing transportation technology impacting land use, most of the transportation is foot based or by the help of boats.
Construction of major bridges with collateral expansion of connecting links (e.g., Strada Nova), such as the Ponte Accademia and recently the new "Calatrava Bridge" (Ponte della Constituzione) significantly altering movement patterns in the City.
Venetians were excellent ship builders and the way the city is built on layers of marble was an innovation in itself.
Venice is also known for a large variety of Food and Italian Cuisines. We tried different kinds of Pizzas and gelato (ice cream) in Venice.
Manish Abraham is pursuing MSC in Engineering in Innovation and Product Management from University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, which involves Holistic integration of marketing, design and technology, combined with strategic thinking in order to develop product innovations in a sustainable way. Specialize in Mechatronics, Business Economics and Marketing, also complemented by Industrial Design and Development Process know-how.
To Read More about him Click Here or just view his Video Resume.
posted 26 Jan 2013, 07:54 by Manish Abraham [ updated 3 Feb 2013, 11:58 ]
Oxford-
Oxford is a city in central southern England. It is the county town of Oxfordshire, and forms a district within the county. I frequently visited Oxford as I was working for EBA, Lincoln College, Oxford University as their brand ambassador.
During my visits to Oxford I realized that Oxford has a diverse economic base. Its industries included motor manufacturing, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses, and not only education.
The city is known worldwide as a university town and home of the University of Oxford, I got several opportunity to propose my research topics in University of Oxford.
I normally used to travel by train but once I even traveled by a coach which was also a good experience as I had to change buses, due to lack of direct connections to Newcastle.
Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th-century Radcliffe Camera.
I visited a few museums in Oxford like the Ashmolean Museum, which was the world's first university museum, The museum of history of science as well as the museum of natural history.The city center of Oxford is relatively small, and is centered on Carfax, a cross-roads which forms the junction of Corn market Street, Queen Street, St Aldate's and The High. Corn Market Street and Queen Street are home to Oxford's various chain stores
The Bodleian Library was one of the best academic libraries I have ever visited; they even make you sign a declaration before admission, it is the second largest library in England after the British library in London (view my visit to London).
I also took buses to Pear Tree, Red bridge, Sea Court which are places around Oxford.
Cardiff-
Cardiff is the capital and largest city in Wales and the tenth largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales's chief commercial center the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions.
Cardiff is also the largest media center in the UK outside of London, which also attracted me; I visited Cardiff for a Seminar in the University of Wales. Cardiff is home to four major institutions of higher education: Cardiff University, University of Glamorgan, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
During my visit to Cardiff I visited various landmarks such as the Millennium Stadium, Pierhead Building which is the Welsh National Museum and the Senedd, the home of the National Assembly for Wales.I also visited the famous Cardiff Castle and the Wales Millennium Center.
Newport -
Newport is a city and unitary authority in south east Wales. It is the third largest city in Wales. It is located on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn estuary. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Cardiff; I traveled from Cardiff to Newport by a bus. After my visit to the University of Wales, I traveled around Newport, I came to know that Newport has been a port since medieval times, when a castle was built by the Normans.
The Universities old building was in a place called Caerleon which is a suburban village, also situated on the River Usk, and is in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport. I visited various sites of archaeological importance, including notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort. The Wales National Roman Legion Museum and Roman Baths Museum are also in Caerleon close to the remains of Isca Augusta.
Manchester-
Manchester is a city and metropolitan in Greater Manchester, England.
Manchester lies within the United Kingdom's third largest urban area; the Greater Manchester Urban Area. I visited Manchester with a few of my friends from Newcastle, We took a coach from Newcastle in the morning and reached there in 2 hours. Manchester is situated in the south-central part of North West England; Manchester's unplanned urbanization was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, and resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialized city.
The city is notable for its culture, architecture, music scene, media links, engineering and scientific output, social impact and sporting connections. Manchester's sports clubs include Premier League football teams, Manchester City and Manchester United. We visited the Manchester United stadium at Old Trafford, Manchester was the site of one of the world's first railway stations, and the place where scientists first split the atom and developed the first stored-program computer. We also saw the metro tram project which will be one of the largest tram networks in UK. People from Manchester are known as Mancunians and were very friendly, Though Manchester city center was small but the city was very wide and we got an opportunity to travel all across the city.
London-
London the capital city of England located on the banks of river Thames is one of the few places in the world where you will find a true amalgamation of vivid cultures from across the globe.
First Visit-
Since I came to Newcastle (England) for my Graduation, London was the first place I visited with my three amigos on Road. It was a 3 day trip during Christmas vacations.
Our odysseys begin at 4 am on a chilled December morning and we were all set to travel across England in our personal wagon. It was my first drive in a foreign land and I was quite thrilled. After 5 hr. of dashing driving when we reached London. I was delighted thinking that, here I am standing right in front of Big Ben in this famous city of London.
London is one of the oldest cities of the world and it can be clearly seen in its architecture. We hired a hop on and hop off tour bus for a short ride across the city passing through the famous tower bridge, a cruise in river Thames and commuted through London metro or as rightly said tubes. During the excursion we saw Big Ben, London Eye, Queen's Castle, Madame Tussaud's Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, London Ice bar, British Museum and the list goes on. After this journey I visited London many more times during my stay in England but my first experience is always special and its memories stay fresh and alive.
Since then I visited London a lot of times,I even visited the platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station from the Harry Potter books. The Imperial War museum and British museum were few places where I tried to gain a lot of additional knowledge not only about England but also all over the World.
York-
York is a walled city, which is situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage, I got an opportunity to visit york with three of my friends, The city has a vibrant café culture, and has a lot of attractions one of which is the St Marys Church which dates back to 1020 Ad. We also saw the famous Christmas market at york, The city walls in itself is a heritage monument. There were a lot of museums in York, of course I also tried the Yorkshire pudding which is a specialty of York.


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SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Texas & Southcentral > San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread
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Posted Apr 30, 2007, 7:17 AM
texboy
constructor extrodinaire!
Too many cars for too few roads
Web Posted: 04/30/2007 01:37 AM CDT
Patrick Driscoll
Express-News
Ruben Cerna has found that living on the city's suburban fringes isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
The attraction is easy enough to understand: big homes at affordable prices, no city taxes, and a slice of country with grazing horses and tree-lined roads. Throw in a school district with a sterling reputation and the lure can be irresistible.
And that's the problem — a lot of people, maybe too many, want a piece of the fairy tale.
Cerna bought his two-story American dream six years ago near Shaenfield Road just west of Loop 1604, where the latest land rush in Bexar County is now in full swing.
He said he left his old neighborhood because it was getting too crowded and run-down. Now, as farms around him are sold, woodlands get scraped bare and houses are packed in faster than he imagined, Cerna has made another choice.
His fight right now, waged between 12-hour days as a truck driver and spending time with his wife and two children, is to get more traffic signals installed on the two-lane country roads that have been drafted for use as suburban arterials.
"It's just cars all day long," said Cerna, 47. "I just don't understand why they won't go ahead and put traffic lights out here. It's not like it would be a wasted expense."
Cerna's right. More traffic lights are needed or soon will be. But those fixes won't stop waves of city traffic from spilling onto rural roads already clogged with cars.
Culebra and Potranco roads west of Loop 1604 were each built to handle about 12,000 cars a day. The most recent state traffic counts show that Culebra gets more than 20,000 daily and Potranco almost 18,000.
Some motorists go out of their way to avoid gridlock.
One recent morning, Bexar County sheriff's Lt. Dennis Casillas was stopped in traffic on Potranco Road when he looked out the window of his patrol vehicle and saw a car buzzing by on the shoulder.
A lot of people do it, the driver told the lieutenant when he pulled her over. Traffic is so bad that parents often resort to the shoulder to get their kids to school on time. She was taking her son to a school just around the corner.
When Cerna bought his home, he joined about 14,000 people spread over some 80 square miles outside Loop 1604 between Potranco and Bandera roads in the county, according to the Alamo Area Council of Governments.
The major streets connecting these people to the rest of San Antonio compose a thin network of two-lane roads with no curbs, sidewalks or bicycle lanes. Years ago, that was enough.
"Everything was just a country road," said William Houghton, 71, who bought 2 acres near Potranco and Talley roads in 1985 and built his own house. "It was beautiful. You know Camelot? I would say it was like Camelot."
But Houghton's Camelot is under siege. Population is booming in that quadrant of the county, and it's expected to grow seven times over by 2030, to more than 98,000 residents. Areas south of U.S. 90 and north of Interstate 10 are growing nearly as quickly.
With the growth comes traffic. But expanding the roads, maybe at best doubling them over the next 25 years, will leave them way behind.
"History tells you the truth," said Joe Aceves, Bexar County's infrastructure director and a former city public works director. "Historically, infrastructure falls pretty far behind the development that occurs."
It's not that nobody's trying:
County taxpayers are footing $17 million in bonds to build four-lane Wiseman Boulevard from Loop 1604 to Talley Road, which is about to open, and widen Shaenfield and Braun roads to four lanes, with work starting this year.
The Texas Department of Transportation has $34 million worth of projects under way to widen Culebra Road to four lanes, finish adding a northbound lane to Loop 1604 and add left-turn lanes from 1604 to Guilbeau Road.
Developers are building four-lane roads in their subdivisions, of which Alamo Ranch Parkway and Alamo Parkway will eventually cut through, and they paid half of the $8.2 million for Wiseman Boulevard.
VIA Metropolitan Transit plans to extend bus service on Culebra Road next year and add express buses on Texas 151 to Loop 1604 in two years. The agency also may start running buses on 1604 past Potranco Road and Military Drive in a few years.
It won't be enough, and the city's record $550 million bond package going before voters May 12 doesn't touch this area, which is mostly outside city limits.
Traffic is "going to continue to grow," said Clay Smith, TxDOT's engineer in charge of planning in San Antonio. "Travel times will increase."
More projects are planned for the Northwest Side, but funds are short. Officials are discussing what they dub "innovative financing."
TxDOT, local governments and developers might team up to raise $68 million to widen Potranco Road to four lanes and build an 8-mile, two-lane section of Texas 211. By selling bonds, the work could get done at least a decade sooner.
Another plan actually uses an old idea: toll roads. In a few years, motorists could be asked to cough up tolls to help pay for adding four to six express lanes to 1604, bypassing yawning backups at stoplights.
That still won't be enough.
"No, we're still short," Smith said. "We'll still see congestion increasing."
The numbers are just too daunting.
As many as 60,000 homes could be built outside Loop 1604 between Potranco and Bandera roads in just 15 to 20 years, say Northside Independent School District officials, who keep close tabs on developers so they can plan where new schools will go.
Families in each household make about 10 trips a day, according to city planners. And people living in far-flung sprawling areas tend to drive farther and more often.
"It's not going to be fun out here in the near future," Houghton said as he sprinkled water on his front yard's bald patches. "I'm not bitter, but I just want to know where all these people are coming from that they're building the houses for."
He stopped and looked up, letting water spurt aimlessly from the hose.
"Where are they coming from?" he said.
Best-laid plan
The dire picture for the Northwest Side isn't new. Most of the city and growing areas in the county suffer traffic congestion or crumbling streets, and there are few easy solutions.
When planners recently put their pencils to paper to come up with a magic number for making most traffic problems disappear in Bexar County by 2030, they settled on a whopping $19 billion deficit. That hole is more than twice what's actually budgeted for projects.
"We've got three choices," said Scott Ericksen, spokesman for the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which oversees how federal gas tax dollars are spent here. "Find more money, change the way we travel, or get very congested."
The $300 million for streets, bridges and sidewalks in the city's bond proposal — more than half the funds — is well behind the area's wave of growth and offers just a fraction of the relief that's needed.
"We're trying our best to catch up," said Tom Wendorf, city public works director. "We're just not as nimble, say, as a developer."
The city tries to stay ahead of developers by requiring them to build networks of through streets for their subdivisions, including those in extraterritorial areas, so that less traffic is funneled to existing highways.
A map dictating where those thoroughfares will go covers the explosive growth west of Loop 1604, which the city will probably inherit someday. But that ideal grid, even with roads widened as planned, won't be a cure-all for the traffic coming there.
"It's going to be like any other city," said Emil Moncivias, the city's planning director. "It's going to be busy."
And as tapped-out as taxpayers are, they may soon pay a larger share for such streets. A Texas Supreme Court ruling in 2004 and a state law passed the next year forbids cities from forcing developers to build more than needed for the traffic their subdivisions spawn.
San Antonio is kicking off a study to spell out how to pinpoint where traffic comes from and divvy up the related road costs. County officials went ahead and split expenses with developers for Wiseman Boulevard so that four lanes would be built instead of two.
"It's probably going to become more commonplace," said Aceves, who worked the deal for Wiseman Boulevard.
Also, the plan can be and often is changed by the City Council at the behest of developers. A former city planner says such changes fueled notorious traffic quagmires around Bandera Road, U.S. 281 and other areas.
"It's completely screwed up," said Dave Pasley, a former city planning director and special projects coordinator. "I fought a lot of battles and lost most of them over the years."
There's still hope for the mostly virgin tracts west of Loop 1604, for which the thoroughfare plan remains largely intact, Pasley said.
There are glaring gaps, including no extension of FM 1560 and Texas 211 northward, no extension of Braun Road to Texas 211, and a lack of roads around Helotes, Grey Forest and areas east, he said. But overall, the far Northwest Side could fare better than the North Side.
"If there is follow-through and implementation of these plans," he said. "A big if."
Those are the kind of ifs that Brenda Ward is counting on.
As a mother, she worries about the safety of her two teens as they travel the narrow roads to Taft High School.
As principal of Ward Elementary on Shaenfield Road — it's not named after her — she worries about the safety of her 1,200 students. In August, Jefferson Middle School will open next door and bring 1,500 students.
"We understood it was a growing area when we moved out here," she said. "We see them plowing down the cornfields and the cute little farms, and the houses and model homes are all going up out here."
If only traffic and safety officials could keep up.
"To pre-plan those things, knowing the houses are coming," she said. "Until it's a problem and so many people die, it doesn't seem to happen."
This is yet another reason its time the San Antonio City Council starts thinking up, instead of out! The last time I went back to San Antonio, the traffic in Stone Oak (where my parents live) was HORRENDOUS.... at 6:30pm it took me 25 minutes to get from Hardy Oak Blvd to the 1604....I for one will be looking to buy as close to downtown or as close to where ever I work as possible when I get out of college. When I was going to UTSA, I got tired of sitting in traffic on the 1604 every stinkin morning!
Find all posts by texboy
Posted Apr 30, 2007, 4:15 PM
sakyle04
COGSADCAJA, VP and CGO
^ The council can't do much to stop our stupidity....other than encourage vertical growth, which is probably what you're implying. We can only hope they pull a Will Wynn and make it a city mandate.
Not to say your parents are stupid, but I cannot fathom buying a home outside 1604. The traffic is terrible and will only get worse.
I, like you (and like a lot of folks) will be looking at the area closest to my workplace and if that is in flux - then downtown it will be.
As it stands, my wife and I were looking a couple of years ago and my exact location was in question. So, we live 0.3 miles from her job (near 410 rather than 1604). It is awesome for her to say the least. Quality of life extends beyond square footage and gated neighborhoods for us.
We love it.
PAVE PARADISE, PUT UP A (HIGH-RISE ON A) PARKING LOT...
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Complex01
Endless Moments...
Location: Texas...
I agree. I would never want to live outside 1604, the traffic is just bad. Also i hate to drive, so the less i have to do the better...
Find all posts by Complex01
Okay its time for my pics, Fiesta was okay, i got sick on friday , so spent saturday night and all day sunday in bed. It happens. Anyhow i didnt get the best pics, but you know just to give an idea. Hope you all enjoy...
Mopacs
Austinite
Location: Austin.TX.USA
Thanks for the updates! Every little bit helps when you're keeping track of the project from afar. The Great Wall of San Antone' rises!
Austin.Texas.USA
Home of the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorns
Visit Mopacs's homepage!
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^ I heard it will be visible from space - like the original.
KevinFromTexas
Location: the upside down
Cool. Keep the updates coming.
Facebook|My Austin Model
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They bought out there 8 years ago when there was only one stop light on Stone Oak Pkwy at Huebner...they are now moving to get OUT of Stone Oak. They will be moving to New Braunfels so that my dad can be closer to work.
Posted May 1, 2007, 7:39 AM
matttwentyeight
speakin on quality of life issues- i am no longer going to practice selling real estate in new braunfels! i have over a 100 mile commute from my house to work to house to gym- to tan-to home!
i'm lookin at a job that they manage commercial properties as at apt's. condos, other things such as those and the job i am eyeing is right down the street from my house! maybe 2 or 3 stop lights and that it!
quality of life is important to me and i feel that eventuelly developers will see the need for things that might be costing a pretty penny at first but will habe a gold mine of reserves from that one penny's affect!
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Posted May 5, 2007, 9:51 PM
Schertz1
I visited a few sites today while in San Antonio!
LA VISTANA
LA VIDORRA
Last edited by Schertz1; May 5, 2007 at 10:08 PM.
Find all posts by Schertz1
Posted May 5, 2007, 10:48 PM
^ Nice update Schertz...
Nice to see the Vidorra folks are tending their garden, finally turning dirt.
Also, I am really excited to see the Marriott go up on that skinny lot. My architect cousin and I think that the little brick building just north of the site should be a one-lane bowling alley.
sirkingwilliam
Loving SA 365 days a year
I second that sakyle, great job Schertz. Vidorra progressing quite well since my last visit to the site (April 23). That should quiet the noisy birds... lol, j/k.Finally, is it me or is the Marriott site an example of crazy density? I love it!
Find all posts by sirkingwilliam
^ sirkingwilliam's thought about the "crazy density" at the Marriott site got me thinking...
Isn't that the dream for River North? There is only going to be so much riverfront. Hopefully, it spurs density just like on the river walk itself.
You know any day, there should be a couple of more cranes going up. Honestly i cant wait for that day. Well all in due time. Great updates, thanxs for posting...
Posted May 11, 2007, 3:44 PM
Last edited by sakyle04; May 12, 2007 at 3:39 PM.
Vistana/Vidorra Const. 05-11-07
Last edited by KevinFromTexas; May 16, 2007 at 10:35 PM. Reason: Fixed the link.
Nice updates. I see they are working on the 16th floor of the hyatt. Very nice, so we are about 47% = (16/34) of the way up.
I want to see a crane already at the Vistanna and the Vidorra...
Posted May 13, 2007, 4:18 AM
JACKinBeantown
Vistana is probably my favorite for SA right now. Very classy. Beats the crap out of the new Hyatt.
Find all posts by JACKinBeantown
^ Ya, I cannot wait to show you guys the plans. Such an interesting idea for the pool deck and balconies.
Posted May 16, 2007, 10:38 PM
Awesome work, guys. Thanks for the updates.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Kolkata – 700150, WEST BENGAL. INDIA.
One such daring & passion-infused idea was Team Future. Started by two utterly dedicated professionals, who gave up their respective glorious careers in order to establish a body – a pioneering body, which set out to help students realize their potential & see their dreams become a reality.
Dr. Mousumi Ghosh, who has remained a member of the Finance Faculty at the Indian Institute of Management – Kolkata, joined Mr. Silajit Ghosh, a Cost and Chartered Accountant – whose last assignment was with Price Waterhouse Coopers, to establish an institution that would support luminous minds in all the elevated parts of their lives.
One of the early manifestations of Team Future's lofty goals was the establishment of Future Education & Research Trust in 2001. The realm of this trust lends an excellent environment for students. It fosters intellectual growth – facilitating knowledge, and, also the practical application, of the same. The length & breadth of Team Future's resources remain unparalleled – offering students world-class learning experience, in the fields of technology & management. Today, 14 years later, the non-profit body has spread its wings & brought several other education verticals under it. The education verticals comprise Future Institute of Engineering and Management, Future Business School, Future Media School, Future School of Hospital Management and Future Campus School – each devoting itself in pushing the boundaries of knowledge.
The BBA course affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) is a full time 3-year Honors Degree. This course is designed for students who aspire to be innovative leaders and entrepreneurs.
It provides a comprehensive and integrated understanding of business in the modern setting. A key focus on entrepreneurship in business management, which this course entails, will provide the knowledge & skills essential for managing business to the student.
The candidates who have passed (10+2) examination are required to qualify in the MAT / CMAT / JEMAT Score / Rank. The students are admitted in the MBA through and the marks obtained in the graduation level examination followed by group discussion and interview.
The department furnishes information about B.Tech and MCA students of pre-final and final year to various industries all over the country and arranges facilities for campus interviews. The department also provides counseling to students about placement opportunities and maintaining contact with all industrial organizations for further placement purposes.
is one of the strongest department of FIEM, engaging highly qualified and experienced persons from corporate and industry. The placement opportunities of our students are quite bright, various industries visit our campus for recruitment of our students.


text:
How MindTime Works
MindTime vs Personality
The 10 Archetypes
Who's It For
Satori Cards
Play Satori
Calculate Your Archetype
MindTime vs PersonalityMyrte de Jong2019-07-01T09:13:07+00:00
MindTime®
Personality Models
There are two ways to understand people:
observe their behaviours and categories them into traits, or understand the governing principles behind all behaviour.
When we want to understand human behaviour we can either ask WHY people do what they do, or we can observe WHAT they are doing. MindTime describes the WHY, the deepest motivating drivers behind behaviours; personality models describe WHAT people do.
Motivations (WHY) produce observable behaviours (WHAT)
The often confusing world of traits
Nearly all personality type test such as MBTI, DiSC, and Big 5*, use a number of observable behavioural traits to describe a person's personality. The Big 5, for example, uses: extraversion; agreeableness; conscientiousness; neuroticism; and openness. There are literally hundreds of such personality traits to choose from, very few of which have any meaningful predictive value. In the world of these trait based models there is no true framework or overarching theory of differences, just a lot of descriptions of behaviours (traits).
* Myers-Briggs is a trademark or registered trademark of The Myers & Briggs Foundation in the United States and other countries. DiSC® is a registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. or its affiliated companies.
Differences between MindTime and personality models
There are three fundamental priorities that drive the behaviour of every sentient being. These priorities act as the filters we perceive through, the mechanisms behind how thoughts are shaped, the drivers of what motivates us at the most fundamental level, and the origins of why we behave the way we do. MindTime is highly predictive because it is measuring these motivating forces in each person, the origins of behaviours, rather than the behaviours as described by traits.
Unlike personality models, and far beyond their capabilities, MindTime is able to describe individuals, team cultures and organisations as thinking systems all within one common framework and language.
MindTime is an a priori theory, supported by over two decades of reliable science, that provides us with a framework to understand the forces or priorities that shape our individual differences. In psychology, these individual differences are also referred to as personality traits, which are used to describe a person's personality.
To read some of our research and peer reviewed articles into the relationship between the MindTime framework and individual traits (including the Big 5) click here. MindTime is highly parsimonious with findings in individual trait based research, findings in neuro psychology, and cultural sciences.
WHY YOU ARE YOU
Your handbook to success
Why You Are You is a MindTime mini guidebook that offers a straightforward explanation of how your mind's thoughts are shaped by time's three perspectives.
$5.00 Add to basket
IT'S ALL ABOUT TIME
How to collaborate and innovate better
It's All About Time is a powerful little handbook that will change the way you collaborate and innovate. Examples, exercises and intelligence illustrations have made this a companion for team leaders, coaches and executives alike. In down to earth language this book opens up the possibility to effectively engage each and every person in innovation and collaboration by tapping into their true value, how they think.
Reveal Your Mind
Even if you know your Archetype, Satori Cards will open up a whole new understanding for you of the people in your life. Satori Cards are the most powerful human insights game in the world.
By playing this card game you will understand yourself, friends, loved ones and collaborative teams better.
Map Your Thinking
Satori Cards Calculator
Satori Cards Instructions
About the MindTime Foundation
The MindTime Foundation's mission is to provide a language, framework, and tools to help people understand people.
© Copyright 1994– MindTime, All Rights Reserved • Privacy Policy • Terms of Service


Mumbai: The rupee strengthened 14 paise to 71.19 against the dollar at the interbank forex market today on increased selling of the American currency by exporters and banks.
Dealers said dollar's weakness against other currencies overseas amid fears of a slowing global economy and US government's record-long shutdown and early gains in domestic equity markets supported the rupee. On Wednesday, the rupee had snapped its three-day losing streak and settled higher by 11 paise at 71.33 against the US dollar.
The benchmark BSE Sensex recovered by 28.27 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 36,136.74 after rising to 36,178.36 in opening trade today.


text:
Pakistan inks Paris Climate Change Agreement in UN
UNITED NATIONS: (APP) Pakistan Friday signed the Paris Agreement on climate change that commits nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to help stave off the most drastic effects of global warming.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan inked the agreement on behalf of the Government of Pakistan at a high-level ceremony in the spacious hall of UN General Assembly.
In doing so, the minister reaffirmed Pakistan 's support to the "historic" Paris agreement, adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-21), where 195 countries endorsed the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal in December last. Today's ceremony -- also making the Earth Day was convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degree Celsius. It is due to come into force in 2020.
Pakistan joined the consensus in Paris in line with its firm commitment to the purposes and objective of the Climate Convention. Although Pakistan 's contribution to global warming is very little, it is extremely vulnerable to its adverse impacts, as overall temperature has increased.
According to a number of international studies, Pakistan is categorized as one of the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change, including droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and glacial melt.
Pakistan is among the top 10 countries on the German Watch climate risk index --it's 5000 glaciers are in retreat, retreating faster than in any other part of the world.
Already a water-stressed country, climate change is likely to further exacerbate the challenge, with the increasing frequency of large floods causing huge loses to lives and livelihoods of poor people. Besides tragic human and material cost, these threats also impede Pakistan 's ability to promote sustainable growth and development, and ensure economic prosperity for the people.
Estimates suggest that trillions of dollars are needed globally to effectively respond to climate change implementation. Pakistan needs US$ 14 billion annually to adapt to climate change impacts and its mitigations needs are similarly higher.
Excerpts say fulfillment of international financial obligations, particularly of reaching target of US $ 100 billion, is extremely important.
Rain turns weather pleasant
Met office issued significant flood forecast
Met office predicts week-long fresh spell of monsoon rains
Different parts of country likely to receive rain
Mainly very hot, humid weather expected in plain areas of country
Met Office forecasts more rains in several parts
Monsoon rains begin in upper, central parts of country
Dust-thunderstorm/rain expected in different parts of country


Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India's leading SUV manufacturer, today announced its auto sales performance for May 2017 which stood at 41,895 vehicles compared to 40,656 vehicles during May 2016, representing a growth of 3%.
The Passenger Vehicles segment (which includes UVs, Cars and Vans) sold 20,290 vehicles in May 2017 as against 19,635 vehicles during May 2016, registering a growth of 3%. The company's domestic sales stood at 40,602 vehicles during May 2017, as against 36,613 vehicles during May 2016, a growth of 11%. In May 2017, the Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles segment sold 438 vehicles. Exports for May 2017 stood at 1,293 vehicles.
We are happy with our overall performance in May 2017. Given the favourable monsoon projections and the focused investment in the rural sector, we have a robust outlook for future which is expecetd to spur demand. The implementation of GST will be a significant game changer and we hope it benefits the auto industry. At Mahindra we look forward to a growth momentum on the back of our existing product portfolio as well as the upcoming new products.


text:
Q: How to implement a popup dialogue in React Native application? In my react native project I list a bunch of posts and a user can 'like' one or more posts if they want. I require the user to input their password the first time they like a post.  I'm new to react native and I'm unsure how I present the user with either a dialogue or new page so they can enter their password and then the original screen listing the posts shows after this.
I have a touchable component associated with each post that has an onPress event:
<TouchableHighlight onPress={() => Util.vote(props.info)}>
.......
</TouchableHighlight>

So it calls a function vote() where I will put the password logic.  Can I output JSX from a function like this?  If so how do I do that so that afterwards it returns to the original list of posts?

A: The best way to implement popup dialogue is react-native-modal.
refer the snippet
<TouchableHighlight onPress={() => this.setState({ showPasswordModal: true })>
.......
</TouchableHighlight>
.....
<Modal
   isVisible={this.state.showPasswordModal}
   style={....}>
   <View>
        ...layout to get password
   </View>
</Modal>

In the first line on the press, we are opening the modal which contains get password layout using state variable.
After getting a password and verifying it, we can close the modal using the same state variable and continue with the code.
refer react-native-modal library.
If need more information, please revert back to me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
← Kids Crawl at Downtown at the Gardens
National Ice Cream Day Freebies and Deals →
Living on the Cheap
Some of the links in this post are special! When you make a purchase through our links, we might earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Goldstar is known for offering great ticket deals to concerts, plays and other events around the country – and we think they are some of the best around. Because of the great price on the tickets on Goldstar, they do go fast – so we recommend buying early.
The company works with entertainment companies and venues to sell excess tickets to theater, concerts, comedy shows and sports. Often the ticket discounts are as much as 50% off, and occasionally there are free tickets to a few events, with service fees of $4 to $9 added.
So look around and find something you like and you're on your way to some incredible savings.
To get the ticket deals, you must first join Goldstar, which is free. Buying tickets is easy and straightforward. There are service charges, but they are clearly noted.
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Canadian Jeff Dye (West Palm Beach)
Footloose: The Musical (Lake Worth)
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You can see see all the South Florida Goldstar ticket discounts on our Entertainment Deals page.
More deals on concerts, theater, festivals and events:
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Price Free Under $10 $10-$25 $25-$50 $50-$100 Over $100
Summer Shakespeare Series Episode 2: "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
at Boca Black Box, Boca Raton
OFFER DATES:
FULL PRICE: $25
OFFER PRICE: $16.05
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a comedy written by William Shakespeare in 1595/96. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta (the former queen of the... [more+]
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a comedy written by William Shakespeare in 1595/96. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta (the former queen of the Amazons). These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (the mechanicals) who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. A story of order and disorder, reality and appearance and love and marriage, the play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world. [less-]
Kirk Franklin: The "Long Live Love" Tour
at Broward Center - Au-Rene Theater, Fort Lauderdale
FULL PRICE: $41.30
Kirk Franklin is one of the brightest stars in contemporary gospel music. An incomparable artist, speaker, a "New York Times" best-selling author, businessman and humanitarian, he has spent over 20 ye... [more+]
Kirk Franklin is one of the brightest stars in contemporary gospel music. An incomparable artist, speaker, a "New York Times" best-selling author, businessman and humanitarian, he has spent over 20 years as the top selling artist of inspirational music. A multiple Grammy award winner, Kirk Franklin shows no signs of slowing down, revolutionizing gospel music and bridging the gap between the faith community and mainstream urban music culture. Working with such artists as Bono, Stevie Wonder, the late Whitney Houston, Lacrae, Kanye West and Chance the Rapper, the genius fusion of a message of hope and hip-hop beats have made him a mainstay atop Billboard charts. With such phenomenal success, it is small wonder that some have hailed him as "the Garth Brooks of gospel." [less-]
"Murder For Two"
at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Coral Gables
+ 11 more dates
Thu, August 01
[less-]
FULL PRICE: $55 - $65
OFFER PRICE: $27.50 - $32.50
In "Murder For Two", a dinner party homicide is tragic for the victim, but super lucky for Marcus, a small town cop who's dying to prove his detective skills. With the intrigue of Agatha Christie, the... [more+]
In "Murder For Two", a dinner party homicide is tragic for the victim, but super lucky for Marcus, a small town cop who's dying to prove his detective skills. With the intrigue of Agatha Christie, the carefree slapstick of vaudeville, two terribly talented actors and a piano, this noir-ish tale is an epic farce. [less-]
The Brewery Comedy Tour
at Hoplife Brewing Co., Port St. Lucie
OFFER PRICE: $9
Laughs are on tap for this nationwide tour that has already hit 900 breweries across the U.S. More than a dozen New York and Los Angeles-based stand-ups are currently on the road, sampling the local f... [more+]
Laughs are on tap for this nationwide tour that has already hit 900 breweries across the U.S. More than a dozen New York and Los Angeles-based stand-ups are currently on the road, sampling the local fare, local brews and providing the finest and funniest in comedy entertainment. This stop at Hoplife Brewing Co. in Port St. Lucie is set to feature a lineup whose credits include top festivals, TV and major club appearances. [less-]
"Footloose the Musical"
at Lake Worth Playhouse, Lake Worth
+ 4 more dates
OFFER PRICE: $22
One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for t... [more+]
One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn't prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town's youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend's rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score, "Footloose" is the ultimate '80s dance musical with a message! [less-]
Comedian Steve Marshall (CNBC's "The Open Show")
New York-based comic Steve Marshall plays all the big clubs across the country, and now he's making a stop at the Boca Black Box. He's been featured on national television platforms such as CBS News a... [more+]
New York-based comic Steve Marshall plays all the big clubs across the country, and now he's making a stop at the Boca Black Box. He's been featured on national television platforms such as CBS News and CNBC, plus "Hot Off the Grill With Bobby Flay" and NBC's "Dare to Dream". Riffing relentlessly on topics such as his negative Jewish family and why one should never make fun of Chinese people who work in a Chinese restaurant, Marshall's no-holds-barred approach will have you laughing and gasping in equal doses. [less-]
"Ronnie Larsen's Totally Naked Comedy Tour"
at Wilton Theater Factory- The Foundry, Wilton Manors
Funny male comedians from the New York City stand-up comedy circuit head south and bare it all (literally) at the Wilton Theater Factory in Ft. Lauderdale. The show brings new meaning to the words "... [more+]
Funny male comedians from the New York City stand-up comedy circuit head south and bare it all (literally) at the Wilton Theater Factory in Ft. Lauderdale. The show brings new meaning to the words "funny bone" as these funny, sexy and diverse comics take the stage — totally naked! — for an all-inclusive show geared toward gay and straight audiences alike. Keep your pants on, though; no one's gonna make you get undressed. [less-]
at Palm Beach Improv, West Palm Beach
In just a few short years, Steve Byrne has risen through the ranks of the comedy world to become one of the industry's most innovative and sought-after performers. With his high-energy, physical sty... [more+]
In just a few short years, Steve Byrne has risen through the ranks of the comedy world to become one of the industry's most innovative and sought-after performers. With his high-energy, physical style of comedy, Byrne has evolved throughout the years into an extremely versatile entertainer that delivers on a day-to-day basis. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, Steve Byrne was born to a Korean mother and an Irish father. His unique background has given him the base comedic material for his first television show, Sullivan & Son. Byrne released a one hour standup comedy special, CHAMPION, on Netflix which then became a live show on the road, Steve Byrne & the Cast of Sullivan & Son Comedy Tour, along with his castmates: Ahmed Ahmed, Owen Benjamin and Roy Wood Jr. [less-]
"Looking for Dick, Finding Jane"
at Empire Stage, Ft. Lauderdale
A world premiere by Michael Aman. Two family comedies, but for God's sake, don't bring the kids! Drugs, sex, porn, transsexuals, nudity, camping and deer hunting -- those great American traditions whi... [more+]
A world premiere by Michael Aman. Two family comedies, but for God's sake, don't bring the kids! Drugs, sex, porn, transsexuals, nudity, camping and deer hunting -- those great American traditions which have been woefully neglected as of late -- all piled together in one evening and two slightly disturbing comedies! This show at Ft. Lauderdale's Empire Stage contains male nudity. [less-]
Tony-Winning Musical With a Heart of Gold
at Susan B. Katz Theater, Pembroke Pines
OFFER PRICE: $15 - $20
Both irreverent and surprisingly sentimental, "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" is the classic country-western musical comedy based on the strange-but-true story of the real-life Chicken Ranch bro... [more+]
Both irreverent and surprisingly sentimental, "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" is the classic country-western musical comedy based on the strange-but-true story of the real-life Chicken Ranch brothel. Protected by a friendly sheriff and frequented by governors, senators, mayors and even victorious college football teams, Miss Mona's cozy bordello thrives in the small town of Gilbert — until a puritan nemesis in the guise of a crusading do-gooder focuses his television cameras and his righteous indignation on the institution and tries to shut it down. Nominated for a bunch of Tonys in its original '79 Broadway run and turned into a hit film starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, this latest production can be enjoyed at the Susan B. Katz Theater in Pembroke Pines. [less-]
"The Little Mermaid"
at Bailey Hall, Davie
The magical story of Ariel, "The Little Mermaid" who longs for a different kind of life with the prince she loves, comes to life on stage in spectacular fashion in Florida Children's Theatre's final p... [more+]
The magical story of Ariel, "The Little Mermaid" who longs for a different kind of life with the prince she loves, comes to life on stage in spectacular fashion in Florida Children's Theatre's final production of the season. Will Ariel get her happily ever after with her beloved prince? Or will evil sea witch Ursula thwart her plan? Come out and enjoy this classic tale! [less-]
Comedian Eddie Clark
Eddie Clark has been in the comedy business for nearly 31 years, and not only is he still making audiences laugh, but he's loving every minute of it. Eddie appeared in the films such as "Law & Order" ... [more+]
Eddie Clark has been in the comedy business for nearly 31 years, and not only is he still making audiences laugh, but he's loving every minute of it. Eddie appeared in the films such as "Law & Order" made for TV movie "Exiled" as well as several TV shows, commercials and promotions, including "Orange Is the New Black," A&E, OPTIMUM ONLINE, Showtime, Major League Baseball, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Comcast Cable and Monster.com, Nick Jr., National Geographic Channel, Care One Credit, Quicken Loans, A&E "Cold Case Files," Gothic Cabinet Craft, Red Lobster, Cablevision, Fox Sports and WCBS (New York Channel 2). [less-]
"Grindr Mom": A New Comedy by Ronnie Larsen
"Grindr Mom" by Ronnie Larsen. Starring JENI HACKER - Carbonell Award Winning Actress. Directed by Stuart Meltzer - Carbonell Winning Director. 6 performances only. In an attempt to better understand ... [more+]
"Grindr Mom" by Ronnie Larsen. Starring JENI HACKER - Carbonell Award Winning Actress. Directed by Stuart Meltzer - Carbonell Winning Director. 6 performances only. In an attempt to better understand her openly gay son, a conservative Mormon woman opens her own Grindr account and she winds up learning things she never wanted to know. [less-]
Funtastic Fridays, DJ mixing your favorite Reggae, Dancehall, Pop, R&B, Dance, Hip Hop
at ifrolix lounge, Fort Lauderdale
DJ mixing your favorite Reggae, Dancehall, Pop, Dance, R&B, Hip Hop, Soca and More. Enjoy seafood style menu from an award winning chef and drink specials. The Ultimate Friday Night Party at the Intim... [more+]
DJ mixing your favorite Reggae, Dancehall, Pop, Dance, R&B, Hip Hop, Soca and More. Enjoy seafood style menu from an award winning chef and drink specials. The Ultimate Friday Night Party at the Intimate ifrolix lounge. [less-]
Top L.A. & N.Y. Comics on the Brewery Comedy Tour
at Hollywood Brewing Company, Hollywood
Laughs are on tap for this nationwide tour that promises to hit 300 breweries across the U.S. More than a dozen New York and L.A. stand-ups are currently on the road, sampling the local fare, the loca... [more+]
Laughs are on tap for this nationwide tour that promises to hit 300 breweries across the U.S. More than a dozen New York and L.A. stand-ups are currently on the road, sampling the local fare, the local brews and providing the finest and funniest in comedy entertainment. This stop at Hollywood Brewing Company in Hollywood is set to feature a lineup whose credits include top festivals, TV and major club appearances. [less-]
Miami Summer Chamber Works
at The Woman's Club, Miami Beach
MMF's Orchestral Institute draws a remarkable pool of talent from around the globe each season, and out of this ensemble, we offer our Chamber Concert series, comprised of student musicians who sele... [more+]
MMF's Orchestral Institute draws a remarkable pool of talent from around the globe each season, and out of this ensemble, we offer our Chamber Concert series, comprised of student musicians who select their own programs and coach with our distinguished faculty and artists-in-residence. Chamber Concert performances can be enjoyed by the community throughout the entire festival. Free parking available at Miami Beach Senior High School. Valet parking available for $10. [less-]
Comedy and Poetry Sundays with DJ mixing R&B, Pop, Dance and More
Sun, September 01
Laught to really funny comedians with the spoken word by poets. DJ mixing your favorites with great food and drinks, hosted by comedian AL-P. See you there.... [more+]
Laught to really funny comedians with the spoken word by poets. DJ mixing your favorites with great food and drinks, hosted by comedian AL-P. See you there. [less-]
Señor Frog's Drag Brunch: Drinks, Divas & More
at Señor Frog's, Miami Beach
Sun, November 03
Sun, December 01
If your Sunday brunch routine has gotten stale, glam up that waffle-mimosa combo with a dash of diva. Every weekend, Senor Frog's in South Beach hosts a slew of Miami's top female impersonators -- fro... [more+]
If your Sunday brunch routine has gotten stale, glam up that waffle-mimosa combo with a dash of diva. Every weekend, Senor Frog's in South Beach hosts a slew of Miami's top female impersonators -- from campy to vampy -- who'll spice up the stage with burlesque. You'll be treated to an open bar and brunch specialties served at your table while drag queen royalty like Tiffany Fantasia, Adora, Angie Ovahness, Poison Ivy, and special guests from "RuPaul's Drag Race" work the crowd and give you life. Plus, with the Queens VIP package, you get brunch and access to a full open bar, as well as premium seating near the front of the stage and a photo op with the cast. [less-]
Karaoke Wednesdays, Sing Your Favorite Songs In Your Own Key
Have a fun time singing your favorite songs from all genres in your own key. "carry your own key"...got it? with great food and drinks. YOU CAN DO IT. Also DJ Mixing Your Favorites.... [more+]
Have a fun time singing your favorite songs from all genres in your own key. "carry your own key"...got it? with great food and drinks. YOU CAN DO IT. Also DJ Mixing Your Favorites. [less-]
Comedy Wednesday starring Al Romero
at The Venu Restaurant and Bar, Boynton Beach
The Venu's weekly Comedy Wednesday! This week stars Al Romero and features Chris Zee, as Michael Panzeca hosts.... [more+]
The Venu's weekly Comedy Wednesday! This week stars Al Romero and features Chris Zee, as Michael Panzeca hosts. [less-]
More Free & Cheap Palm Beach
8 superstar ways to save at Regal Cinemas
Summer Movie Clubhouse: 10 kid flicks for $5
One Night Stand: An Open Mic Night at Roxy's
Join Redbox Play Pass for free rentals, rewards
Top 5 Free Things to do in Palm Beach County
Posted by Living on the Cheap on July 5, 2019 | Updated July 5, 2019 Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: GoldStar· ticket deals


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Adamski, Barbara K.. "Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 30 April 2015, Historica Canada. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-golf-hall-of-fame-and-museum. Accessed 20 January 2020.
Adamski, B., Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum (2015). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-golf-hall-of-fame-and-museum
Adamski, Barbara K., "Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published June 09, 2010; Last Edited April 30, 2015. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-golf-hall-of-fame-and-museum
Adamski, Barbara K.. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum", Last Edited April 30, 2015, https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-golf-hall-of-fame-and-museum
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum
Article by Barbara K. Adamski
Published Online June 9, 2010
Last Edited April 30, 2015
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is located at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The museum's archives comprise extensive histories on the game of GOLF, Canadian golfers and golf courses, Hall of Famers, and more.
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is located at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The museum's archives comprise extensive histories on the game of golf, Canadian golfers and golf courses, Hall of Famers, and more. With more than 50 000 images, the museum is home to the largest collection of golf photography in the country. The museum's library, the largest public golf library in Canada, contains 3500 titles and thousands of periodicals.
The museum is set up as a golf course and includes features such as a putting green where visitors can try their luck with a replica 200-year-old putter; displays tracing the history of golf; a driving range that gives visitors a chance to "play" in the 1895 Canadian Amateur Championship; and a golf timeline showing golf in relation to history, politics, society, and industry.
Hall of Fame inductees include Manitoba's Daniel Albert Halldorson (professional golfer, 2002); Ontario's Florence Harvey, a staunch advocate of women's golf and semi-finalist in the 1910 International Ladies' Championship (amateur golfer and builder, 1972); New Brunswick's Mabel Gordon Thomson, winner of five Canadian Ladies' Amateur Championships between 1902 and 1908 (1986); and Ontario's Mike Weir, winner of many provincial, national, and international championships (professional golfer, 2009).
Interested in sports?
Professional Golfers' Association Of CanadaThe official website of the Professional Golfers' Association Of Canada.
Golf CanadaThe latest news about the game of golf in Canada. Check out the link at the bottom of the homepage for the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. From the Royal Canadian Golf Association.
Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum
International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum
British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum


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ii view: builder Balfour Beatty shares slump
Keith Bowman from interactive investor
The impact of the pandemic is still causing this construction company challenges. Buy, sell or hold?
First-half results to 2 July 2021
Revenue up 1% to £4.15 billion
Pre-tax profit of £35 million, up from a loss of £26 million
Order book down 2% to £16.1 billion
Net cash up 8% to £625 million
Interim dividend of 3p per share, from nil in H1 2020
Chief executive Leo Quinn said:
"We continue to reshape Balfour Beatty to play to its strengths. These include leading capability in markets where governments are committed to long-term infrastructure programmes. It means choosing to exclude regions and sectors which cannot provide profitable, low risk growth, in favour of those that can. Our priority is on executing our already strong order book which will drive attractive cash generation and returns.
"Today, we are substantially increasing our interim dividend on the pre-pandemic level and raising margin targets in Support Services."
ii round-up:
Infrastructure builder Balfour Beatty (LSE:BBY) today reported ongoing losses for its UK construction business, hindered by pandemic completion delays and raw material supply disruption.
A £23 million divisional loss came largely because of issues at private sector property projects in central London. Broker UBS had forecast a loss of £13 million. The mainly US and UK construction and support services company will no longer bid for fixed price residential property projects in Capital's centre.
Balfour shares fell by more than 7% in UK trading, almost halving their year-to-date gain. Shares for fellow infrastructure builder John Laing (LSE:JLG) are up by around a fifth during 2021, while building materials company CRH (LSE:CRH) is up by a similar amount.
Gains for Balfour's US construction and support services businesses helped the group return to a first-half pre-tax profit of £35 million, broadly in line with analyst forecasts.
Contract exits for its support services business from gas and water utility customers injected one-off gains. Adjusted profit rose to £54 million from £10 million in the first half of 2020. US construction profit rebound to £20 million from a prior year £6 million.
Group construction projects include HS2 rail, Hinkley Point nuclear power station and London's Crossrail. US projects include the Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Redmond Campus in Washington and the IH-635 highway project in Texas.
Power and rail maintenance contracts at its support services division continued to perform strongly according to management. A robust order book and positive market outlook underpinned an upgrading of support services margin targets from 3% to 5% to 6% to 8%.
An interim dividend payment of 3p per share follows last year's Covid related suspension, and is up from the 2.1p per share interim payment in the pre-pandemic 2019.
ii view:
Along with both construction and support services, Balfour Beatty also invests in infrastructure projects through its own investment division. With over 110 years of experience in delivering complex infrastructure schemes, it employs around 26,000 people, mainly across the UK and the US, although it also has a small business in Hong Kong.
In 2020, the US generated around 55% of revenue, with the UK accounting for almost all the balance. Construction is its biggest revenue generator at around 80%, with support services accounting for nearly 15% and infrastructure investment the balance.
More than five years into a transformation programme, Balfour continues to pursue a culture of transparency, risk management and improvement. Cash remains its compass and ultimately the most reliable barometer of financial performance, according to management. Average net cash reached £611 million in this latest half, up from £527 million in H1 2020.
For investors, difficulties for its UK construction business in London are clearly not welcomed. A US investigation into its mishandling of certain work relating to US military housing is also ongoing. That said, and while some caution looks sensible, full-year guidance for adjusted profit to return to that made in 2019 remains unchanged. Group cash is healthy, and the reinstated interim dividend payment is 43% up on that paid at the half-year in 2019. In all, and given a discounted valuation to rivals, higher risk investors may wish to stay for the longer term.
Positives:
Reinstated interim dividend payment
Ongoing share buyback programme
Negatives:
Contingent liability on a legacy London project may cost up to £50 million
Ongoing US military housing investigation
The average rating of stock market analysts:
'Buy'
These articles are provided for information purposes only. Occasionally, an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided by third parties. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience, your financial situation or your investment objectives. The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.
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Coming to Terms with America	Essays on Jewish History, Religion, and Culture
Categories: History, New & Noteworthy, Scholar of Distinction
Jonathan D. Sarna	(author)
Coming to Terms with America examines how Jews have long "straddled two civilizations," endeavoring to be both Jewish and American at once, from the American Revolution to today.
In fifteen engaging essays, Jonathan D. Sarna investigates the many facets of the Jewish-American encounter—what Jews have borrowed from their surroundings, what they have resisted, what they have synthesized, and what they have subverted. Part I surveys how Jews first worked to reconcile Judaism with the country's new democratic ethos and to reconcile their faith-based culture with local metropolitan cultures. Part II analyzes religio-cultural initiatives, many spearheaded by women, and the ongoing tensions between Jewish scholars (who pore over traditional Jewish sources) and activists (who are concerned with applying them). Part III appraises Jewish-Christian relations: "collisions" within the public square and over church-state separation.
Originally written over the span of forty years, many of these essays are considered classics in the field, and several remain fixtures of American Jewish history syllabi. Others appeared in fairly obscure venues and will be discovered here anew. Together, these essays—newly updated for this volume—cull the finest thinking of one of American Jewry's finest historians.
"A tour d'horizon of a remarkable historian's storied career, this valuable collection of essays is as much a testament to the complexity and creativity of the American Jewish experience as it is a celebration of the scholarly imagination."—Jenna Weissman Joselit, author of Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments
"For over four decades, Jonathan Sarna has enriched our understanding of the American Jewish experience. How fortunate we are to now have in one volume so many of Sarna's groundbreaking articles! Replete with memorable anecdotes and brilliant insights, Coming to Terms with America is a trove of riches for all who care about American Jewish culture and American religion."—Shuly Rubin Schwartz, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
"The breadth and depth of Jonathan D. Sarna's work on the American Jewish experience is electrifying. This collection of the author's most outstanding historical essays is a page-turning exploration of the dynamics of Jewish life, shedding light on American Jewry's ongoing effort to 'straddle two civilizations.' Readers will discover that even as America has transformed Judaism, so too have Jews contributed to the shaping of the American nation."—Gary P. Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
"Jonathan Sarna, the most erudite of historians of American Jewry, speaks of the past and of the present through this thought provoking and engaging volume."—Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust History at Emory University
"As a doyen of American Jewish history, Sarna's work has long helped define this field of study. This collection of his pathbreaking essays offers scholars and students of history alike a second look at his sterling contributions to illuminating the Jews' and Judaism's encounter with America's free society."—Jeffrey Gurock, Libby M. Klaperman Professor of Jewish History at Yeshiva University
"Bringing together a wealth of insights from Jonathan Sarna's long scholarly engagement with American Jewish culture, Coming to Terms with America illuminates the evolution of the field of American Jewish history itself."—Beth S. Wenger, associate dean for graduate studies and Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania
Jonathan D. Sarna
Jonathan D. Sarna is University Professor and the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, as well as the director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. He is also the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History. Sarna has written, edited, or coedited more than thirty books, including JPS: The Americanization of Jewish Culture 1888–1988 and American Judaism: A History, and is the winner of six awards, including the National Jewish Book Award's Jewish Book of the Year.


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Tue, Feb 02, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Seminar
Speaker: Dr. Sanjay Govindjee, University of California, Berkeley
Talk Title: Soft and Semi-Soft Elasticity and for Liquid Crystal Elastomers
Abstract: Liquid crystal elastomers present a relatively new and interesting class of materials that display soft and semi-soft elastic behavior as well as viscoelastic behavior. These materials are comprised of liquid crystal molecules together with polymerizing agents to form a final solid that behaves as an elastomeric solid would, as well as like a liquid crystal would. The interaction of these two features provides for a wide and complex range of macroscopically observed phenomena, including for example optical actuation, extreme softness, pattern formation, and high damping to name a few. Because of the wide range of behaviors and the materials highly non-linear properties (material and geometric non-linearities), the modeling of these materials is somewhat challenging. A direct phenomenological approach is generally precluded or only applicable to a small range of loading states. On the other hand, developing models from an atoms-up approach has its own limitations in terms of feasibility. Past efforts mostly involve a compromise and blend of these two approaches, often opaquely, and as such the literature contains a number of different options and viewpoints as to what is important in the modeling of liquid crystal elastomers.
In this presentation, we revisit a number of proposed models for liquid crystal elastomers and try to clearly articulate their meaning. We do this by first examining the fundamental physics associated with the materials constituents. From there we build up, using statistical mechanics arguments, the appropriate structures for describing the materials free-energy functions. This will lead us to an understanding of the meaning of the so-call trace formula for soft elasticity, allowing us to give a precise statement as to what it accounts for and what it does not account for. In particular, we will see that the trace formula is not a strictly entropic result, but rather a hybrid relation. We will also see that the mathematical structure of this energy fails to be quasi-convex and we will discuss the implications of this defect for the solution of boundary value problems with regard to existence of solutions, quasi-convex approximations, and modeling of microstructure evolution. We will next examine microstructural feature of poly-dispersity and see that it gives rise to semi-soft elasticity, and compare and contrast the resulting model structure with a some phenomenological proposals found in the literature for semi-soft elasticity. Time permitting, we will also examine the unique nature of the governing balance laws for these materials which lead to non-symmetric Cauchy stresses.
Biography: Sanjay Govindjee is a Professor of Civil Engineering and the Horace, Dorothy, and Katherine Johnson Endowed Professor at the University of California, Berkeley (1993-2006, 2008-present). His main interests are in theoretical and computational mechanics with an emphasis on micro-mechanics, shape memory alloys, and elastomers. Prior to joining Berkeley he worked as an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (1991-1993) in Livermore, California. He was also Professor of Mechanics at ETH Zürich (2006-2008) in Zürich, Switzerland.
Sanjay Govindjee obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics from Stanford University in 1991 under the guidance of the late Prof. Juan C. Simo and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 1987. His S.B. is in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986.
Noteworthy honors include a National Science Foundation Career Award, the inaugural 1998 Zienkiewicz Prize and Medal, an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship 1999, a Berkeley Chancellor's Professorship 2006-2011, and a guest Professorship at ETH Zürich 2008-2013. In 2015 he was named a Fellow of the US Association for Computational Mechanics. In 2018 he received a Humboldt-Forschungspreis (Humboldt Research Award).
He currently serves as the Principal Investigator and co-Director of the National Science Foundation Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure SimCenter at Berkeley
Host: Dr. Roger Ghanem
Location: Zoom Meeting https://usc.zoom.us/j/97228056404 Meeting ID: 972 2805 6404 Passcode: 864779
Tue, Feb 02, 2021 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
ISE 651 - Epstein Seminar
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Speaker: Dr. Giulia Pedrielli, Assistant Professor, School of Computing, Informatics, and Design Systems Engineering, Arizona State University
Talk Title: Black Box Optimization in the Era of Intelligent Cyber Physical Systems
Host: Prof. Julie Higle
More Information: February 2, 2021.pdf
Location: Online/Zoom
Contact: Grace Owh
Mork Family Department Spring Virtual Seminars - Corinne Packard
Speaker: Corinne Packard, Colorado School of Mines
Talk Title: III-V PHOTOVOLTAIC SUBSTRATE REUSE USING FRACTURE
Abstract: ZOOM MEETING INFO:
https://usc.zoom.us/j/98225952695?pwd=d0NMenhCNkliR1ZIR1lBamRpZHh1UT09
Host: Andrea Hodge
More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98225952695?pwd=d0NMenhCNkliR1ZIR1lBamRpZHh1UT09
More Information: USC Dept Seminars-Spring2021[1].pdf
Spark SC Info Session
Spark SC's Applications are LIVE!
Spark SC is a student-run entrepreneurship ecosystem at USC dedicated to building communities, unlocking opportunities, and expanding social impact for current and budding entrepreneurs. We believe in showing students at USC that creativity and entrepreneurship is for everyone, whether it would be building a startup, creating art, starting a non-profit, or launching a movement.
Join us at our Info Session this Tuesday from 6-7 pm PST to learn more about how you can help shape USC's entrepreneurial landscape.
Info Session: Feb 2nd, 6-7 pm PST, (https://usc.zoom.us/j/94739552637)
Application Deadline: Feb 5th, 11:59 pm PST
Apply Here: https://sparksc.typeform.com/to/vZmB2IpL
Follow us on Instagram for more updates: https://www.instagram.com/gosparksc/
Contact: Spark SC