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Technology news for New Zealand's largest enterprises
Cybercriminals are leveraging AI for malicious use
Cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence for malicious use, both as an attack vector and an attack surface, according to a new report.
Deepfakes are currently the best-known use of AI as an attack vector. However, the report warns that new screening technology will be needed in the future to mitigate the risk of disinformation campaigns and extortion, as well as threats that target AI data sets.
A jointly developed new report by Europol, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and Trend Micro looking into current and predicted criminal uses of artificial intelligence (AI) was released today. The report provides law enforcers, policy makers and other organisations with information on existing and potential attacks leveraging AI and recommendations on how to mitigate these risks.
"AI promises the world greater efficiency, automation and autonomy. At a time where the public is getting increasingly concerned about the possible misuse of AI, we have to be transparent about the threats, but also look into the potential benefits from AI technology." says Edvardas ileris, head of Europol's Cybercrime Centre.
"This report will help us not only to anticipate possible malicious uses and abuses of AI, but also to prevent and mitigate those threats proactively. This is how we can unlock the potential AI holds and benefit from the positive use of AI systems," he says.
For example, AI could be used to support:
Convincing social engineering attacks at scale
Document-scraping malware to make attacks more efficient
Evasion of image recognition and voice biometrics
Ransomware attacks, through intelligent targeting and evasion
Data pollution, by identifying blind spots in detection rules
"As AI applications start to make a major real-world impact, it's becoming clear that this will be a fundamental technology for our future," says Irakli Beridze, head of the Centre for AI and Robotics at UNICRI.
"However, just as the benefits to society of AI are very real, so is the threat of malicious use. We're honoured to stand with Europol and Trend Micro to shine a light on the dark side of AI and stimulate further discussion on this important topic."
The paper also warns that AI systems are being developed to enhance the effectiveness of malware and to disrupt anti-malware and facial recognition systems.
"Cybercriminals have always been early adopters of the latest technology and AI is no different. As this report reveals, it is already being used for password guessing, CAPTCHA-breaking and voice cloning, and there are many more malicious innovations in the works," explains Tony Lee, head of Consulting, Hong Kong & Macau, at Trend Micro.
"We're proud to be teaming up with Europol and UNICRI to raise awareness about these threats, and in so doing help to create a safer digital future for us all."
The three organisations make several recommendations to conclude the report:
Harness the potential of AI technology as a crime-fighting tool to future-proof the cybersecurity industry and policing
Continue research to stimulate the development of defensive technology
Promote and develop secure AI design frameworks
De-escalate politically loaded rhetoric on the use of AI for cybersecurity purposes
Leverage public-private partnerships and establish multidisciplinary expert groups
Gartner details the five 'digital competencies' CFOs must wield in 2021
Video: 10 Minute IT Jams - StorageCraft on the security challenges of 2020
Artificial intelligence / AI Trend Micro Cybersecurity
Advancing the emerging technologies of robotic process automation (RPA), advanced AI and more hinge on achieving these competencies, Gartner says.More
Can an organisation's data achieve its full potential?
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Gerard Burgess discusses the technical and engineering challenges the company faced due to pandemic-related restrictions, the rise in security threats, and how partners and customers can best navigate the new year.More
IBM extends partnership with consulting firm LTI
As part of the extended partnership, the two companies will open a centre of excellence in India.More
Citrix recognised in TSIA assisted support certifications
"The success of any business is measured by the success of its customers and the results it can help them to achieve."More
Google completes $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit
It comes after the European Commission announced its approval of the acquisition late last month, with the condition that the search engine giant would not use Fitbit health data to target ads to users in the European Union. More
Confidence in public cloud grows, but challenges persist
"As organisations continue to radically transform their infrastructures and rely more on the public cloud, they are uncovering new connectivity and security challenges."More
Google Cloud launches suite of e-commerce search solutions for retailers
"Retailers are in dire need of agile operating models powered by cloud infrastructure and technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to meet today's industry demands."More
Mastercard launches resource site to support digital transformation of SMEs
The microsite has been launched across most of Mastercard's Asia Pacific websites with information and resources on how to digitalise and run businesses more efficiently.More
Microsoft to launch dedicated cloud service for retail sector
Microsoft Cloud for Retail is designed specifically to help retailers turn data into insights through various Microsoft services.More
Informatica launches 'world first' customer experience SaaS solution
Informatica has released a Customer 360 SaaS solution, designed to help enterprises rethink and reimagine how they deliver Customer Experience (CX) in a post-pandemic, digital-first, cloud world. More
ASG Technologies launches Women Leaders in Technology programme
"The technology industry is constantly disrupted and changing, and it is critical that women have a place to share their unique experiences, ideas and stories with one another."More
ThoughtWorks announces $720 million in investment
The global software consultancy received funds from GIC, Siemens AG, Fidelity Management, Research LLC and Mubadala Investment Company.More
Check Point invests in local cloud capabilities in A/NZ
As public cloud usage in Australia and New Zealand grows, the company says it will continue to invest locally to support businesses.More
IntegrationWorks launches OT to IT networks connector
PI Historian on MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform connects operational technology networks with information technology networks.More
Google Anthos now available on Nutanix HCI
Nutanix and Google partnered to pair GKE with a 'born in the cloud' architecture that Anthos can work with across on-premise and cloud environments. More
Continuing its buying blitz, Cognizant acquires Magenic Technologies
The move will bring Magenic's software expertise into Cognizant's global software development portfolio, and expand the latter's software product engineering footprint.More
ICT trends: What to expect in 2021
It's no secret that the large-scale transition to remote working has sent ripples through every area of ICT. The reality is, this abrupt move has impacted every business, person and household.More
Avaya contact centre expertise wins three awards
"Avaya's leadership position in the Southeast Asia and APAC contact centre markets is built on its product innovation," says Frost & Sullivan.More
FSIs use private cloud as 'stepping stone' towards ideal hybrid cloud
50% of financial services organisations (FSI) respondents say they have boosted their investment in hybrid cloud as a direct result of the pandemic.More
Digitally enabled SMEs most optimistic about 2021
"The adoption of digital tools is no longer a nice to have, but a critical business decision for SMEs."More
New 5G download speed record set on a commercial network
The record, 5Gbps for a single smartphone, was announced today by Telstra in collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm.More
McCorkell partners with RainFocus, sets sights on Asia Pacific region
"Through this world-class partnership, we plan to scale up virtual event management and programs across APJ for multi-national brands."More
Invenco pay-at-pump technology recognised at design awards
Invenco is a global provider of revolutionary self-service payment technology and secure customer engagement solutionsMore
The Linux Foundation launches open source training program
The new program is designed to introduce open source best practices to management and technical staff within organisations.More
Widespread gaps in basic network management proficiency - study
"It is important that the network just works all the time, so our report findings are concerning."More
A/NZ embraces creative leadership for business success - Adobe report
Adobe concludes that plenty of respondents are creative leaders (60%), but only a few achieved the title of 'visionary' (13%).More
VMware chief to take the reins at Intel as new CEO
In a tweet, Gelsinger describes his time at VMware as 'incredible, and life-changing'.More
Shopify, Salesforce, Basecamp join lineup for NZ remote working conference
"RemoteTogetherNZ is about exploring opportunities and solutions towards creating our ideal working future."More
Citrix partners with Cloud4C, with eye on improving virtual desktop infrastructure
Cloud4C's expertise in VDI solutions will complement the efforts of Citrix experts who simplify implementation, reduce deployment time, and help in leveraging the full benefits of virtualised desktops.More
Lenovo extends carbon offset service to APAC
Companies can choose offsets from selected United Nations-approved eco-friendly projects from around the globe when purchasing selected products.More
Top 25 global tech companies hit $11.1 trillion in market cap in Q3 2020
$1.3 trillion was added to the top 25 global technology companies' cumulative market capitalisation in Q3 2020 alone.More
The current state of ransomware — and its future
Discoveries made by analysts at Sophos have unearthed a new development: ransomware code appears to have been shared across 'families', and some of the ransomware groups seemed to work in collaboration more than in competition with one another. More
A/NZ SMBs to increase IT spending in 2021, despite many being in 'crisis mode'
IDC's survey found that, while cost optimisation remains a priority for these organisations, an appetite for continued investment into technology is commonMore
Infosys accredited with Google Cloud Partner Specialisation for data and analytics
It achieved this recognition by successfully demonstrating end-to-end capabilities on Google Cloud, including data ingestion, streaming, querying, exploration, analysis, storage, and warehousing on cloud. More
Citrix to acquire Wrike for US$2.25 billion
With the addition of Wrike's offerings, Citrix will expand its platform to include new, collaborative work management capabilities.More
Remote work: The new home for gender equality in tech
"We as an industry must build on this momentum, extract the positives from the past year's transition to flexible working, and be a catalyst for wider social change as a result."More
Logitech: new all-in-one video bar conferencing solutions
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Our FAQ library has been designed to answer some of the most common questions we get asked.
Please remember that England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are all now developing their own regulations in this area. We have tried to specifically identify where differences occur within the posts by individual answers may need to be read within the wider context of the information supplied on this site.
This site is written by energy professionals not lawyers. Your are advised to seek expert legal advice where this is required.
When the Energy Performance Certificate is issued it will come with an Recommendations Report. This report will include some recommendations to help you save energy, reduce your energy costs and reduce your CO2 emissions. It will also give you an idea of the typical cost of making these improvements and the reduction in emissions that is likely to be associated with each improvement.
A Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (commonly called a Commercial EPC) is required when you build, rent or sell a non-residential property. You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent.
You must also obtain an EPC if there are changes to the number of parts used for separate occupation and these changes involve providing or extending fixed heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation systems.
Some buildings don't need an EPC. However, these regulations have been devolved and so different rules apply in different administrations (parts of the UK). They are also linked to the respective building regulations and so some of the exemptions only apply in very specific circumstances. For example, you might think a church or mosque would automatically be exempt as a place of worship but that is not always true. You have to consider the way all parts of the building are used carefully and, whilst parts of the building might be exempt if they were separated, the building as a whole may not be. If you are unsure you should contact experts for advice.
stand-alone buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m² which are not dwellings.
How long is a Legionella Risk Assessment valid?
If you search the Internet you will find lots of different answers to this question quoting different time periods. This may lead you to suspect some must be wrong. However, to a degree they are probably all correct but there is actually no specific or defined validity period. The important thing is to understand the legal background to a Legionella Risk Assessment and then you can understand how the validity will depend upon the exact details of your situation.
The regulations require that a COSHH Assessment should be revisited regularly to ensure that it is kept up to date. It is also the duty of the responsible person to determine the date of the first review and the length of time between successive reviews as part of the assessment process. Both of these periods will depend on type of risk, the work, and the responsible person's judgement on the likelihood of changes occurring.
The HSE point out that the requirement is for a review of the assessment. This does not mean that the whole assessment process will have to be repeated at each review. The first purpose of review is to see if the existing assessment is still suitable and sufficient. If it is, then you do not need to do any more.
Even if it appears that the assessment is no longer valid, it does not mean that the whole assessment has to be revised. Only those parts that do not reflect the new situation need amending.
Whether or not there is any real change in the situation, there is an absolute requirement to review the situation on a regular basis. Without this, there is a danger that gradual change over a period of time goes unnoticed and the assessment becomes unsuitable and insufficient by default. It is generally accepted that this period should not exceed 12 months but may need to be shorter if there are high risks and can be extended if there is a stable situation and the risks identified are very low.
There are any changes to the water system or its use. This can include the installation of new taps, boilers and the like.
There are changes to the use of the building in which the water system is installed. For example, a dwelling may become an House of Multiple Occupation. Alternatively, a rented property may be empty and out of use for a period of time.
There is availability of new information about risks or control measures. This can include new guidance for specialist items like cooling towers, air conditioning systems, spa pools etc.
The results of checks indicate that control measures are no longer effective or there is a case of legionnaires' disease / legionellosis associated with the system. This could include visible algae growth, unpleasant smells, discolouration of the water or a build up of sludge in pipes or water tanks.
There are changes to key personnel. This would include a change in the tenants. New tenants will need to be informed of appropriate control measures they should and may be at higher or lower risk. Their occupancy may also follow different patterns which can change the risks from Legionella in the building.


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Preparation is everything. The legal world is changing everyday, why not stay updated?
Keeping Pace with the Ever-Changing Legal System
The Military AI Arms Race: Will AI lower the Threshold for Going to War?
This post is part one of a three-part series on Military AI that will be posted over the next few weeks. Hope you enjoy!
There is a great deal of unknown when it comes to the future of the military as it converges with technology. As the fear mongers and futurists become more divided, vast gaps between the two continue to go unaddressed. Armed forces worldwide have been utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) for decades and it recently has allowed the United States (U.S.) to facilitate development in a way that it formerly has not, allowing us to best situate ourselves in a hyper-competitive environment. AI's vital role in the military will only increase in the future. As a country, we should embrace the ever-changing market by staying informed rather than remaining stagnant in our former ways. Nonetheless, will AI lower the threshold of war?
Luminaries such as Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking and Nick Bostrom all have warned against emerging technologies, especially AI as they believe that it may bring the apocalypse. In the book, Superintelligence, Nick Bostrom states that once machines surpass human intelligence, will have the power to mobilize and decide to eradicate humans entirely extremely quickly using any number of strategies.[1] He believes that after AI destroys our existence the world will be "a society of economic miracles and technological awesomeness, with nobody there to benefit…a Disneyland without children."[2] Musk has warned that people should be very careful about AI, as we are "summoning the demon"[3] and Hawking states that the "development of full AI could spell the end of the human race."[4]
Hesitation Becomes Reality
For centuries, military weaponry has evolved and this result was inevitable with the technological advancements made by engineers and researchers. Just as the Industrial Revolution stimulated the development of powerful and destructive machines such as airplanes and tanks that abridged the role of individual soldiers, AI is permitting the Pentagon to restructure the places of man and machine on the battleground. This is happening in the same way AI is renovating everyday life with computers that can speak, see, and hear and cars that are autonomous meaning they can drive themselves.
Almost undetected outside defense rings, the Pentagon has made AI the focus of its strategy to preserve the United States' place as the world's most dominant military power. The government is "spending billions of dollars to develop what it calls autonomous and semiautonomous weapons and to build an arsenal stocked with the kind of weaponry that until now, has existed only in Hollywood movies and science fiction, raising alarm among scientists and activists concerned by the implications of a robot arms race".[5] The impact of the rapid expansion of the commercial market on autonomous systems development cannot be overstated. Hence why the Pentagon's latest budget outlined "$18 billion to be spent over three years on technologies that included those needed for autonomous weapons".5
Though military leaders say that we are approximately ten years from experiencing this technology first-hand, weapons programmed to kill without any reference to human authority are becoming a reality. Machines integrated with AI capable of using lethal force without a human interference already exist. The United States military has developed pilotless aircraft, unmanned tanks, autonomous drones and robots capable of selecting, shooting and destroying their own targets. Robotic fighter jets that would fly into combat alongside manned aircraft are currently being designed. The Department of Defense has tested missiles that have integrated AI make the decision on what to attack, and it has built ships "that can hunt for enemy submarines, stalking those it finds over thousands of miles, without any help from humans". The internal workings of the war machinery have evolved since the sixteenth century in response to new technologies and the U.S. military already uses a plethora of robotic systems on the frontline, from bomb disposal robots to reconnaissance and attack drones. The difference to note is that those are remotely-piloted systems, therefore a human always has a high degree of control over the mechanism's actions.
So, what do you think, will AI lower the threshold for going to war?
Interested in continuing this conversation? Reach out to me on Twitter @Anita_Western!
[1] Bostrom, Nick. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2016. Print.
[2] Cellan-Jones, Rory. "Stephen Hawking Warns Artificial Intelligence Could End Mankind." BBC News. BBC, 02 Dec. 2014.
[3] McFarland, Matt. "Elon Musk: 'With Artificial Intelligence We Are Summoning the Demon.'." The Washington Post. WP Company, 24 Oct. 2014.
[4] Mosbergen, Dominique. "Stephen Hawking Says Artificial Intelligence 'Could Spell the End Of The Human Race'." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Dec. 2014.
[5] Rosenberg, Matthew, and John Markoff. "The Pentagon's 'Terminator Conundrum': Robots That Could Kill on Their Own." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2016.
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How AI Will Transform the Healthcare Industry
Meet My (Glorified Alarm Clock) BFF, Alexa

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This pink, lilac and gold carousel themed cake table was made for Rayna's first birthday party.
The main two tiers carousel cake was chocolate flavour. Red velvet cupcakes were displayed on ferris wheel cake stand, with caramel flavour bauble cake cakes and lemon flavour cake pops on the side for the dessert cake table.


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Be a Time Traveler in the Rocket City: 5 Decade-Inspired Outings
By Haley Clemons on May. 31, 2017
Huntsville is known for pushing the boundaries of science and innovation—we are the Rocket City, after all. But it's also a city that never forgets where it came from. Here in Huntsville, we find unique and creative ways to preserve our past as we advance toward the future.
Even in the Huntsville of today, you can still experience tributes to the past. Here are just a few decade-inspired outings you can enjoy.
Alabama Constitution Village
With great detail and dedication to authenticity, Alabama Constitution Village gives visitors a glimpse into life in 1819—the year many delegates of the Constitutional Convention gathered in a vacant cabinet shop to organize Alabama as the 22nd state.
On your visit, you are sure to be greeted by guides in traditional 1800s garb. You'll be able to stroll through a working village and see how a law firm, print shop, and even a post office functioned way back when. It's educational, fun, and a perfect date for any history-loving couples.
Visit http://www.earlyworks.com/alabama-constitution-village/ for hours and more.
Thursday Night Swing at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
Photo Credit: Kadie Pangburn
Every Thursday evening, Flying Monkey Arts Center in Lowe Mill is transformed into a Swing Dance studio for anyone interested in learning signature dance moves from the 20s and 30s!
Don't have a partner? No problem. The only thing required for Thursday Night Swing is the desire to have fun. Classes are available for absolute beginners and intermediate dancers. And every week brings a uniquely fun experience.
For more info, check out https://swinghuntsville.com/.
6:30-7:30: Exploring & Continuing Lessons 7:30-8:30: Beginner & Core Lessons 8:30-10:00: Open Dancing
Pints & Pixels
You don't need leg warmers and scrunches to take a trip back to the 80s. Bring your game face to Pints & Pixels on Clinton Avenue in Downtown Huntsville for a night of 80s and 90s vintage arcade games, great food, and delicious drinks—including regional brewery options and mixed drinks.
A combination bar and arcade, Pints & Pixels states that all of their TVs are "time-warped to 80s music videos and television programs." So freshen up on your 80s lingo and have a "totally righteous time" playing Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and pinball.
Click here for hours and details: https://www.pintsandpixels.pub
Shakalaka Extreme Air Sports
The trampoline craze started a long time ago. But their popularity had a resurgence in the 90s. Remember that decade? It's almost impossible to forget the era of Backstreet Boys, Pogo Balls, Dunkaroos (be still my heart), and classic Nickelodeon cartoons. (Cue the Rugrats theme song.)
So while trampolines don't necessarily belong to a certain decade, you can always show up at Shakalaka on University Drive and pretend that you're still in your backyard jumping on your brand new outdoor trampoline until it's time to come inside and watch Spice World.
Shakalaka also hosts birthday parties for up to 30 jumpers. And on Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight, you can join in on Club Boom, a neon black light event with dance music for ages 15 and up.
Shakalaka is a great place for all ages to have fun, even if you don't remember the lyrics to "I Want It That Way."
Check out their website at http://www.shakalaka.us for more information on pricing and hours.
Village of Providence Car Shows – First Wednesday
Photo Credit: Village of Providence Facebook Page
Head over to the Village of Providence to see history come to life through the automobile. You'll be able to see cars from many different eras. The event is rain or shine and year-round.
And while you're there, you can always grab a bite from Taco Mama, Edgar's Bakery, Brickhouse, Mellow Mushroom, and more!
The next event will be held on June 7 from 5-9 p.m. Even if you're not a car enthusiast, you're sure to have a fun time.
There's more information on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/220445695118653/
Can you think of more decade-inspired outings or events? Share them with us in the comments!
Categories: History, Explore Huntsville, Hello Huntsville
Haley Clemons
Haley Clemons is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in public relations. She spends most of her free time exploring local towns, trying new restaurants and planning her next international trip. Her favorite place on earth is Seaside, Florida on scenic highway 30A! She loves church, her family, friends and her fluffy white cat named Truman. Currently, she works as the marketing director for a local commercial real estate company. She started her travel blog earlier this year and records her latest adventures for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to follow Haley on Instagram @lifenbtween to see more of her travel adventures.


Bienvenue, we welcome you today!
We initially focused on solutions for risk management with hosted application software services. Today, we develop supply chain, field service maintenance and integrated risk management software for teams looking to optimize business process efficiency in their supply chain, enhancing the customer experience (CX). We also offer consulting services for our clients & partners, for more, review our Company Brochure and Technical Solutions Presentation . Thank you for visiting us, we would love to be of service to you!


Next week the population of my city will increase by 50,000 people for two weeks. The internationally known music and interactive festival SXSW will draw people to Austin, Texas, from all over the globe. Even President Obama and First Lady Michelle will also be here.
And the city becomes transformed into something unrecognizable.
The first SXSW I attended was in its early years, maybe 1987 just before I entered the music business myself. Austin's favorite venues were booked to showcase all kinds of music genres with bands from allover the world. As a badge holder, you could walk in and out of shows and pop in and out of restaurants safely at an enjoyable pace.
Being in downtown Austin during SXSW you were guaranteed to see musicians with instruments in hand. It's almost like a championship football game with fans filing into the stadium each carrying a fiddle, a squeeze box, a keyboard or a guitar.
To close out the festival weekend my pals and I joined in the finale SXSW Softball game having our fill of Texas bar-b-q.
The fest has grown so much so that nowadays it's prime for celebrity sightings. Not to mention the pop up side events that are 'unofficial' meaning you don't have to have a 'SWXW attendee badge' to get in.
One of my all time SXSW highlights was getting invited to the Rachael Ray SXSW Feedback party. Yes, I like to think I was invited, I mean I did get what looked like a personal email from the Food Network star.
Maggie Mae's, an elder venue on historic 6th Street hosted Rachael's Southwestern themed party.
A hostess with a tray full of B-Side Mojitos, a refreshing passion fruit concoction, greeted us at the door.
Two stages were filled with rock music and headlining was the Cringe with front man John a.k.a. Mr. Ray.
The real star of the party was the food. On the menu, Seven Layer Sliders, Ancho Chicken Tacos, and my utmost favorite of all time Austin Mac & Cheese Suiza.
We couldn't get close enough to Rachael for the photo op but in the words of the celeb cook, the food was delish. It was well prepared and you could tell the integrity of the recipe was upheld, they cut no corners.
Fast forward to today. The festival has grown so much that public safety is a real concern, for music fans, festival goers and locals alike.
Every parking lot and vacant venue or sizable room in the city gets booked, reserved for something. A showcase. A free for all. A sampling of this or that. Things are completely re-branded by the big brands of the world today.
There's no question that change is inevitable and the economic impact to our city is massive. But the festival seems to have lost its way. No longer is it really about discovering new talent or spotlighting budding artists. It's become a brand fest.
I'm glad for the day when my city can claim it's birthright and celebrate its namesake as the Live Music Capital of the World, but not at the expense of everyone's safety.
I love a good conference but I wonder what happened to the music? Oh how I long for the days of humble beginnings.
In the meantime let's make this and savor the memories.
While the pasta is working, using a food processor, pulse the tomatillos until chopped. In a medium size saucepan, heat the EVOO, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeños and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatillos, honey and cumin; season with salt. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.
In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and vegetable stock; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses.
Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and toss. Spread half of the pasta in a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and top with half of the tomatillo sauce; repeat the layers. Sprinkle the chips and pepper Jack cheese on top. Broil until browned, 3-5 minutes. Serve with the crème fraîche, if using.
Thanks for the recipe! I always love a good mac and cheese 🙂 Also I know what you mean… as good as growth can be sometimes, it's a shame when it takes away from the humble origins of a festival like SXSW. I feel like you don't really hear about the music any longer… That said, I would still really like to attend one year, but I have such a fear of crowds that I wonder if it would be my scene any longer. You'll have to tell me about some of the smaller festies that your city has since I'd love to make it to Austin sometime soon!
One of these days I will make it up there for SXSW. I have heard from others that it has changed so much too. But this Mac this looks AMAZING!
Yay Kim! Hope you enjoy the recipe. It has changed so much, this city is crazy right now but so much energy. Thank you for coming by & visiting!
Kim thank you so much for stopping by. You need to get to Austin, there is much to see, lakes, great restaurants and lots and lots of live music!
Delish! Thank you for coming by!


Pop-up cards are fun and pretty to look at when the things that pop out from it are bold and colorful things. If you wanna make a smashing pop-up card on your own, you can try to make use of your old magazines. For some people who are not skillful in hand-drawings or painting (e.g, me), colorful pictures from old magazines can be great help. I made this pop-up birthday card for my dad with a banquet theme. For the background I used a dining room photo of an interior magazine. The pop-up items are candle, muffin and a small gift box. The idea is to make those item look as if they're really coming out and being spread in front of you. You can work with many other themes, too, like fashion, automotive, or cartoon character for kids. Just about anything you can find on magazine. Oh, don't forget to add a little scrap of card down the bottom for you to write your wishes.


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By Meira Svirsky
Iranian Gov't Front Group Funded Over 60 Islamic Sites in U.S.
Last week, the Clarion Project documented how an Iranian regime "propaganda" front donated to over 30 universities in North America. Published financial reports from that same front reveal that it also funded over 60 Islamic organizations, mosques, and Persian schools around the country.
The New York-based Alavi Foundation is accused of funneling money to an Iranian bank linked to the nuclear program. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office investigations chief, Adam Kaufmann, said "We found evidence that the government of Iran really controlled everything about the foundation."
The Foundation's president, Farshid Jahedi, pled guilty to destroying evidence before it could be submitted to the grand jury. The case has yet to be resolved.
The alleged regime front's purpose wasn't limited to Iran's nuclear program. U.S. officials told the Washington Post that the Foundation "promotes Tehran's views on world affairs." An Iranian opposition figure in California similarly describes it as part of the regime's "propaganda machine."
Iran has made a major investment in influencing American opinion that has gone mostly unnoticed. In addition to North American academia, the Foundation's website boasts of having funded over 36 Islamic centers and 30 Persian schools.
One of the Foundation's initiatives is its book distribution program that it began in 1981. Over 15,000 free texts are distributed each year using four distribution centers at Islamic sites in New York, Texas, California and Maryland.
According to its website, recipients include "individuals, academic institutions, public libraries, Islamic centers, and the penitentiaries within the United States." Yes, you read that correctly—an accused Iranian government front openly boasts that it provides texts for American prisons.
The Clarion Project has gone through the Foundation's published financial reports from 2004 to 2010 and has put together a chart of documented donations, organized by state. The amounts include all financial and book donations to the organization, including any affiliated Persian weekend school.
Look at the chart below to find out what the Iranian "propaganda machine" has been up to near you:
STATE ISLAMIC ORG. DETAILS
AZ Al-Mahdi Benevolent Organization Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
CA Babul Ilm Islamic Center 2005: $150,000 loan converted to donation
Center of Persian Language Preservation Corporation / Alborz Farsi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
12/16/2011: $10,000
1/4/2011: Unspecified donation.
2010: $16,000
City of Knowledge School 2006: $50,000
Hejrat Educational Center 2005: $270,000
IABA Persian School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Education Center of San Diego Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Persian Cultural Club / Dekhoda Persian School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
11/8/2012: $25,000
1/4/2011: $30,000
Qoba Foundation 2009: $30,000
Resalat Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Shia Association of Bay Area Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
2007: $14,000 for books
2005: $500,000
CT Islamic Institute of Ahl' Albait 2011: Over $200,000 according to a thank-you letter on Alavi's website.
2005: $16,500 loan converted to donation
Jafaria Association of Connecticut 2009: $18,000
Pakistani American Association 2010: $12,000
DC Masjid al-Islam / As-Sabiqun Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
GA Sahebozzaman Islamic Center of Atlanta 2009: $6,500
2008: $6,500
Zainabia Nonprofit, Inc. 2005: $45,000
IL Irshad Learning Center 2007: $450,000
KS Az-Zahra Center 2008: $5,000
Imam Ali Center of Kansas City Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
11/8/2012: $8,000
Payame Noor Institute 11/8/2012: $6,000
12/16/2011: $5,000
KY Al-Zahrah Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MA Persian Language School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MD Idara-e-Jafferia 2004: $200,000
Islamic Education Center of MD Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Muslim Community School / Alim Academy Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
9/30/2011: $500,000
Persian Language Institute of MD 2008: $6,000
Quran Account, Inc. 2005: $20,000
Universal Muslim Association of America 3/24/2012: $10,000
MI Islamic House of Wisdom 2009: $4,000
MN Resalat Farsi School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MO Dar al-Zahra Mosque and Education Center / Shia Islamic Education Center 2011: Thank-you letter on Alavi's website states that it has received a total of $600,000.
NJ Muslim Foundation / Masjid-e Ali 2011: $250,000, as stated in a thank-you letter on the website.
New Jersey Islamic Center 10/16/2009: Unspecified donation to construction.
Noor Center Corporation 2005: $67,000
Persian Language Institute of NJ 2008: $4,100
NY Ahlul Bayt Mosque 11/20/2011: $50,000
Nov 2011: $10,000, according to a thank-you letter posted on the Alavi website.
Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation 11/6/2012: $25,000
Ark Institute 1/31/2011: $10,000
Iranian-Armenian Society 11/25/2011: Unspecified donation.
Islamic Institute of New York 3/20/2013: $120,000
11/15/2011: $240,000
2004: $98,191.86
Islamic Learning Center of Orange County / Masjid al-Ikhlas 2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi's website.
Islamic Seminary Inc. N.J. (based in NY) Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Jafaria Association of North America Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
10/16/2009: Unspecified donation for "scholarly research"
2005: $100,000 loan converted to donation
Masoomeen School of Islamic Education 3/2/2012: $10,000
Nurudeen Islamic Charity Org. of NY 2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi's website.
Razi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
OH Payam Farsi School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
OK Oklahoma Farsi School Foundation Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
1/4/2011: $8,000
OR Islamic Center of Portland 2005: $400,000
PA Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation 2011: $100,000 interest-free loan, according to a thank-you letter on the Alavi website.
Parvin Etesami Persian School (affiliated with Noor Center Corp. of NJ) Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Pennsylvania 8/15/2011: $5,000
TN Al-Zahra Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Al-Mahdi Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Message Group 2005: $210,000
TX Anjuman-E-Haideri / Persian School of Houston 12/13/2011: Unspecified donation.
Ferdowsi Persian School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Education Center of Texas Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Pars Academy Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
Texas Persian School 1/4/2011: Unspecified donation.
UT Alrasool Islamic Center 2009: $10,000
VA Imam Reza Foundation 2005: $6,000
VA Manassas Mosque 2005: $53,000
WA American Moslem Foundation 2005: $55,000 loan converted to donation
CANADA Toronto Farsi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
November 2011: Letter acknowledges unspecified donation.
It is quite possible that a recipient was unaware that the Alavi Foundation was part of Iran's "propaganda machine," but the Foundation didn't donate to just anybone. Funds are limited and are distributed with the intent of having the maximum effect. It is suspicious when the Alavi Foundation/Iranian government decides that a specific U.S. organization deserves its money.
Every dollar spent on these organizations is a dollar that could have gone into the regime's rapidly-thinning wallet. If an Iranian government front decides that a recipient is a more worthy investment than the regime itself, then the regime must be getting a lot for its dollar.
Meira Svirsky
Meira Svirsky is the editor of ClarionProject.org
Dalia Al-Aqidi Challenges Ilhan Omar for House Seat
Alert Issued for 'Iranian Nationals Armed With Explosives' at Mexican Border
Democrats Block Resolution Supporting Iranian Protesters


Network: Cellular- GSM, EDGE, GPRS, 3G (HSPA, HSDPA), 4G LTE.
Wi-Fi- 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct.
Memory: RAM- 1 GB .
Samsung Galaxy J2 Core mobile price in India starts from Rs. 6,190 and was launched in India in August 2018. It is available in Blue, Black and Gold color options. Furthermore, it is available for purchase at Samsung online shopping store and retail outlets. Regarding Samsung Galaxy J2 Core specifications, the smartphone sports a 5 inch PLS TFT LCD screen having 540 x 960 pixels resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio, 220 ppi pixel density, and the screen-to-body ratio is 67 %. Next, the Samsung Exynos 7 Quad 7570 chipset with quad-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz drives the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core. Besides, the ARM Mali-T720 GPU pushes graphics crunching in the smartphone. While Samsung Galaxy J2 Core supports 1 GB RAM, it equips 8 GB internal storage. The internal memory is further expandable up to 256 GB via micro-SD card. This 4G mobile runs Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition mobile operating system and a 2600 mAh Li-Ion removable battery powers the smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy J2 Core features a 8 MP rear-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture and 2 MP video recording at 30 frames-per-second. It also has a 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture. Next, it supports dual SIM slots that accept micro SIM type. In addition, it supports a Micro USB 2.0 interface and a 3.5mm audio jack. Regarding cellular technologies, it offers GSM, 3G and 4G LTE. In terms of connectivity technologies, it offers Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot and Bluetooth. As sensors are concerned, it packs sensors such as Proximity, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou.


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At the photographer's, you can get a portrait of your likeness after death, but the process is painstaking. A newly engaged couple once proved so hard to satisfy, the photographer had to continue the shoot the following day. Finally, at closing time he'd managed to position them, and the light, the mark of such photography, was also perfect. He turned off the lamps, locked up the shop, and left the couple to stand in the studio overnight. 'I love you,' whispered the girl in almost total darkness. Only a thin streak of light from the street lamps pierced the studio from the store front. 'I love you too,' replied her fiancé, 'but stand still now and look right into the camera.'
by Carsten René Nielsen
'Photography' is copyright © Carsten René Nielsen, 2011. It is reprinted from House Inspections (BOA Editions, 2011), which was translated with an Introduction by David Keplinger and published by BOA Editions in 2011.
Notes from BOA Editions:
Born in 1966, Carsten René Nielsen is the author of nine books of poetry, most recently Enogfyrre dyr (2005) and Husundersøgelser (2008). His book of selected prose poems, The World Cut Out with Crooked Scissors, was published in English by New Issues Poetry and Prose in 2007. His poetry has been featured in magazines in Italy, Germany, Canada, and the US. Nielsen lives in Aarhus, in Denmark. You can read more about Carsten René Nielsen at his website here, and find him on Facebook here.
David Keplinger, the translator of Nielsen's work, has won a number of awards including the Colorado Book Award, Truman State University's T.S. Eliot Prize, a NEA fellowship, and grants from the Danish Arts Council. He directs the MFA Program at American University in Washington, D.C. Find out more about him on this page.
BOA Editions, Ltd., a not-for-profit publisher of poetry and other literary works, fosters readership and appreciation of contemporary literature. By identifying, cultivating, and publishing both new and established poets and selecting authors of unique literary talent, BOA brings high quality literature to the public. Support for this effort comes from the sale of its publications, grant funding, and private donations. In 2011, BOA celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary. To find out more about BOA Editions, click here. You can also sign up for the publisher's newsletter here, find and 'like' BOA on Facebook, and follow the publisher on Twitter by searching for @boaeditions.


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Topics: Board Composition,ESG
By Maeve Eells
Governance Leaders Discuss Diversity, Innovation as They Look to 2022
Reflecting on the past year and preparing for a new one filled with novel challenges regarding strategy; innovation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more, NACD gathered directors and governance experts last month to discuss the topics that are top of mind for boards. The panel comprised Stephen Brown, senior advisor to the KPMG Board Leadership Center; Dorlisa K. Flur, a director at Sally Beauty Holdings; Claudia Fan Munce, a director at Best Buy Co., Bank of the West, Corelogic, the NACD Northern California Chapter, and Parity.org; Dan Mayfield, a partner at Farient Advisors; and Warren de Wied, a partner at Fried Frank.
Highlights from the Leading Minds of Governance virtual panel, moderated by NACD director of partner relations Lindsey Baker, are included below:
How can a board rethink its director recruitment strategy to attract the right mix of skills and diversity?
Dorlisa K. Flur: If I look at my public boards, there are two extremes to how we approach board recruitment. One uses what I would describe as an evergreen personal network. There's a constant flow of names coming from board members, executives, professional services firms, etc. We're always screening referrals and keeping a list based on expertise for when we have an opening.
The other extreme is using an industrialized search process, whether a search firm is involved or not. This approach starts with a multi-year view of board succession and defines the skills-based criteria that will be needed. Then we go out into the world looking for individuals that fit the immediate [specifications]. Either of these extremes requires the board of directors to have the intent to broaden the pool of candidates. It is easier to go out and find people that look like you. One of my boards officially adopted the Rooney rule to ensure we didn't stop there.
Ultimately, building a diverse board requires looking at different talent pools. This requires you to seek out diverse registries online, feeders from universities or businesses that have a track record in developing diverse talent, search firms with broader reach, etc. Then—I can't underscore this enough—there must be a welcoming environment when they join the board. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what you've done [during recruitment].
What sorts of steps can a board take to help change diversity both on the board as well as beyond the board?
Claudia Fan Munce: There is a group dynamic aspect to it, but what we're looking at is the individual courage to try to influence that group dynamic. I think that a diverse board is almost a chicken-and-egg situation. If you have a diverse board, chances are you'll have a very open, very welcoming environment. Boards need to appreciate that this is about us helping the company and that diverse perspectives are what we bring as a value-add as diverse board members.
I'm Chinese; I grew up in Brazil. Asking "dumb questions" was never really something that I was afraid of. . . . If you start with yourself and are able to reach across the table to ask questions about somebody's comment, you start building that group dynamic that becomes very valuable, and you will see the pile-on effect.
One thing that is amazing is the caliber of people that you see around the boardroom table. It can become intimidating—you read [someone else's] bio and think, "Wow, he is from that industry; should I even be making a comment about that when we have such an expert on the other side of the table?" You really have to take it on yourself that the reason you're there is to help bring a level perspective and not just scan whatever is presented to you. With that, you start to develop that very open, very diverse encouragement around the table.
There's been so much discussion around ESG [environmental, social, and governance issues] in the governance space, but there still seem to be a lot of questions. How can a board break down ESG oversight?
Stephen Brown: I call it the ESG jungle—there's so much out there. I believe in not complicating things that are [already] complex. We have these three letters—ESG. Let's focus on the "E" and "S". We've always been focused on the "G" and a lot of times when people say "ESG," the G is silent. The E is something that most people understand; if they didn't understand it before they froze in Austin, Texas last year with that snowstorm, they get it now. It's right in front of their faces. It's the S that folks have trouble with.
To chop down the jungle, boards should know their three to five issues. What are the three to five environmental and social issues that truly, materially affect long-term enterprise value? Understand that, get alignment with the board and management on those things, and then you know where to start to drill down. But when there's alignment on those issues, it becomes easier to hack through the jungle.
What have you found to be some of the best practices that directors can engage in to encourage innovation, and what useful tips and tricks do you have to share with us?
Dan Mayfield: The innovative boards that I work with are allocating more time to define, implement, and execute on strategy (that now includes all aspects of ESG) through collaboration with management. If you consider an agenda for most committee meetings, the committee, to cover a broad range of topics, must move through the agenda quickly, sometimes in 10- to 15-minute increments. There comes a point when directors should ask the right questions, which may include, "Are we dedicating enough time for management and the board or committee to have meaningful discussions around strategy?" at the right time. Because of the focus on talent and broad human capital needs across the organization, there is a growing imperative, especially since COVID, for more connection between board members and management on this topic. Innovative boards recognize this shift and spend more time considering the emotional, financial, and physical well-being of all employees. When I start working with boards and management, questions that I ask include: How would you describe the dynamic between leadership and the board? How are you working with management to meet the needs of the organization and ensure that there is a meaningful plan in place to attract, retain and motivate talent? What next steps should we consider to ensure that we link talent development to compensation? At the end of the day, innovative boards are asking the right questions, working more closely with management, considering talent more broadly, and working hard to align the interests of the company with the interests of all stakeholders including shareholders.
Let's look ahead to 2022. How can directors manage all the various demands placed on them?
Warren de Wied: I've got a mantra. It's not original, and it's not terribly insightful, but think about vision and supervision. There are two fundamental parts of the job. One is setting a course for the company; the other is oversight and monitoring. If lawyers are asked to put together a summary of corporate governance requirements, they may produce 100-plus pages of materials, between summarizing New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq rules, SEC [US Securities and Exchange Commission] requirements, proxy advisory firm policies, and policies of major institutional investors, and these regimes are evolving all the time. The list of things for which directors are expected to take responsibility grows every year. It's easy to get lost in these things.
Looking ahead, directors will have to think a lot about political risk in the United States. We're at a point where the divide between people on different areas of the political sphere is more palpable than ever. We have a seesawing between regulation and deregulation. Obviously, the risk goes in a more problematic direction than simply shifts in regulatory policy, but the 2022 political risks are going to escalate into 2023 and 2024. Another key area is technology. It's a pretty significant thing that Facebook is rebranding itself and moving toward a metaverse. Today, you can attend a concert inside Fortnite. Virtual technology has potential for dramatic expansion. What does that imply for the way companies operate? For a board member, these areas—technological and political risks, along with global economic issues already under scrutiny such as supply chain and human capital challenges—are just some of the areas to focus on.
NACD: Tools and resources to help guide you in unpredictable times.
Corporate GovernanceDiversityDiversity and InclusioninnovationWEF Strategic Intelligence


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Hamilton on brink of equalling Schumacher's 'untouchable' record
Issued on: 27/09/2020 - 13:34
Sochi (Russia) (AFP) –
Lewis Hamilton can equal Michael Schumacher's record of 91 Grand Prix wins in Sunday's Russian Grand Prix to cement his status as one of Formula One's all-time greats.
The six-time champion, who has hoovered up six of the nine races in his matchless Mercedes this year, starts from pole position after posting the fastest time in a troubled and incident-hit qualifying session on Saturday.
Aside from his genius as a driver one of Hamilton's hallmarks is his ability to remain centred and calm in the face of chaos and drama.
He showed that brilliantly when rising above the mayhem at the crash-littered Tuscan Grand Prix a fortnight ago, and again in qualifying on Saturday.
Just when a red-flagged crash and a void lap time looked set to keep him out of the top 10 shoot-out he kept his focus to emerge with a stunning pole.
But he starts the race on 'soft' tyres and faces the longest run to the first corner of any track on the calendar – a challenge that he said makes it very difficult for him to stay on top on the opening lap.
Hamilton has Red Bull's young tyro Dutchman Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row of the grid and his 'black arrows' team-mate Valtteri Bottas behind him in third place.
The two of them will be expected to attack and slipstream Hamilton on the rush to the first corner, a tactic that brought Bottas his maiden win for Mercedes in 2017.
- Distractions -
In a mood of high expectation at the Olympic Park circuit, with a track temperature of more than 40 degrees, the race will also see the first significant crowd at a major sports event in the Covid-19 era, the organisers having sold 30,000 tickets.
Hamilton has won four times before at the Sochi Autodrom where Mercedes have won all six previous races since 2014.
But his record-equalling bid faced distractions and problems on Sunday morning shortly before the start.
Hamilton made a practice start outside a designated area in the pit lane exit and this was reported to the stewards in the minutes before the drivers joined for their anti-racism gesture in which Hamilton 'took a knee'.
The Briton's minor error of judgement followed an earlier move by the sport's ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA) to revise their rules and bar him from wearing a t-shirt carrying a message on the podium.
Hamilton wore a black t-shirt carrying the message 'Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor' at the Tuscan Grand Prix two weeks earlier. On the back, his shirt had a photograph of Taylor, killed by police in Louisville in March, with 'Say Her Name'.
The Briton and his Mercedes crew prepared as usual in the pre-race period, but there was considerable speculation about the stewards' possible sanctions against Hamilton for his practice start.
Hamilton took a knee as usual, wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, together with the majority of the drivers and appeared to remain unperturbed by the incident.
Earlier this week, he said he expected the FIA to act on the issue of drivers' attire during official ceremonies.
Hamilton, F1's first black champion, has led the sport's response to the Black Lives Matter movement and has pledged to increase F1's diversity.
Asked about the record on Thursday he said: "I don't know what it means to me… Of course, there's so much else going on in the world, but, of course, it's an honour."


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Q: Repeated measures test against baseline I have data from a field experiment and I want to identify if it's reasonable to test against a baseline mean to show that the ratings are significantly greater.
These are the characteristcs of the intervention delivery and the measurements:

*

*Ten participants were involved

*After the intervention, people rated from 1 (no effect) to 5 (strong effect) the impact of the intervention

*Interventions were randomly assigned over 2 months

*Each participant did a different amount of each intervention (but each intervention for each participant was done more than 6 times)

*One intervention did not differ at all, the second intervention differed slightly in each run

For the comparison of the interventions, I run a repeated measures ANOVA (e.g. if the effect of one of the interventions is significantly perceived greater than the other).
Now my question is, is it reasonable to test if participants significantly rate the intervention greater than 3 (medium effects)? Is this a reasonable comparison? A t-test seems not applicable as measurements between participants are probably dependent as they have conducted the same intervention several times? How would I do it?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Class of 1963...
The 1963 Microcosm was dedicated to the theme of evolution. This theme reflected the great number of changes and developments that the Class of 1963 lived through during their four-years at City College.
The Class of '63 experienced the retirement and eventual return of President Buell Gallagher, one of CCNY's most popular presidents. The years of the Gallagher administration brought the greatest expansion of CCNY's campus since the early 1900s. The College grew with the addition of the Morris Raphael Cohen Library, Steinman Hall and the Administration Building. After years of planning, the College also added the Department of Architecture and Graphics. Also, in response to student demands, the student cafeteria was remodeled.
Along with the physical expansion of CCNY's campus, there was an unprecedented rise in social activities led by sororities and fraternities. House Plan celebrated its 25 years of existence with a Silver Anniversary Ball. The Wright '65 sorority put on a successful "Twist 'n Mambo" floor show as part of the annual Mardi Gras. Shepard '65 won Best House Award for its Mardi Gras booth, 'Battle of the Sexes' and held its second successful Pajama Party. Harper '63 organized a blind date party and several pajama parties. Hunt '63 held popular stag and drag parties, as well as Rathskellar beer parties. Jolson '65 was given the very first Outstanding Community Service Award by the House Plan Association. Beta Pi, the College chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, won an award for the most outstanding chapter in America.
In addition to these events, the Retailing Society held a fashion show, with the winner being given the chance to participate in Glamour magazine's "Best Dressed College Girl" contest. The show and its entrants were featured in a New York Post article. A very young Susan Sontag was a lecturer in the Philosophy department. Performer Dick Gregory held a concert on campus and gave all the proceeds to charity. CCNY student, Gary Horowitz received national recognition when he fought for, and won the conversion of Hamilton Grange into a national monument.
Like college students across the nation, the Class of '63 took part in the social and political movements that now define the sixties. In protest against segregation policies, four busloads of City College students (between 150-300 students) gathered with students from other schools in Washington, D.C. for the March for Integration. CCNY students also supported the Sit-In movement in the Southern cities, led by Southern Negro students. In New York, over 300 students congregated at Woolworth's on 34th Street to protest the segregation policies of Woolworth stores in Southern states. In addition to segregation, more than 300 students gathered on the South Campus Lawn to protest an air-raid drill and the Vietnam War.
Red scare also had an impact on the life of the Class of 1963. CCNY students organized a "Ban the Ban" to protest the College administration's decision to ban US members of the Communist Party from speaking on campus.
In athletics, the Beaver cross-country squad established itself as one of the best athletic teams to compete for City College. The team brought the Collegiate Track Conference cross-country team championship back to CCNY after a seven-year lapse. With Olympic coach, Ed Lucia and two-time all-American, Vito Mannino, CCNY's fencing team came in sixth place in the NCAA championships in Colorado Springs. The steady performance of Frank Palka and Fred Grospin, led the College's rifle team to the top of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Rifle League. Andre Houtkruyer, the fantastic goalie of the CCNY's soccer team was named to the All-American squad.
Many of these class notes are excerpted from the 1963 Microcosm, Editor-in-Chief Murray Riss and 1963 Lexicon, Editor-in-Chief Bonnie Oloff.
Class Info.
Who's Who(50)
50th Reunion Pics
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Central NY News
Assemblyman Will Barclay decides not to run for Congress
Updated: Mar. 23, 2019, 2:35 a.m. | Published: Mar. 15, 2010, 3:17 a.m.
By Mark Weiner | mweiner@syracuse.com
Stephen D. Cannerelli/The Post-StandardRepublican Assemblyman Will Barclay, shown in the Assembly Chambers in Albany in this file photo, has decided not to run for Congress in the 23rd District.
Pulaski, NY - State Assemblyman Will Barclay, who had been gearing up for weeks to seek the Republican nomination in the 23rd Congressional District, abruptly pulled the plug on his campaign Sunday night.
Barclay, R-Pulaski, said he felt a sense of duty to the state Legislature, and did not want to resign from his Assembly seat in order to launch a full-time campaign for Congress.
Barclay said it would not have been fair to his Assembly district to leave in the middle of his term.
"On first thought this struck me as both an honorable and a practical solution," he said. "But upon further reflection I concluded that besides causing the inconvenience and cost of a special election to fill my vacancy, this, too, would be shirking my duty to the people who elected me to the office I now hold."
His exit leaves at least three Republican candidates who have expressed interest in the party's nomination for the November election against Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, of Plattsburgh.
Republican Doug Hoffman, of Lake Placid, formally launched his second campaign for the seat earlier this month. Also exploring the possibility of a GOP run are businessman Matthew Doheny, of Alexandria Bay, and Franklin County Legislator Paul Maroun.
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.


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Raposa, mot portugais signifiant « renard » en français.

Raposa est une municipalité située dans l'État du Maranhão.

Raposa est une paroisse civile de la municipalité d'Almeirim, située dans le district de Santarém et la région de l'Alentejo.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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ISPUB.com / IJWH/3/1/4066
Author/Editor Login
ISPUB.com
The Internet Journal of World Health and Societal Politics
IPRS In The Pharmaceutical Sector
S Biradar, R Hunshyal, S Bhagavati
S Biradar, R Hunshyal, S Bhagavati. IPRS In The Pharmaceutical Sector. The Internet Journal of World Health and Societal Politics. 2005 Volume 3 Number 1.
The impact of intellectual property rules and practices on the health of poor people in developing countries has generated substantial controversy in recent years. Although this predated TRIPS, 1 and featured prominently in the TRIPS negotiations, impetus has been added by the coming into force of TRIPS, and the dramatic rise in the incidence of HIV/AIDS, particularly in developing countries. For the developed countries, the pharmaceutical industry was one of the main lobbyists for the global extension of IP rights. 2 For developing countries, a major concern was how the adoption of intellectual property regimes would affect their efforts to improve public health, and economic and technological development more generally, particularly if the effect of introducing patent protection was to increase the price and decrease the choice of sources of pharmaceuticals.
We are aware of the importance of effective patent protection for the industry most directly involved in discovering and developing new pharmaceuticals. Indeed, without the incentive of patents it is doubtful the private sector would have invested so much in the discovery or development of medicines, many of which are currently in use both in developed and developing countries. The pharmaceutical industry in developed countries is more strongly dependent on the patent system than most other industrial sectors to recoup its past R&D costs, to generate profits, and to fund R&D for future products. Successive surveys have shown that the pharmaceutical companies, more than any other sector, think patent protection to be very important in maintaining their R&D expenditures and technological innovation. 3 The industry understandably takes a close interest in the global application of IPRs, and generally resists the contention that they constitute a major barrier to access or a deterrent to development in developing countries.
Pharmaceutical industry in India
India produces pharmaceutical formulations but over 400 Active Pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured in India from basic stage. Ancillary industry is also fully developed and full range of Pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment is locally produced.
The organised sector of the Pharmaceutical Industry has played a key role in promoting and sustaining development in this vital field. International and Indian companies associated with this sector have stimulated, assisted and spearheaded this dynamic development in the past fifty seven years and helped to put India on the pharmaceutical map of the world.
The value of the pharmaceutical market in India was U.S.$ 6.0 billion in 2004. It grew by 6.4% over 2003. Although India accounts for 16% of the world population, the sales of pharmaceuticals is just 1.8% of the global sales in terms of value and 8% in terms of volume. Globally, it ranks 4th in volume and 14th in value terms.
The Pharmaceutical Industry in India has quality producers and many units are approved by regulatory authorities in USA and UK. Today, India has highest number of U.S. FDA approved manufacturing facilities outside U.S.A. It has a pool of personnel with high managerial and technical competence as also skilled workforce. Its track record, particularly in the area of improved cost-beneficial chemical synthesis for various drug molecules is excellent. The export of Bulk drugs and formulations in 2004 were to the tune of US$ 4.1 billion.
The Indian market has some unique advantages. India has a 57 year old thriving democracy. It has an educated work force and English is business language. It has a solid legal framework and strong financial markets. Over 9000 companies are publicly listed. Professional services are easily available. There is already an established international industry and business community. It has a good network of world-class educational institutions and established strengths in Information Technology. The country is now committed to a open economy and globalisation. Above all, it has about 200 million middle class market, which is continuously growing.
For the first time in many years the international pharmaceutical industry is finding great opportunities in India.
As India is a Founder Member of WTO (World Trade Organisation), it is obliged to introduce TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) compliant IPR regime on 1st Jan, 2005. India ushered in Product Patents Regime by introducing "The Patents (Amendment) Ordinance, 2004" on December 26, 2004. Later, the Parliament after debating the provisions of the Ordinance passed "The Patents (Amendment) Bill, 2005". This signals the start of a new era for the Pharmaceutical Industry in India. The new Act will boost R&D and will help to bring in Foreign Direct Investment in the industry and contribute to improved healthcare.
The salient features of the Act are:
After a gap of 35 years, product patent protection has been extended to pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology products and food for a period of 20 years.
Provisions relating to Exclusive Marketing Rights (EMRs) are deleted and a transitional provision is introduced for safeguarding EMRs already granted.
To meet emergent health situations (in accordance with the Doha Declaration on TRIPs and Public Health), a provision is made for enabling grant of Compulsory License for export of medicines to countries which have insufficient or no manufacturing capacity.
Provisions relating to opposition procedures, with a view to streamlining the system by having both Pre-grant and Post-grant opposition in the Patent Office, have been modified.
There is an addition of a new proviso to circumscribe rights in respect of mailbox applications so that patent rights in respect of the mailbox shall be available only from the date of grant of patent and not retrospectively from the date of publication.
The provisions relating to national security to guard against patenting abroad of dual use technologies have been strengthened,
Several provisions are included with a view to rationalising time-lines, allowing flexibility and reducing the processing time for patent applications and simplifying procedures. 3
India's now-liberal export-led growth strategy
The 1970 Indian Patent Law was the outgrowth of a report submitted by a 1959 committee that examined the reasons for the high cost of drugs in post-independence India. The Committee concluded the high prices resulted from the monopoly control foreign-based pharmaceutical companies exercised over the production of drugs thanks to the prevailing patents regime.
The dismantling of India's 35 year-old patent regime is in keeping with the Indian bourgeoisie's abandonment of its post-independence national economic strategy in favor of a drive to make India a cheap labour center of manufacturing, office-processing and pharmaceutical and computer software development for the world capitalist market.
To attract foreign capital and promote the development of "internationally competitive" Indian firms, public spending has been slashed, public sector enterprises privatized or closed down, free trade zones established where traditional worker rights and labour standards don't apply, and public investment diverted from agriculture to the mega-projects sought by big business. Now, to comply with the WTO, a patents regime is being put in place that will drive up the cost of drugs.
Relatively cheap drugs has arguably been the only benefit India's working population has derived from the country's health care sector, which is one of the most privatized in the whole world. The various levels of Indian government spend just 1 percent of annual GDP on health care.
As part of their strategy to pry open the markets of developing countries for the transnationals, the US and other advanced capitalist countries introduced the issue of intellectual property rights and patent grants (previously considered as non-trade issues) into the 1986 Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations.
Initially, the Indian ruling elite along with those of other developing countries such as Brazil and South Africa opposed the inclusion of TRIPS as part of the world trade negotiations. But in 1989 they capitulated and agreed to the advanced capitalist countries' demands that, under the pretext of creating worldwide uniformity in patent grants and intellectual property rights, a legal mechanism be created whereby the multinationals could profit from the product patents they had obtained from western governments.
In order to mollify critics, the developing countries obtained some "flexibility" in the wording of TRIPS, including the power to grant manufacturing licenses of generic versions of patented drugs (compulsory licensing) when required to "protect public health" and to facilitate challenges to patents application before they are granted (pre-grant opposition).
In practice, however, the right to grant licenses to manufacture patented drugs to meet health emergencies has proven hollow, because it opens the country to the threat of expensive litigation and even trade sanctions. For example, when the Thai government attempted to issue a compulsory license for the manufacture of AIDS drugs AZT and DDI, in 1999-2000, to tackle an estimated 1 million HIV infections, the US government stepped in and threatened the Thai government with trade sanctions if it went ahead and issued the license.
Compliance with WTO regulations is not simply a matter of aligning national laws through legislation. It is involves substantial administrative expenditure by national governments, expenditure that ultimately is borne by the masses. According to the World Bank economist Michael Finger, such administrative cost for overseeing just 3 sections of the WTO treaty will be in excess of $150 million per year, a considerable sum even for a large country like India.
Several policy recommendations follow from the analysis for action, both at
the international and Indian level. At the international level, the main recommendations are as follows:
To explore evidence of patents on restricted access to technologies in developing countries and to advise countries to how to balance intellectual property rights-competition law interface in this regard.
To advise the innovative developing countries on strengthening existing systems of health innovation and LDCs on how to build innovation systems while dealing with the effects of full-scale TRIPS compliance.
To generate awareness that IPRs may not necessarily be an impetus to innovation.
To advise countries on enacting procedures that expedite the use of compulsory licensing provisions under 30 August 2003 Decision. These should be directed towards rectifying distortions both on the demand side (LDCs) and the supply side (developing countries with manufacturing capabilities). On the supply side, countries need advice on kinds of incentive structures for private sector that promotes their continued engagement in such activities.
Policy recommendations for action at the Indian level that follow from the analysis are as listed below:
The Indian government needs to invest extensively in strengthening existing institutions such as local competition enforcement agencies, patent examiners, an informed judiciary which is more attuned to the public health and local industry needs in a country like India, and price control mechanisms in order to promote access to medicines in the local market and other LDCs.
The patent regime incorporates several major TRIPS flexibilities. But it also contains several provisions that are open to different sets of interpretations and therefore whether all the flexibilities that are permissible under the TRIPS Agreement will be used by India in day-to-day practice or not, is still much in the open.
Other rules affecting the industry, such as those on data exclusivity should be enacted only after taking into consideration the interests of the generics industry and the scope of its impact. If the generic industry in India is curbed further, a large amount of cheap supply of medicines at very competitive prices will be seriously affected.
The government should apart from providing an expedient administrative procedure for the implementation of Section 92(A) of the Act, create a higher level of awareness amongst the local industry on the option of compulsory licensing to supply to other least developed countries. This could result in a more conducive attitude amongst the firms to deal with requests from other least developed countries in future.
The government should, in a concerted effort with the industry, plan ways in which to reduce bottlenecks to pharmaceutical R&D in the local Indian context. These will be very helpful to aid the industry to devise and implementstrategies for survival.
The government should strengthen its activities in terms of identifying key areas where there is potential (for example, clinical research) and invest in development of these facilities systematically.
Promotion of R&D into diseases of the developing world, as the survey goes on to show, will remain a public good problem, irrespective of the capacities in the pharmaceutical sectors in developing countries. The government of India (either singularly or in collaboration with other governments in developing countries) should initiate more public R&D programmes that utilize the strengths of the Indian industry to find cures for neglected diseases.4
1.	USTR launched investigations (under Section 301 of the Trade Act) into the failure of countries to provide adequate IP protection to pharmaceutical products in Brazil (1987), Argentina (1988) and Thailand (1991). Source: http://www.ustr.gov/html/act301.htm#301_52
2.	Ryan, M. (1998) "Knowledge Diplomacy: Global Competition and the Politics of Intellectual Property", Brookings Institution, Washington DC, pp.67-72. Source: http://brookings.nap.edu/books/0815776535/html/
3.	http://www.indiaoppi.com
4.	Amsden, Alice, "Differences in National R&D Systems between Early and Late
Industrialisers, in Mammo Muchie et al. eds., Putting Africa First, Aalborg, Aal
borg University Press, p. 141-154, 2003.
S. S. Biradar
Kles College of Pharmacy
R. D. Hunshyal
S. T. Bhagavati
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Sometimes it's hard to have enough energy to slow down and really talk with our kids when they are upset. Sometimes we've had long days full of unreasonable people and just want a break! "isn't this kind of parenting really hard?" we may wonder.
Ask yourself, is it harder than what you're doing now? How does your current approach to a problem (whether the problem is your child's anxiety or temper, their homework or chores, an illness, etc.) feel? A conscious parenting approach probably won't actually feel any harder once you try it.
Consider a mindful approach to parenting this week and see if things get harder or easier. One thing to try is listening. Instead of talking when you are at odds with your child, try listening. Get curious about what's up for them. Invite them to talk about it. Listen deeply, not just to the words they say, but also to their body language and behavior. Promise yourself not to fix anything, argue, teach, or correct until you've taken the time to understand your child's point of view.
It will take longer to listen than to tell them what to do. But once you've listening, you may have a wiser suggestion for your child. And they may be much more likely to listen to you!


text:
'Illusions of the Body' Nude Series Challenges Body Image Norms (NSFW)
"There was no 'aha' moment," photographer Gracie Hagen tell us about her viral photo series Illusions of the Body. "I started the series like any other project & like any other project, the idea starts somewhere and as it progresses it morphs into something different."
What the project eventually morphed into was a viral series of unconventional nude "before & after" photographs that challenged body image norms and spread across the Internet like wildfire in late 2013.
On one side of the frame, the subject is posing to show their best self: they're standing up straight, confident, posed to show the way they're "supposed to" look. On the other side is the opposite image: that same sexy stranger from before has become an unflattering mess of their own creation.
theresa manchester by Gracie Hagen on 500px
We caught up with Gracie over email recently to ask her about her viral series-turned-photobook, how it came about, the challenges she faced, and the message she was trying to send.
500PX: Did you have a specific message that you were hoping to send with these images?
GRACIE HAGEN: This series was made to tackle the norms of what we think our bodies are supposed to look like. Most of us realize that the media displays only the prettiest photos of people, yet we compare ourselves to those images. We never get to see those photos juxtaposed against a picture of that same person looking unflattering. That contrast would help a lot of body image issues we as a culture have.
Imagery in the media is an illusion built upon lighting, angles, and Photoshop. People can look extremely attractive under the right circumstances, and two seconds later transform into something completely different.
elly by Gracie Hagen on 500px
sam kay by Gracie Hagen on 500px
Did you find it difficult to find models for the project? How did you go about it?
GRACIE: In the middle of the series, it became viral. At that point I had only about 8-10 photos, mostly of people I had worked with before. Once it became viral people volunteered to be a part of it and I sought out specific types of people I had not included already in the series, to make sure I got more diversity.
I wasn't able to capture the amount of diversity I wanted to because I have limited resources but I did the best with what I had access to.
petunia by Gracie Hagen on 500px
dave allen by Gracie Hagen on 500px
What were the most prominent challenges you faced while creating Illusions of the Body?
GRACIE: Probably finding the amount of diversity I wanted to include. Also once it became viral I had the new experiences of a wide array of people viewing my work and utilizing the comment section of websites. I quickly learned not to read comments.
leeloo levay by Gracie Hagen on 500px
gavin by Gracie Hagen on 500px
Are there any interesting/fun/strange/quirky stories that came out of shooting this series?
GRACIE: For most of the subjects, shooting the unflattering image was comprised of 90% laughter. We both (photographer & subject) were in the moment, not taking ourselves too seriously, and having a great time. I think everyone should spend a half an hour making the most ridiculous faces & poses in a mirror, it might make your day.
sierra mckenzie by Gracie Hagen on 500px
kate by Gracie Hagen on 500px
We remember the project being a big hit when it launched. Were you surprised by the widespread support you received surrounding the project once it launched?
GRACIE: I had never had this amount of attention & success before so yes, I was surprised. I do think, however, this subject matter is something that is universal & relevant, so I can see why it traveled so far with its popularity.
annabelle s by Gracie Hagen on 500px
mark graph by Gracie Hagen on 500px
What, if anything, would you do differently if you could start the project over again?
GRACIE: I would probably try to cast more specific types of people so I could have a wider range of body types, ethnicity, genders, etc. I just want people to be able to look at the series & see themselves.
bob by Gracie Hagen on 500px
nicolette mori by Gracie Hagen on 500px
Any advice for the amateur photographers out there who admire your work, both Illusions and other projects?
GRACIE: I went through a dry spell this past year & am just now coming out of it. What I would say to every artist out there is to KEEP AT IT. Keep making things, even if you don't want to. That is how you will progress as an artist. Read this Ira Glass quote:
Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap.
For the first couple years you make stuff, it's just not that good. It's trying to be good, it has potential, but it's not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work.
Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I've ever met. It's gonna take awhile. It's normal to take awhile. You've just gotta fight your way through.
gracie hagen by Gracie Hagen on 500px
J. by Gracie Hagen on 500px
Finally, what's next for you? Anything in the works for 2015 (or recently released) that you'd like to share with our readers?
GRACIE: This year I am just trying to get back into the habit of creating. I am trying new things and gaining confidence in my ability to create again. I'm a self-taught photographer, I don't know much about anything relating to photography, so this year I'm into learning about it. I'm researching photographers, how they did things, and examining why I like their work. I'm also experimenting with the more technical things, something I wasn't inspired to do before.
kat nicole by Gracie Hagen on 500px
chrystyne by Gracie Hagen on 500px
To see the full Illusions of the Body series, head over to Gracie Hagen's website or click on the series name. And don't forget to follow her on 500px, Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook.
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