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Freedom on the Net
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2013 Scores
Freedom on the Net Status
Freedom on the Net Total(0 = best, 100 = worst)
(0 = Best, 100 = Worst)
Obstacles to Access(0 = best, 25 = worst)
(0 = Best, 25 = Worst)
Limits on Content(0 = best, 35 = worst)
(0 = Best, 35 = Worst)
Violations of User Rights(0 = best, 40 = worst)
(0 = Best, 40 = Worst)
Key Developments: May 2012 – April 2013
- Prior to the announcement of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's death in August 2012, speculation over the state of his health led to an intensified crackdown against the media and freedom of expression online (see Introduction).
- The Ethiopian government increased its technological capacity to filter, block, and monitor internet and mobile phone communications, with assistance from the Chinese authorities (see Limits on Content).
- The Telecom Fraud Offences Law, enacted in July 2012, toughened restrictions on ICTs and extended the anti-terrorism law and criminal code to electronic communications (see Violations of User Rights).
- Two individuals were prosecuted for their ICT activities, while harsh sentences were upheld for two imprisoned opposition journalists (see Violations of User Rights).
- The commercial spyware toolkit FinFisher was discovered in Ethiopia in August 2012 (see Violations of User Rights).
Ethiopia has one of the lowest rates of internet and mobile telephone penetration in the world, as meager infrastructure, a government monopoly over the telecom sector, and obstructive telecom policies have notably hindered the growth of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the country. Despite low access, the government maintains a strict system of controls over digital media, making Ethiopia the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa to implement nationwide internet filtering. Such a system is made possible by the state's monopoly over the country's only telecom company, Ethio Telecom, which returned to government control after a two-year management contract with France Telecom expired in December 2012. In addition, the government's implementation of deep-packet inspection technology for censorship was indicated when the Tor network, which helps people communicate anonymously online, was blocked in mid-2012.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who ruled Ethiopia for over 20 years, died in August 2012 while seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness. Before his death was officially confirmed on August 20th, widespread media speculation about Zenawi's whereabouts and the state of his health prompted the authorities to intensify its censorship of online content. A series of Muslim protests against religious discrimination in July 2012 also sparked increased efforts to control ICTs, with social media pages and news websites disseminating information about the demonstrations targeted for blocking. Moreover, internet and text messaging speeds were reported to be extremely slow, leading to unconfirmed suspicions that the authorities had deliberately obstructed telecom services as part of a wider crackdown on the Ethiopian Muslim press for its coverage of the demonstrations.
In 2012, legal restrictions on the use and provision of ICTs increased with the enactment of the Telecom Fraud Offences law in September,[1] which toughened a ban on certain advanced internet applications and worryingly extended the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and 2004 Criminal Code to electronic communications.[2] Furthermore, the government's ability to monitor online activity and intercept digital communications became more sophisticated with assistance from the Chinese government, while the commercial spyware toolkit FinFisher was discovered in Ethiopia in August 2012.
Repression against bloggers, internet users and mobile phone users continued during the coverage period of this report, with at least two prosecutions reported. After a long trial and months of international advocacy on behalf of the prominent dissident blogger, Eskinder Nega, who was charged with supporting a terrorist group, Nega was found guilty in July 2012 and sentenced to 18 years in prison.[3]
In 2012, access to ICTs in Ethiopia remained extremely limited and hampered by slow speeds and the state's tight grip on the telecom sector. Government investments in expanding access to remote areas of the country were found to be associated with political motives.
Internet and mobile phone services were introduced in Ethiopia in 1997 and 1999, respectively.[4] In recent years, the government attempted to increase access through investments in fiber-optic cables, satellite links, and mobile broadband services, investing approximately 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product in the telecom sector over the past decade.[5]
Nevertheless, Ethiopia's telecommunications infrastructure is among the least developed in Africa and is almost entirely absent from rural areas, where about 85 percent of the population resides. As of the end of 2012, internet penetration stood at just 1.5 percent, up slightly from 1.1 percent in 2011, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).[6] Nevertheless, the number of fixed broadband subscriptions increased dramatically from 4,600 subscriptions in 2011 to nearly 38,000 subscriptions in 2012, as reported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, though such subscriptions still only represent a penetration rate of just 0.4 percent.[7]
Mobile phone penetration in 2012 was higher at roughly 24 percent with a little over 20.5 million subscriptions, up from a 17 percent penetration rate in 2011.[8] Meanwhile, the use of internet-enabled mobile devices is increasing, particularly in semi-urban areas.[9] While all of the above reflect very slight improvements over 2011, such penetration rates represent extremely limited access to ICTs by global standards, and an ICT sector that remains far behind the rest of the world.[10] Furthermore, an adult literacy rate of 30 percent means that the majority of Ethiopians would be unable to take full advantage of online resources even if they had access to the technology.[11] Radio remains the principal mass medium through which most Ethiopians stay informed.
The combined cost of purchasing a computer, initiating an internet connection, and usage charges makes internet access beyond the reach of most Ethiopians. According to a study by the ITU, Ethiopia's broadband internet connections are among the most expensive in the world when compared with monthly income, second only to the Central African Republic.[12] Prices are set by the state-controlled Ethio Telecom and kept artificially high, though the telecom introduced a new tariff effective on January 1, 2013 that offers a discount for mobile- and fixed-line international calls in a move to generate more revenue.[13] Other price packages dating from 2011 are still current.[14] These reduced subscription charges from $80 to $13 and monthly fees from over $200 for unlimited usage to $17-41 for 1-4 GB of use. For comparison, the annual gross national income per capita at purchasing power parity was $92.50 per month as of the data available during the coverage period.[15] While these tariffs have rendered the service slightly more affordable—though still relatively expensive—for individual users, cybercafe owners have complained that the lack of an unlimited usage option could hurt the financial viability of their business.[16]
The majority of internet users rely on cybercafes to access the web, and the number of cybercafes has grown in recent years, especially in large cities, after a brief period in 2001–02 during which the government declared them illegal and forced some to shut down. Since July 2002, new cybercafes have been required to register for licenses through the Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency (ETA). Nevertheless, connections are often slow and unreliable. A 2010 study commissioned by Manchester University's School of Education found that accessing an online e-mail account and opening one message took six minutes in a typical cybercafé in the capital, Addis Ababa, with a broadband connection, and as of 2013, such slow speeds are still standard.[17] Independent sources have noted that uploading an attachment to an e-mail can take more than 10 minutes. Meanwhile, internet access via mobile phones is also beset by slow connection speeds. According to a 2012 report by the Internet Society, telecom policy issues and poor connectivity are largely to blame for the country's low internet speeds.[18]
While internet access is mostly concentrated in urban areas, the government has sought to increase access for government offices and schools in rural areas via satellite links. WoredaNet ("network of district administrations"), for instance, connects over 500 woredas (local districts) to regional and central government offices, providing services such as video conferencing and internet access. Similarly, SchoolNet connects over 500 high schools around the country to a gateway that provides video- and audio-streamed educational programming.[19] Internet speeds within these networks, however, remain prohibitively slow and outages are common. Moreover, the two projects have increased the ubiquity of the state as both a service provider and political entity across the country. A 2012 study by the Open Society Foundation noted that the projects have been used to broadcast political messages from the central government in Addis Ababa to teachers, students, and district administrators in the remote parts of the country.[20]
Ethiopia is connected to the international internet via satellite, a fiber-optic cable that passes through Sudan and connects to its international gateway, and another cable that connects through Djibouti to an international undersea cable.[21] In an effort to expand connectivity, the government has reportedly installed several thousand kilometers of fiber-optic cable throughout the country in recent years.[22] There are also plans in place to connect Ethiopia to a global undersea cable network through the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) project, which was completed and launched in July 2010, but its effects on Ethiopia have yet to be seen as of mid-2013.[23] Connection to the international internet is centralized via Ethio Telecom, from which cybercafes must purchase their bandwidth.
Ethiopia's centralized backbone makes internet access highly vulnerable to widespread service disruptions at the hands of the authorities. In July 2012, internet and mobile phone text messaging speeds were reported to be extremely slow amid a series of weekly uprisings by Ethiopian Muslims in protest against religious discrimination by the government.[24] During this time, some individuals complained that text messages took days, even weeks, to reach their recipients.[25] Given the role that social media tools and text messaging services played in organizing the demonstrations,[26] many blamed Ethio Telecom for deliberately obstructing service and considered the effort as part of a wider crackdown on the Ethiopian Muslim press for its coverage of the demonstrations.[27]
The internet was last cut-off in May 2011 in the lead up to planned demonstrations inspired by the early-2011 anti-government protests in the Middle East,[28] though it remains unclear whether the cause was a deliberate government attempt to restrict communication at a sensitive time, a technical problem, or sabotage of a fiber-optic cable. Separately, when high-profile international events, such as African Union meetings, take place in Addis Ababa or other major cities, the government has been known to redirect much of the country's bandwidth to the host venues, leaving ordinary users with even slower connections than usual.
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency (ETA) is the primary regulatory body overseeing the telecommunications sector. Although it was established as an autonomous federal agency, in practice, the ETA is tightly controlled by the government. In addition, the space for independent initiatives, entrepreneurial or otherwise, is extremely limited.[29] In 2011, the government began granting permission to private companies that run internet-dependent operations to acquire and use VSAT links,[30] connections previously reserved for governmental and international organizations per special authorization.[31] Under the new directive, private companies are supposedly permitted to use the technology for their own operations, but bureaucratic redtape significantly hinders the service.[32] Moreover, the directive does not allow companies to provide services to third parties, enabling Ethio Telecom to maintain its monopoly on public internet access.
Despite repeated international pressure to liberalize telecommunications in Ethiopia, the government has been reluctant to ease its grip on the sector.[33] In early 2013, management of the state-owned Ethio Telecom fell back into government hands after a two-year management agreement with France Telecom expired in December 2012.[34] In addition to this state monopoly, increasing corruption in the telecommunications sector has been highlighted as a major reason for poor and unrealizable telecom services in Ethiopia.[35] According to a 2012 World Bank report, the telecommunications sector in Ethiopia has the highest risk of corruption compared to other sectors assessed, such as land, education, and construction, among others.[36]
China has emerged as a key investor and contractor in Ethiopia's telecommunications sector,[37] and in October 2012, the government signed new two-year contracts with the Chinese telecom companies, Zhongxing Telecommunication Corporation (ZTE) and Huawei.[38] Given allegations that the Chinese authorities have provided the Ethiopian government with technology that can be used for political repression—such as surveillance cameras and satellite jamming equipment—in the past,[39] the new contracts have led to increasing fears that the Chinese may also be assisting the authorities in developing more robust internet and mobile phone censorship and surveillance capacities (see "Violations of User Rights").
Ethiopian authorities persistently deny engaging in online censorship,[40] but the results of the most recent independent tests conducted by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) in 2012, and checked again by Freedom House in January 2013, indicate otherwise. Both sets of tests found that the Ethiopian government imposes nationwide, politically motivated internet filtering.[41] The blocking of websites is somewhat sporadic, tending to tighten ahead of sensitive political events. This on again, off again dynamic continued throughout 2012, especially during the disappearance of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the subsequent announcement of his death in June 2012. There were also indications that the technical sophistication of the government's blocking has increased and that periods of openness are shrinking.
The government's approach to internet filtering has generally entailed hindering access to a list of specific internet protocol (IP) addresses or domain names at the level of the international gateway, though it is believed that the government has been introducing more sophisticated equipment capable of blocking a webpage based on a keyword in the URL path.[42] In May 2012, the Tor network—an online tool that enables users to browse anonymously—was blocked,[43] indicating Ethio Telecom had deployed deep packet inspection to enable more sophisticated, selective filtering of internet traffic.[44]
The most recent ONI tests conducted from September 17-19, 2012 found that filtering by Ethio Telecom focuses primarily on independent online news media, political blogs, and Ethiopian human rights groups' websites.[45] Of the 1,375 unique URLs tested, 73 were blocked, including the online portals, Nazret and Cyber Ethiopia, and the websites of opposition movements such as the Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners. Numerous news websites and forums reporting on the imprisonment of bloggers and journalists, such as EthioMedia, Addis Voice, Addis Neger, and Ethiopian Review were also found blocked,[46] in addition to the circumvention and anonymization tools, Ultrasurf and Psiphon.
While ONI found the websites of international nongovernmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders—all of which have criticized the Ethiopian government's human rights record—unblocked during its September 2012 test, independent tests conducted by Freedom House throughout 2012 found that the websites of Freedom House, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International were inaccessible at irregular intervals. Further, another test conducted by Freedom House in early 2013 found that 70 websites related to news and views, 16 websites belonging to different Ethiopian political parties, 40 blogs, 7 audio-video websites, and 40 Facebook pages were not accessible in Ethiopia.[47] As of April 2013, the above-mentioned websites, as well as those of Ethsat (an independent exile television station) and Dilethiopia (an opposition website), remained inaccessible.
International news outlets became increasingly targeted for censorship in the past year. Al Arabiya and both of Al Jazeera's Arabic and English websites were both blocked intermittently throughout 2012 and early 2013,[48] while the Washington Post became a new target for blocking after the paper reported on the prime minister's whereabouts in August 2012.[49] The article remained blocked as of April 2013. An online Forbes article titled, "Requiem for a Reprobate Ethiopian Tyrant Should Not Be Lionized," which was written in response to the local and global praise of the late prime minister's debatable economic growth achievements, was also effectively blocked in August 2012 and remained so at the time of writing.[50]
In addition, the website of a Swedish state broadcaster was blocked in September 2012 for reporting on the release of two Swedish journalists who had been imprisoned for their alleged support of the Ogaden National Liberation Front rebel group.[51] Certain webpages were also restricted in response to the series of weekly Muslims protests against religious discrimination by the government in mid-2012, including the Facebook page and blog of protest organizers titled, "Dimtsachin Yisema" ("Let Our Voice Be Heard"). Al Jazeera's main website was blocked after it published a discussion forum about the continuing Muslim protests.[52]
In the past year, the authorities have become more sophisticated in their censorship techniques, electing to block select webpages as opposed to entire websites. There are also worrying suspicions that the authorities may have learned to block websites hosted on foreign servers. In April 2013, one local human rights activist group confirmed that their website was blocked, despite being hosted on both foreign and mirror servers.[53] In addition, some restrictions are placed on mobile phones, such as the requirement for a text message to obtain prior approval from Ethio Telecom if it is to be sent to more than ten recipients.[54] A bulk text message sent without prior approval is automatically blocked.
Meanwhile, social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are available, though worries have increased over potential government plans to block social media tools altogether. These concerns were particularly pronounced following news about Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's health in July 2012, which provoked an intensified crackdown against the media.[55] In response to the public debate circulating online over the prime minister's whereabouts, the state-run Ethiopian television station aired a special program to censure the role of social media in society, blaming it for spreading false rumors, being destructive to society's well-being, hampering productivity, and undermining citizens' rights.[56] The social media curation tool Storify was also blocked during this period.[57]
International blog-hosting platforms such as Blogspot have been frequently blocked since the disputed parliamentary elections of 2005, during which the opposition used online communication tools to organize and disseminate information that was critical of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front .[58] In 2007, the government instituted a blanket block on the domain names of two popular blog-hosting websites, Blogspot and Nazret, though the authorities have since become more sophisticated in their censorship techniques, now blocking select pages such as the Zone9 independent blog hosted on Blogspot,[59] as opposed to entire blogging platforms. Nazret, however, remained completely blocked at the end of the coverage period. Circumvention strategies have also been targeted, with the term "proxy" yielding no search results on Google, according to an independent source. Some speculate that the search is being filtered through the URL and instantly redirected to a fake Google website. Meanwhile, the terms "sex" or "porn" are still searchable.
Procedures for determining which websites should be blocked and when are extremely opaque. There are no published lists of blocked websites or publicly available criteria for how such decisions are made, and users are met with an error message when trying to access a blocked website. This lack of transparency is exacerbated by the government's continued denial of its censorship efforts, though in September 2012, the director of the Information Network Security Agency (INSA), Brigadier General Tekleberahan Weldearegay, was quoted in an interview for the government-owned Amharic-language magazine, Zemen, underscoring the "necessity" of blocking online content that is harmful to Ethiopian society.[60] Meanwhile, the decision-making process does not appear to be centrally controlled, as various governmental entities—including INSA and Ethio Telecom—seem to be implementing their own lists, contributing to the phenomenon of inconsistent blocking.
In addition to increasing online censorship, politically objectionable content has been targeted for removal, often by way of threats from security officials who personally seek out users and bloggers to instruct them to take down certain content. The growing practice suggests that at least some voices within Ethiopia's small online community are being closely watched. In one notable instance, a video of the late Meles Zenawi being heckled by an activist while in Washington D.C. for a G8 meeting in early 2012 was taken down shortly after it was posted on online. Searching for the video on YouTube and elsewhere has yielded no results except for other non-contentious videos of Zenawi.
Lack of adequate funding represents another challenge for independent online media, as fear of government pressure dissuades Ethiopian businesses from advertising with politically critical websites. The authorities also use regime apologists, paid commentators, and pro-government websites to proactively manipulate the online news and information landscape. Acrimonious exchanges between commentators on apologist websites and a wide array of diaspora critics and opposition forces have become common in online political debates. There was a noticeable increase in the number of pro-government commentators in the past year, especially during the period of speculation over Meles Zanawi's disappearance.
Regime critics and opposition forces in the diaspora increasingly use the internet as a platform for political debate and an indirect avenue for providing information to local newspapers. The domestic Ethiopian blogosphere has been expanding, in spite of the blocks on blogging platforms since 2005, though most of the blogging activity on Ethiopian issues still originates in the diaspora. Furthermore, increased repression against journalists working in the traditional media and a number of bloggers throughout 2012 has generated a chilling effect in the online sphere. Few Ethiopian journalists work for both domestic print media and overseas online outlets as this could draw repercussions, and many bloggers publish anonymously to avoid reprisals.[61]
Over the past two years, Facebook has become one of the most popular mediums through which Ethiopians share and consume information, with the country's Facebook penetration exceeding its rate of internet penetration due to increasing access via mobile phones.[62] Social media websites have also become significant platforms for political deliberation and social justice campaigns. For example, in November 2012 a group of young Ethiopian bloggers and activists based in Addis Ababa launched a Facebook and Twitter campaign to demand that the government respect the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Ethiopian Constitution,[63] though the campaign ultimately fell on deaf ears. Overall, many civil society groups based in the country are wary of mobilizing against the government, and calls for protest come mostly from the Ethiopian diaspora rather than from local activists who fear the government's tendency toward violent crackdowns against protest movements.
During the coverage period, the Ethiopian government's already limited space for online expression continued to deteriorate alongside its poor treatment of journalists. In 2012, repression against bloggers and ICT users increased, with several arrests and at least one prosecution reported. The Telecom Fraud Offences law enacted in September 2012 toughened the ban on advanced internet applications and established criminal liability for certain types of content communicated electronically. Furthermore, monitoring of online activity and interception of digital communications intensified, with the deployment of FinFisher surveillance technology against users confirmed in early 2013.
Constitutional provisions guarantee freedom of expression and media freedom in Ethiopia.[64] Nevertheless, in recent years the government has adopted problematic laws that restrict free expression.[65] For one, the 2008 Mass Media and Freedom of Information Proclamation includes a clause that permits only Ethiopian nationals to establish mass media outlets. The media law also prescribes crippling fines, licensing restrictions for establishing a media outlet, and powers allowing the government to impound periodical publications.[66]
In 2012, specific legal restrictions on ICT use and provision were enacted with the passage of the Telecom Fraud Offences law in September,[67] which revised a 2002 law that had placed bans on certain advanced communication applications, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)—including Skype and Google Voice—call back services, and internet-based fax services.[68] Under the new law, the penalties under the preexisting ban were toughened, increasing the fine and maximum prison sentence from five to eight years for offending service providers and penalizing users with three months to two years in prison.[69] The government first instituted the ban on VoIP in 2002 after it gained popularity as a less expensive means of communication and began draining revenue from the traditional telephone business belonging to the state-owned Ethio Telecom.[70] Despite the restriction on paper, many cybercafés still offer the banned service with no reports of repercussions to date.
The new law also added the requirement for all individuals to register their telecommunications equipment—including smart phones—with the government, which security officials enforce by confiscating ICT equipment when a registration permit cannot be furnished at security checkpoints. Most alarmingly, the Telecom Fraud Offences law extended the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and 2004 Criminal Code to electronic communications.[71] Under the anti-terrorism legislation, the publication of a statement that is understood as a direct or indirect encouragement of terrorism, broadly defined, is punishable with up to 20 years in prison.[72] Meanwhile, the criminal code holds any "author, originator or publisher" criminally liable for content allegedly linked to offenses such as treason, espionage, or incitement, which carries with it the penalty of up to life imprisonment or death.[73] The criminal code also penalizes the publication of a "false rumor" with up to three years in prison.[74]
In July 2012, the criminal code was applied to digital communication under the Telecom Fraud Offences law for the first time when Ethiopian Muslim Jemal Kedir was found guilty on charges of spreading false rumors and fomenting hatred through text messages. Comprised of various statements protesting against police mistreatment of the Muslim community, the text messages were used as evidence against Kedir in court, leading to a one-year prison sentence.[75]
Also in July 2012, the well-known dissident blogger Eskinder Nega was found guilty under the anti-terrorism law and sentenced to 18 years in prison for his alleged links to a terrorist group.[76] Such trumped-up charges were based on an online column Nega had published that criticized the government's use of the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation to silence political dissent and called for greater political freedom in Ethiopia, which led to his arrest in September 2011.[77] Nega appealed the verdict at the Federal Supreme Court in early 2013,[78] but his 18-year sentence was upheld on May 2, 2013 amid global observance of World Press Freedom Day.[79]
In another incident in April 2013, a student at the Addis Ababa University's Information Technology Department was arrested and charged with criminal defamation for his Facebook activity. The 21-year-old, Manyazewal Eshetu, was detained from his home in Addis Ababa after he had posted a comment on his Facebook page that criticized the "rampant corruption" of another local university in Arba Minch town, where he was transported after his arrest. At the end of the coverage period, he remained in prison and had not been prosecuted.[80]
Given the high degree of online repression in Ethiopia, some political commentators use proxy servers and anonymizing tools to hide their identities when publishing online and to circumvent filtering, though the ability to communicate anonymously has become more difficult in the past year. As discussed above, the Tor Network anonymizing tool was blocked in May 2012, confirming that the government has deployed deep-packet inspection technology, and Google searches of the term "proxy" mysteriously yield no results (see "Limits on Content").
Anonymity is further compromised by SIM card registration requirements, which involve the need for consumers to provide their full names, addresses, and government-issued identification numbers upon the purchase of a mobile phone. Internet subscribers are also required to register their personal details, including their home address, with the government. In early 2013, an insider leaked worrying details of potential government efforts to draft legislation that seeks to mandate real-name registration for all internet use in Ethiopia.[81]
Government surveillance of online and mobile phone communications is a major concern in Ethiopia, and evidence is emerging regarding the scale of such practices. Increasing Chinese investment in Ethiopia's telecommunications sector over the past few years has led to reports of the government using Chinese technology to monitor phone lines and various types of online communication.[82] Fears of direct assistance from China were affirmed in June 2012 when the Ethiopian government openly held an "Internet Management" media workshop with support from the Chinese Communist Party,[83] and spearheaded by a professor from the Chinese Leadership Academy.[84] According to an official government press release, the main purpose of the workshop was to learn about China's experience regarding "mass media capacity building," "mass media institution management," and "internet management."
In August 2012, Ethiopia was reported to be among a group of 10 countries that possesses the commercial spyware toolkit FinFisher,[85] a device that can secretly monitor computers by turning on webcams, record everything a user types with a key logger, and intercept Skype calls. A leaked document confirmed that the UK-based company, Gamma International, had provided Ethio Telecom with the FinFisher surveillance toolkit at some point between April and July 2012.[86] In addition, research conducted by Citizen Lab in March 2013 worryingly found evidence of an Ethio Telecom-initiated FinSpy campaign launched against users that employed pictures of the opposition group, Ginbot 7, as bait.[87] The Information Network Security Agency (INSA)—which is involved in surveillance as well as content blocking[88]—has also reportedly tested tools that can enable its officials to mask their identities to acquire personal information such as usernames and passwords, according to internal sources working in the industry.[89]
In a series of trials of journalists and bloggers throughout 2012 and early 2013, government prosecutors have presented e-mails and phone calls intercepted from journalists as evidence.[90] For example, on January 8, 2013 the Ethiopian Court of Cassation rejected an appeal for acquittal filed by the award-winning journalist Reeyot Alemu, citing the e-mails she had received from opposition discussion groups as justification.[91] Reports and photos she had sent to the U.S.-based opposition news site, Ethiopian Review, were also used against her. Alemu was imprisoned in June 2011 on a slew of charges under the anti-terrorism law and sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment in January 2012. An appeal court reduced her sentence to five years in August 2012; however, because the Court of Cassation is the last resort for legal appeals, no further recourse is available for acquittal.[92]
While the government's stronghold over the Ethiopian ICT sector enables it to proactively monitor users, its access to user activity and information is less direct at cybercafes. For a period following the 2005 elections, cybercafe owners were required to keep a register of their clients, but this has not been enforced since mid-2010. Nevertheless, there are strong suspicions that cybercafes are required to install software to monitor user activity, which arose after a few incidents were reported of the authorities arresting users at internet cafes in 2011. The arrests were followed by government warnings that "visiting anti-peace websites using proxy servers is a crime."[93]
To date, cyberattacks and other forms of technical violence have not been a serious problem in Ethiopia, partly due to the limited number of users, though the tide may be turning. In March 2013, the independent activist, Abrah Desta, reported via Twitter that his Facebook page was disabled for an unknown reason, which some observers speculated was the result of criminal hacking.[94] Harassment and intimidation of bloggers and online journalists have also increased over the past couple of years. For example, independent bloggers have reported instances of being summoned by the authorities to receive warnings against discussing certain topics online. Fortunately, there have been no instances of violence against users to date.
[1] "A Proclamation on Telecom Fraud Offence," Federal Negarit Gazeta No. 61, September 4, 2012, http://www.abyssinialaw.com/uploads/761.pdf.
[2] Article 19, "Ethiopia: Proclamation on Telecom Fraud Offences," legal analysis, August 6, 2012, http://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3401/en/ethiopia:-proclamation-on-telecom-fraud-offences.
[3] William Easterly et al., "The Case of Eskinder Nega," New York Review of Books, January 12, 2012, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jan/12/case-eskinder-nega/?pagination=false; Committee to Protect Journalists, "Ethiopia Sentences Eskinder, 5 Others on Terror Charges," July 13, 2012, http://cpj.org/2012/07/ethiopia-sentences-eskinder-six-others-on-terror-c.php.
[4] The first use of internet-like electronic communication was in 1993, when the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa launched the Pan African Documentation and Information Service Network (PADISNET) project, establishing electronic communication nodes in several countries, including Ethiopia. PADISNET provided the first store-and-forward email and electronic-bulletin board services in Ethiopia. It was used by a few hundred people, primarily academics, and staff of international agencies or nongovernmental organizations.
[5] World Bank, "Chapter 8: Corruption in the Telecommunications Sector in Ethiopia: A Preliminary Overview," in Janelle Plummer (ed.), Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia, World Bank Publications, 2012, http://issuu.com/world.bank.publications/docs/9780821395318.
[6] International Telecommunication Union, "Percentage of Individuals Using the Internet, 2000-2012," http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx.
[7] International Telecommunication Union, "Fixed (Wired)-Broadband Subscriptions, 2000-2012."
[8] International Telecommunication Union ,"Mobile-cellular Telephone Subscriptions, 2000-2012."
[9] Markos Lemma, "Disconnected Ethiopian Netizens," Digital Development Debates (blog), http://www.digital-development-debates.org/issues/09-prejudice/african-innovation/disconnected-ethiopian-netizens/.
[10] Lishan Adam, "Ethiopia ICT Sector Performance Review 2009/2010," Research ICT Africa, 2010, http://www.researchictafrica.net/publications/Policy_Paper_Series_Towards_Evidence-based_ICT_Policy_and_Regulation_-_Volume_2/Vol%202%20Paper%209%20-%20Ethiopia%20ICT%20Sector%20Performance%20Review%202010.pdf.
[11] UNICEF, "Ethiopia: Statistics," accessed July 16, 2012, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ethiopia_statistics.html#67.
[12] Jonathan Fildes, "UN Reveals Global Disparity in Broadband Access," BBC News, September 2, 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11162656.
[13] "Ethio Telecom Reduces Tariff for International Calls," Addis Fortune via All Africa, January 7, 2013, http://allafrica.com/stories/201301081250.html.
[14] "Residential Tariff," Ethio Telecom, accessed July 16, 2012, http://www.ethiotelecom.et/products/residential-tariff.php.
[15] World Bank, "Gross National Income Per Capital 2011, Atlas method and PPP," World Bank Databank, 2011, accessed July 18, 2012, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/GNI-per-capita-Atlas-and-PPP-table.
[16] Elias Gebreselassie, "Ethio-Telecom Limits EVDO Internet Access," Addis Fortune, April 3, 2011, http://addisfortune.com/Vol_10_No_570_Archive/Ethio-Telecom%20Limits%20EVDO%20Internet%20Access.htm; "Ethio-Telecom Unveils Wide-ranging Tariff Changes Across All Services," TeleGeography, April 5, 2011, http://bit.ly/16PXRqz.
[17] Andinet Teshome, Internet Access in the Capital of Africa (School of Education, University of Manchester, 2009); EthioTube video, posted by "Kebena," accessed August 06, 2010, http://www.ethiotube.net/video/9655/Internet-Access-in-the-Capital-of-Africa-Addis-Ababa.
[18] Dessalegn Mequanint, "Understanding the Factors that Force Down Ethiopia's Rankings in the Digital Economy and their Implications in the ICT Policy and Strategy," Internet Society, 2012, http://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/Final%20Report_UnderstandingTheFactorsEthiopiaDigitalRankings.pdf.
[19] Samuel Kinde, "Internet in Ethiopia: Is Ethiopia Off-Line or Wired to the Rim?" MediaETHIOPIA, November 2007, http://www.mediaethiopia.com/Engineering/Internet_in_Ethiopia_November2007.htm.
[20] Iginio Gagliardone and Nicole Stremlau, "Mapping Digital Media: Digital Media, Conflict and Diasporas in the Horn of Africa," Open Society Foundations, December 2011, http://bit.ly/19iyGxZ.
[21] Hailu Teklehaimanot, "Unraveling ZTE's Network," Addis Fortune, August 22, 2010, http://www.addisfortune.com/Interview-Unraveling%20ZTEs%20Network.htm.
[22] Kinde, "Internet in Ethiopia."
[23] Brian Adero, "WIOCC-EASSy Cable Ready for Business," IT News Africa, July 23, 2010, http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=8419.
[24] "Ethiopia's Muslims Protest Against Being 'Treated Like Terrorists,'" France 24, July 25, 2012, http://observers.france24.com/content/20120725-ethiopia-muslims-protest-labeled-terrorists-addis-ababa-muslim-council-awoliya-mosque-al-ahbash-anawar.
[25] "ETC sucks," Facebook group, accessed June 17, 2013, https://www.facebook.com/groups/112900380991/.
[26] Endalk, "Muslims Take Campaign Online for Religious Independence," Global Voices, May 12, 2012, http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/05/12/ethiopia-muslims-take-campaign-online-for-religious-independence/.
[27] "Ethiopian Authorities Crack Down on Muslim Press," Committee to Protect Journalists, August 9, 2012, http://www.cpj.org/2012/08/ethiopian-authorities-crack-down-on-muslim-press.php.
[28] See Freedom on the Net 2012. Also, "Internet is Down Throughout Ethiopia – Update," Ethiopian Review, May 26, 2011, http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/33165.
[29] Al Shiferaw, "Connecting Telecentres: An Ethiopian Perspective," Telecentre Magazine, September 2008, http://bit.ly/16DdF6Z.
[30] "Private VSAT Permit Directive Number 2/2003" as noted in: "Ethiopia to Liberalise VSAT Market," Screen Africa, November 16, 2011, http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/industry/1097820-Ethiopia-to-liberalise-VSAT-market.
[31] Yelibenwork Ayele, "Companies in Ethiopia Permitted to Use VSAT," 2Merkato, October 3, 2011, http://www.2merkato.com/20111003380/companies-in-ethiopia-permitted-to-use-vsat.
[32] Jon Evans, "The Unconquered Nation, Crippled By Bureaucrats," TechCrunch, May 30, 2011, http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/30/unconquered-nation-crippled-ethiopia-internet/.
[33] "US urge Ethiopia to Liberalise Telecom Sector," Africa News via Somali State, March 10, 2010, http://www.somalistate.com/englishnewspage.php?articleid=4638; Technology Strategies International, "ICT Investment Opportunities in Ethiopia—2010," March 1, 2010, http://bit.ly/1bmsGvq.
[34] "France Telecom's Management Contract with Ethio Telecom Ends," Telecompaper, January 4, 2013, http://www.telecompaper.com/news/france-telecoms-management-contract-with-ethio-telecom-ends--917095; Meraf Leykun, "The Management Contract with France Telecom concluded," 2Merkato, January 4, 2013, http://www.2merkato.com/the-management-contract-with-france-telecom-concluded.
[35] Gabriella Mulligan, "Ethiopian Telecoms Sector Amongst Most Corrupt in Country," Humanipo, January 16, 2013, http://www.humanipo.com/news/3331/Ethiopian-telecoms-sector-amongst-most-corrupt-in-country.
[36] Janelle Plummer (ed.), Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia.
[37] Isaac Idun-Arkhurst and James Laing, The Impact of the Chinese Presence in Africa (London: africapractice, 2007), http://www.davidandassociates.co.uk/davidandblog/newwork/China_in_Africa_5.pdf.
[38] "ZTE, Huawei to Be Awarded Ethiopian Telecommunications Contracts," Bloomberg, October 12, 2012, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-11/zte-huawei-to-be-awarded-ethiopian-telecommunications-contracts.html.
[39] Hilina Alemu, "INSA Installing Street Surveillance Cameras," Addis Fortune, March 21, 2010, http://www.addisfortune.com/Vol%2010%20No%20516%20Archive/INSA%20Installing%20Street%20Surrviellance%20Cameras.htm; "China Involved in ESAT Jamming," Addis Neger, June 22, 2010, http://addisnegeronline.com/2010/06/china-involved-in-esat-jamming/.
[40] "Ethiopia: Authorities Urged to Unblock Websites," Integrated Regional Information Networks, May 25, 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=59115.
[41] Irene Poetranto, "Update on Information Controls in Ethiopia," OpenNet Initiative, November 1, 2012, http://opennet.net/blog/2012/11/update-information-controls-ethiopia.
[42] Daniel Berhane, "Ethiopia's Web Filtering: Advanced Technology, Hypocritical Criticisms, Bleeding Constitution," Daniel Berhane's Blog, January 16, 2011, http://danielberhane.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/ethiopias-web-filtering-advanced-technology-hypocritical-criticisms-bleeding-constitution/.
[43] "Ethiopia Introduces Deep Packet Inspection," Tor, May 31, 2012, https://blog.torproject.org/blog/ethiopia-introduces-deep-packet-inspection.
[44] Warwick Ashford, "Ethiopian Government Blocks Tor Network Online Anonymity," Computer Weekly, June 28, 2012, http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240158237/Ethiopian-government-blocks-Tor-Network-online-anonymity.
[45] Irene Poetranto, "Update on Information Controls in Ethiopia," OpenNet Initiative, November 1, 2012, http://opennet.net/blog/2012/11/update-information-controls-ethiopia.
[46] Poetranto, "Update on Information Controls in Ethiopia,".
[47] Independent test conducted by Freedom House consultant, early 2013.
[48] "Ethiopia 'Blocks' Al Jazeera Websites," Al Jazeera, March 18, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/03/201331793613725182.html.
[49] Mohammed Ademo, "Media Restrictions Tighten in Ethiopia," Columbia Journalism Review, August 13, 2012, http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/ethiopia_news_crackdown.php?page=all.
[50] Research conducted by Freedom House consultant.
[51] "Swedish State Television Website Blocked in Ethiopia," Ethiopian Review, September 22, 2012, http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42883&p=239162.
[52] Ademo, "Media Restrictions Tighten in Ethiopia.".
[53] Interview conducted by Freedom House consultant. All interviews were conducted in Ethiopia with subjects who requested anonymity.
[54] Interview with individuals working in the telecom sector, as well as a test conducted by a Freedom House consultant who found it was not possible for an ordinary user to send out a bulk text message.
[55] Ademo, "Media Restrictions Tighten in Ethiopia."
[58] Bogdan Popa, "Google Blocked in Ethiopia," Softpedia, May 3, 2007, http://news.softpedia.com/news/Google-Blocked-In-Ethiopia-53799.shtml.
[59] Zone9 blog hosted at: http://zone9ethio.blogspot.com/.
[60] D. Tizazu, "Whose Hidden Agenda?" [in Amharic], Zemen, 2012.
[61] Lemma, "Disconnected Ethiopian Netizens."
[62] Lemma, "Disconnected Ethiopian Netizens."
[63] Endalk, "Movement to 'Respect the Constitution' in Ethiopia," Global Voices, November 11, 2012, http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/12/11/movement-to-respect-the-constitution-in-ethiopia/.
[64] "Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Article 29," Parliament of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, accessed August 24, 2010, http://www.ethiopar.net/.
[65] Human Rights Watch, Analysis of Ethiopia's Draft Anti-Terrorism Law (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2009), http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/06/30/analysis-ethiopia-s-draft-anti-terrorism-law.
[66] "Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information Proclamation No. 590/2008," Federal Negarit Gazeta No. 64, December 4, 2008.
[67] "A Proclamation on Telecom Fraud Offence," Federal Negarit Gazeta No. 61, September 4, 2012, http://www.abyssinialaw.com/uploads/761.pdf.
[68] Ethiopian Telecommunication Agency, "Telecommunication Proclamation No. 281/2002, Article 2(11) and 2(12)," July 2, 2002, accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.eta.gov.et/Scan/Telecom%20Proc%20281_2002%20(amendment)%20NG.pdf. As an amendment to article 24 of the Proclamation, the Sub-Article (3) specifically states, "The use or provision of voice communication or fax services through the internet are prohibited" (page 1782).
[69] "A Proclamation on Telecom Fraud Offence."
[70] Groum Abate, "Internet Cafes Start Registering Users," Capital, December 25, 2006, http://www.capitalethiopia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=259:internet-cafes-start-registering-users-&catid=12:local-news&Itemid=4.
[71] Article 19, "Ethiopia: Proclamation on Telecom Fraud Offences.".
[72] "Anti-Terrorism Proclamation No. 652/2009," Federal Negarit Gazeta No. 57, August 28, 2009.
[73] International Labour Organization, "The Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 414/2004, Article 44," http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/70993/75092/F1429731028/ETH70993.pdf.
[74] "The Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia."
[75] "Ethiopian Man Jailed for One Year for Inciting Public Disorder Using Text Messages," Sodere, October 1, 2012, http://sodere.com/profiles/blogs/ethiopian-man-jailed-for-one-year-for-inciting-public-disorder.
[76] Nega is also the 2011 recipient of the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Sarah Hoffman, "That Bravest and Most Admirable of Writers: PEN Salutes Eskinder Nega," PEN American Center (blog), April 13, 2012, http://www.pen.org/blog/?p=11198. See also, Markos Lemma, "Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Prison Sentence for Dissident Blogger," Global Voices, July 15, 2012, http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/15/ethiopia-online-reactions-to-prison-sentence-for-dissident-blogger/.
[77] Endalk, "Ethiopia: Freedom of Expression in Jeopardy," Global Voices, February 3, 2012, http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/03/ethiopia-freedom-of-expression-in-jeopardy/.
[78] "Ethiopia Delays Appeal of Jailed Blogger," Africa Review, December 19, 2012, http://www.africareview.com/News/Ethiopia-delays-appeal-of-jailed-blogger/-/979180/1647624/-/mm610r/-/index.html.
[79] "Eskinder Nega's 18-Year Sentence Upheld," PEN America Blog, May 13, 2013, http://worldvoices.pen.org/rapid-action/2013/05/14/eskinder-negas-18-year-sentence-upheld-four-other-journalists-remain
[80] "Student Arrested for Facebook Post," Addis Journal, April 3, 2013, http://arefe.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/student-arrested-for-facebook-post/.
[81] Interview conducted by Freedom House consultant..
[82] Helen Epstein, "Cruel Ethiopia," New York Review of Books, May 13, 2010, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/may/13/cruel-ethiopia/.
[83] Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front "Workshop Conducted," , press release, June 3, 2012, http://www.eprdf.org.et/web/guest/news/-/asset_publisher/c0F7/content/3-june-2012-26-2004.
[84] Patrick Roanhouse, "Ethiopian Government Outlaws VOIP, 15-year Prison Sentences Possible," Betanews, June 15, 2012, http://betanews.com/2012/06/15/ethiopian-government-outlaws-voip-15-year-prison-sentences-possible/.
[85] Fahmida Y. Rashid, "FinFisher 'Lawful Interception' Spyware Found in Ten Countries, Including the U.S.," Security Week, August 8, 2012, http://www.securityweek.com/finfisher-lawful-interception-spyware-found-ten-countries-including-us.
[86] The document was seen by Freedom House consultant. Morgan Marquis-Boire et al., "You Only Click Twice: FinFisher's Global Proliferation," Citizen Lab (University of Toronto), March 13, 2013, https://citizenlab.org/2013/03/you-only-click-twice-finfishers-global-proliferation-2/.
[87] Marquis-Boire, "You Only Click Twice." .
[88] "Mission Statement," Information Network Security Agency of Ethiopia, accessed June 2, 2010, http://www.insa.gov.et/INSA/faces/welcomeJSF.jsp.
[89] Interview with individuals working in the technology and security sector in Ethiopia, who requested to remain anonymous, January 2012.
[90] Committee to Protect Journalists, "Ethiopian Blogger, Journalists Convicted of Terrorism," January 19, 2012, http://cpj.org/2012/01/three-journalists-convicted-on-terrorism-charges-i.php.
[91] "Cassation Bench Rejects Reeyot's Final Plea," Walta Info, January 8, 2012, http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6944:cassation-bench-rejects-reeyots-final-plea&catid=52:national-news&Itemid=291.
[92] Committee to Protect Journalists, "Ethiopian Judge Rejects Reeyot Alemu's Final Appeal," January 8, 2013, http://www.cpj.org/2013/01/ethiopian-judge-rejects-reeyot-alemus-final-appeal.php.
[93] "TPLF Regime Arresting Internet Café Users in Addis Ababa," Ethiopian Review, August 12, 2011, http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30136.
[94] Abraha Desta, Twitter Post, March 20, 2013, 12:34am, https://twitter.com/AbrahaDesta/status/314278873334419456.


text:
We won't be baffled if Hanoi Jane executes a 12-5 upset.
2008 NOTY First Round: Chrotchtangle Regional
No. 5 Baffelly Woo: Columbia University engineering valedictorian. Much, much smarter than we'll every be.
No. 12 Fonda Dicks: Iowa girl's basketball legend. Even way back in the 1970s took what we believe was known as "ribbing" for her name.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DONG NAI (VNS) — A crane's lifting cable broke, killing a worker at the Bau Xeo Industrial Park in the southern Dong Nai Province, this morning.
The victim, Phan Hoang Tam, 23, was an employee of the San Lim Furniture Viet Nam company. He was killed after being struck by a wood processing machine that fell down from his crane after its lifting cable broke accidentally.
Tam died within a few hours of being admitted to the intensive care unit of the Trang Bom General Hospital.
The Dong Nai authorities are investigating the accident's cause. — VNS
Italian insurer changes Vietnamese preconception about health insurance


text:
"Artists you need to know, music you need to hear!"
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Judd Apatow
'Anchorman 2′ Release Date: December 20, 2013
Let me see if I can guess what you'll be doing 365 days from now? »
'This is 40′ Premiere Photos
Judd Apatow's upcoming domestic comedy This is 40 had it's premiere on Wednesday and here are some photos of the principals. »
Art Gallery Opens Judd Apatow Tribute
If you're in the Los Angeles area, time to get your geek (and freak) on by heading over to Gallery 1988 on Melrose to catch their Tribute to Judd Apatow. »
'This is 40′ Featurette
A slightly R-rated featurettte for the upcoming Judd Apatow film This is 40 has been released. The video describes in more detail some of the themes of the film and shows some additional footage we haven't seen in the trailers. »
New 'This is 40′ Poster
After several ho-hum posters in recent days, it's nice to bring you news of a really great poster for Judd Apatow's upcoming holiday release, This is 40. »
'This is 40′ Theatrical Trailer
With summer movie season in full gear, it naturally is time to direct our attention to this holiday season's most anticipated film, Judd Apatow's "sort of sequel to Knocked Up", This is 40. »
More Potty Humor from New 'This is 40′ Poster
A one-sheet poster for Judd Apatow's upcoming film This is 40 has been released. Stars Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd demonstrate the glamorous world of domestic bliss in a scene from a bathroom. »
Familiar Faces at White House Correspondents Dinner
Some our favorites were in attendance last night in Washington DC for the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. »
'This is 40′ Trailer
The trailer for Judd Apatow's next directorial effort, This is 40, was released today. In addition to playing in theatres with The Five-Year Engagement, the trailer is also available from Apple's Trailer website and in other venues. »
'The Five-Year Engagement' Opens with Jason Segel Fronting Team Apatow's Latest
Judd Apatow scored scored a surprise hit last spring when his production Bridemaids opened far above expectations and had extremely strong legs at the box office. Team Apatow is hoping for similar fortunes with The Five-Year Engagement that opens today, starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. »


text:
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
I have become aware of this incredible charity and the dedication of its councellors only recently. I am now fast approaching my 60th year and have been blessed in the past with good health and a very sporting life. My knees now creak, my muscles rip and my hips ache constantly. While I am still in one piece and able to still move in a forward direction I want to pay back somehow the good times. I could think of nothing more important than to try and support children far less fortunate than I have been and help give them better days and a safer future.


text:
We have followed the digital thread, one step at a time. But how does it all fit together?
To take a step back and appreciate the big picture of the full digital thread, Mark heads back to Washington, D.C., to meet with two of the people who see it best — Aaron Johns and Joe Schibi.
Joe will walk us through the four main stages of the digital thread and help us see how each contributes to the ability to design, manufacture, and maintain components. He also makes the connection between the creation of a "body of knowledge" and the ability of the organization to continue learning over time. Aaron supplements that discussion with an overview of how many individual technologies come together to create the thread.
Finally, we hear from Alan Klapmeier, CEO of One Aviation Corp., on the digital thread's potential value at the strategic level — a discussion that will conclude in our next episode.
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text:
Football rumours from the UK media
The latest gossip and rumours from the newspapers and online:
SERGIO AGUERO and VINCENT KOMPANY could be on their way out of Manchester City at the end of the season, according to the Mirror.
The Daily Mail report that Atletico Madrid boss DIEGO SIMEONE is keen to manage in the Premier League next season.
Rangers midfielder Nico Kranjcar is set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, say the Scottish Sun.
The Times claim that Manchester United will look to offload full-back MATTEO DARMIAN in January.
PA Media


text:
Eric Jaffe
Eric Jaffe is the former New York bureau chief for CityLab. He is the author of A Curious Madness and The King's Best Highway.
The social psychologist Stanley Milgram is best known for conducting his infamous shock experiments (or perhaps to some for identifying the "six degrees of separation" that govern human connections), but he also produced a lot of insights about the peculiarities of city life. One thing Milgram noticed was the way that city residents will often encounter the same stranger time and again — the "familiar stranger," he called this person in an essay from 1972:
Nothing is more characteristic of urban life than the fact that we often gain extreme familiarity with the faces of a number of persons, yet never interact with them. At my railroad station, for example, I have stood at a commuter station for several years, often in the company of people whom I have never gotten to know. The faces and the people are treated as part of the environment, equivalent to the scenery, rather than persons with whom one talks, exchanges greetings.
A few years before Milgram wrote that essay, his students did a rudimentary study to see just how common the "familiar stranger" phenomenon was. They photographed people at a commuter station one morning, returned the following week to hand out the photographs, and asked people to pick out the faces they recognized. About 90 percent of people had at least one "familiar stranger" in their lives, and the average person had about four.
Fast-forward some forty years and that feeling of being alone together with others in the city crowd rings as true as it did in Milgram's day. What's changed is the technology at our disposal for studying the familiar stranger. In a recent study (reportedly accepted for publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science) a group of researchers from the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore observed these encounters for the "first time" on a large, citywide scale.
They not only confirmed that city residents do indeed have their own "familiar strangers" but found an "imperceptible" community of strangers around us — a sort of hidden urban social network:
Viewed as a whole, the empirical encounter network we illustrate here is a well-connected small-world graph, in which individuals are no longer confined to local encounters in one vehicle, but interact strongly with increasing number of people across the whole city from day to day.
The researchers drew their conclusion by giving Milgram's old study a modern twist. They analyzed the time and location data trapped on transit fare cards from roughly 20 million bus trips taken across Singapore by about 3 million individuals during a week's time. By crunching the numbers they were able to pinpoint when any two card-holders rode the same bus at the same time.
Most of the encounters they discovered occurred around the same time of day, typically in the morning. There's a logical explanation for this finding: commuting behavior is habitual, particularly on the way to work. And sure enough, when the researchers isolated certain individuals, they found that the more rigid a person's routine, the higher that person's chance of encountering a familiar stranger.
In other words, these chance encounters weren't entirely left to chance.
The work has its drawbacks. The researchers couldn't say for sure that the familiar strangers actually saw one another on the bus. Nor, for that matter, could they know that the two people are not, in fact, friends.
Still, the study confirms the existence of a hidden social network stretching across cities and raises a number of other questions about collective behavior. Might knowledge of such a network help predict the spread of disease? Can familiar strangers help researchers establish a threshold for "social contagion" — the notion that our behaviors rub off on those around us? And, perhaps most intriguing, what would happen to our worlds if we started actually talking to these people we see all the time but ignore?
We'd probably have to recalculate those six degrees of separation, for one thing.
Top image: l i g h t p o e t /Shutterstock.com
Livability indexes can obscure the experiences of non-white people. CityLab analyzed the outcomes just for black women, for a different kind of ranking.
The pioneering festival marketplace was among the most trendsetting urban attractions of the last 40 years. Now it's looking for a new place in a changed city.
A different kind of wealth distribution in 17th-century Amsterdam paved the way for its quintessential home design.
In an era of austere federal funding for urban public transportation, light rail seemed to make sense. Did the little trains of the 1980s pull their own weight?
American landlords derive more profit from renters in low-income neighborhoods, researchers Matthew Desmond and Nathan Wilmers find.


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By: Erika Hayes
WHAT it is: Fan-TAN-ulous! That is the best one-word description I can give for the new Amy Tan Line Ready, Set Go from American Crafts. I started working with this product and realized how quickly and easily all the elements come together. The paper and embellishments are so cohesive it is almost like you can seriously put anything together and be successful. The quality is top-notch and American Crafts delivers again with great embellishments. One of the things I really liked was the idea of putting THREE of the little day books together in one package, it was nice to have all the styles in one package. The three daybooks gave me a fun idea for creating what I am calling a "flip-journals". (see below). I just love when just the product gets your creative juice flowing.
What I liked: Oh I love the whole line! Amy has a way of creating just the right look that works with every style. My favorite thing was the little date stampers (really look how cute on my Bamboo layout as well as the journal flip book). The paper is great quality (par for the course) and the designs are very versatile and let's just say it... fan TAN bulous-- Amy has hit yet another homerun. I also like adore no...I LOVE that the little daybooks come in 3 packs, and have so many uses. The textures are all great and lots of choices.
What I disliked: Sorry but some of the thickers still need a little extra adhesive. It really isn't a big deal but it can be frustrating when your "I" falls off!
What I made:
Where and How Much:
Product Name: Amy Tangerine: Ready, Set Go Line
Manufacturer: American Crafts
Available at: a cherry on top, Scrapbooksetc.com, Urban Papercraft*
Bottom Line:
This line is easy to work with and really encourages you to be creative. I have lots of ideas that I have sketched out ,so many ideas, I have just completed a post for the Creating Keepsakes Editors Blog using this line! IT is so easy to work with I can't say enough how much I love working with Amy Tan's Ready Set Go.
What do YOU think? I really love the mini sketchbooks; I do not think I can ever live without one again. Perfect for memories and page planning as you are going through your everyday or your special events. How could you use one of the great mini sketchbooks in your everyday? Leave a comment by midnight EST on Tuesday to be entered to win a prize from American Crafts! U.S. residents only. Please leave a way to contact you if you win!!


text:
Athlete recruiting
Payne's career game helps Florida beat No. 4 Auburn 69-47
By Mark Long Jan. 18, 2020 05:03 PM EST
Bey scores 33, leads No. 16 Villanova past Georgetown 80-66
By Dan Gelston Jan. 11, 2020 02:15 PM EST
Pitt signs basketball coach Jeff Capel to 2-year extension
Jan. 08, 2020 11:40 AM EST
Kentucky's 2012 college hoops team voted best of decade
By John Marshall Jan. 01, 2020 02:38 PM EST
Gonzaga stays No. 1 in men's AP Top 25; Oregon into top 5
By John Marshall Dec. 30, 2019 12:04 PM EST
Pac-12 builds expectations after strong nonconference season
By John Marshall Dec. 29, 2019 04:12 PM EST
Wichita State quietly on rise as AAC begins to sneak up
By Dave Skretta Dec. 23, 2019 03:26 PM EST
NC State challenges NCAA charge tied to payment for Smith
By Aaron Beard Dec. 09, 2019 06:56 PM EST
Bryce, Hellems help NC State beat Wake Forest 91-82
By Aaron Beard Dec. 07, 2019 04:30 PM EST
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McGusty leads Miami past Quinnipiac 80-52
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Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Everything affects it: what you eat/drink, put inside your body, what you put on top of your body and the kind of emotional stress you take on.
Therefore it is important to take care of it. Often, it isn't enough to simply shower and wash away dirt from your skin. You may have clogged pores, be facing the effects of sun burn, acne and more … all of which need more serious attention.
You can provide that attention by doing a little extra in your skin-care regimen. It's important to scrub not only the skin on your face but also the rest of the skin on your body to keep it in shape.
Instead of stocking up on over-the-counter cosmetic products that often contain chemicals that aren't good for your skin (or your wallet for that matter) we decided to ask three beautiful and hard-working women from Pakistan's entertainment industry what their recipes and key ingredient is for their favourite do-it-yourself homemade scrubs and this is what we got.
Sanam Saeed: Porridge
Sanam Saeed
Theatre and television actor and model Sanam Saeed's homemade scrubs are as simple as the actor is in person. One is to take ground whole-grain porridge (oats are a great option) — the slow-cooking one not the instant one — and mix with some water.
Apply the mixture to your face and scrub. Other than the fact that they're packed with nutrients which are good for your health, oats contain natural cleansers that remove dirt and oil from pores without causing irritation. This makes them very effective in fighting dull, flaky skin and dryness as they contain polysaccharides that have a gelatinous quality when mixed with water.
Sanam Saeed, Ayesha Toor and Meesha Shafi share their recipes for homemade skin scrubs that they love to use
Oats have also been used for thousands of years for the treatment of poison ivy, eczema, insect bites and skin infections. They have numerous anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.
"It's the best pore-tightener and the gentlest scrub ever," said the actor, "The other is basin ka atta, haldi and lemon for summer and add yogurt in it for use in winter."
Ayesha Toor: Salt
"The best one I've used at home is a mixture of sea salt, honey, olive oil and baking soda," said the dusky beauty.
Ayesha Toor.— Photo Courtesy: fashioncentral.pk
Sea salt is natural salt left behind after water from the ocean is evaporated. It isn't processed like iodized salt and therefore contains a lot of vital nutrients that nourish your skin. It contains a large amount of vitamin C and magnesium which makes the function of antioxidants smoother — therefore it detoxifies your skin cells by absorbing dirt, dust and toxins from them resulting in a softer and healthier skin.
Honey helps moisturize skin, fights ageing and bacteria. It's full of antioxidants and nutrients for your skin and protects your skin from sun damage as well.
Olive oil has been used as a product in beauty treatment since its discovery 5,000 years ago. It's loaded with nutrients and is closer in chemical structure to the skin's natural oil. That is why it's a great moisturizer for dry skin and areas prone to dryness such as the knees and elbows.
Perhaps the best quality of olive oil is its skin-regenerative ability. Regular usage makes your skin remain firm and toned while also being soft and smooth.
"Sea salt gets rid of dead skin. Honey kills bacteria. Olive oil softens the skin. Lemon gets rid of the bad Karachi sunburn and discoloration. Finally, baking soda gives a glow," said Ayesha Toor of the benefits of the scrub. "Follow it up with a good mustard oil massage and you'll end up with gold, honey skin."
Meesha Shafi: Coffee
"When you have an hour of 'me' time on your hands, try out my do-it-yourself spa treat," wrote Meesha Shafi while sharing her favourite routine to pamper herself with.
Meesha Shafi.— Photo Courtesy: koolmuzone.pk
You start off with dry brushing your entire body in long, sweeping strokes towards your heart for not more than 10 minutes. Dry brushing is when you take a brush with a long handle with non-synthetic bristles and brush your body starting from your feet.
You must always brush towards your heart. It helps to stand on a tiled surface or inside a bathtub to catch the falling skin. Dry brushing helps unclog pores and excretes toxins that become trapped in the skin.
Coffee beans.—Photo Courtesy: Friendlycuponlie
Step two is to soak in a tub of hot water with two cups of Epsom salts for 20 minutes. Other than its detoxifying properties, Epsom salts are known for their healing properties: helps relieve pain and muscle cramps, prevents the hardening of arteries, etc. It is also used in the removal of splinters as soaking in Epsom saltwater brings the splinter (and ingrown hair) closer to the surface.
Then take a handful of coffee grounds, moisten them with coconut oil (organic, unfiltered and cold-pressed) and scrub the mixture on your body. Coffee contains powerful anti-oxidant agents which protects skin from free radicals and reduces the risk of skin cancer.
It also removes dead skin cells and tightens pores, resulting in a younger looking skin. Needless to say, it also has anti-wrinkle properties. Coconut oil is used as a base in many skin products and is full of vital nutrients for your skin and hair.
After you're done scrubbing your body, rinse it and finish off with an application of the same coconut oil (without the coffee) while the body is still damp.
"This routine is great for exfoliation, circulation and skin toning," related Meesha, "It tackles cellulite and leaves you with skin that is smooth as silk and smells like freshly-baked cookies. What more do you want?"
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 25th, 2015
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Sanam Saeed, Ayesha Toor and Meesha Shafi share their recipes for homemade skin scrubs that they love to use


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Inside Multi-disciplinary Science and Engineering Research Centers: The Impact of Organizational Climate on Invention Disclosures and Patents
Research Policy, 2011
Much past research on commercialization activities by university scientists and engineers has focused on the role of resources in the extra-organizational commercialization environment, such as the availability of venture capital funding. By contrast, the theoretical and empirical interest of this paper by Professor Steven Currall and co-authors Emily M. Hunter of Baylor University and Sara Jansen Perry of University of Houston-Downtown was in intra-organizational dynamics impacting the context in which scientists and engineers work.
Drawing upon organizational psychology literature on the construct of organizational climate, the authors posit that researchers working in an intra-organizational climate that supports commercialization and encourages intra-organizational boundary-spanning will be more likely to produce invention disclosures and patents. Data from 218 respondents at 21 engineering research centers was both multi-method (i.e., qualitative data from interviews, longitudinal archival data, and survey data) and multi-level. Results showed that an organizational climate characterized by support for commercialization predicted invention disclosures one year later and an organizational climate characterized by boundary-spanning predicted patent awards two years later.


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Activity Pad
Coloring Pages
Just for Mom
Phonics Guide
Homework Help
Teaching History
Learn to Read
Reading Checklist
Spotting problems
Reading Strategy
Talking & Listening
Reading Together
Learn about Books
Efforts to Write
Another Language
Reading Games
Baby Talk
Books and Babies
Chat with Children
As Simple as ABC
What's Next?
Home for My Books
Worth 1000 Words
Rhyme with Me
Match My Sounds
Take a Bow!
Family Stories
Write On!
Reading Help
Reading Programs
Visiting the Library
Learn by Computers Learning with TV
Baby Talk
For babies from birth to 1 yearBabies love hearing your voice. When you answer your child's sounds with sounds of your own, she learns that what she "says" has meaning and is important to you.
What to Do
It's so important to talk to your baby! With your help, her coos and gurgles will one day give way to words.
For each set of activities, we give an age span that suggests when children should try them. From one reading game to the next, we continue to talk about children at different stages: babies (birth to 1 year), toddlers (1 to 3 years), preschoolers (ages 3 and 4), and kindergartner/early first-graders (ages 5 and 6). Remember that children don't always learn the same things at the same rate. And they don't suddenly stop doing one thing and start doing another just because they are a little older. So use the ages as guides as your child learns and grows. Don't consider them to be hard and fast rules.
Preschool PrintablesLearn your ABCs and have fun coloring these easy preschool printables >>
Help your child ...
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India's LGBTQI community is adapting classical dance forms to give themselves a voice in dance.
Case in point: a Bharatanatyam performance depicting a lesbian coming out story that's been making rounds on social media. Performed by veteran dancers Aarthy Sundar and Swathi Jaisankar, the short choreography tackles complex emotions that a mother and daughter go through when the daughter expresses her wish to marry a woman instead of a man. If nothing else, it's a bold slap in the face for archaic societal norms, misconceptions about the Queer community and discriminatory laws such as the controversial Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Plus, it comes at the back of a landmark Supreme Court verdict in favour of an individual's right to choose their sexual orientation.
Expressions of Queer resistance through classical dance forms have been on the rise, over the last few years, though. Earlier this year, for instance, Sapphire Creations, which claims to be eastern India's only experimental dance company focussing on alternative narratives, produced Alien Flowers, a full length ballet recital on same-gender love — a first for India's ballet audiences.
Then there are professional dancers such as Himanshu Srivastava, who delivered a solo performance based on the tale of Shikhandi, a character from the Mahabharata most commonly interpreted as queer.
Expectedly, the risk of backlash is high. Says Patruni Chidananda Sastry, a professional dancer trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi, "As a male classical dancer, I have often faced backlash from audiences stating that I am homosexual and that is why I focus on [queer] subjects with my dance. But art cannot be boxed into genders or sexuality. This perspective has to change."
Sastry, who goes by the stage name Sas3 Dancing Feet, has been dancing since the age of 5, and took up queer activism through dance when he was introduced to an LGBT ally group called Mobbera. In the past, he has also collaborated with other performers to raise awareness about causes such as alcohol addiction, euthanasia and animal welfare. This year, he was one amongst performers at Bangalore Pride.
Ironically, the presence of the Queer in Indian classical dance forms is not new. Kuchipudi and Kathakalli, for instance, are dance forms that traditionally require men to cross-dress as women for performance. Further, folk traditions like the sakhi-bekhi, prominent in UP, Bengal and Orissa and the Gotipua native to Orissa, are former in which men and young boys dress as gopikas to express their love for Lord Krishna. And this is just the tip of the ice-berg.
Despite so many obvious references, says Sastry, traditionalists in the Indian dance scene tend to deny the existence of the Queer in classical dance. A shame, because it's clearly intensified the stigma around India's rising drag scene, which can arguably be seen as a Westernised, political concept, which is on a similar vein.
With more artists like Sastry, Srivastava, Sundar and Jaisankar making themselves seen and heard, however, the slowly changing face of classical Indian dance can certainly revive its (former) glory of being an non-gendered, non-sexualised and inclusive form of self-expression — perhaps even a few shades better.


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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love planning the menu, cooking all the food, and I especially love the leftovers !
This was an idea I had to use up some of the massive amount of stuffing we have left from dinner. I wanted to re purpose some of it into a breakfast dish, and these little guys turned out perfectly. So good, in fact, that we are running out to get more eggs so we can have more !
These are good warm or cold, and you can freeze them easily, and have a grab and go breakfast later.
Post Thanksgiving Mini Breakfast Frittatas
1 1/2 cups leftover stuffing
1/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes
4 eggs
2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 6 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray. Divide stuffing evenly into muffin cups, then top with a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Place eggs in a bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Pour eggs into muffin cups, then top with bacon. Bake for 20 minutes, then top each muffin with cheese, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then enjoy !
For more Thanksgiving leftover ideas, check out my podcast with Fresh and Local !


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Making a Difference
For over 26 years, Brain Injury Services has been repairing lives, recovering possibility and restoring hope by offering the community innovative programs and services that meet the needs of survivors of brain injuries and their families. We are proud to share the impact our dedicated staff makes each and every day in the community by working with our resilient clients.
- 95% of our clients believe Brain Injury Services has improved their lives
- 87% of our clients achieved their recovery goals
- 96% of our budget is allocated directly to our programs
Client Testimonials
"I continue to improve my daily skills and sense of purpose. I am happy to be part of such a close-knit community that rejoices in my successes and understands my challenges." - Kelly R.
"Nearly four years of specialists, speech therapy, and assistive technology referrals couldn't give me what the BIS Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology gave me in just a few short weeks - functional communication - a way for my daughter to communicate with the world. After working with DART to find the best solution, we started using an AAC device and it has dramatically changed both of our lives. The best moment? The first time I got to hear my almost four-year-old daughter call me 'Mama.'" - Brooke A
"BIS has been the most responsive and helpful team I have encountered. As a result of their help in the IEP process, my grandson has been able to obtain an IEP which has greatly helped him improve and excel in several areas in school. Our Pediatric Case Manager has been the shining light of hope and strength throughout this process, helping us navigate smoothly through what would otherwise be a stormy bureaucracy of red tape. What a gift! I am most thankful." - Grandfather of Client
Impact Statements from Our Staff
Families with survivors of brain injury struggle to navigate the increase of medical needs and changes in health care services. BIS provides a crucial network of support as they guide clients and families through this journey.
In the community, there is a lack of individualized and simplified education for brain injury survivors and their families. BIS has trained staff that provides BIFI - Brain Injury Family Intervention - that allows the family to better understand the survivor's deficits and the strengths of the survivors and the family's new normal.
Many survivors have little to no social connection following their brain injury. The clubhouse not only offers a productive focus but also the opportunity for them to build relationships with other survivors.
Students with brain injuries are often mislabeled or under-identified in the special education system. As a result, they often do not receive appropriate services. Brain Injury Services' Case Managers help by educating school systems about brain injury and helping parents advocate for their child to receive the supports and services they need to be successful in school.


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If you are declaring bankruptcy, you probably have a lot of concerns about your credit score. You may fear that you will never have good credit again. Filing for bankruptcy does affect your credit, but the damage is not irreparable.
Should I max out my credit cards before filing bankruptcy?
You probably know that when you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Louisiana, your credit card debt is wiped out; i.e., discharged. Consequently, you may think that maxing out your credit cards before filing bankruptcy is a good idea. It is not.
When is the right time to file bankruptcy?
As you have dealt with overwhelming debt, you have likely looked at all your options. Once you have decided on filing for bankruptcy as your solution, you may next consider when to file. Does the timing of your filing make a difference in the outcome?
5 famous people who declared bankruptcy
If you are like many people in Louisiana, you have severe financial problems. You may have lost your job, or your salary may be far less than what it once was. In the meantime, you may have accumulated substantial debt that you now find you cannot pay. You may be trying to make mortgage payments, car payments, credit card payments, payday loan payments and a variety of other payments all at the same time. Your money simply will not stretch that far, so you may be thinking about filing bankruptcy as a last resort.
Recognizing illegal debt collection tactics
If you are like many other Americans, and you find yourself struggling to make ends meet and pay bills on time, you may find yourself on the receiving end of some unwanted attention from debt collectors. If you have ever received calls and communications from debt collectors, you probably have an idea of just how aggressive some of these people can be, but you do not have to suffer through harassing or threatening behavior.
Do not be afraid of the bankruptcy process
When you hear the term "bankruptcy," you may feel fearful. You may think that filing for bankruptcy is a moral failure or it will ruin your credit forever. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about bankruptcy that induce fear and intimidation in people, but you do not need to be afraid.
It is not uncommon for women to suffer financially after divorce
It is stressful and emotionally draining to go through a divorce. It is often financially devastating as well, particularly for women. Like many divorced women in Louisiana, you may have been quite comfortable during your marriage only to find yourself in dire financial straits once you were newly single, regardless of receiving alimony or child support.
Are you trapped in payday loan debt in Louisiana?
Payday loans are an increasingly popular way for people to get money quick. But these loans can be quite risky because the debt can build up fast and become overwhelming.
Tips for rebuilding credit after bankruptcy
One stumbling block that keeps some people from filing for bankruptcy is the belief that it will doom their credit for years. However, it is possible to begin rebuilding your credit promptly, and in just a few months, your credit score may start to rise.
Understanding the bankruptcy means test
If you are considering filing for bankruptcy and have begun researching the process involved in doing so, you may have come across the term "means test," and you may be wondering what it is and what it entails. Essentially, the bankruptcy means test determines whether you may file for debt forgiveness through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or whether you must do so through a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which involves restructuring existing debts.


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A wave of regret.
Red, hot,
Taking all the space.
A silly remark,
Delivered all wrong,
Received not right.
A rush of blood,
A look of red.
Hours, days,
Mentioned, later.
They didn't remember.
A wave of regret.
Red, hot,
Taking all the space.
A silly remark,
Delivered all wrong,
Received not right.
A rush of blood,
A look of red.
Hours, days,
Mentioned, later.
They didn't remember.
What would you say,
If you were to say goodbye?
Would you keep it short and sweet,
Would you delve down deep?
What would you do,
If you had no more tomorrows?
Would you look back in pleasure,
Would you give away your treasure?
What would you say, what would you do,
If you met your final hour?
Would you hold on tight,
Would you give away your power?
What would you say,
If you could only say one more thing?
Would you be honest, would you be kind?
Would you let them into your mind?
You are frustrated.
You can feel it bubbling.
The annoyance, rise.
You try to express your point,
But it comes out blurred.
The frustration grows.
You try to breathe,
To gather your thoughts, opinions.
Why can't they see?
Why can't they understand?
You try again, but they laugh.
You try to hold it in,
But you can't.
Tears stream down your cheeks,
Hot, wet, against your cold flesh.
You are frustrated.
"The point is… to live one's life in the full complexity of what one is, which is something much darker, more contradictory, more of a maelstrom of impulses and passions, of cruelty, ecstacy, and madness, than is apparent to the civilized being who glides on the surface and fits smoothly into the world."
When did you become resigned in the life that you're in?
Did you just stop, but carry on? Stopped trying to change things and just continued with them?
When you look back, closely, you can see a point where your life took a turn.
Too many things didn't work out, some things got hard. There was more disappointment than happiness, more frustration than success. Or just something happened that led you off the road.
So you continued on a different path than the one you originally imagined. You continued on the one that was nicely packaged. That would give you a stable life, stable feelings, stable thoughts.
But then from time-to-time, you look back and think 'what if?'.
You tell yourself that you're happy, that you worry less, that you don't think about the what you're supposed to be doing and that you are no longer as lost as you were in those trying stages.
You have enough money to do the things that you enjoy. You have friends, you maybe have a partner. You have boxes checked and a general sense that everything's okay.
But now and again you get those niggling thoughts; there's more. There's more than this. There's more to do. There's more that would make you fulfilled.
But then you go to the pub or see a friend, or do something that's one part distracting and two parts entertaining, and you feel okay about it all again for a time.
So you continue in the sickly cycle of the same.
Continue to make yourself laugh and smile, and the rest will fall into place.
"But these young people have such an intelligent, knowledgeable surface, and then the crust suddenly breaks and you look down into the depths of confusion you didn't know existed."


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By Joan McKechnie
Hearing loss is not a topic that most people feel comfortable disclosing, and the true figure of the number of hard of hearing was unknown up to a few years ago.
In 2008, the Kochkin's 2008 survey (MarkeTrak VIII) which surveyed 80,000 members of the National Family Opinion (NFO) panel estimated that 35 million Americans show symptoms of hearing loss.
The study further estimates that by the year 2025 this figure will exceed 40 million. It is therefore important that more and more information is shared on the topic of hearing loss to ensure that quality of life is not unnecessarily affected and when possible, measures are taken to reduce the likelihood of hearing loss.
The two most common reasons for hearing loss amongst the 35 million are thought to be age related (medically known as presbyacusis) and noise induced hearing loss (commonly abbreviated to NIHS). These two causes are almost identical to causes in most western world countries. Figures are set to rise due to people living longer (age related hearing loss) and exposure to more noisy events during their lifetime (NIHS).
What Causes Hearing Loss?
The two main causes of hearing loss are for two quite distinct reasons explained below. The level of hearing impairment is measured against normal hearing so the degree of loss often varies from one person to the next. In some cases it is merely a distraction easily overcome by making adjustments, in other cases it is a life-changing event.
Causes of Age-Related Hearing Loss
This type of hearing loss is completely natural. To put it in perspective, it is a gradual deterioration in hearing ability due to the ageing process that our body undergoes. In fact, it often starts from in our 40s, though the gradual deterioration means that it is not apparent until later on in life.Most people as they mature will experience some degree of hearing loss, though its level and therefore its impact on their quality of life will vary.
Our hearing is based on the workings parts within the ear that each play an important sensory role allowing the capture of sound and its delivery to the brain to translate into meaningful information. Most crucial, when it comes to age related hearing loss, are the thousands of tiny hair cells that inhabit the inner ear. These are tasked with capturing external sound waves that are delivered to the brain. As we grow old, these hair cells whither in quality. If enough have deteriorated, the result is hearing loss. As hearing loss develops it may become difficult to hear sounds at higher pitches.
Common Symptoms of Age-Related Hearing Loss
- A growing difficulty to hear in a noisy environment
- High-pitched sounds such as "s" or "th" are hard to distinguish from one another
- Certain sounds seem overly loud
Causes of Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Contrary to the natural deterioration in hearing ability causes by ageing, NIHS is caused by prolonged exposure to harmful noise. In a similar manner to the previous type of hearing loss the affected parts are the inner ear hair cells that are unnaturally damaged.
The degree of resultant hearing loss caused by noise induction will depend on factors such as: how long the exposure lasted for and how loud the noise. Therefore the level of hearing loss will vary from one person to the next. Measures to reduce its effects include common sense steps such as wearing hearing protection (often at work) and avoiding noisy areas along with sensible volume levels of personal music systems.
What are your options if you suspect you or someone you know may have some degree of hearing loss?
As with any medical condition, your first point of call is to seek medical diagnosis from a health provider. In this case it will take the shape of a hearing test. The test is normally a pure tone based test and may include a speech-in-noise check that uses different types of background noise. A hearing test is available to book from your local hearing center and from your family doctor (in its basic form).
Once the precise cause and level of hearing loss is determined you will be offered a number of options that work on the principal of managing the condition using modern digital means.
The most common are hearing aids, a group of microcomputers that fit inside or outside the wearer's ear and are tasked with amplifying external sound. Another group comprise of daily devices that have been adopted for use by the hard of hearing. Examples include amplified phones as well as cell phones, amplified alarms and aids designed to amplify the sound of a TV. Relief often comes from using a number of aids as each is slightly better suited for a particular situation.
About The Author: Joan McKechnie has a BSc Hons in Audiology & Speech Pathology and works for Hearing Direct, a UK based company of hard of hearing products. You can follow Hearing Direct on twitter or join on Facebook.


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endzoneview wrote:I think the Giants should trade for Rosen. At this point, Murray is going top 3. If the Cardinals don't draft him or trade the pick, the next spot to draft him is at 3 with the Jets trading out. There's no scenario where the Cardinals trade down and still get Kyler.
I wouldnt be keen that high? But then i havent followed this that closely.
If thats what the consensus is, then fair enough