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Race Against The Doomsday Clock In Counterspy
SCE Foster City Studio has a history of collaborating with Sony's first-party developers on triple-A franchises like Uncharted, Infamous, and Resistance. Now the studio is expanding into the downloadable space, teaming up with indie developers to help bring unique and innovative projects to Sony's platforms. The first of these games that Foster City Studio shared with us is Counterspy, a 2D cover-based shooter set during the Cold War.
Counterspy puts players in control of their own spy agency, which has been tasked with keeping the U.S. and USSR from engaging in all-out warfare; the Doomsday Clock provides players with a constant reminder of how close they are to nuclear Armageddon. Luckily, players can roll back the clock by completing missions, which take place in procedurally generated levels, featuring different routes, items, and enemy configurations every time you play. However, missions play out in real-time, so those extra few minutes you send searching for items and upgrades bring you that much closer to certain death. The early demo we saw featured a mix of stealth and action, with the player able to sneak up and assassinate enemies from behind, or hide behind cover to pick off guards with a few well-placed pistol shots.
Counterspy also features an asynchronous multiplayer mode, which allows players to compete on the same level configurations. If your friends are killed in a level, their loss is your gain; if you can make it to their corpse, you can steal their items.
Counterspy is currently slated for a 2013 release on PlayStation 3, Vita, and mobile platforms. To learn more about the game we talked with Dynamighty co-founder and lead game designer David Nottingham.
Tell us a little bit about Dynamighty. Who do you have on your team and why did you decide to start a small, independent studio?
The studio was founded by John Elliot and myself. We had previously worked together at LucasArts where we ran a little group called LucasLabs, creating small passion projects such as the Monkey Island Special Edition project and a little-known game called Lucidity. We managed to convince our friend Mark Erman to join us, and then rounded out the core team with Mark Holmes, who joined us from Pixar where he had worked on movies such as The Incredibles and Wall-E.
The question of "why" is probably a separate interview unto itself! The short version is that we love games and we enjoy working together. We wanted to keep building on the experience we had had with LucasLabs, which was such a fun, creative time, so we made the decision to jump in and go for it. This is an exciting time for game developers. There's a diversity of game content and different creative voices blossoming and we feel compelled to be a part of that. This year has been crazy, challenging, and awesome as things have really started to pick up momentum. We now have 10 people in the studio – all awesome, talented, and a really tight-knit bunch. A bit too tight knit; we are still jammed into a space that the original four of us had occupied for the previous year! We are really looking forward to moving into our own space soon.
Counterspy is based on the spy mythology of the '50s and '60s. Could you describe the tone of the game? Are you going for serious spy drama, tongue-in-cheek humor, or something in between? What inspiration are you drawing from?
This is something that went through a lot of iterations as we were exploring the world we wanted to create. Mark Holmes and I both have a real passion for this aspect of the process, as it's a deep part of the creative culture at both LucasArts & Pixar.
Early Bond films are an obvious inspiration but we were originally going a lot darker, riffing off the more somber cold war espionage fiction of the '50s & '60s such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Funeral in Berlin, the latter of which is a great movie directed by Guy Hamilton, who also directed Goldfinger.
What happened was, the more we went down that path, the more we realized that we wanted to present something more playful and fun. We had all these ideas for the game that we wanted to include that were bumping up against this darker tone. Also, we really wanted to make the world have a bold and vibrant visual style that popped. We'd initially resisted this direction because we didn't want to create a world that was lampooning the source material, which Austin Powers did such a great job of. We'd also been a little reticent because Mark had already trod similar territory in his work on The Incredibles, plus we were both inspired and intimidated by the amazing Yuki-7 series of shorts from artist Kevin Dart. We didn't want to simply tread in someone else's shoes. We wanted to establish our own voice for the game.
Once we started exploring, however, we rediscovered points of inspiration from the source '50s/'60s era that were more playful yet had that edge that we still wanted. We looked to TV shows like The Prisoner and the dry satire of the Dr. Strangelove movie to help guide us.
Where we ended up is with something that we feel comes across in our own voice, that takes what can be a potentially quite dark subject matter and delivers it in a bright, brash, satirical, and hopefully playful fashion.
Counterspy features procedurally generated levels. Are there multiple level types, or do they all fall under the same theme? How do levels change from one mission to the next?
Oh man, this is a tough one. You're talking to us right in the midst of development when there are still so many moving pieces! We love well-done procedural based games like Derek Yu's awesome Spelunky, and it's an element we're trying to capture in a new and interesting way.
Currently, the plan is to offer a mix of Western- and Soviet-based levels that are crafted by us, and also a procedural mode that would present a more "endless" game experience where the player is racing against a countdown.
In terms of the themes of levels, we have a story that is half arms race, half twisted space race. The Cold War superpowers are racing against each other to develop a new, deadly rocket, and the player will be raiding launch sites for each side to prevent missile launches as well as commit widespread acts of sabotage.
Counterspy puts player in charge of their own spy agency to stave off war between the US and USSR. Are there any management/strategy elements involved with running your agency? What will players be doing between missions?
We are super focused on the core moment-to-moment missions themselves. In addition to playing the missions, the player will be collecting blueprints & dossiers, which will give them access to new weapons and secret contacts that can help the player in different ways.
In the presentation we saw, it mentioned that Counterspy will have some roguelike elements. Could you describe these elements a bit?
I'd say we will tread very lightly with any rogue-like elements. That said, I was totally obsessed with FTL for a while, and Spelunky definitely shaped some of the ways we are approaching the difficulty curve of the game. We'd love to expand a bit more on this, but it's definitely an aspect of the game development that is still in motion.
One of Dynamighty's goals is for Counterspy to be highly replayable. How are you accomplishing this?
Obviously the procedural element is a big one for replayability. We also have secret locations in the game that can only be accessed with unique access codes that you get by gathering dossiers and then putting the squeeze on contacts.
We also have competitive social elements planned around how you compete with friends that go beyond just chasing your buddy's high score. We believe this will make things a bit more dynamic during the actual gameplay. Apologies for the ambiguity! We don't mean to be secretive, though that wouldn't be unintuitive given the nature of the game. It's just that at this stage in development, there are still some aspects that we need to try different variants of to see what works. We'll definitely be less obtuse closer to launch!
A mobile version of Counterspy is also planned. How will this version compare to the console version? How do the different versions interact with one another?
The mobile version is something that we are really excited about. We didn't want to approach this as just a companion app for the main game but rather to make sure it delivers a full game experience that both connects with and supplements the progress you make on PlayStation.
On mobile, you play a field operative that has more limited access to the resources of the Agency, experiencing a subset of the same levels that you play on PlayStation. You'll still collect blueprints and dossiers though, and you will be able to combine the progress you are making across all the platforms. If you sync your mobile game with Vita or PlayStation 3, you'll be able to share some of the cool exclusive PlayStation content, such as unique spy weapons, with your mobile "field operative."
What made you choose to work with Sony on Counterspy? Who approached who?
It's funny, when we started thinking about setting up Dynamighty, John and I both talked about how Sony would be our ideal publishing partner. When we would talk about the type of games we loved, so many of them came about because of Sony support or funding. Whether it's Journey, The Unfinished Swan, Uncharted, or the PixelJunk series, they've always been a home for artistically interesting games that aren't afraid to take bold risks. That doesn't happen consistently by accident.
For some reason we had ended up talking to a number of publishing partners but not Sony. They reached out to us and when we went in and pitched our vision it really just clicked. They instantly got what we were trying to do and it kind of all fell into place after that.
What's it been like working with Foster City Studio? Can you describe the collaboration process?
Man, this is going to sound like me blowing smoke, but I have to say, working with Foster City has been awesome! It's clear Sony is making a big effort to reach out and empower the smaller independent developers and make PlayStation a good home for them. From our perspective, they've definitely been walking the walk. Front and center, they have been supportive of the game being our vision and their role is to support us in realizing it.
Creatively, they've given us the room to let the development process really breathe. One of the maxims of game development is that it's kind of like a river current: You set out with a destination in mind but you have to be prepared to also let the currents take you where they need to go, creatively. That can often make publishers nervous because they are looking for predictable results which can mean committing to feature lists and content plans at the beginning of a project when it's still largely a list of speculative dreams. With Sony, it's been a very trusting, open relationship from both sides. This has allowed us the flexibility to make decisions in service of what's best for the game, even if that means we take a left turn at a fork when originally we thought we'd take a right. Sony just "gets" game development and I think this is one of the X factors that make them so great and why the games that they publish are so consistently high quality.
Is there anything else our readers should know about Counterspy?
Just that a team of really passionate people are putting their heart and soul into this thing because it's something we love. You can see bits and pieces of us in action at our Dynamighty Facebook page, and we'll be posting our progress on the project through Dynamighty Tumblr.


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S'MORES BROWNIES – A s'mores craze has taken over the dessert world! S'mores themed desserts are everywhere I turn in any way, shape and form imaginable.
The first written recipe for s'mores was titled "some more" and published in the 1927 book Tramping (Tee-hee…Maybe not the best choice of words for a girl scout guide) and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. The recipe included all the ingredients for the s'mores we know and love today: a toasted marsmallow sandwiched between a chocolate bar and graham crackers. Later versions in the 1940's also have apple slices included as a substitute for graham crackers and pineapple slices or peanut butter in place of the chocolate.
The girl scout book also says "Though it tastes like "some more" one is really enough." Not. The first campfire s'more to cross my lips was in the brownies. It was a two-biter that did not satisfy because my troop leaders didn't have enough to go around and cut them in thirds. Boo.
S'mores brownies usually call for a buttery graham cracker crust like you would find in a cheesecake recipe. Not these. I took the easy route. Brownies already have a ton of butter and why complicate things? Life is too short. Time is precious. I want to spend it eating s'mores.
I slapped some graham crackers right on the bottom of the pan, poured marshmallow brownies over top and voila! Not-so-fussy s'mores brownies in a flash.
Fudgy and chewy, one is all you need.
They won't leave you wanting some-more.
Pinky swear.
Marshmallow packed brownies with graham cracker bottoms!
- 1 package graham crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9? x 13? pan; line pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Arrange the graham crackers over bottom of pan, breaking them so it is completely covered.
- Melt butter in a medium-sized bowl using the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, stir in sugar and cook for two to three minutes, stirring often to dissolve sugar, if using microwave stir in sugar and microwave on half power for 1 minute.
- Add mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Stir in eggs until completely mixed in. Add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in marshmallows. Carefully pour into pan and smooth out.
- Bake for 30 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack. If desired cover the top with mini marshmallows as soon as you take the pan from the oven. After cooled, refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan, parchment included to a cutting board and cut into squares with a very sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean after each cut.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g


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Sellers fearing capital gains tax increases and the fiscal cliff rushed to close high-end Hamptons sales late last year, leading to dramatic increases in the number of transactions and sale prices in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to reports released today by residential brokerages. The Hamptons experienced the highest average sale price in seven years, "skewed by high-end market strength," Douglas Elliman's report said.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the average sale price increased 34.7 percent year-over-year to $2.13 million from $1.58 million, and 49.4 percent from the previous quarter, the report shows. Overall, the number of sales in the Hamptons climbed 30.3 percent year-over-year, to 529 from 406, Elliman's report says.
Jonathan Miller, president of the appraiser firm Miller Samuel, who compiled the report, explained that the shift in prices was caused by the increase in sales over $1 million and $5 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.
According to Elliman's report, average sale prices in the upper 10 percent of the market increased a whopping 85.4 percent from the previous quarter, and 31 percent from the same period the year before, hitting $9.79 million. There were 53 luxury sales in the fourth quarter, up 29.3 percent over the previous year.
Miller, among others, attributed the high number of transactions to sellers' worries about the fiscal cliff and corresponding tax increases. Even though the fiscal cliff did not ultimately affect housing costs, the general perception was that higher housing prices would be inevitable in 2013, Miller said.
More startlingly, sales of homes priced at $2.5 million and above nearly doubled year-over-year, according to Brown Harris Stevens' quarterly report, which also attributed the jump to sellers scrambling to close in advance of tax increases tied to the Affordable Care Act and Congress' earlier budget deal.
A total of almost $806 million worth of residential real estate sold in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 29 percent from $624.63 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, the Corcoran Group's quarterly report says. The village of East Hampton experienced one of the largest increases in prices, with the average rising 74 percent, to $6.43 million from $3.69 million, compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, the report says.
Due to the large volume of sales in the fourth quarter, the number of transactions in the first half of 2013 will likely be lower than usual, Miller predicted. Many sales were "poached that would have occurred organically in 2013," he said, adding that in the second half of the year, volume should resume as normal.
However, in terms of prices, "We're going to see pricing firm, if not some upper pressure," Miller said. "There's not a lot of options for buyers."
Indeed, inventory continued to fall in the Hamptons as sales continued to rise, echoing trends in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Listings dropped 12.2 percent year-over-year, to 1,023 from 1,165, Elliman's report says.
Paul Brennan, Elliman's Hamptons regional manager, said that the atmosphere in the Hamptons was "panicky and crazy" in December. Though things have since calmed down, he said, the market remains fairly active.


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- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Community Development
- Planning & Zoning
Planning & Zoning
Planning & Zoning Activities
- Technical advisors to Planning and Zoning Commission.
- Site Plan Zoning Review.
- Annexation, Rezoning and Subdivision Review.
- Conditional and Special Use Reviews.
- Comprehensive Plan Revisions.
- Zoning Ordinance Amendments.
- Site Plan Zoning Compliance.
- Liaison with other Village Departments of New Developments.
Zoning Reviews
Staff reviews all building permit applications to verify compliance with zoning requirements. The basic zoning ordinance can be viewed online at Ordinances, Chapter 18, Article I & II and Appendix C, Articles 1-28, purchased at the Village Hall or reviewed at the Villa Park Public Library.
Administrative Subdivision
In 2001, the Village approved an administrative plat review process for 2 lot single family residential subdivisions. The process allows an applicant to subdivide on (1) single family residential lot into two (2) single family residential lots provided that the subdivision meets all zoning requirements without going through the Public Hearing process. In order to be able to apply for the Administrative Plat Review, you must meet the requirements listed below. The application form and fees can be found below also.
Administrative Plat Review Criteria
- Property is located in a single family residential zoning district.
- Two-lot subdivision.
- Site is less than 1 acre.
- No new streets will be created or an existing street extended.
- The subdivision complies with subdivision, zoning, storm water and all Village Ordinances
Information Required for Planning and Zoning Petition
- Administrative Subdivision Application.
- Signature Blocks for Administrative Subdivision.
Planning and Zoning Commission
- The Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission is a combination of both the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Plan Commission.
- All members are residents.
- Meets the second Thursday of every month at Village Hall.
Zoning Relief Process - Development that does not meet all zoning regulations must seek zoning relief from the P&Z Commission.
- The process takes approximately 90 days from the day the application is submitted to final Village Board approval.
- A preliminary site plan should be submitted for staff's review before beginning the zoning relief process.
- The application, fees and all supporting documents are due a minimum of 30 days prior to the next P&Z meeting.
- The zoning relief process is generally as follows.
Pre-Application Meeting
Pre-Application Meeting with representative from the Community Development Department, Public Works Department, and the Fire Department is an informal meeting to discuss the proposal and any requirements to apply for the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Application Procedure
The applicant shall prepare and submit to the Community Development Director, all information required by the Village of Villa Park including but not limited to completed application, all materials identified in the Checklist for Planning & Zoning Commission, a completed application data form and all applicable fees. Click below for application packet.
Meeting Dates and Application Deadlines
All materials shall be completed in full and approved by the Community Development Director 6 weeks in advance of the scheduled Public Hearing. The Planning & Zoning Commission meets regularly on the second Thursday evening each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room, second floor of Village Hall, 20 South Ardmore Avenue. At the call of the Chairperson and at such other times as such Commission or the Corporate Authorities may determine, other meetings may be held. Click below for PZC submittal calender.
Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Dates |
December 14, 2023 |
January 11, 2024 |
February 08, 2024 |
March 14, 2024 |
April 11, 2024 |
May 09, 2024 |
June 13, 2024 |
July 11, 2024 |
August 08, 2024 |
September 12, 2024 |
October 10, 2024 |
November 14, 2024 |
December 12, 2024 |
Public Notice Procedures
Between 15 to 30 days prior to the Public Hearing, notice is published in a local newspaper and all adjacent property owners within 250 feet, exclusive of right-of way are mailed notices of the upcoming Public Hearing. In addition, a Notice of Public Hearing sign must be placed on the subject property. Failure to post the sign or receive written notice shall not invalidate or delay the holding of the Public Hearing.
Public Hearing Process
A Public Hearing shall be convened on a date established by the published notice. You are required to attend this Public Hearing to present the evidence and testimony and to answer any questions from the public and the commission. Applicants are encouraged to make extensive use of exhibits to illustrate their application. The order of business at any Public Hearing shall be as follows.
Public Hearing Procedure
Please note that no further testimony on this matter can be considered after the close of the Public Hearing.
- Presentation of Petitioner.
- Staff Input.
- Public participation and questions.
- Questions from the Commission.
- Closing Comments of Petitioner.
- Close Public Hearing.
- Discussion by Commission Members.
- Motion.
In cases where the Planning & Zoning Commission finds that the anticipated increased activity in the Village due to the proposed development requires the provision of additional public service, facilities or the like, the Planning & Zoning Commission may require a dedication or reservation of land, monetary payments or the construction of improvement, as a legal condition of approval for subdivision or development. Such developer contributions shall not be required unless the anticipated increased activity necessitating the contribution is specifically and uniquely attributable to activities of the developer which generates costs, which would otherwise be cast upon the public.
Village Board Consideration
The recommendation of the Planning & Zoning Commission together with a transcript of the proceedings and other information gathered at the Public Hearing shall be forwarded to the Village Board. The board meets at 7:00 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays in the Village Hall. Applicants are required to attend this meeting of the Village Board to answer any questions the Village Board may have.
Building Permits
For any construction, a building permit may be required. All forms can be located under the Document Center or contact Permit\Building Department located within the Public Works Department at 11 West Home Avenue or call 630-834-8505.
Contact Us
Community Development Office
Marc MCLAUGHLIN, AICP, GISP
Director of Community and Economic Development
Community Development Department
11 West Home Avenue
Villa Park, Illinois 60181
Mailing AddressCommunity Development Department
20 South Ardmore Avenue
Villa Park, Illinois 60181
Ph: 630-433-4300
Emergency: 630-834-7447
Monday through Friday
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


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Elizabeth Warren has been a Senate candidate for only a week, but already her campaign has historic significance, at least at Harvard University: She is the school's first professor to run for federal office in many years and one of very few ever with a shot at winning.
Warren's Harvard link could be an advantage, providing an informal network of influential colleagues, students, and alumni in her bid for Senator Scott Brown's seat.
But her connection to the university could also hurt her. A Harvard line on a résumé appeals to employers but plays less well with some voters.
"We're going to hear the 'Harvard elite' thing over and over. That's Scott Brown's best play,'' said Dan Cluchey, a third-year student organizing a "Students for Warren'' club. "Of course, I think anyone who describes her that way is either being misleading or just hasn't met her yet.''
Opponents started to use Warren's Harvard connection against her even before she declared she would run. The "CrazyKhazei'' Twitter account, yanked in late August after a Scott Brown adviser was revealed as its author, painted her as a "typical Harvard elitist.'' In early September, the school's student newspaper, the Crimson, predicted Warren would have a "Harvard Problem.''
Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee's communications director described Warren as needing to learn more about the state as "someone who has spent many years ensconced in the hallways of Harvard.''
Many politicians have Harvard credentials: 31 members of Congress hold degrees from the school, as do President Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Three of Warren's opponents have Harvard connections: Alan Khazei is an alumnus, Robert Massie earned his doctorate there and has lectured at the Divinity School, and Setti Warren's wife works at the child development center. Harvard professors are also called to serve as government appointees and advisers so often that there is practically a revolving door between Cambridge and Washington.
What makes Warren's campaign unusual is that she is teaching and campaigning at the same time.
Professors rarely run for major offices, and when they do, they typically drop their academic positions.
A rare exception is Robert Reich, who taught one course per semester at Brandeis University while running for Massachusetts governor in 2002.
An earlier academic-turned-candidate, John Silber, took a leave of absence from the presidency of Boston University during his own run for Massachusetts governor in 1990.
Obama ran in local elections five times during his 12 years teaching law at the University of Chicago. But unlike Warren, he canceled his classes when he turned his gaze to the US Senate.
Perhaps the closest parallel to Warren's candidacy is that of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who taught at Harvard from 1966 to 1977 and won his Senate seat in 1976. He agonized over leaving the university for the Senate - but he had already spent eight months in the previous year as ambassador to India.
By seeking office while still on the faculty, Warren may face legal and ethical issues related to her position.
"Universities have nonprofit status, so they have to be careful,'' said Michael Toner, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission who now is an attorney with Wiley Rein LLP. "They can't endorse candidates. They certainly can't underwrite them. And the candidate can't state or imply something like 'Harvard's behind me.' ''
Candidates also cannot skimp on work duties while earning full-time wages, which can be viewed as in-kind contributions.
But Warren should have adequate time to fulfill her job duties; she is teaching only one class, contract law, twice a week this semester. Although a Harvard Law School spokesman, Robb London, said no decisions had been made about future teaching arrangements, Warren is not scheduled for classes in the winter or spring.
Harvard should be able to navigate any complexities raised by Warren's candidacy, said Gene Takagi, a California lawyer who specializes in advising nonprofits. "I think Harvard is sophisticated enough to keep itself out of trouble,'' he said.
The university has a four-page policy outlining the legal requirements for faculty and staff who seek political office. But it has rarely had to put that policy into action.
A brief search of its archives turned up only one professor in recent years other than Warren and Moynihan who waged a congressional campaign while teaching at the school.
H. Stuart Hughes was a history student at Harvard in the late 1930s, a junior professor from 1947 to 1952, a senior professor from 1957 through 1973 - and a failed independent opponent of Edward M. Kennedy in the 1962 Senate race.
Hughes was fair game for accusations of belonging to the liberal elite. His campaign for nuclear disarmament was so radical it left him ostracized from fellow faculty members. As for "elite,'' his grandfather paraded him as a chubby-cheeked infant during a presidential run in 1916.
Warren, on the other hand, is the daughter of a janitor and store clerk and describes herself as being brought up "on the ragged edge of the middle class.''
"There is not much in common between Warren and Hughes,'' said Harry Lewis, a computer science professor and former dean of Harvard College. "Hughes was an aristocrat. Would any political candidate today dare abbreviate his first name?''
That difference, combined with Warren's work in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, may inoculate her from charges of being out of touch. "Nobody understands better what it takes to make the legal and economic system work for ordinary people,'' said Laurence Tribe, a prominent Harvard professor of constitutional law.
Warren's salary at Harvard could still be used as a cudgel against her populist positions. According to documents filed with the Senate, as Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law, she made $349,375 in 2009 in addition to more than $182,000 in royalties and consulting fees. But she is not a member of Harvard's old guard. Before she came to the school in 1995, she taught at the public flagship universities in Texas and Michigan and attended the University of Houston and Rutgers University.
She also does not fit the stereotype of an academic who cares only about publication. She is known for inviting students over for dinner and is the only professor at the law school to win its major teaching award twice.
"I have tended to disagree with professor Warren on a wide range of policy matters in the past, so my inclination is to say that I would probably not vote for her,'' said Rachel Frankeny, a third-year student. "But when an incoming student asks, 'Who are the professors that I really must take a class with before I leave here?' her name almost always comes up. It was a big deal when she left to help start the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I'm sure her Senate candidacy will be a big deal, too.''
Mary Carmichael can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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In August 2013, popular internet critic/comedian Nostalgia Critic decided to review Sailor Moon. At the time, I was unfamiliar with Nostalgia Critic, but the review reverberated throughout the fandom. The rumblings weren't particularly positive, so I decided to skip it. Fast forward a few months later, and on a boring, lazy Sunday, my curiosity got the better of me. It turns out this piece of internet comedy has a lot to say about male sexuality, female sexuality and victim blaming.
Let's take a look, shall we?
[Content Note: Discussion of rape, guns and victim blaming]
The video opens with a mad doctor scribbling on a white board. We're informed that Dr. Hack is the master of TV formulas–the formulas individual TV shows use from episode to episode. Here's his formula for Power Rangers:
Teens + Monster + Giant Monster + Giant Robot.
Since Sailor Moon was based on the Power Rangers formula, I was eager to hear more about Sailor Moon's particular formula.
Dr. Hack: Fourteen year old girl acts stupid, using magical powers to look slutty and stupid, talking cat tells her how to fight crime because she's so stupid, surround herself with smarter girls that make her look even more stupid–
*sigh* I realize that Nostalgia Critic is trying to be funny here, but unfortunately, I can't find the humor in it since this quote basically sums up the entire video. Sailor Moon is stupid and slutty. Are you laughing yet?
In this vintage Dateline Sailor Moon report, I noted that the reporter's first words to describe Sailor Moon are "blonde bombshell." Nearly 20 years later, Nostalgia Critic replicates this double standard–Power Rangers get to repetitively fight monsters whereas Sailor Moon just gets to be repetitively stupid and slutty. It's a refrain returned to again and again throughout the video.
After reviewing the English dub's opening credits, Nostalgia Critic continues his review by giving a brief overview of the cast of characters. He then spends a considerable amount of time dissecting the transformation sequences.
Nostalgia Critic: And, of course, this gives way into the famous transformation scene–the tiara, the boots, the nail polish-later covered by gloves so that was pointless–and of course, the mini skirt. The mini, mini, mini–mini, mini, mini, mini–mini, mini, mini skirt. Yep, the costume choice that no way enables her to fight better, but sure forces her to squat a lot. OK, so take out the fact that it's no way battle armor, take out the fact that it's obviously fan service, take out the fact just like He-Man somehow removing more clothes bizarrely disguises them–though to be fair both these outfits is the face really the first thing you're going to be looking at?–Take all that away and just tell yourself, this obviously sexualized transformation that takes up a solid minute in each episode happens to a 14 year old girl.
Ok, first of all, Sailor Moon's transformation isn't fan service. There are no boob jiggles or butt gleams in these sequences. But of course, viewers can choose what they want to see. If you are are heterosexual male dude, you can choose to leer if that's how you roll. If you are a heterosexual chick, you are simply seeing a young woman put on a cool outfit. If you are a gay dude, you might not give a shit and if you are a lesbian–well, hey, give me a call when a lesbian comedian calls Sailor Moon's transformation a "strip tease."
In fact, this promo sent to TV stations back in the 90s argues that girls will particularly love the transformation sequences where the superhero becomes "glamourous." The focus of the transformation is the outfit and accessories and Sailor Moon's moves are not unlike a gymnastics routine or walking down the catwalk. Or, a superhero who is simply getting ready to kick your ass.
Nostalgia Critic's main beef with the transformation sequences isn't that they're sexy, it's that a 14 year old is being sexy. Much of this section seems to be a reaction to his previous video where he named Sailor Moon one of his top 11 hottest animated women. Some commenters felt that Sailor Moon shouldn't be described as "hot" because she's 14 years old. Personally, I have more of a problem with Sailor Moon's transformation sequences described as a "strip tease." Cuz you know, putting on clothes is totally the definition of a strip tease. No word on what Nostalgia Critic feels about dude superheroes who actually rip off their clothes.
Nostalgia Critic hammers it home that the sexy, sexy transformations are happening to 14 year old girls—as if in the history of the world 14 year olds have never worn a short skirt before or have boobs or have long legs or whatever. To show how sexualized Sailor Moon is, Nostalgia Critic gives us an example of what real, 14 year old girls look like. Note that these images aren't of young ballerinas, or 15 year old figure skaters. Would anyone like to say that the young ladies below are "dressing like sluts"? (And they lift their legs too! How scandalous!)
The images Nostalgia Critic uses consist of 14 year old girls sans make up and short skirts. This image is meant to show the viewer that real life 14 year old girls aren't sexualized like Sailor Moon. Or, at least, not sexualized in a way that would tantalize a hetero dude's boner.
Repeat after me: You can't tell what a girl's sexual history is by looking at her.
Repeat after me: You can't tell what a girl's sexual history is by looking at her.
Repeat after me: You can't tell what a girl's sexual history is by looking at her.
Nostalgia Critic comments that the problem with the sexualization of girls in media is that it doesn't teach young people about real life sexuality and merely profits off of said sexualization. But here's the problem. When you describe a girl in a short skirt and heeled boots as a "slut," you are making a huge assumption about that girl's sexuality based on only what you see–not on any actual first-hand knowledge.
What's really happening here is that Nostalgia Critic is just re-enforcing the same old sexist belief that girls are to blame for a dude's behavior, not the dude himself. If only Sailor Moon didn't wear such a short skirt! Then! And only then, nobody would call her a slut! This don't-blame-the-dude game continues with Nostalgia Critic suggesting that we blame Japan instead. Japan is the "creepy" and "kinky" one, you see, because the age of consent there is 13–it's not Nostalgia Critic calling 14 year olds "sluts" or seeing their transformations as a "strip tease."
It's too bad that Nostalgia Critic didn't review America's consent laws. Although the average age of consent is 16, America also has similar close-in-age-exceptions as those in Japan. And surprise, surprise, some states allow for 14 year olds to have sex with teens who are only 2 – 4 years older than them. However, here's the thing about laws. Their existence or lack thereof isn't some smoking gun. For example, America has laws criminalizing rape, but that doesn't stop people from arguing that an 11 year old victim "dressed older than her age." Or, when rapists are convicted, people still blame the victim. Japan may have a club where you can pay to sexually harass young woman in school girl outfits, but you can do the same in America and just hope the woman can't or won't come after you.
But if you haven't been convinced yet that you should be blaming Sailor Moon's sartorial choices or sexually deviant Japan instead of, say, Nostalgia Critic, he tells us he just didn't know how old they were–because they look sexy.
Nostalgia Critic: …why did I put her in my top 11 hottest animated women list? I didn't know! I swear I didn't know! Look at the way they're drawn man! I thought they were in college or at very least late high school! Wouldn't you have made that guess? C'mon! Look at the way they're showing them off! I swear officer–I mean–audience! I had no idea their real age.
At the risk of taking this waaaaay too seriously, I just want to remind our friendly viewers at home that in a court of law, you actually can't use the "I didn't know her real age" defense.
But before you can reach for your Captain Picard facepalm pics, Nostalgia Critic would like to give us one last reason why you shouldn't blame him for sexualizing teen girls in mini skirts: his penis, like all heterosexual teen penises, is a metaphorical gun to his head.
Penises don't force anyone to use the word "slut." This may seem funny and inconsequential to some people, but in real life, people pretty much believe this. This video is a great piece of evidence of how we believe, as a society, that male sexuality is aggressive and uncontrollable–and thus, any dude can't be held accountable for his actions. While some people may think that this is just a joke, this belief has real consequences in our lives. In 2010, a young girl was repeatedly raped and videotaped by multiple boys and men and people commented: she did wear sexy clothing, you know.
Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands — known as the Quarters — said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.–March 8th, 2011, nytimes.com
I'm not sure why dressing like a 20 year old or wearing "sexy" clothing makes rape inevitable. But I suppose we just need to remember that seeing a girl or woman dressed sexy is like your penis putting a gun against your head. Then, this senseless violence probably makes more "sense."
One last thing I'd like to point out, since we're taking about sexy clothing and all. In the flashback, the hypersexual 14 year old Nostaglia Critic with a metaphorical penis gun wears a black t-shirt and blue jeans. Remember when Nostaglia Critic showed us pictures of real 14 year old girls? You know, the ones wearing t-shirts and blue jeans? The ones who were decidedly not sexy? Again, it's perfect example of how we as a society view male sexuality and female sexuality–dudes are hypersexual beings no matter how they dress, but female sexuality only exists when a woman or girl wears something sexy. That, of course, is completely illogical, but I doubt our patriarchal society wants to hear that.
Thankfully, at this point, after a few drinks, Nostalgia Critic moves on–but not quite. He notes again, how stupid Sailor Moon is, the censorship of Sailor Neptune and Uranus's lesbian relationship and a lack of physical fighting. But not without making more pot shots about Sailor Moon's outfit which is basically "a bathing suit with napkin covering the crotch" and that Japan is totally cool with Sailor Moon "showing off her goodies to the world" if she lifts her leg even a centimeter. Nostalgia Critic chalks this up to "cultural differences" and admitting that America has produced much worse things like toddlers dressed as Madonna. But it's waaaay too little, waaaay too late.
Unfortunately for Nostalgia Critic and this video, victim blaming and sexualization aren't merely cultural differences–they're are behaviors we find in any patriarchal, xenophobic society that doesn't want to be held accountable for its own horrible behavior. And if there's one thing worth remembering about this video, that would be it.


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We thought about updating our revolutionary tiered Around the League Power Rankings this week, and then we realized it would look exactly like it did two weeks ago.
So let's try something a little different. We present our Preseason Defensive Power Rankings. The list was created by answering a simple question: What depth chart, defensive coach and scheme would we want as a general manager? Talent and 2012 potential matters more here than the final 2011 rankings.
Top shelf: Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Bulls on Parade in Houston have the best combination of young talent and scheme in the NFL, even without Mario Williams. San Francisco's front seven rivals Houston. Baltimore isn't nearly as old as you think, while Pittsburgh still has a surplus of linebacker talent and great continuity under Dick Lebeau.
Anything less than a top-10 ranking in points allowed would be a huge disappointment for these teams. Their defenses can win games on their own.
We strongly considered putting the Seahawks and Giants in their own tier or the tier above. Seattle is greater than the sum of its parts and the parts are fantastic in the secondary. New York's defensive line can make up for its back seven. Philadelphia's talent remains elite. Their continuity should serve them well in year two under defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.
The Cardinals are a sneaky defense that's tough to prepare for. We love Bengals coordinator Mike Zimmer and his deep rotation of pass rushers. My Chiefs man crush extends to their young, primed defense under Romeo Crennel.
The talent and potential is there for any of these defenses to be among the best in the league.
Knocking on the door: Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys
Safety Louis Delmas' surgery is a reminder Detroit is woefully thin in the secondary. It's just not a good back seven on defense. Sorry. Chicago ranks this high because of Lovie Smith and a few standouts, but the talent and track record are mostly overrated. Green Bay has the players and coach to bounce right back to their 2010 level. It's a strong depth chart. Rob Ryan should have enough in the secondary to improve things in Dallas.
Schein: Why Rex will get a ring
Rex Ryan is truly the perfect coach to lead the New York Jets to a Super Bowl title. Adam Schein explains why. **More ...**
These defenses could go either way. A top-five rank or mediocrity wouldn't be huge surprises.
Middle of the pack: Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins
Buffalo has been so bad on defense for so long and they continue to adjust their scheme. I need to see it to believe it. Atlanta and Jacksonville lack the pass rushers to be elite. The Jaguars defense overachieved last year. There is some sleeper potential in Oakland if Dennis Allen is legit. It's been a while since Washington's Jim Haslett ran a difference-making unit.
Miami's talent should rank them higher, but the scheme change is a worry. Cleveland wasn't as good as their ranking last year indicated. San Diego doesn't have enough difference-makers. At least the Patriots look young and interesting this year. They are on the upswing.
Denver has too many roster holes at defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety. Carolina is similarly uneven. Tennessee's talent is mediocre. Jeff Fisher has enough to work with to improve things in St. Louis.
These defenses ideally won't get their teams beat. But they don't look like standouts.
Sub-mediocre: New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans' pass rush should be among the league's worst. Greg Schiano should improve Tampa's discipline, but the talent level has a ways to go. Colts coach Chuck Pagano is fighting an uphill battle considering his secondary. The Vikings have Jared Allen and little else.
Football Outsiders has often pointed out that year-to-year performance on defense is far more volatile than offense. That gives these teams hope, but we're not seeing it.
We'll check back on these rankings after a few regular season weeks to see how dumb we look.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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- Home
- Town Government
- Departments and Divisions
- Castle Rock Water
- Stormwater
- Stormwater Facility Maintenance
Castle Rock property owners are responsible for the maintenance of stormwater management facilities on their property. According to the Town's operation and maintenance policy, the property owner or designee shall be responsible for the maintenance of all drainage facilities, including inlets, pipes, culverts, channels, ditches, hydraulic structures, and detention basins located on his or her land unless modified by a specific agreement.
Stormwater management facilities require routine maintenance and nonroutine restorative maintenance to function as designed. Routine maintenance of facilities may include removal of debris and sediment, trash rack clearing, mowing, noxious weed control, etc. Nonroutine restorative maintenance activities may include repairs to or replacement of structures, as well as other improvements necessary to retain the effectiveness of the system. Such tasks are necessary to preclude the facility from becoming unhealthy and to avoid reduced conveyance capability, unsightliness and malfunction.
Stormwater detention facilities are to be maintained to function in accordance with the Stormwater Management Facility Operation and Maintenance Standard Guidelines (PDF).
To obtain a copy of the record drawings for stormwater management facilities, complete a records request. Please indicate on your request the property description and the location of your facility / facilities.
In accordance with the drainage easement recorded for your property, the Town has the right to access the easement for inspection purposes to ensure stormwater management facilities are functioning in accordance with Town criteria. In the event that facilities are found to be in noncompliance, the property owner will be notified. Note, if the property owner fails to maintain a facility, the Town has the right to complete maintenance and charge the owner at 1.25 times the cost of maintenance.


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Keen 6 Hazards
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This is a list of all the hazards in Keen 6. A hazard is something that damages Keen, but is not a creature.
Glowing Orb – these are glowing hot spheres that are ubiquitous on Fribbulus Xax. Their purpose is unknown, although they seem to just be traps of some kind. | |
Spikes – As in the Shadowlands, spikes are commonly used as deadly traps on Fribbulus Xax, both in the planet's surface, and underground (as stalagmites). Some spikes appear to be growing the purple wormlike plants that fill much of the planet's underground. | |
Acid pools – spills of lethal acid and toxic waste are common in the factories of Fribbulus Xax, although they can be seen in other places as well. There are often ways of getting past them. | |
Pounders – also known as smashers, these are built along hallways and conveyor belts in factories. Though they are generally intended for functional purposes, they also double as dangerous hazards. | |
Electrodes – Many places on Fribbulus Xax are fitted with electrode towers to guard doors and important items. They work in one of two ways: either they shoot a deadly arc of electricity that extends from floor to ceiling at regular intervals, or they remain on until a switch is thrown. Either way, you do not want to touch an active one. | |
Cannons – as on the Omegamatic, blaster cannons are fitted on walls, ceilings, and floors in many installations as defense measures. The cannons in themselves are harmless, but the purple bolts they shoot are lethal. | |
Drills – Like spikes in their function, large drill heads are placed on floors and used as traps. They cut very effectively, so do not touch one! | |
Flame projectors – Bloogfoods, Inc. is the only place to include these objects. They are designed as exhaust ports, but the columns of fire that burst out are quite deadly. | |
Radioactive rods – Periodically, Keen will encounter a pit with three glowing and extremely unstable rods of radioactive material. They are parts of reactors in factories, cities, and other installations, but, left exposed to air, they are very dangerous to touch. |


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What were you building in your junior year of highschool? Well, for [Aaron Cofield], he built a motorized longboard.
He started with a plain longboard in the design he liked, gave it a nice paint coat (aesthetics over functionality people!) and then started looking into motorizing it. As it turns out there's actually a pretty handy blog dedicated to converting longboards to electric. After many hours of research he settled on a 2400W RC prop motor and a 150A high performance RC car ESC unit. Who knew it was that simple!
A few metal brackets, some belts, sprockets, an idler and a whole ton of lithium-ion batteries later and the build is complete! He's currently controlling it with an RC car remote, but had plans to control it using a Wii nunchuck and Arduino. The test runs this past summer got the board going about 20mph!
It looks done for now, but we're sure he's going to be continuing to refine it next summer — stick around after the break to see one of its first test drives!


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Customize search results columns
PlanejadaWe like the power of the search but it'd be even better if we could choose which columns show in the search results, similarly to how you can when creating Views.
105 Comentários
Comentário oficial
Thank you everyone for the feedback, it's truly appreciated. This is on the roadmap, and it's work we will start in Q4 of this year. I'll update this thread again in Q4 with our progress and when we expect to release this capability.
We're working on the designs right now. If you would be willing to spend 20 minutes with us on zoom providing feedback please fill out this form. If you're selected, we'll be in touch!
I agree.
My biggest complain is when searching organisations. We needed to show the adress in the search results so i ended using the field Notes. Sadly it prevents my agents to use the note field for other purposes (this is the only field that an agent can edit in an org).
- As proposed by Nekotia, allow us to customize the columns
- Add Notes and Details fields by default for Users and Orgs
We also has same problem, current search page has 6 columns, If we have option to choose 4 more columns, that would be helpful.
We have a similar need. It would be great if we can add some of the custom user fields to the search results.
I agree, we really need to be able to add some user fields to customize search results columns. It would be a big help to allow users to identify the right person to contact.
Definitely need this functionality. Being limited to the "default search" columns makes the search very limited in its usefulness.
We absolutely need the functionality of adding/removing columns in the search result view.
We also definitely need this function. We want to sort the list, therefor in every case we need the due-date and the employee. We prefer customizable columns.
If nothing else, please add "Organisation" as an additional column.
Please make all columns functional as sort options and at least add 'Organization' to the tickets view. Configuration would be even better.
I very much agree. Providing more information at a glance would definitely improve the search feature.
I also agree that this function is needed. It should be possible to customize the search with the columns everyone needs. Furthermore it would be very useful for me to have also an export function of the list of the advanced search results.
We need "SLA" to be a default column in search results. Maybe others, too.
Please Zendesk make it customizable or tell us that you won't!
I agree this functionality is needed. We should also have the ability to add custom fields to the search and advanced search.
Thank you!
Yes please, this functionality is really important to be developed
We also definitely need the functionality of adding/removing columns in the search result view
This has become an issue for us as well. We have been happy with making views for most things, but when a set of tickets that meets the criteria is closed and can not be tagged with an automation process, search is the only option that will still pull the tickets we need to review. Better planning is the long term solution, but we need something to help us analyze how we need to plan and see what happened on the individual tickets. The lack of custom columns in searches makes it a clunky and cumbersome process to try to research things that have already happened that we may need to make better processes to catch.
I totally agree with Dolores' comment. I would love to have an export from search option in addition to more complex column customization. There is a similar request already on the community posts here as well. I did see where Jonny mentions the Advanced Search App and I tried it. It does seem to add a lot of the functionality some of us need.
I am just adding a note to this feature request to say yes, we want this too!
I've upvoted this request. Upvoting gets more "looks" from the product team, so I encourage everyone reading this right now to do that!
I'll add that detailed use-cases in the comments add value to the conversation and helping PM's to understand what the problem is, what the scope is, and what the impact of a solution would be. Votes and detailed comments are the best way to make a difference!
+1 for us. Would be very helpful to see the 'assigned to' column on the search ticket view and the ability to pick which columns show on this search ticket view. It's incredibly frustrating and time consuming when searching for tickets to have to click into them to see who it is assigned to.
+1 here too! It only makes sense to be able to customise search results to make it easier to find things. Being able to see the 'assigned to' column would be most beneficial and reduce frustration.
ditto +1 here also! I agree being able to see the 'assigned to' column would be so useful & to be able to pick other columns that will suit your individual needs would be fantastic. Its a massive frustration to not have this option now considering how much we pay to use this product you would think this would be an easy option for Zendesk to add.
Thanks for the feedback, all.
Significant work is planned for Support and the agent UI in 2019. I can't speak specifically to search results at this time, but will make sure that the product managers who are planning that work read through the ideas shared in this conversation.
Agree with the above. For my current usecase I'd like to be able to see the assignee, but the ideal solution would be to add full customisation of what's being shown
I agree, it would be great to be able to change the result columns/fields for search.
Please add this as soon as possible.
Also highly interested in this, in particular, to see who these are assigned to today. There are many scenarios where I might search for a JIRA issue ID and try to consolidate ownership of those tickets. If they're owned mostly by one user, we'd assign them all to that user. In other circumstances I might be lookinf for tickets related to a feature and assign many of them over to one user.
+1, would be very helpful!
@Nicole any news on further planning / Roadmap?
Best regards, hoping for customizability... :)
I can't tell you how disappointed we are to learn that is impossible when I tried to add a column to the search results page to vew which organization the requester is submitting the request from.
Search results page needs to allow for customizable columns in a similar manner to views
Por favor, entrar para comentar.


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Statement by Ambassador Liu Jieyi at the Security Council Debate on Kosovo |
2013-08-29 04:29 |
Madam President, I thank Mr. Zarif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his briefing. I have listened carefully to the statements made by His Excellency Mr. Mrkić, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia, and Mr. Hoxhaj. China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and understands its legitimate concerns with regard to the question of Kosovo. Security Council resolution 1244 forms the important legal basis for the settlement of the question of Kosovo. China believes that, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and under the framework of resolution 1244 and international law, all parties should seek a mutually acceptable settlement plan through dialogue and negotiation. It remains the best and only option for resolving the Kosovo question. China appreciates Serbia's active efforts to seek a political settlement of the question of Kosovo. My country welcomes the substantive results achieved in the high-level political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. We encourage both parties to continue the process of pragmatic, constructive dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting settlement of the question of Kosovo and maintaining peace and stability in the region of the Balkans and in all of Europe. At present, the political and security situation in Kosovo is showing a positive trend. However, the situation in northern Kosovo is tense. All parties concerned should effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic communities in Kosovo and actively promote national reconciliation. They should take a cautious approach to resolving differences in the context of the dialogue in order to avoid any action that could complicate or exacerbate the situation. China commends the work carried out by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) under the leadership of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zarif and supports the continued efforts of the Mission to implement the Council's mandate. We hope that UNMIK, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovo Force can strengthen coordination and cooperation in order to play a positive role in promoting the settlement of the question of Kosovo. Thank you, Madam President. |


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My explanation is that they look at their equity holdings relatively, and this makes risk symmetric: beta=0.5 has the same risk as beta=1.5. When this happens, deviating from the consensus is risky regardless of total volatility, because it all adds to 'tracking error'. In a sense, people are maximizing their Information Ratio, not their Sharpe Ratios, and using 'the standard 60/40 equity/bond allocation' as the benchmark. If investors are doing this, it constrains the appetite for arbitrage, and so the effects of irrational preferences can exist in a rational equilibrium.
When I first read Dimsom, Marsh and Staunton (2006), it first occurred to me that this could solve my longstanding confusion on this point, because they basically cut the equity premium in half just by adding geometric averaging and survivorship bias, and I knew that was only a part of the adjustment menu. The relative risk theory only makes sense if the equity premium is zero, which previously was inconceivable, but after DMS cut it in half that didn't seem impossible.
Nonetheless, while the equity risk premium is down to about 3.5% these days, and realistic standard errors are about 4%, no one thinks it is zero. I asserted it was zero previously because it seemed possible, and solved many other problems (eg, the missing risk premium everywhere else). Now I'm thinking I made an error. The equity risk premium is positive, close to the 3.5% most others believe. They key is that this return is not a scalar, but rather an array. Like 'the tax rate', it isn't one thing, and the various rates make up a subtle equilibrium between various interested parties, with the returns being a function of the ignorance, impatience, and size of the investor constituency.
The efficient investor avoids active management, invests steady amounts over the business cycle, generates few taxable events, trades to minimize trade impact and the effect of a bid-ask spread. Your average investor trades inefficiently, and generates a lot of profit for a large and vibrant financial community to turn into the 'little crumbs' Tom Wolfe wrote about in his Bonfire of the Vanities, where all those fancy, smart suits are just middlemen, with a clear incentive to increase trading.
My claim is that the equity risk premium most people analyze does not reflect the return to an average or marginal investor, merely the non-representative efficient one. Several issues create a wedge between the raw index return one sees in index time series and the returns flowing to average investors. Thus, a modest equity premium to the indices is consistent with my overall hypothesis.
The best single statistic that illustrates this subtle equilibrium is Jay Ritter's finding (see above) that the cross-country correlation of real stock returns and per capita GDP growth over 1900–2002 is significantly negative. That is, cross-sectional equity returns over a hundred years are not positively related to economic growth, so it is not as if the economy is a representative firm and a risk averse individual is choosing how much wealth to allocate to a stochastic investment; rather, the stock market is a subtle game between insiders and outsiders where the insiders merely provide enough top-line returns to keep the rabble unaware they are being had.
The Investment Company Institute sponsored a study and found actual investors underperformed the S&P 500 for the ten-year period from December 31, 2000, through December 31, 2010, by 6 percent annually. Fund complexes and the Investment Company Institute were very loathe to present this information because it highlighted that they are severely overrepresenting investor returns by using simple indexes, ignoring the many slips between cup and lip in the investment process. Luckily for the investing community, individual investors accommodate this misrepresentation, as even highly educated investors overestimate their personal returns by this order of magnitude (i.e., 6 percent annualized return). This is probably due to simple cognitive dissonance, as investors are mentally distressed by the conflict between a good self-image and empirical evidence of poor trading tactics. To reduce the discomfort, investors adjust their memory about that evidence and those choices. This is then selectively reinforced by noticing the returns of just their good performing stocks and mutual funds in the portfolio and not the poor ones because ex-post awareness these were mistakes rather than legitimate data.
The dramatic overestimation of typical individual returns via the benchmarks is a rather important, and unremarked, fact. The actual net returns to average investors remain something of little interest to modern research. Note that prior to the competition from electronic trading, discount brokerages, the deregulation of commissions in 1975, and the reintroduction of odd-eighths quotes on the Nasdaq in the 1990s, trading costs were certainly much higher, yet most researchers look merely at the top line of the indexes as these costs were irrelevant, and top line pre-1975 returns are the same to investors as they are subsequently. If average investors are looking at their returns after fees and taxes, these costs should be highly relevant, but instead they are routinely ignored. This highlights a very strange incuriosity with net returns to investors. Consider the following items that subtract from top line returns, independent of the issues about geometric averaging, peso problems, and survivorship bias:
- Taxes (see Gannon and Blum)
- Adverse market timing (see Ilia Dichev)
- Transaction costs (nothing good, just watch your fills)
In many ways, investors are like all those people who recall their last trip to Las Vegas left them flat or up a little. The equity risk premium can be thought of as a very subtle equilibrium, where the efficient investor who makes a 3% premium is the loss-leader to equity issuers, and the average investor more than makes up for this 'expense' to the insiders. Though an efficient investor may be able to invest in efficient passive funds and capture much of the equity premium, such an investor is the exception in the same way that your average blackjack player loses considerably more per hand than your robot optimizer. That is, just as most hedge fund profits go to hedge fund owners, most outside equity investment goes to insiders—brokers, management, initial equity owners—via the persistent mistakes and carelessness of your average investor. Equity returns are not simply a stochastic process that a singular representative investor chooses, but rather a complex set of returns depending on the strategy and tactics used by heterogeneous investors, many of whom make conspicuously inefficient choices. The bookies, and the insiders selling dreams, always win, and if they didn't the market would not exist as it currently does. The equity risk premium is zero for the marginal investor.


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Jamie Bernstein , daughter of the late Leonard Bernstein, was among the VIPs attending a Saturday concert conducted by Grammy winner Gustavo Dudamel at Longy School of Music Bard College. Dudamel appeared with the Sistema Side by Side Orchestra, made up largely of 60 young musicians from Greater Boston and Pittsfield. Bernstein joined Longy president Karen Zorn in presenting Dudamel with a lifetime achievement award. Attendees at a post-concert cocktail party included Boston Philharmonic music director Benjamin Zander , MIT president Rafael Reif, actresses Ginny Mancini and Gates McFadden , radio talkmeister Christopher Lydon , and critic-poet Lloyd Schwartz .
Joseph P. Kahn can be reached at email@example.com.


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Prof explores universe through gravity lens studies
(Phys.org) -- The National Science Foundation recently awarded Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, associate professor of physics at UT Dallas, a $222,000 research grant for his investigations of the gravitational lensing technique used to study the nature of the universe.
His studies are aimed at improving the technique to more accurately measure the distribution and density of mass in the universe. His research also could contribute to a better understanding of dark matter, a type of matter thought to be about five times more prevalent than ordinary matter that can be seen through telescopes.
Gravitational lensing also can be used to test cosmological models of the universe.
"Gravitational lensing is one of the most powerful tools we have to study the cosmos," Ishak-Boushaki said. "We use it to detect and map not only regular matter, but also dark matter according to the gravitational effects each type of matter has on light and radiation. Gravitational lensing also helps us to investigate how galaxies form and why the expansion of the universe is accelerating."
Dark matter is invisible to astronomers because it does not emit or absorb enough light or radiation to be detected. Scientists can estimate its whereabouts, however, by observing how it affects objects they can see.
One of the effects of dark matter is gravitational lensing. Here is how it works:
In space, very massive objects distort and curve the fabric of space around them. This is akin to what happens when a bowling bowl is placed on a trampoline – the fabric distorts and forms an indentation that pulls in any object that gets too close to the bowling ball. We feel the curvature of space around the Earth as the force of gravity.
In gravitational lensing, light waves and other types of radiation traveling toward us from very distant galaxies or clusters of galaxies are bent and distorted as they follow the curved space surrounding massive objects that block our direct line of sight. By the time the light from a background source reaches our eyes, this lensing effect can smear the light out into an arc, magnify it or make it appear as multiple images.
Even if the intervening massive object cannot be directly seen – if it is dark matter – astronomers can gather critical information about both the obstruction and the distant object behind it based on an analysis of the distorted light signals.
"The NSF grant will allow our team to investigate new theoretical and numerical techniques that should help refine the signals received on Earth from deep-sky objects affected by gravitational lensing," Ishak-Boushaki said.
He said the grant will support the work of physics graduate student Michael Troxel, who has worked on the project.
"New weak-lensing measurements will in part allow us to better understand the nature of cosmic acceleration and to test gravity on cosmological scales," Troxel said. "To realize the full potential of this exciting tool, however, we have to understand better the contaminants to the lensing signal."
Provided by University of Texas at Dallas


text:
But, first of all, I'd like to refer you to the talk of Rich Hickey at the Strange Loop conference "Simple made Easy", the principles of which really resonate with me. Yet it's so often the case, that it's hard to follow your abstract principles, when you're faced with reality (also guilty of that). And another point is that it's not really beneficial to push the principles to the extreme, because there's always the other side, and engineering is the art of making trade-offs: if you don't find room for them, the other side will bite you. So the points below basically boil down to these 2 things: examples of "complecting", and "things should be made as simple, as possible, but not simpler" (attributed to Einstein).
Interactive development
From the Lisp dynamic point-of-view a lot of JVM's facilities are inferior:
- mostly static runtime image and object system with only partial opportunities for redefining things on-the-fly instead of a fully dynamic one
- static namespaces (tied to a file system) instead of dynamic packages
- static exception system instead of a dynamic (restartable) condition system
- limited and flawed number representation system instead of a full numeric tower
- more limited calling convention (only positional parameters and absense of multiple return values)
- more limited naming scheme
- XML-based build facilities instead of eDSL-based ones - althouh, here Clojure can provide its own option, but the currently existing one - Leiningen is a weird beast of its own (for example, you can get
out of it, but can't put it in except throughproject.clj
, which has a lot of limitations) - absense of tail call optimization
Surely, there are also some current advantages of the Java platform:
- availability of a concurrent GC (although it's not the default one)
- good JIT-optimizing compiler
- and what's most important, larger amount of available tools and libraries
Yet, if we return to the top of the list of shortfalls, we can see, why interactive development in Clojure is much less productive, then in Lisp. What adds to it is, that Clojure uses a one-pass compiler (not very modern).
Going into more details on this will be a whole separate post, so I'll just sum up, that interactive development in Clojure is hampered both by the JVM sticking in different places (especially, if you work on projects, combining Clojure and Java code) and Clojure's own misfeatures.
From its early days Clojure was positioned as a "modern" Lisp. And what this "modernity" actually implied is:
- more accessible syntax and broader support for vectors and maps as opposed to Common Lisp, in which only lists, allegedly, were first-class citizens
- built-in concurrency primitives
- being Lisp-1 instead of Lisp-2, which makes heavy functional style programming more concise
- cleaning up some minor "annoyances": 4 equality operators, interning reader, etc.
Starting from the bottom, the minor issues make it not easy to start, but they are actually conceptually simple and useful, once you get accustomed. Lisp-1 vs Lisp-2 is a matter of taste: for example, I prefer
, because it's an annotation, while others perceive it as noise. And there's no objective advantage of one over another: yes, Lisp-1 makes something like (<map> </key>)
instead of (gethash <map> <key>)
possible, yet it makes macros more complicated. And concurrency I'll discuss separately.What's left is broader support for vectors and maps, including destructuring. I agree, that declarative syntax for common datastructures is a crucial for productive use of any language up to the point of defining the same literal syntax (
) for hash-tables in CL. Thankfully, that is supported by the language, so this syntax is as first-class in CL, as in Clojure, and, as in many aspects, nothing prevents "modernizing" Lisp in this aspect without creating a whole separate language... This doesn't hold for Clojure, as it doesn't have facilities to control the reader in the same way CL does: actually, in this regard Clojure is very different from Lisp — it hardly provides facilities for controlling any aspect of the language — and this control is a critical part of Lisp's DNA.And pushing syntax to the extreme has it's shortcomings in Clojure as well. Rich argues, that defining both lists and vectors with parens (in Lisp list is
and vector is #()
) is complecting. But, I'd say, that a much harder case of complecting is this:)))))))])))))])])
— the joy of debugging ASTs
And it's not even about Clojure: although here it's even worse, because for some reason, that escapes me,
(and defn
, and many others) uses vectors for argument lists. Aren't they called lists for a reason? So this once again actualizes the problem of counting closing parens, effectively solved for Lisp long ago with emacs.At the same time "modern" Clojure poorly supports such things as keyword arguments in functions or multiple return values and many other not so "modern", but very effective facilities, that I personally would expect to see in a modern language...
There's only one true way: functional
In my talk I referred to one of the ugliest pieces of code, I've ever written, which was a very complicated Clojrue loop, i.e. a
thing (and I've honestly tried to factor it out).Basically there are two opposite approaches to iteration: imperative looping and functional recurring. Many languages have a strong bias towards one or another, like Python discouraging recursion and Clojure discouraging imperative loops by imposing immutability. But the thing is, that there are problems, for which one of the approaches yields by far more concise and understandable code. If you want to traverse a tree, recursion is a way to go. While if you are accumulating several sequences at once, which may reference results, obtained at the previous computations and also at each iteration there's not one, but several outcomes, recursions often becomes too messy. Yet in Clojure there's not even good support for recursion (which has an advantage of factoring different pieces of code into functions), but a special construct
, which shares the downsides of both approaches and does hardly provide any of the benefits. That's a pity, as iteration is the basic programming construct and no code file can do without it. And here we see a case of detrimental over-simplification.And there are also lazy sequences, which complect sequences and streams. In theory, those are the same things, but, as the saying goes, in theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice... Surely this makes writing a compiler easier at the cost of complicating reasoning about sequences in day-to-day programming.
EDIT: as was correctly pointed by the commentators, you can have sort of mutable local variables with transients, and that allows to express some of the imperative loops in a more concise manner.
In the early days of Clojure in one of the discussions on c.l.l. S.Madhu (if I remember correctly) called Clojure's concurrency primitives "snake oil". I thought, that there may be some personal issues in such attitude, but having tried it for myself and learned about all the alternatives in the concurrency space, I don't think it was too far from reality. First of all, Clojure addresses only shared-state concurrency on a single computer, while most hard concurrency problems appear in the context of distributed systems and are currently solved with approaches, like the Actor model or MapReduce. And on the single machine I've seen very few problems, that can't be solved with a combination of thread pools (with thread-local storage), Lisp-style special variables and databases. In fact Clojure provides its own (often limited) variants of all the above mentioned approaches and nothing more:
- agents instead of actors
- vars (analogue of CL's special variables)
- STM for databases
- map/reduce, pmap
To be able to provide them Clojure imposes some restrictions, most notably the one of immutability. Also in their implementation it doesn't follow the Lisp principle of giving control to the programmer: you can't swap one STM variant/strategy for the other. Heck, you can't even control the number of threads, that
uses!Among all this approaches, STM is the most notable one (as others are just a copy of the established technologies). And it has a tough competition from databases and other transactional datastores. The advantages are no impedance mismatch and, possibly, better efficiency. Yet the database is language-agnostic, which is often useful, it's more accessible and understandable. And, what's most important: there's durability and there's a choice, that you can utilize, depending on your needs. The best use case for STM I've found so far was to hold statistical counters, accessed simultaneously from many threads, yet this problem is easily solvable with Redis, for example. And the same applies to other uses I can think of, So, the paradox of Clojure is that, although it was ushered with the idea of solving concurrency problems, it still has a lot to prove in this space: and not with toy examples of ant colonies, but real-world applications, made possible with its approach (like RabbitMQ or Ejabberd showcasing Erlang's aptitude for building massively parallel systems).
Final thoughts
I've written a long article, but there are many more details left out (just adding code snippets, will make it twice as big). There's also a lot of good things about Clojure, which I didn't mention: its seamless integration with Java, for example, which makes it a good scripting language for Java applications. Macros, basic datastructures, vars, they all work great. Ring was also an enlightenment.
Yet, overall the language doesn't leave up to its promise of being a modern Lisp: actually, it's not a Lisp at all. Well, how do you define Lisp? S-expressions, macros, closures etc? Surely, all (at least most of) those features may be present, although Dylan was a Lisp without s-expressions, for example. But, in my opinion as a Lisp programmer, what makes a true Lisp is dynamicity, simplicity and putting control in developer's hands (flexibility and extensibility). The mentioned features are mostly a derivative of this principles, and also they all should have a backend for extension: reader, compiler, condition system, object system, special variables etc, they all do in Lisp. And Clojure gives up on all these principles if not altogether, than substantially: many of the features are there and the new ones arrived, but the backend is missing.
Common Lisp is well optimized for the common use-cases in the design space of dynamic flexible languages. And it's probably very close to local maximum in it. At least it's good enough. Clojure is more of a hybrid, and hybrids are built by complecting: in Clojure's case complecting Lisp and Java, Lisp and Haskell. The result is interesting, but, in my opinion, it's not optimal. Surely it has its use-cases.
Still, Clojure sees decent adoption (which is good, because it proves, that parens aren't a problem after all :) I think it's a combination of several things. The language still has a lot of good stuff from Lisp (as well as some good things from Haskell, although they don't match very well), and those who start using it are mostly Java and Ruby programmers, for whom it breaks the psychological barriers to using Lisp (we all know the FUD). The other thing is lack of a decent native (not like Jython or JRuby) dynamic language on the JVM. And finally, there's marketing, i.e. Clojure concurrency primitives. And the challenge for Clojure community is to produce a "killer" application, that will utilize them, or the hype will wane, and pretty soon...


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Paramedics in Wiltshire say vital time is being wasted because they have been sent to patients with minor ailments by a private company which is classing the calls as emergencies.
South Western Ambulance Service has had to put on extra ambulance crews to cope with increased demand which the Gazette understands to be 30 extra 999 calls a day in Wiltshire and the same in Avon and Gloucestershire.
Crews fear it could affect them getting to genuine emergencies quickly enough but NHS bosses say these are "teething problems".
The change has come about due to a new non-emergency telephone number, 111, being introduced in April to replace NHS Direct. Harmoni, part of the country's biggest care provider, Care UK, won the contract to run 111 in Wiltshire.
Last week it began testing it when people called their GP surgeries out of hours. The workers at Harmoni are not clinicians and undergo six weeks' training on a computerised system that tells them which questions to ask the callers.
A paramedic told the Gazette: "It's causing absolute havoc.
"People are ringing 111 and the calls are not being prioritised and they are being transferred to our control.
"We are going out to vast amounts of calls that don't warrant a 999 response including patients with a sore throat, patients stuck in a chair, patients with ear ache and painful wrist."
The paramedic said in the majority of 111 calls, ambulance staff did not take patients to hospital but referred them back to their GP.
The paramedic said patients who called the 111 number with minor problems were surprised to find an ambulance arriving at the door.
"We are picking up calls that are completely inappropriate and we are having to respond with lights and sirens on," they said.
"Some of the patients concerned are astonished that an ambulance has turned up. They said they wanted to speak to a doctor or get some advice.
"While crews are dealing with these inappropriate cases they have to do observations on the patients which commits them at the scene for a considerable time."
The experienced paramedic added: "My concern is people who need a genuine 999 response, such as someone with chest pain, might not get it in time. The increase in 999 calls from 111 has been huge and the calls don't warrant our attendance. If it carries on like this it's going to be catastrophic and people will die."
South Western Ambulance Service says it is dealing with the problem and expects to iron out any issues.
A spokesman for the service said it employed extra call handlers and ambulance crews when testing for 111 began on February 19.
It had an enhanced paramedic in the 111 control room in Bristol for advice on calls that could be handled by the 111 service.
He said there had been an increase in calls following the partial introduction of the 111 service.
"The introduction of a new service inevitably involved some uncertainty and potential disruption.
"However, SWASFT, and indeed the wider healthcare service, has worked hard to ensure that patients continue to receive high quality treatment and advice however they attempt to access it," he said.
"We are confident the 111 service will lead to better service and outcomes for patients, including freeing up 999 resources for those suffering immediate medical emergencies."
A spokesman for NHS Wiltshire, which awarded the 111 contract to Harmoni, said: "With a new service such as this there can often be teething problems, but we are working closely with the provider, GPs, the ambulance service and other out-of-hours staff to ensure that any feedback is acted upon promptly.
"We know that there were some issues with the service during a typically busy period on the morning of Saturday (February 23) and a number of bad patient experiences have been reported to us.
"The service was not good enough and as part of the continual review being undertaken during this vital 'testing' period, lessons will be learned."
Harmoni, which will be paid £6.5 million to provide 111 in Wiltshire for the next five years, was told not to comment by NHS Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Medical Services, based in Chippenham, runs the GP out of hours services in Wiltshire and bid to run the 111 service as part of a consortium but lost out to Harmoni.
Unison's Great Western branch secretary Jo Fowles said: "The provision of 111 has done exactly what we predicted. It's not producing an efficient service, it's not providing good patient-focused care and it is putting huge pressure on the ambulance service.
"The ambulance service is ramping up its response so
nobody suffers, but this is the NHS covering the mistakes of private health care and as a consequence isn't a long-term solution.
"Unison is calling for the commissioners to give the contract back to the NHS."
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Published 12:00 am Friday, June 21, 2013
SALISBURY — The Rowan County Sheriff's Office is looking for a registered sex offender who has been living too close to a child care center.
The sheriff's office has an outstanding warrant for Phillip Larry Berryman, 48, of Old Plank Road in Salisbury, for a sex offender residence violation.
Accoridng to a sheriff's office press release sent Friday, Berryman is living within 1000 feet of Salisbury Child Care and Fine Arts, located at 1319 Standish St. in Salisbury.
State law prohibits a sex offender from residing within 1,000 feet of a property on which any public or non-public school or child care is located.
In 2005, Berryman was convicted of indecent liberties with a child. He was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender in 2006 and again in 2009.
He served time in prison from October 2006 to March 2008 and from March 2009 to March 2010.
Attempts to locate Berryman have so far been unsuccessful. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact 911 to request a law enforcement response. Johnny Lombard is the investigating officer.