text:
Okaloosa County officials are closer to recovering some of the cash from former tourism director Mark Bellinger�s illegal purchase of a four-bedroom house Destin.
Okaloosa County officials are closer to recovering some of the cash from former tourism director Mark Bellinger�s illegal purchase of a four-bedroom house Destin.
The federal government sold the house in Kelly Plantation on March 8 for $620,000, said attorney Greg Stewart, special counsel to the county.
�It appears that the net sale proceeds after commission and closing costs due the United States government will be approximately $573,000,� Stewart said in an email to the Daily News. �That does not appear to include the past cost of maintenance of the property, which would further reduce the net sale proceeds.�
County Administrator Jim Curry said he was pleased the home finally had sold.
�With the market conditions like they�ve been, I�m glad it has moved,� he said.
Bellinger bought the house at 4384 Stonebridge Road in August 2011 for $747,000 with money from a BP oil spill grant. He disguised the purchase as a multi-city �Boast the Coast� advertising campaign on an invoice from Lewis Communications, an advertising firm that previously contracted with the county.
Bellinger lived in the spacious, golf course community home with his wife. Authorities later discovered $6,258 in stolen furniture inside.
Stewart said the county�s next step will be to petition the U.S. Justice Department for 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale, minus the maintenance costs.
He said he is �hopeful� the request will be approved.
According to Curry, BP officials have said they want the county to recoup the oil spill grant money and use it for its original intent, which was to boost tourism in the area.
County officials also could soon dispose of the 40-foot $710,000 Marquis yacht that Bellinger bought with bed tax money in December 2011.
The 2011 Marquis 420 SC has been for sale since last summer. The county recently received an offer from Ralph Fernandez of Coconut Grove for $458,000.
Read a copy of the offer. >>
The broker-to-broker sale would include a 10 percent broker fee, bringing the county�s net proceeds to $412,000.
County commissioners are expected to vote on the offer at their meeting Tuesday.
�It costs us to continue to maintain it,� Curry said. �It costs us to continue to keep insurance on it. It�s probably the right thing to do to dispose of it and get those funds returned as well.�
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.


text:
Atlas of Germany
Specific status: Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey – Limited recognition: Abkhazia · Artsakh · Gagauzia · Kosovo · South Ossetia · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
‡: partly located in Europe
|Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World
The Wikimedia Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons.
Discussion • Update the atlas • Index of the Atlas • Atlas in categories • Other atlases on line
General maps
Deutsch: Übersichtskarte von Deutschland
English: General map of Germany
|Political map of Germany
|Political map of Germany
|Cities in Germany
Geographical distinctions
Maps of divisions
This section holds maps of the administrative divisions.
Bayern (2)
Berlin (3)
Brandenburg (4)
Bremen (5)
Hamburg (6)
Hessen (7)
Niedersachsen (9)
Nordrhein-Westfalen (10)
Rheinland-Pfalz (11)
Saarland (12)
Sachsen (13)
Sachsen-Anhalt (14)
Schleswig-Holstein (15)
Thüringen (16)
|Districts and district-free towns (yellow) in Germany
Geography maps
|Physical geography I (with labelling of landscapes)
|Physical geography II (without labelling of landscapes)
|Main natural regions
|Catchment of the Rhine river
Human Geography maps
Geology maps
History maps
Early History
|The southern part of present-day Germany is under the influence of Celt. This map shows the possible extent of (proto-)Celtic influence 800-400 BC
Die Kelten in Europa. Ocker: Kernbereich Nordwestalpine Hallstattkultur (ca. 750–500/450 v. Chr.) grün: Ausbreitung La-Tène-Kultur, bzw. orange: der keltischen Sprache (3. Jh. v. Chr.)
|Another map of the Celts in Europe
Die Kelten in Europa
The Germanic tribes
|IN the first millenium BCE Germanic peoples enter from Scandinavia into present-day North Germany.
Proto-Germanische Völker
|This map shows the gradual expansion of their territory during the 1st millennium BCE
|This (old) map shows Ancient Germania
Antikes Germanien
The Romans and the Germanic tribes
|Drusus campaigns in Germany from 12 B.C. to 9 B.C.
|Tiberius campaigns (4-6 A.D.) and Domitius Aenobardus campaigns (3-1 B.C.) in Germany
|Germania provincia in 9 A.D.
|The battle of Teutoburgus (9 A.D.)
|Germania Magna in 10 A.D.
|Germanicus' campaign in Germany in 14 A.D.
|Germanicus' campaign in Germany in 15 A.D.
|Germanicus' campaign in Germany in 16 A.D.
|The battle of Idistaviso between Germanicus and Arminius in 16 A.D..
|The battle of Angrivaran's Wall (16 A.D.)
|Germanic peoples in Germany at the time of Augustus.
|Around 68 BCE the ► Roman Empire conquers the south-west part of present-day Germany. The other parts remain under control of germanic tribes. Map showing the pre-Migration Age distribution of the Germanic tribes in Proto-Germanic times, and stages of their expansion up to 50 BC, AD 100 and AD 300. The extent of the Roman Empire in 68 BC and AD 117 is also shown.
Proto-Germanische Völker
|Rhaetian and Upper Germanic Limes
Obergermanisch-raetischer Limes
|The Roman Empire in CE 120 and Germania
Das Römische Reich und Germanien im Jahre 120
Die Alamannen
|Further expansion
Territoriale Entwicklung der Alemannen
|After the death of Theodosius I, the Roman Empire divides into the ► Western Roman Empire and the ► Eastern Roman Empire.
Die Teilung des Römischen Reiches um 395. Das Weströmische Reich im Jahre 395
|After the division of the Western Roman Empire Germanic tribes enter the Empire and gradually take over control. This map shows invasions of the Roman Empire 100-500
|White Serbia in the 6th century (around 560), according to the book of Francis Dvornik
|Dervan's Serbia, 7th century
The Franks
|481-843: Frankish Empire - independent monarchy including present-day Germany ► Frankish Empire
|The Franks become the dominant tribe and establish their realm. The Frankish Realm includes large parts of present-day Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. In 751 the Carolingian dynasty comes to power with Pepin the Short, but his succesor, Charlemagne reunites in 771 the Frankish domains. Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the Romans, or Roman Emperor in the West, by Pope Leo III in 800. This map shows the rise of the Frankish Empire
|843-962: East Frankish Empire (Regnum Francorum Orientalis) - independent monarchy
|The Treaty of Verdun, 843, confirms the division of the Empire in three. The East Frankish Kingdom develops with the coronation of the first German king in 919 into the Kingdom of Germany, a feudal country, divided in a growing number of more or less independent states.
|This map shows the further division in the Treaty of Meerssen (870)
The Holy Roman Empire
|962-1806: Holy Roman Empire (Heiliges Römisches Reich) - independent country
|King Otto I of Germany conquers Italy and is crowned Emperor of the Romans in 962, forming what would come to be known as the Holy Roman Empire and in the 15th century as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (also referred to simply as Germany). This map shows Central Europe, i.e. the Kingdom of Germany, 919-1125.
|The Duchy of Bavaria in the 10th century
|The Holy Roman Empire during the reign of the Hohenstaufens (13th century)
Hanseatic League
|Hanseatic trade routes
|The Holy Roman Empire in the 14th century
|The Holy Roman Empire and its circles in 1512
|The religious situation in central Europe about 1618
|Area controlled by the Holy Roman Empire around 1630. The most important countries inside the empire (and partially outside) are ► Austria and ► Brandenburg-Prussia.
|The Holy Roman Empire in 1648, after the secession of the ► Netherlands and ► Switzerland.
|The Holy Roman Empire in 1789, just before the French Revolution.
|Under French pressure the Holy Roman Empire is dissolved in 1806. Germany fell apart in several countries from very small to rather big. In the period between 1806 en 1870 part of these states are member of several confederations. Between 1806 and 1870 the following states exist. In the following list the countries are listed with the membershops of the confederation. RB = Rhine Confederation (1806-1813), DB = German Confederation (1815-1866) and NB = North German Confederation (1866-1870). More information about these confederations can found in the next section.
The confederations
|1806-1813: Rhine Confederation (Rheinbund) - confederation of French satellite states
|As a result of the Napoleonic war the German Empire is replaced in 1806 by the Confederation of the Rhine.
|At the same time and in the following years parts of Germany are annexed to the ► French Empire in 1811
|The Confederation of the Rhine in 1812
|1815-1867: German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) - confederation of German states, including Prussia and Austria
|After the defeat of France in 1813, there is no central authority in Germany, but at the Vienna Congress in 1815, the German Confederation, a loose confederation of states in Germany including Prussia and Austria, is founded.
|Borders of the German Confederation in 1820
|After a revolution in 1848 Germany is temporarily united in the German Empire, but the next year the German Confederation is restored. The confederation comes to an end after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. This map shows the alliances of the member-states of the German Confederation in the Austro-Prussian War, 1866
|This map shows the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War (1866).
|1867-1871: North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund) - confederation of North German states, led by Prussia
|In 1867 the North German states form the North German Confederation, a loose confederation of states. Baden, Bavaria, Württemberg and the south part of Hesse remained outside the North German Confederation. In a way they were independent between 1867 and 1871, when they joined the German Empire.
|This map shows the North German Confederation (1867-1871)
German Empire
|1871-1918: German Empire (Deutsches Reich) - independent monarchy, led by Prussia
|In 1871 the German states, ► Austria not included, unite into the German Empire.
|Map of the German Empire
|Germany 1871-1914
|Prussia in the German Empire 1871-1918
|The distribution of Christian denominations in the German Empire, ca. 1895
|The distribution of Judaism in the German Empire, ca. 1895
|Emperor William II's dynamic expansion of military power contribute to tensions on the continent. The fragile European balance of power, which Bismarck had helped to create, breaks down in 1914. World War I is a fact. This map shows Germany's demands in 1915 according to British propaganda.
|British propaganda publication "Germany's Future", allegedly according to an officially circulated pamphlet published in the beginning of 1917.
German colonialism
|Map showing in blue the German colonies at the beginning of World War I
Weimar Republic
|1918-1933: German Empire (Deutsches Reich) - independent republic
|The aftermath, including the Treaty of Versailles, leads to the end of the monarchy and to territorial losses, shown by this map. The ► Saar region is separated from Germany, as are eastern parts of Germany (to ► Poland), the ► Memel Territory and the ► Free City of Danzig. The German Empire becomes a republic.
|Germany 1918-1937
|Übersichtskarte der Wahlen zur Nationalversammlung 1919
Map for the National Assembly in 1919
|Germany in 1925
Nazi Germany
|1933–1945: (Greater) German Empire ((Gross)Deutsches Reich) - independent republic
|Germany in 1939
|After the invasion of ► Poland World War II is a fact. Germany invades and occupies a lot of European countries and the NSDAP implements a program of genocide, at first through incarceration and forced labor and then by establishing death camps. This map shows the borders of Germany on August 31, 1939
Die deutsche Grenze, 31. August, 1939
|Administrative districts in territories under the control of Nazi Germany in 1941.
Großdeutschland im Jahre 1941
|Eastern front of the Second World War circa 1941-1942.
|Administrative units of the NSDAP 1944
|Germany 1944 (German)
|Germany 1944 (English)
|Main German Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Bordures from 1943.
|Several plans, such as the Morgenthau Plan exist for the division and dismemberment of Germany after its defeat. Germany is to be divided into two separate states, while the Ruhr and its surrounding territories are to become an Internationally administered area. The Saar, East Prussia, and Upper Silesia are to be removed from Germany .
|Another plan is the Roosevelt Plan
|The Bakker Schut plan is a Dutch plan for the annexation of border regions.
Germany after the Nazis
|1945-1949: Occupied Germany - country under occupation of the allied powers
|During the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and during the Potsdam Comference of August 1945 the Allies discussed the dismemberment and annexation of German territory. As context data in the discussions with their Allies the United States Department of State created a map roughly showing how many millions of German that they would have to deport as a consequence of the various proposals for a new German border in the east.
|After Germany's unconditional surrender in 1945, the German Empire is dissolved and the United States, the United Kingdom, the USSR and, later, France occupy the country and assume responsibility for its administration.
|In 1949, while the Industrial plans for Germany are being carried out, the country has been divided and dismembered. The Former eastern territories of Germany have been detached, as has an expanded Saarland. While not detached, the Ruhr area is under the control of the International Authority for the Ruhr and Berlin has been split in two.
|Map of the occupation zones in Germany, 1945. It uses the German borders from 1937 since the Allies had decided to invalidate the 1938 German annexation of the German speaking Sudetenland and the Anschluss of Austria. It shows what would become the Inner German border in black and It also shows the area from which U.S. and British troops withdrew in the summer of 1945, including parts of the Sudetenland (which thereafter was ethnically cleansed).
|Occupation Zones in Germany in 1947, using the 1937 external borders. It shows how the French have detached the Saar and turned it into a protectorate and the East German territories (east of the Oder-neisse line) that are under Polish and Soviet administration (de-facto annexation). In West German politics the annexation of the Eastern quarter of Germany remained for decades regarded as only temporary and the land was still considered German despite the 1944-1950 Expulsion of Germans after World War II, partly due to the political influence of this group of more than 12 million people, most of which now were in West Germany.
|The commanders in chief exercised supreme authority in their respective zones and act in concert on questions affecting the whole country. ► Saarland becomes a separate polity aligned with France. Some Eastern parts are incorporated into Poland and the USSR. The German capital Berlin gets a separate status. Though the United States, the United Kingdom and the USSR agree in 1945 to treat Germany as a single economic unit with some central administrative departments in a decentralized framework, Soviet policy turns increasingly toward dominating that part of Europe where their armies are present, including eastern Germany. The United States and the United Kingdom move to establish a nucleus for a future German government by creating a central Economic Council for their two zones. The program later provides for a constituent assembly, an occupation statute governing relations between the Allies and the German authorities, and the political and economic merger of the French with the British and American zones.
|Soviet Sector of Germany (1945-1949), shown with pre-war German borders
|In 1948 the Soviets, in an attempt to abrogate agreements for Four-Power control of the city, blockade Berlin. Until May 1949 the Allied-occupied part of Berlin is kept supplied only by an Allied airlift. The "Berlin airlift" succeeds in forcing the Soviets to accept, for the time being, the Allied role and the continuation of freedom in a portion of the city, West Berlin. This map shows the four sectors of the occupied Berlin[4]
|The four sectors of Berlin
Divided Germany
|1949-present: Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) - independent federal republic
|The United States and the United Kingdom move to establish a nucleus for a future German government by creating a central Economic Council for their two zones. The program later provides for a constituent assembly, an occupation statute governing relations between the Allies and the German authorities, and the political and economic merger of the French with the British and American zones. With the support of the United States, the United Kingdom and France the Federal Republic of Germany is constituted in 1949. At the same time in the USSR occupation zone the ► German Democratic Republic is established.
|States in 1949
|Dismantling of "surplus" German heavy industry as reparations had the goal of lowering German standards of living to pre-defined minimum subsistence levels and thereby permanently removing the German industrial capacity to wage war. In West Germany the dismantling, which by then was occuring principaly in the Steel industry of the Ruhr area and had slowed down considerably, was ended in 1951 in connection with the German signing of the treaty for the European Coal and Steel Community.
|States in 1952
|In 1957 Saar rejoined the Federal Republic of Germany. This map shows the states in 1957
|The Berlin Wall is the symbol of the controversy over Berlin.
United Germany: Federal Republic of Germany
|After the collapse of the communist regime in 1990 the German Democratic Republic is incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany. Berlin becomes a constituent part of Germany.
|German federate states, the Länder, as created 1945-1947 after WWII. In red as of united Germany BRD in 1990.
Linguistic maps
|German language througout the world
|The development of the Germanic linguistic area
(caveat: based on Nazi era claims of linguistic area, shows factually incorrect coloration of mixed language areas)
|Map of German dialects
|Dialectal ranges (not those of standard languages) of the Continental West Germanic languages
|Green: High German
Blue: Middle German
Orange: Low German
Light orange: Dutch
Rose (light and intense): Frisian
Light blue: Limburgish
(caveat: based on Nazi era claims of linguistic area, shows factually incorrect coloration of mixed language areas)
|German dialects
|Low Saxon dialects since 1945
Religion maps
|Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical provinces
|The member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany
|Church membership, 2011
|Membership in the Evangelical Church in Germany, 2011
|Membership in the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, 2011
|Membership in other religious groups as well as irreligion, 2011
Other maps
|Motorways (Autobahnen) in Germany
|Motorways (Autobahnen) in Germany with borders of counties
|German railways
|Airports in Germany
|Comparison of international airports in Germany
|Public transport systems in Germany
|Public transport associations in Germany
|Nuclear energy in Germany
|Research nuclear energy in Germany
|Höchstspannungsnetz Deutschland
|Windkraftanlagen in Deutschland (2011)
|Sonnenstrahlung Karte – Deutschland
|Centres of Deutsche Post AG for distribute letters
|Map of the ARD member broadcasters
|Map of German Green Belt
|Wildlife parks in Germany
|National parks in Germany
|Biosphere Reserves in Germany
|Wine regions
|Show caves in Germany
|Planetariums in Germany
|World Heritage Sites in Germany
|Car number plates
|Kopftuchverbote im Schuldienst in Deutschland
See also
Satellite maps
Notes and references
General remarks:
Entries available in the atlas
General pages
The world and its continents and oceans
(History, European Union) • Oceania • Oceans
Historical eras
Entities with undisputed sovereign status
Entities with disputed sovereign status
Dependencies and other overseas territories
Disputed subnational entities and territories
Subnational autonomous entities
Other regions
Former sovereign nations
Former dependencies and overseas territories
Former disputed territories

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's great to be the boss, right?
Wrong. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo says the job is "psychologically damaging."
Costolo made the comment in an on-stage interview at Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored conference in San Francisco with Andreessen Horowitz venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, whom he's turned to for management advice at times.
At Twitter, Costolo has had to put that advice into practice, reshaping his top management team and quelling turmoil in the ranks.
Here are all the reasons Costolo offered for why the job is hard on the head:
- You must force people to disagree. When Costolo first got to Twitter, "there was a culture that we don't openly disagree with each other in meetings," he said. He had to get his managers to either "vocally dissent" or "commit to what we've decided."
- When employees are sad, you cannot sympathize. Managers must "empathize, not sympathize," Costolo said. When an engineer says, "I'm really sad because I'm not working on project A," a manager has to honestly say that the project is not a priority for the company.
- Everyone expects you have the answers. "One of the things I'm really good at is knowing that I don't have to be the smartest person in the room," Costolo said. "Someone on the team will say, 'Well, Dick, what do you think?' And I'll say, 'I don't really have any idea, so you guys are going to have to keep discussing it.'"
- Your employees judge you against past bosses. "Our chief financial officer, Ali Rowghani, reported to Steve Jobs" at Pixar, the animation studio, Costolo said. "I say these things and he looks at me, and I'm sure he's thinking, 'That's not what Steve would have said.'" The upside: "If you take your ego out of it, you can learn a truckload from these guys."
- And sometimes you just have to give in. "Because we've got a really strong senior team now, I try to make sure that I don't go against the will of the team too frequently," Costolo said. And if he disagrees with them but decides to go along, "I have to do what I tell my managers and leave the room and commit to that decision."
- No one's going to like you. "Managing by trying to be liked is the path to ruin."


text:
Fancy Fish Art Print
Fancy Fish Art Print
Limited edition giclée print of original gouache painting.
Printed on matte archival paper - A4 size.
Each print is made per order and is shipped within 5 work days of purchase.
Prints are signed on the back by the artist, carefully packaged between two pieces of thick cardboard and shipped flat in a strong cardboard envelope .
Add To Cart


text:
For almost ten years, I've been volunteering on New York City's waterfront--introducing lifelong New Yorkers and tourists alike to kayaking. It's a reminder that a) they live on an island and b) that NYC's waters are usable. In fact, the more you come up with creative recreational uses for our waterfront, the less likely the city will be to do things like park garbage trucks on it or simply fence it off as a passive shoreline balcony for some wealthy waterfront condo.
I started at Pier 26 at the original location of the Downtown Boathouse--and eventually worked my way over to the newly created Brooklyn Bridge Park, where I co-founded the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse.
One thing holds true no matter where on the waterfront I am--there's no more rewarding activity I have ever been a part of in New York City than volunteering at kayaking. Every season, we put thousands of people on the water. Every single last one of them, no matter how excited, scared, apprehensive, or even disgusted they were at the idea of getting in a boat and paddling around the waters that surround NYC, is absolutely thrilled by the time they are done--and completely grateful for the experience. It's the most positive thing I've ever experienced. They love being reminded that whether you're in Manhattan or Brooklyn, you live on an island, and that the water is yours to use. They love doing something new and different. They love challenging themselves and getting over a potential fear. They love getting wet in the heat of NYC summer.
That's why I'm so excited for our plans in Brooklyn for 2013. We're planning a major expansion to our youth kayaking activities--including the creation of a youth kayak polo team. Given how few organized kayak polo teams there are at this age level in the US, even though it's a global sport, we could very easily be sending local Brooklyn high schoolers to national competitions within a few seasons. It's a very exciting endeavor!
But, we need help. Kayaks aren't exactly cheap--and we need the time of qualified instructors. We're raising $12,000 on Indiegogo, but we'd be able to expand our programs even further if we overshot our fundraising targets. We've got some cool rewards, including trips on the harbor and private paddling time. If you've been down to the NYC waterfront and enjoyed these volunteer kayaking programs--or if you just want to give a local Brooklyn kid a sense of accomplishment or lessons in teamwork, please consider participating in our campaign. Thank you.
Read more posts on This Is Going To Be Big »


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The Attraction fo Free
Everyone likes to get free stuff, even when it's junk -- like brochures and keychains at a trade show, or a reusable bag from your local market. Retailers and businesses give out free things as a marketing ploy, to build rapport and disseminate information. Another form of free comes in the newspaper ads, with the buy one get one free coupon, or the holiday giveaways (think Black Friday.) These giveaways are designed to attract patrons to a certain retail location in hopes that they will spend more moeny, come back more often, and essentially support the business. It seems to work as my mailbox is inundated with these coupons nearly everyday.
So, with my tabletop covered in coupons and freebie offers, I began to think, how can Rustbelt cities and cities with declining populations use the idea of free to attract new residents. The goals seem similar, stores need people to come in and buy their assorted goods while cities need to attract people to come and start businesses, raise families, and pay city taxes. Perhaps these cities could create marketing campaigns targeting young creative entrepreneurs by offering buildings, land, space, tax breaks. After all, the Rustbelt is, if nothing else, is rich in land and space, just look at Flint.
There exists a whole class of creatives out there who would love to start their own businesses but can't due to the burden of large overhead costs especially in business hubs like NYC or Chicago. Rustbelt cities in conjunction with the internet's world wide marketplace offer very low overhead costs. However, in order to make these individuals pack their bags and move to a new city that they know little about and attempt to form some type of business, they need incentive. Businesses take time to start, and by offering entrepreneurs free rent, you are granting them time to learn the city, be inspired by the city, and establish their own business' in the city.
The real power of a program like this comes in the formation of a community. Once the idea catches on and creatives begin to take to he plunge into the Rustbelt, stronger and stronger creative communities will form attracting more and more people to the city. This can be seen in the reformation of the DUMBO neighborhood in NYC from a burnt out, unattractive block, into a vibrant community of artists and professionals. David Walentas, a NY developer bought up a huge portion of the Dumbo neighborhood in the late 90's then enticed an array of artists to take up residence by offering free rent for an extended period of time. The artists attracted the professionals and soon the neighborhood was bustling with a diverse group of New Yorkers. So the question is, can this work on a national if not global scale with the Rustbelt and other declining cities?
(Photo from icanhascheezburger, Corine Vermeulen-Smith, and NYT The original full-sized color version can be viewed by clicking the photo.)
Posted by Marc Couillais at 4:37 AM
Labels: community, creative, creative class, free, internet, Marc Couillais, urban economy
2 comments:
- Archizoo said...
Marc – The concept of "free" combined with a different approach to how real estate is perceived and occupied can have great value both in conventionally repopulating as well as enlivening cities. I have thought that the ground floor offers unique opportunities with compounding value – http://archizoo.com/2009/03/20/making-working-visible/
- July 24, 2009 at 5:25 AM
- Alex Gore said...
Absolutely a superb idea.
- September 21, 2010 at 9:02 AM
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text:
"'Diverse are the gifts of men of genius and many are the different kinds of ages. Let each one reveal the scope of his competence and let no one be envious of another who in keeping with his own ability and style tries to make a useful contribution to the education of all.'"
Erasmus to Jean de Carondelet
Basel 5th January 1523
Praemium Erasmianum Foundation
Patron His Majesty the King
The Praemium Erasmianum is a cultural institution active in the fields of humanities, social sciences and the arts. It was founded in 1958 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The Foundation awards the annual Erasmus Prize and organises cultural and academic activities around the award ceremony. The Foundation is motivated by the cultural traditions of Europe and the ideas of Erasmus.


text:
Dinamo Bucuresti supporters bombard Steaua Bucuresti
Dinamo Bucuresti supporters bombard Steaua Bucuresti players with flares, bottles and mobile phones in Romanian derby.
Crowd trouble marred Romanian derby.
Steaua Bucuresti's 2-0 win over local rivals Dinamo Bucuresti in the Romanian derby on Friday evening was marred by crowd trouble, after home fans bombarded opposition players with flares, bottles, and a mobile phone.
The unsavoury scenes at the Arena Nationala came midway through the first-half, with the visitors already one goal to the good, courtesy of a deflected effort from Mansaly Boubacar.
But, as Alexandru Bourceanu went over to take a corner in the 35th minute, in front of the riled up Dinamo supporters, he was quickly forced to retreat to a safer position in the middle of the pitch, after an angry confrontation with a number of rival fans.
Daniel Georgievski was struck by what appeared to be a cellular device, thrown callously from the stands, while other objects were strewn all over the touchline.
The incident meant the game was suspended by more than 10 minutes, on the advice of referee Sebastian Coltescu, as tempers simmered between both sets of players, clearly affected by the poisonous atmosphere.
However, it was Steaua fans who had the last laugh once the match had restarted after calming the situation, when Cristi Tanase doubled the league champions' lead in the 70th minute, to ensure all three points went to the visitors.


text:
AIDS in New York, the First Five Years, a compelling, must-see exhibit at the New-York Historical Society, sets the stage with a look at the youthful exuberance of the post-Stonewall era, including photos from Plato's Retreat and of the gay male sunbathing pickup scene on Pier 48, on Manhattan's West Side.
Then it moves into more sobering archival materials on display—original doctor's memos, yellowing newspaper articles, heartwrenching diaries, illustrated protest posters, and audio and video clips—that capture the rampant press confusion and sudden death tolls that traumatized men and women and informed a reactionary public. One of the most startling and unusual items is a yellow carrying case with eight small plastic bottles: a 1985 Abbott Human Lymphotropic Virus Type III EIA Kit, the first test that could screen for the virus.
The exhibit also depicts a burgeoning community of young, vibrant people who were confronted by and, in turn, challenged a medical, political, and social crisis that threatened to undo years of freedom fighting. They took to the streets, formed groups like amfAR and, in Larry Kramer's case, wrote pieces like The Normal Heart, expressions of anger that were also calls to action. As Edward Rothstein explained in his New York Times review of the exhibit:
"curator, Jean Ashton, in gathering material from the historical society, the New York Public Library, New York University, the National Archive of LGBT History and private collections, gives this familiar narrative an important turn. Despite some flaws, by focusing narrowly on a particular place and time and not trying to survey the disease's larger history, the exhibition shows how virulently AIDS tore at the city's social and political fabric from 1981 to 1985.
"AIDS in New York: The First Five Years" is now open and on view through Sept. 15 at the New-York Historical Society.
See more archival materials and photos from the exhibit on the following pages.


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NCIS: What Did You Think of Ziva's Goodbye?
Oct 1, 2013 9:00 PM EDT
Ziva David has left the building. Actress Cote de Pablo made her long-awaited exit from NCIS this week. How did Ziva's storyline wrap up? Read our recap to find out: The episode opens with Tony (Michael Weatherly) headin… Read more


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Demanding A Student's Facebook Password A Violation Of First Amendment Rights, Judge Says
from the well,-we-all-know-who-the-REAL-bully-is-here... deptFor some strange reason, a large number of schools adhere to the notion that their students are not actually citizens of the United States and therefore, not granted the same rights as the "grownups." The rationale for the limitation of these rights usually involves the word "safety," a word that has been (ab)used in various forms to curtail rights of full-grown American citizens in other arenas.
This isn't to say that all, or even most, schools are violating students' rights, but the sheer number of incidents reported isn't very comforting. Fortunately, some decisions are being handed down that should, if nothing else, provide precedent for those challenging administrative overreach.
On September 6, a decision was handed down in a suit brought against the Minnewaska Area School District (Minnesota), dealing with a twelve year old student who was coerced into giving school officials the password to her Facebook account so they could search it for messages they deemed inappropriate.
R.S. was a twelve year old student at a Minnewaska Area middle school. She posted a message to her Facebook page about an adult hall monitor at her school:Venkat Balasubramani has added his own punctuation to some of the more dubious or ridiculous statements made by school officials. First off is the charge of "impermissible bullying" (there's a "permissible" variety?), a broad term used nearly as often by school administrators as "disorderly conduct" is used by cops.
"[I hate] a Kathy person at school because [Kathy] was mean to me."
The post was only accessible to her friends. One of her friends brought the post to the attention of the administration. The principal called R.S. into his office and told R.S. "that he considered the message about Kathy to be impermissible bullying." (???) As a result of the message, R.S. was required to apologize, given detention, and received a disciplinary notation in her records. R.S. was disciplined a second time when she expressed her chagrin that someone had told on her ("I want to know who the f%$# told on me.") ["f%$#" in original] This time she was disciplined for "insubordination" and "dangerous, harmful, and nuisance substances and articles." (???)
In essence, "R.S." was punished for "being a kid" (i.e., not liking something that happened at school, complaining, being ratted out and complaining about that, etc.). The handling of this first incident makes the school appear to be as vindictive and thin-skinned as the child they punished.
This isn't the end of the story, however. The school also received a complaint from a parent that R.S. was discussing "sexual topics" with another student "on the internet." For whatever reason (most likely stated as "concern for her safety"), the school decided to pull R.S. from class and grill her about the particulars of these conversations. Apparently, her answers weren't good enough, so three school counselors and a taser-armed cop interrogated her until she gave up her Facebook password. They proceeded to search her account, including private messages, for evidence of these conversations. Still not satisfied, they decided to search her private email messages.
After this traumatizing and intrusive incident, R.S. decided to sue the school district for violating her constitutional rights. The court agreed with her on both claims:
First Amendment claims: The court has no trouble concluding that assuming the facts as alleged as true, school officials violated R.S.'s First Amendment rights. The court says that posts on social networks are protected unless they are "true threats" or are reasonably calculated to reach the school environment and pose a safety risk or a risk of substantial disruption of the school environment. R.S.'s posts were not true threats. Even assuming the statements were reasonably calculated to reach the school audience, there was no possibility of disruption.If the alleged facts are true (and the court takes care to point out this "if"), the school will likely be writing out a settlement check. This decision, a response to the school's motion to dismiss, also allows for claims of invasion of privacy (although it does dismiss claims for "intentional inflection of emotional distress"). It doesn't seem like the school is debating the facts as presented, not if its argument that R.S.'s violation of Facebook policy (she's 12 and you "have" to be 13 to sign up for an account) means she's entitled to fewer constitutional rights is any indication.
Fourth Amendment claims: The court also says that the school officials violated R.S.'s Fourth Amendment rights to the extent they rummaged around in her Facebook page and her private email account. Private emails were like letters of other private conversations, and subject to Fourth Amendment protections. Private Facebook messages are no different. There was no evidence that the officials tailored their search to minimize the intrusion. Even if they had, they had no underlying basis to search in the first place.
Eric Goldman adds his own analysis, pointing out the inherent problem with most bullying policies/legislation:
[I]t's a good example of how administrators might use the "bullying" label as a pretextual justification for punishment. The term "bullying" has way too much semantic ambiguity, but it should never stretch as far as calling another person "mean."This is something administrators should keep in mind when crafting/revamping school policies. They should also be reminded of this simple fact, as stated by Judge Michael Davis in his decision:
For more than forty years, the United States courts have recognized that students do not check their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door."Safety" does not trump rights, just as surely as "policy" does not trump (or at least, shouldn't) trump common sense and proportionate responses.
Filed Under: free speech, passwords, school, social networks, students
Companies: facebook


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Rugby World Cup reporters swap identities in login glitch
Rugger buggers' buggy buggerup
The Rugby World Cup has hit a security snag just over a week before the eagerly awaited tournament kicks off in New Zealand.
Media partners logging into the dedicated media centre system were confronted with the profiles of other journalists instead. Sysadmins are trying to get to the bottom of the problem, in the meantime they are advising journos to reload the web page if they hit the problem, as explained in a notice (issued on Thursday) below.
RWC 2011 Media Centre – login issue
A few people have experienced issues when logging on to the RWC 2011 Media Centre.
Specifically, some people are seeing someone else's profile after they enter their temporary password and go to the 'My profile' page.
If you experience this issue, please can you try refreshing the web page until you see your details?
If this does not work, please email firstname.lastname@example.com. We will get back to you as soon as we can.
We are working to resolve this issue and apologise for the inconvenience caused.
RWC 2011 Media Centre
The issue illustrates the teething problems that arise when you set up a system from scratch. Practical problems arising from the glitch are hard to gauge but its probably not the best idea if Australian media, for example, get wind of Kiwi TV broadcast plans. ®
Thanks to broadcast contractor Pete for the heads-up on the problem.
Sponsored: Beyond the Data Frontier


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COLUMBUS: State officials say more Ohio students are taking and passing advanced placement tests than in previous years and Ohio shows more growth than the nation as a whole.
The state superintendent of public instruction said Thursday that the national College Board report for 2012-2013 showed the number of Ohio students earning �3�� or higher on a 5-point scale grew by 9.2 percent compared with 6.1 percent nationally. Sixty-six percent of Ohio�s public school students scored �3�� or better compared with 57 percent nationally.
Ohio reports double-digit growth in the number of exams taken and passed by the state�s African-American and Hispanic students.
The annual exams are given to high school students completing college-level study. Ohio students scoring �3�� or higher are guaranteed college credit at Ohio�s public colleges and universities.


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Sailing Oceania's Rivieraby Paul Motter | 04.20.12
Casual elegance meets style and sophistication aboard the newest vessel from upscale Oceania Cruises.
To comment on this article go here: Sailing Oceania's Riviera
Together they form a dramatic design statement that underscores Oceania Cruises' commitment to creating experiences that will "inspire and engage our guests," said Kunal S. Kamlani, Oceania Cruises' president.
The magnificent "Grand Staircase," designed by the fabled French glassware firm Lalique, features two separate outward-curving staircases extending from a balcony with balustrades of crystal medallions and scrolled iron. Six crystal pillars rise from the landing below to enhance the two-story glass elevator. A 1,300-pound chandelier made in Italy, 78 inches tall by 80 inches in diameter, adds a dramatic focal point as its decorative spheres cast a radiant glow over the staircase and reception area.
Each of Riviera's 625 suites and staterooms convey a warm and smart contemporary look. The 282 square feet Veranda and Concierge staterooms qualify as among the most spacious at sea and feature a separate sitting area and a balcony furnished with a chaise lounge, armchair and table. The 124 Penthouse suites measure an industry-leading 420 square feet. The layout includes a living and dining room separate from the sleeping area. There is a walk-in closet and bathroom with a double vanity.
Oceania Cruises appointed pre-eminent American designer Dakota Jackson to fashion more than 40 exquisite pieces of furniture and lighting to lend the Vista and Oceania suites the feel of a chic city apartment by combining glass, stone, wood and metal surfaces together with rich, weighty fabrics such as mohair and silk chenille. Three Owner's Suites measure more than 2,000 square feet, spanning the beam of the ship, and feature furnishings from the acclaimed Ralph Lauren Home collection.
Though Riviera mirrors her sister ship, Marina, in many ways, she has several distinctive design details that set her apart, including:
- The spa deck at the Canyon Ranch Spa Club now features a new thalassotherapy pool as well as expanded changing areas
- On Deck 14, ceilings in the Polo Grill and Toscana restaurants have been raised to create a more spacious ambience
- In the staterooms, designers added a glass partition to the tub and a hand-held showerhead that can function as a second shower
The ship is also a showcase for more than 100 works of art by some of Latin America's most accomplished and admired contemporary artisans, a collection personally curated by Frank Del Rio, the line's founder and chairman and CEO of parent company Prestige Cruise Holdings. Original and highly expressive works by renowned artists from Cuba's Vanguard Movement, from 1927 to 1950, among many other notable works, are integrated through-out the public areas of Riviera and positioned to provide surprising and delightful touches throughout the ship.
Following a gala christening ceremony and event in Barcelona on May 15, the ship's inaugural schedule begins with a 10-day Maiden Voyage May 16 from Venice to Athens. From May 16 through November 29, 2012, Riviera will offer 12 distinctive itineraries on a total of 20 voyages, calling on ports in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey as well as Israel, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Morocco and Monaco, with maiden calls in Cephalonia (Argostoli), Motril (Granada) and La Palma in the Canary Islands. Many of the itineraries feature overnight calls, affording an in-depth, enriching destination experience and allowing travelers to immerse themselves in the cuisine, culture and history of that port. Following the Mediterranean sailings, in November Riviera will cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean where she will operate a series of winter cruises.
To comment on this article go here: Sailing Oceania's Riviera


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Our site has two way for order track. one is no need you login your account, one is need you login.
The one no need you login your account is on our site's each page. It is called "Order Search" , it often locate in the right or left side of our sites. You need use your payment email and order number to track your order. In this way, you only can check one order at each time.
The one need you login in your account, in your account center, you can find all your orders' information. please register on our sites.


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Please take a moment to verify yourself:
State not found.
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This Virtually indestructible ID Tag features an enamelled daisy in the middle of it. Available in 5 colors in 3 sizes including small, for cats and small dogs.
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Pet podcast #8 is all about games that you can play with your dog. Dogs need exercise and mental stimulation and in this show we give you some tips and pointers on how to do just that. Products referenced in …
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Louisiana is the prison capital of the world, argues Cindy Chang of the Times-Picayune.
The state imprisons 1,619 people per 100,000 — more than any nation in the world including the U.S. (730), Russia (525), Iran (333) and China (122).
The impetus for Louisiana's imprisonment efficiency is the state's million private-prison industry, which houses the majority of the state's inmates and depends on a steady flow of inmates to maintain profits.
Those profits, in turn, are used to finance the budgets of Louisiana law enforcement in the form of new squad cars, guns and laptops.
Meanwhile, taxpayers spend about $663 million a year to provide food, housing, security and medical care for the state's 40,000 inmates — including $24 million a year caring for between 300 and 400 infirm inmates — with $182 million of it going to for-profit prisons run by sheriffs or private companies.
The only reason the cost isn't higher is that Louisiana only spends about $38.50 per day on each inmate - the lowest of any U.S. state.
Chang spoke with a local expert about how things got so bad:
"You have people who are so invested in maintaining the present system — not just the sheriffs, but judges, prosecutors, other people who have links to it," said Burk Foster, a former professor at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and an expert on Louisiana prisons. "They don't want to see the prison system get smaller or the number of people in custody reduced, even though the crime rate is down, because the good old boys are all linked together in the punishment network, which is good for them financially and politically."
Louisiana's system serves as a microcosm of America's prison-industrial complex: the state has harsher sentencing than any other state, but has one of the highest rates of both violent and property crimes; the prison population has doubled over the last two decades, but New Orleans continues to lead the nation in homicides; the state has "a much lower percentage of people incarcerated for violent offenses" when compared to the national average, but "a much higher percentage behind bars for drug offenses," according to Chang.
Below is an intro video from the series Louisiana Incarcerated on nola.com:


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Software for Manufacturing
BIM Software Streamlines Ductwork Design for the NYPD Training Academy
Change may be good, but it isn't als easy, especially when technology is involved. In any industry, there are the tried and true methods of completing tasks, and when technology updates those processes, it can leave some seasoned workers behind.
At Blue Diamond Sheet Metal, Long Island, NY, draftsmen recently embraced the direction technology pushed and came out with a partial bid to design the ductwork for the new New York Police Department Training Academy. In fall 2011, the company switched from two-dimensional drafting software to three-dimensional Benchmark building-information modeling (BIM) software from the International Training Institute (ITI) Alexandria, VA, the education arm of the unionized sheetmetal and air-conditioning industry.
As explained by Blue Diamond vice president Al LaBella, the three-dimensional software provides draftsmen more control over a project. "Additional visibility, as well as the ability to make easier changes to existing designs, allows every detail to be in view as if the designer was standing in front of a finished product," LaBella says. "Working with mechanical contractors, three-dimensional building-information modeling is a must."
Blue Diamond Sheet Metal wasted no time placing bids on projects soon after training was completed. The company was one of five contractors who split the bid on the NYPD Training Academy. For it, the company is designing air-conditioning ductwork for three floors and a machine room, totaling more than 90,000 sq. ft.
Head draftsman Ed Wirth says everyone in the company has adapted to the software, noting that "the jobs are progressing, you need 3D. The whole job is coordinated in 3D, and you need everything where it belongs. We have no regrets with the change here."International Training Institute: 703/739-7200; www.sheetmetal-iti.org
See also: International Training Inst.
Related Enterprise Zones: Software
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Graduate Studies
Applied Mathematics 2011-2012
Gainful employment information
Chairperson: Iraj Kalantari
Graduate Committee Chairperson: Dinesh Ekanayake
Office: Morgan Hall 476
Telephone: (309) 298-1054 or (309) 298-2467
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: wiu.edu/mathematics
Location of Program Offering: Macomb
Program Description
The post-baccalaureate certificate program in Applied Mathematics is designed for graduate level students who wish to gain expertise in a broad range of applied mathematics including applications of mathematics to industry, sciences, finance, computer science, economics, and more. The program provides preparation in applied mathematics based on sound and rooted theory, thus providing the typical student with the opportunity to pursue and find employment in the professional sector or in education, or to continue further advanced studies. The program is also the first of two steps which lead to a Master of Science degree in Mathematics
Certificate Requirements
MATH 551 Methods of Classical Analysis: 3 s.h.
MATH 552 Scientific Computing with MATLAB: 3 s.h.
MATH 554 Methods of Symmetry in Algebra, Geometry, and Topology: 3 s.h.
STAT 553 Applied Statistical Methods: 3 s.h.
Directed electives from any department but in a single focus area as approved by the Department Graduate Committee:6 s.h.
TOTAL: 18 s.h.
Course Descriptions
551 Methods of Classical Analysis. (3) Introduction to complex and multivariable analysis with a significant lean toward applications. Topics include sequences and series, conformal mappings, complex integration, geometry and topology of R^n, Newton's method and Taylor polynomials, extreme values of functions of R^n, manifolds and their tangent spaces. Prerequisites: MATH 231 and MATH 311, or equivalent courses.
552 Scientific Computing with MATLAB. (3) Design, analysis, and MATLAB implementation of algorithms for solving problems of continuous mathematics involving linear and nonlinear systems of equations, interpolation and approximation, numerical differentiation and integration, and ordinary differential equations with a significant lean toward applications. Prerequisites: MATH 311 and MATH 333, or equivalent courses.
554 Methods of symmetry in Algebra, Geometry, and Topology. (3) A study of symmetry in algebra, geometry, and topology with a significant lean toward applications. Topics of study include group of Euclidean transformations, symmetries of planar sets, topological classification of compact surfaces, crystallographic patterns and classification of their symmetry groups. Prerequisite: MATH 424 or permission of the instructor.
596 Project in Applied Mathematics. (3, repeatable to 6) A project in applied mathematics or statistics, or with a professional institution, which will be presented in a final paper or portfolio, demonstrating entry into an applied mathematics field. Graded S/U. Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Committee.
599 Special Topics. (1–3, repeatable to 6) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
553 Applied Statistical Methods. (3) Introduction to probability and statistics with a significant lean toward applications. Topics include probability, probability distributions, Central Limit Theorem, sampling distributions (t, F, Chi-Square), parameter estimation, hypothesis testing, nonparametic statistics, ANOVA, linear regression. Prerequisites: MATH 231 and STAT 276, or equivalent courses.
Table of Contents
- General Information
- Campus and Facilities
- University Services
- Special Programs
- Admission
- Academic Guidelines
- Graduate School Policies
- Costs and Financial Assistance
- Programs of Study
- Integrated Baccalaureate/Master's Degrees
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
- Other Departments Offering Courses for Graduate Credit
- Index


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Disable IPv6: Don't do it!
Most people already have IPv6 capability whether they know it or not. All Microsoft operating systems such as Windows Vista and all MacOS releases since 10.2 have IPv6 installed enabled by default. Mobile devices running Android 2.1, Apple iOS 4.0, and Symbian 7.0 are configured likewise as is nearly every *nix variant you can name. Even the venerable and ubiquitous Windows XP has a latent IPv6 stack which can be activated with a single command.
Typically, IPv6 enabled systems will prefer IPv6 connections over IPv4, so a misconfigured or malfunctioning IPv6 network will cause connectivity problems. Many popular troubleshooting regimens simply prescribe disabling IPv6 as the "solution," which really does nothing more than to hide the underlying problem with the IPv6 network. When you have a network problem that is "solved" by disabling IPv6, you have masked the symptom of a bigger problem that warrants further investigation.
What Goes Wrong?
Some people connecting to dual-stacked sites notice connection delays that will disappear once IPv6 is disabled. This can only happen if the IPv6 path has some kind of problem which causes the IPv6 connection to time out before falling back to IPv4. If this occurs, use a tool like traceroute to check the IPv6 path integrity. Vary the packet size of the traceroute to look for path MTU problems. If the source or destination IPv6 address starts with a "2002:" There may be a malfunctioning functioning 6to4 gateway managed by a third party in your path. In those cases, disable only the troublesome part of IPv6 rather than the whole stack. Slow connections can also be caused by devices that quietly discard IPv6 packets, like an overzealously configured or buggy firewall. Blocking ICMPv6 can break IPv6 connectivity, so be sure that is not happening. Firewalls that block the ports of specific IPv6 services will cause timeouts during the fallback from IPv6 to IPv4. Also watch for layer 2 transparent firewalls that are not IPv6 aware.
Sometimes, connections fail completely until IPv6 is disabled. Misconfigured or buggy DNS resolvers may cause dual-stack connections to fail by erroneously returning an NXDOMAIN reply to a AAAA request. Misplaced IPv6 routers can inject information into the network which draws packets into black holes, wreaking as much havoc as a rogue DHCP server. Look for unauthorized devices sending IPv6 Router Advertisements, or enable first hop security features.
What Should You Do?
The moral of the story: If you notice that IPv6 needs fixing, fix it today rather than postponing until tomorrow. We live in the early days of mass deployment of IPv6, and we need to work together to untangle the implementation quirks that arise. The list of fixes above represents only a small sampling of potential issues. You can always seek help at the World IPv6 Day – IPv6 Transition community in the Cisco Support Forums, or at any number of reputable IPv6 discussion forums. Use network misbehavior as an opportunity to learn about and improve the state of IPv6 internetworking and resist any temptations to disable the protocol.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


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Political attacks on renewables range from attempts to place moratoriums on new wind development in states such as New Hampshire and Vermont, to efforts to repeal or significantly roll back targets in North Carolina, Kansas and Ohio. Other states, including Connecticut, are looking at watering down their mandates by allowing electricity from large-scale hydro to be used to meet the requirements.
"This year, we saw bills introduced across the country that would have wiped out nearly 50% of the demand created through state policies," a Vestas spokesman told Windpower Monthly.
In all, according to a database compiled by the law firm Keyes, Fox & Wiedman, there have been at least 35 bills to weaken renewable portfolio standards (RPS) proposed in 16 of the 29 states that have them on the books.
Activity to undermine the standards has been increasing, said Jeff Deyette, assistant energy research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"It is more pervasive this year than in years past," he said.
Deyette and other renewable energy advocates attribute the surge in activity to the involvement of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative-leaning national organisation that has more than 2,000 state legislators as members.
ALEC has made the reversal of RPS policies a priority for 2013, arguing that the free market is a better way to determine the most cost-effective source of power. It typically releases model legislation for state lawmakers to use as a blueprint when drafting bills and last autumn joined forces with the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank, to develop one such model bill, the Electricity Freedom Act, aimed at repealing state mandates.
Co-ordinated attack
Other groups have also entered the fray, including Americans for Tax Reform and Boston-based Suffolk University's Beacon Hill Institute, which produced what Deyette called questionable economic analyses to bolster arguments that the policies raise power prices and cost jobs.
"This is, I think, a co-ordinated attack to try to undermine the progress the renewable energy sector has made, the momentum that's been created," said Deyette.
These opponents have yet to make much progress in their efforts, added Deyette, but they have forced renewable energy advocates to expend valuable resources defending their positions.
"If you measure success by outright repeal of these standards, they may be successful with one or two. I don't think they are going to get much more than that," he said.
"But if you measure success in a different way, in that they are slowing our ability to do what we should be doing, which is going out and expanding these policies and creating larger markets for renewable energy, then I think they have been successful."


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- home
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- pistol music
- news & events
- service
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You want that sleek Italian model with the best lines in the business. The sheer power you get from big American iron. The sound: the energy; the style; the excitement you get from listening to music the way it should be heard.
We do all that. And we do it at home. Absolute Sounds is driven by passion. The passion that makes music in the home as thrilling as driving a Ferrari along the Col De Turini.
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You demand the finest things life has to offer. So do we. You don't settle for second best in your car, so why should you compromise at home.


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No one knows how to play Medi-scare better than House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Even before Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan to be his veep, the former Speaker from San Francisco was using the Ryan budget as the key to her "Drive for 25," the net number of House seats Democrats need to regain control of the House and make Pelosi House Speaker again.
Until now, that's been a long shot bid. But GOP strategists worry that Ryan will so unsettle tight House races that if Democrats don't make 25 this year, they'll be in spitting distance for 2014. That would make a potential Pelosi retirement all the more unlikely.
Ryan, chair of the House Budget Committee, put the entire Republican House on record voting for his "Roadmap for America's Future" plan to turn Medicare into a "premium support" program, a pretty name for vouchers. Instead of an open-ended entitlement to see any doctor at any time for anything, Medicare would become a capped coupon that that future seniors could use to buy their own insurance.
Having been Medi-scared by Republicans in the 2010 election cycle (the Pelosi/Obama health care law cut several hundred billion dollars from Medicare Advantage), Pelosi turned the tables. She claims at every opportunity that the Ryan plan would "end Medicare as we know it." Now she has Ryan at the top of the GOP ticket broadcasting her campaign mantra.
Today her office put out a "memo to interested parties" called, "The Truth Hurts — You Can't Run Away from Chairman Ryan." It offers many links, such as one to a Congressional Budget Office estimate showing the Ryan plan could increase costs to seniors by $6,400.


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Traditional Celtic Music
Poisoned Dwarf plays driving traditional Celtic music, and for them, the tunes matter most. Focusing primarily on Irish traditional music, and with acoustic instruments only, this band from Williamsburg, Virginia has entertained audiences in many different settings for years.
The Irish flute, whistle, guitar, Scottish Small-Pipes, banjo, a variety of percussion instruments (including bones and bodhran), accordion, and of course fiddle are all brought to the dance for Poisoned Dwarf performances.
Their love for the music and the playing of it is always obvious from the first note, so while listening to and seeing Poisoned Dwarf's melting of one tune after another, you'll dance.
Bolt The Door
Six Shades of Green
Poisoned Dwarf is a mainstay for festivals, concerts and other venues in the region. This is from history.org:
Take six talented musicians who work at Colonial Williamsburg by day and love to play traditional Celtic music in their spare time, who like to experiment with sounds and unexpected twists, and top it all off with an unusual name. That's Poisoned Dwarf. "We stick with the traditional Irish music, but we have fun with the arrangements and what we do with the tunes," said fiddler Wayne Hill, a member since 2005. Often after a performance, he said, the band will be approached by young adults or teens who say they enjoy the "feisty approach" the band takes with some of the songs.
While many of the band members balance their full-time jobs and families and other musical pursuits, they take time to perform as Poisoned Dwarf at festivals and events. They also play annually at The Corner Pocket in New Town for St. Patrick's Day, but for the most part, prefer family venues over bars and taverns.
At the Revolutionary City, they hold an annual concert in early December at the Kimball Theatre, and a holiday-themed Celtic concert at the DeWitt Wallace Museum's Hennage Auditorium. For the third year, the band performed at the March 15 "Pints & Pairings" event, which Hill describes as a lot of fun for the guests as well as for the band members.
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Abolishing Postal Service is an anti-government idea; a bad one
The United Postal Service was created by the Continental Congress in 1775 under the leadership and espousal of Benjamin Franklin. It has existed ever since, furnishing a variety of convenient services to the people of America for well over 200 years.
During the Nixon era, in a frenzy of advocating that government be run like a business, there was an attempt to quasi-privatize the United States Postal Service. Postal Service oversight was removed from Congress and handed to a board of governors appointed by the president. Unfortunately, under George Bush in 2006 Congress imposed on the Postal Service a feature unlike any requirement known to any business in the English speaking world.
Through the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Congress imposed a requirement that health-care benefits not only of current employees but for future retirees be funded in advance. To my knowledge, no corporation in the world has such an onerous requirement. The result of this legislation is to force the Postal Service to put aside a $5.5 billion "nut" every year. Without this artificial burden, the U.S. Postal Service would be highly profitable. A recent report I've read showed the Postal Service, but for this burden, would have produced a $700 million operational profit in recent years.
There is pressure coming from right-wing forces that desire to strangle any function of government. Currently, their goal is to shut down the post office, or put it into bankruptcy. This seems to be a joint effort of folks like the Koch brothers and the owners of Fed-Ex. We need to consider what shutting down the post office would mean. First of all, it would do away with hundreds of thousands of jobs and the mean closure of 32,000 local post offices throughout the United States. While the advocates attacking the Postal Service are not attempting to kill it off in one fell swoop, their plan is to phase it out of business. Their plan would include the closure of 3,700 post offices, shut down half of the mail processing centers in the country, lay off approximately 100,000 postal workers, cut mail service on Saturday as well as do away with special delivery of next-day mail.
In the past 20 years, Congress has not appropriated a single penny to keep the Postal Service running. On the contrary, Congress has taken it upon itself to raid funds generated by The Postal Service and sequester them for other purposes.
The Postal Service was a great idea when Benjamin Franklin proposed it. I, for one, think it is a good idea to continue it today.
Privatization has long been an idea for Republicans who maintain they want to shrink government until it is so small it can be "drowned in a bathtub." Yet privatization has not worked in many areas in which it has been tried. You might recall when George Bush was Texas governor, he attempted to privatize much of the human services department. It resulted in massive layoffs of government workers. Then, when the private company that tried to operate from the Bahama Islands couldn't get the job done, we spent about twice as much money luring back the government workers to do the jobs they previously held.
The private prison system is another fiasco in which private companies with big lobby money continue to lobby for outlandish sentences for minor non-violent crimes. It is keeping our prisons full and is counterproductive. It serves to benefit no one except the shareholders of the private prison industry.
Abolishing our Postal Service will benefit no one except the very rich; it will harm small businesses and will be a tragic blow to commerce of this country at a time when we can least afford it.
Carl Parker has practiced law in Port Arthur since 1958. He is a 1958 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and the Senate in 1976, Parker continued to practice law while writing and sponsoring hundreds of bills that became laws relating to every aspect of life in Texas.


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Freedom in the World
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In May 2011, Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing to certain categories of Gaza residents, easing the Israeli-led blockade of the territory and increasing Gazans' access to external trade. Exchanges of artillery fire between Gazan militants and Israeli forces continued sporadically during 2011. In October, the territory's ruling faction, Hamas, released a captive Israeli soldier in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. Despite a May political agreement between Hamas and the West Bank–based Fatah faction, no date for overdue Palestinian elections had been set by year's end.
The Gaza Strip was demarcated as part of a 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Populated mostly by Palestinian Arab refugees of that war, the territory was occupied by Egypt until 1967. Israel conquered Gaza, along with the West Bank and other territories, in the 1967 Six-Day War, and ruled it thereafter through a military administration.
In 1968, Israel began establishing Jewish settlements in Gaza, a process regarded as illegal by most of the international community. Israel maintained that the settlements were legal since under international law Gaza was a disputed territory. In what became known as the first intifada (uprising), in 1987, Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza staged massive demonstrations, acts of civil disobedience, and attacks against Israeli settlers and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in the territories, as well as attacks within Israel proper. Israel and Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) reached an agreement in 1993 that provided for a PLO renunciation of terrorism and recognition of Israel, Israeli troop withdrawals, and phased Palestinian autonomy in Gaza and the West Bank. In 1994, the newly formed Palestinian Authority (PA) took control of most of the Gaza Strip; the PA also came to control about 40 percent of the West Bank.
As negotiations on a final settlement and the creation of a Palestinian state headed toward collapse, a second intifada began in September 2000, and the Israeli government responded by staging military raids into PA territory.
After Arafat died in November 2004, the PA in January 2005 held its second-ever presidential election, which had been repeatedly postponed; the first voting for president and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) had taken place in 1996. Mahmoud Abbas of Arafat's Fatah faction won the 2005 contest with 62 percent of the vote. In subsequent municipal voting in Gaza, the Islamist group Hamas won 77 out of 118 seats in 10 districts, to Fatah's 26 seats. Each group accused the other of fraud, and there was some election-related violence.
In 2005, Israel unilaterally "disengaged" from Gaza, withdrawing all settlers and military personnel. However, it retained control of the territory's airspace, its coastline, and most of its land border, including the passage of goods and people.
Hamas won the 2006 elections for the PLC, securing 74 of 132 seats, while Fatah took 45. Hamas was particularly dominant in Gazan districts. Fatah and Hamas formed a unity government headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas. Israel, the United States, and the European Union (EU) refused to recognize the new government, citing Hamas's involvement in terrorism and its refusal to recognize Israel or past Israel-PA agreements. The United States and the EU, then the largest donors to the PA, cut off assistance to the government.
In June 2006, in response to the killing of eight Palestinian civilians by an artillery shell (the source of which was disputed), Hamas declared an end to a 2005 truce with Israel and accelerated the firing of Qassam rockets at Israel from Gaza. Hamas and other militant groups subsequently carried out a raid near Gaza, killing two IDF soldiers and capturing a third, Corporal Gilad Shalit. Israel responded by invading Gaza, where the IDF destroyed Qassam launchers and ammunition sites but failed to locate Shalit. The fighting killed dozens of civilians.
Armed clashes between Hamas and Fatah supporters in Gaza escalated in 2007, and in June Hamas militants took over Fatah-controlled institutions in the territory. Some 600 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, and thousands of Gazans fled—along with most Fatah militants—to the West Bank. Abbas accused Hamas of staging a coup in Gaza, dismissed the Hamas-led government, and appointed an emergency cabinet led by former finance minister Salam Fayad. This resulted in a bifurcated PA, with Hamas governing Gaza and Abbas and Fayad governing the roughly 40 percent of the West Bank not directly administered by Israel. Hamas security forces and militants subsequently pursued a major crackdown on Fatah in Gaza, closing Fatah-affiliated civic organizations and media outlets, and allegedly torturing detainees.
Meanwhile, Israel declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity" in response to ongoing rocket attacks, and imposed an economic blockade on the territory, granting passage only to food and certain other humanitarian supplies. However, arms and goods were regularly smuggled through a developing tunnel network between Egypt and Gaza. The blockade was eased after Hamas and Israel declared a six-month truce in June 2008.
War erupted between Hamas and Israeli forces in December 2008 after the truce expired and Hamas ramped up its rocket bombardment of Israeli towns near the Gaza border. The IDF launched near-daily air strikes and an almost three-week ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire in late January 2009, and Hamas soon did the same. During the conflict, Israeli forces damaged or destroyed large portions of Gaza's military, government, and civilian infrastructure. According to the United Nations, some 50,000 homes, 800 industrial properties, 200 schools, and 39 mosques or churches were damaged or destroyed. For its part, Hamas launched over 700 rockets and mortar shells into Israeli civilian areas, often from civilian areas in Gaza. While the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that 1,434 Palestinians were killed, including 960 noncombatants, the IDF reported that 1,166 Palestinians were killed, including 295 to 460 noncombatants. Thirteen Israelis were killed, including three noncombatants.
Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza during the war, allowing only humanitarian goods into the territory. Following the cease-fire, the restrictions were eased somewhat to allow the transfer of a limited number of authorized goods, as well as international aid workers and individuals with specified medical and humanitarian needs. Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt opened on an ad hoc basis.
In 2010 and 2011, a series of private ships carrying food and other goods attempted to break Israel's coastal blockade of Gaza. In May 2010, Israeli soldiers intercepted a six-ship flotilla from Turkey and killed nine activists on one of the ships—the Mavi Marmara—in an ensuing confrontation. The Israeli government was widely condemned internationally for the incident, but claimed its soldiers were acting in self-defense. Israel later eased the blockade, allowing in virtually all consumer goods while continuing to ban weapons, fertilizer, gas tanks, drilling equipment, and water disinfectant, as well as all exports and almost all travel; prohibitions on construction materials were also slightly loosened. In May 2011, Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing to women, children, and men over 40; Gazan men between 18 and 40 required a permit to cross the border, which officially remained closed to overland trade.
A November 2010 report by 21 aid groups stated that there had been "little improvement" in economic conditions in Gaza since the easing of the blockade, citing in particular the continued restrictions on exports and construction materials. These findings were echoed in a 2011 report by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which criticized Israeli restrictions for impeding its projects to rebuild homes and schools. In August, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the opening of the Rafah border crossing and the development of more sophisticated smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza had begun to relieve shortages of construction and other goods, leading to a significant increase in construction by the Hamas authorities.
Fighting between Israel and Gazan militants broke out regularly during 2011. In most cases, rocket and mortar fire into Israel from Gaza prompted Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardments, killing both combatants and civilians, including children. According to the Israeli nongovernmental organization (NGO) B'Tselem, in 2011 the IDF killed a total of 105 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, 37 of whom were noncombatants.
In October, Israel and Hamas negotiated a prisoner exchange whereby Hamas freed IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and Israel would release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Of the latter, 447 were released immediately—mostly to Gaza, but some to the West Bank and foreign countries—and another 550 were freed in December.
Residents of Gaza were never granted citizenship by either Egypt or Israel, and are mostly citizens of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The current Hamas-controlled government in the territory claims to be the legitimate leadership of the PA. However, the authority—a quasi-sovereign entity created by the 1993 Oslo Accords—is effectively fractured, and the Hamas government implements PA law selectively.
The PA president is elected to four-year terms, and international observers judged the 2005 presidential election to be generally free and fair. However, PA president Mahmoud Abbas lost control over Gaza after the 2007 Fatah-Hamas schism, and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya continues to lead the Hamas government despite being formally dismissed by Abbas. Other Hamas ministers similarly remained in their posts in Gaza after almost all Fatah-affiliated ministers, government officials, and bureaucrats were expelled or fled to the West Bank. When Abbas's elected term expired in 2009, Hamas rejected the West Bank PA's legal justifications for his continued rule, arguing instead that the PA Basic Law empowered the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)—Aziz Dweik of Hamas—to serve as acting president.
The unicameral, 132-seat PLC serves four-year terms. Voting in Gaza during the 2006 PLC elections was deemed largely fair by international observers, despite allegations that Hamas candidates campaigned in mosques in violation of electoral rules. However, the Hamas-Fatah rift, combined with Israel's detention of many (especially Hamas-affiliated) lawmakers, has prevented the PLC from meeting since 2007, and its term expired in 2010.
In May 2011, Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a national unity-government that would organize presidential and parliamentary elections and increase coordination between Hamas- and Fatah-aligned security forces. By year's end, however, the unity government had not yet been formed, and no date had been set for elections.
Humanitarian organizations and donor countries allege that Hamas authorities in Gaza exert almost total control over the distribution of funds and goods, and allocate resources according to political criteria with little or no transparency, creating ample opportunities for corruption. In March 2011, after authorities accused the Palestine Investment Bank in Gaza City of transferring money out of Gaza, gunmen allegedly supported by Hamas stormed the bank, taking $250 million.
The media are not free in Gaza. In 2008, Hamas replaced the PA Ministry of Information with a government Media Office and banned all journalists not accredited by it; authorities also closed down all media outlets that were not affiliated with Hamas. In 2011, officials continued to ban the import of three West Bank newspapers—Al-Ayyam, Al-Quds, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida—that are generally associated with Fatah. In January, the UN news service IRIN reported a significant increase in Gaza-based blogs. The main telephone and data network in Gaza (and the West Bank) was temporarily disabled by computer hackers in November.
According to a 2011 report on conditions for journalists by the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), physical attacks, arrests, detentions, and confiscation of equipment by Palestinian security forces increased by over 45 percent between 2009 and 2010, a trend that continued in 2011. According to MADA, in 2011 there were 53 such violations by Palestinian authorities in Gaza. In March, Hamas security forces routinely harassed journalists covering demonstrations in favor of Palestinian unity. In one incident, plainclothes policemen raided the Gaza bureau of Reuters, beating and threatening journalists and destroying equipment. In September, the BBC reported new restrictions on foreign journalists, including a requirement that they obtain five-day advance permission to work in the territory and sign forms noting that local Palestinian colleagues will be held responsible for coverage that is critical of Hamas.
Freedom of religion is restricted in Gaza. The PA Basic Law declares Islam to be the official religion of Palestine and states that "respect and sanctity of all other heavenly religions (Judaism and Christianity) shall be maintained." Under Hamas, the authorities—including quasi-official "morality police" and Hamas-affiliated volunteer dawa groups—increasingly enforce orthodox Sunni Islamic practices and conservative dress. In addition, security forces and militants routinely harass worshippers at non-Hamas-affiliated mosques. Christians continued to suffer routine harassment in 2011, though violent attacks decreased from a peak in 2009.
The Israeli blockade has restricted access to school supplies. While university students are ostensibly allowed to leave Gaza, they must be escorted by foreign diplomats or contractors. A March 2011 report by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights noted that Gazans—who recently constituted 35 percent of the student body at West Bank universities—were now mostly absent from those institutions because of the blockade. Hamas has taken over the formal education system, aside from schools run by UNRWA. A teachers' strike in 2009 led to the replacement of many strikers with new, Hamas-allied teachers. In 2010, Islamist militants burned down UNRWA summer camps, accusing the organizers of teaching young girls "dancing and immorality." In March 2011, Hamas security officials began confiscating copies of "immoral" novels from (mostly university) bookstores, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Since 2008, Hamas has significantly restricted freedoms of assembly and association, with security forces violently dispersing public gatherings of Fatah and other groups. In January 2011, police arrested six women who had gathered in Gaza City for a demonstration in solidarity with antigovernment protesters in Egypt. In late February and early March, police forcibly broke up several protests calling for unity between Hamas and Fatah, sealing off public squares and university campuses and beating demonstrators.
There is a broad range of Palestinian NGOs and civic groups, and Hamas itself operates a large network that provides social services to certain Palestinians. However, following the 2009 conflict between Hamas and Israel, Hamas restricted the activities of aid organizations that would not submit to its regulations or coordinate with its relief efforts, and many civic associations have been shut down for political reasons since the 2007 PA split. In July 2011, Hamas began enforcing its 2010 demand to audit the books of some 80 international NGOs in Gaza. Throughout the year, authorities harassed, detained, and summoned leaders of the Palestinian unity protests and signatories to the 2010 "Gaza Manifesto," which criticized both Israel and Hamas. Security officials also reportedly questioned Gazans who travelled to Western countries.
Independent labor unions in Gaza continue to function, and PA workers have staged strikes against Hamas-led management. However, the Fatah-aligned Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), the largest union body in the territories, has seen its operations greatly curtailed. Its main Gaza offices were taken over by Hamas militants in 2007, and the building was severely damaged in a December 2008 Israeli air raid.
Laws governing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip derive from Ottoman, British Mandate, Jordanian, Egyptian, PA, and Islamic law, as well as Israeli military orders. The judicial system is not independent, and Palestinian judges lack proper training and experience. In 2007, Abbas ordered judges to boycott judicial bodies in Gaza, and Hamas began appointing new prosecutors and judges in 2008. Hamas security forces and militants continued to carry out arbitrary arrests and detentions during 2011, and torture of detainees and criminal suspects is common. The Palestinian human rights ombudsman agency—the Independent Commission for Human Rights—has been banned from Hamas detention centers for the past three years, and from Gaza's central prison since December 2010. Nonetheless, the Independent Commission for Human Rights reported 102 torture complaints against security forces in Gaza in 2011.
Hamas-run military courts have sentenced 33 people to death since 2007 and carried out at least eight official executions, mostly for treason. In July 2011, two alleged collaborators with Israel—a father and a son convicted in 2004—were executed by firing squad.
Freedom of movement is severely restricted. Although Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing to women, children, and men over 40 in May 2011, with Gazan men between 18 and 40 requiring a permit to cross the border, the Israeli border remains sealed, with exceptions for medical cases, students, and aid workers. The regular clashes between Israeli forces and Gaza-based militants greatly restrict freedom of movement within the Gaza Strip, as does the presence of unexploded ordnance.
Freedom of residence has been limited by the violent conflicts in and around Gaza. Following the 2007 schism in the PA, thousands of Fatah-affiliated residents fled to the West Bank. Moreover, the conflict with Israel that ended in January 2009 was fought to a large extent in civilian neighborhoods, leading to the damage or destruction of some 50,000 homes.
The blockade has greatly reduced economic freedom and choice in the territory, though these conditions improved slightly in 2011. Much economic activity is conducted through a dense network of tunnels beneath Gaza's border with Egypt. The tunnels are also used to transport weapons and are routinely bombed by Israel.
Under Hamas, personal status law is derived almost entirely from Sharia (Islamic law), which puts women at a stark disadvantage in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and domestic abuse. Rape, domestic abuse, and "honor killings," in which relatives murder women for perceived sexual or moral transgressions, are common, and these crimes often go unpunished. A December 2009 study by the Palestinian Woman's Information and Media Center found that 77 percent of women in Gaza had experienced violence of various sorts, 53 percent had experienced physical violence, and 15 percent had suffered sexual abuse. Women's dress and movements in public have been increasingly restricted under Hamas rule. The government has barred women from wearing trousers in public and declared that all women must wear hijab in public buildings, though these policies are enforced sporadically. In 2010, the government banned women from smoking water pipes and men from cutting women's hair. In July 2011, police began arresting male hairdressers who violated this ban.
Whereas past editions of Freedom in the World featured one report for Israeli-occupied portions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and another for Palestinian-administered portions, the latest two editions divide the territories based on geography, with one report for the West Bank and another for the Gaza Strip. As in previous years, Israel is examined in a separate report.


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LAWS of Authorship
One almost famous photographer I know put out a remarkable self-promotion piece -- a calendar so simple and stunning, everyone wanted one. It was a series of posters with spot varnishes printed in full color on 100 pound coated cover. He stamped a copyright mark on each and every image used to produce those promotional pieces -- but this story turns out a little different than you'd expect. February 25, 2013


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One of the interesting things I have noticed about vanilla is that when it is used in beer (or baking), it adds a subtle sweetness before you get anything approaching a vanilla flavor. I don't know how present the vanilla flavor in your pumpkin beer is, but I think you might not want to reduce that, if you want the vanilla to be identifiable as vanilla.
I add vanilla to my pumpkin beer, but I really don't want to taste vanilla--except for a subtle "I can't quite put my finger on it" flavor. For me, the vanilla blends the spice flavors and gives the beer some creaminess. Maybe the French "Je ne sais quoi" would be a better way of stating this. However, the vanilla flavor doesn't mellow like the other spices. Once it's there; it's there. Tread carefully. I add 3-4 teaspoons to 5 gallons of pumpkin beer, btw.
If you're using vanilla extract, then I'd just add it at packaging to taste. Since you're using a few other spices this will let you adjust the balance to your liking. I find that in low doses vanilla amplifies the sweet side of other flavors before it starts to show up on your own. Sounds like that's the sweet spot you're shooting for.