text:
Social cohesion
October 1, 2008
Social cohesion
"Social cohesion indicators measure the extent to which citizens participate in societal activities, the level of crime in society, and the acceptance of diversity (Conference Board of Canada Society Overview 2008)."
"Performance in the Society category is assessed using 17 indicators across three dimensions: self-sufficiency, equity, and social cohesion. Self-sufficiency indicators measure the autonomy and active participation of individuals within society, including its most vulnerable citizens, such as persons with disabilities and youth. Equity indicators measure equity of access, opportunities, and outcomes. (Conference Board of Canada Society Overview 2008)."
"More social cohesion has been posited to lead to "more" health; less social cohesion has been posited to lead to "less" health. As well, government performance may influence or be influenced by both social cohesion and health. After defining each of these constructs, we describe changes in measures of these constructs over time (between 1981 and 1990) in Canada, the individual-level factors that are associated with high levels of these measures in Canada, and how these levels compare with those in other G7 countries. We then develop a conceptual framework within which relationships between social cohesion and health can be considered and present the results of new empirical research regarding these relationships in G7 countries. Finally, we synthesize and critically appraise empirical research to inform discussions about the strength of some of these relationships, specifically those involving selected pathways through the determinants of health. We conclude that social cohesion can have significant health consequences (through, for example, known health determinants like income distribution, employment and working conditions, and social support) and that the concepts related to social cohesion don't need reconciliation so much as they need links to the "right" policy environment (Lavis and Stoddart 1999)."
(Conference Board of Canada Society Overview 2008)."
Lavis, John N.; Stoddart, Greg. 1999. "Social Cohesion and Health". August. Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Keywords: population health, social cohesion, health,
Filed in governance, Public Policy, social cohesion, society
Tags: disparities in wealth and income, health, income distribution, Public Policy, social cohesion, social exclusion, social inclusion, social support, vulnerability to social exclusion
Webliography and Bibliography: Social Cohesion
March 14, 2008
Webliography and Bibliography
Beauvais, Caroline, and Jane Jenson. 2002. "Social Cohesion: Updating the State of the Research." CPRN Discussion Paper No. F/22. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
Bernard, Paul. 1999. "Social Cohesion: A Critique." Discussion Paper No. F-093. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
Bessis, Sophie. 1995. "From social exclusion to social cohesion: towards a policy agenda." Policy Paper – No. 2. Management of Social Transformations (MOST) – UNESCO. The Roskilde Symposium. University of Roskilde, Denmark. 2-4 March 1995
Blockland, Talja. 2000. "Unraveling three of a kind: Cohesion, Community and Solidarity." The Netherlands' Journal of Social Sciences 30(1), 56-70.
Broodryk, Johan. 2002. UBUNTU: Life Lessons from Africa. Pretoria: Ubuntu School of Philosophy.
">Cantle, Ted et al. 2001. "Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team." United Kingdom. December.
Cassidy, Jean. 2003. "Combat Poverty Agency – Glossary of Poverty and Social Inclusion Terms". Combat Poverty Agency. Conyngham Road. Islandbridge. Dublin, Ireland.
Cernea, Michael M. 1993. "Sociological Work Within a Development Agency – Experiences in the World Bank." World Bank, Washington, DC, USA. August 1993.
Cheong, Pauline Hope; Edwards, Rosalind; Goulbourne, Harry; Solomos, John. 2007. "Immigration, social cohesion and social capital: A critical review." Social Policy. 27:1:24-49.
Coleman, James. 1988. "Social capital and the creation of human capital." American Journal of Sociology 94, S95-S120.
CSC. 2003. "A Glossary of Terms for the Voluntary Sector." Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador. http://www.envision.ca/templates/profile.asp?ID=56
De Beer, Marlene. 2003. "A seventh moment bricoleurship and narrative turn to poetics in educational research." Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Student Conference, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003137.htm 2003-09-01.
Durkheim, Émile. 1893. De la division du travail social. Livre II et III. http://classiques.uqac.ca/classiques/Durkheim_emile/division_du_travail/division_travail_2.rtf
Ferroni, Marco. 2006. "Social Capital and Social Cohesion: Definition and Measurement." Medicion de la Calidad de Vida. (IDB) Sustainable Development Department. Inter-American Development Bank. Washington DC. Taller de Consulta sobre. December 8. PowerPoint Presentation.
- GF. 2004. "d'insertion et lutte contre les exclusions."Ministre du Travail, des Relations sociales et de la Solidarité . Government of France. http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/espaces/social/grands-dossiers/plan-cohesion-sociale/20-programmes-107-mesures-pour-cohesion-sociale-7255.html and http://www.social.gouv.fr/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=41
Kushner, Howard I.; Sterk, Claire E. 2005. "Critical Concepts for Reaching Populations at Risk: The Limits of Social Capital: Durkheim, Suicide, and Social Cohesion." American Journal of Public Health. 95:7:1139-1143. http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/7/1139
Lévi-Strauss, Claude. 1972. The savage mind. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Jeannotte, Sharon. 2000. "Tango Romantica or Liaisons Dangereuses? Cultural Policies and Social Cohesion: Perspectives from Canadian Research." Cultural Policy 7(1), 97-113.
Jeannotte, Sharon., Stanley, Dick., Pendakur, Ravi., Jamieson, Bruce., Williams, Maureen and Aizlewood, Amanda. 2002. "Buying in or Dropping Out: The Public Policy Implications of Social Cohesion Research." SRA-631-e. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
Jefferson, Thomas in correspondence to James Madison. ME 7:455, Papers 15:393.
Jenson, Jane. 1998. Mapping social cohesion: The state of Canadian research. Canadian Policy Research Networks Study No. F-03. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
Jacobs, Jane. 1961 [1993] The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Modern Library. New York: Random House.
Jacobs, Jane; Kunstler, Jim. 2001. "Interview." Metropolis Magazine. March 2001.
Jenson, Jane. 2002. "Identifying the Links: Social Cohesion and Culture in Making Connections: Culture and Social Cohesion in the New Millennium." Canadian Journal of Communications 27(2, 3): url http://www.cjc-online.ca/title.php3?page=5&journal_id=43
Levinson, Sanford. Constitutional Faith. Princeton University Press, 1989, p. 60
at Risk: The Limits of Social Capital: Durkheim, Suicide, and Social Cohesion." American Journal of Public Health. 95:7:1139-1143. http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/7/1139
Marquand, David. "that we live in a 'tense, mistrustful, anxiety-haunted society'. " See NSA 2003.
Maxwell, Judith. 1996. "Social Dimensions of Economic Growth." Eric John Hanson Memorial Lecture Series, Volume VIII, University of Alberta.
Mehta, Michael D. 2002-11-27."Agricultural Biotechnology and Social Cohesion: Is the Social Fabric of Rural Communities at Risk?" Presented at the Canadian Weed Science Society meeting in Saskatoon, SK.
MGPOCC. 2001. "Building Cohesive Communities: A Report of the Ministerial Group on Public Order and Community Cohesion."United Kingdom. December.
Mitchell, Ritva; Duxbury, Nancy. 2001. "Making Connections: Cultural and Social Cohesion in the New Millennium." Canadian Journal of Communication. 26:4.
NSA. (National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom) 2003. "Social Cohesion – Prospect and Promise." Statement. January.
Print, Murray & Coleman, David. 2003. "Towards Understanding of Social Capital and Citizenship Education." Cambridge Journal of Education. 33(1), 123-149.
Putnam, Robert. 1993. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions of Modern Italy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Putnam, Robert 1995. "Bowling Alone: America's declines social capital." Journal of Democracy 6(1):65-78.
Putnam, Robert D. 2000. Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Rogers, E. 1962. Diffusion of Innovations. New York: Free Press of Glencoe.
Sachs, Ignacy. 1995. "Searching for New Development Strategies: The Challenge of the Social Summit." Policy Paper no 1. Paris: UNESCO.
Stanley, Dick. 2002. "What Do We Know about Social Cohesion: The Research Perspective of the Federal Government's Social Cohesion Research Network." SRA-658. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
Strauss, Leo. 1959. "What is Political Philosophy?" in What is Political Philosophy? and Other Studies. NewYork: The Free Press.
Swatos, William H. Jr. Ed. "Durkheim." Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science. Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Hartford, CT. http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/durkheim.htm
Williams, Maureen K. 2001. "Simpler Than You Think, More Complex Than You Imagine: Progress in Social Cohesion Research." SRA-624. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Network.
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This theme is also being developed on the page entitled Key Concepts: Social Cohesion >> Speechless.
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Flynn-Burhoe, Maureen. 2008. "What is Being Done in the Name of Social Cohesion?" >> Speechless. March 11. First Draft. Last modified November 2, 2008.
Filed in Anthropology, democracy, governance, Public Policy, religion and politics, Social Sciences, Sociology
Tags: Council of Europe, definitions, disparities in wealth and income, Economy, governance, human rights, Jane Jenson, key concepts, OECD, political action, social change, social cohesion, social exclusion, social inclusion, values
Timeline of Social Events Related to Social Cohesion
March 14, 2008
1893 French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) first used the term 'cohésion sociale' in his 1893 publication entitled De la division du travail social (1893:133) (Durkheim 1893:133)(later published in English as The Division of Labour in Society). He built on and critiqued 19th century theories of progress, evolution and Darwinism (Spencer, van Gierke) from a sociological point of view. Using the same metaphors employed by Herbert Spencer or Otto von Gierke of biological organisms versus complex machines, Durkheim argued that traditional societies, such as subsistence farming communities, were more mechanical than organic since members were more homogenous, sharing a common heritage and values, well-regulated social norms and social behaviours and a collective consciousness that subsumed individual consciousness. In contrast modern societies, where there is a complex division of labour promotes an organic unity resembling complex living organisms that promote social cohesion. He argued that, "la division du travail [est] une source de cohésion sociale. Elle ne rend pas seulement les individus solidaires, comme nous l'avons dit jusqu'ici, parce qu'elle limite l'activité de chacun, mais encore parce qu'elle l'augmente. Elle accroît l'unité de l'organisme, par cela seul qu'elle en accroît la vie; du moins, à l'état normal, elle ne produit pas un de ces effets sans l'autre (1893:133) [1]."
"C'est donc à tort qu'on a vu parfois dans la division du travail le fait fondamental de toute vie sociale. Le travail ne se partage pas entre individus indépendants et déjà différenciés qui se réunissent et s'associent pour mettre en commun leurs différentes aptitudes. Car ce serait un miracle que des différences, ainsi nées au hasard des circonstances, pussent se raccorder aussi exactement de manière à former un tout cohérent. Bien loin qu'elles précèdent la vie collective, elles en dérivent. Elles ne peuvent se produire qu'au sein d'une société et sous la pression de sentiments et de besoins sociaux ; c'est ce qui fait qu'elles sont essentiellement harmoniques. Il y a donc une vie sociale en dehors de toute division du travail, mais que celle-ci suppose. C'est, en effet, ce que nous avons directement établi en faisant voir qu'il y a des sociétés dont la cohésion est essentiellement due à la communauté des croyances et des sentiments, et que c'est de ces sociétés que sont sorties celles dont la division du travail assure l'unité. Les conclusions du livre précédent et celles auxquelles nous venons d'arriver peuvent donc servir à se contrôler et à se confirmer mutuellement. La division du travail physiologique est elle-même soumise à cette loi : elle n'apparaît jamais qu'au sein de masses polycellulaires qui sont déjà douées d'une certaine cohésion (Durkheim 1893)."
1916 The concept of social capital was first used in the context of education to explain the importance of community involvement for successful schools (L. J. Hanifan 1916). During the 20th century the concept of social capital has changed according to the prevailing ideological climate. Social capital then can be seen as a tool for public policy through which social cohesion might be acheived. See (Cheong et al. 2007). In a sense Hanifan (1916) was describing how social cohesion was acheived through accumulation of social capital: "those tangible substances [that] count for most in the daily lives of people: namely good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse among the individuals and families who make up a social unit….The individual is helpless socially, if left to himself….If he comes into contact with his neighbor, and they with other neighbors, there will be an accumulation of social capital, which may immediately satisfy his social needs and which may bear a social potentiality sufficient to the substantial improvement of living conditions in the whole community. The community as a whole will benefit by the coöperation of all its parts, while the individual will find in his associations the advantages of the help, the sympathy, and the fellowship of his neighbors (L. J. Hanifan 1916 cited in Putnam 2000)."
1948 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 in order to strengthen the protection of human rights at international level.
1948 In a short radio interview under the title, "Planned Science," (1998: 106-111 Ealy 2002) research chemist Michael Polanyi explained why true science was resistant to central planning by using the metaphor of polycellular organisms as did sociologist Emile Durkheim in his explanation of social cohesion. Science is systematic, but "the nature of scientific systems is more akin to the ordered arrangement of living cells which constitute a polycellular organism." Steven D. Ealy (2002) described how "Polanyi's professional work led him to consider the broader implications of science as an institution, first, to an examination of the nature of the scientific enterprise and questions of scientific governance, and then, to consider the institutional arrangements appropriate for complex societies." As Ealy noted (2002) Polanyi rejected "the image of men building a house, with the blueprints as the plan. Scientists cooperate by adjusting their research to the research and findings of other scientists working in the same field as they pursue their own research agenda, just as in embryonic development healthy cells adjust their growth to the surrounding cells. But this image too proves inadequate. "The actual situation . . . may perhaps be better captured by using Milton's simile, which likens truth to a shattered statue, with fragments lying widely scattered and hidden in many places. Each scientist on his own initiative pursues independently the task of finding one fragment of the statue and fitting it to those collected by others."But even this is inadequate, for it will be obvious (setting aside certain contemporary works of art) when the statue is incomplete, but science always appears to be a complete whole. Polanyi therefore modifies Milton's image by stipulating that the shattered statue appears to be complete even as new pieces are being added and that its meaning is modified—to the surprise of those watching— with each addition. This is crucial in understanding why central planning in science cannot work. No committee of scientists, however distinguished, could forecast the further progress of science except for the routine extension of the existing system. No important scientific advance could ever be foretold by such a committee. The problems allocated by it would therefore be of no real scientific value. They would either be devoid of originality, or if, throwing prudence to the winds, the committee once ventured on some really novel proposals, their suggestions would invariably prove impractical. For the points at which the existing system of science can be effectively amended reveal themselves only to the individual investigator. And even he can discover only through a lifelong concentration on one particular aspect of science a small number of practicable and really worth-while problems. In a number of studies Polanyi continues his critique of central planning in science and his understanding of the "self government of science." The scientific enterprise involves what Polanyi calls "general authority," characterized by rules of art and individual freedom to pursue research, "governed" by a loose set of institutions that publicize and evaluate scientific activity and maintain professional standards. He then extends his analysis to consider the cognitive limitations on central planning in complex organizations and societies—some of this work paralleling that of Hayek. Although Polanyi uses the term"polycentric" in a technical sense in his papers, I think it can be helpful to think of that term as applicable to an understanding of society which sees multiple sources and locations of social power, none of which are "comprehensive and authoritative" in a final sense—just as there is no "final authority" in science (except in a very temporary and localized way)." Ealy (2002) continues by suggesting that, "A fruitful avenue for future research would be to relate Polanyi's discussion of the self-government of science to a consideration of civil society. The concept of civil society, so popular right now, can be particularly important to the extent it is developed with an understanding that community and intermediary institutions are actually independent, control their own affairs, and have the resources and power to influence the direction(s) of social change (as opposed to being merely "delagatees" of governmental chores)." For more on how Polanyi offered an alternative to the political vision of Strauss and Will see Ealy (2002).
1949-05-05 Treaty of London, establishing the Council of Europe, signed by ten states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The Council of Europe was founded in 1949. It "seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals." (dates >> COE)
1950-11-04 Signature in Rome of the Council's Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms – the first international legal instrument safeguarding human rights. (dates >> COE)
1954-12-19 Signature of the European Cultural Convention, forming the framework for the Council's work in education, culture, youth and sport. (dates >> COE)
1956-04-16 Creation of the resettlement Fund (which is now the Council of Europe Development Bank), intended to help member States finance social projects. (dates >> COE)
1957-01-12 The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (now the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe) set up by the Council of Europe, to bring together local and regional authority representatives. (dates >> COE)
1959-09-18 The European Court of Human Rights established by the Council in Strasbourg, under the European Convention on Human Rights, to ensure observance of the obligations undertaken by contracting states. (dates >> COE) (dates >> COE)
1959 In his article entitled "What is Political Philosophy?" Leo Strauss' identified the major premise underlying political philosophy as the notion that "the political association . . . is the most comprehensive or authoritative association" in society (1959:13). Ealy (2002) offered a critique of this position based on the argument that "the political" exists in the modern world only by analogy, and that the use of the political analogy allows many assumptions, perhaps true of the ancient Greek Polis, to be applied without serious thought to the modern state."
1961-10-18 The Council's European Social Charter signed in Turin as the economic and social counterpart of the European Convention on Human Rights. (dates >> COE)
1962 E Rogers, E. published Diffusion of Innovations
1961 Urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs (1916-) used the term social capital in reference to the value of networks (1961, 1969). Some trace the modern usage of the term social capital to her writings of the 1960s which took in the wider issues of economics and social relations. While working for the Architectural Forum (1952-), Jacobs observed how the magazine editors believed in urban renewal and considered Yale alumni Ed Logue, an Ivy League establishment guru, to be a hero of the modernist urban renewal campaigns. Jacobs claimed Logue inadvertently destroyed both New Haven and much of central Boston to the detriment of older neighbourhoods rich in social capital. Jacobs lived in Boston in 1972 and remembered the North End as a vibrant Italian blue collar neighborhood, very insular, but tremendously active—full of all the pork stores, the cheese stores and the cookie stores. Jacobs seized the imagination of an otherwise extremely complacent era in her seminal book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) a stark criticism of the experiment of Modernist urbanism. She urged Americans to look to the traditional wisdom of the vernacular city with its vibrant neighbourhoods and streets as it fundamental units. See (Jacobs, Kunster 2001).
1972-06-01 The Council's first European Youth Centre is opened in Strasbourg (France). (dates >> COE)
1980-03-27 The Pompidou Group established by the Council as a multi-disciplinary forum for inter-ministerial co-operation against drug abuse and trafficking. (dates >> COE)
1988 James Coleman used the term social capital which loosely refers to social networks that depend on reciprocity and mutual trust.
1989-06-08 Special guest status introduced by the Council's Parliamentary Assembly, to forge closer links with the parliaments of new member states moving towards democracy. (dates >> COE)
1990-04-30 The Council's North/South Centre opened in Lisbon (Portugal). (dates >> COE)
1990-05-10 The European Commission for Democracy through Law (the "Venice Commission") established by the Council to deal with legal guarantees on democracy. (dates >> COE)
1990-11-06 Accession of the first State from the former Soviet Block: Hungary. (dates >> COE)
1993 Robert Putnam (1993, 1995, 2000) further developed the concept of social capital.
1993-10-08 First Council of Europe summit of heads of state and government in Vienna (Austria) adopts a declaration confirming its pan-European vocation and setting new political priorities in protecting national minorities and combating all forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. (dates >> COE)
1993-08 Michael M Cernea, Sociologist and Senior Adviser, World Bank, Washington, DC, USA: 'Sociological Work Within a Development Agency – Experiences in the World Bank', August 1993.
1994-01-17 The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) set up by the Council's Committee of Ministers to replace the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. (dates >> COE)
1995 Ignacy Sachs, 'Searching for New Development Strategies: The Challenge of the Social Summit', Policy Paper no 1 (Paris: UNESCO, 1995).
1995 Roskilde Symposium (Denmark 1995) 'From Social Exclusion to Social Cohesion: a policy agenda', convened on the eve of the Copenhagen conference, and jointly sponsored by UNESCO, WHO, ILO, and the European Commission DG XII'. See also Bessis, Sophie. 1995. "From social exclusion to social cohesion: towards a policy agenda." Policy Paper – No. 2. Management of Social Transformations (MOST) – UNESCO. The Roskilde Symposium. University of Roskilde, Denmark. 2-4 March 1995.
1996 Judith Maxwell presented a paper entitled "Social Dimensions of Economic Growth" as part of the Eric John Hanson Memorial Lecture Series at the University of Alberta in which she defined social cohesion as . . .
1997-10-10 Second Council of Europe summit of heads of state and government, in Strasbourg (France). (dates >> COE)
1998 Jane Jenson published "Mapping Social Cohesion: The State of Canadian Research" as part of the Canadian Policy Research Networks, Ottawa.
1998-11-01 Single permanent European Court of Human Rights was established in Strasbourg under Protocol No. 11 to the Council's European Convention on Human Rights, replacing the existing system. This is the only truly judicial organ established by the European Convention on Human Rights. It is composed of composed of one Judge for each State party to the Convention and ensures, in the last instance, that contracting states observe their obligations under the Convention. Since November 1998, the Court has operated on a full-time basis." (dates >> COE)
1998-01-04"To have an economy with a Labor Government where the pound is too strong rather than too weak is quite a notable achievement," said Anthony Giddens, director of the London School of Economics. Mr. Giddens's concept of effecting consensual change not from the right or the left but from the "radical center" has been adopted by Mr. Blair as his own. [. . .] It was academics from his London School of Economics, led by William Beveridge in 1942, who formulated the basis of the welfare state that the Labor Government of Clement Attlee created in 1945 to help Britain recover from World War II.[ The social security part of the budget now reaches $170 billion, or one-third of the Government's spending, a tempting target for an administration that has promised greater social cohesion while pledging to hold the line on taxes and spending. This outlay for welfare has continued to grow even through the Conservative years. [. . .] According to David G. Green, director of the health and welfare unit at the Institute of Economic Affairs, 30 percent of the British population now rely on subsidies where only 4 percent did in 1951 (Hoge 1998-01-04)"
1999 "At the Berlin European Council in March 1999, the Heads of State and Government reached agreement on Agenda 2000, an action plan put forward by the Commission principally to strengthen the Community's policies and provide the Union with a new financial framework for 2000-06 in preparation for enlargement. In this context, Agenda 2000 also included the reform of the Structural Funds. Consequently, the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund now have a new legal framework, which should remain in place until 2006 (NSA UK 2003)."
2000 Robert D. Putnam published his highly influential book entitled Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community. Putnam described how Americans had "become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and democratic structures– and how we may reconnect. Putnam warns that our stock of social capital – the very fabric of our connections with each other, has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities. Putnam draws on evidence including nearly 500,000 interviews over the last quarter century to show that we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often. We're even bowling alone. More Americans are bowling than ever before, but they are not bowling in leagues. Putnam shows how changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, women's roles and other factors have contributed to this decline (http://www.bowlingalone.com/)." Putnam was invited to the White House by President Bill Clinton in xxxx to discuss his research and its implications. (Social capital is a term developed by Pierre Bourdieu?)
2001-03-13 (I believe this is the first time the Directorate Generale published an article using the term social cohesion MFB 2008-03-11.) The Directorate General on Social Cohesion published its second issue of the electronic newsletter " Social cohesion : developments ". Children are the main theme of this issue. There is an article about the Final Conference of the Programme for Children that took place in Nicosia in November 2000. It also presents some NGOs that participated in the Forum for Children. Moreover, this newsletter introduces the new strategy for the protection of children in Romania and presents some of the main issues of the international conference on child labour exploitation. "'Social Cohesion: Developments' Newsletter: hits the newstands." http://www.social.coe.int/en/cohesion/strategy/devunit.htm
2001-12 Building Cohesive Communities: A Report of the Ministerial Group on Public Order and Community Cohesion UK. discussed social cohesion.
2001-12 Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team UK Chaired by Ted Cantle, December 2001 discussed social cohesion.
2003 The Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador published their "Glossary of Terms for the Voluntary Sector." which included a definition of social cohesion.
2003-01-03 Jean Cassidy compiled a glossary of terms used in discussing poverty and social exclusion for a non-specialist audience entitled "Combat Poverty Agency – Glossary of Poverty and Social Inclusion Terms" for the Combat Poverty Agency. She included Social cohesion: Bringing together, in an integrated way, economic, social, health and educational policies to facilitate the participation of citizens in societal life.; Social exclusion: The process whereby certain groups are pushed to the margins of society and prevented from participating fully by virtue of their poverty, low education or inadequate lifeskills. This distances them from job, income and education opportunities as well as social and community networks. They have little access to power and decision-making bodies and little chance of influencing decisions or policies that affect them, and little chance of bettering their standard of living; Social inclusion:Ensuring the marginalised and those living in poverty have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives, allowing them to improve their living standards and their overall well-being; Social Inclusion Units: Structures developed or being developed by local authorities which have a dedicated emphasis on tackling social exclusion. These Units seek to extend key elements of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) to local level and to promote social inclusion as a key priority within local government." The site was modified on 2003-12-01.
2003-01 NSA of UK. 2003. "Social Cohesion – Prospect and Promise." A statement by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom.
2004-06-24 "Jean-Louis Borloo, Ministre de l'emploi, de la cohésion sociale et du logement présentait en conseil des ministres le Plan de cohésion sociale, comportant 20 programmes et 107 mesures destinés à agir simultanément sur trois leviers : l'emploi, le logement et l'égalité des chances." "Il n'y aura pas de croissance durable sans cohésion sociale." more: http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/espaces/social/grands-dossiers/plan-cohesion-sociale/20-programmes-107-mesures-pour-cohesion-sociale-7255.html
2005-05-16 Third Council of Europe summit of heads of state and government, in Warsaw (Poland). (dates >> COE) "The current Council of Europe's political mandate was defined by the third Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Warsaw in May 2005. It "seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals." (dates >> COE)
2005 "Recent applications of social capital theories to population health often draw on classic sociological theories for validation of the protective features of social cohesion and social integration. Durkheim's work on suicide has been cited as evidence that modern life disrupts social cohesion and results in a greater risk of morbidity and mortality—including self-destructive behaviors and suicide. We argue that a close reading of Durkheim's evidence supports the opposite conclusion and that the incidence of self-destructive behaviors such as suicide is often greatest among those with high levels of social integration. A reexamination of Durkheim's data on female suicide and suicide in the military suggests that we should be skeptical about recent studies connecting improved population health to social capital (Kushner and Sterk 2005)."
2006-12-06. Ferroni, Marco. 2006. "Social Capital and Social Cohesion: Definition and Measurement." Medicion de la Calidad de Vida. (IDB) Sustainable Development Department. Inter-American Development Bank. Washington DC. Taller de Consulta sobre. December 8. PowerPoint Presentation. .
2007 "In recent years, there has been an intense public and policy debate about ethnic diversity, community cohesion, and immigration in Britain and other societies worldwide. In addition, there has been a growing preoccupation with the possible dangers to social cohesion represented by growing immigration flows and ethnic diversity. This paper proposes a critical framework for assessing the links between immigration, social cohesion, and social capital. It argues that the concept of social capital is episodic, socially constructed and value-based, depending on the prevailing ideological climate. Considerations of social capital as a public policy tool to achieve social cohesion need to incorporate an appreciation of alternative conceptions of social capital rooted in a textured under-standing of immigrant processes and migration contexts (Cheong et al. 2007)."
2007-10-05In his New York Times Op-Ed article entitled "The Republican Collapse, Brooks argued that the Burkean dispositional conservatism which emerged after the French Revolution has been abandoned by different creedal conservatism: 1) free market conservatives (1967-2008-) built on freedom and capitalism. (creedal conservatives like William F. Buckley, George F. Will and Andrew Sullivan value transformational leadership and perpetual tax cuts, devolve power to the individual, through tax cuts, private pensions and medical accounts, at the price of social cohesion. 1967-2007 free market conservatives within the GOParty have put freedom [with government as a threat to freedom] at the center of their political philosophy); 2) religious conservatives built on a conception of a transcendent order. Within the G.O.P. they have argued that social policies should be guided by the eternal truths of natural law and that questions about stem cell research and euthanasia should reflect the immutable sacredness of human life; and 3) Neoconservatives and others built a creed around the words of Lincoln and the founders. Edmund Burke's ideology of conservatism was based on a reverence for tradition, a suspicion of radical change, epistemological modesty, awareness of the limitations on what we do and can know, what we can and cannot plan, power must always be clothed in constitutionalism. "The Burkean conservative believes that society is an organism; that custom, tradition and habit are the prime movers of that organism; and that successful government institutions grow gradually from each nation's unique network of moral and social restraints." "Temperamental conservative believes government is like fire — useful when used legitimately, but dangerous when not." Dispositional Burkean conservative puts legitimate authority at the center." But temperamental conservatives are suspicious of the idea of settling issues on the basis of abstract truth. These kinds of conservatives hold that moral laws emerge through deliberation and practice. The temperamental conservative does not see a nation composed of individuals who should be given maximum liberty to make choices. Instead, the individual is a part of a social organism and thrives only within the attachments to family, community and nation that precede choice." "Therefore, the Burkean dispositional (temperamental) conservative values social cohesion alongside individual freedom and worries that too much individualism, too much segmentation, too much tension between races and groups will tear the underlying unity on which all else depends. Without unity, the police are regarded as alien powers, the country will fracture under the strain of war and the economy will be undermined by lack of social trust." Brooks, David. 2007-10-05. "The Republican Collapse." New York Times. Dispositional (temperamental) conservatives such as suburban, Midwestern and many business voters value order, prudence and balanced budgets in contrast to creedal conservatives.
2008-08-29 The theme of the 32nd annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies is Religion and Social Cohesion." The past decade has witnessed a resurgence of interest in the role that religion can play as a source of social conflict, on the one hand, and a force of social cohesion on the other. The roots of the term religion – a force of social cohesion. In this regard, religion continues to play a primary role in identity formation even as it reaches to the deepest wells of human commitment and motivation. The Bahá'í Faith, while acknowledging abuses and corruptions of the religious impulse, "declares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of amity and concord, proclaims its essential harmony with science, and recognizes it as the foremost agency for the pacification and the orderly progress of human society. Recent expressions of religious intolerance, conflict and violence have caused leaders of thought, policy makers, and academics to ponder if, or how, religion can play a more constructive role in processes of social integration. How can this force that binds people together, shapes human identities, and reaches to the depths of human motivation, be aligned with the construction of a peaceful, just, and sustainable social order in an age of increasing interdependence among the world's diverse peoples? These are themes that will be explored at the 32nd annual conference of the North American Association for Bahá'í Studies. New and experienced presenters and participants, from all backgrounds and disciplines, are welcome. Possible topics for presentation might include, but are not limited to: the role of the global plans of the Bahá'í community in promoting social cohesion; implications of a Bahá'í culture of learning for processes of social integration; the critique of religion articulated within the "new atheist" discourse of Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and others; social cohesion, public policy, and effective governance; processes of social integration and disintegration; the religious construction of social reality; the psychology of human motivation and identity formation; religion in social development; the forces of attraction and the science of cohesion; and the sources of, and solutions to, religious conflict (source ?)."
Filed in Economics, governance, heimlich, hospitality, Public Policy, religion and politics, Social History Timeline, Social Sciences, Sociology, Technology. Mind and Consciousness, timelines
Tags: Council of Europe, definitions, disparities in wealth and income, Economy, governance, human rights, Jane Jenson, key concepts, OECD, political action, public policy formation network, social change, social cohesion, social exclusion, social inclusion, timeline, timeline:social cohesion, values
What is Being Done in the Name of Social Cohesion?
March 12, 2008
Some of the most compelling work currently being done in the name of social cohesion is undertaken under the auspices of the Council of Europe, formed in Post WWII. The Council of Europe's Directorate General of Social Cohesion (DG III) among other things "develops interaction and synergies between the work of the Council of Europe in the field of social cohesion and other European, regional and universal actors in the field of social cohesion through targeted contacts and liaison with the competent services and bodies of the United Nations family, the OSCE, OECD, the World Bank and the European Union, taking into account the specific responsibilities of the DGAP ( Mandate >> COE)."
"The subject of social cohesion has attracted much attention from inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations during since c. 1993 prompted by a widely-held belief that the quality of public and civic life is in decline (Cantle 2001, MGPOCC 2001, NSAUK 2003)." Social inclusion is one of the major challenges of governance in this advanced stage of globalization where nations are at the threshold of post-nationalism."Cultural activities have the potential of encouraging social cohesion. Cultural industries encompass production and distribution as well as their related knowledge systems. There is a tension between the need for those who are developing and implementing public policy to engage in political and budgetary arbitration while reflecting on the long-term objectives of reconciliation which involves the slower processes of memory work with its passions and anxieties (Flynn-Burhoe "Cultural policy in a highly pluralistic society." 2005)."
Definitions of social cohesion
"Social cohesion is the capacity for cooperation in society based on the set of positive effects accruing from social capital, in addition to the sum of factors promoting equity in the distribution of opportunities among individuals (Ferroni 2006)." Social capital and social cohesion are relevant dimensions of the standard of living, both as means to attain certain desired results and ends in themselves. Social capital and social cohesion are increasingly invoked as desiderata in the evolving discussion of the social agenda and social rights in Latin American Countires. Ferroni illustrated how interpersonal trust and trust in institutions eroded between 1996 and 2004.
"The literature on social cohesion is rich and varied, yet poorly integrated. Social cohesion is a measure of how tightly coupled, robust and unified a community is across a set of indicators. A community with a strong sense of identity and shared goals is considered to be more cohesive than one without these qualities. A cohesive community is also able to buffer more effectively changes resulting from realignments of international actors, national priorities, local political climates, economic upturns or downturns and the introduction of new technologies. Recent developments in agricultural biotechnology and their subsequent commercialisation give us a unique opportunity to chart how agricultural communities adjust to this suite of technologies. There is little agreement on how to define social cohesion. This is somewhat startling considering how widely used this concept is, and how quickly some claim that social cohesion has declined in recent years. Moreover, such assertions suggest that social cohesion is a desired state instead of its more likely manifestation as a process that reflects the changing nature of social relations. (Mehta 2002-11-27).</a>"
"Judith Maxwell (1996) considers the relationship between social cohesion and a range of social conditions that indicate when a society fails to function adequately. Maxwell (1996: 13) defines social cohesion as the sharing of values that reduce "…disparities in wealth and income" while giving people a sense of community. It is assumed from this definition that strongly cohesive societies are better able to face the challenges posed by social, economic and technological change. Many of the debates over new innovations in agricultural biotechnology pick up on this thread. We will now turn to the relationship between social cohesion and biotechnology by examining the challenges and opportunities posed by this technology to various actors (s0urce ?)."
"Jane Jenson (1998: 3) suggests that social cohesion became popular as a topic of discourse because it illuminates the interconnections between "economic restructuring, social change and political action." Furthermore, Jenson notes that a cohesive society is assumed to be socially and economically optimal according to a range of governmental agencies and organisations like the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), and that a decline in cohesion represents a threat to the social order. However, it is worth noting that changes in social cohesion are considered to be much more than simply a threat to the economy (source ?)."
Social Cohesion "is the ongoing process of developing a community of shared values, shared challenges and equal opportunities within Canada, based on a sense of trust, hope and reciprocity among all Canadians." CSC. 2003. "A Glossary of Terms for the Voluntary Sector." Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador. http://www.envision.ca/templates/profile.asp?ID=56
Jean Cassidy compiled a glossary of terms used in discussing poverty and social exclusion for a non-specialist audience entitled "Combat Poverty Agency – Glossary of Poverty and Social Inclusion Terms" for the Combat Poverty Agency. She included Social cohesion: Bringing together, in an integrated way, economic, social, health and educational policies to facilitate the participation of citizens in societal life (Cassidy 2003).
PhD student Marlene De Beer, whose PhD research study focused on social cohesion discourses, their relevance for education policy and practice and interventions by international organisations to develop social cohesion through education suggested in her 2003 paper (2003-09-01) that "There are multiple perspectives on social cohesion, and the following could be seen as influential academic conceptual developments: Social cohesion is a ongoing process that deals with bipolar dimensions of: belonging / isolation, inclusion / exclusion, participation / non-involvement, recognition / rejection, legitimacy / illegitimacy, equality / inequality, reciprocity, trust, hope and shared values (Paul Bernard, 1999; Caroline Beauvais and Jane Jenson, 2002; Sharon Jeannotte, 2000; Sharon Jeannotte, Dick Stanley, Ravi Pendakur, Bruce Jamieson, Maureen Williams, and Amanda Aizlewood, 2002; Jane Jenson, 1998 & 2002; Dick Stanley, 2002; Maureen Williams, 2001). Social cohesion is about wanting to take part (vs. dropping out / opting out); being allowed to take part (vs. discrimination); and being able to take part (vs. deprivation, enabling) (Talja Blockland, 2000:56-70, also see Selma Sevenhuijsen, 1998) (De Beer, Marlene. 2003.)"
Social cohesion: The capacity to live together in harmony with a sense of mutual commitment among citizens of different social or economic circumstances (Senate of Canada definition, based on a review of common elements in various national definitions). (CIRCLE/CCRN, 2000, p. 3)3.
See also Timeline of social events related to social cohesion http://snipurl.com/23a8u Webliography and bibliography related to social cohesion, What is Being Done in the Name of Social Cohesion? as well as http://snipurl.com/23a2b 2 http://snipurl.com/23a77
This theme is also being developed on the page entitled Key Concepts: Social Cohesion >> Speechless.
Creative Commons License 3.0
Flynn-Burhoe, Maureen. 2008. "What is Being Done in the Name of Social Cohesion?" >> Speechless. March 11. First Draft. Last modified March 12, 2008.
Filed in governance, Political Philosophy, postnational, Public Policy, religion and politics, social cohesion, Social History Timeline, teaching learning and research, wealth disparities will intensify
Tags: Council of Europe, definitions, disparities in wealth and income, Economy, governance, human rights, Jane Jenson, key concepts, OECD, political action, public policy formation network, social change, social cohesion, social exclusion, social inclusion, values


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Sonic X
Tim Smith III began his career in the comic book field as a colorist for Eclipse Comics in the mid 1980s. He became an artist with Archie Comics in the early 1990s, working on titles like 'Archie and Friends', 'Sonic the Hedgehog' and, from 2005, 'Sonic X'. He has also been a penciller for DC's 'Teen Titans Go!' (2003) and a contributor to Papercutz's 'Tales from the Crypt' (2007). Smith is an editor for several of Marvel's 'Spider-Man' titles and has also provided artwork to a couple of issues of 'Spider-Man Unlimited'.

subset: commoncrawl


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FORSYTH – St. Charles North senior Ariana Furrie played her first four holes at 1-under par Saturday, and a charge up the leaderboard at the IHSA Class AA state tournament seemed imminent.
Unfortunately for Furrie, the thunder and lightning hovering around Hickory Point Golf Club were clicking, too.
Inclement weather canceled Saturday's rounds at the five separate boys and girls state tournaments downstate, limiting results only to what had been completed Friday. Chronicle-area athletes and coaches headed for home earlier than expected on Saturday afternoon, wishing the outcome had been different.
"It's such an exciting time for the girls, and that's their big ultimate goal to get down there and play at state," North coach Chris Patrick said. "When you get down there and weather dictates how much you can play, it's just frustrating for everybody."
Storms in the greater Decatur area (girls) and in Bloomington-Normal (boys) kept golfers waiting throughout the day.
A sizable clubhouse and covered patio at Hickory Point housed its share of frantic onlookers, many of whom checked the radar on their cell phones.
Play initially was set to start with a shotgun start att 9 a.m., but a series of lightning delays hampered any momentum. At Hickory Point, Furrie and St. Charles East senior Paige Jordan were preparing to return to the course with the rest of the field around 2 p.m., but then lightning struck again.
"We needed to be about 20 miles more south and another hour of daylight would have helped," Saints coach Rod Osborne said, " but I don't know if they even would have finished before dark had they gotten out on the last try."
About 45 minutes north of Decatur, at Illinois State's Weibring Golf Club in Normal, the Kaneland boys enjoyed an early turnaround in the Class 2A tournament. The Knights stood tied for 10th in the team race entering the day, but were a manageable 20 shots behind the co-leaders.
Kaneland's first team entry at state since 1995 found the day to be bittersweet.
"It was a goal to make it to state, which we were happy about, but we still wanted to perform well," Knights coach Mark Meyer said. "We started to play a good round today, and unfortunately, the weather kind of came down and that was it. In the end, they were still were very happy to get there."
IMSA Sectional: At Aurora, Batavia's doubles team of Jenny Mizikar and Amelia Cogan downed fellow state tournament qualifiers Andrea Goyao and Megan Conlin of Rosary, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, to win the sectional title. Both entries were their teams' lone qualifiers to next week's state tournament.
Batavia (20 points) finished second in the sectional behind Oswego East (24). Top Bulldogs singles players Liza Fruendt and Miranda Grizaffi lost three-set matches during qualifying round play Friday.
St. Francis 49, Guerin 0: At River Grove, St. Francis (4-4) rolled in the Suburban Christian Conference crossover to snap a four-game losing streak. The Spartans led, 42-0, after one quarter.
Jack Petrando and T.J. Jackson both had two rushing touchdowns. Petrando carried three times for 130 yards.
The Spartans need a win against struggling SCC Blue foe St. Edward next week to become playoff-eligible.
Maine West Pumpkin Tournament: At Des Plaines, Kristen Koncelik (45 kills) and Heather Meyer (39 digs) helped Batavia finish 3-2 and take the Silver Consolation Bracket championship. The Bulldogs (17-16) beat Jacksonville, 25-21, 27-25 in their final match, securing the sweep after rallying from a 24-23 deficit in Game 2.
Audrey Faulhaber added 122 assists in the five matches.
"This was definitely a great tournament for us," Bulldogs coach Lori Trippi-Payne said. "We are continuing to work on improving our overall game, and we made some strides in that direction over the weekend."
Glenbard East Autumnfest: At Lombard, St. Charles East finished 3-2 at the invitational, defeating Lisle, Schaumburg and Waubonsie Valley. Erienne Barry dished 101 assists for the Saints in the tournament, including 30 in the final match, a 15-25, 30-28, 25-16 win against Waubonsie Valley. Nicole Woods had 18 of her 52 kills against Waubonsie, while Emma Johnson added 31 tournament kills.
Lincoln-Way Central Tournament: At New Lenox, Burlington Central rallied from a pair of pool play losses to defeat Thornton Fractional North, Lincoln-Way West and Oak Lawn en route to the Bronze Division championship. Junior libero Allie O'Reilly recorded 74 digs for the tournament to give her 494 for her career, breaking Sam Bohne's previous school record of 449. All-tournament team selection Lexie Bouza added 36 kills and 40 digs for the 23-10 Rockets.
Kaneland fourth at Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference meet: At Peru, Kaneland placed fourth with 118 team points behind Kyle Carter (11th, 15:54) and Conor Johnson (23rd, 16:18). Yorkville won the title with 27 points.
While the Knights managed a 56-second split in their top seven, the team still was hoping for a more consistent run with the state series looming.
"We clearly need to rebound at home next week with the regional," Knights coach Chad Clarey said. "This was the last time this season we can have a race like this."
Marmion wins SCC meet: At Aurora, host Marmion placed six runners in the top 10 to take the SCC title comfortably. The Cadets scored 25 team points, topping runner-up Aurora Central Catholic (60), which boasted overall champ Matt Meyers (16:05).
John Graft (16:38) paced Marmion as individual runner-up; teammates Liam O'Dea and Ethan Young were next, finishing within seven seconds. St. Francis (third, 73), Wheaton Academy (fourth, 85) and Aurora Christian (fifth, 161) also were part of the eight-team field. The Spartans' NIck Vilimek was fifth.
Kaneland second at NI Big 12 meet: At Peru, Victoria Clinton (third, 18:13) and Brianna Bower (eighth, 18:40) registered top 10 finishes to help Kaneland to a second-place team score. The Knights had 65 points, 39 back of champion Yorkville.
St. Francis second at SCC meet: At Aurora, St. Francis' Kate Roback (second) and Jenna DiValerio (fourth) paced the Spartans to 60 teams points and a second-place finish among nine teams. Montini won the conference title with 31 points.
Rosary (99 points) finished third behind fifth-place individual Kara Kalisz. Wheaton Academy (fourth, 110), Aurora Central Catholic (fifth, 124) and Aurora Christian (seventh, 169) also competed.


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This pattern is the best one I've found so far for a small, quick build that flies well. It's a great choice for a fast project with kids. Unfortunately, the original gif file by Jeremy Carson (1987) is older than most of the net itself, low-res, and badly deteriorating.
Using Carson's original measurements, I've rebuilt the file in Illustrator, giving the kite a blank face so that you can decorate it on your own. (Click for full sized file.)
OR, here's one I already decorated with part of the coat of arms of the Czech Republic, for no reason better than that I really like that lion.
Build Notes:
The file prints on letter size paper. Please note that you don't need special lightweight paper to get this model to fly well – regular weight printer paper works best. I suggest bamboo skewers, available in most grocery stores wherever the toothpicks are, for the spars. Use regular cotton or polyester sewing thread for the line (NOT serious kite line, because it's too heavy), and don't skimp on the length of the tails. This kite needs heavy rear drag to stabilize.
Flight Notes:
Once you've built it, you might think your kite's sail area looks pretty small compared to the weight of the paper, the spars, the glue, and the huge twin tails you've rigged it with... BUT, don't worry! She flies very well... provided you have steady wind. This kite will dance for gusts, but like most small kites, it doesn't launch easily in on-off winds. Still, it doesn't take much to get her airborne. Launch in steady winds, minimum 8 mph. If you have steady winds above 12 mph, you should be able to launch without any running. (Serious kite flyers hate running starts, did you know that?) Optimum wind speed is 12-15mph, maximum is 18 or thereabouts.
I've never had to add wing tassels or mini tails to my builds, but Jeremy suggested it in the original instructions, so it's likely worth a shot if you have a balance issue. If your kite takes some altitude and then suddenly starts spinning around in a tight circle, it's because the winds are simply too strong for the sail to cope with at that altitude, and the balance can't be fixed. You just need a bigger kite.


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Phil: Have you noticed there seems to be a high number of possible referendums coming down the electoral pike?
Ethan: I have. From guns, to bear trapping, to Clean Elections funding, to legalizing marijuana, Mainers will likely be debating many questions in 2014.
Phil: How about we get started on the debate? I assume you're in favor of the possible referendum question to eliminate concealed carry permits?
Ethan: I'm with law enforcement on this one, no way.
Phil: The distinction here is important. Citizens don't need a permit to carry a gun; they only need a permit to conceal it from public view. Like you, I'm not supporting this referendum because law enforcement needs the ability to assess if someone seeking a concealed weapon permit has a criminal background or mental health issues.
Ethan: Agree with you there. If you want to carry a gun, don't hide it. If you want to hide it, get a permit. How about bear trapping? Animal rights groups are trying to stop the use of bait, dogs, or traps to hunt bear.
Phil: This is a re-run campaign from 2004 when it lost, 53 to 47 percent. Sportsmen will have to dispel the perception that attracting bear is un-sportsperson like. Isn't it interesting that we don't see referendums regarding attractions or traps for coyote or fish?
Ethan: Having never been a hunter, it is beyond me how someone sees it as a challenge or thrill to trap a bear or tree it with dogs and then simply shoot the animal.
Phil: I'm not a bear hunter, but perhaps listening to sportsmen would be enlightening.
Ethan: Those who support bear trapping unfortunately did an incredible job in 2004 convincing everyone that ending the practice was a safety problem for southern Maine and would cost jobs in northern Maine. Although neither was true, those opposed will have to find an answer to counter those arguments.
Phil: How about the likely referendum on welfare for politicians?
Ethan: You mean "Clean Elections."
Phil: No, I mean welfare for politicians. It hasn't made our elections any "cleaner" since it was put into law in the 1990s.
Ethan: Well, then you should support this referendum. It will strengthen the law by banning those who use Clean Election funds from having privately funded political action committees.
Phil: Actually, all it will do is open up the state checkbook to bigger taxpayer subsidies. You know how the game works: so-called "clean" candidates take taxpayer dollars to run their campaign, and then they raise money from special interest groups to spend on other campaigns. What an insult to taxpayers.
Ethan: Well, as I said, this referendum ends the practice of having a leadership PAC while also getting public funds. What's your answer to getting big money out of politics?
Phil: For me, "big money" would include troops of "volunteers" knocking on doors in support of or to defeat a candidate. It would also include "in-kind" services like political analysis and computer data mining. How do you account for these assets that also influence election outcomes?
Ethan: Same way. If money is used to buy them, limit the money. How about legalizing the recreational use of marijuana? There is talk of doing a statewide referendum.
Phil: Perhaps we should demand that our congressional delegation bring a bill to the floor of Congress to legalize marijuana? For Maine to pass a law in direct conflict with federal law is not a law people should live by with certainty.
Ethan: To be honest, I am a little slow to the table of acceptance on this issue. Many of my progressive friends disagree, but I see so much abuse and addiction among friends, family and the students I serve that I am hard pressed to think it's a good idea to make it more accessible.
Phil: Whether it's your students or baby boomers, the facts are marijuana is being consumed in mass quantities and enriching people who get paid in cash and pay no income taxes. Meanwhile people like you and me are paying their share of operating our debt-ridden government.
Ethan: I get the sense that you are in favor of legalization?
Phil: I'm not sure, but I do know that a debate might bring us to a place where it would be outlawed across the land or made legal and regulated. It's time we had that conversation.
Ethan: Fair enough. Another gun referendum that might get on the ballot is requiring background checks on the purchase of firearms. This one has about 85 percent support.
Phil: I'm trying to figure out a way to make this universal, so a background check can be easy and inexpensive whether you buy a gun at LL Bean, through Uncle Henry's or from a relative. Unfortunately, I believe people with criminal intent will find a way to avoid the law, no matter what.
Ethan: By definition, criminals avoid laws. But the answer to that problem isn't getting rid of the law. "Since people rob banks, I guess we should eliminate laws against bank robbery!"
Phil: I get your point. The difference here is that law abiding citizens honoring their constitutional rights are impacted by your well-intended law. Meanwhile criminals will carry on.
Ethan: Well, if by "impacted" you mean I need to go to my local gun dealer to make sure the person who wants my gun passes a background check, I guess that is an impact I am willing to bear to make it harder for criminals to purchase guns.
Phil: Well, suffice it to say, there will be a lot to talk about in the coming year as we get to debate all these issues and more. If nothing else, these folks are keeping political analysts like us relevant on the opinion page.


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Mt. Gox Files for Bankruptcy; What's Next for Bitcoin?
Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox said it was filing for bankruptcy protection and that 750,000 of its customers' bitcoins had been lost. Is the end of the crypto-currency or merely growing pains? Columbia Business School assistant professor Moshe Cohen discusses on MoneyBeat.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... in mm mm mm ... bitcoin exchange and our doc said it was filing for ... bankruptcy protection ... and at seven hundred and fifty thousand of its customers bake ones ... and why ... the dollar ... had been lost ... and as I got as what is this the end of the UN currency on the league and growing pains joining us to discuss what's next for bitcoins Columbia Business School assistant profession professor ... Moshe Cohen ... before I as destructive ... Korea pepper you on this but it ... doesn't tell the Wall we know exactly Paul puts on not ... overnight overnight New York Times on mascots filed for bankruptcy protection ... they said they'll press covers they said that ... about seven hundred and fifty thousand equivalent of customers were lost ... on worth abruptly depending on whether GM Ford and seventy three million a day at sixty three million in outstanding debt the website went down October twenty Fifth he'd never came back and I guess ... the question is ... on more than is it ever going to come back what does this mean for bitcoin the question that I ... did the work I keep seeing attached to this is existential YouTube is an existential crisis for my point I think a good way to think about bitcoin is bitcoin is now a robotic surgery ... that can take the place of of of surgeons ... so ... you know absolutely if I told you that there is now technology where robots can perform precise surgery you will adopt to do that in place of maybe some really old surgeon was shaking hands but ... you want a doctor to be there because the programming of the robot may be in perfect there may be problems that can come up ... I knew I wanted to be in hospital ... right ... aam in the case of bitcoin and this is sort of the robotic technology has developed but ... there's been a sordid little oversight ... I'm assuming in public ... but there's been little supervision and so it's it's an expected development is an existential crisis began ... back to the analogy ... this robotic technology is so powerful we're not can it ... turn our heads in and can give up on it because it was an implemented the right way either by the upsurge in implementing it for the technology itself so I tend to agree I think that the Proms now Gotshal and being a email ... to see this isn't ... this is not only is the Lehman Brothers systemic races to think what ... this is the big question ... not all of the will of the twenty minutes the people into the ladies know Silk Road drug traffickers and now they know as an exchange Ecolab for whatever reason to what is is due to the reputation of the close of this is an opportunity it's it's kind of ... its own dramatic this is an opportunity lot of people lost a lot of money that's very unfortunate an opportunity to be taken in two directions ... competing exchanges for bitcoin believers ... we use this as as a pity we use this and represent this as part of the learning process to develop a better product ... will be a better blend of some verification and supervision in the new implementations ... and I'll say that this is sort of a painful but and costly part of the learning process ... there's also an opportunity for complete alternatives there's lots of competition to bitcoin ... but the key thing to note is if you're competing with a first mover that has a first mover advantage and a network effect you have to offer a differentiated product you have to offer something that is significantly different ... here's a place where people can come and if other exchanges other ... currencies or other technologies can provide better assurances ... then there's an opportunity for real competition in the toss and alternative currencies like the old name calling Dogecoin ... TPG consequences that I mean that ... I think the problem with the I don't mean the problem with with with these other technologies is that began ... open source for the crypto up up for the mathematical algorithms but there isn't sufficient differentiation they're talking about some difference is in my name right but where do people really wanna see ... differentiation we want some assurances this'll either come in the form of the ... clients the wallets now are taking more verification aam aam measures ... the exchanges particularly people of larger accounts there are taking more measures ... if you wanna introduce a new system for an alternative for this digital transfer technology ... there's a place to start ... and that's only a stop ... motion Cullen things come in and take on the things you very much appreciated things are happening ...


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Slayer Back in the Studio for Eleventh Album
Slayer's last album, 'World Painted Blood,' arrived in 2009, but a lot has gone on with the band since then. Following Jeff Hanneman's death and Dave Lombardo's dismissal, there's been some significant change within the group. However, Slayer have made a transition with the help of guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Paul Bostaph. Now, after finding their groove live, the band is back working on a new album.
The band revealed their first new song in five years earlier this spring when they debuted the track 'Implode' at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. But further evidence of the group working on new music just surfaced in the form of a photo from the studio.
The shot, which shows guitarist Kerry King from behind as he hovers over a studio console can been seen in the posting below:
The posting is also captioned with the hashtag #SlayerAlbum15. Earlier this year the band stated that they had signed to Nuclear Blast and were planning to release their next album in 2015. Aside from the photo, nothing further is known in terms of their progress.
However, the band will return to the road in November and December, sharing stages with Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus. Dates can be found here.
You Think You Know Slayer?


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Synology DiskStation DS412+ full review
Synology has been in the NAS business for a dozen years now, and has a wide range of models from single-bay home tabletop units to 12-bay and rackmount storage drives. Read more storage reviews.
The DiskStation range currently includes eight units in the heavier-weight SMB category, recognised by a + suffix that denotes enhanced performance for busier workloads. The Synology DiskStation DS412+ is a development of the DS411 and DS411j models, but taking a whole new case design that now suggests it's built for business.
In place of 1.6GHz or 1.2GHz processors in the former models, the Synology DiskStation DS412+ takes a more lavish dual-core 2.13GHz Intel Atom chip – the same that Synology fits to its big DS1511+ and DS1812+ five- and six-bay units.
The Synology DiskStation DS412+ echoes the build quality of Synology's other products – predominantly lightweight plastic construction, but well-crafted and with no small amount of style. In place of sturdy metal chassis and hinged doors, we find plastic bay trays and a pop-off plastic frontispiece.
And the Synology DiskStation DS412+ is the only NAS in this class we've seen that omits any form of illuminated display on the unit itself.
Synology DiskStation DS412+: Hardware Features
As well as having one of the fastest processors you'll find in a NAS up to medium-business size, the Synology DiskStation DS412+ is well served in connectivity options. Two gigabit ethernet ports can be configured for link aggregation, if you have a compliant switch with 10Gb output. This is how Synology is able to boast top read/write speeds exceeding 205/182MBps.
As well as the usual USB port to the front, here a v2.0, there are two USB 3.0 behind. As useful for high-speed external drives is an available eSATA port.
Power supply is external, a chunky 100W block, while two 92mm fans keep the four discs operationally cool. Synology lists the processor stage as passively cooled.
The plastic boxwork may not embue the Synology DiskStation DS412+ with the same business-class feel as other NAS drives, but the choice of construction does make this unit quieter.
This is helped by such neat touches as rubber grommets around the disk-mounting screws, which conspicuously reduce frame vibration being transmitted through the case. The result is the quietest NAS box we've tested in its SMB class.
A line of green LEDs indicate disk activity, while a Status LED tries unsuccessfully to emulate the slow pulsing effect of Apple hardware when the unit is idle.
Synology DiskStation DS412+: Software Features
We've found Synology to have the most attractive and easy to use firmware in the business. The latest DSM 4.0 operating system brings the admin interface even closer to the appearance of a fully fledged modern PC OS, including a handy retractable system monitor panel to the right. Individual modules move with animations to the top-mounted dock when minimised.
Synology's DSM4.0 is the latest iteration of a beautifully crafted admin environment that more closely resembles a modern desktop Linux window manager
It may look simple, but the smart interface successfully skins a very powerful set of options below. There are the usual file-share protocols of CIFS, AFP, NFS and FTP, plus WebDAV, and a host of business virtualisation packages (VMware, Citirx and Microsoft).
Synology exCloud makes it straightforward to allow remote access to the drive; but Synology also takes security seriously. A default installation, for instance, disables all guest access, and a firewall and Auto Block help to keep out unwanted visitors from such NAS drives' increasingly outward-facing connection options.
More fundamentally liberating can be Synology's SHR RAID system (Synology Hybrid RAID), which allows disks of disparate sizes to mixed together in one volume.
In the negative column, use of Synology's rsync Backup facility, to copy data to another NAS drive, would result in a myriad of annoying files and directories labelled '@eaDir' getting scattered throughout the target volume.
Synology DiskStation DS412+: Performance
Read speeds of the Synology DiskStation DS412+ were fast, reaching 100MBps with small 512kB files, rising to our gigabit network's maximum of 112MBps with all data above 20MB size.
And all-important write speeds were excellent across a range of file sizes, plateauing at around 70MBps in our tests. From 1MB and 10MB files, we saw write speeds of 20MBps and 54MBps respectively. The Synology was the second fastest unit in recently tested SMB-class NAS drives, beaten only in maximum write speed by the Netgear ReadyNAS Pro 6 with its desktop processor.
Yet the Synology DiskStation DS412+ also had one of the lowest power consumption figures, idling at just 15W with disks spun down. With four 2TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 disks under load, overall power draw rose to 47W.
Synology DiskStation DS412+: Specs
- 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 dual-core x86
- 2x gigabit ethernet
- 1x front, 2x rear USB 3.0 ports
- 1x eSATA
- 2x 92mm fans
- external 12V/8.33A power supply
- iPhone apps: DS file, DS audio, DS photo+, DS finder, DS cam, DS photo
- 165 x 203 x 233mm
- 2-year warranty


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Construction Consumer Products Metals & Materials Safety Environment Transportation Chemicals Energy Medical Quality
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Looking to learn more about balloting or negative votes, or other member work? Register for a webinar on the topic.
ASTM International training takes several forms, all to help sharpen your skill set in your industry or in your ASTM participation. Training is (or should be) an ongoing part of our professional lives, and it's one often mandated by companies and government agencies.
Since part of its mission is to provide services related to voluntary consensus standards, ASTM International offers training to both members and nonmembers. Today, ASTM is taking advantage of new tools and techniques to expand its training through methods designed to be flexible for you.
Recently added to ASTM training options are the eTEC concrete programs in strength testing and field testing. With modules created under the supervision of a licensed civil engineer, eTEC prepares professionals for certification exams in concrete field testing, which covers seven ASTM standards, and concrete strength testing, which uses four ASTM standards. A sample module, on C231, Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method, can be accessed online free of charge. The module contains the standard's text, a self-guided slide presentation, hands-on video demonstrations, procedure outlines, a glossary and a review quiz.
According to Rod Elderton, the ASTM eTEC training has ongoing value. Certification committee chair for the SoCal Chapter of the American Concrete Institute and a retired technical manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Elderton says that his ACI chapter conducts from 14 to 19 Grade 1 certification programs each year, with an average class size of 35, and uses eTEC. "Our students continue to refer to the eTEC training after certification to assist them in becoming more familiar with the performance of the various tests," he says.
Additional online training videos, available to ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library Plus clients, cover details of running ASTM standard test methods developed by a number of ASTM technical committees. ASTM plans more to come for those who prefer online training options.
ASTM also takes advantage of online formats for members and officers by holding regular webinars on relevant topics. From new member orientation and handling negative votes to roster maintenance and using online standards development tools, ASTM staffers host free programs to introduce you to or assist you in your member tasks and responsibilities. Check the roster of topics, upcoming dates and times, and to register. In addition, slide presentations that accompany the officers' training workshop can be accessed (at no charge) from the member training pages. Presentations address strategic planning, electronic balloting, officer responsibilities and more.
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For more details, contact ASTM Sales (phone: 877-909-ASTM).
If you would like a program developed where none currently exists, contact David von Glahn, ASTM (phone: 610-832-9591).


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Cal Evans is back today with his latest "live" recap from the floor of this year's O'Reilly Open Source Convention, this time with the happenings of Day Three.
Wow, how times files when you are having fun. After I finished yesterday's wrap-up, I sat through most of the opening session that included Tim O'Reilly's Radar. It was an interesting parade of up and comers who Tim thought we should know about. Unfortunately, none of them were PHP based so it's really not germane to this post. Before it ended I had to duck out anyhow for an interview with Theo Schlossnagle of OmniTI.
They talked about a wide range of subjects, before Theo had to give a talk. By then, though, the conference hall was opened - including access to the vendors (and their swag). Cal also mentions the Lightning Talks (given by Laura Thomson and Zac Greant) as well as Marcus Borger's "presentation" consisting of asking the audience what they wanted to hear about.


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LG's top-tier LCD TV, the extra large 55-inch version of the LM960V series in this case, has a dual-core processor and passive 3D system to add to its headline Nano LED-backlight technology. But can it cut the mustard when considering the likes of Sony's latest HX853-series?
The 55LM960V is a whopper of a TV. The box it was delivered in was huge and cumbersome – a trait that the TV itself avoids, despite its 45kg weight.
Like all the best TV designs it's the 55LM960V's screen that's left to dominate. The flat panel is surrounded by a 13mm-deep silver-like bezel that protrudes a mere 3mm over the screen. The bottom banner is a touch more, at 15mm, but it's still small and barely noticeable when watching the screen. This is one good-looking telly.
The two-pronged, fork-like stand is equally subtle and unobtrusive; indeed it carries forth the same elegant finish as the rest of the TV. From the outside there's not a hint of overdesign here, unlike some other manufacturers.
Beyond the main set itself LG has delivered not one but two controllers: there's the standard remote, but also what the company calls a "magic remote" with voice recognition.
The magic remote works like a bit like a Nintendo Wii controller - ie. pointing it at the screen will move a pointer around. May sound rather pointless, but it does help speed up access to different apps and typing (well, more pointing and clicking). But voice recognition? Pull the other one. Samsung's S Voice and Apple's Siri have been the brunt of enough jokes of late and we don't think telling your TV what to do has a lot of life to it.
Can the external elegance be replicated on screen? The LM960V isn't short of features that promise the utmost in picture quality.
There's a dual core processor to produce what LG describes as "lifelike, detailed pictures", while the Nano LED backlight array is designed in conjunction with the MCI 1000Hz (Motion Clarity Index) to produce a smooth, locally dimmed image with richer blacks and more vibrant subjects.
Results are good, but they're not the £2600 asking price kind of good. That's a full grand - yup, an extra £1000 - more than the Sony Bravia KDL-55HX835. Ouch.
The LG's black level is good enough, though not as outstanding as the price tag might suggest. In black-only scenes, such as simple logo screens before a main movie, there can be a lack of uniformity.
There's plenty of contrast and colours are bright and punchy, though playback is dependent on the handful of picture modes. Intelligent mode will auto-adjust the set depending on surroundings for the best picture, while there are other options for vivid, cinematic and others, including two ISF settings for expert control.
Open up either of these latter two options - there are two so it's possible to program one for bright, daytime viewing and the other for dark, night time viewing - and it's possible to calibrate black level, colour temperature, LED local dimming amount, red/green tints and much more for a pro-looking picture.
This is when results can be taken up a notch, although we have to admit that the intelligent mode does a fine job of adjusting the screen.
3D paves the way
But it's 3D where the LG 55LM960V really excels. The fact it comes bundled with seven pairs of glasses is more than a small hint that LG is trying to push the third dimension.
So we best get this off our chest now: we don't really care for 3D. Not at all in fact. It doesn't work for everyone, or, if you're Marc Kermode, it'll make you downright angry.
But LG has shown that the passive 3D system can work a treat - the LM960V proves that. It's far easier on the eye rather than the active shutter 3D, and this particular LG TV doesn't suffer from any irritating cross-talk. Images are smooth thanks to the processing and, all things considered, we'd opt for this type of 3D over the competition.
Where things are a bit ropey, however, is with the 2D to 3D conversion. Activated - and then probably quickly deactivated - at the click of a button, this system has its heart in the right place, but 2D converted into 3D on the fly looks, well, wrong. 2010's Clash of the Titans proved that in a single, sweeping blow.
Built-in Wi-Fi joins four HDMI 1.4 ports and a triplet of USB ports. As with any smart TV the LG LM960V is all about connectivity, browsing and apps.
The "My Apps" button on the controller pulls up a bottom bar that protrudes over the image. It quickly disappears if it was pressed by mistake, otherwise it's an easy way to gain access to all the most common settings.
Apps such as Lovefilm, Netflix and BBC iPlayer will all prove popular, though there are plenty of others that can be downloaded too.
These include games that, on the whole, seem rather ill-responsive and not much fun to play. Minigate's Angry Duckling - an apparent play on words of the better known and, indeed, far superior Angry Birds - was a pain to play with the magic controller. We certainly weren't feeling the magic, furthered by the stutters and jumps that shouldn't be present given the LG LM960V's dual-core processor. Still, you can't have it all and, at the end of the day, a TV is more about playback than two-bit gaming.
Otherwise navigating the menus with the magic controller is a quick and easy experience.
Both Plex and DLNA support also means it's possible to source video files from your personal computer, or connected NAS drives if you have such a personal home network set up. File formats are compatible aplenty: MKV and AVI proved no problem.
Beefy sound
The LM960V's built-in speaker set up is heavyweight when it comes to outing the audio. It surrounds the room more than the Sony HX853 series, and it's far bassier and boomier than the Panasonic WT50 series.
For some it may be almost too bass-heavy. It serves plenty of clout when watching movies and the like - indeed Christain Bale's Batman voice was teetering rather close to a brown noise-inducing experience.
Like the variety of picture presets there are also audio presets. Whether standard, cinema, or a different setup takes your fancy - the EQ presets will shift to suit different means.
There's a lot to like about the LG 55LM960V. It's a good-looking product with a dominating screen, passive 3D works really well, and the sound is bold and booming.
But for £2600 it's a lot of money to ask. We'd have expected a deeper black level and better overall picture for that kind of money - though that's not to say these are bad by any stretch of the word.
On the gaming front our experiences were absolutely fine, even if LG is known for greater input lag than its nearest competitors - but we're talking milliseconds here, something that, to our eyes, isn't a notable worry.
However the downloadable game apps available for the telly are often sluggish to respond and therefore aren't a very fun experience, which doesn't bode well for the 960V's dual core processing power.
Overall this is a grand telly that'll look stonking in any room; it has a good picture, but the price tag is pushing it for what's on offer.


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Praline Sweet Potato Pie
Adding a pleasant crunch, praline crumbles contrast perfectly with the smooth sweet potato filling in this recipe. It's a fun, festive update on a classic Southern dessert. —Carol Gillespie, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Total TimePrep: 30 min. Bake: 45 min.
Makes8 servings
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
- 1-3/4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Whipped cream
- Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with waxed paper; set aside. For praline crumbles, in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, brown sugar, cream and butter. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in pecans.
- Bring to a boil; cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla; stir for 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly and begins to lose its gloss. Quickly drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until set. Coarsely chop.
- Unroll pastry into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edges. Sprinkle 1 cup praline crumbles into pastry. Place the sweet potatoes, egg yolks, sugar, milk, cream, butter, extract and spices in a food processor. Cover and process just until blended. Pour into crust.
- Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary.
- Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining praline crumbles.
TO MAKE AHEAD: Praline crumbles can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Store in an airtight container.


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Abellio needs to work on customer service.
I lost my season ticket yesterday so when I had a chat with the ticket office at HFE. They said as I purchased the ticket online they couldn't see the details and I need to liaise with them first. Fair enough.
This is where Abellio GA really needs some work.
On their website it tells you call their phone number but no details on what option to use.
1. Call 1 - selected option 2. Lady on line said she will deal with it and then put me on hold, 5 minutes later line hung up.
2. Call 2 - selected option 2. Said call option 3 or they can transfer me and told me they only work till 5pm. It was 6pm, so I said wouldn't they be closed and I should call tomorrow. The man said yes, but he offered to transfer me again! I checked and indeed they were closed.
3. Call 3 - selected option 3 - Told me to call trainline.
4. Call 4 - Called trainline - Told me to call Abellio as they don't do after sale but said I should selection option 6.
5. Call 5 - selected option 6 - Said I should call option 3, then hung up when I said I called this earlier.
6. Call 6 - selected option 3 - Said this is corporate accounts only, I explained why I called back but me on hold, 5 minutes later hung up.
7. Call 7 - selected option 8 - Selected 8 as customer service, and re-told whole story. They lady opened a case for me and put me on hold to confirm procedure (had to buy new tickets for remainder of season ticket and send via POST with cover letter and they they will process it).
Now, I thought as this situation is going to be quite common, that
a) Website would indicate clearly whom to call and or provide procedure.
b) Agents on the phone lines knew how the process worked. Even the customer service agent wasn't 100% sure.
The entire process was very unpleasant to say the least.
GA Season Ticket woes
For the customers of Greater Anglia, FCC and Network Rail
Post Reply
5 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: GA Season Ticket woes
Maybe contact them on Twitter? I'm increasingly finding that this method can be more effective than a phone call!!
Re: GA Season Ticket woes
Good advice.
I'll definitely try that next time.
I'll definitely try that next time.
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon 02 Dec, 2013 7:42 pm
Re: GA Season Ticket woes
I agree - Twitter is definitely the most effective way of getting GA to respond in my experience. Their social media team seem well trained at dealing with issues like this. The fact that your request - and their response to it - is then being viewed by all of their followers probably helps.
Re: GA Season Ticket woes
A couple of years ago I lost a season ticket (for the Hertford North line under FCC), which I'd bought online and had loads of trouble getting a replacement season ticket. In the end it got sorted out only when I emailed the Chief Exec of FCC directly, it then got sorted pretty quickly.
Post Reply
5 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Archive for March, 2015
Local Love
Kansas City's been getting a whole lotta love lately, and it's very well deserved. Centrally located and reasonably priced, KC boasts some damn fine food & drink, not to mention a thriving art & music scene. It's also home to some amazing entrepreneurs putting out some tasty products. The lead-off company in this article by KC Magazine is one that's near and dear to us.
Zim's sauces are produced by such lovely people, and the products are amazing! My husband puts a little Bufsas on almost everything and he swears it cured his chronic heartburn. My favorite of the hot sauces is the Kiksas, which has more of a sour zing. But my overall favorite product is their savory balsamic. It's super thick, lightly seasoned so that it still tastes like balsamic, and is flavorful without being too spicy. Drizzled on roasted veggies, scrambled eggs, grilled chicken…pretty much anything. When we went camping last summer it was one of the few condiments we took because it was so versatile. They also take the balsamic a step further for the Zim's Vim and mix in olive oil, tangerine, and blood orange juice. It's a perfect ready-to-go salad dressing or bread dipping sauce.
We're not listed in the article as a vendor but we do carry the 12oz Bufsas & Kiksas, as well as the 12.5oz Balsamic and Vim. Aside from picking up one for yourself, it makes a great hostess, housewarming, or even going away gift…a little KC for the road.