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Deconstructing Functional Programming
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Gilad Bracha explains how to distinguish FP hype from reality and to apply key ideas of FP in non-FP languages, separating the good parts of FP from its unnecessary cultural baggage.
Gilad Bracha is the creator of the Newspeak programming language and a software engineer at Google where he works on Dart. Previously, he was a VP at SAP Labs, a Distinguished Engineer at Cadence, and a Computational Theologist and Distinguished Engineer at Sun. He is co-author of the Java Language Specification, and a researcher in the area of object-oriented programming languages.
Software is Changing the World. QCon empowers software development by facilitating the spread of knowledge and innovation in the developer community. A practitioner-driven conference, QCon is designed for technical team leads, architects, engineering directors, and project managers who influence innovation in their teams.
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excellent presentation !!!
Rafiq Ahmed
Faisal Waris
Agree Smalltalk (as a hybrid functional-OO) language was ahead of its time. Also agree that FP sometimes is treated with religious fervor which is not helping its cause.
However as Gilad himself shows (via many examples) Monads from FP are indeed a useful concept. I personally think programmers should get familiar with them - regardless of the obtuse terminology; they just allow you to work at a higher level of abstraction.
You know after Smalltalk I was never really satisfied with either Java or C#. C# was OK but it was not until F# came along that I felt 'at home' again. IMHO F# is one of the most practical and versatile functional-OO languages on the market today.
Contrary to Gilad, Hindley-Milner type inference actually works very well in F# (which is part of the ML family). F# is statically typed but imparts the feel of a dynamically typed language because so few type annotations are needed.
It is true that when types don't align the error messages can be confusing with Hindley-Milner inference. In the beginning this was a hurdle for me. However with experience you develop a good sense of where the problem might be and can fix it quickly.
In both Visual Studio and Xamarin Studio you can 'discover' the type of any F# function / name in the source code editor just by hovering the mouse over it. I believe this is a must-have tooling feature for any language with type inference because the type information is not apparent from source code. Can't over emphasize the roll of tooling for any language!
Wonderful and entertaining
Alexander Shopov
Functional Programming is about working with Values i.e. non-Mutable data
Morten Brodersen
As per usual Gilad Bracha is more interested in controversy than facts
Morten Brodersen
I would suggest that Gilad Bracha try to read a few Computer Science papers, especially the type theory behind OO and how it differs from the lambda calculus. And if Mr. Gilad finds the papers hard to read then I suggest he starts out with one of the many "Introduction to Computer Science" books out there.
2. Stating that Functional Programming is higher order functions + avoiding effects: Wrong.
Languages are about choosing what is easy and what is hard. It is easy in functional languages to work with immutable values and harder to work with mutable objects. OO languages are the opposite.
Gilad Bracha very carefully avoids talking about Haskell. Why? Because Haskell IS a pure functional language and would be a great example of showing what makes a truly functional language different from (say) Java. However he chose not to. My guess is that it would have made the talk less controversial?
Missing reference
eric samson
Re: Enjoyable
eric samson
F# is like being back home again after a long trip :-)
FP could be made easier
eric samson
He is also right when he says many FP concepts were already usable (with different names though) in some old pure OOPL. What's new is that those concepts tend to be mandatory in some FPL instead of being just recommended.
Exactly like most OO concepts were usable in other older languages, but they have been made mandatory in OOL.
Re: Missing reference
Werner Schuster
which discusses Guy's blog entry.
There's also another story about William Cook's article:
with a link to a PDF. Don't know if it's exactly the same article Guy reference.
Re: Missing reference
eric samson
This was a waste of time
Gary Verhaegen
A functional language is one that has, as its core, the lambda calculus as a model of computation.
(With that in mind, you can define an imperative language as one that has the Turing machine as its core, and a logic language as one that has propositional logic as its core.)
(Also note that, with this definition, LISP is indeed the original functional programming language, as it was created as an executable self-described lambda calculus interpreter. In 1958.)
In practice, this means that the rules of evaluation of the language are mainly about substitutions, from which immutability and purity naturally follow; higher-order functions are of course implied directly by the underlying model, for the simple reason that you cannot do anything in lambda calculus without higher-order functions.
And, of course, functional programming languages are not "just" lambda calculus, just as imperative ones are not "just" Turing machines. Our programs do much more than computing.
With that word of context out of the way, here's my take on that talk: it's exactly what I do not want from a presentation. I did not learn anything useful watching it; it was vaguely amusing, especially the part about monads, but that was also very redundant with "Monads are Gonads" from Crockford a year ago and much less informative. The vast majority of his statements are "not even wrong". I mean, the guy did not even bother to look for a proper definition of what he was deconstructing.
Let me deconstruct this talk in a slightly less polite and benevolent way than the blog post above.
* The XKCD comic is funny. But using it to assert that functional programming is not practical? I can't even respond to that. This is clearly in the "not even wrong" category. I can assert that "people" do "nonsense" about anything, be it programming-related or not, especially if I do not feel compelled to provide any kind of evidence.
* As stated above, the guy can't even be bothered to find a proper definition of what he wants to deconstruct, all the while extolling the virtues of Object-Oriented Programming. Don't tempt me with "object-oriented" and "definition".
* HOFs are only a big deal because of Java. I do not know of any other programming language in which they are so *exotic*. You even get function pointers in C. Yes, they were fairly common in Smalltalk (which he claims predates FP languages, because it was in 72... LISP, 58? Can't he get a single fact right?), but so what?
* Effects are of course necessary, because our programs are not only about computing: they are about computing and then acting on the world based on these computations. As the saying goes, a purely functional program cannot even heat up your processor, as that would be a side-effect. (Also, xkcd.com/1312/, though he could not have used that one in his slides.) Even Haskell has effects, encapsulated into its IO monad. So the important distinction becomes how much the language pushes you to use them or not use them for the "computing" part of the program, as opposed to for the "affecting the world" part, which is inevitable.
* Scala is not a good example of the possible combination of OO and FP. Scala is not an FP language, period. Scala has higher-order functions and a decent type system, but only through Java-destroyed eyes can that even remotely resemble FP. (Now, don't get me wrong: Scala is a very nice language, a much needed replacement for Java, and it is possible to write in a functional style in Scala - but asserting that Scala is functional is akin to asserting that C++ is. Or Java 8.)
* His bit about user-defined control structures is cute, but has nothing to do with FP. It is about OO in a non-Java language. But how is that relevant? Yes, you can define custom control structures if you have literal lambda syntax and are not afraid to impose that on your users. Or if you have macros. Or if you have lazy evaluation in some way (either as a pervasive language feature like Haskell, or as an optional per-argument basis like Scala). *If*, as in this example, you do not care about forcing your users to create the lambdas themselves, I'm not sure there's any language but Java which does not let you "create your own control flow". (Of course, being able to do it without imposing extra syntax on the user is another story.)
* Tail calls. This one would be cute if it was not so embarrassing for the speaker. First and foremost, the need for tail call optimization is an accidental implementation detail due to the fact that our programs have to run on hardware realizations of Turing machines. It is basically the cost of an impedance mismatch. Granted, it is a quite necessary implementation detail to be able to work in practice, but it's still about the implementation of the language, not about its semantics. Ignoring that, the only argument he makes about tail calls is that they loose the stack trace. Now let's think about that for a second. (Yes, I do hope that my readership will need less than a second on average to reach the correct conclusion and see how absurd this is.) What are recursive tail calls in a functional program the equivalent of in an imperative program? Hint: it's on his slide. Recursive tail calls are typically used to represent *loops*. Every time I hear the "TCO looses stack traces" argument, I get my hopes up and then get disappointed when I see that, no, Java (Python/Ruby/Smalltalk/...) stack traces do not yet contain the successive values of the looping variables leading to the crash. (Actually, they usually do not contain any values, but that is another rant.)
* Hindley-Milner. Seriously? No value in not *having* to type types, but being able to, and getting the existing annotations checked, while the compiler can still use its (probably too general) inferred types to optimize code with no annotation? Gee, we must have completely different definitions of "value". (And of identity. And of FP.)
* Currying. Again, *SERIOUSLY??* I mean, what is he after exactly? This is again a "not even wrong" comment, and I really don't know how to respond to that. First of all, this is mostly just Haskell. Reducing all functional languages to Haskell is sort of short-sighted, especially when functional programming is the subject of the talk. This is, at best, a very lazy way to prepare for a talk. Besides, this completely misses the point that having automatic currying does not force you to actually pass arguments one at a time every time.
* Pattern matching is the only redeeming part of the talk, in that there is some grain of truth in what he's asserting: when pattern matching is used *only* to check the type of the argument, it is no better than an instanceof check. But 1°) pattern matching can do so much more, including destructuring and matching multiple cases of the same type, and 2°) some compilers at least (I'm pretty sure about ML, not quite sure about Haskell) actually do check that you cover all possible cases. So his argument is basically "I have found one language (Scala?) where pattern matching is not checked by the compiler, so if I reduce it to something barely useful (i.e. only checking for types), it's barely useful and not type checked".
* Making fun of monad tutorials is too easy, and should not take up a quarter of an hour, especially if it is to finally teach absolutely nothing to the audience.
* According to an interview of Eric Meijer, LINQ has actually been inspired by Haskell, not by Smalltalk ( channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Simon-Peyton-Jo... ). There might have been something similar in the Smalltalk implementations, although the level of expertise the speaker demonstrated with each and every topic he mentioned makes me highly doubt that he understands any of these two subjects well enough to make a meaningful comparison.
* And finally, of course, the last point is as misguided as the rest of the talk: functional languages do not have a particular edge when it comes to live programming, as illustrated by the early Smalltalk environments (I'm not old enough - and I did not do the research - to know which came first between Squeak-style Smalltalk environment and Symbolics Lisp Machine ones, but I do know that that breed of Lisps was not geared towards limiting side effects). Dynamic languages do, but it's not even about typing: it's dynamic in terms of the runtime. Basically, you have an edge for interactive programming when you have an interpreter available at runtime as part of your core design. Duh!
So, yeah, all in all, a big waste of time, and the mastery demonstrated by the author makes me highly unlikely to ever watch another one of his talks. The only redeeming feature of this talk is this little gem around 35:06 : "The real issue I have is it has never been terribly clear to me that in programming, you know, once I have all of those valuable abstractions, the cases were I really want to treat them, except for the collections, treat them polymorphically, you know, they're not that obvious, and it's not clear, you know this is more a tool for language designers." OO for the win, indeed.
And I'll close with this quotation, from a few seconds after the previous one: "maybe if I took an hour and prepared it carefully".
Re: FP could be made easier
Gary Verhaegen
That said, it is true that much of the documentation about functional programming is obtuse and hard to read. But that is an accident: documentation of powerful static type systems is hard to read. It just so happens that, as of today, the most obtuse type systems are defined for functional languages. Static typing and functional programming are, however, mostly orthogonal.
If you want to taste functional programming without the strange vocabulary, try a dynamic language. I'd suggest either Erlang or Clojure; working with Ruby or Python and self-restricting to not ever mutate anything could also work, although it is easier to remain disciplined when the language does not tempt.
Brian Craft
He wants us to know, for example, that electrons are not fermions because electrons were known before the term "fermion" was coined. Or, sorry, that lisp is not a functional language because it was known before the term "functional programming" was coined. Or something. The whole talk is fatuous nonsense of this sort.
His only compelling points are that 1) monads are perhaps too complex to be useful, and in any case have been very poorly explained, and 2) type inference systems give very poor error messages. These are both obvious, but I would not be at all surprised if, in ten years, industry looks back at this time with bewilderment that anyone was ever confused by monads. That's always the way when new ideas are popularized. It's also the case that early OOP languages generated unusable error messages, as anyone knows who lived through the early C++ compilers.
He complains that FP developers don't know what objects really are, however the paper he recommends to explain objects uses a definition that is only vaguely related to OOP as it is practiced: it's an entirely academic idea of objects based on (wait for it... wait for it....) lambda calculus. No, really. I'm not making that up. FP developers, of course, complain of OOP as it is practiced, and while implying that they are merely illiterate, Bracha is unable to challenge any of those complaints.
He notes that there's still no "killer app" for FP, which is a good point, but there are even fewer examples of the singular OOP that he advocates.
It almost sounds like he could give a good talk on this subject if he actually prepared for it, and was willing to use the terms OOP and FP they way the rest of the world understands them.
In defense of this talk
Gen Pin
this great talk is about what is special about and meant by so called "functional progamming" in our days.
I think that some people should calm down and listen again with good intentions.
Many critics of this talk are embarrassingly far fetched or even lies.
Gilad seems to know some of the offended audience but makes no excuses (0:55) and even sais that his talk is to annoy the cultists of functional programming (5:35).
Gilad Bracha is not some random guy.
If he does not understood the theory than who does ?
Certainly not the average programmer like me to whom functional programming is advertised as well.
The main points of the talk, IMO:
The XKCD comic is not shown to be funny but to make a point (1:00).
Gilad thinks that the best criteria to recognize a language as functional is how recursion and tail calls are implemented (12:35).
HOF (higher order function) is not enough to qualify as functional language (3:20).
Java has them too but nobody would consider Java as a functional programming language.
His point is that OO languages have HOF since the 70s where the term "functional programming" was not yet invented.
Even today, the term "functional programming" has no clear meaning as Gilad tries to explain.
The absence of effects is not a trait of functional languages
if one considers Lisp, Scheme, Scala or F# as functional language (4:27).
HOF where not used by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP_%28programming_languag....
The functional programming people did not invent HOF (7:50).
They exist since Lisp.
HOF for user defined control structures (8:00).
I think that:
- macros are static compiler magic.
- Haskell is a very static programming language.
About debugging and stack traces (13:00).
Hindley-Milner and typesystems in general (16:30).
Typesystems do not prevent all errors.
Either not all kind of errors are covered by the typesystem or typing is so
complicated and cumbersome that debugging and testing are more realistic approaches.
And type errors can be cryptic.
According to Gilad:
- Names are important.
- Nominal typesystems are useful.
Currying (19:20).
Gilad thinks that currying is useful but it can easily lead to a lack of program structure
to the point that types are required to introduce program structure again.
Pattern matching (20:55).
Patter matching means dynamic type tag checks like instanceof in Java.
Monads (24:00 and 42:00)
Gilad seems to make fun of replacing meaningful names and concepts by abstract and less meaningful concepts and names.
I like this: fsharpforfunandprofit.com/posts/why-i-wont-be-writing-a-monad-tutorial/,
I do not know the theory behind monads, but I have come to believe that some monad X is just some property or trait X that certain things or approaches have in common.
The formal monad interface (the abstraction of monads in formal languages) is used
to replace "concrete" names and things (objects, functions) by a monad with a "return" constructor and a "bind" operator.
Killer App for FP is live programming (42:20).
Because live programming with sample data is simpler with functions without side effects on the sample data.
Static typesystems do not replace live programming.
The time of confrontation is over...
Tuomas Hietanen
Many new languages are multi-paradigm, capable of many things. (C#, F#, Java 8, Clojure)
It is a power of language, if things can be achieved with many ways.
The notable difference is however the design principles. Which kind of code is the default? The programming language will guide the developer to some direction.
C# and Java are object-oriented-first
F# and Clojure are functional-first
As analogy: which is better: float or int?
Usually both are supported. Even though the other ones would be just hard mathematical abstraction-constructs without real correspondence to the real world, they are still widely used.


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Prevost Signs New Order With Greyhound Bus
April 2, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Prevost Signs New Order With Greyhound Bus
The relationship between Greyhound Lines Inc. and Prevost Car Co., which began in 2007, continues with the signing of a new order for 90 Prevost X3-45 motorcoaches. According to a press release, the coaches have been designed by Prevost to meet tough standards set by Greyhound's commitment to customer satisfaction.
Gaetan Bolduc, Prevost president and CEO, said, "Prevost is proud to once again supply high-quality coaches which realize the criteria established by Greyhound and its passengers. Taking into consideration the safety of passengers and drivers across North America, Prevost and Greyhound have worked together to set the highest standards for our industry."
The 90 X3-45 coaches are equipped with several safety features, including Adaptive Cruise Braking, Following Distance Alert and Stationary Object Alert, along with the Prevost Electronic Stability Program, the Beru Tire Pressure Monitoring System and the Automatic Fire Suppression System.
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"We have been pleased with the Prevost X3-45 coaches, which have been used in both our Greyhound Express and BoltBus services," said Dave Leach, president and CEO, Greyhound Lines. "Our customers like the comfortable ride and modern amenities, and we're focused on the latest safety features, all of which are in a quality product that Prevost delivers for our fleet."
Delivery of the X3-45 coaches is scheduled to begin in May 2013 and be completed in April 2014.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEMAC tea party speaks the language of flowers
STANDISH — The Northeast Michigan Arts Council (NEMAC) will host two Victorian Tea Parties, themed "The Language of Flowers," on June 20 at 12 and 3 p.m.
The event treats arts center patrons to vintage Victorian era refreshments, including tea, dainty sandwiches, scones, cakes and pastries.
Guests of the tea parties will also learn about the time-honored traditions involving flowers, such as Romans honoring heroes with laurel wreaths, the way flowers were extolled by poets in their writing and the use of flowers by Victorians when designing homes and cities.
Tickets are $15 per person and must be purchased in advance. For more information or for information on how to order by mail, call 989-846-9331. Only 40 tickets are available for each party. Tickets must be purchased by June 12.
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MBA Alum Advances Career by Going Back to the Basics
Joe Taylor talks about global travel, keeping up with classmates, and the value of the MBA.
Though his diverse background, from television news to public relations, was a natural fit for the transition into his current career (media monitoring), Joe Taylor recognized early on he was missing the key pieces to becoming the industry expert and businessman he desired. Through this realization, and encouragement from a mentor, Taylor set out to gain the practical knowledge he needed with the Carlson Executive MBA Program (CEMBA).
In a recent interview with the Carlson School, Taylor talks about his career journey, global travel, keeping up with his CEMBA classmates, and the value of the MBA.
Tell us a bit about your work history. Where did you start and how did you end up where you are now?
My first job out of college was as a radio news reporter in Tulsa, OK. I moved from there to television news reporting and then to public relations. It was while I was working as a media liaison for a PR agency that I stumbled upon the idea of monitoring the local news media for my clients. This eventually led me to start Oklahoma's first media monitoring firm in 1991. Since then, I have worked in the media monitoring industry almost exclusively.
A few years after CEMBA, I was recruited by the country's dominant media monitoring firm to serve as director of content. Last year I left the company to start my own consulting practice. My first project took me to Tanzania in East Africa. Over the next 12 months I have additional projects in the Middle East and South America.
What responsibilities do you have in your current role? Do you feel the CEMBA program prepped you for your current role?
As a media monitoring consultant, I help monitoring firms around the world improve their operational processes and business practices. My direct experience in the media monitoring business helped develop my practical expertise, but CEMBA helped me become a well rounded business executive, especially in the critical areas of accounting, finance, and negotiation.
Not only did it fill the rather large holes in my understanding of the finance side of business, it gave me the confidence to present myself as an expert in the media monitoring industry.
Was there a defining moment in your life that prompted you to pursue further education?
I sold my first start up to a New York City firm in 1997. In the process of negotiating that sale, I became aware of how naïve I had been as an entrepreneur and business owner. A few years after that, I was lucky enough to develop a mentor/mentee relationship with a new boss who encouraged me to pursue an MBA. I was living in Minnesota when I was finally able to start an MBA program--my research indicated Carlson was the best program in the state.
What did you find to be the most challenging part of the CEMBA program?
For me, the most challenging part of CEMBA was trying to keep up with the rest of my team. Not only were they great people on a personal level, but each was intellectually exceptional and were already distinguished in their professions. I had to work hard to try to match their contributions.
There's been quite a bit of media surrounding the value of higher ed, specifically the MBA. What are your thoughts?
A year or so after I graduated from CEMBA, my mentor asked if the degree had been worthwhile. This is the same guy who once complained that he knew people who gained nothing from their MBAs. He was really asking me "was that master's degree wasted on you?" The answer is CEMBA changed my life. Without the education and team projects provided by the program, I would not be qualified to do what I do now.
What books would you recommend to our future Carlson School leaders?
I've been reading about decision-making lately, including Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Cass R. Sunstein and Richard H. Thaler, and Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz.
Any motto, words, or themes you live by?
For business endeavors, my favorite quote comes from Teddy Roosevelt: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
Life isn't all about work! What do you do for fun?
History is my hobby. I am much more likely to be reading the biography of a historical political figure than to be reading just about anything else. I also buy and sell antiques on the side.


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Despite expectations of a drop-off in home sales this fall, a forward-looking indicator shows a growing number of buyers are jumping back into the housing market.
The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index rose 2.4 percent in July from June and is now 12.4 percent higher than it was a year ago. This index, which measures signed contracts to buy existing homes, is now at its highest level since April of 2010, just before the end of the home buyer tax credit.
"While the month-to-month movement has been uneven, more importantly we now have 15 consecutive months of year-over-year gains in contract activity," said the Realtors' chief economist, Lawrence Yun.
All regions saw gains in signed contracts for the West, where the bulk of the distress in the housing market has been. Foreclosures have been in high demand from investors, who are looking to cash in on the hot single family rental market.
That demand has pushed home prices higher in markets like Phoenix, Ariz., but it has also pushed supplies far lower. Yun said the West is now experiencing an, "acute inventory shortage."
The association is projecting existing home sales to rise 8 to 9 percent in 2012 with another 7 to 8-percent gain in 2013. Analysts are split as to whether growing demand for housing will result in more home purchases or continued growth in the rental market. Credit remains tight, and many potential move-up buyers still owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth.
Questions? Comments? email@example.com follow me on Twitter @Diana_Olick


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Earlier this fall, we heard the heartwarming story of the '85 Bears finally getting an invite to the White House, a ceremony that was abandoned twenty-six years ago when the Challenger Explosion happened two days after the Bears won their first and only Super Bowl title. It'll be a bittersweet experience for the Bears, given that both Walter Payton and Dave Duerson are no longer alive to take part in the festivities. And now it'll be a little extra bittersweet because defensive tackle Dan Hampton is refusing to go (full disclosure: Dan Hampton works as an analyst for this station). His reason:
I'm not a fan of the guy in the White House
Hampton was also irked by the lateness of the invitation and the fact that spouses and children weren't included on the invite. But every other surviving member of the team (including head coach Mike Ditka, who nearly ran against Barack Obama for an Illinois senate seat) is overlooking those perceived snubs in order to attend, and some of Hampton's teammates have taken him to task for his grumpy-old-man routine, as well they should.
First of all, the President was trying to make up for lost time. It's not as if inviting the '85 Bears for a White House visit is gonna magically make voters forget about the state of the economy. Secondly, they can only invite so many people. Your stupid kids aren't gonna fit on the dais. They'll live if you have to keep them home.
Thirdly, if the President invites you to come to the White House, you go. There's a certain respect that should still be afforded for the office of President, whether or not you agree with the President's views or not (any President, liberal or conservative). One of the nice things about being an American is that most of us can disagree with one another and still see fit to hang out together. That's the point of democracy, that we're comfortable enough to discuss our differences face-to-face. For Hampton to crap out just because he's "not a fan" of Obama is immature and stupid. He should suck it up, put on a suit, and go shake the man's hand. Trust me, everyone daydreams about meeting the President and giving him a piece of their mind. But most people have the presence of mind to bottle it and conduct themselves with class when they get to meet the leader of the free world in person. It took the Bears 26 years to get to the White House. A bit of gratitude is in order.


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Ravens release LB Ayanbadejo
Owings Mills, MD – The Baltimore Ravens released linebacker and special teams player Brendon Ayanbadejo, general manager Ozzie Newsome announced on Thursday.
Ayanbadejo, 36, had 43 total tackles, with a career-high 30 from scrimmage, one sack and one pass defensed in 16 games last season.
"As a team, we place a high value on special teams, and Brendon was one of our top performers in that area for the last five seasons," said Newsome. "He was one of the best special teamers in the league, but he was also a valued member of our defense, especially in our sub (substitute) packages. He became a leader for us, and the door may not be closed to bring him back to help us again."
Over 62 games with Baltimore, Ayanbadejo recorded 83 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, four passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble.
"Brendon was the first player we signed when we arrived in 2008, and he went to the Pro Bowl again that season," said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. "We considered him one of the foundations of our team, and he gave me sound counsel as one of our team leaders. He was a tremendous contributor to our success, both on [special] teams and for our defense over the last five seasons, including our Super Bowl two months ago. And, he was a pleasure to have on our team. We'll stay in contact, I hope, but I'll miss our regular conversations."
A three-time special teams Pro Bowler from 2006-08, Ayanbadejo has also played for Miami (2003-04) and Chicago (2005-07).


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Leigh-Anne Regan is hairstylist with a vision, to continue to work hard, learn, Be inspired and create until as she puts it 'my talent reaches my curiosity.' And that statement can sound quite humble for someone who has amassed such an array of fashion and industry experience. Leigh-Anne has managed to shape her professional path from various ends of the world, to shooting editorials in the U.K, teaching seminars in Spain, Italy and Denmark to name a few and flying to Australia to showcase her platform work. Leigh-Anne's work ethic speaks volumes, A former member of The Fellowships' F.A.M.E. Team, and a guest artist for ghd, Leigh-Anne's love of fashion, coupled with a serious skill-set of producing both wearable and fashion forward hair, ensures she's also a seasoned session artist at London Fashion Week which has led her to earn the title of 'one to watch'. Leigh-Anne is a self proclaimed MANE-IAC she says ' Perhaps the most important element in my work is making sure the style enhances the clients identity or character, internal and external. This is what makes them feel comfortable and look there most beautiful. It's not about my signature or me; it's all about customising something that is best for the overall look. My favorite feeling for hair, that I'm always striving for, incorporates texture and movement and enhances the beauty of the person wearing it, But I love to change with the trends. Continuously being challenged is my favorite part of the job. It's also why I'll never grow tired of it.


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AMIR SHAKLAN (photo:Shannon Anderson)
Om El Shahmaan ex Asdiqa Badeia
Bred by Fair Oak Farm
Owned by Spellcast Farms LLC, South Carolina
Nancy L. Eklund Hunsicker
PO Box 1079
Santa Ynez, CA 93460
tel: 805.688.2851
fax: 805.688.9636
e-mail: [email protected]
Breeding Beautiful Arabians in Santa Ynez Valley since 1977.
Fair Oak Farm is located in the heart of the "Arabian Neighborhood" in beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, California. The focus of our breeding program is our straight Egyptian foundation mare, Morsada (*Asadd+++ ex Morgana by *Morafic) and emphasizes her tail female line of *Bint Maisa El Saghira crossed into the *El Shaklan and Padrons Psyche sire lines. The females from this cross have been bred back to stallions featuring various intensities of *Estopa in their pedigree as well as straight Egyptian stallions. We strive to create a classic and exotic look in our horses, with overall balance and freedom of motion topped off with a beautiful head, expressive eyes and a people-friendly disposition.
Morsada was bred by the internationally respected James M. Kline, one of the most prominent Egyptian breeders in the world. She was widely considered to be one of the finest examples of his breeding program, and was actively utilized as a broodmare until the Kline Arabians dispersal, at which point we were incredibly fortunate to acquire her. She is notated in several key Egyptian Arabian reference publications and has also been featured in numerous books, magazines and calendars all over the world.
Morsada has created a legacy of over 62 first and second generation descendants in the United States, Europe, Australia and the Middle East, most recently her last straight Egyptian daughter, Bint Morsada, now owned by Mr. Fahad Hujailan of Al Kout Stud in Kuwait, as well as her grandson, Amir Shaklan, purchased from Fair Oak by Shannon Anderson to be her chief herd sire at Dahabi Arabians in Stevensville, Montana. We occasionally have select individuals for sale, and are also happy to connect prospective buyers to our clientswho are actively breeding from our lines both domestically as well as internationally.
On the performance side, we specialize in Half-Arabian English horses and periodically offer exceptional show horses for purchase. Additionally we have excellent contacts in the Central California performance horse network across all divisions including trail and working cow, so please do give us a call if you are in the Santa Ynez area—if we don't have a horse to fit your need, we will be happy to refer you to the right farm, trainer or agent.


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February 2007 Equipment Round-Up: Packaging Machinery
February's Equipment Round-Up covers packaging machinery that can help bag, wrap and seal products.
Skin tight and inline
Automated FormShrink thermoform-fill-seal systems allow marketers of meat, poultry, cheese and many other food products to create skin-tight packaging inline rather than with pre-formed pouches. Packages are produced on the R550 and R250 rollstock machines, both developed specifically for the process. Roll-fed films capable of shrinking up to 40 percent form the bottom web to specifications. After the product is loaded, the top web is applied and sealed. The package is then shape-cut and passed through a steam shrink tunnel, activating the unique properties of the film to render the final customized look.
Multivac Inc.; Kansas City, Mo.
800-800-8552; www.multivac.com
Fills or forms pouches
The Innopouch K series horizontal pouching machine fills and seals pre-made pouches or forms pouches from rollstock for filling and sealing. The pouches are transferred into the dual gripper system where they are held by a leading/trailing clamp mechanism and released only when the filling and sealing cycle is complete. It's particularly suited for filling liquid products such as soups, sauces, ketchups, juices, ready-to-eat meals, pre-cooked rice, and other products of this nature.
KHS USA; Edgewater, Fla.
386-424-0202; www.khs.com/us
Horizontal wrapping
The Pack 201 Horizontal Wrapper, introduced at the fall 2006 Pack Expo, is for tray packaged items, such as biscuit stacks, crackers, chocolate candies and frozen novelties. The new mid-range speed machine is easy to maintain and is designed for delicate product handling. Its simple and smart design incorporates minimal parts to increase reliability, streamline maintenance and allow for greater adaptability.
Bosch Packaging; Hoffman Estates, Ill.
847-645-3600; http://www.boschrexroth-us.com
Tape system with elastic memory
The Stretchable Tape Load Containment System helps prevent loads from tipping, vibrating and shifting. It provides ventilation, so loads chill faster and corrugated degradation from condensation is prevented. The two-part systems features Scotch Stretchable Tape and the 3M Stretchable Tape Wrapper ST1000, a semi-automatic pallet wrapping device that ensures consistent, tape stretch ratio and pattern. Tape is automatically stretched and wrapped in a selected pattern, even around the bottom of the pallet when necessary. When stretched, the strength is increased, reaching 40 lbs. per inch tensile strength at 650 stretch.
3M; St. Paul, Minn.
800-567-1639; www.3m.com/packaging
Affordable case erector
An affordable new case erector delivers high-speed performance features in the mid-speed (30-40 cpm) packaging range. The large, self-feeding case magazine holds up to three stacks of cases. As each stack is used, another moves into position maximizing time between refills. The low level design makes it easy to refill without lifting cases. This erector/sealer incorporates the solid production features of high speed models ensuring top performance from the packaging line.
A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp.; Tarpon Springs, Fla.
800-237-5975; www.abcpackaging.com
Better than manual
For heavy or industrial sized bags of product, the Bag Palletizer is for applications where consistent throughput and well-packed unit loads are essential. Controlled motion assures smooth and dependable product flow, increases throughput and reduces the damage typically associated with manual handling. The unit easily interfaces with other equipment, and the built-in diagnostics are tightly integrated with the user-friendly touch screen.
Schneider Packaging Equipment Co.; Brewerton, N.Y.
315-676-3035; www.schneiderequip.com
Swift horizontal bagger
The Swifty Bagger is a new form/fill/seal machine that does up to 60 bags per minute. It uses non-wicket, pre-made bags and automatically grabs, opens, fill and seals them. This intermittent-motion machine runs gusset, pillow, flat bottom, zipper and stand-up bags. Touch screen controls make it user friendly. It's suitable for liquids and powders.
WeighPack Systems; Montreal
514-422-0808; www.weighpack.com
Drive for packaging
The Sinamics S120 AC Drive is for high-performance, single-axis applications and features a modular concept that separates power and intelligence. Freely selectable combinations of power sections and controllers increase flexibility and scalability of the drive system. Multiple choices allow users to select the right controller for current needs but protect their drive investments if the application ever changes. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for innovative modular machine designs.
Siemens Energy & Automation; Alpharetta, Ga.
770-751-4959 ; www.sinamics.com
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CHRLS Instructor Receives Distinguished HR Executive Award
Mike Davis was selected for the honor by the HR Division of the Academy of Management.
Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies Instructor Mike Davis has made a lasting impact on the field of human resources. Through his leadership in the HR community, his diligent promotion of research, and his teaching at the University of Minnesota, Davis has earned the 2013 Distinguished HR Executive Award from the HR Division of the Academy of Management. The honor is awarded to executives who have distinguished themselves in the field of human resources management throughout their careers.
"Mike is a tremendous asset to the HR professional and educational communities, and it's hard for us to imagine an individual who is more deserving of the Distinguished HR Executive Award," says Professor John Budd.
Recipients of the distinguished award demonstrate a substantial contributions to HR practices, research, and education.
Davis is the senior vice president of global human resources for General Mills, and is responsible for all human resources functions across the company. He has served as vice president of compensation and benefits at General Mills, led HR within General Mills' U.S. businesses, and has served as the worldwide practice leader for executive compensation at Towers Perrin.
Throughout his career, Davis contributed to the environment that made General Mills an internationally recognized "Great Place to Work." He has also led innovative HR initiatives like General Mills' total rewards programs, and created a distinctive HR brand for the company.
Davis was awarded this honor not only for his work at General Mills, but also for his leadership positions in multiple HR professional associations, including the Employee Benefits Research Institute, the HR Policy Association, and WorldatWork. He is also a mentor to many HR professionals at General Mills and beyond.
"It's clear that Mike has a passion for education and human resources partnerships, and he is extremely well respected in our human resources executive community," says alumna Laura Gillund, '95 MA-IR.
Additionally, Davis was recognized for his support of HR research; he has had direct involvement with authoring materials such as "The Chief HR Officer: Defining the new Role of Human Resource Leader." In addition, Davis continues to support HR research at the University of Minnesota's Human Resources Research Institute by ensuring General Mills' financial support while also contributing to student research projects.
Davis' involvement with the University of Minnesota Human Resources and Industrial Relations program has been extensive: he serves as a liaison between General Mills and the University by presenting at the annual HR Tomorrow Conference and participating in the CHRLS Advisory Council. He has also taught courses as an adjunct instructor in the HRIR program since 2006, earning the highest teaching evaluation scores in the program.
"When it comes to HR education, Mike's support has been unmatched," says Professor Theresa Glomb. "His ability to combine rigorous frameworks with real-world cases and pressures is perfect for HR education."


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Chapter 16 - Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Chapter 16: Adjusted Relationships. Classic Literature VideoBook with synchronized text, interactive transcript, and closed captions in multiple languages. Audio courtesy of Librivox. Read by Karen Savage. Playlist for Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC92CB1BC540CFB25 Anne of the Island free audiobook at Librivox: http://librivox.org/anne-of-the-island-by-lucy-maud-montgomery-2/ Anne of the Island free eBook at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51 Anne of the Island at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_the_Island View a list of all our videobooks: http://www.ccprose.com/booklist
Length: 17:54


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Technically, the recession is over, and on paper, there has been positive job growth for months. Unfortunately, "technically" and "on paper" don't cut it for people who have been out of work for a long time. For the long-term unemployed, it's time to start thinking outside of the box and looking for work that falls outside of the parameters of the everyday.
What follows is a list of jobs that are obscure, unheard-of or otherwise out of the ordinary. Some of them pay well, some have salaries that are a closely guarded secret and some look like so much fun that the salary is almost beside the point.
Read ahead to find out about cool jobs you've never heard of.
By Daniel Bukszpan
Posted 25 May 2012


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IAQ, infection control in hospitals
Learn how to reduce the potential for infection and airborne pathogen dispersion in hospitals and healthcare facilities as they relate to HVAC systems and design.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand how to reduce the potential for infection and airborne pathogen dispersion.
2. Learn the codes that pertain to hospital HVAC systems.
3. Learn the importance of air cleaning and construction techniques.
"First, do no harm." This is a phrase generally applied to healthcare practitioners and attributed to the meaning contained within the Hippocratic Oath. However, the same phrase can be used and applied to HVAC engineers/designers, contractors, and facility managers in the design, construction, and operation of hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Related codes and standards
As we get started down this path, there are many codes, standards, and regulations governing the design and operation of hospitals and healthcare facilities. Three prominent organizations include ASHRAE, the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI), and NFPA. These and others draw on research and studies performed by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of many of these organizations and their written standards is to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), patient and caregiver comfort, and patient and caregiver safety, and to reduce the infection rates of patients while in the hospital. Standards and guidelines produced by these organizations relate directly to the planning design and construction of healthcare facilities (FGI Guidelines-2010 and proposed 2014), Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010), Ventilation of Health Care Facilities (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 170-2008 and associated addenda), and the Standard for Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99-2012).
Additionally, state and local health departments, local building codes, hospital accreditation groups such as The Joint Commission, and the United States Pharmacopeial Convention have requirements and guidelines that influence HVAC design to meet the environmental and cleanliness standards that relate to patient and caregiver safety.
Deciphering these various codes can be as challenging as wading through the new hospital billing codes. As designers, we must focus on meeting codes and standards at a minimum, and we also must be aware of the bigger picture—how HVAC designs impact and influence the long-term effects of maintenance, energy use, and infection control. Again, it would seem the goal of the HVAC design is to reduce them all. When should we start thinking of how to do this? Reality and research says at the programming stage and initiation of a project; at the same time as the planning stakeholders are involved. This increases the collaboration between HVAC engineers, architects, medical planners, facility managers, and infection control and risk assessment personnel.
Good and thorough planning yields good results. Design it with good equipment, system types, and features; construct it tightly; balance it well; commission it for the long term. How many projects allow this? All of them, when we recognize what is paramount to the patient and caregiver. New project deliveries involve users, designers, contractors, and managers to produce the finished product correctly and usually at the fastest pace possible. Continuous planning through clear communication techniques, regular review meetings, acceptance and concurrence with goals and design requirements, and resolution are but a few of the requirements for a successful project.
According to the FGI Guidelines, a Patient and Caregiver Safety Risk Assessment (PaCSRA) and an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) must be done to determine what may be affected by the construction and renovation and how it must be dealt with. The health facility owner develops these assessments with input of HVAC and plumbing engineers, architects, facility managers, infection control experts, medical staff, clinical department heads, safety specialists, and other individuals with an interest in the project. Construction materials, HVAC system types and design criteria, patient flow, hand washing locations, environmental cleaning agents, and spill control/cleanup are but a few of the considerations of the assessments. If IAQ goals are required on a project, the owner should discuss them with the design and construction team to establish the ranges expected.
Renovation/addition projects are complex in that new and existing HVAC systems must get along and protect the occupants in the nonaffected areas. Adherence to proper occupancy separations and airflow direction can reduce the risks of infections (see Figure 1).
Common to each of these assessments is the HVAC design including equipment control methods, ventilation techniques, filtration, pressurization, systems reliability, air device placement, and equipment operation. All of these play an important role in patient safety, infection control, and IAQ. A design and construction phasing plan must be developed and implemented during renovation projects so the IAQ of existing occupied areas is maintained. Likewise, as a tenet to judicious HVAC system planning, once methods of IAQ and ventilation rates have been established, an operational plan should be developed to maintain the IAQ of the new or renovated space on a continuous basis. This effort should be done with the facility staff prior to project completion.
Commissioning of the facility and systems will allow for the maintenance of the systems at the required levels of ventilation and system function. Commissioning involves review of the basis of design, review of the construction documents, functional testing, and verification that the results and operation are repeatable on a continuing basis—not just a single time when initially turned on.
Airflow direction from clean to less clean is one of the basic design features that must be used when planning and locating both HVAC equipment and space airflow. Figure 2 shows an airborne infection isolation (AII) room airflow example. The planning also includes: planning for construction including phasing; system downtime; movement of staff, patients, and public; potential reduction in patient safety; and airflow direction and pressurization.
Planning for project commissioning is a requirement of the FGI Guidelines and the project if the guidelines are adopted by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). Early involvement by the commissioning team aids the owner and HVAC designers in preparation of the basis of design, the functional and long-term operation and maintenance of all HVAC equipment, automatic temperature controls, and essential electrical power systems. The long-term plan is essential to maintaining the required level of IAQ and infection control in any facility. Additionally, the HVAC system planning and design must include discussions and collaboration with the architects and construction team regarding the tightness of the building or room construction to allow for the HVAC system to function correctly, maintaining the required room cleanliness, pressurization, and airflow direction that will result in the measured particle counts within the space meeting the code and/or standard criteria. For example, wall and ceiling construction that allows air leakage will negate the airflow direction from the adjacent space into the room or vice versa, creating difficult air balancing and pressure relationships that are critical to infection control protocol.
Many HVAC planning strategies have been used to improve the IAQ, some of which are more cost-effective than others.
Some strategies include:
· Pressurization control (clean to less clean)
· Purging with outside air (100% outside air with 100% exhaust air without recirculation)
· Increased ventilation rates (higher air changes per hour, ACH)
· HEPA and other filtration techniques
· Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)
· Room relative humidity range control (30% to 60%).
As with any strategy, a thorough risk assessment that emphasizes infection control should be performed prior to implementation.
ASHRAE 170-2008 and ASHRAE 62.1-2010 both define minimum recommended ventilation rates for occupied space; however, Standard 62.1 defers to Standard 170 for the patient occupied portions of healthcare facilities. Hospitals and healthcare facilities generally have administrative, service, and sometimes assembly-type occupancy, which fall under the Standard 62.1 criteria. Maintaining the required minimum acceptable outdoor air ventilation rates must be part of the HVAC system design and control functions. Standard 170 defines the minimum outdoor air change rate by room type as well as the minimum total ACH. Standard 62.1 defines the minimum cfm per person or cfm per square foot for various space types.
Space ventilation is accomplished by proper air movement and rates of exchange, introduction of a clean source of outdoor air, removal of contaminants (via filtration and/or direct exhaust), proper placement of the correct type air devices for the space served, and control capability to maintain the required air quantities. An assessment of outdoor air quality, including air quality and particulate measurements to determine contaminant levels, must be performed initially to determine the cleanliness and suitability for introduction into the HVAC air handling system. A wind tunnel analysis can be very beneficial to identify potential airflow or re-entrainment issues. Proper air treatment is necessary to prevent unwanted odors or contaminants from being introduced.
Without high-quality ventilation in healthcare facilities, patients, caregivers and the public can become infected through the normal respiration of particles in the air. Poorly ventilated healthcare facilities are places where the likelihood of pathogenic particles in the air is high. Most individuals with normal, healthy immune systems can cope with and overcome the effects of these particles. However, immunocompromised patients are more susceptible to these pathogens and airborne organisms such as spores. As these organisms are found in higher concentration in healthcare facilities, additional care must be taken in the design of the HVAC systems. The provisions and requirements of each of the standards as adopted by the AHJ apply to new construction, additions, and alterations to existing buildings. See Figure 3 for a sample of pathogen type and size.
The ventilation systems serving airborne infection isolation rooms, protective environment rooms, Class B and C operating rooms, and labor and delivery rooms are required to continue to operate to maintain space ventilation and pressure relationships in the event of a loss of normal power. To enhance HVAC systems' reliability in serving these spaces, a minimum of two units or capability to continue services upon any fan failure/component maintenance is also recommended. Additionally, space ventilation in order to provide heating is required for patient care areas unless the ASHRAE 99% heating dry bulb temperature is greater than 25 F. This requirement indicates that in most facilities, continuous ventilation will be provided at all times, unless heating for these areas is provided by other sources such as radiant panels or baseboard heating.
Research and studies cited by Farhad Memarzadeh include S. Karra and E. Kastivela in 2007 and C.S. Cox in 1989 and 1998 and have shown that the effects of temperature and humidity (to a lesser extent) are more significant on fungi spores as they tend to be more tolerant to the stress of dehydration, rehydration, and UV radiation than viruses and bacteria. Maintaining air delivery in relative constant ranges will aid in controlling these contaminants. Studies also cited by Memarzadeh include D.L. MacIntosh, et al., and P.C. Wu et al., and have shown that central station air handling units reduce concentrations of airborne fungi, while natural ventilation and fan coil units increase concentrations. Studies and abstracts available through http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com, http://europemc.org, and www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.
Acceptable location of air intakes and air discharges are noted in the codes to avoid potential recirculation of contaminated air and provide minimum inlet locations that will allow for a clean air location. Suspect outdoor air locations, even though meeting minimum distance requirements, should be monitored using appropriate air sensors as well as regularly scheduled portable air sampling for CO, CO2, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NO2, and related pollutants. Don't wait for the phone call that says someone has been taken ill due to any of these contaminants. Consider including wind tunnel testing and/or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis early in the design process to minimize the potential for any adverse effects.
As with most ventilation systems, the method of air distribution, air delivery to the space, and the types of air devices greatly affect the actual air change rates and the ability of any system to minimize contaminants and/or infection. HVAC designers must follow codes and carefully choose the proper method of air delivery based on room type and function.
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Article: Amazing Charts In Rails
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In this article, Srividya Sharma provides an introduction to FusionCharts Free, a Flash charting library, and shows how to use it from Ruby.
Next to a complete sample application showing how to implement Flash charts in a Ruby on Rails application, the article also contains a thorough comparison of FusionCharts (Free and Paid versions) with other charting solutions.
Using Flash is just one way of providing charts to the user; InfoQ previously ran an article on using Google Charts with Ruby. While the Google Charts solution offloads the rendering of the charts to Google's servers, the FusionCharts solution allows to render the data on the server and avoid the dependence on a third party.
Read Srividya Sharma on "Amazing Charts In Rails".
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JS approach
Anselmo da Silva
The point is Data-Visualization, and here, you could include in your analyze, the "Javascript Canvas" approach.
As js engines getting faster, the use of this canvas element becomes even more interesting. The caveat is the no-direct-support in IE.
We use the approach in controlled client environments, and it results to be an elegant solution, with simple deploy and control.
Some references:
Flot: code.google.com/p/flot/
Protochart: www.deensoft.com/lab/protochart/
PlotKit: www.liquidx.net/plotkit/
Thanks for your sharing
Re: JS approach
Werner Schuster
thanks for the links - definitely an approach to watch.
BTW we also featured an article on using Google Charts from Ruby:
which has neither client nor serverside dependencies, but of course you'll tie yourself to Google's servers.
Re: JS approach
Anselmo da Silva
jsxgrap => jsxgraph.uni-bayreuth.de/cms/index.php?page=exa...
Over OFC2?
Jonathan Calvert
But anyway, there is one real problem with Flash based charting as opposed to server side image compilation, and that's handling large data sets(10s or 100s of thousands of data points) for scatter plots.
Ezgraphix Plugin.
Juan Esteban Pemberthy
Documentation and a live demo are listed in the project's readme, it's still a basic plugin but Im thinkin in making a second version supporting more charts.
Enjoy it.
Re: Over OFC2?
Srividya Sharma
Of course, upgrading to FusionCharts v3 opens a new set of benefits like more chart types, maps, power charts, visual debugger and not to mention the personal support.
Re: JS approach
Jerven Bolleman
Gruff has no scatterplott-charts (but gnuplot)
Oliver Haag
Instead FusionCharts indeed is a good solution for simple scattercharts. For really komplex data I prefer something not on the list: gunplot with the rgplot ruby wrapper.
- gnuplot.sourceforge.net/
- rgplot.rubyforge.org/
Hope it helps.


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Russia with loans- possible? Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Russia with loans- possible? Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Russia & C.I.S. View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message lechatbleuJoined: 23 May 2012Posts: 13Location: Krasnodar, Russia Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:42 pm Post subject: Russia with loans- possible? For an inexperienced teacher, is it possible to make enough to survive in Russia (perhaps if one is outside of Moscow/SPB where it's less expensive?) while making payments on student loans that will run approximately $400/month? Or would I be better off looking at somewhere like Korea where the pay is better until I've paid off my loans? (Though that could take years and I really do just feel drawn to Russia...) I have looked at the salaries, and done the exchange rate, but it seems in Russia there is an option to teach private lessons as well, so I am wondering if that is factored in... Or am I being totally unrealistic? Back to top SashadroogieJoined: 17 Apr 2007Posts: 11061Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 10:11 am Post subject: $400 a month would be a hefty chunk of a McSchool salary. However, if you can get private students, then you should not have too much trouble making that amount, except for the summer months perhaps. But all this largely depends on how well you manage to get contacts and establish yourself. That can take time, so there is a risk element. In any case, all going well, the going rate for privates is about 2,500 to 3,000 rubles per 90 min lessons. $400 converts to about 12,000 to 13,000 rubles. Even at a rate of just 2,000 rubles a lesson, you'd only need 6 lessons a month to cover most of your loan. This should be manageable, but again, nothings guaranteed. Also, I doubt that setting up outside of Moscow of St Petersburg will reduce your cost or increase your savings too much, so I wouldn't rule those cities out. I do not think you are being totally unrealistic. Russia can pay, and very well too. But your first year probably will not yield much in the way of savings. So, perhaps Korea would be better for a quick dependable cash injection from the first day. Depends on where you really want to be, and how flexible you can be with your loan re-payments. And how well you can get private students. Best of luck to you! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Russia & C.I.S. All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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Merging a Modern Kitchen with Traditional Dining Room
For years my husband and I have been toying with the idea of knocking down the wall between our kitchen and our dining room. We find we rarely use the dining room — instead squeezing into the tiny breakfast nook at the end of our kitchen. As much as we love having a formal dining room we also love the idea of opening up the space. In addition to concerns about the cost and chaos inherent to any kitchen renovation, there is the question of how to merge a very modern, sleek kitchen with a very old, traditional and antique-laden dining room.
We have not met with an architect so ideas for the new layout are vague at best. But we do know that we do not want to drastically change the existing style of either room. I do not want to build traditional or even "transitional" country-style cabinets in the kitchen to better blend with the formal architecture and decor of the dining room. I love stark modern kitchens. Nor do I want to ditch all my beloved antiques for a sleek, minimalist dining room. But clearly we would need to do some serious tweaking to ensure cohesion and continuity between the two rooms.
Some ideas we have considered:
• 1 An island/counter made from antique wood or simply bringing the dining room table right into the new expanded kitchen (Images #6 and #8)
• 2 New parquet wood flooring (to match the dining room) and an oriental rug in the kitchen (Image #7)
• 3 New, modern dining room chairs (our existing chairs are past their prime)
• 4 A modern light fixture in the dining room
• 5 A more contemporary rug in the dining room
• 6 New paint color in both the kitchen and dining room to create a flow between the rooms
• 7 New lighting in the kitchen to soften the space.
Do you have any suggestions for melding two such contrasting spaces without completely abandoning either style? The first five images shown are of our home. The second five are examples of open kitchens that have given us hope that bridging the modern/traditional divide is indeed possible!
Images: 1-5: Catrin Morris; 6: Everything Fab; 7: House Beautiful; 8: Coco Cozy; 9: Elle Decor; 10: Everything Fab


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Stylish Storage: 10 Smart Ways to Organize Your Pantry
For years I've coveted pantries, and now that I have one... it's kind of a mess. Keeping a well-stocked pantry user-friendly is definitely a challenge, but the wisest minds online are here to help...
From across the web, here are some of the best ideas for keeping your pantry organized. You'll never spend 15 minutes digging around for the sugar ever again.
- Open + Industrial Perhaps the best way to keep your pantry looking its best? Make it public. If you have to look at it everyday, chances are you'll be more inclined to treat it right. This industrial chic pantry from Country Living is so beyond my abilities right now, but perhaps someday...
- Pretty Plastic Bags Martha Stewart's got a tutorial to make this streamlined bag holder — so much better than the rats' nest under my sink.
- Or Just Use Mailing Tubes! Skip the sewing and stick your grocery bags in cardboard mailing tubes, and smaller bags in paper towel tubes, a la In My Own Style.
- Corral Odd Shapes Canned goods are easy to stack, but cookie cutters and edible spray paint can create absolute chaos. Better Homes & Gardens sticks them all in bins and clear containers.
- Baskets As Drawers If you're considering the expensive process of installing drawers in your pantry, consider BH&G's suggestion to use baskets instead. They're affordable, readily available, and can be painted easily.
- Spicy Storage I've yet to figure out how to keep my many herbs and spices organized — back-of-the-pantry-door racks like House185's might be the best idea yet.
- Hold Your Rolls I saw this mesh pantry caddy from Amazon featured on a few home design blogs, and I love the idea of filling it with my often-used foil, parchment, twine, and scissors.
- Lid Racks Or use the back of the door to store notoriously un-organizable pot lids. Worthing Court featured a pantry with custom-build pot lid storage, but towel bars could be used as well.
- Keep Stocked I love lists so I love this: Martha Stewart suggests keeping a list in your pantry so you can easily jot down staples you're running low on.
- Not-So-Lazy Susans I have to admit: Lazy Susans stress me out. However, I also have to admit how handy they are, especially when used as House Logic did to make the most of awkward corner space.
Apartment Therapy supports our readers with carefully chosen product recommendations to improve life at home. You support us through our independently chosen links, many of which earn us a commission.


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Next Stop Port Eliot
Charlotte and I are stuck in probably the hottest traffic jam whilst on the m5. I think that everyone is coming to Port Eliot with us but Charlotte doesn't agree. Whilst there is not much to post about yet here's a picture that I risked life and limb to try and take to only work out it was better to use a mirror. Hopefully the next Port Eliot post will be more exciting, and with a bit of luck have some actual festival-ness in it, only if were not stuck on here forever.


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The libsmbios project aims towards providing access to as much BIOS
information as possible. It does this by providing a library of
functions that can be used as well as sample binaries.
Maintained by: Alan Hicks
Keywords: bios,pommed,mac
ChangeLog: libsmbios
Download SlackBuild:
libsmbios.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| doinst.sh
| libsmbios.SlackBuild
| libsmbios.info
| slack-desc
© 2006-2018 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


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The Way We Live Now: Traditionally. We're subtly reverting to the days of yore. When women were paid in buttons. When the Hamptons were sleepy beach villages. When money was...controlled by Second Life sex fiends. Well, semi-traditionally.
Women: Still underpaid! Hey, that's not news. Here's what would be news: if the US government were offering homeowners cold hard cash if they sell their crappy underwater homes at a loss. That would be news.
People change, but things mostly stay the same. See? East Hampton was very la-dee-da for a minute there, but now it's essentially reverted to its former status as "a place that does not have Brooks Brothers, Cole Haan and Calypso Home stores there."
All thanks to the recession! So don't be surprised if you see one of your fellow citizens walking down the street whistling a happy tune. He's probably just one of the many sex fiend nerds who made $567 million in real money last year selling various forms of penises and rape machines to his fellow digital deviants.
It's all very much "the good old days are back again." Sure, times are tough, but at least the men are happy spending their last nickels on realistic internet dog sex while the women slave away for pennies on the dollar and spend their free time clipping coupons like real live maniacs. It's the principle that America was founded upon. (Dog sex).


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Get the Flash Playerto see this player.
|Twink Clinic
Short review: Sexy, young twinks arrive at the clinic for a check up and get more than they bargained for as the sex hungry doctors give them a thorough examination. You have a growing number of exclusive movies here featuring some new faces and some great sex. There are good viewing options and you can download the entire scenes too. Your membership includes access to ten other bonus sites with hours more hot sex.
Content Amount: There were 17 episodes, cut into clips, on the main site each full length movie running for around 25 minutes and coming with a gallery of 50 screenshots. But there were 10 other bonus sites with many more movies and galleries plus 15 feed sites.


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CHICAGO, Ill. (Dec. 6, 2012) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Thursday that the club has re-signed Costa Rican international defender Gonzalo Segares to a multi-year deal. Per league and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We're pleased that Gonzalo will remain a member of the club," said Fire President of Soccer Operations Javier Leon. "He has been a tremendous asset to the Fire backline for nearly a decade and has been key to our defensive stability."
Segares was the Fire's third round selection (35th overall) in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft after a four-year collegiate career at Virginia Commonwealth University. Segares has played 178 MLS Regular Season games over eight seasons for the Men in Red, scoring 11 goals and adding 13 assists. The 2007 Chicago Fire Defender of the Year, Segares has made 13 postseason appearances for the Fire, scoring the insurance goal in the second leg of the 3-0 win over the New England Revolution Nov. 6, 2008.
WATCH: Segares bags game-winner June 17 vs. New York
Having amassed 207 competitive appearances for the Men in Red, the veteran defender became just the seventh player in club history to surpass the 200 mark with his appearance in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact on September 15.
"I'm very happy to continue on as a Fire player," said Segares. "Chicago is my second home and the Fire have been a big part of my life for a long time. I look forward to more success with the club in the future."
Segares joined Cypriot club Apollon Limassol on a free transfer in January 2010, where he made 12 appearances, helping Limassol to a third place finish in the 2009-10 Cypriot First Division table before returning to the Fire in August that year.
In 2012, Segares started all 31 games in which he appeared. With three goals and one assist to his credit, Segares was tied with 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year Austin Berry for goals scored by a Fire defender. Segares was a mainstay in the Fire backline that held opponents to just 41 goals, tied for second best in the Eastern Conference.
The San Jose, Costa Rica native made his international debut in an international friendly against Honduras Sept. 9, 2007 and has since earned 19 caps for los Ticos.
Player: Gonzalo Segares
Pronunciation: seh-GAH-res
Position: Defender
Height: 5'11" (1.80 m)
Weight: 160 lbs. (72.57 kg)
Date of Birth: October 13, 1982
Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica
Citizenship: Costa Rica
College: Virginia Commonwealth University
Status: U.S. Green Card Holder
Last Club: Apollon Limassol (CYP)
How Acquired: Re-signed on Dec. 6, 2012


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Antec Truepower Quattro TPQ-1000 Review
Electricity, current, power, electric, all common names for the thing that makes the wonderful toys we play with come to life. Now, what happens when there is not enough or too much of it? Usually things don't work right. In the case of our beloved computers, too little power results in crashes, lockups and shutdowns that are hard to trace. Too much usually ends up causing component failures that you only notice when the smoke starts billowing out the rear of the case. Neither of these scenarios are ideal for the longevity of that high dollar luxury item that sits on the desk. When building a computer, picking a power supply is usually an after thought. As the last thing picked for the build, most of the dollars alloted for build are gone. So, we just spend what is left to get a power supply that will "be just fine" for the build. Making the right choice on which power supply to use is never easy. Sure there are some online calculators that give a worst case estimate, but it's better to be safe rather than sorry. Understanding the consequences of making the wrong choice is half the battle. The other half comes in when making the choice of which power supply is right for the build. How many watts, efficiency rating, modular or not, quad core or dual core processor, single or multi GPU for the graphics,water cooling or air cooling are some questions that need to be asked to make the correct choice.
The Antec TruePower Quattro TPQ-1000 watt power supply is one that should power up and run some of the most demanding systems out today. As the name implies, it features four separate 12 volt rails or lines, is a semi-modular design, is 80 plus certified, over current protection, over voltage protection, under voltage protection, short circuit protection, and active PFC, all in a package that delivers 1000 watts of power for use by the system. With ever increasing processor counts, Tri and Quad SLI, as well as CrossfireX now realities, the need for power just keeps scaling upwards. Will the Antec TruePower Quattro 1000 watt power supply deliver what we need?
Closer Look:
The Antec Quattro 1000 comes in a plain white box with just the companies name and a 1000 on the front just to let you know what size unit this is. The rear panel list the connections that the power supply comes with as well as the some of the specifications. The term 80+ is defined on the rear panel.
Opening the package you can see that Antec has packaged the power supply in a foam enclosure with the modular and main power cables stored around the block. The documentation for the Quattro 1000 is left on top for easy access to the literature.


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NAMM 2008 - Alesis Announces New Products
NAMM 2008: Alesis will be showcasing an exciting range of new products for 2008.
ALESIS DM5 PRO KIT with SURGE CYMBALS
The Alesis DM5 Pro Kit with Surge Cymbals is premium-quality electronic drum kit with revolutionary new cymbals. The kit delivers pro-drum sound and familiar, comfortable playability thanks to durable, real drum heads and amazing new cymbal design.
Complete 5-piece electronic drum set
- Dual-Zone Snare, Bass Drum Pad/Stand, 3 Tom Pads, 12" Surge Electronic HiHat, 13" Surge Crash cymbal, and 16" Surge Dual-Zone electronic cymbal
Alesis Professional DM5 module conta ining:
- 540 sounds
- 21 programmable drum sets recorded in 48kHz, true stereo, with ambient effects
- Single rack space module
- Dynamic Articulation™ feature allows drum sounds to change volume, tone, and pitch depending on how hard they're hit – just like real drums
- Ultra–fast trigger–to–MIDI converter with 12 trigger inputs, 5 programmable parameters for each
The USB Pro Drum Kit combines the popular Alesis Trigger|iO with drum kit controller hardware to give drummers a complete e-percussion kit for playing software drum modules using a highly accurate and expressive drum kit. The kit includes all-new Surge Cymbals for the most realistic cymbal look and feel ever made for electronic drums.
Trigger i|O Module:
- 10 TRS Trigger Inputs for Single or Dual-zone Trigger Inputs
- 20 Programmable Presets for storing and recalling various setups
- Includes BFD Lite Software Drum Module (Mac and PC) with pro-quality acoustic and electronic drums in standalone, VST, AU and DXi plug-in formats
- Compatible with most software applications
- Easy Interface for quick editing and user Setups
- HiHat Input for on/off or Continuous Control of HiHat sound for natural playability
- Up/Down Foot switch Input for selecting Kits remotely
- Customizable trigger settings for Sensitivity, assignment of MIDI channels, Note numbers, Crosstalk, Velocity curve, Threshold, Re-trigger time and Pad type
- Mounting holes for optional drum stand mount
- USB 1.1 Plug and Play (Windows and Mac), MIDI Out
Drum Kit:
- USB/MIDI control - Sends notes and controller information to a software program or hardware module
- Real drum heads and electronic cymbals with Dual-zone snare and toms
- HiHat pedal constantly translates motion into proper expressiveness at various open and closed settings
- USB Computer Interface
- 1 MIDI Out
- Controller Remapping support
The Surge Cymbals include a 12" Surge HiHat, 13" Surge Crash and 16" Surge Dual-zone Ride to deliver crisp, accurate response with remarkable realism. They feature a custom brass-alloy with a special, clear dampening layer to merge the look and feel of real cymbals with the flexibility of electronic cymbals.
This is a standalone desktop recorder for iPod. Alesis MultiPort brings an all-new level of iPod recording to your desktop. MultiPort delivers professional-quality recording directly to your iPod, or computer.
- Record directly to iPod Classic, 5th gen (Video), and 2nd or 3rd gen. iPod nano
- Record directly to your computer via USB
- Works with all docking iPod models when used through iTunes
- Playback from iPod while recording at the same time
- Mic/Line inputs for crystal-clear recording of any source
- Level meters for easy-to-read level monitoring
Introducing the SR-18. Following in the tradition of its ancestor, the SR-18 is loaded with cutting-edge drum kits, electronic drums, hits, and up-to-date percussion sounds for any modern drummer. From hip-hop, to country and everything in-between, the SR-18 has you covered.
- Large, 32MB sound set with percussion bank and bass synth
- Built-in Effects- Reverb, EQ and Compression
- Battery Power for max portability
- Pattern Play Mode enables different patterns to be triggered from the pads directly
- Mute function for parts- Drums, Bass and Percussion and per pad within a bank
- AC and Battery Power capability (6 AA's- not included with product) and AC Adapter
- 24 voice polyphony
- Backlit LCD
- MIDI In and Out
- TRS ¼"Aux Output
- Drum Roll function
- Headphone output
- Instrument Input
- 175 Preset Patterns and 100 User Patterns
- Tempo / Value dial
- Footswitch control- Start/Stop and Count/A-B fill
ALESIS iMULTIMIX 16 USB
The iMultiMix 16 USB is a sturdy, compact all-in-one tabletop mixer and recorder that features 100 studio grade 28–bit digital effects, a built–in limiter to avoid distorted recordings and an integrated iPod dock with control wheel transport controls for fast, easy direct–to–iPod recording.
- Integrated recording for iPod Classic, 5th gen. (Video), and 2nd or 3rd gen. iPod nano
- Four high-gain mic/line preamps (XLR and ¼" balanced)
- 48V phantom power
- Built-in limiter
- 16-Bit / 44.1kHz and 48kHz recording to computer
- Two guitar mic/line inputs
- Aux sends and returns
- 100 on-board, 28-bit digital effects – Reverb, Chorus, Flange, Delay
- 3-band per channel EQ with high/low shelving and mid band pass/reject
The Alesis MultiMix 8 & 16 USB 2.0 mixers provide USB 2.0 technology for ultra–fast, low–latency, 24–bit/44.1–96kHz (with high–end A/D and D/A conversion) multi–channel audio recording straight to your computer.
MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 Features:
MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 Features:
Alesis delivers pro-grade USB speaker performance to the computer desktop. M1 Active 320 USB speakers enable you to play audio from your computer and record audio coming into the speaker to your computer. Simply plug in the USB cable to your computer – No special drivers required.
- USB 1.1 audio interface
- 16-Bit / 44.1-48 kHz recording and playback
- Pro-grade 1/4" plugs and standard RCA jacks
- TRS Headphone output
- Two ¼" phone jacks inputs
- Stereo 1/8" TRS mini-jack input
- Stereo RCA inputs
- 1/8" TS output to passive speaker
- Switchable power supply
- Magnetically shielded for placement near TV and computer monitors
Speaker specifications:
- Magnetically-shielded 3-inch woofer 1" silk dome tweeter
- Frequency Response:58 Hz – 25 kHz
- Power:10W per channel RMS
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 88dB weighted
- Digital Conversion: 16 bit delta sigma, 44.1kHz or 48kHz sampling rate
MasterControl delivers up to 8 channels of 44.1–192kHz audio directly to your computer via ultra–fast, low–latency FireWire connectivity. The audio interface features 2 mic (XLR) inputs with phantom power and channel inserts, and 6 line (TRS) inputs. An additional 18 inputs of digital audio are possible with the MasterControl's S/PDIF and S/MUX ADAT Lightpipe options, for forward–thinking expansion. For monitoring your recordings and sessions, the MasterControl features 6 analog outputs, configurable as discrete, 5.1 Surround or Stereo x 3.
- Built–in analog inputs – 2 XLR mic preamp inputs with Phantom Power and channel inserts, 6 balanced TRS ¼" line inputs
- 192kHz analog recording / playback capability
- 6 analog outputs – configurable as discrete, 5.1 Surround, or 3 stereo pairs with dedicated speaker switching
- Nine 100mm motorized faders and eight 360° virtual knobs (three banks each)
- 2 banks of 8 fully–assignable buttons provide 16 different functions per preset (setting markers and loop points, setting automation modes, cut/copy/paste)
- Expandable audio inputs for up to 26 simultaneous inputs. S/PDIF and dual S/MUX ADAT Lightpipe inputs provide 18 additional recording inputs
- 16 channel MIDI I/O
- 2 X 16 character LCD provides instant controller feedback and enables customization of knob and button functions
- Fully–editable presets allow for instantaneous, dedicated control over HUI-compatible DAWs and external MIDI devices
- Removable, customizable templates provide total visual overview of preset operation
- Preview button shows knob, button, and fader parameters before sending them out to DAW
- Built–in talk–back microphone and control– surface based cue mix setup
- Bundled with Cubase LE software and compatible with most digital audio workstation software products
The perfect PA system for outdoor parties, mobile musicians, business meetings and sporting events. A built-in retractable handle and flight-case style roller wheels allow this PA to travel with you wherever you go.
- High-output powered mountable 2-way speaker system
- Built-in rechargeable battery with level indicator lasts over 12 hours
- Outputs high-fidelity sound to over 150 feet
- Enhanced bass output creates a full, rich sound
- Professional quality microphone included
- Heavy-duty construction
- Two-wheel system with retractable handle for easy portability
- 1-3/8" PA speaker stand mountable
Pricing & ship dates to be announced at a later date.
Related Products
Alesis SR-18 Professional Drum Machine
Alesis knows drums. The legendary SR-16 ignited the drum-machine market in 1990 and has remained a classic ever since. The SR-18 is designed to meet the demands of today's musicians.
Introducing the SR-18. Following in the tradition of its ancestor, the SR-18 is loaded with cutting-edge…
Web Price:229.00
Availability:in stock


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Sean Williamson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with strong ties to Emmanuel College. He graduated from Emmanuel in 2000 with a B.A. in psychology and went on to complete his Master's in Social Work from the University of Georgia in 2004.
He has worked in Student Life as a Residence Director and taught in the Social Sciences before being named Director of Counseling and Career Services in 2008.
Before coming to Emmanuel, Sean worked as a service coordinator, a medical social worker, a counselor in a community health center, and a Senior Mental Health Counselor at a state prison.
Sean also continues to teach at Toccoa Falls College, and at a DUI School in Northeast Georgia.


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Buffalo News
There is a lesson to learn from the tortuous road the New York State Thruway Authority took to not imposing a 45 percent toll increase on trucks. It's a lesson that all governments in New York need to learn, from the state budget office to the tiniest villages: Look elsewhere — and hard — before reaching into anyone's pocket.
That hasn't been the standard in too many places in this state for too long. Albany's performance has improved since Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo took office two years ago, but at the same time, Cuomo initially supported the Thruway Authority's grab for truckers' money.
For whatever reason, though, he changed his mind and applied to the Thruway Authority the same cautious fiscal standards that he has been using on the state budget for the past two years.
The turnaround by the Thruway Authority came with head-spinning speed. For months, it had insisted that tolls on trucks would rise by 45 percent and, despite the protests by business groups, Cuomo went along with it. Then, only a few weeks ago, it said it would not raise tolls on trucks but that it might do so on cars, except that it then decided it wouldn't do that, either.
Then, last week, Cuomo officials junked the 45 percent toll hike, announcing that the authority would find the needed $90 million through cost savings that include staff cutbacks through attrition, sharing services with other state agencies, reducing new vehicle costs and refinancing debt. In short, it decided to do all the things it should have done before ever thinking about any toll increase, let alone one that was tailor-made to choke off truck traffic on the state's main thoroughfare.
In a state in as much trouble as this one, it is incomprehensible that the Thruway Authority reached so casually for the toll increase lever before exploring the kinds of options that any private-sector business would before asking its clients to pay more. Indeed, even Cuomo had to be reminded that the increase he tacitly supported flew in the face of the "open for business" mantra he is pitching to companies looking to expand.
The good news is that the light dawned before the increase could take effect, but that does nothing to increase trust in the judgment of the Thruway Authority. Its poor management and cavalier attitude toward raising rates on truckers documents the case for doing away with the Authority altogether.
What use does it serve if it cannot efficiently perform the task for which it was created?
This is a lesson that needs to be absorbed by governments of all levels around the state. The slogan that government should be run like a business is overused and not entirely accurate, but elements of it are plainly true. One of them is that you don't hit up your clients unless you have no other choice.