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Food Movements Unite!
06 Sep 2013
A crisis, wrote Antonio Gramsci, happens when the old refuses to die and the new cannot be born. The corporate food regime may not be dying, but it is cracking, as new food systems struggle to be born.
The food riots of 2008 that swept through the Global South returned with runaway food-price inflation in 2010–2011, this time sparking full-scale rebellions in Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt. Unable to control price inflation or contain rebellion, the oligopolies of the corporate food regime are trapped in a classic crisis of capital accumulation. Monsanto Company—voted company of the year by Forbes magazine in 2008—has saturated its Northern markets. Its new gene-stacked products are performing poorly and the expiration of its patent on Roundup has opened the door to Chinese competition. In the face of precipitously falling profits and stock values, the seed giant—along with 16 other monopolies—is trying to use the food crisis as a lever to break open markets of the Global South. This help comes in the form of public-private partnerships of government aid campaigns like the US's "Feed the Future" initiative, and projects to prepare food-deficit countries for the spread of GMOs, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.
The global recession has exacerbated the desperate conditions of the so-named "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP): the world's poor living on less than US $2/day—70% of whom are peasant farmers. With the food crisis as their rationale, the world's agrifoods monopolies are jockeying to capture the BOP market. Even though the poor do not spend much individually, they number over 2.5 billion and as a market sector are growing at the rate of 8% a year. In the Global North, retail giants like Kroger, Walmart, and Tesco are scrambling over each other to acquire cheap urban land in the inner cities of the US. Having saturated the rural and suburban markets, these corporations are expanding their operations through tax breaks, government stimulus monies, and political support from First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to "eradicate food deserts." But this terminology is deceiving. In fact, the food dollars from these areas are significant. In West Oakland, California, 50,000 low-income residents spend over half a million dollars a year on food —dollars that if recycled through locally owned retail could contribute significantly to community economic development. The term food desert, like the term unused land in the Global South, is used to justify the corporate expansion into land and economies where people make their livelihoods. Like the infamous Wall Street bailouts of 2008, the "solutions" to the global food crisis are actually designed to solve the financial problems of the world's oligopolies.
But the global food crisis is more than the tragic increase in the number of hungry people and the pandemic of diet-related diseases. It is more than the violence of land and resource grabs, the loss of rural livelihoods, and the abuse of food workers. It is more than the cyclical crises of capital accumulation experienced by the world's agrifood monopolies. The food crisis is a political crisis.
For this reason, ending the crisis requires more than simply producing more food or making healthier choices. Ending the food crisis is a political project requiring social, economic, and political organization for transformative change. Many food movement organizations are well aware of this, others increasingly so.
Security, justice sovereignty
Some actors within the global food movement have a radical critique of the corporate food regime, calling for food sovereignty and structural, redistributive reforms including land, water, and markets. Others advance a progressive food justice agenda, calling for access to healthy food by marginalized groups defined by race, gender, and economic status. Family-farm, sustainable-agriculture advocates and those seeking quality and authenticity in the food system also fall in this progressive camp. While progressives focus more on localizing production and improving access to good, healthy food, radicals direct their energy at changing regime structures and creating politically enabling conditions for more equitable and sustainable food systems. Both overlap significantly in their approaches. Radicals and progressives are the arms and legs of the same food movement.
Time for Transformation
Clearly, without profound changes to the regime we will continue to experience cycles of free-market liberalization and mild regime reform, plunging the world's food systems into ever-graver crises. While food system reforms — such as localizing food assistance, increasing aid to agriculture in the Global South, increasing food stamps, and funding organic agricultural research — are certainly needed and long overdue, they don't alter the balance of power within the food system and, in some cases, may even reinforce the status quo.
Progressive projects are tremendously energetic, creative, and diverse, but can also be locally focused and issue rather than system driven. For example, the movement to improve access to food in low-income urban communities addresses a pressing need. But the causes of nutritional deficiency among underserved communities go beyond the location of grocery stores. The abysmal wages, unemployment, skewed patterns of ownership and inner-city blight, and the economic devastation that has been historically visited on these communities are the result of structural racism, globalization, and class struggles lost. No amount of fresh produce will fix urban America's food, and class can't be ignored or willed away. An honest and committed effort to the original food justice principles of antiracism and equity within the food movement is just as important as working for justice in the broader food system. Addressing the rights of women, labor, and immigrants is essential for strengthening movements for food justice. Rural-urban and North-South divides must also be addressed in practice and in policy for the food movement to unite in a significant way.
In this regard, the progressive trend of the food movement is pivotal: If progressive organizations build their primary alliances with reformist institutions from within the corporate food regime, the regime will be strengthened, and the food movement will be weakened. In this scenario, we are unlikely to see substantive changes to the status quo. However, if progressive and radical organizations find ways to build strategic alliances between them, the food movement will be strengthened. A united food movement has a much higher likelihood of pressuring legislators, bringing about reforms, and moving our food systems toward true transformation.
Another food system is possible; the political convergence of the world's food movements will bring it to life.
Adapted from an article which first appeared in Eric Holt-Giménez, Food Movements Unite! Strategies to transform our food system, Food First Books, 2011.
To read more articles like this, check out the Slow Food Almanac.
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Economy means sacrifice for Thanksgiving travelers
Published 11:36 am Wednesday, November 21, 2012
CHICAGO (AP) — Feeling the pinch of the sluggish economic recovery, many Americans setting out on the nation's annual Thanksgiving migration had to sacrifice summer vacations, rely on relatives for airfare or scour the Web for travel deals to ensure they made it home.
It's not just tight family finances making travel tough. Airlines struggling to save on jet fuel and other expenses have cut the number of flights, leading to a jump in airfares. Those hitting the roads face high gas prices and rising tolls. Now, with talk of the nation sliding off a "fiscal cliff" come January, many travelers said they're accepting that sacrifices for pricy holiday journeys have become the norm.
"You become immune to it, I guess," said Chris Zukowski, a 43-year-old locomotive engineer from the Chicago suburb of Huntley, as he hugged his wife and three children goodbye at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and lamented he could not afford to join them on the holiday trip to New Jersey.
"You have to cut back on things just to make sure that you can afford to do stuff like this, so they can go visit grandma," he said, referring to his son and two daughters.
Weather was also upsetting some travel plans. Dense fog in the Chicago area forced the cancellation of 90 inbound and outbound flights at the city's two airports Wednesday morning, according to flightstats.com. More than 400 other flights were delayed at O'Hare and Midway.
Visibility was near zero at both airports for several hours, said National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Castro. The fog was expected to lift as the day progressed.
If the nation's travel patterns are any kind of barometer for the state of the economy, the travel forecast for Thanksgiving week suggested a slight upward nudge as people and businesses recover slowly from the 2007-09 recession in which Americans lost nearly a quarter of their wealth.
Around 43.6 million Americans were expected to journey 50 miles or more between Wednesday and Sunday, just a 0.7 percent increase from last year, according to AAA's yearly Thanksgiving travel analysis. After a couple years of healthy post-recession growth, this year's numbers suggested it will take a stronger economy to lift travel demand significantly, the travel organization said.
More people are driving, fewer are flying and the average distance traveled was expected to be nearly 17 percent — or about 120 miles — shorter than a year ago, it said.
As car ownership declines among younger Americans, many of those hitting the road were jumping onto buses.
"I can't afford to own a car; it's too expensive," said 21-year-old web design student Kayla Sprague of Minneapolis.
She was setting off on a 235-mile bus trip to Fargo, N.D. From there, her parents would be driving her the rest of the way to a family gathering in Grand Forks.
Army Pfc. Jordan Clark, of Biloxi, Miss., said he was only able to fly because relatives pooled their resources to buy his ticket.
"It's been difficult. My parents help out, my grandparents," the 20-year-old serviceman said before getting on a flight from Chicago to San Antonio. He wasn't so lucky over the summer, when he had to make the same journey by bus in what became a three-day ordeal thanks to breakdowns. But it saved him more than $200.
Some families are even agreeing to bump Thanksgiving dinner to Saturday, for example, allowing those traveling long distances to get cheaper, off-peak fares and avoid crowds, said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation researcher at DePaul University.
Aided by smartphone apps, social media and other technology, consumers are getting better at sniffing out deals and are realizing they need to be flexible with dates and even with which airports they chose when booking, said Courtney Scott, a senior editor at Travelocity.
"I think people are really becoming smarter, more creative travelers and shoppers," Scott said.
For some travelers, the coping mechanism was decidedly less sophisticated: Travel now, worry about the costs later.
"I think it's my personal style to say, 'It's the holidays. Who cares?' And deal with the consequences later," said Olivia Melman, who flew from Chicago to Philadelphia on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, who works in human relations at Citigroup in New York City, said the costs would set her back, but family is a priority.
Having skipped their Thanksgiving trip last year, Nishiya Sivaruban and her husband were able to save enough to take their two children to the Hawaiian island of Kauai on a special holiday journey. They saved about $200 each on airfare by flying out of O'Hare instead of Milwaukee, which is closer to their home in Waukesha, Wis.
She and her husband are originally from Sri Lanka and have family links to the founder of a Hindu temple and monastery on Kauai that they were excited about visiting.
"There's a lot of things we're thankful for so we wanted to go to that temple," she said.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to establish an HDMI connection between a TV and other device.
Follow the steps below if the HDMI® connection between your TV and other device is not working.
- Make sure both the TV and other device are turned on.
- While turned on, unplug the power cords for the TV and device from the electrical outlet.
- Disconnect the HDMI cables from the TV and other product.
- Wait 60 seconds.
- While the HDMI cables are disconnected, plug the power cords back into the electrical outlet.
- Turn on the TV.
- Re-connect the HDMI cables.
- Turn on the HDMI-connected product.
The TV should now detect the HDMI signal from the connected device and operate normally. If there is still a problem, disconnect the HDMI cable from both products and then reconnect it in the opposite direction. In some situations this has been reported to resolve connection issues.


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Today's Madness: One Bubble team is crying this morning. With
Who loses: Will it be a big-league school, like a 7th or 8th bid from the Big East or ACC? Or will the Committee see it as "like-for-like" and yank away a bid from an at-large from a smaller league, like the Colonial (ODU or Drexel)?
Big East ramps up today with early rounds, which this year are more meaningful than ever. Will the Big East get 8 bids? Really?
Oral Roberts wins Mid-Con: Who remembers my (quasi-)famous prediction last March that ORU would become the first 16-seed to beat a 1-seed? Let's bring it back! (And while we're bringing back crazy Tournament picks, how about signing up for the Daily Quickie Readers group of ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge?)
MLB Steroid Scandal: Add two names (of players not playing anymore) – David Bell and... John Rocker. (Of COURSE: Rocker!) It loses some impact that they aren't current players.
NBA: Mavs win 16th straight. Honestly, who's with me that these impressive in-season winning streaks don't mean anything unless the streaking team wins the NBA title. Sorry.
(Of course, you can't win the title unless you're in the playoffs, and the win was much more remarkable in that it clinched a playoff spot for
UPDATE: I stand corrected! (We all do!) Thanks to Mike Fisher from dallasbasketball.com for clarifying that the Mavs actually clinched after only 59 games. Well done, Fish and Co!
More NBA: Will Dwyane Wade reconsider his decision to try to make a comeback for the playoffs now that Heat 3-point specialist Jason Kapono is out indefinitely?
CBB: Tyler Hansbrough doesn't hate Gerald Henderson: He's merely going to demolish Duke if they meet in the ACC Tournament. (Sorry to disappoint, Psycho-T, but Duke ain't making it far enough.)
NFL: Joey Porter to the Dolphins: If they bring back Ricky Williams, they'd have the makings of an epic reality-TV series: "Joey and Ricky."
MLB: Remember when I was able to argue that Marlins SP Josh Johnson wasn't just NL Rookie of the Year, but a legit Cy Young Top 3 finisher? Those were the days... Now, he's out for another two months with a bad arm. Obvious Hint: Don't draft him for your fantasy league.
Matsuzaka Watch: 3 scoreless innings, 3 Ks, 2 hits. What's his auction league value range?
Carmelo about to be a baby-daddy of a baby boy (that sounds familiar!): Celebrates with 21 points in a Nuggets win over NOOCH. (Ahem: Seen Varsity Dad yet?.)
On a very serious note: Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream (from Ben & Jerry's) is the best ice cream flavor I have ever tasted.
Have you signed up for the "Daily Quickie Readers" group of ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge? What are you waiting for? Last year's group was the largest single office pool in the country. Let's do it again!
Don't forget: TONIGHT! Catch me and your other favorite NYC-based bloggers reading at the Varsity Letters
And just because you all have already read all of my blog posts, I wouldn't want to waste your time by reading from old blog posts. Instead, I will read an original piece! (How enticing!) Click here for an interview I did with the series hosts at Gelf Magazine.


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Viktor Solt-Bittner
Viktor Solt-Bittner was born in Vienna, Austria in 1970 where he now lives and works as a freelance designer. His fascination with letterforms - both handwritten and printed - began when studying graphic design in 1990 at the Graphische Lehranstalt in Vienna. With no formal training in type design, Solt-Bittner learned much from books and experimentation with font editing software. Interested less in highly formal and precise calligraphy than in quick, personal looking scripts, Solt-Bittner usually begins with historical models that he incorporates into his own writing style, and he then uses this writing as a foundation for his typeface designs. Solt-Bittner works as an information designer at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. He also runs animation workshops that specialize in short films for corporations. His typefaces include FF Danubia, ITC Ballerino™, ITC Johann Sparkling™, Leander Script™ and Voluta® Script.


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Breast reduction is a common surgical procedure. It is done to decrease the size of 1 or both breasts. While more common in women, this procedure can also be done in men.
Reasons for Procedure
The procedure may be done to correct:
Overly large breasts, resulting in any of the following symptoms:
- Poor self image
- Back, neck, or shoulder pain
- Posture problems
- Grooving and/or abrasions from bra straps
- Rash under the lower portion of the breasts
- Breast asymmetry—may be due to previous surgery to one breast, such as in the case of mastectomy or lumpectomy
- Large male breasts, known as gynecomastia—can be related to hormonal changes, medications, or other health conditions
After the surgery, your breasts will be smaller and more symmetrical in appearance. They should reflect the size, shape, and symmetry you desired.
Possible Complications
Problems from the procedure are rare, but all procedures have some risk. Your doctor will review potential problems, like:
- Infection
- Bleeding and bruising
- Possible loss of sensation to the breast, nipple, and/or areola
- Possible loss of ability to breastfeed
- Asymmetry between breasts
- Limited arm and/or shoulder movement
- Delayed wound healing
- Scarring
- Fluid or blood-filled cysts in the healing breast tissue
- Loss of nipple, areola, skin, or breast tissue due to change in blood supply
Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
- Obesity
- Smoking, alcohol use disorder, or illegal drug use
- Diabetes
- Prior radiation therapy to the breast area
- Poor nutrition
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
You may be asked to look through an album of breast sizes and shapes. This will help the doctor understand the outcome you desire. Computer software may also be used to help you determine your desired result.
Your doctor will likely do the following:
- Physical exam, including a breast exam
- Blood tests
- Mammogram
- Photos for comparison after surgery
In the days leading up to your procedure:
- Talk to your doctor about your medications. You may be asked to stop taking some medications or herbal supplements up to 1 week before the procedure.
- Arrange for a ride to and from the procedure. Also arrange for help at home after the procedure.
- The night before, eat a light meal. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.
- You may be asked to shower before your procedure. You may be given special antibacterial soap to use.
You may be given:
- General anesthesia—You will be asleep during the procedure.
- Local anesthesia—The area will be numbed.
Description of the Procedure
The area around the nipple and areola will be cut. Skin, fat, and breast tissue will be removed in a specific pattern. Depending on how much breast tissue is removed, the nipple and areola may need to be repositioned higher up on the breast tissue. Liposuction, a vacuum procedure used to remove excess fat, may also be used. The amount of scarring will depend on the amount that the breast is reduced and the amount of repositioning needed to reposition the nipple and areola. The scarring can occur around the areola, down to the breast crease, and along the breast crease.
Depending on the extent of operating required, a small flexible tube may be placed in 1 or both breasts to drain any fluid from the early phases of healing. These drains may need to stay in place for several days. They can be removed in the doctor's office. You will not need a second surgery to remove them.
The cuts in the breast skin will be closed with tiny stitches.
Breast Reduction Procedure |
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. |
Immediately After Procedure
You will be tightly bandaged around your chest, or you will have a special surgical bra. These will provide pressure and support.
How Long Will It Take?
2 to 4 hours
How Much Will It Hurt?
Anesthesia prevents pain during the surgery. You will have tenderness, swelling, and bruising of the breasts for several weeks after surgery. The pain can be controlled with medications.
Average Hospital Stay
The hospital stay may be up to 4 days. It may be possible to leave the hospital or surgery center on the same day of the procedure. Talk to your doctor to see if this is an option for you.
Post-procedure Care
Right after the procedure, you will be in a recovery room where your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing will be monitored. Recovery may also include:
- Medication to control nausea
- Gradually returning to your normal diet
- Using an incentive spirometer to help you breathe deeply
During your stay, the hospital staff will take steps to reduce your chance of infection, such as:
- Washing their hands
- Wearing gloves or masks
- Keeping your incisions covered
There are also steps you can take to reduce your chances of infection, such as:
- Washing your hands often and reminding visitors and healthcare providers to do the same
- Reminding your healthcare providers to wear gloves or masks
- Not allowing others to touch your incisions
When you return home:
- You will gradually return to your normal activities.
- Your doctor may advise you to avoid heavy lifting, straining, or difficult exercise for the first week or 2 after surgery.
- Wear a special surgical bra that applies pressure. This will properly shape your breast(s) after the operation.
Call Your Doctor
It is important for you to monitor your recovery after you leave the hospital. Alert your doctor to any problems right away. If any of the following occur, call your doctor:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or any discharge from the incision site
- Pain that you cannot control with the medications you were given
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Pain or swelling in your calves, legs, or feet
- You have concerns about the size and/or shape of your breasts
- Fluid or blood collecting in either breast
- Any pain or stiffness when moving your arm
If you think you have an emergency, call for emergency medical services right away.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons https://www.plasticsurgery.org
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery https://www.surgery.org
Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons http://plasticsurgery.ca
A Guide to Breast Augmentation in Canada http://www.canadaba.ca
Breast reduction. American Society of Plastic Surgeons website. Available at: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/reconstructive-procedures/breast-reduction. Accessed September 5, 2019.
Breast reduction. Brigham and Women's Hospital website. Available at: http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments%5Fand%5FServices/surgery/services/PlasticSurg/cosmetic-procedures/breast/breast-reduction.aspx. Accessed September 5, 2019.
Breast reduction. Smart Beauty Guide—The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery website. Available at: http://www.smartbeautyguide.com/procedures/breast/breast-reduction. Accessed September 5, 2019.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Donald W. Buck II, MD
- Review Date: 09/2019
- Update Date: 10/16/2020


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Notice: This Wiki is now read only and edits are no longer possible. Please see: https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/helpdesk/-/wikis/Wiki-shutdown-plan for the plan.
Architecture Council/Minutes January 15 2009
Meeting Title: | Architecture Council Monthly Meeting |
Date & Time: | Thursday January 15, 2009 at 1600 UTC / 0800 SFO / 1100 Ottawa / 1600 London / 1700 Berlin HTML | iCal |
Dial-in: | (+1) 613.287.8000 (Ottawa and international) or 866.362.7064 (toll-free North America) passcode 464440# |
- Use the Doodle Attendance Tracking Poll to confirm attendance or send regrets for this meeting. See this message for how to use it. All AC Members are invited.
- PMC Reps please confirm attendance or list your delegate below. Every PMC is required to name a primary and backup delegate, and to ensure that one delegate attends the meeting.
Gary Xue |
DTP: | Brian Fitzpatrick | Linda Chan |
DSDP: | Doug Gaff | Martin Oberhuber |
Eclipse: | Philippe Mulet (drop off early) | Mike Wilson |
Modeling: | Richard Gronback | |
RT: | Jeff McAffer | |
STP: | Oisin Hurley | |
Technology: | |
Wayne Beaton |
Tools: | |
Joanna Kubasta |
WTP: | Tim deBoer | Dave Carver |
- Signed-up: Chris Aniszczyk, John Arthorne, Boris Bokowski, Sven Efftinge, Mik Kersten, Markus Knauer, Bernd Kolb (to proxy Karsten Schmidt), Andrew Overholt, Doug Schaefer, Darin Swanson, Tom Watson, David Williams, Darin Wright, Gary Xue
- Regrets: Eugene Chan, Doug Clarke, Oliver Cole, Adrian Colyer, John Graham, Neil Hauge, Wenfeng Li, Mike Milinkovich, Mary Ruddy, Georg Schmidt, Mark Vandenbrink
- No-Show: Bjorn Freeman-Benson, Naci Dai, Oisin Hurley, Jochen Krause, Ed Merks, Michael Scharf, Tom Schindl, Gunnar Wagenknecht
Agenda / Notes
- Feel free to edit, but not during the call!
Review of Action Items
- Last meeting Architecture Council/Minutes December 16 2008#Action Items
- All Mentors to enter their mentorship info into the Portal
- Dave Carver to have a look at the Architecture Council Wiki page and visually improve it for users/consumers
- New Category markup allows us to tag other (non-AC) pages such that they show up under AC
- Better organize the AC homepage: collect feedback... AI Dave send links to other Wiki pages for review to check which ones we might want to emulate, also, everyone can make suggestions / create mock-up pages for review.
- Dave Carver, Chris to add links for Project Proposal Template and Pulling Eclipse Scripts into the meeting notes, see Architecture Council/Minutes December 16 2008#New Topics
- Martin to start a Wiki page explaining what's good about having a mentor
- Still open items moved to #Action Items
- New Members: Linda Chan (Actuate, Bay Area, DTP), Sven Efftinge (new Strategic Member, itemis, northern Germany, TMF Lead)
- New Dormant Members - see Architecture Council/Members and Mentors
- New Architecture Council/Templates
- AC Wiki pages are fairly complete now. Martin dumping his knowledge/E-Mail templates for others to use.
- AI Everyone review the Wiki pages and change anything unclear. Feel free to edit the Wiki!
- AI Andrew Overholt to chair next month's call (Feb 12)
- IP/Legal Discussions: IPZilla closed group is up, pending bug 214133 for accessing it through the Portal
- PMC Representation on the AC - backup delegates, 1 attendee required
- Efficient Communications
- Many AC members are involved in very many things. Need to communicate efficiently, with low "data to noise ratio"
- We already have: Bugzilla on creation/close only with opt-in; [URGENT] tag; Doodle for attendance tracking/voting; Wiki for discussions; anything else we could improve?
- Goal should be that it is easy to track what we are doing without getting spammed, and get notified of urgent matters.
- Avoid sending response to a meeting invitation / out-of-office back to the list (Mary, Mark, Eugene)
- It's interesting that some others (IBM'ers) have responded privately to Martin (John A, Darin S, Tom W, Dave W, Kevin H)
- Note the RSS Feed for the AC Mailing List: helpful for referencing previous postings
- RESOLUTION: AC is happy with current communication patterns.
News from the EMO & Councils
- December Official Board Minutes not yet done
- Doug Gaff summarizes the december board meeting on the Committer Reps Blog
- Mik: Are the EPP distributions "products"?
- bug 261365 Board says No. No clear actions out of that, but it should be reflected on the download pages.
- McQ: It doesn't matter what we label the EPP packages as... users just treat them as such, especially wrt JDT
- Much Platform/UI bug triage work goes into things that should really be associated with other projects: a large portion of bugs doesn't have value!
- Can we label stuff as "limited support" ?
- Can we do something like Red Hat (with RHEL / Fedora distros)?
- Jeff: Better highlight that there are supported offerings? Make it clearer what the support level is?
- In Linux, are bugs reported against the distro or against upstream projects?
- Martin: "Report a bug" wizard?
- Boris: Why isn't there a "Services" company interested in creating a distro with a "report a bug" wizard and make money out of that?
- Jeff: Make it clear in a positive way that stuff is available FOR FREE... and some bugs may be closed "WONTFIX"
- Firefox and Openoffice are also treated as "products"...
- Martin: "Expectation" discussion (to be held at planning council?) vs. technical "Low quality bugs" discussion
- Mik: Help > Report this bug ... button in every distro that includes Mylyn been doing more harm than good so far
- Kevin McGuire wanted to get bug auto-reported against Distro rather than component?
- Boris: Platform UI tries to redirect bugs properly, not too big an issue for them
- Martin: Windows 7 "Report a enhancement request with THIS component"
- ... they set the expecatation like "We won't respond but your comment is valuable"
- Mik: new "report bug" wizard allows to select any feature that has UI
- Boris: "report bug" wizard could show a webpage with (paid) ads of companies for commercial support... commercial products could replace that by their commercial support page
- Mik: Mylyn has an extension point for registering commercial support
- AI Mik to propose a date for demoing the feature at EclipseCon
- Doug Gaff (added after the meeting): I just want to summarize this by reminding folks that the EMO committed to 1) indicating that EPP packages are community support only and 2) providing links to Vendors that offer supported, commercial distros. Beyond this, it's in the community's hands.
- StAC 090115 Minutes meeting for funding release train activities: following this meeting
- Based on StAC 081028 Minutes SWOT analysis
New Topics
- EclipseCon - AC meeting on Sunday before the conference (Mar 22) afternoon
- Proposed StAC meeting 3pm-5pm including the AC, PC and RC; but we have some topics (like mentorship) not so interesting for the other councils
- Official Architecture Council/Meetings/March 22 F2F EclipseCon 2009 from 5pm-6pm, inofficial afterwards (Program Committee get-together after 6pm); want to have pizza dinner
- Architecture Council/Ask the AC Panel: many questions are important for ourselves to understand and answer consistently
- McQ - Eclipse Adoption and API Deprecation Policy
- Platform clients have problems updating to newer Eclipse versions, in spite of remaining binary API compatible. Do others see this too?
- How can inevitable migration effort (e.g. due to fixing semantic errors in API) be eased?
- Tagging change / tools to detect change
- How can we help clients become API-clean, and how can we help protect investment where API cleanliness is impossible?
- Tools to report usage of non-API even in closed source
- Allow clients to contribute unittests for code where they (have to) leverage internal non-API, in order to detect breakage early
- How can we help clients detect usage of obsoleted features, and migrate to the new replacement feature more easily?
- API Deprecation Policy / Soft deprecation tag
- Is it reasonable to expect API-clean clients?
- Dave Williams: Semantic differences are hard; in WTP, there are tools for scanning code and reporting back; would like to see PDE API Tools move into usage scanning as well
- McQ: Want scanners on beyond-bundle-granularity to report usage. Should we do that between projects? Setup a database for the information?
- Jeff: Low-fidelity / high-fidelity analyzers of usage
- Martin: are we softening the "You must be API clean" story?
- McQ: we should still be talking about "you must be API clean", but how can we live with reality? API does change. Take the low-level SWT event mechanism for instance. Can we tag non-API as "you're OK to use it"?
- DaveW: at this point, we should be collecting information and then decide on what to do with the information.
- Dave Carver: often, there is no way doing something without going "internal". How many people have actually requested something become API?
- Report will also be good to find out what non-API should be made API
- McQ: Formal deprecation policy?
- Jeff: Setup another call for the deprecation thing? Start up simple and start a scanner for all of Eclipse.org
- Darin: API Tooling currently working on scanners to discover references between plugins, generating report or dumping into a DB
Old items
- See also Architecture Council/Open Issues for overflow items that were not discussed
Action Items
- (old) Martin to follow up with the m2eclipse and IAM projects regarding duplication
- (old) Martin to follow up on Architecture Diagrams idea
- (old) Michael to flesh out the Patterns idea and remind the EAC -- started Architecture Council/Top Ten Recommendations#Design Patterns, backed by EclipseCon tutorial proposals
- While these show how well-known GoF patterns are applied in Eclipse, Michael's idea was more to find and describe new patterns which are specific to Eclipse
- (old) Michael to draft an E-Mail about the "plugin granularity" idea, searching for people to lead the effort
- (old) Mik to create initial "architectural walkthrough" material for mylyn -- 1 wiki page not too large, send link to the mailing list (committed until end January)
- (old) Mike to inform everyone when the IPZilla Legal Closed Group is ready to use
- (old) All PMC's to encourage incubating grandfathered projects ask for a mentor (by filing an AC bug)
- Dave Carver send links to Wiki pages which we might want to emulate for the AC Homepage
- Mik to propose a date for demoing the Mylyn "report a bug" feature
- Everyone review/edit the various Architecture Council wiki pages, particularly the Architecture Council/Ask the AC Panel/FAQ and Architecture Council/Links Collection. Add questions to the FAQ.
- Martin to schedule Architecture Council/Minutes API Deprecation 20080122 call
- Martin to schedule Architecture Council/F2F EclipseCon 2009 - Sunday 5pm-6pm
Next Meeting
- Architecture Council/Meetings/API Deprecation 20080119 call on Monday, Jan 19
- Architecture Council call on Thursday, February 12


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International Advisory Board
To ensure that Encyclopedia of Social Work Online is relevant to the international social work community, Oxford University Press and the National Association of Social Workers are partnering with social work associations and professional societies across the globe to form an International Advisory Board.
Representatives from partner associations will advise the project on behalf of their organization and local social work community. As part of this collaboration, Board members will provide periodic reviews of the Encyclopedia's content coverage with the aim of recommending new articles and suggesting local experts as contributing authors. The International Advisory Board will help the Encyclopedia of Social Work stay focused on topics that matter to social workers, no matter where they live.
The program will grow as we form new partnerships, so check back for the latest news!
Advisory Board Members
Colleen Lundy, Ph.D.
Colleen Lundy, Ph.D. (Canadian Association of Social Workers)is a social work professor at Carleton University, Canada. Her research and writing have focused on the history of social work in Canada, the structural approach to social work, violence against women and the impact on women during economic transitions. Among her publications is One Hundred Years of Social Work: A History of the Profession in English Canada 1900-2000, the first complete history of social work in Canada (with Therese Jennissen). A 2nd edition of her book, Social Work, Human Rights and Social Justice: A Structural Approach to Practice, (University of Toronto, 2011) makes an important contribution to the understanding of structural social work and a social justice/human rights perspective. Her research on women, particularly gender violence, includes projects in Sweden, Russia and Cuba. Her current research focuses on the history and current realities of social work in the far north (Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon).
Raymond Taylor
Raymond Taylor (British Association of Social Workers) is the Community Social Work Manager in one of Scotland's largest local authorities. He is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow with the University of Strathclyde and a consultant with the University of Cornell's Family Life Development Centre. He was head of workforce development and regulation with the Scottish Social Services Council from 2001 – 2006. He served on a range of Scottish and U.K.government bodies concerned with strengthening the social services workforce. He served as Acting Director of the Glasgow Centre for the Child and Society and has contributed to UNICEF funded projects developed in conjunction with the Vietnam and Macedonia governments on initiatives to raise standards of child care practice. He co-edited two books on Early Professional Development for Social Workers (Venture Press, 2011) and Children's Services: Working Together (Pearson, 2012).
Karen Healy, Ph.D.
Karen Healy, Ph.D.(Australian Association of Social Workers) is Professor of Social Work at the University of Queensland and National President of the Australian Association of Social Workers. She has written four books and more than 60 articles on social work theory and practice and is probably best known for her book Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice, which has been translated into several languages. She has active research collaborations on international comparative social work; family participation in child protection decision-making; and social work with vulnerable families. She is undertaking projects on the transition to practice for newly qualified workers, models of professional support for frontline social workers, and issues of trust in non-profit services. She maintains strong connections with the social work community and is working to improve the evidence base for practice and policy.
David N. Jones, Ph.D.
David N. Jones, Ph.D.(International Federation of Social Workers)is a Registered Social Worker. He served as President of the International Federation of Social Workers 2006-10 and currently leads the IFSW work on The Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development. He was the founding Honorary Secretary General of the Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work (COSW) for 10 years and continues to serve on the Board. He achieved a doctorate in social work in 2009 and was International Scholar-in-Residence at Monmouth University, New Jersey during 2014. David now works for People Need People Consulting as an independent consultant, researcher and speaker at professional events. He is the Independent Chair of the coordinating Boards overseeing safeguarding of children and adults in the UK city of Leicester.
Theresa J. Kaijage, MSW, MPH, Ph.D
Theresa J. Kaijage, MSW, MPH, Ph.D, (WAMATA and Kaijage Consultancy) taught at the Institute of Social Work from 1980 to 2010 and has done consultancies in social work and social development through her (and her husband's) consultancy firm, Kaijage Consultancy for African Family Health. She is founder of the first AIDS Service Organization in Tanzania, Walio Katika Mapambano na AIDS Tanzania (WAMATA). In collaboration with her US colleagues, especially Professor Nathan Linsk of the Jane Adams School of Social Work, she pushed for strengthening the social welfare workforce in Tanzania through the training of a cadre of para social workers and social welfare assistants. The para social work model has been replicated in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Theresa and her colleagues have been instrumental in promoting the social work professional association, alumni association, and education up to MSW level.
Daniel K. Opare Asiedu
Daniel K. Opare Asiedu (International Federation of Social Workers, Africa) has taught sociology, criminology, social psychology, and government at the School of Social Work, and was appointed the Vice Principal of the School. After practicing law at several firms he founded O-A LEGAL CONSULT LTD, a family law firm specializing in domestic and inter-country adoptions. Presently he is a Deputy Director of Social Welfare in the Department of Social Welfare at the Head Office in Accra. In 1994 he became the acting Assistant Secretary-General of the Ghana Association of Social Workers (GASOW), and was later elected President. In 2005 Daniel was elected to the Executive board of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) as Member-at-Large for the Africa Region, and in 2012 he was elected President of the Africa Region, a position he currently holds.
Kate Yeong-Tsyr Wang, Ph.D.
Kate Yeong-Tsyr Wang, Ph.D.(Taiwan Association of Social Workers) is professor of the Graduate Institute of Social Work, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan. She holds a PhD in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, USA. She teaches courses in poverty, social policy analysis, social work ethics, and advanced statistics. Her research and publications are in the area of unemployment, poverty and inequality, policy evaluation, and social work ethics. She is a board member of the Taiwanese Association of Social Workers (TASW). She is also on the editorial boards of Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, as well as Asian Social Work and Policy Review.
Sanjoy Roy, Ph.D, M Phil, MSW
Sanjoy Roy, Ph.D, M Phil, MSW with UGC-NET (National Association of Professional Social Workers in India) has worked with government institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). Dr. Roy works as an Associate Professor in the Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi. Previously he worked as Associate Professor at Visva-Bharati University, as Reader in the School of Social Work at Indira Ghandi National Open University, New Delhi, and as Assistant Professor in different universities such as Assam University, Silchar, Delhi University, and C.S.J.M. University, Kanpur. He has seven books to his credit. He has contributed many articles in different journals and edited books in the area of social work and social development. He is a life member of various professional associations and journals including the National Association of Professional Social Workers in India, the Social Science Gazetteer, and the Indian Academy of Social Sciences.
Ling How Kee, Ph.D.
Ling How Kee, Ph.D.(Malaysian Association of Social Workers) is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Disability Studies, at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Her teaching and research reflect her longstanding commitment to cultural diversity, development and empowerment of marginalized communities, including people with disabilities, women, and older persons. She is the author of the book Indigenising Social Work: Research and Practice in Sarawak (2007) and the lead editor of Cross-cultural Social Work: Local and Global (2014). She has been a member of the Technical Committee on Professional Social Work Standard Setting in Malaysia since 2010, appointed by the Director General, Social Welfare Department, Malaysia. She is also a member of the international editorial board of the Journal of Disability and the Global South.


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The annual Sundance Film Festival—which runs from Jan. 17–27 this year—was, when founded by Robert Redford, a small event to foster independent filmmaking. Now, it's one of the biggest and most important events on the global film-festival calendar, with tough competition, a packed program and many alumni who go on to compete at the Oscars (like this year's Beasts of the Southern Wild).
So, whether or not you're lucky enough to make it out to the festival's location in Park City, Utah, there's plenty of reason to pay attention to the movies you may be hearing about soon.
(MORE: 20 Movies We're Looking Forward to in 2013 (and 5 We're Definitely Not))
If your thing is comedy, keep an eye out for two feature films, A.C.O.D. and Austenland. The former—the title of which stands for "adult child of divorce" and which will receive its world premiere at the festival—stars Parks & Rec's Adam Scott as just what those letters stand for. (P&R fans may get a little weirded out, though: Amy Poehler plays his stepmother.) Right when he is trying to help his divorced parents find a way to coexist peacefully, he learns that his childhood therapist wrote a book in which he appeared as an example of a non-nurtered child. If you like your laughs more wacky than twee, look for the latter, an entrant in the U.S. dramatic competition, starring Keri Russell as a Jane Austen-obsessed single woman who goes to a total-immersion Austen vacation, populated by comedy mainstays like Jennifer Coolidge.
If you're a tech person, there are movies to quench your thirst in a few different categories. The most hyped one is probably jOBS, the oddly-capitalized Steve Jobs biopic that stars Ashton Kutcher. Definitely worth following news on that one, if only for curiosity's sake. In the documentary categories, there's Google and the World Brain (trailer below), a Spanish-British film that takes on the question of what Google's devotion to free access means for global copyright—and story of the people who are out to stop Google in its tracks.
If you liked Zero Dark Thirty, be sure to keep an eye on Manhunt, a documentary about the female CIA analysts on whom the main character in Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-nominated film was partially based. ZDT is fiction, but here's the real story behind the story. When these characters tack a photo to a bulletin board, it's not a prop.
If your thing is serious news, pay attention to major documentaries like Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington, a premiere doc about the photojournalist, who was killed in 2011, from Sebastian Junger. Junger and Hetherington were friends—they appear together in the below video from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, presenting Restrepo, which they made together—and the movie is about its subject's work and personal life. But this is a particularly crowded category. From 99%, a collaborative Occupy Wall Street documentary, to After Tiller, looking at the three remaining doctors in the U.S. who risk their personal safety to perform third-trimester abortions, to Pandora's Promise, about the future of nuclear energy, documentary fans will be kept busy in Park City.
(MORE: Dave Grohl's New Band Will Debut at Sundance)
If you're a beatnik living in the wrong time period, you'll be happy to learn that the beat-adaptation thing didn't stop with On the Road (a festival film from last year that's in many theaters right now). To stick with Kerouac, go for Big Sur (trailer below), about the author's post-Road life and how he came to write the 1962 novel that shares the movie's title. If you'd rather Kerouac were a minor character, go for Kill Your Darlings, in which Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe stars as a young Allen Ginsberg, at the time in his life when he met Kerouac and William Burroughs, among other important figures of the beat movement.
If you're interested in the sociology of porn, James Franco is happy to oblige. He co-directed Interior. Leather Bar, which imagined a scene that was cut from the 1980 movie Cruising, and is one of the producers of Kink, a true story about the bondage-porn industry. The most interesting one in the bunch, though—and the one most likely to eventually end up at your neighborhood cineplex—is Lovelace. The feature, premiering at Sundance, is about the history of Deep Throat and its star, Linda Lovelace, played by Amanda Seyfried. Lovelace was a symbol of open sexuality, but the movie explores the darkness in her personal life that brought her to that place. It also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, Sharon Stone and—naturally—James Franco.
(MORE: Utah Group Objects to 'Obscene' Sundance Lineup)
If you want to see some conceptually interesting cinema, an interesting film—in the "New Frontier" category at Sundance—may be Charlie Victor Romeo, the dialogue for which is taken directly from transcripts of "black box" recordings from airplane emergencies. And speaking of black box, it's also a film of a stage play.
The full schedule of dozens of other films that will screen at Sundance can be found online at the festival's website.


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Or maybe they have something to do with vampires. Hm. Come to think of it, that might explain a few things, actually...
Well, if I've learned anything from being a fangirl myself (though admittedly more of the sci-fi genre) it's that you always look for common ground when dealing with bloodthirsty devotees. That, and no sudden movements. So, Twi-hards, sink your teeth into THIS (while the rest of us casually stroll off in this direction):
As you can see, there are two crucial elements to most Twilight cakes:
1) edible photo paper, and
2) lots of black icing.
Unfortunately, black icing does tend to show how green the "black" ink in edible photos can be. But what can you do? Draw something?
Say, this is actually pretty good! And way to represent the big girls, baker; I'm tired of the skinny chick always getting the sparkly immortal. Even if she is impaling his arm with her big ol' man-hand.
Well, better get back to the formula, I suppose. Only, what's that you say? You want MORE black icing? Nooo problem:
Well that's gonna leave a
You know, for vampire-themed cakes these things have been awfully blood-free.
Ah, that's better. The oozing bell peppers really add something, too. Specifically, something that makes even less sense than writing "Forks Twilight" on a cake.
(Yes, I know that Forks is the name of the town in the story. That's hardly an explanation, though.)
As with all cakes, the most important thing to remember when ordering a Twilight design is that nothing beats a little forethought, balance, and beautifully scripted text:
[Pro tip: if you're going to scratch guide lines into the icing, keep in mind that airbrushed icing is white underneath.]
And lastly, choosing the right text for your tribute cake is also key:
Happy Birthday!
Or would it make more sense as an anniversary cake? [evil grin]
I hate to admit it, Giselle P., Katelynn B., Emily S., Jennifer T., & Itzkeleen, but I think the first Twilight Wreck I posted still takes the cake. (Keeping in mind that only the professional cakes count, of course; there are tons of hilarious amateur jobs out there.)
- Related Wreckage: The Twilight of our Discontent


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Creator of Fox in Sox, The Cat in the Hat and a goo-chewing Goo-goose, you might think you know the great Dr. Seuss.
But you don't.
There's another side to Theodor Seuss Geisel — several sides — that dripped from his paintbrush and onto the canvass late at night, alone in his studio, to decompress after long days filled with children's books, cartooning and advertising work. Reproductions of those paintings and other personal projects of the iconic author and illustrator comprise Dr. Seuss's Secrets of the Deep at the P&C Art Gallery, 212 King St.
"If the heart of the man was his work in children's literature, his artworks were his soul," said Bill Dreyer, the exhibition's curator. "[The exhibit] really shows you so much about who he is and who he was as a person when you go and look at his artworks."
Dreyer describes Seuss's personal collection of paintings and sculptures as "secret art." Geisel literally kept them in the closet, away from the public eye, and his widow, Audrey Geisel, has never sold an original Seuss. She authorized high-quality lithograph prints so the public can see the ulterior side of her late husband. The printing plates were destroyed immediately afterward.
It's not as if Dr. Seuss moonlighted as a completely different artist; his personal work was just as surreal as his children's books, like in "Incidental Music for a New Year's Party," a painting of dynamic proportions depicting a scene of raucous musicians and their instruments that define imagination.
Then there's probably the bawdiest piece Seuss ever painted: "The Rather Odd Myopic Woman Riding Piggyback on one of Helen's Many Cats." It's easily the most sophisticated painting of a cat with a naked woman on its shoulders ever created, taking cues from Picasso, but with a wink-and-nudge that Seuss made famous in his children's books.
"He was doing this for his own, personal enjoyment, so he didn't hold back anything," Dreyer said.
Geisell published 44 children's books under the Seuss pseudonym and changed the way a generation learned to read, putting an end to the Dick and Jane method and replacing it with the zany but intelligent life lessons only teachable by a cat wearing a candy-striped stovepipe hat. Geisell sold 200 million books in his lifetime, but has sold 400 million since he died in 1991, Dreyer said.
"That's why the exhibit has generated so much interest … you already know so much about Dr. Seuss," said Laine Kirkhoff, an art consultant at P&C Gallery. "So many people learned how to read because of him. This gives you an opportunity to see his adult personality."
It's free to see Dr. Seuss's Mr. Hyde side, but to own a piece of it will cost between $275 and $7,000, Kirkhoff said.
For P&C owner Peter Nee, holding the exhibit is a business decision with a happy byproduct. He grew up in Hong Kong without Dr. Seuss books but has since learned an appreciation for his genius: a friend of Nee's has an extensive Andy Warhol collection, but visitors to his home forget about it as soon as they see his assortment of Dr. Seuss pieces.
"I know how influential [Dr. Seuss] was," Nee said. "As a business person, of course I always seek to represent artwork that people love, that people enjoy, and I'm happy to promote it for the simple fact that people are drawn to it."
The number of fans Dr. Seuss has amassed over the years is astronomical, and if anything, the Secrets of the Deep exhibit gives each one a new reason to respect his work.
"People love buried treasure, and when artwork is uncovered like this … it's just such a great story," Dreyer said.
Dr. Seuss's Secrets of the Deep runs through December 24 at P&C Art Gallery at 212 King St. in Alexandria and 3108 M St. NW in Washington, D.C.


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" Building Thermal Insulation Materials Market Overview 2020 - 2025
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text:
Phillies outfield options dwindling
On Saturday, Cody Ross found a new home. The well-traveled, useful, righthanded-hitting outfielder signed a 3-year, $26 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Less than 24 hours later, fellow free agent Nick Swisher also came off the market.
The Cleveland Indians signed Swisher, a switch hitter with power and a strong plate discipline, to a 4-year, $56 million deal. The contract includes a vesting option that can push the contract to 5-years, $70 million.
Michael Bourn is the only high-profile free agent bat that remains unsigned. He is not a fit for the Phillies.
So where do the Phils go from here? Are they really going to run out an outfield platoon of Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. in rightfield and Darin Ruf and Laynce Nix in left?
I still have serious doubts about that, considering the Phils have been burned in each of the last two years by having too much faith in uncertain commodities in the corner spots (rightfield in 2011, left in 2012).
But here's what we do know: the price of outfielders is sky high.
Here's a sampling of the (guaranteed) dollars committed to free agent outfielders this winter:
Swisher: 4 years, $56 million
Ross: 3 years, $26 million
Josh Hamilton: 5 years, $123 million (Angels)
B.J. Upton: 5 years, $75.25 million (Braves)
Shane Victorino: 3 years, $39 million (Red Sox)
Angel Pagan: 4 years, $40 million (Giants)
Melky Cabrera: 2 years, $16 million (Blue Jays)
Torii Hunter: 2 years, $26 million (Tigers)
Ryan Ludwick: 2 years, $15 million (Reds)
The Phils obviously did not feel comfortable with most or all of those numbers. (They were reportedly outbid by $20 million by the Braves for Upton).
In an offseason that began with the Phils without a single, everyday outfielder, they've added one in the first seven weeks of the offseason: center fielder Ben Revere.
Revere, of course, was acquired in a trade. Since all of the above players are free agents, it's worth remembering that just because that market has dried up, the Phils can still trade for an impact, outfield bat.
But before you begin dreaming up an idea of Justin Upton – he really is the perfect candidate, young, righthanded with power and speed, team-friendly contract – let's remember the price the Phils had to pay for Revere.
The Phils dealt their two big trade chips for Revere: Vance Worley and Trevor May.
Revere was probably no higher than fourth or fifth in the Phils' list of preferable center field options. So let's assume they offered a similar package to Colorado for Dexter Fowler and were turned down; it's a reasonable assumption since Fowler can be had in a trade and the Rockies want pitching back.
If a package centered around May and Worley wouldn't get you Fowler, how much would a guy like Upton cost? A lot.
Not only are free agents cashing in this winter, but so are teams that are selling off proven parts.
The Mets traded 38-year-old pitcher R.A. Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, to Toronto for a lucrative package led by former Phils prospect Travis D'Arnaud, baseball's top catching prospect, and righthanded pitcher Noah Syndergaard. They were ranked the No.1 and No.2 prospects in the Jays' system by Baseball Prospectus earlier this month.
The Rays traded pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis for an ever more lucrative package, headlined by outfielder Wil Myers, one of if not the top hitting prospects in all of baseball.
So if a team wants to swing a deal for the 25-year-old Upton, who is owed $38.5 million in the next three seasons, they better be prepared to unload the farm. After signing Ross, there has been speculation that Upton, the on-again, off-again human trade rumor, could be had in a trade; ditto his teammate, lefthanded hitting Jason Kubel.
It's all about supply and demand; since more than a handful of teams would love to add Upton (Texas has both a bounty of top prospects and the need for an impact outfielder), the Diamondbacks could probably name their price and get it, too.
Would you deal Jesse Biddle for Upton? How about Biddle and Tommy Joseph? I imagine you're not as excited about the idea of Upton now.
Even a deal for the lesser bats on the trade market would be costly.
If the Rockies are asking the world for Fowler, you'd imagine they're not going to unload his teammate, Michael Cuddyer, for middling prospects or Triple-A arms. Ditto the D-backs and Kubel.
Add the fact that the Phils have already depleted some of their trade chips in making two deals this month (for Revere and Michael Young) and it's difficult to imagine them swinging a deal for a high-profile bat. Then again, it's never a good idea to bet against Ruben Amaro Jr.
But given the cost of outfielders this winter – both on the free agent and trade markets – it might be a good idea to set yourself up for another low-risk, high-reward-type addition.
The Phils have already gone that route a few times this winter.
Here's a name like that I might consider, so long as he can still play 7 innings a game in the outfield: Lance Berkman.
Yes his health has been a serious issue recently, but he did hit .301 with a .412 OBP, .959 OPS, 31 home runs and 94 RBI in 145 games with St. Louis in 2011 as an outfielder. He would surely come cheap.
No, Berkman, who turns 37 in February, is nowhere near the perfect solution in the outfield. But there are no perfect solutions remaining and, if he's healthy, he's an upgrade over what your current corner outfielders.
But that's just a random name I'm throwing out there. Because at this point in the winter, that's really all that's left on the outfield market.


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Mammograms aimed at finding breast cancer might actually raise the chances of developing it in young women whose genes put them at higher risk for the disease, a study by leading European cancer agencies suggests.
The added radiation from mammograms and other types of tests with chest radiation might be especially harmful to them and an MRI is probably a safer method of screening women under 30 who are at high risk because of gene mutations, the authors conclude.
The study can't prove a link between the radiation and breast cancer, but is one of the biggest ever to look at the issue. The research was published Thursday in the journal BMJ.
"This will raise questions and caution flags about how we treat women with (gene) mutations," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. He and the society had no role in the research.
Mammograms are most often used in women over 40, unless they are at high risk, like carrying a mutation of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Having such a mutation increases the risk of developing cancer five-fold. About one in 400 women has the gene abnormalities, which are more common in Eastern European Jewish populations. Unlike mammograms, an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging scan, does not involve radiation.
The breast cancer screening tests have been proven to save lives and are clearly beneficial for women aged 50 and over who have an average risk of breast cancer. Experts are divided about their value in women younger than 50.
Some studies have suggested women with the genetic mutations could be more sensitive to radiation because the genes are involved in fixing DNA problems. If those genes are damaged by radiation, they may not be able to repair DNA properly, raising the cancer risk.
In several European countries including Britain, the Netherlands and Spain, doctors already advise women with BRCA mutations to get MRIs instead of mammograms before age 30. In the U.S., there is no specific advice from a leading task force of government advisers, but the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms and MRIs from age 30 for women with BRCA gene mutations.
In the BMJ study, European researchers followed nearly 2,000 women over 18 with one of the gene mutations in Britain, France and the Netherlands. Participants reported their previous chest X-rays and mammograms, including the age of their first screening and the number of procedures. About 850 women were later diagnosed with breast cancer. Roughly half of them had X-rays while one third had at least one mammogram, at an average age of 29.
The researchers did not have a breakdown of how many women were exposed to chest radiation before age 30 but estimated that for every 100 women aged 30 with a gene mutation, nine will develop breast cancer by age 40. They projected the number of cases would increase by five if all of them had one mammogram before age 30. But they cautioned their results should be interpreted with caution because most women didn't have a mammogram before 30.
Researchers found women with a history of chest radiation in their 20s had a 43 percent increased relative risk of breast cancer compared to women who had no chest radiation at that age. Any exposure before age 20 seemed to raise the risk by 62 percent. Radiation after age 30 did not seem to affect breast cancer risk.
"We believe countries who use mammograms in women under 30 should reconsider their guidelines," said Anouk Pijpe of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, one of the study authors. "It may be possible to reduce the risk of breast cancer in (high-risk) women by using MRIs, so we believe physicians and patients should consider that."
The study was paid for by European cancer groups.
Lichtenfeld said the study wouldn't immediately change advice from the American Cancer Society but said concerned women should talk to their doctor about their options. "It's not possible today to make a blanket statement about what women (with the gene mutations) should do, but physicians and patients need to weigh the risks and benefits carefully," he said.
He also warned that women who need scans involving radiation shouldn't avoid them because of breast cancer fears.
"No one should think that they should never get an X-ray because they have the BRCA1 or 2 gene mutations," he said. "Just be careful that the X-rays you get are really the ones that you need."


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Forecasters warn East Coast about 'Frankenstorm'
Published 9:33 pm Thursday, October 25, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. — All the spare parts appear to be coming together to create what forecasters are calling "Frankenstorm," a monster combination of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe snow that could cause havoc along the East Coast just before Halloween next week.
Hurricane Sandy, having blown through Haiti and Cuba on Thursday, continues to barrel north. A wintry storm is chugging across from the West. And frigid air is streaming south from Canada.
And if they meet Tuesday morning around New York or New Jersey, as forecasters predict, they could create a big wet mess that settles over the nation's most heavily populated corridor and reaches as far inland as Ohio.
With experts expecting at least $1 billion in damage, the people who will have to clean it up aren't waiting.
Utilities are lining up out-of-state work crews and canceling employees' days off to deal with the power outages. From county disaster chiefs to the federal government, emergency officials are warning the public to be prepared. And President Barack Obama was briefed aboard Air Force One.
"It's looking like a very serious storm that could be historic," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather Underground. "Mother Nature is not saying 'trick-or-treat.' It's just going to give tricks."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco, who coined the nickname Frankenstorm, said: "We don't have many modern precedents for what the models are suggesting."
Government forecasters said there is a 90 percent chance — up from 60 percent two days earlier — that the East will get pounded starting Sunday and stretching past Halloween on Wednesday. Things are expected to get messier once Sandy, a very late hurricane in what has been a remarkably quiet season, comes ashore, probably in New Jersey.
Coastal areas from Florida to Maine will feel some effects, but the storm is expected to vent the worst of its fury on New Jersey and the New York City area, which could see around 5 inches of rain and gale-force winds close to 40 mph. Eastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, western Virginia and the Shenandoah Mountains could get snow.
And the storm will take its time leaving. The weather may not start clearing in the mid-Atlantic until the day after Halloween and Nov. 2 in the upper Northeast, Cisco said.
"It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event," he said from a NOAA forecast center in College Park, Md. "It's going to be a widespread, serious storm."
It is likely to hit during a full moon, when tides are near their highest, increasing the risk of coastal flooding. And because many trees still have their leaves, they are more likely to topple in the event of wind and snow, meaning there could be widespread power outages lasting to Election Day.
Eastern states that saw blackouts that lasted for days after last year's freak Halloween snowstorm and Hurricane Irene in late August 2011 are already pressuring power companies to be more ready this time.
Asked if he expected utilities to be more prepared, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick responded: "They'd better be."
Jersey Central Power & Light, which was criticized for its response to Irene, notified employees to be ready for extended shifts. In Pennsylvania, PPL Corp. spokesman Michael Wood said, "We're in a much better place this year."
Some have compared the tempest to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but that one didn't hit as populated an area. Nor is this one like last year's Halloween storm, which was merely an early snowfall.
"The Perfect Storm only did $200 million of damage and I'm thinking a billion," Masters said. "Yeah, it will be worse."
As it made its way across the Caribbean, Sandy was blamed for at least four deaths in Haiti and Jamaica. The 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season hit the Bahamas after cutting across Cuba, where it tore roofs off homes and damaged fragile coffee and tomato crops.
Norje Pupo, a 66-year-old retiree in Holguin, was helping his son clean up early Thursday after an enormous tree toppled in his garden.
"The hurricane really hit us hard," he said. "As you can see, we were very affected. The houses are not poorly made here, but some may have been damaged."
Associated Press writers Tony Winton in Miami, Fernando Gonzalez in Cuba, Ken Thomas on Air Force One, and Michael Rubinkam in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.