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Skip to comments.Europe at a crossroads
Posted on 05/24/2006 6:03:44 PM PDT by sageb1
21 February 2006
Europe at a crossroads
Address to the American University of Rome
by Marcello Pera
1. A geopolitical continental drift
The subject I intend to address today is the crisis of the West, and particularly of Europe. In my view this crisis is twofold, both geopolitical and spiritual, with the latter as the main cause of the former.
The fact that the Old Continent is in a state of deep crisis has been upheld by many distinguished scholars, observers and a few unfortunately just a few political leaders in Europe. This was argued in most alarming terms by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Here is what he wrote two years ago:
The victory of the post-European techno-secular world and the universalization of its lifestyle and thinking have spread the idea that Europes value system, culture, and faith in other words the very foundations of its identity have reached the end of the road, and have indeed already departed from the scene (J.Ratzinger and Marcello Pera, Without Roots, Basic Books, New York 2006, p. 66).
There is a clear comparison between todays situation and the decline of the Roman Empire. In its final days, Rome still functioned as a great historical framework, but in practice it was already subsisting on models that were destined to fail. Its vital energy had been depleted (Ibid. 66-67).
Let me begin by saying that the concept of the West may be understood in two ways: as a geopolitical and economic area, and as a cultural and spiritual community. In its first sense, the West consists of countries sharing the same objectives, strategies, interests, relations and institutions. In the second sense, the West consists of peoples sharing the same principles, values, ideals and religious commitments.
Until the period of the Cold War, when the Berlin Wall came to symbolise the division of the world into two opposing blocs, not only militarily but also ideologically, the West meant Europe and the United States of America. It was not only because Europe needed the American umbrella for its economic and social development, and America needed the European ally for her fight against Communism. Neither was it only because Europe and America constituted a single market. This is true, but is only part of the truth. The fact is that Europe and America felt that they belonged to one and the same area, community and civilisation, precisely the West. It is not by chance that at that time the West was labeled the free world.
Today, this is no longer the case. Something similar to a geopolitical continental drift is occurring between Europe and the United States. Each one seems to be going off on its own, and in different directions. The September elevens attack on the Twin Towers marked the beginning of a new chapter in international relations. On that day, a completely new threat to the West emerged: the threat of Islamist terrorism. Yet even though in the immediate aftermath of the New York massacre everyone declared themselves to be solidly behind America we are all Americans, remember? , when it came to examine new strategies and new responses as to how to address that threat, Europe at least a major part of it started showing hesitations, introducing subtle juridical and political distinctions, opting for incomprehensible third ways, hiding herself behind the shield of the Security Council, and finally leaving America almost alone. As a matter of fact, a few months after the attack, we were no longer all americans, we were no longer all westeners on the same rocking boat. Europe had chosen to get out of it.
Let me take a closer look at this phenomenon.
2. European isolationism
Not everyone in Europe has yet fully realized that the boundaries of European and Western security have widened dramatically. Not everyone is conscious that our security no longer merely depends on stability in theatres close to our backyard, such as the Balkans or the Mediterranean, but that it is equally at stake in more remote areas. Many people in Europe find it difficult to comprehend that in a distant region, be it Asian, African, or Middle Eastern, something might happen that could put in jeopardy our societies at home. Many find it hard to believe that the safety of our towns and cities may depend on stability in distant lands. And many think that one pacifist, that is to say, antiamerican, demonstration here can stop a tyrant there.
Not even the recent attacks to our embassies and consulates, the fires set to our catholic churches, the killing of our priests seem to wake up Europe. Dialogue, comprehension, tolerance, justification, indulgence are still the most widespread European mantra.
Just look at the facts, the hard, crude, facts. Europe is suspicious about the debate on promoting democracy in the Middle East and Central Asia. Europe has responded with scant conviction to the difficult, but so far successful, attempt to finally enable people to make their voices heard after having known only decades of domination and repression in such countries as Afghanistan and Iraq. Europe appears lukewarm and too often tempted to indulge in appeasement when faced with the proclamations of Islamic fanaticism. Europe is split over the identification of the terrorist groups. In Europe, the mouth of the most fashionable intellectuals is always filled with the high jargon of fundamental human rights, but when it comes to go from theory to actual practice and ensure them nobody is willing to take a stand.
The result of this state of affairs seems to signal the overturning of a constant in history, almost as if a new kind of isolationism were on the rise in Europe, as opposed to a new interventionism by America.
Today America is making the centrepiece of her foreign policy not only military might but also the concept of democratic peace. In doing so, she is acting on the basis of two assumptions. The first is that the promotion of liberty is the only realistic pathway to achieving greater international security, and therefore to guaranteeing our own security. The second is that it is precisely the lack of liberty that provides the most fertile soil for disseminating virulent and threatening ideologies.
This is a true Wilsonian view. Europe sees this assertive Wilsonism propounded by a Republican President as a kind of neo-imperialism or as a perverse attempt to interfere in the affairs of other countries. Long after the collapse of Communism, Europe is still locked into the illusion that the end of the Cold War marked the end of all wars, and gives the impression of believing she can live forever in a happy haven, as if Fukuyamas end of history has been reached, or if Kants perpetual peace is about to dawn. Europe is therefore toying with the idea of creating a new world order based on what it calls multipolarism, whose aim is to act as a counter-balance to the American superpower which is considered aggressive, and driven by unconfessed economic interests.
How could all this happen? To answer the question we must return to the cultural sense of the West I mentioned at the beginning.
3. Spiritual decadence
As a cultural community, the West is a creed, a profession of faith in certain fundamental aspects of its history. The underlying conviction of this creed is that Western societies have developed principles and values that are valid for the whole of humanity, under any latitude and longitude. This is universalism.
For centuries, the West has cultivated this view. It has considered truth, liberty, democracy, tolerance, respect, compassion and many other related values as having been shaped in one place, but applicable everywhere. It is this view that has given rise to the Charters, Conventions and Declarations on human rights, that we all claim to be universal, such as the United Nations Declaration.
In Europe, universalism is now in crisis. It is considered the forbidden, poisoned fruit of the Enlightenment, and has been replaced by its extreme opposite, relativism, the doctrine according to which traditions, cultures and civilisations are autonomous and closed systems, each one with their own criteria of value and their own validation procedures.
The main and most risky consequence of relativism is that there is no common yardstick by which to measure cultures and civilizations and judge them in terms of their greater or lesser goodness, soundness, justice, desirability, etcetera. Relativism holds that all cultural systems have the same ethical dignity and are therefore all equal. All of them: fundamentalists and democrats, fanatics and liberals, the violents and the humanitarians, the intolerants and those who engage in dialogue.
The symptoms of this relativistic disease are many and each connected with another.
The very first square of the domino is the identity crisis. This emerged clearly when the members of the European Constituent Assembly decided to omit reference to Europes Judaeo-Christian roots from the Preamble to the European Union Constitution, which was subsequently rejected by France and the Netherlands. In its place, the Constitution inserted a vague formula referring to the spiritual and moral legacy of Europe and the cultural, religious and humanistic heritage. As is clear, these are useless and grudging ritual expressions which do not clearly define which legacy, and what religion Europe is indebted to.
Another symptom is multiculturalism, the doctrine that the rights of the community are paramount to those of the individual members. Because of its extremely low birthrate and increased immigration, Europe is becoming an increasingly more multicultural society. This policy, which has been implemented above all in the United Kingdom, has set out to integrate everyone by respecting the communities and permitting them all to live according to their own customs and lifestyles, without any government interference. The result has been social tension, ghettos, schools in which children are educated in a different culture, often hostile to that of the host country, with the consequence that the highest authority responsible for integration policy in the United Kingdom has warned that the country is unconsciously sliding into new forms of segregation.
Yet another symptom marks the onset of a strange guilt syndrome. Here is the perverse chain of an argument which is typical of many European intellectuals. If Islamic terrorists have declared a jihad against us, they must feel resentful against us. If they feel resentful, this must be the result of social and economic inequalities. If such inequalities exist, they must be the fault of the West, and above all of America, its economic power, its military imperialism and its cultural arrogance. Ultimately, if the West is guilty of all this as indeed it is, because it tries to promote and export its own life style as though it were valid for everyone everywhere then the West deserves everything that happens to it. The conclusion is: it is all our fault. More exactly: it is all Americas fault.
There is one further element to be added to this mosaic: the secularist drift which our continent is experiencing, and which explains the marginal role religion plays nowadays in European society. Long ago Europe successfully separated Church and State. Although this separation which, incidentally, stems from the Gospels has been a civil achievement of which Europe may be proud, it is essential to be clear about what it means. It has to do with the political institutions and their borderlines, not the human dimension and their spheres. In other words, the separation of Church and State does imply that one institution is not superordinate to the other, but does not entail expelling religion from social life and considering it purely as a private affair, ultimately relegated to a ghetto of subjectivity, to use a phrase of Pope Benedict XVI. Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening in Europe. The public expression of religion is disliked, disapproved, frustrated, if not prohibited.
The first consequence is that religion can no longer nourish our civil customs, provide a spiritual ground for our societies or act as a support for our public rules and behaviour, unlike the situation in America where the private sphere still has a strong public character. Another consequence is that the constant broadening of the sphere of possibilities, in the absence of the constraints imposed by conscience or by faith, is being transformed into an equally constant broadening of the sphere of rights, to the detriment of the solidity of our societies.
4. Dialogue and truth
This crisis is having a devastating effect on Europe. In the absence of a belief, a faith, a spiritual bond, how can we justify all those noble values liberty, democracy, tolerance, respect, brotherhood etc. to which we Europeans adamantly profess allegiance? How can we put them forward as examples to others if we do not believe in them ourselves? How can we hope to find an identity, and then respect it and defend it?
If this is the dominant thinking, if really people believe that equality between men and women only applies to us, that democracy is our tradition and is not suitable for other people, that the freedom of civil society only applies within our own walls, that free institutions are only good for us in other words, if we really believe that whatever applies to us does not apply to others it is hardly surprising that there is hesitation and reluctance about promoting, exporting or disseminating democracy, or wavering when talking about human rights or foot-dragging in combating the resurgence of anti-semitism.
Sure, we must learn from all cultures; we must talk and enter into dialogue with everyone, and show readiness to give up our ideas, even those we consider to be the best. But we cannot talk or dialogue with anyone if we start out with the idea that there is no truth to affirm, no value to prefer, and no principle that is worth defending or fighting for.
The question therefore is: can Europe become economically, socially and politically united? Can Europe stand up as a beacon of progress? Can Europe side with America in proposing credible and inventive international solutions if it does not intend to affirm and foster all those values and principles without which Europe would not exist, and which constitute the core of Europes identity?
My answer is no. Europe cannot. Unless Europe rapidly regains confidence in its principles, and understands that they apply not only to Europe but to everyone, because they confer dignity and hospitality to all, it will become irrelevant on the world stage. If that day comes, all of us will have lost, because our great civilisation will have been transferred elsewhere. And if that happens, the West, as we knew it, will run the risk of fading away.
The .pdf version is here
Then came WWI.
Europe has been in decline ever since 1914. Like Britain after the Roman legions left, I think there will be centuries of darkness before Europe ever matters again.
Outstanding! Bravo! Thanks very much for posting.
If they don't come around soon, I fear you are right. My biggest worry is the Left in our own country is following in their footsteps. And this is what will happen in America if the Dems come to power. The anti-war/anti-moral crowd would deny that they are guilty of relativism. Activists and protestors can't possibly be guilty of such a thing, can they? What they don't realize is that they are fighting against is anti-relativism. They are afraid for America to be "right" or moral about international affairs if being right makes us different or unloved.
As the writer points out, it is not America that has changed, it is Europe.
"In other words, the separation of Church and State does imply that one institution is not superordinate to the other, but does not entail expelling religion from social life and considering it purely as a private affair, ultimately relegated to a ghetto of subjectivity, to use a phrase of Pope Benedict XVI. Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening in Europe. The public expression of religion is disliked, disapproved, frustrated, if not prohibited.
The first consequence is that religion can no longer nourish our civil customs, provide a spiritual ground for our societies or act as a support for our public rules and behaviour..."
Brilliant point.
"...unlike the situation in America where the private sphere still has a strong public character. "
May be relative to Europe this is true---but there is no doubt that the Left is doing the same thing here with some success. By banning public expressions of Christianity, such as Christmas, and the Judeo-Christian tradition, such as the 10 Commandments---the Left is weakening religion in our society. Even as a Jew, I wanna bring back public Christmas in America. It is part of America, we need it, it does not offend me.
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. The author has hit upon the truth.
The EU idea is doomed. It didn't work as Soviet Union, bunch of countries tied together with idiotic beraucracy has little chance. Make room for some guest workers.
I would also suggest that the separation of Church and State was not intended to expel religiosity from the State either. Church control, yes, but not religion itself, as the ACLU and the secularists spin it.
I tend to agree with you. I wonder if the CFR's plan to unite Mexico, the U.S., and Canada in a similar arrangement was supposed to be a response to the E.U.
Very true. Ironically, even though the left has done everything in its power to break up the traditional family, it knows that the Middle Class has rejected all that it stands for and thus it has made "winning over the middle class" the major focus of the upcoming campaign season.
I don't think the author is pessimistic. I think he is realistic. If you are more optimistic, please explain where your optimimism comes from.
You might be interested in this.
One wonders where the impetus could come from for revitalization. Their political and academic institutions are all so ingrown. They just produce clones.
To which ever country picks up the torch that Europe is tired of carrying. There are clearly candidates to play that role other than Antarctica.
Europe was at a crossroads 20 years ago..they are too far down the path towards destruction to turn it around.
I'm afraid to suggest possibilities. I don't think it would be pretty.
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Two veteran California corrections officers were in critical condition Saturday after they were allegedly shot by a gang member visiting the Fresno County Jail, according to authorities.
Juanita Davila, with 18 years of experience, and Toamalama Scanlan, with 10 years of experience, were both undergoing surgery Saturday after suffering bullet wounds to their heads and their necks, according to a statement from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, NBC News reported.
The suspect, Thong Vang, 37, was also hospitalized with minor injuries after the incident, which occurred at 8:30 a.m., the statement said.
Vang is a known gang member who served 14 years in prison for multiple rape charges before he was released in 2014. The sheriff's office said he was at the jail to visit someone Saturday morning and became disgruntled when he was told he could not cut the line.
Vang was later charged with attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a gun, and a bringing drugs into jail.

subset: commoncrawl


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March 2012 New ProductsPosted in Product Reviews on March 1, 2012
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, holds a trade show every year in Las Vegas for industry folks, where dealers and sellers meet and media guys like us sneak in to snap pics of upcoming products. Some are early prototypes, some are available now. Here are a few of our favorites.
Warn VR8000-S
What they say: The VR8000-S winch features Warn's new Spydura synthetic-rope combined with a ballistic nylon sleeve that provides extra rope protection against wear, and a polished aluminum hawse fairlead. The VR line is competitively priced, assembled in the USA with components sourced worldwide, and held to the strict standards of all Warn winches.
Information: Warn Ind.
503.722.1200, www.warn.com.
Dynatrac Pro Rock 80
What they say: Dynatrac's exclusive high-ground-clearance design constructed with massive 4-inch-diameter, lightweight axle tubing. The new Pro Rock 80 housing utilizes standard Dana 80 11 1⁄4-inch ring-and-pinion gears; 40-spline, full-floating axleshafts; and a 37-spline pinion shaft. This axlehousing and finished assembly is ideal for running 40-inch and larger tires on today's ultrahigh-performance vehicles. There is said to be only 1 inch of ground clearance lost compared to the Pro Rock 60.
Information: Dynatrac
714.596.4461, www.dynatrac.com.
ARB JK Rear Bumper
What they say: Modular rear bumper with optional swing-out tire carrier. Pieces can be purchased separately. Features include integrated Hi-Lift jacking points and reinforced tow points. Fits a 37-inch tire or larger. Integrated into the OE door so you don't have to open a second carrier gate, and has a gas-assisted gate with locking pin to keep the door open if on an angle. Available powdercoated satin black or can be color-matched and painted over the powdercoat.
Information: ARB 4x4 Accessories
800.761.8158, www.arbusa.com.
Bruiser Diesel Jeep Conversion
What they say: Bruiser Conversions is setting a new standard in power for Jeep JKs with the Cummins 4BT turbodiesel engine swap. Jeep enthusiasts can now boast improved performance in torque, fuel economy, and fuel capability with the cool factor of a diesel engine. In fact, the 4BT engine is capable of producing 400 lb-ft of torque at 1,700 rpm and gets 26 to 30 mpg.
Information: Bruiser Conversions
727.709.0239, www.dieselbruiser.com.
Dana Crate Axles
What they say: Dana, OEM manufacturer of axles, gears, and driveline components, has launched the Dana Crate Axle product offering to the independent aftermarket. This means new genuine Dana crate axles direct from the factory. Plans are to sell through a select network of established axle dealers such as Currie and Dynatrac. Models from Dana 30 through Dana 80 are being considered with width, gearing, steering, and price criteria to be market driven.
Information: Dana Holding Corp.
MSD Atomic EFI
What they say: The Atomic EFI is the easiest and best-performing throttle body electronic fuel injection system available. It requires only eight connections and a single fuel line—with no PC programming necessary. It can be installed by anyone with access to basic tools and a 4x4 with a four-barrel carb.
Information: MSD Ignition
915.857.5200, www.msdperformance.com.
AEV Brute Double Cab
What they say: The AEV Brute Double Cab is a four-door body and separate composite box pickup truck conversion for JK Wranglers. AEV starts with a four-door JK Wrangler and stretches the chassis 23 inches for a final wheelbase of 139 inches. The overall vehicle length stands at 216 inches, a total increase of 30 inches, with a small frame extension at the rear to accommodate the pickup bed. The interior dimensions of the Brute Double Cab's truck bed are 61 inches long by 60 inches wide.
Information: American Expedition Vehicles
248.926.0256, www.aev-conversions.com.
Daystar Cam Can
What they say: The Cam Can locking system is a convenient and safe way to transport up to 5 gallons of fuel or water in multiple 2.5-gallon cans made in the USA of rotational molded Paxton 7000 series polyurethane resin, providing protection from harmful UV rays and drops that can cause leaks. Mounts are available for the center of a Jeep and Toyota spare tires as well as universal mounts for garages, trucks, trailers, and UTVs.
Information: Daystar
800.595.7659, www.daystarweb.com.
Nemesis Odyssey Bumpers/Fenders
What they say: The Odyssey fenders for Jeep JKs are made of formed aluminum for light weight while adding 2 inches of width for tire coverage. The Odyssey front bumper has a steel frame with an aluminum skin to easily store a winch or set of off-road lights without bogging down the stock V-6 engine.
Information: Nemesis Ind.
855.974.2440, www.nem-ind.com.


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July 15, 2008
Editor's Note: An article about Fletcher Boyd 'kk and his acclaimed restaurant, Fletcher's of Atlanta, was to be our lead feature for the "My Town" issue, complete with a review by Wabash Cooking Club founder Robert Van Kirk '07. But when Fletcher closed the restaurant in December to spend more time with his family and pursue a teaching career, much of our story became outdated and was no longer a good fit for that issue of the magazine.
But Robert Van Kirk's description of an evening sampling Fletcher's incredible cooking captures well the man's culinary talents, eclectic tastes, and the hospitality that made the restaurant an unexpected delight and favorite for so many. We'll catch up with Fletcher in an future issue. For now, we pay tribute to his past—and oh so tasty—endeavors.
Steve Charles approached me after a Wabash Cooking Club presentation in the Fall of 2006 and planted the idea of traveling to Fletcher Boyd's gourmet restaurant in Atlanta, IN, and writing this piece for Wabash Magazine. At first I was hesitant—I'm not much of a writer—but simultaneously flattered by the offer. After Fletcher presented a few Asian-infused dishes at a Wabash Cooking Club event this spring, I had to visit Fletcher's of Atlanta.
The trip began with an hour-long train ride—run by the Indiana Transportation Museum—from Fishers to Atlanta. My girlfriend, Jamie, and I enjoyed hors d' oeuvres, cocktails, and the scenery from the city to the picturesque Indiana countryside. Knowledgeable conductors added historical context to the trip, noting the age of the tracks, cars and routes we traveled.
We arrived at Fletcher's restaurant and the mystique and romantic feel of the evening continued. The building rests downtown in one of the town's original, main street brick buildings. Fletcher maintained its high ceilings and decorated the interior with numerous antiques. Soft jazz and contemporary music floated in the background as Jamie and I browsed the menu. The service remained outstanding throughout the evening. Several servers bounced from table to table offering to fill water glasses and bring other beverages to satisfy growing thirsts, including a very extensive wine list.
Describing the menu as "eclectic" does not fully capture the diversity of the dishes offered. Our menu was condensed—as part of our Hamiltonian Evening Express package—and I still deliberated my five dinner options for several minutes. I finally decided to taste the Hunan barbeque Lamb: "Lamb loin chops and lamb bratwurst in our own oriental bbq sauce." Jamie flirted with the Filet Maisonette but chose the Chicken Saltimbocca instead. We both chose the Strawberry-Vidalia Onion Salad.
I cannot adequately describe the aromas, flavors, originality or presentation—I can only encourage each reader to taste Fletcher's creations—instead, I will offer my interpretation of Fletcher's culinary worldview. He consciously utilizes fresh and local ingredients more than any other establishment I have ever encountered. Fletcher drives to local gardens and farms to handpick herbs and produce. He purchases his meats from Hamilton County farmers, including an alternating menu option offering game dishes such as grouse and elk. Fletcher even travels to Brown County to purchase the syrup for one of his appetizer's marinades. Beyond the ingredient list and grocery shopping, Fletcher creates everything on the menu…absolutely everything. Fresh sourdough bread and homemade butter start dinner off but just listen to this list of salad dressings: "Lemon-mint French, Oriental, Balsamic Vinegar Italian, Green Goddess, or Blue Cheese & Port Wine." I am fairly confident that Gordon's Food Services, Sysco Foods and Kraft fail to offer such flavorful gourmet options. This passion for fresh and unique dishes distinguishes Fletcher's restaurant from many of the other upper echelon culinary establishments.
After an extraordinary dinner, our evening concluded with two splendid deserts. Fletcher topped the Maple Glazed Pecan Praline Sundae—homemade ice cream, of course—with candied pecans and a delicious caramel sauce. The menu described our second dessert, the Russian Cream, as a "sort of liquid cheesecake in a champagne flute with berries." Both deserts were rich and decadent but not excessively heavy, the perfect conclusion to dinner. Fletcher augmented the quaint, hometown aura by personally addressing each table after dinner. All guests feel welcomed as though they are attending a dinner party at Fletcher's home. Fletcher even offers magic shows occasionally including costumes. (I perused images Hendrix and Julia Childs impersonations).
Jamie and I left the restaurant thoroughly impressed and satisfied. As we boarded the train for our departure, Bob—one of the conductors—asked us about our dinner. We happily recounted our pleasant evening and he quickly commented, "I've yet to meet an unsatisfied customer of Fletcher's."


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by Paula M. Riley
The Chestnut Hill Historical Society, together with East River Bank, presents "A Preservation Celebration" on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 7-11 p.m. Formerly known as Preservation Potpourri, the annual gala returns this year with a new date, new party and new name!
This year, when the historical society hosts its gala, it promises to be as exciting as last year's sold-out extravaganza. A Preservation Celebration will be held at the home of Janet and Ron Rock, a large manor house on West Chestnut Hill Avenue known to Hillers as the "Blue Brothers House" for the statues of the famous actors that stood on the front lawn for years.
The gala is the society's biggest fundraiser – raising one-quarter of the organization's operating funds. In a festive and elegant black-tie optional atmosphere, party guests will enjoy cocktails, dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets for a full evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing ($150 a person) are offered as well at reduced ticket price for those who want to join the party a bit later just for drinks, dancing and dessert at 9 p.m. ($80 a person).
Hors d'oeuvres and a moveable feast will be provided by Bacchus Catering. Melissa Martin and the Mighty Rhythm Kings will entertain the crowd with party music. Guests will love the items available in this year's silent auction, which includes exotic vacations and interesting experiences. .
The society's annual gala is one of the area's most popular events. The party attracts guests who love to gather and celebrate in style. For almost three decades, caring community members raise money to help protect and preserve the physical, historical and cultural resources of Chestnut Hill.
Funds raised at the gala will help keep the historical society archives open six days a week, offering public access to more than 20,000 items documenting the community's history.
The society provides a resource to homeowners and maintains an easement program that permanently protects 68 acres and 12 historical façades. Generous corporate sponsors joining East River Bank are long-time supporter Eichler & Moffly Realtors, as well as new partners Bank of America, Dennis F. Meyer, Inc., Logan Capital Management, Nolan Painting and Matthew Millan Architects, Inc.
Anyone interested in a private tour of the home and champagne reception at 6 p.m can become a benefactor. These tickets are $300.
For information and to purchase tickets, contact Audrey at the Chestnut Hill Historical Society 215-247-0417, ext. 103, or visit www.chhist.org.


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October 2, 2009
State of the University
Address to Faculty and Staff
Good afternoon.
Before we begin, I have some sad news. Herman Stein, a pioneer in the profession of social work and a longtime leader in our community, passed away this morning. Professor Stein served as our provost and as dean of the School of Applied Social Sciences. He received the Hovorka Prize in 2002, and the University Medal in 1994. Working on the global stage, he also played a pivotal role in advancing the well-being of children through UNICEF and the United Nations. At this time, I ask that we observe a moment of silence in his honor.
Thank you.
Now, I want to tell you all how much I appreciate your coming to this year's State of the University address, especially given today's weather.
This marks our first of these addresses with faculty and staff together.
I want to thank the Faculty Senate for approving the rule change to allow this joint session, and the Staff Advisory Council for agreeing to this arrangement as well.
To me, this way is so much better.
First, of course, it means I only have to give one speech.
But second, and actually more important, I like the symbolism of the change.
We are one institution. Our success depends on collaboration: among schools, among departments, between faculty and staff.
You all should hear the same message, at the same time. You all should hear the same questions, and the same answers.
The reason is simple: You all are part of the same, single community – the community that is Case Western Reserve University.
When I gave this address a year ago, we had much to be proud of. We had:
• completed the strategic plan;
• set a new record for our third-highest fundraising total in history;
• Improved the academic credentials of the entering class; and
• Received some nice coverage of research breakthroughs such as Richard Hansen's "Mighty Mouse" and the new material that emulated the sea cucumber.
But then came the global economic crisis. All of our budding enthusiasm ran smack into pervasive economic uncertainty.
Places like Harvard and Yale laid off workers. Other universities enacted hiring freezes and furloughs. At Case Western Reserve, fortunately, we never relied as much on endowment returns to support the operating budget. As a result, we have been able to avoid such dramatic cuts.
That said, the raise pool was much smaller than I would have liked, even after we eliminated raises for senior leaders like me, the provost, vice presidents and deans.
Most worrisome, we didn't know what the financial collapse might mean for our fundraising. Some foundations stopped accepting proposals altogether. Others warned of steep reductions in grants.
We had worked so hard to establish momentum. Last fall it appeared likely - even very likely - that external forces might stop us in our tracks.
Instead, as many of you know, this summer we learned such grim forecasts had been mistaken. Our fundraising didn't just stay even – it grew by more than $5 million, to $108.7 million. We set a new record for the second-highest gift total in our history. And we also set a new record for the annual fund, at $7.6 million.
How did we do it?
First and foremost, people kept believing in us:
• Former board chair Frank Linsalata and his wife, Jocelyne made a $3 million gift in October of last year, a time when the financial outlook was at its most murky.
• In February, Trustee Chuck Fowler and his wife, Char, invested $7.5 million in the work of Professor David Cooperrider and the idea of sustainable value.
• And in June, Board Chair Bud Koch, and his wife, Katie, announced $5 million toward a student-centered project.
These generous gifts sent a powerful signal to others:
Our trustees, the people who know us best, wanted to donate now. Yes, in this climate, it would be easier - and certainly more understandable - to wait. But our trustees considered the work of the university – your work – too important to delay.
It wasn't only donors who believed. In the spring, Congress approved a stimulus package that included millions of new dollars for research. You didn't simply respond to this opportunity – you seized it with both hands.
Our faculty submitted nearly 700 proposals. Staff in schools and our central research administration office toiled dozens and dozens of extra hours to process these applications.
To date we have secured 94 awards, totaling more than $40 million.
Congratulations on your great success.
It wasn't only the donors and faculty and staff who believed: it was high school seniors, too.
In 2008-2009, our university set a new record for total applications. We tripled the number of international students who enrolled, and dramatically increased the percentage of students who came from outside Ohio. In addition, we raised the average SAT of the entering class by 19 points.
Those gains don't happen by accident. They emerge from improved strategy and an awful lot of hard work in admissions, financial aid, and by individuals across the university.
Now, as you all know, global economic uncertainty is far from over.
It is way too soon to say how our fundraising will fare in 2009-2010.
For now, I can tell you this. I have no doubt of how hard Bruce Loessin and his team will work on development, just as I have every confidence in the team from enrollment management, and in all of our other university organizations. And, I am just as confident in the talent and dedication of the faculty and staff of every school across this university.
You – all of you - have proved your talent and commitment.
Whatever obstacles we may encounter in the short term, the future of this institution is bright.
Certainly the data give reason for optimism. But so do individuals.
Over the past year we have added several remarkable individuals to our team. First among them is Bud Baeslack, our provost. Bud is unable to be here today because his daughter is getting married in Columbus. But I cannot let today pass without telling all of you how much I have appreciated his tireless work, his collaborative nature, and his dedication to advancing our strategic plan. As many of you know, his office will be awarding a number of competitive grants to interdisciplinary alliance groups this semester as part of those efforts. Bud is a great partner, and I am so glad he is part of Case Western Reserve.
In addition, last spring he appointed David Fleshler as our first-ever associate provost for International Affairs. David has done a wonderful job learning about the programs we have already, and looking at ways we can enhance coordination, and in turn develop new programs as well.
Another priority of the strategic plan is diversity – in fact, we identified it as a core value. Because this issue is so very important, we created a Cabinet-level position of Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity at the university. After an intense search ably led by Professor Rhonda Williams, we appointed Marilyn Sanders Mobley to this crucial role. Marilyn earned her doctorate here at Case Western Reserve, and so has called the move a homecoming. Over the past several months Marilyn has become re-acquainted with the university. She is identifying opportunities to improve and expand our diversity efforts involving faculty, staff and students.
Finally, we named John Sideras as our permanent Chief Financial Officer. John brings tremendous professionalism, accountability and strategic thinking to our operations. He and his team, including Treasurer Bob Brown and Chief Investment Officer Sally Staley, have been at the forefront of managing our financial challenges this year, and they have truly excelled. I am grateful to all of them.
Also in the finance area, I am pleased to note, as of yesterday, we have filled the position of Vice President for Financial Planning. Donald Stewart comes from Brown University, and we are delighted to have him with us.
Now, as some of you know, over the past academic year our marketing and communications team has been working on what they call "Brand Positioning" – that is, meeting with faculty, staff and students and looking at ways that our university is distinctive.
They have sought answers to these questions:
• What is special about Case Western Reserve?
• What is most appealing about it?
• How do we best tell our story?
Eventually, after lots of brainstorming and feedback, the group came upon a new tagline for the university:
Think Beyond the Possible.
I ask you, what does this phrase mean?
Think about this university, and all that takes place here every day. Our people cure cancer. They create cars that can drive themselves. They train participants in the trial of Saddam Hussein. Every one of them, and many, many more think beyond the possible in all that they do, and all they aspire to be.
Once we had the tagline, Glenn Bieler and his team set to work on a video to give life to those words.
I am going to show the final result to you in a moment, but first I want to talk about some of the people you'll see on the screen:
• Chris Butler came to Case Western Reserve as an undergraduate 30 years ago. He stayed on for a master's degree, and during his graduate studies discovered a love for teaching. Butler is known for the catchphrase "Math is Easy, Math is Fun" and something called the "Inverted Vector Dance." (You'll have to ask him about that one).
Chris has won multiple university awards for teaching and mentoring, and also helped lead efforts to honor his late friend and colleague, Professor Ignacio Ocasio, also known as Doc Oc.
• Cynthia Beall is a professor of anthropology who is fascinated by the way people adjust to their environments – in particular, the high altitudes of places like the Andes and Tibet. She is co-director of the university's Center for Research on Tibet, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Renee Sentilles is a professor of history. Her most recent book centered on a Civil War entertainer who was one of the first women to realize that even scandalous publicity has its benefits – in fact, Sentilles calls her a 19th-century version of Madonna!
• Chris Manacci (Man-ah-chee) founded and directs the Flight Nursing program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. In 2007 he received a national award recognizing his leadership in research and education for the air medical field. And in 2008 he led Case Western Reserve's efforts to launch a program with a university in Japan to create the first flight nursing program in Asia.
• Gilbert Doho is a professor of modern languages and literature, and the founding director of our ethnic studies program. He believes passionately in the power of theater to promote positive social change, and is the author of several plays, among them The Lily Lake and Wedlock of Ashes.
• Mark Singer is a professor in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences whose work focuses largely on the impact of violence on children. More recently he has worked with the City of Cleveland on an ambitious effort to help its police officers deal with the stress of their dangerous jobs.
• Idit Zehavi is a professor of astronomy and physics. She is participating in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the largest ever mapping effort of the galaxy. The effort has provided insight into the ways of dark matter and led to new discoveries about the nature of the Milky Way.
These are just a few of the people highlighted in this roughly three-minute video. Pause and think about them for a minute. Think about the diversity of academic fields reflected among just this handful of individuals. More, think of their passion, curiosity and enthusiasm for teaching, learning and exploring. And then, finally, think about the notion that these people represent a tiny fraction of our community. We have so many more amazing, accomplished and dedicated people here.
It's awe-inspiring isn't it? This is what we mean when we say that, at Case Western Reserve, we Think Beyond the Possible.
Teaching and learning are intellectual exercises, to be sure. But their impact increases exponentially when emotion is brought to the equation. Emotion is what makes a person like Chris Manacci climb into a tiny flying egg – also known as a helicopter - to rescue someone he doesn't even know.
It is what drives Chris Butler to hold hours-long "Math Galas" to help students prepare for finals.
It is what sends Cynthia Beall to frigid mountaintops again and again to interview indigenous people there.
That combination – of head and heart - is what we tried to do with this video. You'll let us know how we fared, but first, let me emphasize again: This is an in-house production. No models. No expensive ad agencies. This … is Case Western Reserve.
Roll Video.
And now I would like to ask the individuals featured in the video to please stand. (Applause). Thank you, so much.
I also want to acknowledge Mary Gerity, the video producer whose vision is reflected in every frame of this remarkable effort. Thanks also to Lara Kalafatis in University Relations and Glenn Bieler and his team in Marketing and Communications, and Mike Kubit, Steve Kupchik and Peter Bman from Mediavision for their efforts on this project. Would all of you please stand? Applause.
And now that the credits are complete, let me just say again how honored I am to be with all of you here on this campus. It is a remarkable place, made even more so because of all of you.
I am grateful for all that you have done, and will do to continue to help us make this institution everything we know it can be. Thank you for your dedication, and your aspirations. Thank you for being part of Case Western Reserve University.
I would be happy to answer any questions.


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19 Or pdo you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? qYou are not your own,
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Jn 2:21 1 Co 3:16
Ro 14:7


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Is It Always Better to Forgive?
Forgiveness is a virtue, and studies show it can reduce stress and make a person feel better. But there times when it's OK, in fact, preferable, not to forgive, mental health professionals say. Elizabeth Bernstein explains on Lunch Break.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... if this ... on the well researched ... me costs and benefits right now analysts are seen are bought columnist she taught us all about Elizabeth I there ... try ... this go against everything our parents follows a lease and forgiveness that forgive and forget that's the way to go but you're finding otherwise ... I mean otherwise who are tied to virtually expects to begin our waste banks it turns out it might not be best to forget at least not too quickly and there are downsides to forgiveness and one of them is this when you forgive somebody in a sort of feel empowered to do it again ... meaning if you if you forgive somebody you're just reinforcing the behavior that person the bad behavior the whale ... exactly so there's a researcher ... at Florida State University and it's very interesting research that looked at this and he counted couples Ocwen when someone forgave espoused ... by the thousands more likely to ... do something again making it the next day and it had twenty six x six months later staffers were very forgiving had to partners who were a little misbehaving ... the simple act in question to me on the bones hear you spoke to a bunch of folks ... I'd do it for the run up against them that did this problem themselves tells about him Bernard ... she say I was very interesting she is a ... woman in her thirties she grew up the raised by her father step mother after she said she had a really wonderful relationship with them ... and do business with her stepmother stop warranted love ... that I think there were more kids who were born into this family that Kinley a bigger than realistic skin sch issue the oldest daughter she felt that she really was ignore it and she can remember times in high school were neither one of her parents lent an ear school events in the honor society ... she ... joined the race to get out of the home and it's taken her years she has ... her family for about a decade ... during the reading she really go back with the help of the sisters were here ... it currently has a long time coming this weekend as she realized she had pain that was interesting is when she realized what was going on in her step wonders ... why the stepmother is another English that she was ... busy reading these other children that she had a new management she was stressed out ... than planned in turn I was able to really forget ... so all the time pass here but when he didn't forget ... how do you know ... and we'll forgive number one whether you should be given all that that that ... and number two ... what the statute limitations on how long should you wait ... for him can you help us with that ... sch sch I'm not sure there is a statute limitations although ... you have to be ... cognizant of the person you don't want to unnecessarily for any there so he can forgive his new party we wanna go ahead and do it or eight years sch but you do when ... this allows the research shows that ... you probably want to begin ... if three conditions are not ... to say these three conditions or if you want to continue the relationship he wanted the that that that won ... the next one is that if you want to have that person if that person is not likely to do what he did again ... so you wanna be sure that whatever that was that person gets you that you have to forgive that did not do it again ... and then that the person is not generally always misbehave in treating you badly ... and so that's the place he wants to present them to know the reasons I couldn't do this to stop taking any wonder that the St ... and while I think relationships are like the scales of justice and costly trying to bounce in it about them if you forget to quickly to just ... go like this but to bring us some great points Elizabeth Bernstein are bonds calmness ... thank you as always for being with us ... they can


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January 29–July 31, 2013
West Ambulatory
The exhibition features art and instruments of ritual Yorùbá performance from Nigeria and the broader Yorùbá world. The diaspora in the Caribbean, North America, and England has been seminal in the construction of Yorùbá ethnic identity, and the exhibition examines commonalities in rituals of divination and the performance of identity through the artwork of Vodun ("Voodoo") ceremonies, Orisha cults, and contemporary artists.This exhibition was curated by Ian MacMillen, Postdoctoral Fellow at Oberlin College and Conservatory, with assistance from Dessane Cassell (OC '14).
Ifa Priest's Bag, 20th century
Glass beads, leather, and cotton
Special Acquisitions Fund and contributions in memory of Doris B. Moore, 1981.1


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Skycatcher Sales On Hold In Europe
Cessna has run into delays certifying its Skycatcher light sport aircraft in Europe, according to the Wichita Business Journal, and has returned deposits to some of its European customers. A Cessna spokesman said no new orders will be taken in Europe until it has worked out a plan for securing certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency. As an LSA, the Skycatcher doesn't require an FAA type certificate or production certificate for U.S. sales, but the closest EASA equivalent would require the aircraft to have both, according to the Business Journal. Cessna said it is working with EASA to find an "economical solution."
Last November, Cessna hiked the base price of the Skycatcher from $114,000 to $149,000 and made many of the commonly chosen options standard equipment. In 2009, when Cessna delivered the first Skycatcher, the company said it had more than 1,000 orders. As of the end of last year, 169 have been delivered, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association database.


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Good vibrations: Fly mating gets all shook up
The courtship of common fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), involves the male making a number of specific moves on the female.If successful, this causes her to stop in her tracks. Her immobility signifies that she's ready to mate.
This is a surprisingly heavily researched area, and a few years ago it was found that two genes that control the differences between male and female flies, called fruitless and doublesex, also work together to control these behaviours. However, exactly what causes female flies to freeze before mating was still unknown.
Male fruit flies have a few instinctive actions for wooing females: they flutter their wings to produce a kind of mating song, and release pheromones to get their chosen female in the mood. Caroline Fabre at the University of Oxford and colleagues from the University of Cambridge, recently found that male flies also shake their abdomens during courtship, a new addition to the mating choreography. The team showed that this abdominal shaking was strongly linked with the females becoming immobile before copulation. But a question remained: how does a female fly sense the male's vibrations? Does she see or hear him shaking? Or is it more to do with the pheromones he releases at the same time?
Measuring flies' behaviours is not the easiest task. Drosophila melanogaster are only around 3mm long, and they're pretty energetic; plus they can fly, which makes it tricky to track what they're up to. Ultra sensitive equipment and rigorous experiments are essential for getting accurate results.
First, the team wanted to test if the female Drosophila could see the vibrations. This would seem the most obvious answer but, of course, obvious isn't always right. The team turned off all the lights and observed whether the female Drosophila still responded to the male's movements. Using special infrared cameras, they were still able to see the flies, but the flies couldn't see each other. The females still stopped moving as the male vibrated, proving vision wasn't the most important factor in sensing the vibrations.
They next tested whether the male vibrations were associated with the release of specific pheromones. Testing this was a little harder than just switching off the lights. The team had to genetically modify female flies to produce 'masculinised-female' flies that exhibited male courtship behaviours but did not have the male pheromones. When the GM fly vibrated its abdomen, the females still became immobile, despite the absence of pheromones. So pheromones were not required for this aspect of courtship.
Caroline and her colleagues next decided to test whether the vibrations might cause a faint sound that female flies can detect. The researchers clipped the male flies' wings to stop the song produced by their fluttering so that it wouldn't interfere with any sound produced by the abdominal shaking. They then used ultra sensitive microphones to test whether the abdominal shakes made a sound: they heard nothing, indicating that the signal is not communicated through sound.
Their last test was to see whether the females could feel the vibrations through the surface they were on. The courting pair were placed on a super-sensitive membrane, which could detect any slight vibrations caused by the abdominal shaking. Success! Caroline and her team showed that vibrations on the membrane coincided with male abdominal shaking, meaning the female flies could physically sense the vibrations through the surface.
Passing vibrations between two animals across the surface they are on is an ancient form of communication but has not been seen before in the mating rituals of Drosophila. In this case, the vibrations are very subtle, so it was not obvious that this was a possibility. The team's findings open the door to studying what goes on in the brain to trigger these signals and how the nervous system can detect them. This research will give further insight into how genes can control behaviour not only in Drosophila, but in higher organisms too.
Fabre, C., Hedwig, B., Conduit, G., Lawrence, P., Goodwin, S., & Casal, J. (2012). Substrate-Borne Vibratory Communication during Courtship in Drosophila melanogaster Current Biology, 22 (22), 2180-2185 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.042


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Difference between revisions of "Artie"
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* Version 1.1
* Version 1.1
** Public Domain picture with eyes modified by Martin Iturbide.
** Public Domain picture with eyes modified by Martin Iturbide.
Revision as of 17:46, 30 November 2018
Artie is one of the self-proclaimed OS/2 Warp, eComStation, ArcaOS and other OS/2 derivative OSes community mascot.
The OS/2 community discussed on the OS2World forums (and other sites) what should be a good mascot for OS/2. At some voting it became evident that a lot of people liked the idea of an elephant as a mascot.
Why an Elephant
On OS/2 Warp there was a program that was a simple registration form to register your product with IBM. A lot of people on the forums asked how to disable that program from boot, and it always showed a cartoon elephant on that form, that may be one of reasons why the OS/2 users consider an elephant a good mascot for the OS.
Why is he called Artie?
OS/2 Warp 4 used to have the elephant registration form (explained before). The .exe file of that program was called ARTchron.exe, which made it obvious (sarcasm) that the elephant is called "Artie".
Image History
This mascot is based on a public domain cartoon elephant located in several free cliparts sites [1][2] [3]. The eyes were slightly modified by Martin Iturbide with Inkscape.
Version 1.x
- OctoArtie
- Artie-in-a-box
- ArtieBorg
- Artie Wiki
- Artie Crocodile
- Artie Builder
- Artie FAT32 Logo
- Artie Warpstock or Burst
- Artie - Warpstock 2017 Canada
- Artie Sticker
- Artie Treadmill
- Artie Air Balloon
- Version 1.1 is Public Domain.
- Version 1.1
- Public Domain picture with eyes modified by Martin Iturbide.


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Minnesota Poll: Low Support For Day Care Union Law
ST. PAUL (AP) — A statewide poll of Minnesotans finds low support for the new law that allows a union organizing drive among in-home child care providers and personal care attendants.
The Star Tribune Minnesota Poll published Friday finds 41 percent of respondents supported the law, which was passed last month by Democrats in the Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton. 46 percent of those polled disagreed with it, while 13 percent were unsure.
The bill allowing the union drives became a contentious issue in the last days of the legislative session with Republicans lining up against it but unable to stop it. The poll found strong opinions on both sides and suggests it could be an issue when Republicans try to retake the House in the 2014 election.


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US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, already under fire after the suicide of a prominent computer hacker that her office was prosecuting, came under more criticism Tuesday when her husband rushed to her defense on Twitter with postings critical of the 26-year-old man's family.
In one tweet posted late Monday, on the eve of Aaron Swartz's funeral, Thomas J. Dolan, an IBM executive who married Ortiz in July 2011, wrote: "Truly incredible that in their own son's obit they blame others for his death and make no mention of the 6-month offer."
Dolan was referring to a purported offer by prosecutors to recommend a six-month prison term for Swartz, who faced up to 35 years if he agreed to plead guilty to felony charges for using MIT's computer network to download massive numbers of scholarly articles.
The tweets drew profanity-laced vitriol on Twitter against Dolan and Ortiz, with calls for her to resign and him to be fired.
"That was so morally devoid. Bad call," one of the tweets said. "Absolutely despicable," said another.
And another said: "Wow — @tomjdolan gets the award for Most Tin-Eared Guy on Twitter. . . . I get it's his wife, but . . . ."
By Tuesday afternoon, Dolan had abruptly deleted his Twitter account. At the same time, Swartz's father, according to the Chicago Sun Times and Associated Press, was telling mourners at his funeral in a Chicago suburb that his son "was killed by the government."
Ortiz maintained her silence on the Swartz case and declined to comment on the posts by her husband, who could not be reached. A spokeswoman for Ortiz said Tuesday, "We want to respect the family's privacy today and we don't think it's appropriate to be discussing this right now."
Swartz, a computer prodigy-turned-cyberactivist who acknowledged battling depression, helped create Reddit and RSS, a groundbreaking technical advancement in how online content is distributed.
He committed suicide in his Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment Friday after his lawyers contended that federal prosecutors in Ortiz's office said they would not agree to a plea deal unless it called for Swartz to plead guilty to felony charges and serve four to six months in prison. Swartz had rejected the plea offer, his lawyer said, and was slated to stand trial in April.
John Summers of Cambridge, a friend of Swartz and editor of The Baffler magazine, said he was disgusted by Dolan's tweets and the government's handling of the case and called on Ortiz to offer a public apology.
"I don't know what world Carmen Ortiz and her husband are living in, but they are not living in our world," he said.
Swartz never profited from the material he downloaded, was "financially ruined'' by the federal case, and still needed $100,000 for his defense, said Summers.
"He was looking at entering federal prison and being branded a felon, which would change his life for doing something that is at best the equivalent of trespassing," he said.
'Truly incredible that in their own son's obit they blame others for his death and make no mention of the 6-month offer.'
During a press conference Tuesday on an unrelated event, Governor Deval Patrick said he did not want to comment on whether an investigation of Ortiz was warranted because he did not know enough about the case against Swartz.
"I only know what I've read in newspaper and see on the news," Patrick said. "I can only imagine that his family and friends are devastated, and I send them my condolences."
Swartz was indicted in July 2011 on charges of wire fraud, computer fraud, unlawfully obtaining information from a protected computer, and recklessly damaging a protected computer. He was accused of using MIT's computer network while he was a fellow at Harvard's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics to download academic articles normally provided to subscribers in limited quantities from an online archive system provided by JSTOR.
During the funeral service, Robert Swartz said his son was "hounded by the government," the Sun Times reported. "He was killed by the government, and MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
In defending his wife on Twitter, Dolan was responding to Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corp. and cofounder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who posted a link to Swartz's obituary on Saturday that included a statment from the young man's family.
"Aaron's death is not simply a personal tragedy," the family wrote. "It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts US attorney's office and at MIT contributed to his death. The US attorney's office pursued an exceptionally harsh array of charges, carrying potentially over 30 years in prison, to punish an alleged crime that had no victims."
In an e-mail to the Globe, Kapor said he posted the link to the obit "because I thought his suicide was a tragedy and the people who went after him did so with very poor judgment."
Kapor said he does not know Dolan.
After defending his wife with his reply to Kapor's tweet, Dolan did not respond to the attacks sent his way.Akilah Johnson of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Shelley Murphy can be reached at email@example.com.


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LONDON (Reuters) - JP Morgan Chase (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) are extending bans on the use of multi-dealer online chatrooms, sources familiar with the plans told Reuters, as banks crack down on potentially inappropriate communications following a string of scandals.
Chatrooms have been a focus for regulators investigating manipulation of benchmark interest rates and possible rigging in the $5.3 trillion-a-day foreign exchange (FX) market.
A source familiar with developments at JP Morgan, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, said the decision was unrelated to the FX probes which surfaced in June, noting chatrooms had been under review at the bank since earlier this year.
"This has always been about more than FX," the source said, adding that the casual nature of online chatrooms increased the potential for "inappropriate" remarks to be made.
The ban will come into force later this week and the use of such chatrooms among staff for social purposes will also be prohibited.
Deutsche Bank will widen a ban on multilateral chatrooms already in place for its foreign exchange and fixed income staff.
It will now extend to all its corporate banking and securities businesses, including equities.
"It's basically across the whole investment bank," said a source familiar with the matter, adding that the ban will come into force on January 1, 2014.
Bilateral online chats between traders will not be affected, although they are under review at JP Morgan, while external chats between JP Morgan staff and clients will still be permitted.
JP Morgan declined to comment because the plans had yet to be finalized. Deutsche Bank also declined to comment.
Regulators are scrutinizing online messages between currency traders to see whether there is any evidence that they worked together improperly to influence foreign exchange "fixes" - the daily snapshots of currency rates used by firms and portfolio managers for valuing assets.
Traders at banks and other financial institutions often communicate with each other via third-party services including those offered by Bloomberg LP and Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI.TO) (parent of Reuters News).
The FX probe has prompted a swift reaction from lenders, chastened by their experiences of a five-year investigation into manipulation of the London interbank offered rate (Libor).
Banks including Citigroup (C.N), Barclays (BARC.L) and UBS UBSN.VX have also clamped down on online chatrooms.
"Banks are taking this extremely seriously ... The lesson learned from Libor is that the stakes are very high for boards and for senior management," said Tony Murphy, a managing director at consultancy Promontory Financial Group who ran HSBC's global banking and markets division in the Americas.
Ten banks and brokerages have so far admitted wrongdoing in the Libor probe and have been fined nearly $6 billion in total.
Since the FX probe surfaced, compliance staff have warned currency traders not to exchange information with rivals in case it could be interpreted as collusion, and any discussion of fixes has to be reported.
"Chatroom activity and information flow is down significantly. We have to be careful who we talk to," said one veteran trader at a European bank based in London.
So fraught is the mood that some investment banks have even stopped dealers from telling their own salesforce about trades, flows and levels, the usual grist of FX market banter.
Reuters contacted nearly 30 traders or investment officers at banks and hedge funds about their firms' reaction to the FX probes and they all either declined to comment or spoke on condition they and their bank or fund would not be identified.
Senior FX traders are being peppered with paperwork requests as compliance staff seek desk logs going back years and transcripts of staff communications, which are then handed over to in-house lawyers and regulators.
On the first floor dealing room at Barclays' headquarters in London's Canary Wharf, staff have dismantled glass cubicle meeting rooms that separated managers and traders, a source familiar with the matter said.
The glass walls came down after Barclays was fined $450 million last year for interest-rate manipulation and the move is part of Chief Executive Antony Jenkins' mission to instill more transparency at the bank and overhaul its culture.
On its credit desks, which help price corporate debt, Barclays' IT staff are reprogramming trading models to slow them down, part of efforts to reduce volatility and increase the transparency of the bank's trading activities. Such changes could also eventually be looked at for systems used by FX and fixed-income dealers, the source said.
Barclays declined to comment.
The chatroom clampdown has cut a key information channel for dealers, making investment decisions more difficult.
"No choice. I have to rely on guts and feeling," said one senior trader based in Singapore.
To get around the restrictions, some dealers are talking to each other on mobile phones off the trading floor, or taking strategic cigarette breaks to touch base with colleagues.
Where chatrooms are still allowed, dealers are ignoring awkward questions, or in some cases blocking contacts for fear it will look like they are getting too cosy.
"One trader blocked a broker after he invited him to dinner," said the trader in Singapore. "Nobody wants to get in trouble."
Additional reporting by the FX Buzz team in London, with Jong Woo in Singapore, Gertrude Chavez in New York and Carmel Crimmins in Dublin; Editing by Mark Potter and David Holmes


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|James Gross and Team Build Set for 'The Miser'
|Assistant Professor of Theater, Scenic Designer, and Technical Director James Gross works with Tyler Swaim '13 and Phillip Robbins '13 on the set of last year's production of The Miser. Photographer Kim Johnson documented the building of the set. Excerpts from her notes begin here: 'I was impressed at the calm guidance James offered and the insistence that the young men do the work. It would no doubt go faster if he just barked orders and they obeyed but instead they talked through design, shared ideas, and worked as collaborators to get the job done.'


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Who Is the International AIDS Conference For?
July 26, 2012
This week marks the first time that the International AIDS Conference has been hosted in the United States in the last 22 years. But despite the progress in the fight to end AIDS, there is still a strongly defined wall between those with access and those that dont. In the context of information about treatment, education and HIV resources for actual HIV-positive people, the conference itself appears to play a part in the great access divide.
The problem lies within the disproportional amount of academic, research based sessions, vs. sessions featuring advocates, healthcare workers, service providers -- and most importantly -- sessions including (and for) actual individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Many of the sessions were formatted to present new studies about treatment barriers, or infection rates, rather than encouraging dialogues about strategies to overcome challenges to care.
Sarah McLean, Special Initiatives and Volunteer Coordinator, participated in the conference as part of a clinical group of Housing Works delegates, consisting of staff members and clients. "I feel like there was a lot of quantitative data, and not a lot of qualitative conclusions drawn from that data. I would like to see more strategic information. That would be really helpful for organizations like ours."
According to the observations of some conference delegates, the session presenters mostly assumed their audiences were experts in the areas of academia, research, and politics, and were clearly not presenting to an audience of actual HIV affected or infected people. There were but a few sessions that offered innovative community based models of care, or strategies to overcome barriers.
Long time Housing Works client and HIV activist, Glenn Richardson stated, "I would want to see new program designs, new ways to address how society is aging with HIV, or any solutions on what difficulties we have with our medications. There was very little interest put into solving problems."
Matt Cartwright, Clinical Social Worker at the West Village Health Center opined about the conference, "It appears to me that this is a big business. Everyone has their booths. No one here is really teaching skills ... I would like to see more sessions for people living with HIV, about how to improve your self esteem, and see them addressing it from a human standpoint, rather than a clinical standpoint."
It all begs the question of who is the International AIDS Conference really for? Is it for pharmaceutical companies to market their new drugs? Is it a place for researchers to present their new papers? Is it a place for medical professionals to network? The answer may include space for all of the above, but NOT without the most integral part of the entire HIV movement, who are the people living with the virus, as well as those who are providing programs at the grassroots community development level. Those folks are the pulse of the movement, without whom, the conference would not exist.
The exclusion was felt by many of delegates and members of the HIV community, who were led by Housing Works activists in a series of actions this morning, under the slogan of "Nothing about us, without us," a demand for the science field and policy makers to not only include people living with the virus in the discussion, but to position them at the core of all decision making processes. Protesters brought light to the fact that the only inclusive space for the (non badge holding) community at large was down in the basement, contrasted with the pharmaceutical brands who were hosted in a super security lined exhibition space on the top level. Protesters later changed their slogan to "Nothing about us, without us. Were coming out of the basement!"
This article was provided by Housing Works. It is a part of the publication Housing Works AIDS Issues Update. Visit Housing Works' website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.
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