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As the Spring 2012 runway shows unfold in New York, younger designers continue to dominate the schedule as the fashion industry experiences its own version of a baby boom. While those designers claim a variety of inspirations, from the California landscape to notions as ethereal as "air" and "action," one éminence grise has had an outsize influence on the current aesthetics: Oscar de la Renta.
His singular sensibility has informed an entire generation of designers. Its ubiquity in their work is drowning out other voices, blunting fashion's capacity to empower and equating dressing up with being grown-up.
The elegant and charming 79-year-old has held sway among socially prominent women for decades. Born in the Dominican Republic, the New York–based designer speaks eloquently, using a vocabulary of feminine ruffles, polished silhouettes, joyful colors and embellishments. While he certainly can cut a fine day suit—the likes of which have been particularly favored by Hillary Clinton—he is most highly regarded for his ability to create clothes for the cocktail hour and beyond.
De la Renta has realized inaugural ball gowns for both Laura Bush and Clinton. Jenna Bush was married in one of his creations. And one of his party dresses served as a plot point in the pop-culture juggernaut Sex and the City. If de la Renta has a singular skill, it is his ability to make women—both young and old—look their prettiest. And it is this skill—not necessarily his technical expertise or his personal familiarity with how a certain generation and class of women live—that seems to have captured the imagination of his followers.
Younger designers such as Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Peter Som, and Zac Posen seem most interested in dressing a kind of rarefied woman, a fashion butterfly who lives an idealized life rather than one filled with hurdles and hard work. She may be accomplished, but her clothes do not speak of power and authority, ease and confidence. Instead, they suggest a woman who wouldn't quite know what to do if she happened to be caught without an umbrella and a driver in a rainstorm.
In the eyes of these designers, this woman is more of a damsel than a dame.
Designers commonly riff on history in search of inspiration. Sometimes they bring out the femme fatale who uses her sexuality like a weapon. Or perhaps they embrace the 1960s and 1970s and the rise of the liberated woman. Or they offer a take on the 1950s through the character of the sexy—and quietly controlling—secretary. There is a kind of power, authority, and irony in all of that retro iconography that keeps it grounded in contemporary times. This Oscar obsession is different. It isn't a riff; it isn't a cheeky homage. It is an earnest belief in a 1980s opulence that translates into an aesthetic of social isolationism. This isn't a style that places a woman into the center of our cultural times; it sets her apart from her own era.
"Many of these designers weren't around during Reaganomics. This is all new for them. For them, it's the distant past," says Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. "For me, they're taking it too literally."
Few of these young men are moved by the group of elders who saw fashion as something empowering—those designers who helped to create today's modern vernacular of power dressing, strong femininity, or even athletic physicality. The bold minimalism of Calvin Klein doesn't speak to them. The gray flannel and banker pinstripes of Ralph Lauren do not seem to have made an impression. There is little evidence of the swaggering tailoring of Bill Blass, none of the impassioned sensuality of Donna Karan.
"In the new world of fashion, you find two camps: fast fashion and designers who understand that an affluent woman wants to look like a woman," says Ken Downing, fashion director of Neiman Marcus.
So what do these designers think a woman should look like in 2012?
She is swathed in color. She is embellished with feathers and baubles. She is accessorized and polished. She is precious, primped, cinched, and controlled. It is exhausting just to look at. Her style is uneasy and self-conscious. She often looks like she's playing dress-up.
There's also something decidedly anti-modernist about this group. For while they may refer to "craftsmanship" as their motivating force, they've made the decision to apply that skill and expertise to a trussed-up, spit-shined, doll-like woman from another era.
"They're looking past their own generation. I can't imagine a 20-something wearing these clothes. In some ways, I guess that's refreshing: They 're not dressing someone who's 19 but someone who's 60," Mears says.
But why are they so captivated, muses Mears. "Is it culture? Gender? No young women are designing that way," she notes.
Indeed, female designers, both newcomers and veterans, have no use for this kind of Barbie-doll perfection. Doori Chung—inspired by the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley and trained by modernist Geoffrey Beene—looks decidedly forward with her draped white shirtdresses and loose-limbed blazers and light-as-air skirts. Victoria Beckham's slim-fitting dresses in blocks of navy and searing orange are as sleek and aerodynamic as a modern sports car. Tess Giberson deconstructs her knits until they are little more than fragile strands, turning them into a kind of abstract art. Nicole Miller turned to pop art, skateboard culture, and street style for her inspiration. Tracy Reese's Blanche DuBois gowns and juke-joint strapless dresses might be retro in nature, but they are never precious and rarefied.
The Row, by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, was a study in modern elegance with its easy-fitting trousers and blazers, airy tunics in ivory and sea foam, and an ivory evening caftan with silver embellishment. And Diane von Furstenberg showed one of her most captivating and energizing collections in quite some time, filled with dynamic prints, draped silhouettes, loose-fitting pullovers, and a kind of easy sexuality that is both powerful and irresistible.
It makes one wonder: With whom are these young male designers spending their free time? Who are the women who might whisper in their ears? What kind of street theater is unfolding in front of them?
The designer Wes Gordon showed his collection Thursday evening in one of the many loft spaces on the city's far west side. Gordon—a tall, dark-haired Georgia native—is only 25 years old and was presenting his fourth collection. He apprenticed under both de la Renta and Tom Ford. But of those two fashion parents, the one with the greater influence is de la Renta. There is very little of Ford's signature sex appeal or hedonism.
Gordon created a beautiful line for spring. It is filled with ivory lace boleros, rococo printed skirts and tops, and ribbon-embroidered jackets. The clothes are upscale and pretty. And one needed to look no further than to his mother, who was in attendance, for proof that he knows how to cut a suit to fit a real woman.
Still, the way in which the clothes were styled, with their spindly sandals and a sweet fragility that was almost breakable, one had to wonder: has greater equality in schools, sports, work, life made these young male designers freer to create clothes that are in some cases almost oppressively, stereotypically girly?
Designers Gurung, Wu, Som, and Posen envision—in varying degrees—a kind of uptown, high-maintenance, chauffeur-driven woman whose fashion life seems exhausting but who also gives off the whiff of helplessness.
Wu certainly can craft a magical moment with silk faille coats, feather-embellished skirts, and embroidered dresses. And for spring, he paired many of his lavish jackets with shorts, giving them a more youthful exuberance. But once a woman steps outside Wu's carefully controlled world and onto the street, she looks a bit like a glass figurine who has somehow escaped the safety of her snow globe.
After Wu's show, one guest made her way down to the nearest avenue—her jet-beaded bolero twinkling in the afternoon sun—in search of a cab. Her needle-thin heels wobbled on the uneven pavement. She seemed so vulnerable. Clothes don't always have to be armor, but these seemed to leave her painfully exposed.
Som has always blended polish with an eccentric sense of color and pattern. And his collection for spring, as with so many other designers, was dominated by bold prints. But one can't help but compare the work he does for his own label—so composed and effortful—with the consulting work he does at Tommy Hilfiger, where the color and edge he's injected into the preppy label is far more organic and fun.
It may be that what is so distracting and disconcerting about the work of these young male designers is that their clothes often come across as self-conscious. They have embraced an aesthetic that they admire. But it doesn't seem to be what they inherently know—how could it be when the world is so casual, freewheeling, and fast-paced?
Posen's collection was almost entirely form-fitting cocktail suits and a seemingly endless stream of elaborate, fanciful ball gowns. They were beautiful pieces, but who will wear them? When? Why?
As Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus noted, women who have the means to buy designer clothes want something that is special. They want to look feminine. But there are a lot of ways to look like a woman while also celebrating the promise of the future rather than meditating on the way life used to be.
It isn't necessary to go the way of Alexander Wang with his relentless attachment to a dark, disheveled street prowler—one who carries around a Brobdingnagian leather knapsack.
One of the most beautiful collections came from designer Derek Lam, who was inspired by the modernist landscape of California. His models wore a leather trench in a bright geranium red, ivory and red honey-comb knits, tank dresses dripping in paillettes, slim navy trousers cuffed in ivory, and short-sleeve dresses in leather and nubby linen.
Lam's clothes were expertly executed. His models looked feminine and pretty. Most important, they looked confident, capable—and sturdy enough to deal with a rainstorm all by themselves.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Spices, Santeria shops and saloons: it's just business as usual on Bonifant and Thayer streets, sitting in the shadow of the "new" Downtown Silver Spring. That may be threatened by the Purple Line, which could run straight through the neighborhood. Bonifant Street resident Elisabeth Higgins Null - who first appeared in Just Up The Pike last July - writes this guest post about what could be lost on her street.
To me, the largely minority- and immigrant-owned businesses of Bonifant and Thayer between Fenton and Georgia are the soul of the community I live in and depend on. My hairdresser is on Bonifant, my bookstore, my coffee shop and arts cafe. In this two-block micro-neighborhood, I can find cleaners, another coffee shop, multiple ethnic restaurants, an oriental spice store, a Thai grocery store, a key shop, autoparts store, soda shop, santeria supply store, balloon shop, tuxedo rental, prominent basement saloon, cobbler, body shops, picture framer, store front churches, nail salons and and a world-class comic and "oldies" record store. Paris never had such neighborhoods.
so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .
As a writer and someone who works at home, I welcome the chance to get out at mid-day for a few hours in my neighborhood. I have a car, a handicapped permit, and a crutch. So far, they've suited me well. I've got it timed so that I can usually scoot into a metered parking space nearby to where I am going. This is my neighborhood -- you learn these things. I've been able to park outside a store while the clerk comes out to take my money and deliver packages. There are lots of people in my area like me, people who would like to grow old in their homes but who develop debilitating conditions even though they are not yet in wheelchairs. In the clustered parking garage, pedestrian megamall approach to civic revitalization, my kind of people are anomalies.
We have avoided confronting this problem in the revitalization of downtown. It has its pulsing, teeming hub, good for entertainment or an outing, but many of us also seek out the quieter charms of Thayer and Bonifant for local residents to go about their filling their needs. For many, this is the old-fashioned walkable town, and the population is stable enough so that relations develop between service providers and their customers. When I can't walk any further, I drop in for chat and maybe a shampoo at Cyncole's or ask Nani at the corner Citgo to call me a cab. Once or twice I've gotten a lift, more often I get a coffee and a little good conversation.
This kind of rapport grows slowly over time and small businesses like these are not transported to a new locale with their equipment and furniture. They embody trust and mutual experience between service provider and customer over time. These businesses are those that survived the bad times economically and stayed with us.
How tragic that they might be shoved out during plans for improving the economic and transportational vitality of our community. How tragic that I and older and partially handicapped citizens like myself might be shoved out for lack of close-up parking and/or a local traffic lane.
I beg the MTA to explore my concern about damage the Purple Line may do to the Bonifant/Fenton/Thayer commercial district. My needs and theirs are interdependent. Beyond this, they are a shining example of the American dream fulfilled.
Elisabeth Higgins Null


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Global mining tax trends 2017
Helping miners position for change
The 2017 edition of the Global mining tax trends takes a closer look on the top tax trends miners will face in the coming year and how they can deal with the increased levels of uncertainty in their tax profile.
Executive summary
This report draws on the experience of Deloitte's Global mining tax professionals to help identify the trends facing large mining groups in the coming years. We set out the questions miners should be asking and suggest some possible approaches to mitigating the risks posed by changes in the international tax landscape.
In line with this, we begin by taking stock of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECDs) project to counteract base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), before highlighting other trends which we believe will continue to move up the agendas of multinational mining groups.
One fact is clear, mining companies will have to come to terms with increased levels of uncertainty in their tax profiles, and will need to consider the impact of all of the changes not only on existing structures but also in terms of future-proofing new investments and transactions.
Tax trends
The mining tax trends featured in this report include:
- Coming to terms with BEPS
- Disclosures all around
- Navigating complexities in mining company stakeholder relationships
- Group structure management
- Innovation in the mining industry
- Jurisdictional competitiveness for capital investment
- Data analytics and the ability to manage taxes
- Reputational risk matters
- Managing tax controversy in the current global environment
- Highly mobile workforces and the talent paradigm
Read our report to learn more about how mining companies can navigate through the world of tax complexities.


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- Real-time strategy and rogue-lite RPGs set in the fantasy world of Faenora offer highly customizable gaming experience
- "Battle for Faenora" establishes inter-game economy and inter-game play using NFTs and digital assets from other games
- Growing global partner network includes developers from Belarus, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Singapore, Poland, the UAE and the United States.
Singapore, 8th November 2023, ZEX PR WIRE, Leading Korea-based game developer, Wemade, and Canadian developer, 2TG Entertainment (2TG), will be launching two new strategy role-playing games (RPGs) set in the medieval fantasy world of Faenora on the WEMIX PLAY global blockchain gaming platform in 2024.
Drawing inspiration from timeless classics like Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle, "To the Grave: The Battle for Faenora" is a multiplayer real-time strategy RPG that modernizes the elements that made these games unforgettable while staying true to their roots. In addition to story characters, players will recruit, train and customize an army of revolutionary soldiers with a variety of classes and equipment. Choose from 30 classes including knights, clerics, ninjas and dragon masters, each with its own unique, strategic advantages.
"Battle for Faenora" leverages Web3Lynx for digital asset integration, helping to establish an inter-game economy and encourage inter-game play. Players can forge legendary units and equipment NFTs to trade with other players, or customize their armies with NFTs like units, skins and weapons that they own in other games and realms.
"To The Grave: The Wildlands of Faenora" is a free-to-play, squad-based rogue-lite auto-battler strategy RPG. Featuring retro pixel art graphics, players will navigate through a series of choices that dictate the unfolding adventure for each playthrough, adding a strategic layer to the gameplay. Players not only get a different set of companion units that join the hero with randomized path options, enemies and loot with each playthrough, but they can also further develop their heroes and unlock classes and skills through experience gained in each playthrough.
"Players can enjoy next level gaming experiences by using their characters across a variety of gaming universes," said Nathan Montgomery, CEO of 2TG Entertainment. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Wemade, pioneers of revolutionary technology, and showcase the enormous potential of blockchain in exceptional games."
Wemade has signed more than 100 deals to launch current Web2 and new Web3 games on WEMIX PLAY, the top global blockchain gaming platform with more than 9 million cumulative users. Its growing worldwide network of partners includes game developers from Belarus, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Singapore, Poland, the UAE and the United States.
About WEMADE
A renowned industry leader in game development with over 20 years of experience, Korea-based WEMADE is leading a once-in-a-generation shift as the gaming industry pivots to blockchain technology. Through its WEMIX subsidiary, WEMADE aims to accelerate the mass adoption of blockchain technology by building an experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem to offer a wide spectrum of intuitive, convenient, and easy-to-use Web3 services. Visit www.wemix.com/communication for more information.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Houston Metro News journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.


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Emphasis Shifts in U.S. Conservation Policy
Recognizing the potential negative impact that some farming practices (excess fertilization and manure, for example) can have on our Nation's natural resources, policymakers have been devoting more attention and funding to conservation policies and programs. From the mid-1980s until 2002, the bulk of USDA conservation funds went toward land retirement: paying farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land from crop production for a time period specified under contract. As of February 2006, almost 36 million acres were retired from crop production—about 10 percent of U.S. cropland.
With the passage of the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (2002 Farm Act), Congress substantially increased conservation funding and made changes in program emphasis. The 2002 Act directed the largest share of new spending to programs emphasizing financial assistance for conservation on working lands—lands used for crop production and grazing—and livestock-related issues. Between 1986 and 2001, funding for working land programs that emphasize financial assistance accounted for about 9 percent of conservation-related financial and technical assistance to farmers, with the remainder allocated to land retirement programs (69 percent), Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) (22 percent), and other programs (less than 1 percent). Between 2002 and 2006, however, working land programs accounted for 25 percent of funding while land retirement programs accounted for 54 percent of funding, CTA for 18 percent, and other programs for 4 percent. Meanwhile, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)—the largest U.S. land retirement program—has increasingly funded practices that complement or support working agricultural lands, including edge-of-field filter strips, riparian buffers, and grassed waterways. While not prompted by the 2002 Act, this trend is part of the movement toward support for conservation on working land.
A second point of greater program emphasis in the 2002 Act is wetland restoration. While the Act modestly increased funding for land retirement, a large portion of the increase was directed to the restoration of wetlands, largely through a major expansion of the Wetland Reserve Program.
A third—more subtle but nonetheless notable—change in program emphasis is reflected in the way funds are awarded through these programs. On balance, the Act decreased the use of decisionmaking tools that increase environmental cost effectiveness (i.e., the level of benefits per dollar of program cost). Certainly, funding increases will expand the amount of land enrolled in conservation programs and the number of participating producers. What isn't so certain, however, is whether these changes will add up to more cost-effective conservation overall.
Expanding Conservation on Working Lands
By 2002, land retirement programs had already succeeded in improving environmental quality by removing much of the more fragile land from production. The remaining land available for retirement was likely to produce fewer overall environmental benefits and come at a higher cost than land already in the program. If true, conservation program funding may be better spent on land in production.
Moreover, working land program incentives could encourage conservation practices by some producers who are unlikely to retire land. Smaller operations—those with sales of less than $250,000 per year—produce roughly one-third of U.S. agricultural output. Households operating these farms often receive a large share of their income from land retirement payments and nonfarm sources, rather than from crop or livestock production. Larger farms, on the other hand, produce two-thirds of U.S. agricultural output. These farms are generally more commercially oriented, and the households that operate them depend less on income from nonfarm sources, and are less likely to participate in land retirement programs. The increased funding for conservation on working lands, and the focus of these programs on livestock-related issues, may have increased conservation participation by farmers who are not interested in land retirement.
Funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the largest working lands program, was $3.95 billion for the 5 years 2002 through 2006, an average of almost $800 million per year. Annual funding under the 1996 Act (1996-2001) was limited to $200 million per year. Through this program, crop and livestock producers can get technical and financial assistance to plan and implement conservation practices on land in production. Since 2002, at least 60 percent of EQIP spending has been slated, by statute, for livestock-related resource concerns, up from 50 percent under the 1996 Act. Limits on the size of participating livestock operations and on maximum payment levels per operation were also loosened in the 2002 Act. In 2004, livestock-related practices accounted for 63 percent of EQIP funding.
The Conservation Security Program (CSP) was created by the 2002 Farm Act and first implemented in 2004. Overall, about $500 million was allocated for CSP for 2004-06. Unlike EQIP, CSP provides payments to eligible producers based on ongoing environmental performance or "stewardship," rather than just for newly installed or adopted practices. Before they can enroll land in CSP, producers must first address soil quality and water quality concerns. CSP stewardship payments (and "existing practice" payments) are based on local land rental rates and the extent of conservation on the entire farm, rather than on conservation costs or benefits (see box "Major USDA Conservation Programs").
CSP is similar to EQIP in the sense that it seeks to improve environmental performance on working agricultural lands. The large majority of CSP funds—about 80 percent in 2005—support environmental "enhancements." Enhancements include addressing additional resource concerns, such as air quality, or going beyond basic conservation standards (collectively referred to as "nondegradation" standards) to a higher level of conservation effort. For example, meeting a nondegradation standard on soil quality involves maintaining soil conditions while CSP soil quality enhancement payments support producer efforts to improve soil condition.
The Conservation Reserve Program, although primarily a land retirement program, also funds buffer practices associated with working land (e.g., edge-of-field filter strips, riparian buffers, and grassed waterways). At the beginning of 2006, about 20 percent of CRP funding was devoted to these practices, up from about 10 percent at the beginning of 2002. While these practices cover only 10 percent of CRP acreage, their impact is arguably larger than this percentage would suggest because buffer practice acreage is strategically located to intercept sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants before they leave the farm.
While the expansion of conservation on working lands has significant advantages, implementing it poses additional challenges. Payments for a broader range of conservation practices, available to a wider range of producers, complicate both conservation planning and the monitoring of practice implementation and maintenance. This is particularly true for some conservation management practices, such as crop nutrient management, which are less visible and thus more difficult to monitor than changes in tillage or contour cropping. Multiple conservation programs for working lands could increase the challenge in making programs work together seamlessly for producers while keeping the cost of program administration low. And producers participating in conservation programs need conservation planning services and technical assistance. To help handle the increased workload, the 2002 Act included authorization for producers to directly contract with NRCS certified third-party technical service providers (TSPs) to supplement USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field staff.
Wetlands Restoration Coming of Age
While the expansion of working lands programs was the big story in the conservation portion of the 2002 Farm Act, a greater emphasis on wetlands restoration in the modest expansion of land retirement programs is also significant. The legislation augments authority for land retirement in the CRP and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) by 4 million acres, up about 11 percent. While wetlands restoration accounts for about 3 percent of current land retirement, 40 percent or more of the authorized increase may be devoted to wetlands restoration. In addition to the 1.2 million acres added to WRP, the CRP routinely enrolls farmed wetlands that are restored to wetlands condition. By the end of 2005, WRP acreage was up to 1.8 million acres, compared to roughly 1 million acres in 2002. Up to 500,000 acres of the 2.8-million-acre rise in the CRP acreage cap could be specially earmarked for restoration of currently farmed wetlands. As of March 2006, CRP included 2 million acres of wetland. The shift toward wetlands restoration is significant because of the relatively high environmental benefits per acre provided by wetlands.
De-emphasizing Cost-Effectiveness?
In addition to increasing the amount and scope of conservation funding, policymakers changed how conservation program managers decide which producers receive funds through the various programs. The 2002 Act reduced the use of traditional targeting tools: competitive bidding and environmental benefit-cost indices. Payments based on past conservation efforts—stewardship payments—may not leverage the same level of environmental gain as payments that support new practices. On the other hand, a new environmental targeting tool—performance-based payments—has been used to implement some CSP enhancements.
Competitive bidding is a process in which producers submit bids on installation of conservation practices and the proposed level of cost sharing in percentage terms (that is, the percentage of total installation or implementation cost paid by the Government). Through comparing the submitted bids, program managers can identify farms and fields where the costs of retiring land or installing conservation practices are relatively low.
The elimination of competitive bidding in EQIP may have resulted in lower environmental benefits per dollar of program spending. EQIP data show that producers have often been willing to accept cost-share rates (what the government pays) well below the pre-2002 Farm Act maximums of 75 percent of cost for structural practices, such as terrace installation, and 100 percent of a local (usually county) maximum for management practices, such as integrated pest management. Between 1996 and 2001, the overall national average cost-share rate for structural practices in EQIP was 35 percent. For management practices, payments averaged 43 percent of local maximums. For 2003-05, the average EQIP cost-share rate for structural practices has been about 60 percent (although rates can be as high as 75 percent for high-priority practices) while management practice payment rates have been fixed at the local level, usually a county.
Lowering the maximum cost-share rates may mean that some producers who might have participated in EQIP will no longer be interested, even if they could provide environmental benefits that would justify a higher payment rate. That is, some producers who may be able to make a cost-effective contribution to environmental protection would be effectively excluded from the program. On the other hand, producers who would be willing to adopt conservation practices at a lower rate could receive payments that exceed the level necessary to induce their participation, leading to higher than necessary contract costs. In other words, the environmental benefits gained may be obtained at a higher than necessary cost.
EQIP program managers can continue to use environmental benefit-cost indices to determine which proposed contracts they will accept, although many States have altered the way cost is considered. Environmental benefit-cost indices are point systems used to rank conservation practices according to expected environmental benefits and costs. Using these rankings, program managers can identify farms and fields where conservation practices on working lands would yield relatively high environmental benefits (see box, "Tools for Cost-Effective Conservation"). At this time, some state-level EQIP program managers use environmental benefit-cost indices to determine which proposed contracts they will accept, others make cost effectiveness part of the ranking score, and some States no longer use costs in the ranking process. NRCS is currently field testing a web-based EQIP ranking tool—that includes cost effectiveness as one of the ranking criteria—in all States and will require its use for ranking all EQIP applications effective October 1, 2006.
Performance-based payments are just what they sound like—payments that vary with the level of environmental performance achieved. Performance-based payments direct the largest participation incentives to those producers who can achieve environmental improvement at a low cost. Producer payments for some CSP enhancements are established using performance indices. For example, payments for soil quality and water quality enhancements depend on the condition of the soil and the potential for water quality improvement, respectively. Those producers who can take actions necessary to achieve high index scores at a relatively low cost have the greatest incentive to undertake soil and water quality enhancements.
Finally, stewardship and existing practice payments are unlikely to produce a significant level of new environmental gain because they do not directly fund new practices. By reducing the overall level of environmental gain leveraged per dollar of expenditure, these payments may reduce the cost effectiveness of environmental gains. Nonetheless, these payments do offer some opportunity for environmental gain. Producers who receive stewardship and existing practice payments may be more likely to maintain existing practices, particularly those producers who installed practices without government assistance (practices that are not subject to ongoing maintenance requirements). These payments could also encourage other producers to seek assistance for basic conservation treatment through other programs (e.g., EQIP), particularly for soil quality and water quality, in the hope of qualifying for CSP at some future date. Finally, in the absence of payments for good stewardship, there is some concern that producers may be reluctant to adopt conservation practices on their own. If stewardship payments encourage some producers to install conservation practices where they would have otherwise hesitated to do so, environmental gain would be realized.
Opposing Directions?
The net effect of the seemingly opposing directions of the increased emphasis on working land conservation and reduced emphasis on cost effectiveness is difficult to discern. The emphasis on working lands, wetlands, and performance-based payments pushes toward increasing the overall cost effectiveness of conservation policy in producing environmental benefits. On the other hand, moving away from competitive bidding and toward stewardship payments may pull in the opposite direction by decreasing the environmental gains per program dollar.
Major USDA Conservation Programs
Land Retirement Programs
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) offers annual payments and cost sharing to establish long-term, resource-conserving cover, usually grass or trees, on environmentally sensitive land. The 2002 Farm Act increased the acreage cap from 36.4 million acres to 39.2 million acres. Funding is through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). For 2002 through 2006, total CRP funding has been $7.3 billion. As of February 2006, about 36 million acres are covered by CRP contracts.
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) provides cost sharing and/or long-term or permanent easements for restoration of wetlands on agricultural land. The 2002 Farm Act increased the acreage cap from 1.1 million acres to 2.3 million acres. The legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture (to the greatest extent practicable) to enroll 250,000 acres per year. Funding is through the CCC. For 2002 through 2006, total WRP funding has been $1.3 billion. As of 2005, a cumulative total of roughly 1.8 million acres were under contract through WRP.
Working Lands Conservation Programs
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides technical assistance and cost-sharing or incentive payments to assist livestock and crop producers with conservation and environmental improvements on working lands. EQIP funding has been $3.95 billion for the 5 years 2002 through 2006. Additional CCC funding of $300 million has been available for ground and surface water conservation. EQIP's focus on livestock increased in 2002, with 60 percent of funding slated for livestock-related issues, up from 50 percent in the 1996 Farm Act. Moreover, much of this funding could be used to cost share nutrient management on large, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that will be required to comply with new Clean Water Act regulation of manure handling and disposal.
Previous limits on the size of participating livestock operations, which excluded operations with more than 1,000 animal units, were eliminated in the 2002 Farm Act. Payment limits previously set at $50,000 total per operation were raised to $450,000 per operation over the 6-year life of the 2002 Farm Act.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides cost sharing to landowners and producers to develop and improve wildlife habitat. For 2002-06, WHIP received $171 million, an average of $35 million per year, compared with just over $62 million during the 1996 Farm Act, 1996-2001, an average of about $9 million per year.
The Conservation Security Program (CSP) focuses on good stewardship, but also provides incentives for improving conservation performance. Producers become eligible for one of three CSP "tiers" only after treating nationally significant resource concerns—soil quality and water quality – on at least a part of their farm. To qualify for tier I, soil and water quality concerns must be addressed on at least part of the farm. Producers who have addressed soil and water quality concerns throughout their farm are eligible for tier II. Tier III participants must have treated all resource concerns present on their farm—not just soil quality and water quality.
CSP offers several types of payments. "Stewardship" and "existing practice" payments are based, roughly, on a percentage of the county average rental rate for the specific type of land involved. In some situations, new practices can be cost-shared through "new practice" payments. Payments for environmental "enhancements" accounted for about 80 percent of CSP payments in 2005. For the 2005 CSP signup, two enhancements were available: producers may (1) address local resource concerns (e.g., resource concerns other than the nationally significant concerns of soil quality and water quality) and (2) adopt practices or engage in activities that improve or enhance resource quality beyond the minimum (nondegradation) standard. In a number of cases, enhancement payments are based not on cost but on environmental performance as measured by indices like the soil condition index. Payments are to be based on the improvement in index values, ensuring that payments reflect a measure of potential environmental gains.
CSP was first implemented in 2004. For 2004-06, total CSP funding is $502 million. While CSP is available nationally, it is being offered only in selected watersheds for any given signup. For 2004-05, CSP was available in 220 watersheds. Producers in 60 watersheds are eligible in 2006 (different from the 2004-05 watersheds). Part of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) strategy is to make every watershed eligible for CSP enrollment once over the next 8 years. In limiting (signup-specific) eligibility by watershed, NRCS is focusing first on those watersheds where producers, on whole, have demonstrated a high level of stewardship.
Other Conservation Programs
Through Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), USDA provides ongoing technical assistance to agricultural producers who seek to improve the environmental performance of their farms. CTA funding was about $3.5 billion for 2002-06.
The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) provides funds to State, tribal, or local governments and private organizations to help purchase development rights and keep productive farmland in agricultural use. For 2002-06 FRPP funding totaled $426 million. In contrast, its predecessor, Farmland Protection Program, received just over $50 million total during 1996-2001.
The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is designed to improve and conserve native-grass grazing lands through long-term rental agreements (10, 15, 20, or 30 years) and 30-year or permanent easements. While normal haying and grazing activities are allowed under GRP, producers and landowners are required to (1) restore and maintain appropriate grasses, forbs, and shrubs; (2) address all relevant resource concerns (e.g., soil erosion); and (3) refrain from converting the land for crop production, development, or other uses. For rental agreements, annual rental payments equal (up to) 75 percent of grazing value. Permanent easements are to be purchased at fair-market value, less grazing value, while 30-year easements are to be purchased at 30 percent of the value of a permanent easement. Cost sharing is provided for up to 75-90 percent of the restoration and maintenance costs, depending on the type of grassland. GRP enrollment is limited to 2 million acres of grassland. Funding of up to $254 million is authorized over the 6-year life of the 2002 Farm Act. During FY 2003-06, $236 million in financial assistance has been made available to producers through GRP.
Tools for Cost-Efffective Conservation
Competitive bidding—A process in which producers submit bids on the conservation practices they are willing to adopt (or the type of cover they are willing to establish on retired land) and the level of payment they would be willing to take in exchange for taking these actions. Bids are selected for program participation based on potential for environmental gain and the level of payment requested by the producer. Thus, producers can improve bids by offering to install more environmentally beneficial (but more expensive) practices or by reducing the level of payment they are willing to accept.
Environmental indices—A point system used to rank the proposed application of conservation practices according to expected environmental benefits. Points may be awarded for the use of particularly effective practices, the environmental sensitivity of the land where practices are to be applied, or proximity to particular resources, such as lakes or streams. The use of an environmental benefit-cost index in the CRP (land retirement program) has resulted in increased public benefits of the program, according to ERS research. By using these tools to identify land for retirement, public benefits from water-based recreation, pheasant hunting, and wildlife viewing have increased by at least $370 million per year, while program acreage and costs have remained virtually unchanged.
Performance-based payments—Payments that vary with the level of environmental gain attributed to the action that triggered the payment. For example, payments could be commensurate with water quality gains attributed to the use of practices that reduce nutrient and sediment loss to water. To maximize environmental gain performance-based payments, the payment per unit of environmental change (e.g., ton of soil erosion reduction) would have to equal the value of the environmental gain attributed to the last unit of change (e.g., the water quality gain attributed to the last or marginal ton of soil erosion reduction). Because these values are rarely known, however, environmental indices may be used as proxies.
The 2002 Farm Bill: Provisions and Economic Implications, by Edwin Young, USDA, Economic Research Service, January 2008
Flexible Conservation Measures on Working Land, by Andrea Cattaneo, Roger Claassen, Robert Johansson, and Marca Weinberg, USDA, Economic Research Service, June 2005
Agri-Environmental Policy at the Crossroads: Guideposts on a Changing Landscape, by Roger Claassen, LeRoy Hansen, Mark Peters, Vince Breneman, Marca Weinberg, Andrea Cattaneo, Peter Feather, Dwight Gadsby, Daniel Hellerstein, Jeffrey W. Hopkins, Paul Johnston, Mitch Morehart, and Mark Smith, ERS, January 2001
Economic Valuation of Environmental Benefits and the Targeting of Conservation Programs: The Case of the CRP, by Peter Feather, Daniel Hellerstein, and LeRoy Hansen, USDA, Economic Research Service, May 1999
Environmental Quality Incentives Program: Benefit Cost Analysis, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, May 2003


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You might have noticed it went a bit quiet around here, but two weddings have passed, yes, you read that correctly, two weddings! But don`t worry, they were with the same man. I had one wedding in Australia and one in Europe to keep both families happy. After all that planning and celebrating, I`m ready […]
The Pinnacles, Western Australia
What is it? The Pinnacles are a limestone formation within Nambung National Park. A desert landscape that is covered with thousands of limestone pillars, with some … [Read More...]
5 Top Sights In Barcelona Not To Miss
Since I moved to Australia, I`ve focused more on Australian travel destinations. With Europe getting ready for summer, it`s the perfect time to share some tips for a … [Read More...]
Is a road trip in Australia, Europe and the USA the same?
As some of you might know I`ve done road trips in several parts of the world, and you will notice that there are differences when you travel in multiple countries. … [Read More...]
Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia
When visiting Western Australia, you can drive up to the north, or visit the south-west. We drove to the most south-westerly mainland point of the … [Read More...]
Exploring the Sunshine Coast
My first visit to Australia several years ago took me to the East Coast of the country. I traveled from Sydney all the way up to Cairns. In the meantime … [Read More...]
5 Myths People Believe About Australia
Kangaroos are everywhere Even though there are many kangaroos in Australia, over 25 million, you won`t find them hopping around everywhere. If you`re … [Read More...]
Travel Tips
How to create a vacation feeling at home?
You don`t always have the time to travel to faraway places, either you`re occupied with work or maybe family life is a bit hectic and you can`t get away. … [Read More...]
12 Ways To Help You Plan A Road Trip
I love going on road trips, it`s a great way to discover a destination at your own pace. I have been on trips through parts of Australia, Florida and … [Read More...]
How To Get Around In Belgium
Growing up in Belgium I`ve learnt that our public transportation is a great way to get around. There are trains, buses and trams to get you to where you … [Read More...]


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- As the Subway resumes normal service, MTA have taken to inspecting the numerous pieces of public art that adorn the underground network. No damage to be reported so far. Extraordinarily, Doug and Mike Starn's mosaic murals at the heavily flooded South Ferry stop have remained fully intact; that's public art that's built to last. [Art in America]
- And as winter draws in, the New Museum asks you to donate your old coats in return for free admission. [ARTINFO]
- Wednesday night at Christie's, the fall auction season hobbled off to a slow start, where takings for their Impressionist and Modern Art sale fell well short of projected estimates. Some are talking about a crack in the market; others are blaming the weather; and others still blame the quality of the art. [ARTINFO]
- Yesterday, Sotheby's didn't do well either. We like this lede: "The Impressionist and Modern auction market continued to resist unrealistic estimates at Sotheby's on Thursday evening, turning in a mixed result and a $163,008,001 tally." [ARTINFO]
- Now you can find out who's been donating the over £40 million worth of art to UK galleries by wealthy collectors avoiding the inheritance tax. [BBC]
- Rachel Whiteread swiped $38,000 during daylight from a London gallery. Art theft has never been so easy. [The Art Newspaper]
- One of Argentina's most renowned film directors Leonardo Favio has died at age 74. [BBC]
- Porn stars James Deen and Stoya tell Animal's Marina Galperina why LA's new condom mandate sucks. [AnimalNY]
- Delightful election porn: White People Mourning Romney. [whitepeoplemourningromney.tumblr.com]
Friday Links: Impressionist and Modern Sales Underperform
by Charlie Williams on November 9, 2012 Massive Links
Comments on this entry are closed.


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Product Description
Triangle shaped light brown semi precious gemstone Bruneau Picture Jasper designer cabochon 48 mm long by 26 mm wide and 5 mm thick.
Very well known Bruneau Jasper, a beautiful semi precious gemstone that comes from the region near the Bruneau River in western Idaho, about 30 miles south of the tiny town of Bruneau.
Bruneau Jasper is sometimes referred to as a porcelain jasper because the semi precious gemstone cabochons have such a nice porcelain-like finish.
The Bruneau Jasper flow is the most silica-rich rhyolite flow in the area and is predominantly red and brown jasper. The deposit covers several 100 meters and is covered with unpatented claims.
Metaphysical Properties: Picture Jaspers are said to help bring balance to your life.


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Impeachment proceedings begin in the House and the Senate over Obama's brazen use of aggressive military force without congressional authority.
Eric Blair
Since 2005, Veterans for Peace and others have been calling for the impeachment of the sitting president for war crimes. After their demands to lawmakers to uphold the rule of law against Bush were largely ignored, they renewed their effort to impeach Obama once he continued to bomb sovereign nations without congressional approval. Now, lawmakers seem to have finally decided to take the rule of law and Separation of Powers seriously.
Obama will face impeachment over his failure to seek congressional authorization before launching offensive military action in Libya last year. Official impeachment proceedings have now been filed in both the House and Senate.
Last week, North Carolina Representative Walter Jones filed an Impeachment Resolution in the House H.CON.RES.107.IH stating "Expressing the sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution."
"Whereas the cornerstone of the Republic is honoring Congress's exclusive power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that, except in response to an actual or imminent attack against the territory of the United States, the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress violates Congress's exclusive power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution and therefore constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution."
President Barack Obama becomes only the third sitting president to face impeachment following Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Johnson was impeached for illegally dismissing an office holder without the Senate's approval, and Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice. Both were acquitted by the Senate.
Significantly, President Obama faces much more serious charges than his impeached predecessors and it's still unclear what legal defense he will use to diffuse the charges as the legal basis for his unilateral action has been inconsistent and vague from the beginning of the Libya assault.
Prior to military operations in Libya, the Justice Department advised the Administration on the legality of using unauthorized force in Libya in a 14-page memo titled Authority to Use Military Force in Libya, which states vaguely:
We conclude…that the use of military force in Libya was supported by sufficiently important national interests to fall within the President's constitutional power. At the same time, turning to the second element of the analysis, we do not believe that anticipated United States operations in Libya amounted to "war" in the constitutional sense necessitating congressional approval under the Declaration of War clause.
The memo goes on explain why the alleged situation on the ground in Libya was in U.S.'s national interest, cites previous times when the U.S. military was deployed without congressional approval and claims the mission was an international support mission with no deployed ground troops to justify their conclusion.
However, in no way were national interests under an "imminent" threat by hostilities in Libya as required by the War Powers Act, and supporting an international mission is irrelevant to the Act. Furthermore, Obama has maintained the legal defense that American involvement fell short of full-blown hostilities even after hostilities exceeded the 90-day limit of unauthorized use of force afforded under the War Powers Act.
The New York Times quotes directly from the 38-page report Obama sent to concerned lawmakers after the 90-day deadline "U.S. operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve U.S. ground troops."
Therefore, the Administration claims it wasn't a real military conflict that Congress should concern itself with. However, at the same time, the White House acknowledged that the cost to U.S. taxpayers was well over $1 billion for these non-hostile military activities.
Coincidentally, on the same day the impeachment resolution was filed, Obama's Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged that the Libya War did indeed constituted military combat, but claimed the legal basis for spending U.S. tax dollars on war rested in "international permission":
Yet, the Fifth Amendment clearly states "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury"
And as Wikipedia defines due process:
Due process is the legal requirement that the state must respect all of the legal rights that are owed to a person. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects individual persons from it. When a government harms a person without following the exact course of the law, this constitutes a due-process violation, which offends against the rule of law.
The Obama Administration has clearly "offended against the rule of law", and it appears his only defense lies in somehow changing the definition of words. It's not a strong legal position to be in and it seems for the first time in history a sitting president may be held accountable for high crimes and misdemeanors.
This article first appeared at Activist Post


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This command shows a dialog window when executed. This window can be used to manage the display filters and their options. Display filters are not to be confused with the filters in the
-menu. Display filters do not alter the image data, but only one display of it. You can imagine display filters like big panes before your screen. They change your perception of the image. This can be useful for things like soft-proofing prints, controlling the color management but also simulation of color deficient vision.This dialog has two small selectboxes. The left selectbox displays the Available Filters. You can move a filter to the right selectbox by selecting it and clicking on the button. The Active Filters window on the right displays filters you have chosen and which will be applied if the adjacent box is checked. You can move filters from the right selectbox to the left selectbox by using the button. If you select a filter by clicking on its name, its options are displayed below the two selectboxes, in the Configure Selected Filter area.
Simulation of deficient vision (5.11.3 – "Vidění s barevnou poruchou"; 5.11.5 – "Kontrast")
Digital photography helper (5.11.6 – "Clip Warning")
The images you create, we hope, will be seen by many people on many different systems. The image which looks so wonderful on your screen may look somewhat different to people with sight deficiencies or on a screen with different settings from yours. Some information might not even be visible.
In this drop-down menu you can select from among:
Protanopia is a visual deficiency of the color red. It's the well-known daltonism (red-green color blindness). Daltonism occurs fairly frequently in the population.
Protanopia is actually more complex than this; a person with this problem cannot see either red or green, although he is still sensitive to yellow and blue. In addition, he has a loss of luminance perception and the hues shift toward the short wavelengths.
With deuteranopia, the person has a deficiency in green vision. Deuteranopia is actually like protanopia, because the person has a loss of red and green perception, but he has no luminance loss or hue shift.
With tritanopia, the person is deficient in blue and yellow perception, although he is still sensitive to red and green. He lacks some perception of luminance, and the hues shift toward the long wavelengths.
The correspondence between electrical intensity and color brightness is not exact and it depends upon the device (the camera, the scanner, the monitor, etc.). "Gamma" is a coefficient used to correct this correspondence. Your image must be visible in both dark and bright areas, even if it is displayed on a monitor with too much luminence or not enough. The "Gamma" Display Filter allows you to get an idea of the appearance of your image under these conditions.
Tip | |
In case you want not only to change the gamma of the current display, but the change the gamma within the image itself, you can find a description in 8.10 – "Levels". |
Here, we are back in the medical domain. "Contrast Sensitivity" is the capacity of the visual system to distinguish slight differences in contrast. Some people with cataracts (which means that the lens has opaque crystals that scatter light over the retina) or retinal disease (for instance, due to diabetes, which destroys the rods and cones) have a deficiency in sensitivity to contrast: for example, they would have difficulties distinguishing spots on a dress.
If you are interested in this subject, you can browse the Web for "contrast sensitivity".
With the "Contrast" Filter, you can see the image as if you were suffering from cataracts. You may have to increase the contrast of the image so that your grandmother can see it well. In most cases, only very low values of the Contrast Cycles parameter are of interest. Higher values create a side-effect which doesn't interest us here: if you increase the luminosity value above 255, the complementary color appears.
This filter allows to visualize underexposed and overexposed areas of a photo with user-configurable colors. For now, it's mostly geared towards images where colors are stored with floating point precision. You will mostly benefit from this, if you work on 16-/32-bit per channel float images such as EXR and TIFF.
Enable visualization for underexposed pixels (less than 0 in 32-bit float mode).
User-configurable color that will be used to fill underexposed pixels.
Enable visualization for overexposed pixels (more than 1 in 32-bit float mode).
User-configurable color that will be used to fill overexposed pixels.
Enable visualization for not-a-number (NaN) pixels, only visible when there is a division by zero error and suchlike.
User-configurable color that will be used to fill NaN pixels.
When enabled, include the alpha component in the warning.
When enabled, include fully transparent pixels in the warning.


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What is the IPSS score?
The IPSS questionnaire allows us to better understand the severity of your water work symptoms. It is used for men who are having problems that are likely to be related to an enlarged prostate. It is helpful in determining which treatment option is best for you and then monitoring any improvement.


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Kayrana Porcelain Handles Are Handmade And Produced In Turkey. The Fazeley And The Soham Designs Are Serigraph And Can Be Mixed And Matched. The Decorative Cabinet Knob And The Drawer Handle Are In A Smooth Finish With The Perfect Design. The Metal Part Is A Matching With Colour.
Perfect For Adding A Unique Finish To Your Cabinets, Drawers And Cupboards, They Will Complete Your Interior Design Beautifully.
Easy To Install, This Cabinet Knob And The Handle Requires Little Effort To Affix To Your Furniture, Needing Only Two Screw. We Include All Necessary Fixings For Installation, So You Will Not Need To Purchase Additional Fixings.
We Construct Our Kayrana The Fazeley And The Soham Using Porcelain, Creating A Solid, Hardwearing, Corrosion-Resistant Finish.
• Interior Use.
• Cabinet Doors And Drawers.
• Wardrobe Doors And Drawers.
• Cupboard Doors And Drawers.
• Kitchen Doors And Drawers.
What Is Included
• Suitable Screws For Installation.
Key Features
• Porcelain Construction.
• White Smooth Finish With Perfect Design.
Product Maintenance
• Low Maintenance.
• Occasional Cleaning With A Cloth If Necessary.


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A Poem For When Standing Still is Hard
The railroad track is miles away,
And the day is loud with voices speaking,
Yet there isn't a train goes by all day
But I hear its whistle shrieking.
All night there isn't a train goes by,
Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,
But I see its cinders red on the sky,
And hear its engine steaming.
My heart is warm with friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing;
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,
No matter where it's going.
Edna St. Vincent Millay


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Fern + Freckles MIA CLASSIC
$ 59.00
Not feeling that Brazilian cut but you don't want to hide those cheeks? Well, the Mia Classic meets all your CHEEKY needs!
- Reversible
- Seamless
- Designed in LA, produced in Bali
- Eco-friendly recycled Italian lycra 78% Recycled Polyamide 22% Elastane
- Pairs great with our BENNETT BANDEAU
- Model is a 0/2, wearing a size S
- CARE INSTRUCTIONS - Avoid harsh surfaces. Hand Wash, lay flat to dry in shade


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Junior Original Concert
Throughout the year, Yamaha hosts a wide variety of music events to showcase student achievement and to provide them with invaluable performance opportunities.
One of the most prominent of these is the Junior Original Concert. Initiated in 1972, these concerts take place throughout the world. The events are not competitive but rather a unique opportunity for young musicians under the age of 16 to perform their own original compositions, allowing them to demonstrate their creative potential.
Yamaha's support for music education spans the entire music spectrum from young beginners through to top performing conservatoire students.


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The Doors' 1968 Hollywood Bowl Concert Gets Tricked-Out Audio and Video Re-Releases
For the first time ever, fans of the Doors will be able to hear the entirety of their famous concert at the Hollywood Bowl on July 5, 1968. On Oct. 23, the band will release 'Live at the Bowl '68′ in both video (DVD, Blu-ray, digital) and audio (CD, LP, digital) formats.
Previous audio and video versions of this concert omitted several songs due to technical problems with the original multi-track masters. However, original engineer Bruce Botnick has used state-of-the-art technology to bring the audio to pristine condition. The video has also been restored from the original negatives and given a 16×9 high-definition video transfer.
The video also contains more than an hour's worth of additional footage. The bonus material includes a history of the group up to that point, memories of the concert, an account of the restoration process and three television performances by the band.
"The Doors' live performances were a shamanistic journey into dark rock and roll psychedelic theater — a swirling mixture of rock 'n' roll heat, poetry, danger, drama and unbridled musical virtuosity," Doors manager Jeff Jampol declares. "Captured at the height of The Doors' magical powers, in one of the world's greatest venues, this brand new restoration, edit and mix, corny as it may sound, made me fall in love a hundred times, all over again."
The Doors' 'Live at the Bowl '68′ Tracklisting
1. 'Show Start/Intro'
2. 'When The Music's Over'
3. 'Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)'
4. 'Back Door Man'
5. 'Five to One'
6. 'Back Door Man (Reprise)'
7. 'The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)'
8. 'Hello, I Love You'
9. 'Moonlight Drive'
10. 'Horse Latitudes'
11. 'A Little Game'
12. 'The Hill Dwellers'
13. 'Spanish Caravan'
14. 'Hey, What Would You Guys Like To Hear?'
15. 'Wake Up!'
16. 'Light My Fire (Segue)'
17. 'Light My Fire'
18. 'The Unknown Soldier'
19. 'The End (Segue)'
20. 'The End'


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For Big Day Downtown this year, Downtown Halifax chose the theme of "People's Choice" and we used our social networks to get ideas for where we could go to spend the $150 that they gave us. Having done earlier Big Days as well, it meant that I had visited much of the downtown area and getting some help with choosing things to do was a good idea. People are good at suggesting where you can spend your money and between some conversations and tweets, I was able to figure out some great downtown businesses to visit.
Downtown Halifax is officially is the area from the Casino to the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market and Pier 21 and extending up to Brunswick Street from the Waterfront. Within that area there are many businesses and they are all fair game to be part of the big day. The bloggers assembled at the newly opened Onyx on Argyle to accept this mission and it was a nice start to the whole exercise with some good drinks and snacks in a comfortable environment with fellow bloggers.
There are a few stops that I had in mind right away, but in asking a few questions my big day got even better with the feedback that I received. Living in Wolfville and working in Dartmouth means I'm familiar with the city and already do a lot of shopping there, but with feedback it helps to discover new places that haven't shown up on your radar. Instead of having one Big Day all together I asked a few questions and incrementally enjoyed a Big Day.
The first question that I asked was about a vegetarian lunch downtown and I got some great responses right away. The Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design suggested Fruition in the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market. Lisa Preston suggested The Wooden Monkey. Abad Khan reminded me that Indochine has a location on Barrington and while a triple-lunch day sounds good, I knew I'd need to spread those meals out a bit.
The second question posed on Twitter was for where to get craft beer and Susan Thompson of Fredericton suggested Stillwell, which in posing my question I was secretly hoping for. She'd visited Halifax recently and thought it was great and I agreed and added that to the plan for my Big Day.
The final question that I asked (knowing I easily could use up all $150 at the locations already suggested) was for where to get bike stuff, clothing, or t-shirts. Steve Keeling suggested Lost Cod on the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk. Arthur Gaudreau (through his HalifaxReTales Twitter account) thought of Biscuit General Store (which I've been to often, and love, but didn't get to visit for this Big Day). Brad Alex Stephens suggested Ideal Bikes. Offline MEC was a suggestion for a spot for bike and clothing stuff as well.
With a to-do list of locations and a prepaid Visa card from the Downtown Halifax Business Commission it was time to make the plan for my day. It ended up being part of three days which allowed for good food and drink along with great shopping in the downtown with lovely late summer weather.
Vegan Seitan Donair at The Wooden Monkey
I started off with an old favourite I hadn't visited as part of earlier Big Days — The Wooden Monkey. Having been there often, and usually getting the veggie burger, it was kind of surprising to me that I hadn't tried their Vegan Seitan Donair. Having been a vegetarian for over two decades means that it has been a long time since having a donair, so something new at a favourite restaurant was exciting.
To start I ordered a Big Spruce Brewing Cereal Killer Stout to have some craft beer with my afternoon lunch. Seitan is not something that I've eaten often, but the way that the Wooden Monkey prepared it with tomatoes, onions, and a sweet coconut sauce all wrapped up in a porridge pita is amazing. With their potato roasties on the side it's one of the best lunches I've had.
Carrot Cake Smoothie from Fruition
Then it was out into downtown again and along the Waterfront Boardwalk to the other end of downtown. The Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market has a great collection of vendors selling food and goods and it can be busy on Saturday morning. But there are many vendors who are there throughout the week, and Fruition is one of them. Their location is bright and right by the windows at the front of the market. Inside they have a range of delicious vegan food and I picked up some of their Power Porridge and got a Carrot Cake Smoothie. The smoothie was just right and a few days later I cooked up the Power Porridge in my rice cooker and that was a tasty breakfast and a nice change from the ordinary oatmeal I have every weekday.
Flat White from The Smiling Goat
With some clouds in the sky, but no rain, I walked along the boardwalk thinking of where to go next when I remembered that the Smiling Goat had a location downtown now. I stopped in there for a Flat White and used their wifi as I sipped espresso and microfoamed milk. The Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design then suggested I stop in to look at the show in their gallery, so it was back down the boardwalk past the Seaport Market and before Pier 21.
Mary E. Black Gallery and Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design
The Mary E. Black Gallery is in the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design and they feature a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. The most recent exhibition (which ended August 31) was "Presence of Absence" which was a collaboration between Catherine Beck and Jeffrey Cowling exploring loss and remembrance. The exhibition was fascinating. There was jewelry from Catherine Beck using human hair as the starting point and funeral urns and reliquary boxes made from exotic woods by Jeffrey Cowling. It's an interesting reflection on loss and memory.
Blue SC Speed and Cadence Sensor from MEC
I had parked the car in the parking garage next to MEC and while I had explored the food and artistic parts of my Big Day Downtown, I wanted to start on the clothing and outdoor activity part. MEC is the most regular stop downtown for me and this time I looked through the clothes and got a Castelli Velocissimo Tour Cap that was on sale. In the back of my mind I was thinking of another device to track my bike riding activity and picked up a Wahoo Fitness BlueSC speed and cadence sensor for my bike (semi-subsidized with my Big Day Downtown money). The tour cap is great for keeping sweat and sun out of my eyes, and the sensor measures the speed of my bike as I ride as well as the rate that I am peddling, so you can see when you are coasting and when you are working as you look at the data from a ride.
At the end of a day at work I was able to stop in to Ideal Bikes on Barrington to look through the range of bicycles, equipment, and clothing that they have there. I found some comfortable and durable Darn Tough socks that should last me a long time riding (and they have a lifetime guarantee). Ideal Bikes is also right beside Stillwell, and I met my pal Kendra (@halifaxfilmgal on Twitter) there for some socializing, a beer, and a snack.
Any bar has basic elements that are relatively simple, but are difficult to get right. There is the location, the layout, the staff, the drinks, and the food. At Stillwell they have everything just right. It's welcoming as soon as you arrive and I love the bar. With taps at the bottom of a chalkboard wall behind the bar, it's a simple setup built around great craft beer. The names of the beer are written over the taps. The lineup changes on a continuous basis, so if it is busy you may notice that there is something different on one of the dozen taps on the wall. It's set up in traditional pub style, so you order your food and drink at the bar which gets you moving around a bit.
Board and Taps at Stillwell Tokyo Fries at Stillwell
With a knowledgeable staff and friendly atmosphere it feels just right and time slips away effortlessly. This time I tried something new and had the Bitter Get'er India Black IPA (from Big Spruce Brewing) which is nice. Kendra had Bulwark Blush Cider which she enjoyed. The food at Stillwell is simple, but amazing. My favourite menu choice is the Tokyo Fries which are usually served with Atari Mayo (which isn't vegetarian), but you can get a honey sauce for dipping, or the vegan option which is a Sriracha-based sauce (which I opted for this time). With a coating of Tokyo steak spice, they're perfect and with the hot sauce it's a nice little kick that goes well with craft beer. The menu adds new things often with all sorts of amazing creations, so you can try something different or stick with something that you like. Stillwell is a gem at the heart of a revitalized Barrington Street.
Veggie Ball Banh Mi from Indochine
The last stop for food on my downtown adventures was at Indochine. They make the most amazing Banh Mi sandwiches and now have a location on Barrington. My favourite is their Veggie Ball Banh Mi which is a delicious sandwich that is built around veggie meatballs that are made right in the kitchen all within fresh bread. In the summer they have a refreshing iced organic lemonade with mint that is great on a warm summer afternoon.
T-Shirt from Lost Cod Clothing
For the final part of my Big Day I returned to the Waterfront to look at the shops and stop in to Lost Cod Clothing. In a small building packed with t-shirts, hoodies, and hats, they put various logos on the clothing. The logos have a story and they save the history of Nova Scotia by remembering companies that are no longer around. In the shop Chris knows the stories of the businesses that are no longer with us and is more than willing to share them. Looking through the logos and hearing the stories was fascinating. I finally decided on a green t-shirt with the Halifax & Southwestern Railway logo. I like the logo and the story as this was the railway that ran along the South Shore which has a trail I love to bike on.
Black Bear Ice Cream
With my t-shirt and a little bit more time on my hands I walked over to the Black Bear Ice Cream shop to see if there was something there that interested me and there was. Jalapeño ice cream. I like spicy things and after having a sample, I decided to go for it. The locally-owned shop makes their own flavours and the spicy jalapeño peppers are counterbalanced with the coolness of the ice cream which has a fiery aftertaste. It was a good way to wrap up my big day as I sat on the waterfront and looked out at the water at the end of a beautiful late-summer day.


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Why I shed
bikini for Niqab By Sara Bokker (a former actress/model/ fitness instructor and
activist) I AM an American woman who was
born in the midst of Years went by, only to realize that
my scale of self-fulfillment and happiness slid down the more I progressed in
my "feminine appeal." I was a slave to fashion. I was a hostage to my
looks. As the gap continued to
progressively widen between my self-fulfillment and lifestyle, I sought refuge
in escapes from alcohol and parties to meditation, activism, and alternative
religions, only to have the little gap widen to what seemed like a valley. I
eventually realized it all was merely a pain killer rather than an effective
remedy. By now it was Sept. 11, 2001. As
I witnessed the ensuing barrage on Islam, Islamic values and culture, and the
infamous declaration of the "new crusade," I started to notice
something called Islam. Up until that point, all I had associated with Islam
was women covered in "tents," wife beaters, harems, and a world of
terrorism. As a feminist libertarian, and an activist, I was pursuing a better
world for all. One day I came across a book that
is negatively stereotyped in the West – The Noble Qur'an. I was first attracted
by the style and approach of the Qur'an, and then intrigued by its outlook on
existence, life, creation, and the relationship between Creator and creation. I
found the Qur'an to be a very insightful address to heart and soul without the
need for an interpreter or pastor. Eventually I hit a moment of
truth: my new-found self-fulfilling activism was nothing more than merely
embracing a faith called Islam where I could live in peace as a
"functional" Muslim. I bought a beautiful long gown
and head cover resembling the Muslim woman's dress code and I walked down the
same streets and neighborhoods where only days earlier I had walked in my
shorts, bikini, or "elegant" Western business attire. Although the people, the faces,
and the shops were all the same, one thing was remarkably distinct – I was not
– nor was the peace at being a woman I experienced for the very first time. I
felt as if the chains had been broken and I was finally free. I was delighted
with the new looks of wonder on people's faces in place of the looks of a
hunter watching his prey I had once sought. Suddenly a weight had been lifted
off my shoulders. Finally, I was free. Of all places, I found my Islam
at the heart of what some call "the most scandalous place on earth,"
which makes it all the more dear and special. While content with Hijab I became
curious about Niqab, seeing an increasing number of Muslim women in it. I asked
my Muslim husband, whom I married after I reverted to Islam, whether I should
wear Niqab or just settle for the Hijab I was already wearing. My husband
simply advised me that he believes Hijab is mandatory in Islam while Niqab is
not. At the time, my Hijab consisted of head scarf that covered all my hair
except for my face, and a loose long black gown called "Abaya" that
covered all my body from neck to toe. A year-and-a-half passed, and I
told my husband I wanted to wear Niqab. My reason, this time, was that I felt
it would be more pleasing to Allah, the Creator, increasing my feeling of peace
at being more modest. He supported my decision and took
me to buy an "Isdaal," a loose black gown that covers from head to
toe, and Niqab, which covers all my head and face except for my eyes. Soon
enough, news started breaking about politicians, I find it to be a blatant
hypocrisy when Western governments and so-called human rights groups rush to
defend woman's rights when some governments impose a certain dress code on
women, yet such "freedom fighters" look the other way when women are
being deprived of their rights, work, and education just because they choose to
exercise their right to wear Niqab or Hijab. Today I am still a feminist, but
a Muslim feminist, who calls on Muslim women to assume their responsibilities
in providing all the support they can for their husbands to be good Muslims. To
raise their children as upright Muslims so they may be beacons of light for all
humanity once again. To enjoin good – any good – and to forbid evil – any evil.
To speak righteousness and to speak up against all ills. To fight for our right
to wear Niqab or Hijab and to please our Creator whichever way we chose. But
just as importantly to carry our experience with Niqab or Hijab to fellow women
who may never have had such a chance. Most of the women I know wearing
Niqab are Western reverts, some of whom are not even married. Others wear Niqab
without full support of either family or surroundings. What we all have in
common is that it is the personal choice of each and every one of us, which
none of us is willing to surrender. Willingly or unwillingly, women
are bombarded with styles of "dressing-in- little-to- nothing"
virtually in every means of communication everywhere in the world. As an ex non-Muslim, I insist on
women's right to equally know about Hijab, its virtues, and the peace and
happiness it brings to a woman's life as it did to mine. Yesterday, the bikini
was the symbol of my liberty, when in actuality it only liberated me from my
spirituality and true value as a respectable human being. Today, Niqab is the new symbol of
woman's liberation. To women who surrender to the
ugly stereotype against the Islamic modesty of Hijab, I say: You don't know
what you are missing. –
Sara Bokker is a former actress/model/ fitness instructor and activist October 27, 2008 |
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broken links to
Copyright © 1988-2012 irfi.org. All Rights Reserved.


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The Story of SJF Institute
SJF was founded in 1999 to invest in and assist companies with sustainable strategies, many of which created quality entry level jobs. From the beginning, SJF raised grant funds with an allied nonprofit, allowing us to assist several hundred companies a year (many located in underserved regions) beyond the three or four invested in by the venture capital fund. In 2001 we founded our own nonprofit, SJF Advisory Services, to further extend our impact. In addition to one-on-one assistance, we added trainings such as our Getting Ready for Equity™ workshops, Cleantech and Workforce CEO Panel events to highlight innovative company practices, and produced our first research report, Beyond Paycheck-to-Paycheck: Wealth-Building Strategies for Venture Capital Funds to Use With Portfolio Companies and Their Employees. We also began conducting impact assessments of the SJF Ventures portfolio and producing our annual Positive Impact Report. SJF Advisory Services staff participated in industry-wide initiatives around mission based investing and began working to develop the field.
The SJF Institute has since grown into an organization with national impact. The Institute works across the United States to connect, inspire and accelerate sustainable entrepreneurs and the fields that support them. Since 2001, the Institute has helped countless entrepreneurs expand their businesses through direct assistance and thought leadership. In 2009, the Institute held the first annual SJF Summit on the New Green Economy, attracting more than 350 attendees. We continue to leverage the expertise of our affiliated venture capital fund, SJF Ventures, to provide high-value assistance and insight to entrepreneurs and the field. In 2011, SJF Institute completed a strategic merger with Investors' Circle, with SJF Institute taking over management and governance roles for IC.


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Helpful Retirement Strategies for Women
Preparing for retirement can look a little different for women than it does for men. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men are, meaning they may accumulate less income and benefits due to their time absent from the workforce. One study estimates that 66% of caregivers are women. Women who are working also tend to put less money aside for retirement. According to one report, women contribute 43% less to their retirement accounts than men.1,2
These numbers may seem overwhelming, but with a little foresight, you can start taking steps now that may help you in the long run. Here are three steps to consider that may put you ahead of the curve.
1. Talk about money. Nowadays, discussing money is less taboo than it's been in the past, and it's crucial to taking control of your financial future. If you're single, consider writing down your retirement goals and keeping them readily accessible. If you have a partner, make sure you are both on the same page regarding your retirement goals. The more comfortably you can talk about your future, the more confident you may be to make important decisions when they come up.
2. Be proactive about your retirement. Do you have clear, defined goals for what you want your retirement to look like? And do you know where your retirement accounts stand today? Being proactive with your retirement accounts allows you to create a goal-oriented roadmap. It may also help you adapt when necessary and continue your journey regardless of things like relationship status or market fluctuations.
3. Make room for your future in your budget. Adjust your budget to allow for retirement savings, just as you would for a new home or your dream vacation. Like any of your other financial goals, you may find it beneficial to review your retirement goals on a regular basis to make sure you're on track.
Retirement may look a little different for women, but with the right strategies – and support – you'll be able to live the retirement you've always dreamed of.
1. Caregiver.org, 2023
2. TRowePrice.com, March 13, 2023
The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG, LLC, is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright FMG Suite.


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SAN DIEGO — A flesh-eating bacteria linked to the use of black tar heroin has killed at least seven people over the past two months in the San Diego area, prompting health authorities to alert law enforcement and other officials in California.
Nine people who injected black tar heroin between Oct. 2 and Nov. 24 were hospitalized with severe myonecrosis, a soft-tissue infection that destroys muscles. Of the seven who died, five were men. The nine patients ranged from 19 to 57.
Also, 13 people in Southern California have been diagnosed with wound botulism since Sept. 1, which also may be tied to black tar heroin, said Dr. Eric McDonald, director of epidemiology and immunization services at the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency.
Law enforcement agencies are trying to determine the source of the heroin. It is unclear exactly how the bacteria was transmitted.
"It can be in the dirt, it can be on the surface of your skin, it can be the surface of a needle, but when you have a cluster like this, it makes it very suspicious that it's the actual black tar heroin itself that's contaminated," McDonald said. "We're sort of operating under that assumption."
Officials have advised the local medical community to watch for additional cases of myonecrosis and wound botulism, a rare but serious illness that attacks the body's nerves and is also linked to black tar heroin use.
Los Angeles County officials said Nov. 21 that the county had two confirmed and two suspected cases of wound botulism associated with heroin injection since Oct. 13.
It is unknown if anyone died from botulism but McDonald said it can be treated with antitoxins, unlike myonecrosis.
McDonald said San Diego County has a case of heroin-linked myonecrosis once every year or two and that an outbreak like this year's is rare. There was an outbreak in Ventura County, California, in 1999 and 2000 that killed four people.
Symptoms of myonecrosis include pain, swelling, pale skin, blisters with foul-smelling discharge, fever, excessive sweating and increased heart rate.
If left untreated, myonecrosis can spread through the body and cause people to go into shock. It can lead to amputations or death.
Symptoms of wound botulism can sometimes be mistaken for a drug overdose and occur within days or weeks of injecting contaminated drugs. Symptoms can include drooping eyelids, blurred vision, dry mouth, sore throat, slurred speech and paralysis.
Left untreated, symptoms may lead to paralysis of the respiratory muscles, arms, legs and torso and can cause death.
Black tar heroin is sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal and is predominantly produced in Mexico and sold in U.S. areas west of the Mississippi River, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The dark colour results from crude processing methods that leave behind impurities. Impure heroin is usually dissolved, diluted, and injected into veins, muscles or under the skin.
A 2016 survey by the Drug Enforcement Administration found black tar heroin sold in 12 Western cities, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver, nearly all of it from Mexico. Purity ranged from 34% to 43%.
*story by CTV News


text:
Welcome to American Bites!
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Our Famous Creamy Red Velvet Cheesecake with an Oreo Crust.
The cheesecake is 23 cm and serves 10-12 slices.
Store Pickup
Collection is free from our Porto store. Choose your date and time at checkout.
Lead-time for Whole Cheesecake is currently 3 days but sometimes we can do it quicker so get in touch and we'll see what we can do.
Local Porto Delivery
Porto delivery is available for our products, please check here or consult with our staff for details and rates.
National shipping is NOT available yet for our cheesecakes. ONLY Store Pickup.
Our cheesecakes taste best chilled. They will last well for 5 days if wrapped and kept in the fridge.
Use a knife that has been dipped in hot water to cut the cheesecake. A chef's knife or cake knife works best. Wipe the knife with a damp towel in between each slice to ensure a smooth cut.
Allergy info
All of our desserts are made in a small kitchen where nuts, peanuts, dairy, soy, and wheat (gluten) are used. For this reason, we cannot guarantee they are free from traces of these allergens. Our team takes all the necessary steps to ensure cross-contamination doesn't happen, however, there is always a risk that one of our products has come into contact with another product.


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REFORM, Ala. — To find out how serious America's water infrastructure problems are, it helps to speak with an engineer.
Jonathon Bonner has been in charge of water supplies in towns for 37 years. He knows water.
And when it comes to the prospect of reforming infrastructure, why not head to a town where it's literally in the name? Bonner is the city engineer in Reform, Alabama.
"It's in rough shape right now," Bonner said, pointing to one of the town's wells.
For Bonner, it's not the duct tape or physical rust that is the concern. It's the fact that below the ground, crud has accumulated — a sign the situation is getting worse.
Fixing the well would cost tens of thousands of dollars — money that Reform doesn't have.
"They are relying on me. They are relying on the city to make sure this works in order to give them clean, safe drinking water," Bonner said.
Lately, it hasn't been an easy task.
In January, a car crashed into a hydrant, which completely drained the town's water tank. Residents of the 1,400 person town relied on the generosity of others for water.
In February, cold weather prompted 21 separate leaks.
The worst situation may have been in October, when Bonner and his team had to call the fire chief who was battling a fire at a nearby plant.
"You all are going to stop putting water on your fire, or the town's not going to have water," Bonner said.
As Congress debates whether or not to pass major infrastructure reform, towns like Reform will be watching closely.
"That's the hiccup we are facing, money, it's hard to find funds," Mayor Melody Davis said.
President Joe Biden's plan currently calls for $111 billion to be spent on fixing water infrastructure issues in the U.S. Biden wants to pay for it by raising the corporate tax.
It's estimated that a water main break happens every two minutes in the U.S. and that so much treated water is lost every day through bad pipes that 9,000 swimming pools could be filled.
Negotiations between the White House and Congress are expected to last most of the summer.
Democrats could pass the legislation by themselves if they can keep their caucus together. In the Senate, every Democratic Senator would need to be on board.
There is a push for bipartisanship on this issu,e but many Republicans have said they don't want to pay for it by raising the corporate tax.


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FK Lowry are delighted to announce that they have been awarded the Constructionline Gold standard, demonstrating FK Lowry's commitment to achieving and delivering the highest standards of Health, Safety and Quality for our Ireland and UK clients.
Securing Constructionline Gold standard provides our UK and Ireland clients with the confidence that FK Lowry operate to the highest standards regards H&S, Quality, Tendering and Procurement and are the first Piling Contractor in Ireland to have secured such an Award.
FK Lowry Team pictured L-R: Barry McCormack (Commercial Manager), Mark Mc Keown (Business Development Manager), Lacey Green (Senior Administrator), Niall McGill (Director) & Sam Pyper (Contracts Manager)