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Preservation Week III: Data
Today, I want to take a break from preservation administration think pieces and write a little bit about tools of the trade. Preservation administration is arguably a subset of management, and the old adage that "you can't manage what you can't measure" has led to lots of preservation data collection. Various projects have measured costs, environmental conditions, productivity, and condition of materials in the collection. All of this is part of what gets variously called "data-driven" or "evidence-based" practice, the gist of which is that before doing something, you ought to have some measurable indicator of success or failure so that you can assess the impact of your work.
When I started at UCLA, there wasn't a lot of data to go on. We needed to do a condition survey and since we didn't have much in the way of staff, we needed a clever way to get data quickly. I decided to repurpose some work I did at NYPL when we needed to get condition information for the Rose Main Reading Room on short notice. This survey started from asking what possible preservation outcomes we had available to us and then collecting a set of data that would guide us through that decision tree. Other condition surveys have tended to be descriptive, collecting data to describe the items in the collection. This was diagnostic, collecting data to sort the collection into categories for preservation action.
Both types have value, of course, so we put some flesh on the bones of that NYPL survey and did a few rounds of data collection and that was pretty good. But most preservation surveys trace their roots back to the Yale survey in the 80s and the methods Carl Drott developed for collection managers to sample for usage in their printed serials collections in the 60s. When I called up a colleague in the UCLA Statistics Department and talked to them about what I was doing, they very nicely suggested that the state of the art in statistics had come a little ways in the last 30 or 40 years. So, they put three undergrads on the project of hacking through the data that I had, and in this post, I want to give a taste of what they did.
If you already know about Differentiation and Fuzzy Cluster, CART, and AGNES, there's nothing to see here. If not, read on for bewildering charts and sophisticated statistics.
The images below are extracted from a white paper that I'm working on with the students. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the methods, because my understanding is purely conceptual at this stage, and I couldn't explain anything of substance. The point here is to show how valuable it is to collaborate with the smartest people you can find. It doesn't matter much if they know anything about libraries; that's what the librarian is there for. What does matter is that they know things you don't and, hopefully, that they can tell you that you're wrong in diplomatic ways.
One of the approaches they took to our datasets is Classification and Regression Trees (CART). This groups like data together (classification) by splitting them into branches around a particular value.
Then, the ends of those branches are compared to the decisions that would be arrived at through selection of an arbitrary value. If the classified branches are more consistent with the actual data than the assumption that everything shares a single arbitrary value, then the values used to split the data makes for a good predictor. In this case, splitting the acidity by decade of publication was a better predictor than simply assuming that all books were acidic. That's a good prediction statistically and useful, since it confirms that there are a range of acidities in our collection and gives us specifically informative points in time where we can expect different gradations.
Another, related approach is Dissimilarity and Fuzzy Clustering. IN traditional clustering, one looks for closely related groups of data and clusters them. At first pass, though, our data looked like white noise (or, in this case, orange and red noise). The wasn't much granularity of data that we could realistically collect based on a quick physical assessment of a book. This is something we're going to try to rectify in an upcoming version of our survey tools, but for the moment, it seemed like we were at an impasse.
However, the people doing the analysis are much savvier than I, and they decided to do Fuzzy Clustering. In this method, data are grouped based on their dissimilarity, rather than their similarity, by finding groups of data that are closer to one another than any of them are to the next cluster of data.
From there, hopefully, some patterns would emerge. They did!
And what did we learn? Happily, that many of our rules of thumbs about the preservation problems related to various eras of printing are borne out by independent data analysis. Mid 19th to mid 20th century (the groundwood pulp era) shows up as a poor condition group. The mid 20th to the end of the 70s (the more recent groundwood papers) show up as a group and, enticingly, look like good candidates to stabilize by environmental control or deacidification. Finally, the post 1980's book (from the era after the introduction of alkaline paper standards), all look pretty good.
The last thing they tried was an Agglomerative Nesting (AGNES) dendogram. This one still needs some work, but I think it's work looking at for two reasons. One, I think it quickly drives home the point that there are more sophisticated approaches to these data than finding the average and median.
The other is that it refines the fuzzy clusters in interesting ways. Keep in mind that the analysts don't know anything more about preservation than what I could convey in a one hour guest lecture for their class. They presented this table to me and asked, "so, does this mean anythign to you? Because these are important groups in your data."
They do mean something to me.
1. Major damage, acidic and brittle, high use: Preservation Review, probably leading to expedited reformatting.
2. Minor damage, acidic and brittle, low use: Preservation Review, leading to a balance of replacement, storage, reformatting and withdrawal.
3. Minor damage, acidic but not brittle, low use: Deacidification or environmentally optimized storage.
4. Incidental damage, good paper condition, high use: Repair in house.
5. Incidental damage, good paper, low use: Outsource repair to our library binder.
So there you go. Five categories discovered purely though data analysis, that can really inform our preservation planning. For me, this was especially valuable since we're in the early stages of developing a reformatting program and we've been debating the role of deacidification in our strategy. Obviously, there's a lot more to do in our collaboration with the Statistics Department and a great deal more technical writing to be done to make these methods and our results useful to others. I hope this gives a sense of what's possible in a good collaboration, though, and the value of evidence-based practice.
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This year at Documation, a Thanksgiving feast was provided to all employees by "Ma" Stuckert to celebrate the hard work and dedication that the employees provide throughout the year! The event was a huge success. Check out the photos below:
Documation LLC is a 20-year old commercial printing company with clients all over the Unites States and Canada. We specialize in large volume printing for associations, publishers, and agencies in the direct mail and one-to-one communication market as well. Our staff includes creative designers and list management experts, and our capabilities include print on demand, mailing solutions, high-speed production inkjet printing, and variable data printing.


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Dream Bike
Harvested from Popular Science – March, 1953.
One night in March, 1950, O. Ray Courtney worked until two a.m. and drove home discouraged. He was trying to design a better motorcycle. He wanted one with the seat forward, with better cooling, better springing and a more beautiful body. Discarded sketches littered the floor of his shop.
That night in a dream he saw a steamlined beauty skim across a flowered field. Too excited to report for work the next day, he hastily put his dream on paper – and he is riding that dream cycle now through the streets of Pontiac, Mich.
Vespa or Lambretta? That's been the conversation in my head lately, as I consider taking on an old scooter project. But none of that matters now that I have seen the 1950 Courtney Enterprise. I would have a tough time settling for anything less than a custom mega-scoot!
FRAME is 1 1/8 inch chrome-steel tubing. Handlebars, 10 1/2 inches forward on an extenstion tube, are mounted on a second head. They connect through drag links to the fork.
STREAMLINING continues to tail. Machine is 26 inches wide. Bulges flanking sides of rear wheel are metal-covered saddlebags.
TWO CAN RIDE comfortably on the big seat. Long footboards add to the comfort, and prevent splashing. The Enterprise is 112 inches long and weighs 580 pounds.
Everybody run out and check you grandpa's barn right now! This bike must still exist. It seems unimaginable that something like this would ever get junked.


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The Best Places to Celebrate Chinese New Year
In Western culture New Year's Eve marks the end of the holiday season, but in other cultures, the New Year has yet to begin. Instead of the Gregorian calendar year, other regions in the world follow a lunisolar calendar, which has a different end and beginning date each year, as the date is dependent on the moon phase. One of the most distinguished Lunar New Year celebrations is Chinese New Year, which traditionally lasts for fifteen days total.
What is Chinese New Year?
Also known as Spring Festival, Chinese New Year usually falls between the end of January and mid-February. Whereas western culture does not always consider New Year's Eve or Day as a holiday, Chinese New Year is actually one of the longest public holidays in the Lunar Calendar. The length of the holiday is dependent on the country, the People's Republic of China for example names the first three days as a holiday, but people actually end up having seven consecutive days off, while Malaysia and Singapore name a half day of work on New Year's Eve as an unofficial holiday and have the first two days of the New Year off.
On New Years Eve, families gather together for the 'Reunion Dinner'. Chinese New Year considers family a very central aspect of the celebration, with as many generations as possible coming together for the dinner. As there are several family members who work in the provinces who must travel great distances, special arrangement deals from railways, airlines and bus services that go into effect fifteen days before the New Year. This migration period is called chunyun, which is actually one of the world's largest annual migrations.
Decorations include adorning windows, doors, and walkways with red decorations that are made of intricately cut paper, signifying themes of good fortune and happiness. Red oval-shaped lanterns are also hung through the streets, especially on the fifteenth day of the festival.
An important tradition related to Chinese New Year is a deep cleansing of the house, which is intended to clear away any remaining bad luck from the previous year in order to make way for the impending good luck. Families will sometimes clean for several days to ensure cleanliness.
One of the most favourite Chinese New Year traditions is the giving of money in small red envelopes. These envelopes are called hongbao and are most often given from elders to children, and it is customary that children wish their elders a fortunate and happy new year prior to accepting the envelope.
Other rituals include dragon and lion dances, traditional auspicious dishes and of course fire crackers and fireworks.
So Where Should You Go?
As afore mentioned, people usually travel to where their families have decided to congregate, but when it comes to traveling to a destination to see the most vibrant, culture rich or party hard celebrations take a look at the list below to take part in the Chinese New Year action!
The multicultural population that inhabits Shanghai greatly influence the celebrations in the exotic Paris of the East. Two of the most prominent celebrations that occur in Shanghai include superfluous entertainment and heading to the temples to pray and the ringing of the bells. There are several music performances that range from classical to rock to Chinese folk genres, and more, which are usually highly attended by the younger generation. A more traditional New Years ritual that Shanghai is known for is heading to the Longhua Temple, where people congregate to be present for the ceremonial ringing of the bronze bell, which is believed to ward off evil and bring good luck. The Yu Yuan Old Town Bazaar is a good place to check out the Lantern Parade that signifies the conclusion of the festival.
Beijing is the cream of the crop when it comes to Lunar New Year celebrations. As afore mentioned, Chinese New Year is a family affair, so see if you can find a family to couch surf with for the festival! You'll get the chance to be immersed in an authentic Chinese celebration. There are several fairs and circus entertainment options throughout the city at temples and parks. The Dongyue Temple Fair and Ditan Park Temple Fair are definitely worth checking out. Several families head to the temples to honour their ancestors and gods, the Temple of Heaven has a heaven worshipping ceremony, which dates back to 1748.
You might think it strange that London would be on the list of places that celebrate Chinese New Year in a big way, but the London festivities have actually garnered acclaim as the largest Chinese New Year celebrations out of Asia. Chinatown erupts with street stalls exhibiting traditional food, crafts and costumes, while the main parade travels from the West End to Trafalgar Square where the celebration culminates with lion dancers, circus performances and other entertainment.
Claiming the title as Asia's largest Chinese population outside of main land China, Singapore's celebrations are second to none. Singapore's Chinatown takes the cake with raucous performances and events in the streets, carnival side show exhibitions, shopping bazaars and the International lion Dance Competition. If you are looking to explore other parts of Singapore, check out Smith Street, which has amazing open-air food markets to engorge oneself, while the Marina Bay Floating Platform and a few other waterfront establishments will explode with lanterns and lights and host local concerts.
Hong Kong
The festivities in Hong Kong are a little bit different compared to main land China with a fusion of modern entertainment and ancient rituals. Sometimes considered one of the world's best festivals, the three days that Hong Kong takes to celebrate the New Year are filled with flashy parades in Tsim Sha Tsui, gigantic fireworks displays and the trademark tradition of the Spring Festival Races. Several people head to Hong Kong during this time so be prepared for some unruly crowds, tons of shopping and a flourishing atmosphere of good cheer and happiness. Not to forget, Hong Kong Disneyland organizes New Years events so even Mickey can be part of your New Year's celebration.
How Can I Get There?
With regards to the locations in China, travelling during this time period can be tricky given how popular it is to head home to loved ones for the Reunion Dinner, but just be sure to prepare your transportation measures well in advance. Upon arrival, also be prepared to navigate some hectic bus stops, and be ready for bus and train tickets to sell out though if you are lucky enough to snag a spot, prices will likely be increased during this time period.
Prepare to bring a cozy wardrobe since late January and Early February are actually the coldest periods in China.
When it comes to visas, there are several different types, but the tourist visa is the most common for short-term travellers. China's process is relatively straightforward and the steps for applying can be viewed here.
Singapore will allow you in as long as you have travel documents that are valid for 6 months, an onward or return ticket out of Singapore, and enough funds to support your time in Singapore, for specific requirements, you can check here. The visa requirements for Hong Kong and that UK vary depending on the country you are arriving from.
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Thanks Chelsea for a great article! Chinese Spring Festival is indeed a great holiday for people of China. The dates are different from year to year and in 2015 it going to be the 18th of February. 2015 will be the year of the sheep so try to limit yourself in eating lamb meat as this will not be a good sign!


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Canton at a glance
Canton was settled by English immigrants in 1636, when Kitchamakin, a chief of the Ponkapoag Nation, agreed to grant land to the settlers. The town, originally part of Dorchester and later Stoughton, was incorporated in 1797 after a split with Stoughton. It was named Canton because the town's minister at the time thought its location was exactly opposite that of Canton, China.
Paul Revere, best known for his ride on April 18, 1775, the eve of the Revolutionary War battles of Lexington and Concord, built the nation's first rolling copper mill in 1802 along the Neponset River at what is now the site of Plymouth Rubber Co. Several other factories, from iron works to silk mills, followed, especially after construction of the Boston-to-Providence railroad in the mid-19th century. Housing for workers was developed on the side streets off the town center. Maj. Richard Gridley, founder of the Army Corps of Engineers, lived in Canton during the Revolutionary War.
Canton is an affluent community. The Blue Hills Reservation is to the north. Chapman and Pleasant streets are lined with spacious old houses and trees.
Pleasant Street is the site of Reservoir Pond, open for recreational activities. Town-owned Pequitside Farm is a restored farmhouse and grounds. York Street is a winding old farm road shaded by trees and lined with stone walls. The railroad viaduct over Neponset Street, the only surviving multiple-arched stone railroad bridge in the United States, is more than 150 years old.
For more information about the historic map, go to www.old-maps.com
MASSACHUSETTS AUDUBON VISUAL ARTS CENTER: 963 Washington St., Canton. 781-821-8853. Located on a 138-acre wildlife sanctuary just south of Boston, the Visual Arts Center houses Mass Audubon's extensive art collection.
Vital statistics: Information everyone in town needs to know
Commonwealth Communities: Canton


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'Double dipping': Retired Milwaukee police captain will return to old job, collect pension and salary
The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission unanimously approved the appointment of a retired police captain to her old job — now a civilian position — on Thursday.
Once on the job, Regina Howard will collect her pension and her new salary. She receives about $6,800 in monthly pension payments, or about $81,600 annually, according to city records.
The salary range for her new job, police planning and policy director, is $80,000 to $112,000 annually. She will not accrue a second pension.
Interim Police Chief Alfonso Morales nominated and appointed Howard to the post, effective March 26, pending commission approval. The new chief is working to put his command staff in place as he makes major changes to the department.
RELATED:How Milwaukee's new police chief is changing the department
RELATED:Pension estimates released for retired Milwaukee police officials
Mayor Tom Barrett said he does not support bringing a retired city employee back to fill a similar job because of concerns about "double dipping." He said he faced the same issue when Edward Flynn was police chief.
Flynn had floated the idea of hiring a retired assistant chief as his chief of staff, a civilian position that no longer exists after funding cuts.
"My position remains the same," Barrett said. "It's a taxpayer fairness issue."
Howard will report directly to the chief and run the Office of Management, Analysis and Planning, which is responsible for crime analysis, policy and research and managing grants the department receives.
The office is staffed with 12 sworn officers, six crime analysts, and a crime and intelligence manager.
Howard was commander of that office for several years as a captain. The department made the job a civilian position and posted it in the fall of 2016 in a nationwide search.
Howard, who had announced her upcoming retirement, applied for it then but lost out to Leslie Silletti. Howard retired about a year ago.
Silletti spent much of last year coordinating with U.S. Department of Justice officials and federal consultants on a review of the agency known as "collaborative reform." She left the department when Flynn retired in February.
Morales said he went back to the same applicant pool from the 2016 search and four candidates agreed to interviews before a panel of three sworn officers, one civilian and two representatives from Human Resources.
The panel unanimously selected Howard, who had "stood out above" the others and had presented a 90-day plan for the office, Morales said.
After her retirement, Howard sharply criticized Flynn's administration and said at a public meeting in January that the department had a discriminatory culture.
"I think that certainly racism does exist within the Milwaukee Police Department," she said at the time. "As an African-American officer, I've experienced it."
"We get fired, we get removed from our assignments and yet we still stand and we still fight," she said.


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New research is offering hope to those with paralysis by using virtual reality and therapy. Over 25 million people around the world live with severe spinal injuries and numerous studies are being conducted to free them from immobility and lack of sensation.
The Walk Again Project based in Sao Paulo, Brazil is an international group of scientists from around the world dedicated to creating an exoskeleton device to help those with paralysis regain full body mobility. Thanks to founder Miguel Nicolelis, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscinece, Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Neurosciences and Psychology at Duke University, a new study is offering hope to those with paralysis.
Dr. Nicolelis is the first person to propose and demonstrate that animals and humans can use their brain activity to directly control neuroprosthetic devices using brain-machine interfaces.
In the latest groundbreaking study, eight patients who had some ability to walk with the assistance of crutches, walkers, braces or human help were recruited. Five had been paralyzed at least five years while the other two were paralyzed for more than a decade. They wore fitted caps lined with eleven non-invasive electrodes to record their brain activity while they donned goggles with a virtual reality system. They were taught to create their own avatar, personal likeness, and played football while imagining themselves walking. They used this device that was controlled by their brain signals at least two hours a week for twelve months. In addition, they underwent physical therapy and extensive simulation by robotic machines that moved their muscles. Walking devices and overhead harness were also utilized.
Researchers recorded changes in the patient's EEG patterns, muscle contractions, voluntary limb movements and sensitivity in the areas below their spinal injury.
Dr. Nicolelis says,
For the first time in many years they were able to voluntarily control their muscles. They could move their legs or contract their muscles under voluntary control. Some people had their level of paralysis upgraded to a less severe rating of "incomplete paraplegia." This has not been seen before. I call this an important milestone.
The results were a surprise. Originally, the study was to use brain signals, picked up by the electrodes to control a bulky robotic exoskeleton. However, the eight patients did better than expected. Within seven months, four of the patients experienced muscle control and sensation. Their quality of life improved, as some had control over bowels and bladders, some men experienced erections and one woman was able to deliver her baby vaginally.
Dr. Nicolelis adds,
She could feel he baby for the first time. She could feel the contractions.
The study showed that people with severe spinal injuries still retain some functional tissue and that damaged spinal tissue can be retrained to regain body function through retraining, repetition and practice.
Plans are to expand the research to a new study group. The goal is to help those with paralysis to one day regain full function.
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Monday, June 4, 2012
4 comments:
It's funny that you mention procrastination because today is the last day to make a post and everyone is doing it today, well except a few of us. What's funny is that I don't ever procrastinate when it comes to school work because I want my work to be flawless and if I rush to get something done at the last minute,then I feel that I have betrayed myself.ReplyDeleteReplies
I can definitely identify with number five. Take today for example I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking up videos on YouTube instead just doing my post right away. I often do that when I'm stressed or don't know how to begin a project.Delete
I procrastinate when it comes to writing a huge paper. One time i decided to not procrastinate because i knew if i did i would stay up all night and not have energy to do anything the next day. A week before it was due i got started on it, i looked up my topic and wrote down what i wanted to write about. The next day i tried to write about the ideas I had but i couldn't come up with anything, i sat there for almost an hour and thought i'm wasting my time!! I ended up changing my topic the night before it was due and stayed up all night to finish it. I guess i'll never learn.ReplyDelete
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Old Masters
After 80, some people don't retire. They reign.
The portraits here are of men and women in their 80s and 90s, rich in the rewards of substantial and celebrated careers, and although I know none of them except by name and reputation, I'm asked why their love's labor is not lost but still to be found. Why do they persist, the old masters? To what end the unceasing effort to discover or create something new? Why not rest on the laurels and the oars?
The short answer is Dr. Samuel Johnson's, in a letter to James Boswell in 1777: "Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." A longer answer is that of the 19th-century Japanese artist Hokusai, who at 75 added a postscript to the first printing of his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji":
"From the time that I was 6 years old I had the mania of drawing the form of objects. As I came to be 50 I had published an infinity of designs; but all that I have produced before the age of 70 is not worth being counted. It is at the age of 73 that I have somewhat begun to understand the structure of true nature, of animals and grasses, and trees and birds, and fishes and insects; consequently at 80 years of age I shall have made still more progress; at 90 I hope to have penetrated into the mystery of things; at 100 years of age I should have reached decidedly a marvelous degree, and when I shall be 110, all that I do, every point and every line, shall be instinct with life — and I ask all those who shall live as long as I do to see if I have not kept my word."
Hokusai died in 1849 in his late 80s, by all reports still far from satisfied with his work then in progress. I'm not surprised. When I was 6, I delighted in the act of writing, at 12, in the expecting that by the time I turned 21, I would know how to make of it an art. The birthday came and went, and no dog showed up with the bird in its mouth. Before I was 30, I'd written seven drafts of a first novel mercifully unpublished; I consoled myself with the thought that by the time I was 40, I would know what I was doing. Another dream that didn't come true, and so when I was 45, I began to explore the uses of the essay, the term from the French essayer (to try, to embark upon, to attempt), the form experimental and provisional, amenable to multiple shifts of perspective and tone, and therefore the best of instruments on which to practice the playing with words. The essay proceeds from the question "What do I know?" and doesn't stay for an answer until the author finds out what he means to say by setting it up in a sentence, maybe catching it in the net of a metaphor.
On the way through my 50s I could see signs of progress, producing manuscripts that required only extensive rewriting, not the abandonment of the whole sorry mess of a dumb idea. Revisions pursued through six or seven drafts allowed for the chance to find the right word, to control the balance of a subordinate clause, to replace the adjective with a noun. I didn't enlist the help of a computer because words so quickly dressed up in the costume of print can pretend to a meaning and weight they neither enjoy nor deserve. Writing with a pen on paper, I can feel the shape and sound of the words, and I'm better able to judge how and why one goes with another, and on approaching the age of 70 I toyed with the hope that success was maybe somewhere not far away in a manger or on the near side of a rainbow.
Now I am 79. I've written many hundreds of essays, 10 times that number of misbegotten drafts both early and late, and I begin to understand that failure is its own reward. It is in the effort to close the distance between the work imagined and the work achieved wherein it is to be found that the ceaseless labor is the freedom of play, that what's at stake isn't a reflection in the mirror of fame but the escape from the prison of the self.
T. H. White, the British naturalist turned novelist to write "The Once and Future King," calls upon the druid Merlyn to teach the lesson to the young prince Arthur:
"You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting."
The lesson can also be drawn from the strength of the work done in the dying of the light by the octogenarian and nonagenarian students of the several and various arts — by, among others in a very long list, Michelangelo, Titian, Thomas Hardy, Claude Monet, Georgia O'Keeffe, Donatello, Pablo Casals, Jasper Johns, Giuseppe Verdi, Toni Morrison and Picasso.
John D. Rockefeller in his 80s was known to his business associates as a crazy old man possessed by the stubborn and ferocious will to know why the world wags and what wags it, less interested in money than in the solving of a problem in geography or corporate combination. By sources reliably informed I'm told that Warren Buffett, 84, and Rupert Murdoch, 83, never quit asking questions. Sophocles in his early 90s wrote "Oedipus at Colonus"; the American journalist I. F. Stone began the study of ancient Greek in his 70s in order that he might read the play in the language of its birth. Stone, the most relentless investigative reporter of his generation, had uncovered the truth known to both Hokusai and T. H. White, and the lesson I'm now almost old enough to learn: that the tree of knowledge and the fountain of youth are one and the same.


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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, aka The Mahātmā, has uttered an incredible number of quotable phrases. One of them is definitely not applicable to the case of AGW, and can be written as the following four phases:
- First they ignore you, then
- They ridicule you, then
- They fight you, then
- You win
In one of the many miracles linked to Anthropogenic Global Warming (it's going to be number 67), phases 1, 2 and 3 never happened, and from 1979 to 1988 to 1992 to 2007-1 and 2007-2 it's been one victory after the other for Climate Change Belief.
Or so it appeared. But what if AGW is simply going the other way around? There are several indications that it's now time for the "fight" (phase 3), from belligerent Republican Congressmen in the USA to Tory MEPs "coming out" against the "consensus".
It would be truly ironic if official AGW ridicule would be next (eg, at COP-17 in Durban, South Africa 2011). Thereafter, nobody will care about it anymore….


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File Encryption
The Encrypted File System, or EFS, provides an additional level of security for files and directories. It provides cryptographic protection of individual files on NTFS file system volumes using a public-key system.
Typically, the access control to file and directory objects provided by the Windows security model is sufficient to protect unauthorized access to sensitive information. However, if a laptop that contains sensitive data is lost or stolen, the security protection of that data may be compromised. Encrypting the files increases security.
To determine whether a file system supports file encryption for files and directories, call the GetVolumeInformation function and examine the FS_FILE_ENCRYPTION bit flag. Note that the following items cannot be encrypted:
- Compressed files
- System files
- System directories
- Root directories
- Transactions
Sparse files can be encrypted.
TxF does not support most operations on Encrypted File System (EFS) files. The only operations TxF supports are read operations, such as ReadEncryptedFileRaw.
In this section
|Handling Encrypted Files and Directories
|A file marked encrypted is encrypted by the NTFS file system by using the current encryption driver.
|Encrypted Files and User Keys
|Lists the functions to use to create a new key, add a key to an encrypted file, query the keys for an encrypted file, and remove keys from an encrypted file.
|Backup and Restore of Encrypted Files
|The raw encryption functions enable backup of encrypted files.
For more information about encryption, see Adding Users to an Encrypted File.
For more information about cryptography, see Cryptography.


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When ruling out transformation as part of justification, he gives his best short summary:
'Justification' is the declaration of the one God, on the basis of the death of Jesus: this really is my adopted child, a member of Abraham's covenant family, whose sins are forgiven. And that declaration, in the present, anticipates exactly the final verdict which can also be described as 'adoption'…. Whichever way you look at justification, whichever Pauline context you line up beside it, it always retains this character: the ultimate future brought forward into the present, and the two have joined hands by the spirit. (Paul and the Faithfulness of God, 958-59)
My only beef with that, in light of my larger project, is that Paul so directly connects justification with new life, that the new life is not just at the resurrection but starts now. So, while justification is a new status it is also eschatological life–both now and the future. It is not based on works, but the life given now is the ability to love and serve God through the Spirit as God's new creation act in us, that is through his justification of us. And, with Wright, this justification will ultimately entail resurrection from the dead.
You may be interested in a nice summary here as well: What N.T. Wright Really Said


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COLOR :Brown
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Edfu's main claim to fame in Egyptian history is that in this otherwise unimportant small town there is the best-preserved temple in the whole of Egypt. The ancient capital of the IInd nome of Upper Egypt, it was called Apollinopolis Magna by the Greeks.
The temple, which is dedicated to Horus, was built during the Ptolemaic period on top of an older temple dating from the time of Thutmose III. Because of its imposing dimensions, it is considered the most important after Karnak. It is 137 meters long and the front is 79 meters high. On guard at the entrance to the temple are two very beautiful black granite statues depicting Horus in the form of a falcon. derives from the word <<hr>> which means hawk. Behind the two statues stand the external walls of the temple together with the massive figure of Horus and Hathor. The wide grooves either side of the doorway once housed the flag masts from which fluttered their standards. Inside the sanctuary, still in a perfect state of preservation, is a very beautiful tabernacle carved from a single block of gray granite and which stands about 4 meters high. The inscriptions tell us that it was constructed under Nectanebus II (360 B.C.)
Before entering the temple it is interesting to look at the <<mammisi>> constructed under Evergete II. In the Coptic language <<mammisi>> means << the place of childbirth>> and refers to the spot where symbolically Horus is reborn every day. It is for this reason that it has become sacred to those in childbirth and to all women who want to have a child.


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PNB scam accused Nirav Modi's second bail plea was rejected by Westminster Magistrates' court in London on Friday, 29 March.
The prosecution argued that Nirav Modi "threatened to kill" a witness and destroyed evidence. He was also accused of not cooperating with the Indian agencies.
The next date of hearing in the matter is on 26 April.
His first plea had been rejected on 20 March, after his arrest on 19 March. A London court had issued an arrest warrant against him on 18 March.


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Arlington, TX • United States • 35 Years Old • Male
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Christmas Wish List For The STARS Faithful
Posted 10:38 PM ET |
Comments 14
Dear Santa Clause (aka: Mr. Hicks and Mr. Armstong),
As this sport very much relates to a holiday – the regular season being New Year's through Thanksgiving and the playoffs being Christmas – here is my Christmas wish list for the off-season (in essay form!).
The Dallas Stars have now compiled three straight first-round exits after solid, promising regular-season campaigns. It is time for a change…we need some new blood…more specifically, we need some real SCORERS! I feel terrible for what I am about to say, but it is time to move away from the likes of Antti Miettinen, Jussi Jokinen, Ladislav Nagy, and Patrik Stefan. Plain and simple, games 5, 6, and 7 of the series with Vancouver exhibited a major difference in the physical realm, compared to that of the prior games. Getting hit by Eric Lindros, Loui Eriksson, Joel Lundqvist, and Steve Ott makes you aware of your surroundings quite a bit more than Nagy, Miettinen, and Jokinen. Please do not misunderstand, I am not placing the entire blame on them…but we need a change in the system. We cannot continue to rely solely upon Mike Modano and Brendan Morrow, and expect them to do everything, all the time. Watching Miettinen and Jokinen make this team, and seeing their creativeness with the puck has been wonderful at times. But those guys, and others like them, are not getting it done in the playoffs…nor do I believe they will ever be a force in the playoffs. We need a new direction, with all four lines able to contribute goals, every game. This will also free up Mike to explode offensively, not being relied upon to
have to
score. If the Stars can acquire that scoring touch and it envelopes every line, then with our current defense and all-star goalie, we will win another cup or two before Mikey Mo hangs 'em up!
Dallas' un-restricted free agents include Stu Barnes, Nagy, Lindros, Darryl Sydor, Matthew Barnaby, Krys Barch, Stefan, and Jon Klemm. Without question, Nagy and Stefan are gone. Barnaby is likely retiring due to concussion problems; regardless, I do not believe he stays. Barnes and Sydor are absolute keeps! Klemm is also a keeper...but a likely trade casualty. Barch stays for sure…he is our future enforcer…and maybe our first real enforcer since Hatch! Last but not least, what do we do with Big-E? I told my buddies several times before the playoffs that Lindros was gone no matter what. I was strongly hoping that he would not get healthy and clog up the ice. But as fate (and desperation) would have it, he was inserted into the lineup for the last three games…and I was forced to amend my position! This guy was wearing #88, but it was not the man we watched during the regular season. This was the Eric Lindros everyone described as a playoff monster…the point per playoff game Lindros. Though he did not find his scoring touch, he was a force to be reckoned…even laying out Burrows in game 7 for a little retribution! For the record…as long as he is healthy and wants to play…he stays!
The Stars' restricted free agents include Miettinen, Jokinen, Lundqvist, and Mike Ribeiro. Obviously, Ribeiro is signed asap…without him we don't even make the playoffs this year. I have never seen a player on this team with as much "puck luck." He can stick-handle in a phone booth…it is almost as if he has super-strength, super glue on his blade! Lundqvist is my vote for the Stars rookie of the year…he stole that spot from Eriksson with his superb and veteran-like performance in the playoffs! He not only re-signs, but he then purchases a home in the Metroplex. With the mentoring of Barnes and Jeff Halpern, Lundqvist became a solid checker and even scored a few goals along the way! I called this, by the way (my friends can attest)…he was my pick to make the team out of training camp but there was simply no room. Then the injuries started mounting and he was finally called up. He proceeded to make the most of it, capping his rookie season as one of the best players in the series. As for Jokinen and Miettinen, I think it is time for them to move on. I really respect them and have enjoyed watching them, but they need new homes.
With Sydor and Klemm re-signed, our defense stays the same…Sergei Zubov, Sydor, Philippe Boucher, Trevor Daley, Stephane Robidas, Mattias Norstrom, Klemm, Nolan Baumgartner, and Niklas Grossman. They are obviously deep in talented d-men, so I would imagine at least three of the last six plug into trade scenarios. Other trade bait could include Miettinen, Jokinen, and possibly goalies Dan Ellis and Tobias Stephan.
Now for the fun part! The Stars have approximately 37 million dollars tied up in next year's salary cap. The cap looks to be raised to approximately 48 million dollars, giving Dallas approximately 11 million dollars to play with. This is more than enough money and trade stock to pickup two top-notch scorers and an extra tough guy. Drum role please…free agent #1 – Ryan Smyth…free agent #2 – Bill Guerin…and free agent #3 – Aaron Downey!!! Stars fans and goalies have hated Ryan Smyth forever! Of course I do not really mean hate…I mean loathe, despise – okay, okay…hate is strong enough! Now that the Oilers have dumped him in the east, his goal-scoring and presence in front of the net is welcome (with open arms) to move to Dallas at any time. Billy G. never wanted to leave and, just like Bret Hull, he showed us this year why the organization should not have given up on him! And good old Aaron Downey…this guy is ultimate teammate! He even took a pay-cut after the lockout to stay in Dallas. The fans will never forget the one-punch TKO administered to Hurricanes tough guy Jesse Boulerice! I believe the Stars would benefit with Downey's extra weight (and punch!) from time to time. He would be there to back up Otter and Morrow, and be a mentor to young Barch.
With the lines of my choosing, these moves would make the lineup as follows…
Morrow, Modano, Lehtinen
Smyth, Ribeiro, Guerin
Ott, Lindros/Hagman, Erikkson
Lundqvist, Halpern, Barnes
Zubov, Sydor
Boucher, Robidas
Norstrom, Daley
Backups would be Downey, Barch, Lessard, Klemm, Baumgartner, and Grossman.
With these players and Turco in net, the Stars do not just advance past the first round next year…
This is my Christmas wish list – please make your decisions quickly!
From a faithful and loyal
fan (and season-ticket holder!)...
Happy Holidays,
PS. Is it next season yet?
Filed Under:
April 26, 2007 9:17 AM ET
Very NICE Blog. I do like the lineup!!! To answer your question we are only 129 days from 2007-2008 NHL Season. GO STARS!
April 26, 2007 12:43 PM ET
I'm surprised that you rate Ribeiro so highly. He was very ineffective against the Canucks. Sure he skated all over the place, but with little result...and he uses his teammates only as a last resort -- usually the wrong time and place. Your fantasy team is cool, but Dallas is a team built to win in regular season and not the playoffs. Do remember Brett hull resonding when asked how to stop Mike Modano? His answer was, " have hitchcock coach him!" Same could be said of tippett.
April 26, 2007 1:05 PM ET
Will the Stars please get a coach that will unleash Modano!
April 26, 2007 6:16 PM ET
129 days wow, that a long time to be so bitter.
April 26, 2007 7:31 PM ET
Guerin and Smyth? Yeah, that's a wish. You won't get either one. Nor do you need either one. What you need is a sniper, and you don't have one. As for Ribeiro, the Habs thought so highly of him they traded him for Niinimaa straight up. Soft and selfish, and of no use to us, I don't know why you wanted him. As for Modano, he's been overrated his whole career, offensively and defensively. And keep Jokinen, even if just for the shootout.
April 26, 2007 7:51 PM ET
lol...your name says it all doaf!
April 26, 2007 8:52 PM ET
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNw8ZZT8tOU - check this out
April 26, 2007 9:08 PM ET
Maybe you all need a reminder...I did not know Ribeiro before this year...only by name. He was excellent for us this year and that's all I care about!
April 26, 2007 10:45 PM ET
Allright people...get over it, Ribeiro has been GREAT is Dallas...Maybe he wasn't great in Montreal, because he wasn't given the chance and oppurtunity. And to doaftheloaf, please don't talk about Modano like that.. we know you wish you had a player like him, so that maybe your team would have make to playoffs once in a while. And to you Luongo07, how many more games your team is playing this year? To my count only 3... and after that the summer will kick in for the Vans. And dude, take my advice, change your name, this Loungo goalie is not gonna be MVP or anything like that.
April 27, 2007 12:17 PM ET
(to kahockey)... On the one hand, you say the Canucks only have Luongo. Then you say he's not anything like an MVP. Hmmm. What would your def of MVP be? Luongo has a very good chance of being (legitimately) league MVP. Doesn't mean he will be, but he has more of a chance than any Star this year. Turco, as well as he played won't get a sniff...and even your best player -- by miles -- Zubov won't. Now Anaheim is completely capable of ending the Canucks' season in 3 more games, but as long as the Canucks play to their top level it will still have been a succesful beginning for these Canucks. Hopefully they'll push Anaheim better and winn some of these games (like 4 of them), but even if they don't that'll still be more games than the Stars went. Oh yes, the Stars, a team built for regular season success; one that absolutely cannot (with the present makeup) win in the post season. That used to be the Canucks -- until Nonis started... and AV. As I've quoted before: as Bret Hull said when asked how do you stop Modano? "Let Hitchcock (or Tippett) coach him!" That's the Stars: tough, tough, tough defensively...to the point of stifling their own players. AV is trying to find the balance with the Canucks -- and it should only get better next year. No, I haven't given up on these Canucks, but Anaheim is an excellent team and will be very hard to beat. So it goes.
April 27, 2007 2:17 PM ET
To my record the STARS at least made it to the Playoffs, and then they lost. However, Vancuver didn't even make it to the playoffs last year. They made it this year..somehow they won the northwest division title(mostly by luck)...They got lucky in the first round of the playoffs...Refs helped them as much as possible in game 7...Canucks can's score a goal against STARS unless it's empty netter...TURCO had a better save percentage and goal against than Loungo...I am sure it is hard for you Vans to see these stats...but that is it...Take it
April 27, 2007 4:46 PM ET
You know what they say ka: stats are for losers. We all know the canucks blew themselves out of the playoffs last year...so what. This year, Nonis made the necessary changes (as much as he could), got a goalie, and made the playoffs. Then followed that up by beating Dallas. not bad for a start....Let's get off that ridiculous "won the division by luck" garbage. No team gets 100 points by luck -- and you know that. Are you aware that in Game 6, Dallas had twice as many power plays as the Canucks? We didn't whine, we said our team played crappy(they did) and would have to play much better in Game 7 and they did. Sure, there were a couple of phantom calls -- as there was in every game both ways -- but the fact is Dallas took wayyyyyyyyy tooooooooo many penalties chasing down the Canucks as they couldn't beat the heat. Are you aware that in the series, Dallas had more power plays than the Canucks in every game but 1 and 7? If you're so stats oriented, you shouldn't have missed that. Turco was great against vancouver...the only reason the series didn't end in 5 games. Both goalies were equally fine. Their stats were almost identical. But when the Canucks scored, they won...and Luongo made many timely saves. Let's hope he can keep it up against Anaheim. Dallas may have made the playoffs more often recently than the Canucks, but as I've said, they are a team that will never win in the playoffs without some big changes. I would have thought as a Dallas fan(atic) you would welcome those changes -- to get your team to win in the playoffs. I'd take Luongo any day over Turco if I were GM, but if I couldn't have Luongo, I'd snap up Turco in a flash! He's good.
April 27, 2007 6:48 PM ET
rdfred, hey man no need to waste your time on the exitous of the first round. I have been at it for days with these two.
April 27, 2007 8:02 PM ET
On that note...lets leave our bickering for the next blog...its going to be a beaut about penalties (and no, not just Game 7!). Any more thoughts by Stars fans about this linuep?
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Blog Archive
April 2007
First things first...CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE MODANO!
Some Thoughts on the Series
One That Got Away
Stars Shine Bright...Head Back to Texas 1-1
Thugville Predators Purged Early In 5-Game Round 1
STARS In Control...Game 7 Monday Night!
PUCK DROPS IN 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES...GAME 7's ROCK!!!
I Couldn't Agree More...But I'm So Happy A Canadian Said It!
Christmas Wish List For The STARS Faithful
Interference Penalty...on the Refs!
May 2007
Final Thoughts On The Yucks' Series
Power Forwards Re-Immerging, Captains Leading The Way
Detroit vs. Ottawa?
New Hope...For Now
WOW! (oh...and Ryan Getzlaf for MVP!)
Flashback Game Of The Week On Versus
June 2007
Congratulations Anaheim Ducks! Stars Re-Sign Stu Barnes
Qualified Stars
Baby-Steps Plan Towards Inter-Conference Exposure
July 2007
HAPPY FREE AGENCY STARS' FANS! (Thanks For Nothing Army)
NHL Clean? Not So Fast.......
January 2008
Stars at home in San Jose!
March 2008
Believe! (updated with 2007-08 season ending predictions)
April 2008
STARS Control Misguided Ducks, Lead Series 1-0
STARS Shine Again, Take 2-0 Series Lead Back to Dallas
STARS Run Out of Time, But Lead Series 2-1
STARS Win 3-1, Lead Series 3-1
Ducks Stay Alive With 5-2 Win, STARS Lead Series 3-2
STARS Advance, Monkeys Forced To Find New Home With Ducks
STARS Strike First in Overtime and Series, Lead 1-0
STARS Score 4 in Third, Win 5-2, Take Series Home Up 2-0!
STARS Take 3-0 Series Lead With Another OT Win!
May 2008
Handshake Night Delayed, But STARS Still In Driver's Seat
Leave No Doubt!
Fitting End To An AWESOME Series! Morrow = Conn Smythe!
Playing On House Money ------} Dallas STARS
Missed Opportunities and Credit Where Credit is Due
STARS Finding Their Way Back
Thank-you Dallas STARS ... So Much To Be Proud Of
June 2008
Phenomenal ... What a Year!
July 2008
Avery a STAR? Okay for now . . .
Dave Tippett Extended and a Classic Mid-Summer Classic!
August 2008
Notes from Big D
September 2008
Ready . . .
November 2008
STARS Kicking It Old-School and Modano's 533rd Career Goal
December 2008
Stars (mini) Stanley Cup Victory!
January 2009
Stars at the Break
35 for #35 ... is Marty back? Great Start to the 2nd Half
February 2009
My Goodness Me! 4th Straight Win Gives STARS #7 Seed
Stars Obliterate Rangers, Shut Down Preds, and Serve Notice
Stars Keep Plodding Along - UPDATE - Richards out 6-8 weeks
Stars vs. Sharks Preview
March 2009
The Beginning of the . . . Beginning?
April 2009
How embarrassing for this league . . .
Hope Ducks are prepared to defeat the Sharks and the Refs
Unbelievable! What a finish for the Canes!
My Picks ............ might as well
June 2009
NHL Announcers at Home on Mainstream Media NBC
Guerin, Boucher, and the Pittsburg Penguins are Cup Champs!


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SB 147 (Leno)
by Harpreet Malhi, DO
I see thousands of patients every year with chronic and acute illnesses — some are easily treatable, others present more of a challenge, and for some there is regrettably nothing that I can do. Many illnesses are triggered as a result of multiple factors. For these patients, I cannot help but think of the many ways in which their illnesses may have been prevented. What if they had better access to health information and healthcare services? What if we more highly valued prevention?
Right now members of the California legislature have the opportunity to take a step towards better health for Californians, and make a decision that values science-based prevention. This opportunity has nothing to do with the cost of health insurance, doctor visits, or taxes; this has to do with making our living and working environments safer by giving every Californian the chance to have furniture and baby products free of toxic and untested flame retardant chemicals. This opportunity is presented in SB 147 (Leno), The Consumer Choice Fire Safety Act.
Californians deserve furniture free of toxic and untested flame retardant chemicals. SB 147 would change an outdated and ineffective regulation, called TB 117, which has become a de facto requirement for flame retardant chemicals. Our state is the only jurisdiction in the world that requires bare furniture foam to withstand a 12-second open flame before being sold. TB 117 was created in the 1970s and now desperately needs to be updated to give us fire safety and leave out ineffective and toxic chemicals. If SB 147 is passed, manufacturers would be able to comply with a fire safety standard based on smolder ignition, and would no longer stand alone as a place that virtually requires the use of toxic chemicals that are ineffective in reducing fire injuries and deaths.
Nationally, decline in fire injuries and deaths can be attributed to decreased smoking, adoption of fire-safe cigarettes, and improved fire safety measure like smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, California's decline in fire injuries and deaths is similar to other states. TB 117 has not been proven to increase fire safety since its adoption more than three decades ago. In fact, furniture foam treated with these chemicals ignites and burn after seconds, giving off high levels of toxic gases and smoke, which are the leading cause of fire injury and death.
We are exposed to flame retardant chemicals on a constant basis. It exists in our couches and office chairs, at our dining tables and in our bedrooms, and it lives and stays inside all of us after we breathe in contaminated dust particles. In the last forty years alone, levels of these chemicals have increased forty-fold in human breast milk.I'm also the mother two wonderful boys. When I was pregnant with my second child, I was so concerned about the threat that flame retardants pose that I purchased an organic bed and pillow and slept on them throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Pregnant mothers and young children are the most vulnerable to endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, mutagens, and neurological and reproductive toxins.
Peer-reviewed animal and human studies find associations between flame retardants and decreased IQ in children, learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, cancer, cryptorchidism (undescended testicles), decreased sperm quality, increased time to pregnancy, and endocrine and thyroid disruption. A landmark scientific consensus on the health and environmental hazards of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, called the San Antonio Statement, was published in the December 2010 journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). To date, more than 200 scientists and physicians from 30 countries have signed to show their concern about the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties of these chemicals.
While I had the information and resources I needed to change my bed and pillows during pregnancy, the current regulation does not make this easy or give other Californians this opportunity for furniture and baby products. If SB 147 is passed, furniture costs could go down for manufacturers and therefore consumers, and it could help reduce these dangerous chemicals from our bodies and our environment. Significantly, for the business community, California's products with foam could be viewed as safe once again, and manufacturers who make safer products could be rewarded in the marketplace. "Made for Sale in California" should not translate to "Warning! Toxic Chemicals!"
Every step counts. As a doctor, mother and a California citizen, I would like to encourage California legislators to put the health of their constituents and their families before the profit driven interests of chemical manufacturers who are pushing to keep this outdated and ineffective regulation in place. Take a stand for science-based prevention. SB 147 will make it possible for me to protect my family from toxic and untested flame retardant chemicals, and will also give me the chance to educate my patients about safer alternatives and prevention.
Dr. Harpreet Malhi is a physician in a community clinic serving low-income families.
Take action on SB 147 today! See all updates on this at the PSR-LA SB 147 page.


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Major Cities:Venezia (Venice)
The eighth largest region in Italy, The Veneto is one of the wealthiest, most developed, and most industrialized regions in the country. It has long been attractive to immigrants and, today, boasts an immigrant population of almost 10 percent. For about one thousand years, The Veneto was an independent state – known as the Venetian Republic – becoming part of Italy in 1866 after a period of Austrian and French rule.
Located in the northeastern part of Italy, The Veneto has a little bit of everything, including four bio-diverse zones: the Alpine zone, the hill zone, the plains, and the coastal territory. About a third of its surface is mountainous, encompassing the Dolomites and the Carnic Alps. The Po River Valley occupies another half of this Italian region and the eastern shore of Lake Garda – the largest lake in Italy – can be found in The Veneto.
Both agriculture and industry play a major role in the economic stability of the region but, by far, tourism is king in this region, mostly thanks to the presence of The Veneto's largest city, Venice. The Italy Board of Tourism estimates that one-fifth of all the country's annual visitors head to stunning Venice and the area around it. Known for its historic canals, museums, magnificent architecture, good food, and awesome beauty, Venice continues to be one of the world's top tour destinations.
But Venice aside, there are plenty of other wonderful places to visit in The Veneto while touring Italy. Consider a stop at Padua, another thriving historic city with a walled center that's decidedly medieval, and yet another Veneto region town that boasts sites that are simply breathtaking. This includes the Scrovegni Chapel with its marvelous Giotto frescoes, the Palazzo della Ragione, the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, the 16th century baroque Padua Synagogue, and plenty of notable villas. Padua's university is also one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1222!
Don't miss the very cosmopolitan city of Vincenza, rich in culture and best known for its 23 buildings designed by 16th century Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio. His work has made this a UNESCO World Heritage Site and strolling through the city gives visitors to Italy an up-close look at his stunning masterpieces. There are also many notable churches and secular buildings designed by other greats and plenty of culture in which visitors can immerse themselves. The textile industry has made Vincenza one of the wealthiest towns in Italy.
Finally, make a stop at historic Verona, the setting for William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Verona is full of medieval/Romanesque architecture including sights such as the San Zeno Basilica, considered one of the best examples of Romanesque design in the world. Also of note is its amphitheater – the Arena – completed around 30 A.D., and the 1st century Theatre of Verona.


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White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says teacher 'ought to go to hell' for anti-military rant
PICO RIVERA - White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Wednesday that a Los Angeles-area high school teacher "ought to go to hell" for bashing U.S. military service members in classroom remarks.
Kelly, a retired Marine general, blasted Gregory Salcido in an interview with Fox News Radio.
Salcido has been off work from El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera after video surfaced of him scolding a 17-year-old student who was wearing a U.S. Marine Corps sweatshirt.
The student captured Salcido urging him not to join the military and referring to military service members with a crude term for stupid.
"They're not like high-level thinkers, they're not academic people, they're not intellectual people; they're the frickin' lowest of our low," Salcido says on the recording.
"I don't understand why we let the military guys come over here and recruit you at school. We don't let pimps come in the school," Salcido adds.
The video was posted online Friday by a friend of the student's mother. It went viral and has drawn millions of views, along with outraged comments.
Kelly added his own on Wednesday.
"Well, I think the guy ought to go to hell," Kelly told Fox News Radio. "I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyle that we have fought for."
The video doesn't show Salcido's face but his suburban school district has confirmed he made the remarks during class.
The El Rancho Unified School District is investigating and placed Salcido on leave Monday.
"Our classrooms are not the appropriate place for one-sided discussions that undermine the values our families hold dear," the district said in a statement.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department increased security at the school.
In an email, Salcido told the Los Angeles Times that he wouldn't comment on the situation "because of the many vulgar and violent threats against my family."
Salcido, a Pico Rivera City Council member, also has drawn criticism from his council colleagues. Mayor Gustavo Camacho told CNN that he plans to strip Salcido of his committee assignments.


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Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Potts was the first winner of Britain's Got Talent back in 2007. Since winning the competition, Paul has found worldwide success with his albums, live shows, tours and charity work and has been constantly travelling the globe; six years later, his feet are yet to touch the ground.
Due to Paul's commitment and hard work, he has become one of the most travelled international stars and has performed more live shows than any other contestant of this type of programme.
Since winning BGT, Paul has successfully released three studio albums; "One Chance", "Passione" and "Cinema Paradiso" (ex-UK). Recent activity has seen Paul visit territories such as Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland, Switzerland, Korea, China, Japan and the Middle East; he is still very much in demand around the world!
In recognition of Potts meteoric "rags to riches" rise to fame, his life story has been turned in to a movie, also titled "One Chance". Award-winning comedian James Corden plays Paul alongside co-stars Julie Walters and Mackenzie Crook. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival receiving a standing ovation and was released in the UK on October 25th 2013, with global releases following.
Alongside the film, Paul released his Greatest Hits in the UK in late 2013 with other territories to follow later this year.
As well as all of this, Paul's autobiography, "Once Chance: A Memoir" is currently being released around the globe.
He has also returned to the studio to record his as-yet untitled fourth studio album, which is due for a release later in 2014.
Paul Potts


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30205 Metric Tapered Roller Bearing in Set of Cone+Cup. This is the most basic and most widely used type of tapered roller bearing. It consists of two main separable parts: the cone (inner ring) assembly and the cup (outer ring). It is typically mounted in opposing pairs on a shaft.
Sizes: ID 25mm x OD 52mm x W 16.25mm
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As I started this book I have to admit I was a tad suspicious – the author is a poet and a playwright, not always the recipe for creating a down and dirty private eye novel. But as I read this novel set in Detroit's Mexicantown and featuring half African American, half Mexican ex-cop August Snow, I found instead that the book fitted neatly in with work by Loren Estleman and Steve Hamilton, being a refreshingly straightforward, if gritty, private eye novel and making no bones about it.
Like David Housewright's Minnesota P.I. Mackenzie, who has a ton of money at his disposal, so does August Snow, who won a settlement against the Detroit Police Department and is using the money in his own way to recreate the warm Mexicantown neighborhood he fondly remembers from his childhood. He's been on the run – more or less – for a year and is back home, settling into his life in Detroit, when he gets a call from an old client, one who helped cause much of the ruckus that got him on the outs with the Detroit cops. Reluctantly, he makes the trek across town to the woman's Grosse Pointe mansion to see what he can help her with.
He turns down her request to look into possibly shady happenings at the wealth management firm and bank she owns, but when she's discovered dead shortly after they've talked, August, being the true white knight private eye hero, thinks there's something wrong about her apparent suicide and can't get it out of his head.
The back and forth of the street characters and hackers August deals with, contrasted with the ultra wealthy banker types, creates a good back and forth dynamic as the book unfolds. And even the name of this detective – August Snow – summer, winter, two opposites in the same name – helps define the way he's able to straddle the street, the FBI and police and his wealthy clients.
I thought this book took a bit of time to get warmed up – as though Mack Jones was finding his footing and establishing his bonafides, but once he gets rolling, this is a wonderfully plotted P.I. novel, full of action and great characters. As readers we also meet the one of the few African American private eyes on the scene, so this is a welcome book and I hope the start of a series. There just aren't enough books like this one being written at the moment.


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The following is a guest post submitted by Pamela Davis, Rochester NY.
Submit your story today.
As our Northwest area prepares for the upcoming Clean Sweep and other beautification projects, the Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association would like to ask for your hand…
Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association (LONA) will need extra help to clean-up and plant flowering seeds at our four area parks/playgrounds. We also want to begin to hold some musical evening events in our parks this summer: like having a small band (like a quartet, or students, perhaps) play for an hour while families/community members enjoy a picnic dinner, or even have some food trucks there as well for culinary variety!
LONA is also attempting to develop our section of the historic Erie Canal, and would love input from area young professionals who have a passion for history, and who are interested in helping establish a new business district, like a "Schoen Place" for the Westside. We are starting with a simple vision, but I have confidence that if we can get the right people on-board, this project could be truly special.
I've also created the Lyell Avenue Neighbors facebook page as a way to connect the many neighborhoods that all meet at Lyell Avenue.
This is a page that allows networking, and small business promotion, as well as provides for a more interactive, real-time crime stopper, neighborhood watch effort.
We encourage community members to support one another, by keeping each other – and the RPD – aware of suspicious/illegal activity, like the problem of copper piping being removed/stolen from area homes, for example, or of any attempted break-ins or stolen car incidences.
The Lyell-Otis neighborhood is ready to turn the corner to become the next coveted area for those young professionals looking to purchase a starter home, as current home prices are accessible to many. The convenient location is super – being close to stadiums, expressways, and downtown events, and the potential is great to rebuild our area in the same manner that Corn Hill was transformed just a few decades ago.
As you know, many hands make light work, so feel free to share our Facebook page with others, as that is the best way to get timely updates regarding our projects and events.
We look forward to working with you all to make improvements here in our terrific city!
Thank you!
Pamela Davis
Tags: Clean Sweep, Lyell Avenue, Lyell-Otis, Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association, Pamela Davis, Rochester, Rochester Clean Sweep, Rochester neighborhoods, Rochester NY, urban revitalization
This entry was posted on Sunday, April 5th, 2015 at 9:05 pm and is filed under Events, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester News, Urban Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


text: Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal forward Robin van Persie would be a great addition to the squad if he joins him at Manchester United. I'd like to think we could play well together, says United forward Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal forward Robin van Persie would be a great addition to the squad if he joins him at Manchester United.United are the favourites to sign the Holland international after the 29-year-old stated his intention not to sign a new contract with the Gunners.The prospect of last season's Premier League top scorer arriving at Old Trafford is already exciting supporters and Rooney echoes those sentiments."Of course he's a player that I admire," said Rooney."He's a fantastic player. He's been amazing for Arsenal over many years. Last season was probably his best season of all. He scored a lot of goals."If he does come here he would be a great addition to the squad."PartnershipSir Alex Ferguson also has Danny Welbeck, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov as attacking options but it is the prospect of Rooney and Van Persie linking up that will concern their rivals.Asked if he and the Dutchman could form a deadly partnership, Rooney added: "I'd like to think so - but you'd have to ask the manager about that."There's a lot of forwards here already with myself, Welbeck, Chicharito and Berbatov, who's still here."So there's a lot of forwards fighting for a place."


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The 2018 flu season outbreak was one of the worst in recent history, and caused people to become more concerned and ask a lot of questions – which is a fair thing to do when faced with a widespread illness.
However, with the questions come some misdirected answers and myths, so let's take a look at what health experts have to say about 12 common inquiries about the flu…
1. How Deadly is the Flu?
The flu claims lives every year, and the 2018 version is particularly deadly and is making headlines because of this. Fortune explains that 34-people in San Diego, California died from the flu during the last week of 2017 alone.
However, the same source explains that about 5 to 20-percent of the population gets the flu each year, and while "hundreds of thousands" are hospitalized as a result, "tens of thousands die" – which is why everyone "who's medically capable" should get a flu shot, even though it's less effective this season.


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I am a big believer in seeking out the best of the little things. The ideal socks. The perfect bar soap. The ultimate keychain. The simple logic being: You're going to use all that small stuff a lot more often than the big-ticket splurges (you can't wear that shearling coat through August), so you better really, really enjoy them. The good life to me is not so much owning a Tesla as making sure whatever I drive is outfitted with the coolest possible air freshener.
Which brings me to Corpus Naturals, the brand that's finally gotten me amped over a deodorant.
To be clear: Corpus is first and foremost an aesthetic. The deos come in minimal, mid-gloss cylinders in a shade of clay green that is just different enough to keep Clinique from suing. The website is a Kinfolk subscriber's wet dream of just-peeled, pithy citrus, dew-dotted greenery, and curling incense smoke.
The five scents on offer have names that actually indicate their ingredients (Santalum, Third Rose, Cedar Flora) instead of Gatorade-y signifiers like "Mountain Rush." You don't come here for goofy centaur commercials or hyper-masculine branding that renames a loofah a "shower tool." You come here to get elevated.
Having a stick of this on my dresser makes me feel like someone who earns a good $50k more than I actually do. Like the guy who always springs for the highest possible thread count. Like someone who reads Goop unironically.
Speaking of that #gooplife, this stuff is all natural and vegan. I don't care, though you might. I can confirm it effectively stops you from smelling bad, even without all the fun-to-pronounce chemicals. Even if you don't want to get elevated, you're still going to want deodorant. I submit that this may be the only one you actually enjoy putting on in the morning.
Jon Roth is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn. He's partial to turtlenecks, he learned to embroider this year, and he can lose entire days in the right vintage store.


text: Editorial | Name in the News Doug Cole By Vicki Viotti Jan. 24, 2014 Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story! KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / firstname.lastname@example.com"It would be a huge public benefit that I'm not sure people are grasping right now. It's not just stopping the development. … It's creating a perpetual right for the people to enjoy," said Doug Cole, executive director of North Shore Community Land Trust. Read more Mahalo for reading the Honolulu Star-Advertiser! You're reading a premium story. Read the full story with our Print & Digital Subscription. Subscribe Now Read this story for free: Watch an ad or complete a survey Log In Already a subscriber? Log in now to continue reading this story. Activate Digital Account Print subscriber but without online access? Activate your Digital Account now. At an earlier stage in his working life, Doug Cole had a real estate license and learned more about development law while he was studying to be an attorney. So he knows all about blueprints. But in his current position as executive director of the North Shore Community Land Trust, Cole, 36, concerns himself more with "greenprints." The trust, a nonprofit organization now in the midst of talks about conserving part of the Turtle Bay resort expansion site, devised a "greenprint" plan in consultation with the community. "We heard loud and clear through that process from the community, that conserving coastal lands and agricultural lands are high priorities," said Cole, looking out at Kawela Bay, part of the resort site. The trust pursues various strategies but most recently has put its focus on a tool known as a conservation easement, a permanent restriction a landowner agrees to accept in exchange for assets including a tax benefit. Negotiations that are underway also seek an agreement on cash compensation for waiving development rights. Cole, a Kahuku High School graduate, grew up in a family deeply involved in community affairs. He went to the University of California at San Diego for his undergraduate degree, but 10 years later was in law school at the University of Hawaii. He lives near campus with his wife, who coaches water polo at UH, and their 3-year-old son. He acknowledged that living in town and commuting to the country is a switch. "I definitely miss it, but I appreciate it in a new way," he said. "It's that much more important to me. "We have bumper stickers that say 'We love country' and it says 'we' because it's all of us. No matter where you're from, there's something about the North Shore you can instantly appreciate and see that it's special." QUESTION: What are conservation easements, and could they be used more frequently as a tool for land preservation? ANSWER: The thing with a conservation easement, it's a voluntary agreement, legally binding, that runs with the land, so future successors and interests are going to be subject to it. So it takes a willing landowner, who's willing to place this perpetual restriction on their land. … That limits the instances, right there, that it's going to be used, because not all landowners want to do that. When they do, you have a variety of land trusts that will work with landowners to negotiate and structure these agreements. There's no one-size-fits-all; you can accomplish a lot of different things with a conservation easement. Q: It's used in agriculture, too? A: We're doing the ag easement on the (Turtle Bay) mauka ag land. There's a lot of agricultural conservation easements throughout the state. It's probably more common. On resort-zoned land, I'm not sure there's any examples of conservation easements. This is breaking new ground, in some ways. But it's a really practical tool in this instance because I think both the landowner and the state can accomplish their goals through a conservation easement. The landowner still wants to be able to manage and take care of the land. I think the state has a lot of properties to manage and take care of now, so I think what's great about this situation is you accomplish the goals of conserving the property and the resource that it serves while not taking on the tremendous expense of land management and liability. Q: Is there a reason it particularly (would work) in the Turtle Bay case? A: These trails that we're walking on now are tremendous recreational resources. They can offer a resort experience and vacation experience to their guests that no other hotel on the island can offer. I think it puts them in a category of their own. The current management has been really successful in realizing the value of this land around them, and so they have incorporated that into the visitor experience. To continue their position in the marketplace, so to speak, they stand to benefit by conserving all of this. … If you talk to people who work at the resort and interact with the guests, they hear that time and time again, that this is what makes staying here worth it. … Q: Would the easement stop them from doing anything here? Even landscaping? A: They could do some landscaping, I'm sure. If they have indigenous, endangered species and things like that, there's always going to be rules, regulations, both without the easement and through the easement that probably protect those resources. So there's a limit to the type of landscaping, potentially, that's done. … And certainly from the community perspective, a lot of people would love to see this remain a natural area. We shouldn't take it for granted that the trails we're walking on right now — we're on private property, there's absolutely no legal requirement that Turtle Bay continue to let us walk on these. So, at any given point in time they could say, "Sorry, resort guests only." So what an easement will do is ensure that in perpetuity the public can use these trails. … These trails are great. You could go for a run here, and the trails go all the way from Kawela Bay out to Kahuku Point. So you've got about five miles of coastline and a trail network all along that that's on private property that the public would have access to forever. It would be a huge public benefit that I'm not sure people are grasping right now. It's not just stopping the development. … It's creating a perpetual right for the people to enjoy. Q: Who would enforce the easement rules? A: It depends who holds the easement, who has the right to enforce it. But I think it's very likely that if the state is investing a large amount of money in it, that it would want to hold that easement. The land trust can hold that with the state. There are examples of conservation easements where you have both public and nonprofit ownership of the easement, in which case each entity has the right to enforce the easement. … Say, North Shore Community Land Trust, if we held it, we'd have an annual responsibility to monitor the easement and make sure it's not being violated. So, yeah, if you saw someone constructing in the protected area, the easement outlines the protocol for how you address violations. Q: So that's all going to be laid out? A: It's mapped out in the easement. So usually, there's a notice to the landowner. You give them an opportunity to respond. You try to resolve it, and if you didn't, you could take them to court. You never want to end up in that situation. And I think it's very rare that that happens. And it usually stems from misunderstanding as to what the easement allows and doesn't allow. Q: Isn't the assumption that the parties are willing to comply? A: Yeah. And you have attorneys on all sides advising both the owner of the easement and the proposed holder of the easement, … so you understand what you're getting into. And sometimes it's more if the subsequent owner purchases a property that's already been conserved through an easement, they might not have that clear of an understanding. So you have to educate the new owners on what the easement does and doesn't allow. … Q: Is there any shielding of the landowner from liability? A: I'm reluctant to say something that's too legal (laughs). … Because it's private property, the landowner does have probably the bulk of the liability. If it's a public easement, then there could be some liability for the state, but I think the most of the liability would fall on the landowner. I think that's one of the benefits of the conservation easement in this instance. You're not taking on as much liability as the landowner for the state. And really, what we're looking at right now, this beach, this natural area bordering the beach, the ocean right here, this is the public park. It's experiencing the coastline in this way. If you're out there paddling in the ocean and looking in at this coastline, it's a different experience than looking in at Waikiki and other parts of the island. And a lot of people really value that. For someone who likes to go fishing, being able to come here and stand on these rocks and cast out is a very different experience than sitting in the harbor on a jetty and casting out. So I think by conserving this land, you're allowing these experiences to be perpetuated for future generations. And that's really what makes the quality of life so high on Oahu, is that we have so many wonderful places to go to. And also, a metropolitan city and the conveniences and the quality of life that provides. Oahu really has the best of all worlds. … Conserving land in the rural part of Oahu benefits everybody that lives here. … Q: What's the ultimate goal of the land trust, concerning this property? To bar all expansion of the hotel? A: We see value in preserving all of the undeveloped lands. But we're only going to be able to pursue the conservation of the land the landowner is willing to conserve. So that sort of set the parameters. … We would love to conserve Phase 3 of our conservation plan. And I like to think that the door's not closed to that discussion. But they've made it very clear that they're willing to conserve Phases 1 and 2, and they'd prefer to develop Phase 3. And so, as a voluntary land conservation organization we have to respect that decision that the land-owner has made. Q: Does the land trust's area extend to where development is being proposed in Laie? A: We define our mission area as the ahupuaa from Kahuku Point to Kaena. So basically the northwest tip to the northeast tip of the island. I don't view our mission area as having a strong black line that we can't cross. … It's not to say we wouldn't take on a role in helping preserve something outside of that mission area. … A bigger restriction to getting involved with a discussion in Laie is just the fact that the landowner does not appear to be willing to conserve it at this point in time. As a voluntary land conservation organization, that's a deal-breaker for us. Previous Story Much goes into a proper parklet Next Story Incentivize car sharing


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Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates Fiesta del Mar
The flavor of Latin America helped bring the message of ocean conservation to a big crowd at the Monterey Bay Aquarium at the ninth annual Fiesta del Mar.
In addition to taking in the numerous marine life exhibits, Sunday's visitors had a chance to enjoy traditional music and dance displays, plus bilingual feeding shows in the Kelp Forest and Sea Otter tanks.
"We have a specific focus on bringing in our Hispanic population," said Lorraine Yglesias, marketing manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. "We want to make sure they are well-educated and informed about different issues."
At this year's event, there was also an awards ceremony to give out Hero of the Environment awards.
Among the recipients was Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker Alberto Tinocol whose work helped stop construction of a major tourist development in a national marine park in Cabo Pablo, Mexico.
Local student Patricia Cruz was honored with the Leader of the Future award for her participation in the aquarium's Young Women in Science program. She was recognized for inspiring other teenagers with her dedication to ocean conservation.
"I love working here at the aquarium because I love helping the Hispanic families and sending them the message of conservation to reuse and recycle because it's very important for our environment," said Cruz.
This year's Fiesta del Mar was produced in collaboration with conservation partners WiLDCOAST and Save The Whales.


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There is no question that the tourism development of Algodoeiro on the west coast of Sal has had a serious impact on loggerhead turtles but in the last couple of years TRG has implemented some mitigation measures such as installing red filters in the beach bar and, in 2012, made a small donation to our general fund. However, naturally, as a for-profit enterprise, TRG's objectives are primarily financial gain.
Additionally, Mr Fidalgo as the previous the President of Cabo Verde Investimentos, ("the government investment promotion agency and export, whose purpose is the promotion of conditions conducive to the realization of projects of national and foreign investment, the promotion of the Cape Verde Islands as a tourist destination and the promotion of exports of goods and services of Cape Verdean origin.") is most concerned about economic development and not preservation of nature. Both and he & TRG strongly believe that it is absolutely necessary for the development of Sal as a tourist destination to have an enclosed swimming area on the west coast.
It saddened us to hear Sr Fidalgo say he believes that Cabo Verde is not unique. He believes that sunshine and beaches are available anywhere and he looks to the Canary Islands as a development model, stating "if only we could develop in this way and receive 2 million visitors a year" - failing to also recognise the negative aspects of this style of development (high rise and high density). It's not hard to find information about the mistakes that were made there.
|Publicity photo on The Resort Group's website (Copyright The Resort Group)
|How Algodoeiro would actually look if the breakwater went ahead
This the kind of misleading statement that may end up deciding the fate of Algodoeiro. The reality is that the consultants who made the environmental impact assessment on behalf of TRG made several serious errors regarding turtles nesting here. They made these errors because they did not even do the most basic research or contact us directly for scientific data. The errors include:
- that this beach is insignificant for turtle nesting
- that turtles will not exit a beach when there are rocks on the shoreline at low tide
- misinterpreting a map showing monitoring points as a map showing nesting areas
(More information about these technical errors can be read here.)
It is worrying that if these errors have been made, other serious errors might also have been made in TRG's impact assessment. TRG do no believe that there will be any impact on the waves used for surfing and other water sports at Ponta Preta or that there will be any significant loss of sand on the beach surrounding the breakwater.
On the subject of the petition to stop the breakwater from being built, Mr Fidalgo was extremely dismissive stating that it meant nothing and that he could find 10,000 people to sign a petition to say that they wanted they breakwater! In addition, he considers that the opinion of almost 5,000 people was irrelevant and should be ignored by the government. Again we disagree. The purpose of a public consultation period is so that the voice of the people can be heard and it is an obligation of the decision makers to listen. Sadly Mr Fidalgo would not accept a copy of the petition from us.
|Jacquie Cozens (SOS Tartarugas) & Victor Fidalgo (TRG) agreeing to disagree!
It's a sad situation when 4,800 people who are fighting to save Cabo Verde's natural heritage are painted as working against the country & its residents.
Although we agree that the needs of the people are paramount and that anything that can be done to alleviate poverty and improve the standard of living in Cabo Verde should be done, we don't agree that it should cause the loss of some of the country's prime assets - unspoilt nature and beautiful beaches. We don't agree with Mr Fidalgo's statement that this breakwater will increase the prosperity of the people of Sal - it doesn't create more jobs and we are not sure that it will attract more people. "Come to Cape Verde - you can swim in the seas on an artificially created beach, surrounded by concrete walls" doesn't sound like a great advertisement to us!
Nevertheless, in conclusion, if the breakwater does go ahead, Mr Fidalgo told us that they understand there will be some disruption and they will do their best to mitigate some of the negative impacts that might be caused.