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Lullaby Cotton Afghan & Pillow Set
Lullaby Cotton Afghan and Pillow Set Crochet Pattern
Original Design By Maggie Weldon
Easy Skill
Size: Pillow - 10" x 12"
Afghan - 36" square
Materials: Sport Weight Cotton Yarn: White (MC) - 14 1/2 oz, 1,127 yds (406 g, 902 m), Blue (CC) - 12 oz, 933 yds (336 g, 747 m), Polyester Fiber Fill, Yarn Needle
Patons Grace was used for our model.
Crochet Hook: Size F-5 (3.75 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge: 16 pattern sts & 15 pattern rows = 4"
At Maggie's Crochet, you will find hundreds of delightful crochet patterns. Many of the patterns offered at Maggie's Crochet come with detailed instructions and are fun for both newbies and experts of the art of crochet. Whether you are just trying to learn a new hobby or you are a crochet enthusiast, Maggie's Crochet has crochet patterns for you. One of our most unique baby crochet patterns is the Lullaby Cotton Afghan & Pillow Set.
The Lullaby Cotton Afghan & Pillow Set is a gorgeous design that is sure to make a great gift for any of your loved ones. Not only does this crochet pattern create an elegant looking afghan that is great for decoration and cuddling, but another great use for it is as a photo prop. Newborn photo props are especially popular these days, and this afghan and pillow would make a special addition to the little one's photos.
The lullaby pattern uses a soft baby blue color with a white edging for both the afghan and pillow, but any color would look great with this crochet pattern. As with all special crochet gifts, this pattern may take a little time, but it is sure to make any expectant mother or little one happy. This is the type of crochet pattern that produces not only a beautiful design but makes a sentimental, meaningful gift, as well.
One of the great things about the crochet patterns at Maggie's Crochet is that they are available to be mailed or downloaded in a PDF format. With the second option, there is no more worrying about paying for shipping or waiting for your crochet patterns to arrive in the mail.This gorgeous design makes a wonderful gift for expecting mothers and the darling little ones in your life.


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|Our exclusive deluxe resort is nestled along the
beautiful and undisturbed PAKARANG CAPE, Khao Lak's premier beach,
with white sand and sparkling clear water of the Andaman Sea. Pamper
yourself in Khao Lak's foremost Spa resort, which offers you all
year round an impressive range of leisure activities and sporting
facilities. Featured in "BEST PARADISES IN THAILAND" (Unseen Planet
2007 Edition).
Deluxe Room
(60 sqm)
Our spacious deluxe room have the large space and it's suitable for couple or the family stay together for 4 persons with modern design blend with cultural decor and stylish bathrooms. All rooms have their own private balcony or terrace with garden view. The guest will enjoy the garden pool in front of the deluxe building with variety of fresh drink at Suanpool garden.
Junior Suite Villa
(65-70 sqm)
Elegant high Thai ceilings and wood carvings create a unique Thai home feeling wooden house style. The guest will enjoy and relaxation and enchantment of Thai interior decoration."
Junior Pool Access Villa
(65-70 sqm)
Plenty of attention has been given to the Junior suites. Elegant high Thai ceilings and wood carvings create a unique Thai home feeling a bridge leading to the special bathroom a new Junior pool access villa we are provide the large swimming pool front of the house the guest will enjoy with fresh water and relaxation.
Honeymoon Pool Villa / Honeymoon Pool Access Villa
(134 sqm)
The Honeymoon Pool Villas with large private pool or pool access villas with 150 meter long and wide swimming pool in front or back of their house is specially unique designed for a honeymoon couple. With sunbathing veranda, bed room separate from the living room All of which are decorated in contemporary Thai style give all couples a true romantic and long lasting memorable experience.
|Honeymoon Pool Access Villa
|Honeymoon Pool Access Villa
|Honeymoon Pool Access Villa
|Honeymoon Pool Villa
|Honeymoon Pool Villa
|Honeymoon Pool Villa
Family Pool Villa / Family Pool Access Villa
(160 sqm.)
The Family Pool Villas and Family Pool Access Villas a splendid escape for the whole family our Family pool villas and a large own swimming pool and Family pool access can enjoy the largest swimming pool at the back of your house each villas with two story, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms offer luxurious holiday makers privacy yet the convenience of being together. All family villas have a separate Thai sala living room over look the Andaman sea.
|Family Pool Villa
|Family Pool Villa
|Family Pool Villa
|Family Pool Access Villa
|Family Pool Access Villa
|Family Pool Access Villa
The Jedi Restaurant
The Jedi is and uniquely designed all day dining restaurant with four "floating pavilions" on our oversized lobby pool, with panoramic views of the Pakalang Cape. This outlet serves a wide variety of freshest seafood, Thai and continental dishes and themed buffet dinners. Evenings are filled with live music and occasional Thai dance performances.
A Seafood & Barbecue Corner is set on the beach side terrace of the Jedi Restaurant, and will be spoiling you with succulent imported steaks and ribs and the freshest lobsters, prawns, tender squid and fish from the Andaman Sea.
Rim Talay Pool Bar
The exotic beach front pool bar will invite you for all day drinks and light meals. Enjoy a sunset emerged in cool waters with your favorite cocktail whilst the air is filled with enchanting tunes.
Resort Facilities
Include a beach front swimming pool 1500 m2, Deluxe park swimming pool 320 m2, children pool, professional size scuba Diving pool 72 m2, Lobby Show pool 1800 m2, Business center, Activities room, Children club
|Swimming Pool - Deluxe
|Swimming Pool
|Swimming Pool - Villa
|Fitness Center
|Table tennis
|Thai cooking class
|Similan Island (Tour)
|Elephant Trekking
|The scenic drive from Phuket
International Airport is only approximately 1 hour. The resort is
conveniently located from town and to all places of interest.
Takuapa, the districts main city to the north or south to Khao Lak
city are just a short drive away and invite for bargain shopping and
Various tourist highlights are easy to reach from the resort. Friends with nature will enjoy bird watching in Phang-Nga's National parks and may enjoy a refreshing shower under one of the many waterfalls. One can reach Thap-Lamu pier by car in 20 minutes and catch a boat to the Samilan and Surin islands, world renowned for their spectacular diving spots and untouched natural beauty above the water.
Golf enthusiasts will be spolied by 2 courses of international standard in Phang-Nga, the Thap Lamu Navy Course ( nicknamed the Pebble Beach of Thailand ) and the Thai Muang GCC which can be reached in less than 30 minutes. Another 3 Courses, the Mission Hill and the illustrious Blue Canyon (The Lake Course and The Canyou Course), are just a few kilometers after the bridge on Phuket Island.


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|Los Angeles for Visitors
| Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Email |
- Central LA
Chambers of Commerce of Central LA
Official Web sites of the chambers of commerce representing the communities and businesses in the Central LA area of Los Angeles County.
Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce
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West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Central LA Region of LA County
All of Central Los Angeles County
TRAVEL GUIDES: Los Angeles | California
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA LA Blog | Facebook | Twitter
See also:
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Activities | Airport View Restaurants | Aquariums | Attractions | Beaches | Dining | Events | Gardens | History | Landmarks | Lodging | Museums | Night Clubs | Planetariums | Restaurants | Shopping Centers | Theme Parks | Tours | Transportation | Views | Walking Tours | Zoos |
SkateLog Forum
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|U.S. States
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Do It In Long Beach
|Continental Travel
Do It In Africa
Do It In Asia
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Do It In Oceania
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More World Travel
Travel Guides International
Vietnam for Visitors
Do It In Thailand


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Keep Showing Up: Feminist Mug
Keep Showing Up: Feminist Mug
We have a responsibility to ✨Keep Showing Up.✨
This sweet feminist mug is handmade to order right in my studio, just for you with high quality sublimation inks. Your ceramic mug is 11 ounces, dishwasher and microwave safe, and the image is sublimated on both sides! All mugs now ship free in the US!
Eco Features:
♥ Made with ceramic, not plastic!
♥ Wrapped up in lovely blue recycled tissue paper
♥ Packaged in a recycled/recyclable box, nestled in recyclable & reclaimed air fill pillows
Special Deal:
♥ Add gift wrapping, including a customized note to the recipient at checkout
♥ Put together your own feminist mug set! 4 at 15% off, or 6 at 20% off
*Actual colors may vary from the color on your screen due to monitor color restrictions*
*Copyright © 2020 Callie Garp, All rights reserved*


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Somewhere in France
July 11th, 1918
Dear sister Madaline:
I really do not know what to write about as news is very scarce and their isn't anything of interest taking place here except our daily routine of drilling. I am going to the movies tonight as I really do not feel just right for all day my mind was towards home. It surely is terrible when a person feels slightly homesick. Otherwise I feel fine and can honestly say that my condition is the best ever. I am stationed near a large town where candies, chocolate and plenty of eatables can be bought. This is the first good large town we have hit so far and of course during our leisure hours we boys generally spend in walking and buying a luncheon almost each evening. The bill of fare generally consists of eggs, chips, wine, coffee, bread and lettuce salid. So you see dear sister I am very well taken care of and can always tend to myself and stomach. It surely is a shame for a young fellow like me to have such a large appetite my stomach somehow can never be satisfied. Although between the meals that Uncle Sam is giving us each day and my meals which I buy on the outside I think I am getting plenty.
I guess I will close now dear sister with love and kisses to you all.
I am
Your Brother
Corp Joe Maus
105 U.S.Inf. Co A
American E.F.
PS: Love and kisses to you all. Tell pa that I am feeling fine.
© Copyright 2011 by Lanny & Patti Brown, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.


text:
Sie haben keine Artikel im Warenkorb.
Es stehen keine Artikel entsprechend der Auswahl bereit.
cat-shop.ch is operated by Avesco AG, under license from Caterpillar Inc. Copyright © 2015 Avesco AG. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, "Caterpillar Yellow," the "Power Edge" trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


text:
When you need to sell your home quickly, Easy Cash Offer can solve your problem! We are able to purchase your home for cash, or provide you with other options to sell your home as quickly as possible.
No Repairs
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As Seen on CNN, CNBC, FOX, and USA Today
To receive your no-obligation offer, simply fill out this form and we will contact you within 24 hours.


text:
Here's the latest article from the Australia site at BellaOnline.com.
Hamilton Island
Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays Islands is a great location to enjoy the best of the Southern Great Barrier Reef
Please visit Australia.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Australia.
To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Australia located here -
I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!
Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!
Michelle R. Mangio, Australia Editor
One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com


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I spent some time late last year working further on what I originally called behaviours. It grew much longer than a blog post, so it's ended up in the Monad.Reader electronic magazine, in the just-published Issue 17. Thanks are due to Brent Yorgey for his careful proof-reading and editing of the article. The accompanying code is already up on Hackage as the interleave package for those who want to play.
This week I'm also starting to prepare some slides; in two weeks' time I will be presenting at PADL 2011 in Texas. That's a talk that's on the automated wiring that I've covered on the blog before. Once that trip is out of the way, I'm hoping to have a bit more time for Haskell coding again.
January 12, 2011 at 11:38 am
I've read your article yesterday. After sleeping with it's ideas I have some remarks to express.
First, simple and technical. I see no reason why you require Monad instance for type wrapped into your InterleaveT. You can require Monad or Applicative on per operation basis. Most of functions in interleave package will require Applicative instance. But some, like State transformers, will require Monad instance.
Second. When I thought about your interleave abstraction I was stroked that it is very cool abstraction to program GUI. In console interactive application you have some flow of dialog that can be described by some grammar. You display some data to user and waits for him to enter some response. Response can be one of possible allowed alternatives that determines the rest of dialog. This is just an interpreter (all programs are compilers or interpreters after all) for some simple programming language (not Turing-complete one). And GUI is not so different. Instead of list of statements you have list of events (clicks, keystrokes etc). THE difference is that there are many interleaved dialog flows instead of one. I've tried to do some GUI programming in this style. You can see my attempt here: http://asviraspossible.livejournal.com/92551.html. I haven't managed to implement Alternative instance for my Behavior type, but I believe that it is not so hard. I believe that with an Alternative instance and with your interleave package I can get very concise and correct descriptions of GUI logic. What do you think?


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'Legitimate rape' not Akin's first gaffe, or last
Two months ago, Missouri Congressman Todd Akin made headlines for insisting that women who are victims of "legitimate rape" can't get pregnant. That instance outed the Republican Senate candidate as dangerously uninformed at best, and sexist at worst.
It's enough to expect that such incendiary bombast occurs once in a person's political tenure. But Amanda Marcotte over at Slate unearthed a video from 2008 of Akin on the house floor making yet an even more outlandishly mendacious remark (emphasis mine):
"You find that along with the culture of death go all kinds of other law-breaking: Not following good sanitary procedure, giving abortions to women who are not actually pregnant, cheating on taxes, all these kinds of things."
"All of these things are common practice," Akin continued, "but all of that information is available for America."
Also available to America is YouTube, on which comments of Akin's from a town hall last Thursday can be found. The man seeking to unseat Democrat Claire McCaskill was probed about not supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. His response invokes the most dangerous and careless brand of libertarianism (again, emphasis mine):
"Well, first of all, the premise of your question is that I'm making that particular distinction. I believe in free enterprise. I don't think the government should be telling people what you pay and what you don't pay. I think it's about freedom. If someone what's to hire somebody and they agree on a salary, that's fine, however it wants to work. So, the government sticking its nose into all kinds of things has gotten us into huge trouble."
According to two polls, Rasmussen and Public Policy Polling, McCaskill is up by six points in their face-off. That's feeling too close for comfort.


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Local Magic: Creating Magic in Your Locality
What type of earth magic exists where you are? What is the local nature of air, fire and water? How do you make magic with the living forces all around you – not as they appear in books, but as you see and experience them when you step outside your front door? Every locality has its own flavours, energies and secrets… and when we work our magic and ritual in alignment with our locality we enter deep into the earth's living magic.
Magic of Place
Places that are magical and also local to me have a special place in my heart. They become familiar, known not just as special events but in all their moods because I'm able to visit them easily and often, in a variety of conditions. I build up a deep, layered relationship with these places and I feel the magic or ritual I do there is held as part of that relationship. It's as if these places talk with me, when I visit we pick up an ongoing conversation of the deepest possible kind; where I am a part of them and they are a part of me.
Last week I went swimming in Coogee Women's Baths. This is one of my favorite places in Sydney and possibly in the world. It's one of the sea baths Sydney has so many of, set in below the cliffs; oblong pieces of sea bordered by a rock wall on the seaward side but with waves splashing over and the tides washing in and out. The Women's Baths is somewhere I've been coming for thirty-one years. When I first went there the entry price was 20c. Today, still, the entry price is 20c. It could be just a beautiful place, but to me it's magical.
It's magical because it has been a part of my personal map for so long; a place where I vividly remember my nineteen year old self; I feel close to her, as if I sat by her side and could share my stories with her. It's magical because I've done magic there; three years ago when we moved to Sydney I went there and asked that place to help me find somewhere beautiful to live, close by. I buried an offering under the turf next to a tree I used to sit under all those years ago, to watch the sea rolling in; and the sea still rolls in. I did find somewhere to live, just five blocks away and for that first summer I came nearly every day to swim at the Women's Baths.
It has a water magic for me, swimming laps in the sea among the elemental wash of fresh waves and yet sheltered from the beaches, the land, any casual observers. Often I've been here in light rain, or after a storm or in the early morning when there's only one or two othere women; sometimes I've been the only one. I've sung to myself in that pool, in storm swell and called the magic of sea changes into my life; I've whispered spells of daring and mermaid freedom as I forced myself into the water when it's been cold; I've felt old pains and grief wash away from me as I swam in the fresh salt tang of it.
Once I swam with a fish in the pool; once there was a cormorant diving in. There are spikey sea urchins nestled into the 90° angle where the treads meet the risers of the steps as they descend underwater. There's thousands of little shelled creatures clinging to the walls, seaweed growing on the bottom and last week I swam right up to the cliff where - in the horizontal cracks in the sandstone - I came eye to eye with three crabs, nearly as big as my hand. All these creatures, as well as the ever-changing sea are part of the magic for me; the magic of a place that returns me to myself again and again. I hope I'm still going there when I'm eighty.
Now that I've moved I'm beginning to find new magical places in the Blue Mountains but the Women's Baths are part of my magical map, our relationship created in the time I was local to them. Perhaps you have some special magical places that are local to you…
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Wolves Afforded Immediate "Candidate" Status ~ Kicking off a One-year Process
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — California moved one step closer to deciding whether to protect the gray wolf under the California Endangered Species Act, by accepting a petition that had been filed earlier this year. At its October 3rd public meeting, the California Fish & Game Commission (Commission) voted unanimously to accept a petition that had been filed to list the wolf, thus giving the gray wolf immediate status as a "candidate" for listing, and providing the species full state protections until a final decision is made.
A California native driven to extinction nearly 90 years ago, the wolf had been missing from the state's landscape until an adolescent wolf from Oregon, wolf OR-7, also known as "Journey," crossed the state boundary in late December of 2011. OR-7's dispersal into the state kicked off celebratory shouts from wolf supporters and riveted the world, as satellite signals from his radio-collar made it possible for the state wildlife agency in Oregon to track his travels and provide that information to the Commission. The California Department of Fish and Game (Department) has been keeping the public apprised of OR-7's ongoing travels in the northern part of the state with updates posted to its website. The wolf's dispersal into California also kick-started a state listing process after four conservation groups filed a petition with the state to protect this wolf and any subsequent wolf visitors to the state in the future.
Biologist and former attorney Amaroq Weiss, who is the Northern California Representative for the California Wolf Center, gave a presentation at the hearing on behalf of the four petitioning organizations and on behalf of the California Wolf Center. "We are extremely pleased that the Commission accepted the petition and started the next step in the process," said Ms. Weiss. "Ever since Journey wandered into our state, the California Department of Fish and Game has been very proactive in connecting with stakeholders, working out management steps with federal authorities, and keeping County Commissioner, private landowners and the general public apprised of their efforts.
The Department is clearly prepared to take on the role of protecting and recovering this iconic native species. If the Commission, down the road, ends up listing the wolf, it will give the Department the broadest range of tools and measures available under California law to accomplish this task."
In accepting the petition, the Commission not only initiated the next step in the process, it implicitly recognized the wolf as a vibrant part of California's natural history and natural heritage. Californian's who support the return of wolves to the state hope the process continues with a final decision in the coming year for full state protection as a listed species. The Commission had received 7,000 letters from the public in support of accepting the petition, in contrast to the 33 letters received in opposition.
"Californians have spoken loud and clear that we welcome the return of wolves to our state," said Camilla Fox, Executive Director of Project Coyote and Wildlife Consultant to the Animal Welfare Institute who testified before the Commission on behalf of six organizations. "We commend the California Department of Fish and Game and the Commission for their proactive stance and we stand poised to work with them to promote wolf recovery, increase acceptance, and implement effective strategies that foster coexistence."
California Wolf Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife conservation, education and research center committed to increasing public awareness and understanding of the importance of all wildlife by focusing on the history, biology, behavior and ecology of the gray wolf (Canis lupus).
P.O. Box 1389, Julian, CA 92036 tel (619) 234-WOLF fax (760) 888-0333
Project Coyote is a national non-profit organization promoting coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science, and advocacy.
P.O. Box 5007, Larkspur, CA 94977 tel (415) 945-3232
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to alleviate the suffering caused to animals by humans.
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, D.C.
Living with Wolves is dedicated to raising broad public awareness of the truth about wolves, their social nature, their importance to healthy ecosystems, and the threats to their survival.
P.O. Box 896, Sun Valley, Idaho 83353 tel (208)726-3987
Amaroq Weiss, MS, JD - Northern California Representative, California Wolf Center (707) 779-9613 firstname.lastname@example.com
Camilla Fox- Executive Director, Project Coyote, Wildlife Consultant, Animal Welfare Institute & Advisory Board member, Living with Wolves (415) 690-0338 email@example.com


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DOVER, NH – Planet Fitness finalized the purchase of the World Gym franchise Monday, according to Mike Grondahl, owner of the low-cost, no-frills Planet Fitness, which is based in Dover, NH. Grondahl would not disclose the exact purchase price but stated it was more than $10 million.
World Gym franchisees will continue to operate their facilities as World Gym locations with all their programming and membership pricing in place. However, if some World Gym franchisees want to switch to the Planet Fitness brand, they will be allowed to do so, says Grondahl. Grondahl plans to keep both franchises operating under their current names and as two divisions of the company.
"We're not trying to change World Gym into Planet Fitness," says Grondahl. "We're taking best practices of Planet Fitness and putting it into World Gym."
Franchising fees will "stay in line" with what they are now, he says, but they will be paid on a sliding scale that will slide with EFT if corporate is providing marketing material to the franchisee. Franchisees that don't want marketing help will be left alone, he says.
Immediate plans are to change World Gym's brand to make it appeal to a broader market, says Grondahl.
"It's going to be a younger brand, more urban, more edgy, almost Crunch like with a little more of an edge," he says.
Grondahl dismisses any concerns that the two brands might compete for the same members saying that the Planet Fitness brand is more of a suburban brand while the World Gym brand is more urban.
The company plans to bring marketing expertise to World Gym franchisees who had to rely on marketing consultants in the past, something Grondahl says has held back World Gym from its full potential.
Grondahl's team will send care packages of new branding materials, pens, literature, T-shirts and other merchandise to the franchisees of the 295 World Gym clubs, and the corporate office will be available to answer franchisee questions, he says.
The deal has been in the works since spring. The Planet Fitness team already has a new mission statement, a new logo and new branding material ready for World Gym franchisees. They also have a 3-D rendering of what World Gym facilities of the future will look like. The new gyms will include three specialized areas that are run as 30 minute or less workout areas—one for 30-minute upper body, one for 30-minute lower body and the third for 15-minute ab workouts—that can run unstaffed. Essentially, these areas will be group exercise areas with no payroll, and they can run nonstop, says Christopher Rondeau, who had been CEO of Planet Fitness franchising but will now be CEO of World Gym. The floor contains cardio, selectorized equipment, free weights and plate-loaded equipment. The new facilities will also offer five glass block tanning rooms and two glass block aqua massage rooms.
A new Web site is also ready for World Gym www.worldgym.com. The Web site will allow franchisees to take online memberships (as Planet Fitness' Web site already allows). The site will also take balance payments, billing changes and member surveys. Franchisees will be able to change their group fitness schedules quickly on the Web site and order merchandise, buildout/branding materials and printer-ready, front-desk operation paperwork directly off their franchisee login, says Rondeau.
Mike Uretz, former CEO and president of World Gym, will stay with the company for two years as a consultant, Grondahl says.
Uretz says of the purchase, "I'm more excited about this than anything else that I've done in my career. They have the infrastructure and the wherewithal to add the things that all World Gym and all gym owners need to be successful. It'll translate into the World Gym world.
Karin Michaels, who worked in franchisee support at World Gym, will move to Dover in the next few months and continue supporting the World Gym franchisees.
This may not be the last purchase for Planet Fitness. Grondahl has two confidentiality agreements in place with two other club companies, he says.
"You are going to be hearing a lot of noise from us," Grondahl says.
Related Articles
- Planet Fitness, World Gym Owners Meet in Vegas
- Planet Fitness to purchase World Gym
- Planet Fitness Lures Franchisees


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- Frida Ghitis: Hillary Clinton illness and New Delhi rape tell different stories about state of women
- She says women's equality faces sharp divide; some ascend, most kept powerless
- She says Egypt's new constitution presents time-bomb for new oppression of women
- Ghitis: Progress for women needs strong legislation, education, sometimes protests
Editor's note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television." Follow her on Twitter: @FridaGColumns
(CNN) -- As the New Year approached, millions anxiously followed the news from two very different parts of the world about two very different women -- women whose lives somehow touched us, whose fate seemed, somehow, linked to all of us.
The world held its breath when word came that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hospitalized in New York. The news arrived at a time when we were trying to absorb, with profound sadness, a seemingly unrelated drama unfolding thousands of miles away. In New Delhi, a 23-year-old woman, a university student on her way home after watching a movie with her boyfriend, was brutally raped and beaten by a group of men. She later died from her injuries.
Frida Ghitis
The parallel stories point to a sharp divide in the worldwide struggle for women's equality. While women have made major strides, in some cases reaching the pinnacle of power, the most fundamental human rights -- such as freedom to go outside without risking harassment and physical attack -- elude millions, and full equality remains an unreached goal for most.
iReport: 'She could have been me'
Clinton, one of the world's most powerful women and an icon of the global fight for women's equality, has returned home and doctors say they expect a full recovery. In India, the plight of an anonymous woman nicknamed "Nirbhaya," Sanskrit for dauntless, has become a turning point for the country. (That we don't use Nirbhaya's real name proves the grotesque reality that being raped remains a source of shame for the victim.)
Nirbhaya's ashes have been scattered, and it seems her death was not in vain. The attack sent tens of thousands of people -- men and women -- into New Delhi's streets and pulled the thick cover from India's unspeakable rape statistics. Most rapes go unreported for good reason. Of the more than 600 cases filed with the Delhi police last year, only one resulted in conviction. Powerless rape victims often resort to suicide.
News: Clinton's future 'as good as her past,' docs say
The contrast could not be sharper with the woman many call simply Hillary. Speculation about whether she will run for president in 2016 is unending. The day she was hospitalized with a blood clot, we heard that she again came in first in Gallup's Most Admired Woman poll, finishing at the top for 11 years in a row and a total of 17 times since 1993, more than anyone in Gallup's history.
She is probably the world's best-known woman and unquestionably one of the most influential. But she is only one of many who have reached so far. Women lead some of the globe's biggest, most important countries. Chancellor Angela Merkel heads the government of Germany, Julia Gillard leads Australia, Dilma Rousseff is president of Brazil, and the list goes on.
American voters just elected 20 women to the Senate, the largest number in history. And yet, that's just 20% of the seats. It's sad we find this an accomplishment worth celebrating.
The push for equality has unleashed push-back. Rape, we are told, is about power. In traditional societies, men see improvements in the status of women as a challenge to their own. Sexual assaults by gangs of self-congratulating, hyperventilating men, whether in New Delhi, in Cairo's Tahrir Square or somewhere in Somalia, amount to chest-pounding assertions of dominance from fearful, cowardly individuals. In countries with strong laws and changing attitudes about women, the number of rapes has been plummeting.
Opinion: End global rape culture
Then there are the murders and attempted murders. Last year we saw Pakistan's Taliban try to kill Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl who demanded nothing more than the right to an education. And last month, in neighboring Afghanistan, gunmen murdered Najia Sediqi, the provincial director of women's affairs.
Between the two extremes in women's status, we have a much less dramatic -- but still crucial -- struggle.
The women of Egypt, who stood on the front lines of the revolution, will now have to live with a new constitution that commits the state to "preserve the genuine character of the Egyptian family" and vaguely notes the "duties of a woman toward her family," opening the door to who-knows-what efforts by the state to keep women in their place.
In the United States, where progress is indisputable in so many areas, women still make, in the aggregate, 76 cents for every dollar men earn.
Inequality is pervasive in areas that are subtly important. Despite having a female secretary of State, and even, possibly, a female secretary of Defense on the horizon, Washington remains a "city of men," as the writer Micah Zenko noted, with women woefully underrepresented in the corridors of power, in think tanks and in academia.
Women's minds and ideas don't receive an equal hearing on the national stage partly because, as one survey showed, only 20% of all op-eds are written by women, and just 15% of columns dealing with foreign policy and security issues.
Opinion: House GOP failed women on Violence Against Women Act
Every women walks on the path laid painstakingly and deliberately by people like Hillary Clinton, or accidentally, tragically, by women like Nirbhaya. The road to women's equality, it turns out, is paved with potholes, quicksand and death traps.
There is a reason so many feel a close connection to Hillary Clinton and to Nirbhaya. Their stories, like those of 3 billion others, are of women seeking to make it in what is still today mostly a man's world.
As Clinton recovers and as the people of India work to build a positive legacy from Nirbhaya's death, the obvious lesson is that much work remains ahead. Strong headwinds will push against women's progress, but progress can be achieved through urgent legislation, through patient education, and when necessary -- as it is now -- through mass protests and unrelentingly firm demands.
Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.
Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis.
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Despite all of the climate protection initiatives that have been put into action, energy consumption continues to grow - not just in Europe, but worldwide. More than a third of global energy consumption is being used for the heating and cooling of buildings and this is where we can all play our part to make a big difference, not just for the sake of the climate but also for personal savings.
If you think about how to save energy at home the first thing that comes to your mind is probably an elaborative refurbishment project. Whether it's heat insulation, energy efficient boilers or solar thermal technology, there are many things you can do. But these often constitute a lot of work and high costs, which make these options unattractive to the majority of people. For those who are renting, living on a small budget or simply looking for something that can be done quickly with minimal effort, another solution is needed. We looked into the different types of investments and savings and a clear winner emerged.
Intelligent heating controls enable people to significantly shorten their energy consumption with minimal effort, so it's no surprise that they are becoming an ever more popular option. The tado° Smart Thermostat, for example, automatically controls the heating by using the residents' location. It also takes other energy saving elements into account, such as your building's unique characteristics and weather forecasts.
The results are remarkable: A household can save up to 31 per cent of its energy use by using the Smart Thermostat.* If you already have a room thermostat all you need to do is simply replace it with the Smart Thermostat. tado° works with almost all heating systems and manufacturers and only a few steps are necessary to start living a cost and energy efficient life.
With the tado° Smart Thermostat you'll soon get a return on your investment. It also helps you to achieve a first class A+++ EU label - awarded only to the most energy efficient heating systems. So why spend loads of time and money on a big refurbishment project when the smartest solution happens to be the quickest, the least expensive and the easiest to implement?
Curious? Click here to find out more about the tado° Smart Thermostat.
*Savings are based on an analysis of the current customer base. In addition, a scientific study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP, Holzkirchen, Germany) proved the large savings potential of tado°. The study can be downloaded here.


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Mary Kirby is one lucky, spoiled Runway Girl: She gets to fly all around the world in the best seats of the best planes. However, she has never experienced anything as amazing as her trip in Emirates' Airbus A380.
Not only the first class is actually a super-first class with seats bigger than my apartment, but the Airbus A380 is so huge that Emirates' business class actually feels like the first class from the rest of the airlines. I have to admit that, despite all that horrible gold and rose wood naffness, I'm impressed. [FlightGlobal]


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This morning it was announced that Dana Guthrie Martin will not be able to serve as a judge for Project Verse's Week 10: Final Assignment. Click here if you missed the post with all the details.
Matthew Hittinger is stepping in to fill Dana's spot for the Week 10: Final Assignment. Not only did Matthew serve as the guest judge for Week 3: Simile Vs Metaphor, he has been following Project Verse since Week 1.
Welcome aboard, Matthew!


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Milwaukee Common Council rejects plan to sell water to Waukesha
Milwaukee aldermen have reject a plan to sell water to Waukesha.
The Common Council overwhelming rejected a compromise introduced by Alderman Jim Bohl.
Bohl proposed negotiating two agreements with Waukesha.
One would have supplied water to the city. The second would supplied water to communities around Waukesha in the future.
None of the aldermen supported the compromise.
"This may be a game of chicken to some extent, but the way I see it, we're driving the Mack (truck); they're on a motor scooter. I'll take my chances in that game of chicken rather then forever commit ourselves to providing water to communities at this point that don't even want the water," Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman said.
Waukesha still could buy water from Oak Creek or another lakefront community.


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Julian Lloyd Webber
Principal, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Professor Julian Lloyd Webber is the Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Widely regarded as one of the finest musicians of his generation and described by Strad magazine as 'the doyen of British cellists', Julian has enjoyed one of the most creative and successful careers in classical music today.
As founder of the British Government's In Harmony programme and the Chair of Sistema England, he continues to promote personal and community development in some of England's most deprived areas. He was elected Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 1994 and - in recognition of his lifelong devotion to the music of Elgar - he was elected President of the Elgar Society in 2009.
At the age of 16 Julian won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and he completed his studies in Geneva with the renowned cellist, Pierre Fournier. Since then he has collaborated with an extraordinary array of musicians from Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Lorin Maazel and Sir Georg Solti to Elton John and Stephane Grappelli.
Julian has premiered more than 60 works for cello and he has inspired new compositions from composers as diverse as Joaquin Rodrigo and Malcolm Arnold to Philip Glass, James MacMillan and – most recently - Eric Whitacre. His many recordings have received worldwide acclaim: his Brit-award winning Elgar Concerto conducted by Lord Menuhin was chosen as the finest ever version by BBC Music Magazine and his coupling of Britten's Cello Symphony and Walton's Concerto with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner was described by Gramophone magazine as being "beyond any rival".
He has also recorded several highly successful CDs of shorter pieces including Cello Song, Unexpected Songs and - together with Jiaxin Lloyd Webber - A Tale of Two Cellos: "It would be difficult to find better performances of this kind of repertoire anywhere on records of today or yesterday" - Gramophone.
Julian is married to fellow cellist Jiaxin Cheng. He was the London Underground's first official busker and he was the only classical musician chosen to perform at the Closing Ceremony of Olympics 2012. In April 2014 Julian received the Incorporated Society of Musician's annual Distinguished Musician Award.
For further information please see www.julianlloydwebber.com


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I Understand


text:
Cathy Rosen is a Senior Equities Trader for a hedge fund based in New York City. She is a mom of a four year-old boy and a one month-old baby girl. In this interview, Cathy shares her thoughts on having to justify her choice to work, why finding time for a short workout makes her a better mom, why talking business at home with her husband is a good thing, how she manages to avoid the infamous working-mom guilt, and why she wouldn't mind freezing herself for a bit.
Can you tell us a little bit about your job – what does it entail, how long have you been in this industry and position?
I have been an equity trader at a hedge fund for the past 20 years. I've had the privilege of working at only 2 well-known, successful funds. I truly enjoy this job. I use my knowledge of the market and the relationships I have developed to gather information to help the portfolio managers I work with make money for our investors.
Can you briefly describe your usual day?
On the days I work out, I wake up at 5:45 am – otherwise, it's 7:00 am - and watch business news on TV. I get onto my home computer as soon as possible to read emails containing market research and information. My son wakes up between 7 and 8:30 am. My husband leaves by 7 am, so he doesn't get to see our son in the morning. I spend some time with my son, and at 8 am our nanny arrives. She takes my son to school at 1 pm and picks him up at 4 pm. After school they have lots of activities, play dates, etc.
At 8:30 am, I walk to my office and continue to read news to prepare for the day. I spend the day trading during the market hours of 9:30 am to 4 pm. After the close of the market, I get organized and either go home to my son or go out to a business meeting. My husband and I have "date nights" once or twice during the week, never on the weekend. If we are all at home, we spend a few quality hours with our son. He goes to bed fairly late, 9 pm or 10 pm, so that we can have more time together at night.
Our weekends are all about our son and we spend them together as a family. We tend to sleep-in in the morning and then go to a show, play, or some performance, and we see a lot of our friends who have kids.


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Item #3008
28 days. French Breakfast has endured in gardens for over 100 years because of its wonderful, delicate flavor. This spring radish grows best during the cool periods of spring and fall but will also withstand some summer heat! Looks incredible on a vegetable platter. Fun for kids to grow!
This packet sows two 6-foot rows.
Seedling Image
Days to Emerge:
Seed Depth:
Seed Spacing:
Row Spacing:
When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before average last frost and when soil temperature is above 40°F. Germinates fastest at 60° - 65°F. Successive sowings: Every 5 -10 days until late spring. Sow again in late summer until first day of fall frost.
When to start inside: Not recommended.
Harvesting: Harvest when radish is 3" - 4" long. If allowed to grow bigger, French Breakfast will get pithy and hot.
Artist: Susan DiMarchi
Item #3008
3.00 grams
These cool season crispers are more than bright red slices on a salad. Try roasting or pickling them for a new flavor, or use a more unique variety,…More…


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TORONTO (AP) – Walking off the mound to a standing ovation from a crowd that included his parents and sister, Chris Rowley started to become aware of the magnitude of his achievement.
Rowley became the first West Point graduate to reach the major leagues, pitching one-run ball over 5 1/3 innings to win his debut Saturday and lead the Toronto Blue Jays over the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2.
A 26-year-old right-hander, Rowley is a 2013 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. Bypassed in the amateur draft, he signed with Toronto and went 4-0 with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays that year. A first lieutenant, Rowley missed the 2014 and 2015 minor league seasons while on active service, which included a stint in Bulgaria.
Following 30 months in the U.S. Army, he received an exception to the remainder of his service in January 2016 but remains on Individual Ready Reserve. He went 10-3 last year at Class A Dunedin, started this season 3-2 with a 1.73 ERA at Double-A New Hampshire, then was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-June and went 3-4 with a 2.82 ERA in five starts and 12 relief appearances.
Rowley (1-0) allowed five hits against the Pirates, struck out three and walked one.
"I thought he looked very confident out there," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.
Asked whether the military background helped, Gibbons replied: "There's no doubt. That's just how they groom 'em. He's been through some things."
Pittsburgh's only run off him came when Josh Bell hit a leadoff triple in the second and tied the score on Jordy Mercer's two-out single.
"He kept people off balance, he moved the ball around the zone," said Tom Prince, the Pirates' acting manager this weekend while Clint Hurdle attended Don Baylor's funeral.
Rowley left after Josh Harrison singled with one out in the sixth and Bell walked. The crowd of 46,179 showed its appreciation.
"Walking off and all those people standing, that was something really special for me," Rowley said. "I don't think anybody really expects to experience that in their life."
One day after star outfielder Andrew McCutchen limped off with a sore left knee, the Pirates lost another outfielder when Gregory Polanco pulled up with a sore left hamstring while chasing Josh Donaldson's bloop single in the fifth. Polanco is day to day.
"Something grabbed him and that was it," Prince said.
.Jose Bautista walked and scored on Steve Pearce's RBI grounder in the first. Donaldson restored Toronto's lead with a bases-loaded walk in the second off Trevor Williams (5-5) allowed four runs – three earned – four hits and four walks in six innings.
After missing the previous two games with an illness, Kendrys Morales pinch hit for Raffy Lopez after the Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Morales hit an RBI grounder to shortstop, and a second run scored when second baseman Adam Frazier's relay throw on an attempted double play got away from Bell at first for a throwing error,
"I shot myself in the foot a few times," Williams said. "I didn't necessarily make it super easy on myself."
Toronto scored three times against Joaquin Benoit in the seventh, with two runs scoring on Harrison's throwing error at third and another on Kevin Pillar's sacrifice fly.
Mercer homered off Leonel Campos in the ninth.
Rowley is the 12th t pitcher to start for the Blue Jays this season, one short of the team record set in 1979 and matched in 2002 and 2013.
NHL players Shea Weber and Nathan Beaulieu took batting practice before the game, with Weber hitting a home run on one of his swings.
Pirates: McCutchen (left knee) hit and ran before the game but did not play. "I was ready to go the whole game," he said. "If they needed me, I was ready. At the same time, I don't need to be doing something and making it worse. You've got to be safe."
Blue Jays: Toronto put C Russell Martin (strained left oblique) on the 10-day DL and selected the contract of C Mike Ohlman from Triple-A Buffalo. To make room on the 40-man roster for Ohlman and Rowley, RHP Chris Smith and OF Chris Coghlan were designated for assignment. … Gibbons said RHP Aaron Sanchez (blister) could return in a relief role rather than rejoining the rotation once his finger heals.
Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (5-7, 4.53) is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA over his past eight starts. He has never faced Toronto.
Blue Jays: After going winless in his final four July starts, LHP J.A. Happ (5-8, 3.77) is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two August outings.
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball


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Way back in 1988, George Lucas actually had something other than Star Wars on his mind. He wanted badly to pursue a movie idea called "Red Tails," based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American fighter pilots in WWII.
Then he got sidetracked by midichlorians and Jar-Jar.
Well, Lucas never gave up on the idea, and "Red Tails" was pulled along on a tortured production rollercoaster.
U.S. & World
Finally finished in 2009 by director Anthony Hemingway ("The Wire," "CSI," "Treme") from a screenplay by John Ridley (who created "Undercover Brother." Yes, for real), "Red Tails" was rumored to be a mess that required Lucas to dig through the footage and radically retool it all (even, according to reports, changing the entire main plot and lead character focus). Still, it boasts some, well, intriguing names in front of the camera: Terrence Howard, "Breaking Bad's" Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr. (who needs this, badly), Method Man, and, er, Ne-Yo.
Whatever the behind the scenes shenanigans, the movie finally has a trailer and a release date: January 20, 2012. Right in the middle of....post-Christmas, Not Quite Bad Enough for February But Almost Season. Sigh.
We'll reserve our final judgment until we see the finished product. In the meantime, check out the trailer.
Its heart is in the right place, clearly, but who knows if the heavily-CG action (Lucas' Achilles heel) will work on the big screen.


text: Share Smaller TextLarger TextPrint The Five Best Things I Have Done Since Being Diagnosed with MS By The National MS Society Jun 19, 2012 1 Comments As I noted in last month's post, the mistakes I made since being diagnosed with MS were all pretty big and dramatic. The best things I have done since diagnosis are mostly small and practical, banal even, but they helped all the same. Best Thing #1: Writing my blogs Hands down, blogging is the best thing I've ever done for myself, period. I have been writing since I was old enough to know what it meant, but I never made the time or had the courage to put it out there or try to have anything published. Then came blogging. I had been thinking about writing a blog for a while, but I was really apprehensive. I took my time, did a lot of preparation and then, nervously, took the leap. Well, I have had the best time writing these blogs! My readers are utterly wonderful and many have become true friends. I have received feedback that is so touching, so kind and so encouraging it has been a real gift. My point here is, do what you love. You deserve it. It's time. When we have a chronic illness, it is easy to fall into a life that is limited. We don't feel well and everything is an effort. But try and ask yourself, what is the passion that you have been too busy for? This is the chance to cultivate the things that are most meaningful to you. Best Thing #2: I acknowledge what my body is telling me. Me? Listen to my body?!? Hahahahahahahaha. The only thing I ever listened to was the voice in my head that ran persistently into the future, telling me all the things I had to do. It. Never. Stopped. For. One. Minute. Then came MS. In the beginning, I ignored my symptoms. I DEFIED them. I kept working, cleaning, shopping, doing, doing, doing. And I paid the price with regular relapses, needing a course of IV steroids to get me functioning again. I had more and more residual deficits each time. It took forever, but I finally allowed myself to respect the fact that I needed to listen for cues and anticipate my needs before they got to a crisis point. Best Thing # 3: My "overbed" table Go ahead, laugh. It is, after my laptop, my most treasured possession in the world. After my diagnosis with MS, I was juggling my entire life on my bed and nightstand. Juggling unsuccessfully, I might add. So a friend suggested getting "one of those tables like they have in the hospital." I am a nurse and I have seen unspeakably disgusting things on bedside tables. I can cope with these things professionally. But I certainly didn't want those memories lingering near my own bed. So I resisted. And I spilled things and lost things and sat on things because my bed was a disorganized mess. In desperation, I priced what are called "overbed" tables. I was delighted to find they had a different name: laptop tables!! Well, these didn't conjure up memories of basins or bedpans for me. What's more, they were reasonably priced. So I bought one. And I love, love, love it. It has a tilt top side for my laptop, a solid side for books, cups, plates, etc., and wheels that allow it to be pushed out of the way. The wheels are probably the weakest link as they will not roll over anything thicker than a human hair, but that is just a quibble. I stitched up a big tote bag with half a dozen pockets that hangs over the side of the table to hold my knitting, my iPod, my mobile phone, CDs, pens and notepads. It is like another limb. Best Thing #4: Reach-y thingies Whether because of the numbness and weakness in my hands or because I am simply clumsy, I do not know. I just know I drop and/or knock over everything. And, because of being so spastic and weak, I have the darndest time picking up the things I have pitched to the floor. It took years before it occurred to me, but with a lightning strike of brilliance (yes, that is sarcasm), I finally bought several reach-y thingies. I do believe that is the technical name for them. [Note: the technical name is reachers.] I bought ones that fold in half for the kitchen and bedroom, and that have wide, rubberized tips so I can pick up a variety of things. For the den, where I sew, (this was extra brilliant) I bought one with a magnetized tip because I am sick of playing 500 pick-up with the cups of pins I am perpetually spilling. Voila! Now all I have to do when I need a pin is stick my magnetized reacher on the floor and I come up with a dozen. I usually come up with a dozen other things as well, but we won't talk about that. Best Thing #5: Admitting I have MS Crazy, huh? That having MS would be on any sort of "Best Things" list? Having MS certainly isn't the best of anything. I resisted the MS label for a long, long time. Denial is a great protective mechanism for a while. It is a good place to hide while the shock registers in your brain. But, when you're in it, it is really hard to discern when denial goes from protective to destructive. For me, it was damaging when I wasn't taking care of myself or accepting help because I refused to accept that I was sick. MS has no tolerance for not taking care of yourself. It is a punishing disease that punishes you even more if you disregard it. By admitting I have it, I am free to take better care of myself. That is the uniting theme here in my Five Best Things – do what is best for you. What is best to make your life simpler, happier, healthier. I am not a fan of the saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Life is hard enough at the best of times. My opinion is, if life gives you lemons then you have too many dang lemons. And I don't even like lemonade. But we are stuck with this disease and taking good care of ourselves is the best way to cope. I suppose that could be considered a form of making lemonade out of lemons. Although if I have to make something, then what I'd really like is lemon vodka. :) The National MS Society


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2012 Featured Stories
In 2012, San José State University honored 298 President's Scholars and 2,871 Dean's Scholars. The students below were nominated by faculty members and are wonderful examples of our "best and brightest" students. Congratulations to ALL 3,169 honorees! We are exceptionally proud of you!
|Nicole Adel
|Victoria Gomez
|Yaniv Cohen
|Mark Gutierrez
|Isabelle Daluz
|Karen Orozco
|Lauren Doyle
|Shawnte Santos
|Timothy Feeney
|Paul Woodrow


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Rain brought by the outer bands of Tropical Storm Sandy fall in the Standpipe neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sandy was expected to become a hurricane as it nears Jamaica on Wednesday. (AP Photo/David McFadden)
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Jamaicans on Tuesday braced for sheets of rain, lashing winds and a powerful storm surge as strengthening Tropical Storm Sandy took aim at the island as it churned over warm Caribbean waters.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sandy was expected to become a hurricane as it nears Jamaica on Wednesday. The late season storm is expected to travel from south to north over the Caribbean country, which hasn't sustained a direct hit from a hurricane's eye since powerful Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Hurricane conditions were possible in eastern Cuba by Wednesday night.
On Tuesday, the outer bands of the approaching storm were already drenching parts of Jamaica with intermittent downpours that sent brown water rushing down streets and gullies. Tropical storm winds and sustained rains were expected in the evening.
In the poor Kingston community of Standpipe, Christopher "Boxer" Bryce and his relatives were bracing for the worst as they quickly tried to finish repairs to their concrete home's leaking roof.
"This is giving all of us a nervous feeling, old and young. I'm hoping the storm doesn't leave too many problems," said Bryce, as his brother Brian adjusted a plastic bucket to catch more of the water dripping steadily down from the cracked ceiling.
Across a debris-clogged gully, dreadlocked Philip Salmon was trying to find more sheet metal to bolster his shack's rusting roof. The laborer lives by himself in a ramshackle settlement of illegal homes just below the U.S. Embassy.
"Everybody's worried about it here, I can tell you. This storm is no small thing," said Salmon, whose sheet metal roof is held in place by rocks, just like that of many of his neighbors.
Two years ago, several members of a family living along a nearby stretch of the gully were swept away during Tropical Storm Nicole after part of their home collapsed into the waterway's raging current. People living in the shantytowns are warned repeatedly to move for their own safety but most refuse to relocate.
Jamaica's government issued a hurricane warning on Tuesday morning and announced schools would close on Wednesday. It has urged people in flood-prone areas to be on alert and advised fishermen on outlying cays to return to the mainland. It was not immediately clear if most people were heeding the message.
Some residents flocked to grocery stories to stock up on food, propane, tarp, batteries and water. At one major supermarket, hardly any bread remained on the shelves.
In Cuba, authorities issued a hurricane watch for several provinces, including Guantanamo in the extreme east, where authorities at the U.S. military base were trying to wrap up military commission hearings before the storm was felt.
Skies were largely overcast over Haiti, where a tropical storm warning was in effect. A tropical storm watch was called for the central and southeastern Bahamas, meaning stormy conditions were possibly within 48 hours.
In Jamaica, Sandy was expected to dump more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall, especially over central and eastern parts of the island, according to the country's meteorological service. Flash flooding and landslides are likely on the mountainous island, Jamaican forecasters said.
Sandy's maximum sustained winds Tuesday afternoon were near 50 mph (85 kph). It was moving north-northeast at about 5 mph (7 kph) and its center was about 275 miles (440 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston by 2 p.m. EDT.
Storm surge was expected to raise water levels by as much as three feet above normal tide levels along Jamaica's southern and eastern coasts.
Sandy on Monday became the 18th named storm of this year's busy Atlantic season, which officially ends Nov. 30.
Meanwhile, a tropical depression in the Atlantic was expected to become a tropical storm later Tuesday. It does not pose any threat to land.
The depression's maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph). The depression is centered about 915 miles (1,470 kilometers) northeast of the Leeward Islands and is moving north-northeast near 15 mph (24 kph).
David McFadden on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmcfadd


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bee, name for flying insects of the superfamily Apoidea, in the same order as the ants and the wasps. Bees are characterized by their enlarged hind feet, typically equipped with pollen baskets of stiff hairs for gathering pollen. They usually have a dense coat of feathery hairs on the head and thorax. In many, the lip forms a long tube for sucking nectar. Bees feed on pollen and nectar; the latter is converted to honey in the bee's digestive tract. There are about 20,000 species of bees. They may be solitary, social, or parasitic in the nests of other bees. The solitary bees (which do not secrete wax) are called carpenter, plasterer, leaf-cutting, burrowing, or mason bees according to the material or method used to construct nests for their young.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Importance of Bees
- Classification
- Social Bees
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Zoology: Invertebrates


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My kiddos love the park! They ask to go almost every day! I love watching them there too! They run around with little smiles on their faces from one activity to another and are just so carefree and happy! To me this is the epitome of being a kid! Ahh, the innocence - it's refreshing!!!!!!
12 minutes ago


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How ASCAP Takes Money From Successful Indie Artists And Gives It To Giant Rock Stars
from the not-cool deptBack in 2009, we wrote about the crazy situation in which ASCAP, the giant US collection society will funnel money from indie artists and pay it to big rock stars -- which seemed incredibly unfair. It's just one particular part of the royalties that ASCAP pays, but it's still clearly a case of taking from independent artists and giving money that they should be paid under the system and giving it to the most successful artists. The short version of the story is basically that, to make its own life easier, ASCAP just pays those performance royalties to the top 200 grossing tours in the US, and every other touring musician is more or less screwed -- unless you can convince ASCAP that you play "serious music."
Very successful independent musician Zoe Keating, who has had multiple run-ins with the unfair practices of collections societies giving money she's owed to major labels, just came across this same issue and wrote a blog post about her experience:
After a concert, there is this thing called "doing the settlement". This is where the artist or their representative meets with the promoter, goes over the financial outcome of the night in relation to their contract…and gets paid.Yup. The thing is, I actually would have thought that Keating, whose music is usually classified as "classical" would have qualified for that "serious music" exception -- because back in 2009, we were told that applies to classical music. But now it appears they're limiting that to "live symphonic and recital concerts" and telling her she doesn't qualify for that either.
Sometimes the contract is for a percentage of the gross revenues, but more often for me, I get a guarantee and maybe a percentage of "net" if it was a positive number. The line item deductions that go into the calculation of net are things like sound & lights, staff, venue rental, advertising, insurance, etc. There tend to be many line items in the calculation of "net" and I can't help but notice that one of them is ASCAP.
For example, at one concert I played last month the gross ticket sales for the night were $9336. Of the many expenses deducted that night, one of the items was $86 to ASCAP.
What is this? This is the nightly portion of a license fee that the hall pays to ASCAP for the permission to perform music by ASCAP artists in their venue. My compositions are registered with ASCAP, so I should get this money eventually, right?
I remembered that when I've played in the UK I listed all the songs I played on something called a PRS from and gave it to the venue. Six months or so later, I got a check for the percentage of the night's revenues due to me according to the PRS formula for that venue.
Thinking that maybe instead of placing the burden on the venue, ASCAP puts it on the artist, I called ASCAP to see how I should go about claiming these concert royalties.
The customer service representative on the phone said there was nothing for me to claim. He informed me that ASCAP pays out performing royalties only to the 200 top-grossing concert tours, as determined by Pollstar. They also pay royalties for "Live symphonic and recital concerts", whatever they are (he said I don't qualify for those).
In other words....
Every day, thousands of venues are required to pay a percentage of their gross ticket sales to ASCAP who then gives that money to... let's look here on Pollstar and find the highest-grossing concerts for 2011....U2, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, etc.
But, really, this seems borderline criminal. There is simply no way to describe what's happening here other than ASCAP taking money that is owed to independent artists and giving it to the most successful artists in the world instead.
Keating then discusses how, in researching this, she came across a separate program which appears to be something of a lottery for independent artists for herself:
Looking online, I found an ASCAP program that I didn't know about. Perhaps in an attempt to compensate for this incredible distribution of wealth to the wealthy, ASCAP has something called the "ASCAP Plus Cash Awards". What are these amazing "awards"?Of course, we've written about this "program" too -- such as noticing in 2010 how ASCAP was bragging about bringing in more money than ever... at the very same time it announced it was massively cutting payments to those who qualify for this mysterious ASCAP Plus program."For over 50 years, these special awards have recognized writer members each year for substantial performance activity in media and venues that are not included in performance surveys, or whose works have unique prestige value. The program has also been an inspiration to members just starting out to persevere in advancing their music careers. More than 4,200 songwriter and composer members of ASCAP received Plus Awards in their January 2012 disbursement…"You have to submit an application to ASCAP to qualify for consideration (which I just did). The gist of it, as far as I can tell, is that if you are the winner of this black-box calculation ASCAP will make a special award to you of a portion of your own money. Awesome! I'll let you know if I "win".
I know that lots of musicians swear that ASCAP isn't like the RIAA, and that it really is about helping artists, but time and time again, we see that it really just functions to perpetuate the system that only rewards the biggest artists, and causes significant problems for the smaller artists. From examples like the stories above, to ASAP's aggressive efforts to shut down any and all open mic nights unless coffee shop owners pay up, ASCAP has successfully been screwing over independent artists for quite some time. It's a real shame and something that organization should work on. As Keating notes, it is possible to do this in a much more fair manner, such as the way PRS handled the exact same situation in the UK (though, obviously, PRS has its own issues).
Perhaps, rather than focusing on attacking Creative Commons, EFF and Public Knowledge -- three organizations that have done amazing things for independent artists, ASCAP should focus on actually paying those artists what they've earned.
Filed Under: copyright, music, performance royalties, royalties, zoe keating
Companies: ascap


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We are a brand that has grown through editorial content, which has allowed us to tell our story, rather than tell people to buy our beer. We have gained far more value from editorial content across the media spectrum than we could through any above-the-line advertising campaign.
Our beer is to the staid drinks market what punk rock was to popular music. The same can be said of our marketing tactics, which don't support the existing parameters, but shake the foundations of how things are 'meant to be done'.
With the mass adoption of digital media, the tectonic shifts in print and broadcast media structures and a declining trust in traditional advertising, the potential for brands born from passion to disrupt a market is growing all the time.
Take the old marketing patterns; take your ideas of editorial coverage, of community and advocacy being directly correlated to the size of your wallet; and take a match to them. Within five years the old way of doing things will be dust.
Global mega-corporations have struggled to adopt new marketing techniques like an embarrassing dad trying to dance. These brands are laser-guided by profit, not passion, which means they are left in the wilderness when standing out against brands that actually have something to say.
Just like a dad trying to throw some shapes to drum and bass, the big brands lack the integrity and authenticity demanded by audiences in this new media age.
Social media channels, a growing community of fans and PR agencies are the new weapons of mass disruption.
Earned media now have to be genuinely earned, not bargained for.
James Watt co-founder of independent craft beer brewer BrewDog


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Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo have wed.
"For us, this is just a stepping stone to do what we ultimately want and that's to start a family together," the newly named "Wipeout" TV host said in a statement to People, which first reported the news of the couple's nuptials.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The New Newlyweds: Hot Shots Of Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo
U.S. & World
Around 35 friends and family of the singer – who donned a Dolce & Gabbana suit — and his TV host bride – dressed in a lace Monique Lhuillierr detailed gown — watched the pair marry on Friday evening on an undisclosed tropical island, their reps confirmed to the mag.
Vanessa told the mag that they managed to keep the details surrounding their wedding a secret – even from their guests.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Wedding Photos!
"Nobody knew where they were going," she said.
Nick noted that they gave people "wedding invitations were in the form of a plane ticket."
He added that the dress code was "'island chic.' It was all very vague."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Bling Is The Thing! Hottest Celebrity Engagement Rings
The couple taped their ceremony for a reality TV special, which will air later this month on TLC.
Nick held his bachelor party in Las Vegas a little over a week ago.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Vanessa Minnillo
When Nick, 37, visited Access Hollywood Live in December 2010, he told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover that he loved his relationship with Vanessa.
"I think that we have a great relationship. The good thing about our situation is that we kind of took our time with it. We've been together four and half years," Nick said at the time.
Just last month, he said he was ready for more.
"I'm at a point in my life where I'm ready to start another chapter. Having kids is a big part of that," Nick told Parade magazine in an interview, which ran in their June 12 issue. "I'm excited for what comes next. Life is a journey, and I'm certainly ready to close this chapter and move on to the next."
"Nick & Vanessa's Dream Wedding" will air on TLC on July 30 at 9 PM ET/PT.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Access Hollywood Live: Nick Lachey Shares His Love Story With Vanessa Minnillo
PLAY IT NOW: Access Hollywood Live: Are You (Still) Kidding Me?!? - A 51-Year-Old Actor Marries An Underage Girl
More from Access: [ Nick Lachey Vanessa Minnillo Weddings ]


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Ronaldo extends Real Madrid contract to 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo has committed himself to the Spanish club for the next five years
MADRID - Real Madrid have tied Cristiano Ronaldo to the club until the end of the 2017-18 season after agreeing a three-year contract extension with the Portugal forward.
The announcement of the deal on Sunday ended speculation about a possible return to Manchester United in 2015 when his previous deal expired.
Ronaldo left the English Premier League club in 2009 to join Real for what was then a world-record fee of 94 million euros ($125 million).
Big-spending Real president Florentino Perez and the 28-year-old Ronaldo signed the new contract at the club's Bernabeu stadium and appeared before the media at a glitzy ceremony on the giant arena's VIP tribune.
Neither Ronaldo, who said 2018 could mark the end of his career, nor Perez provided details about his salary, but Spanish media reported that his net annual wage would rise to 17 million euros, making him one of the world's best-paid players.
Wearing a dark blue jacket, light shirt and blue patterned tie and with a jewelled stud glittering in each ear, Ronaldo admitted there had been interest from other clubs, including Qatar-owned Ligue 1 side Paris St Germain.
He was also asked about United and appeared to rule out a return to the city where he spent six years after joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.
"Everyone knows I was in Manchester for six years and it was a club that gave me many, many things and I don't forget that," Ronaldo told reporters. "But Manchester, it's the past.
"Now my club in the present is Real Madrid, this is my home, my family is here and I am really happy here.
"But I respect all the clubs, I respect the clubs who have knocked at the door to ask something about me.
"The future nobody knows but I am really happy here. I just want to win trophies for this club and I appreciate that the fans still like me a lot to be here.
"I just want to do my best on the pitch with my goals, my assists, and try to help my team mates."
Ronaldo's renewed commitment to Real is excellent news for the nine-times European champions and comes two days before they begin their latest bid for the 10th continental crown that has eluded them since 2002.
Ronaldo will likely line up alongside record signing Gareth Bale, who eclipsed the Portuguese as the most valuable player in football when he joined from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of 100 million euros this month, in Tuesday's Champions League Group B opener at Galatasaray.
Wales winger Bale scored on his Real debut in Saturday's 2-2 La Liga draw at Villarreal, while Ronaldo netted his 203rd goal in his 203rd official game for the Spanish giants.
"Today is a magnificent day for Real Madrid," Perez, who has spent hundreds of millions of euros of the club's money to try to return them to the summit of world football, said on Sunday.
"Today we have realised the dream of the entire Madrid family," added the construction magnate. "Cristiano Ronaldo will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons."
Quizzed by a reporter about his salary, Ronaldo said being the best-paid player in soccer was not his main motivation.
"In life there are more important things than money. Yes money is important, I am not going to lie, but it was not the priority," he added.
"The priority was a project with future, to win titles. I feel integrated in this project and the money was not the problem.
"If I am first, second or third (on the list of best-paid players) that is not the most important thing. I am in very good shape."
After the contracts were signed, Perez presented Ronaldo with a silver replica of the Cibeles fountain in central Madrid, where Real traditionally celebrate titles, before they were photographed with Ronaldo's beaming agent Jorge Mendes.


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Think of the benefits of having a partner who knows how to make your IT work harder for you. We'll put in place a strategy to enhance productivity in all IT based areas of your business.
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Thinking about a new phone system (PBX), let eSudo share with you the benefits of VoIP (Voice over IP), and how it can save you money and time.
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Matthew Kaing, President
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Our typical customers are professional service firms and non-profit organizations with 10 to 100 workstations that rely heavily on e-mail (Exchange, Google Apps), mobile phones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), and the Internet to conduct their business. Businesses retain us to support their network because they recognize the need for a professional and reliable IT consultant, but do not want to incur the cost of a full-time computer staff.
As a Microsoft Certified Partner and Small Business technology Specialist, eSudo provides the Computer Support, Repair and Maintenance that will allow you to focus your energy on growing your business, instead of the technology you need to keep it running. With Network Support Plan and Services customized to meet your unique business needs, you can enjoy the benefits of progressive IT outsourcing with a team of experts to shoulder the burden of its time-consuming maintenance.
We offer these expert services and the on-site or remote support to back them up to businesses in San Jose, Santa Clara, Fremont, Campbell, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, Union City, Alviso, Mountain View, Menlo Park, San Mateo, Newark, Pleasanton, Redwood City, Redwood Estates, and Millbrae.


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Events Calendar
Fisher Family Day at Frontier Field
Cheer on the Red Wings along with fellow alumni, friends, and family.
Date: July 14, 2019 - July 14, 2019
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Frontier Field, Rochester
Office of Institutional Advancement
Red Wings take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
To claim your discounted tickets:
- Visit www.ticketreturn.com.
- In the upper left-hand corner, log in with username SJFC and password Alumni.
- Click on the link that says "Lehigh Valley IronPigs on 7/14/2019 at 1:05pm."
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your purchase.


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The Didsbury Dozen
It's that lovely M20 time of year. Those preparing to queue from
6am on Christmas Eve morning to collect their turkeys from Evans are planning their wardrobe. The white elephant formerly known as Chalk and Nido harks back to being a small and popular Turkish restaurant with a belting takeaway and the price of a pint of milk in the Shell garage (now a Londis? In Didsbury?) finally gets more expensive than a barrel of oil. Didsbury Park is packed with Freyas and Archies chasing French Bulldogs and residents of Cavendish Road, Elm Grove and Beaver Road count down to schools closing and being allowed to use their own parking spaces without abuse – its Christmas.
A turkey this morning in training for the Evans challenge
By any popular account 2016 has been momentous. Never mind politics, celebrity death, refugee crises and hacking becoming more fashionable than Vogue. 2016 will always be the year when, after a quarter of a century as a flyposting board – Sweaty Betty's reopened as Nueve.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
It's also been the year I became a part-time Didsbury resident for the first time… this century. So here is my 2016 Didsbury Dozen. Not the pub crawl but the 12 places I think fly the flag for us.
There are loads of great places missed out here and some dodgy ones that we won't namecheck. But for family reasons Croma, Solita and Folk are always good. for cheeky drinks I love Wine & Wallop, The Charlie George or whatever its called on the edge of Burton Road and The Fletcher Moss is still ace. The Third Eye is always a winner, Sangam 2 always better than you'd ever imagine and Copson Street has a great Japanese Restaurant and a Halal Butcher that sells the best hot wraps in Manchester. Bourbon & Black is still open and Cau never seem to have a table when I want to go.
This is not based on anything over than personal taste. But in the year when Stop Inn and The Mud Crab Cafe went, Jade Garden and Laughing Buddha look as though they are near wheezing their last and I've barely made it to Dot's Cafe in the park – these are all worth checking out.
- Casa Italia: A Finnish owned, Italian cafe with a nice line in wooden boards to eat from; brilliant. Has been busy since day one and hits the mark in quality over quantity sending you out sated not pogged (it's a technical term).
- Pizza Express on Lapwing Lane: It had a refit (I think) to cope with the pincered challenge of Chilli Banana at Inman's (heard great things but you can' buy a Chanucah card there any more) and the latest pointless pub refit at the Greenfinch in Hand. You can't beat the Tuna Nicoise, everyone's always friendly. A visit is also a chance to catch up with at least five old friends as you all now get the same discount vouchers.
- Volta: Burton Road chic and design at its finest with the added bonus of good service from people who know how to treat customers.
Don't waste a visit on children
- Art of Tea: Indifferent service, uncomfy chairs, expensive coffee. The best toast and peanut butter, something I can't define and one of the best places to contemplate life or write a masterpiece or two.
- Costa on Wilmslow Road: This is down to the manager. She's lovely. Always slightly hassled but stretched like a good pizza base rather than a spring. When Costa opened in the old Boots home it was revolutionary. Now there are 38 coffee outlets and 2 Costa vending machines within coughing distance. It holds its own.
If only they'd sold coffee
- G's Gourmet Kitchen on Fog Lane: Curried Goat. Horse Carriage. Morecambe Wise. This is a great addition. Friendly, tasty, spicy.
- Khandoker: From its table settings to its car park it does not look Didsbury. The view from the window of 4 traffic lights, a walking bridge and the less glamorous view of Parrswood's entertainment centre do not bode well; but it's superb. Affordable, well-cooked and friendly. Each visit I learn a staff member's life story.
- La Cantina: The Green Cafe Rouge. My only report says it's muy bien but it's like looking at an old friend made up as something you know they could never be.
And Lo, a star appeared in the sky where Cafe Rouge had been
- Refresh: it's tiny and tucked away behind the Co-Op but it's worth turning off at Carmello's for China cups, gorgeous bread, a range of sandwiches worth the carbs and a decent chat. No sausage sandwich should ever be taken for granted; they don't.
- Fusion Deli aka Pete's: Pete, Tom, Claire and the cast of privately educated teenagers who work have created a little world. It's a community resource, a commuters' drop in, has the best 24 hour matured reduced sandwiches in the city and I love it. A caffeine comfort blanket.
- New Peking House: there are other Chinese food outlets and restaurants in the area but then again you can buy Norpak Butter at Aldi. I've watched the children grow up, serve and leave – but the Hot & Sour Soup and Salt 'n' Pepper Ribs have never dropped in quality.
This is in my diary next to a picture of the children
- Piccolino Didsbury: Francisco, Nico and the team get it right every time. It's worth saving up for a visit and hard not to write this as a fan letter. They are even patient when the twins are losing it loudly and it's busy. I always walk out feeling a little bit special. I never thought anything would be better than The Nose on this site. But The Nose didn't do pasta like this or make foil animals to entertain my kids. Clam Place Calm Place Calm Place Calm Place
With the pearly princess distracted by the attention she gets I can flirt with Didsbury Wife. We can pretend we shall sweep home full of joy, good wine and passion fruit sorbet and our first thought won't be "Do you know where the pull-ups are?"
Goditi il pasto, ci vediamo presto.
- No bribes were taken in compiling this list but I would like to thank Omeprazole for helping me through.
- My hero, putting the Aaah into acid reflux.


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It's an anticlimactic Boxing Day here at the desk in the Manastery. (For those of you who don't know, that's the official, wife-recognized name of my office cum cigar lounge and library. However, she also calls one of the closets "the pantry". Hey, You win some, you lose some.) Christmas has come an gone, and breaking with about five years of tradition, I've spent the day working instead of wandering the streets of a distant city looking for an exotic drink and bite to eat. Like any other day, the sun is out, a cigar is blazing and my wife keeps peeking her head in to remind me about the chores I've been putting off. Doesn't sound terribly inspired does it?
I may be in a bit of a blue funk over the day after Christmas, but Christmas itself was actually a lot of fun, and pretty restful. As much as I enjoy travel, it was nice to not have to deal with airports, hotels, and over packed luggage. Though I do have to say I miss the holiday change of scenery.
My favorite part of this Christmas was my elaborate plot to sneak some presents for my wife under the Christmas tree. The execution of said plan involved pretending to be intoxicated (which wasn't too much of a stretch with the assistance of dollar beer night at a nearby Irish pub) and playing computer games until my wife was sound asleep. Once I was convinced she was out cold, and after I got a few past an acceptable number of levels on the game, I sprung into action. I retrieved the carefully hidden gifts and the secretly stashed wrapping paper and got to work. I knew my devious designs were a complete success when angrily muttered at me for staying up so late as I hopped into bed. And the best part is she walked past the presents several times before she noticed they were there!
We also had a friend over for a late Christmas lunch, which gave us the opportunity to "entertain" as they say. The multi-course lunch and nice place settings were good fun, the highlight of the evening was several hours of competitive rounds of bowling, baseball and golf, compliments of my Nintendo Wii. As much fun as it is to play by yourself, it's even better to go head to head with friends. (Is there a better party game than the Wii?) By the end of the evening, our friend was determined to get a Wii of his own, once they're a easier to find.
But what my cigar smoking brethren are wondering right now is, what cigar did I smoke to celebrate the holiday? I'm not going to tell you. I'm going to show you!
What was a surprise was how little time I actually had to enjoy a fine cigar. I didn't get one in Christmas Eve, but I did settle down with a fine cigar once my Wii-playing buddy hit the road. And I made the most of it. If you think you see a paper clip in the picture, your eyesight isn't failing you. I didn't have a toothpick handy, and a paper clip affords one a nice little handle for that treacherously shrinking bundle of tobacco joy.
Though I didn't take any notes for a proper review, I can tell you it I tasted excellent leather, caramel and toffee flavors. And as you can see, the burn was immaculate. All in all, it was a fantastic end to a very cozy Christmas. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to smoke for New Years!
How was your Christmas? Did you enjoy a fine cigar? (Or for non smokers, a fine dessert or great beverage?)
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For much of December, I will be in Argentina working to assist the Acuerdo de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Córdoba with library automation issues as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.
Academic libraries in this region face several possible paths toward their advancement into a new phase of automation, including open source systems such as Koha, commercial products from local Argentinean companies, or products from global vendors such as SirsiDynix, Ex Libris and Innovative Interfaces. Many libraries in Latin America make use of the CDS/ISIS software, available in many variations, provided without cost by UNESCO.
One of the key challenges for libraries in this region involves the need to provide high-quality services with very limited resources. Over the next three weeks we will assess the options available and attempt to identify strategies that these libraries can adopt to improve the automation of their operations and to provide better access to their resources.
This will be a great learning experience for me as well. I have been following the library automation industry in the United States for many years. I've gradually expanded the scope of my interest to other regions. I've done systematic reviews of the automation systems used by public and academic libraries in Canada and the United Kingdom and I've been working on gathering data on libraries on many countries in Europe. I've had the opportunity to travel to Asia and gain some understanding of library automation in several countries in that region. This project in Argentina provides the opportunity to gain a stronger understanding of library automation in Latin America. While I'm starting with Argentina, I hope to collect data on libraries and the automation systems they use for rest of Latin America as well.
It's especially great to experience live in another part of the world. Although working here without being able to speak the language is quite a challenge, I enjoy the opportunity to learn more about the people, culture, and the issues that libraries face in this region.
Marshall Breeding Dec 3, 2008 04:24:51
Link to Posting: Library automation in Argentina