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In rush to urbanize, China flattens 700 mountains
- Ratio of Chinese living in cities has doubled since 1990
- Critics say rapid urbanization is ignoring environmental concerns
- Investor%3A Lanzhou New City will be ready in five years
BIG WAVE GULLY, LANZHOU, China — The hills are alive with the sound of machines. As dozens of excavators gouge the slopes, and countless trucks groan past to dump yellow earth into the valley below, Ye Xingwu pauses from repair work to reflect on their landscape-shattering task in the desolate mountains of the northwest Gansu province.
Despite environmental concerns about the project's feasibility and long-term impact on this arid, polluted region, a government-hired private developer is slicing the tops off 700 low-level, barren mountains and filling in the valleys to create a 10-square-mile base for "Lanzhou New City," 8 miles from Gansu's grimy capital.
"I feel so proud of this project; China is amazing," says Ye, 40, his hands dripping with engine oil from his excavator. "This is the largest mountain-moving project ever in China. It shows China's power."
Critics worry that the rapid pace is steaming past environmental concerns and happening without social reforms crucial to integrating rural migrants. Here in Big Wave Gully, Ye and hundreds of other workers offer a dramatic illustration of how urbanization is transforming China. Hemmed in by hills and the Yellow River, and under government orders not to use arable land, the fast-growing city of Lanzhou has chosen to literally flatten the natural obstacles in the way of progress.
China's rapid shift from a rural to an urban society is staggering. In 12 years, China will have 221 cities with 1 million inhabitants each compared with 35 cities of that size in Europe today, according to McKinsey Global Institute. By then China is also expected to have 23 cities with more than 5 million people each.
The ratio of Chinese who live in cities has doubled in a little over two decades, from 26% in 1990 to half of the population today.
Yan Jiehe, the multimillionaire founder of China Pacific Construction Group sounds confident about his $3.5 billion investment to carve out a city, ready in five years, "with the flavor of water city Venice, and the flavor of a Las Vegas oasis in the Gobi." he told China Newsweek, a magazine unrelated to the U.S. Newsweek.
"I am striving to win honor for Chinese people," says Yan, nicknamed "the Bulldozer."
Every year, China's urban population grows by the same size as the population of Australia, about 20 million people, says Tom Miller, author of China's Urban Billion: The Story Behind the Biggest Migration in Human History.
"Lanzhou is one example of many dozens in China and shows the enormous demand for new housing," he says.
By 2030, China's cities will be home to 1 billion people, or one in every eight people on earth, Miller says. China will surpass the United States and cement its position as the world's largest economy if it urbanizes its once-agrarian population successfully, he says. "But if they get it wrong, China could spend the next 20 years languishing in middle-income torpor, its cities pockmarked by giant slums."
Muffled in an army overcoat and hat, Liu Hong counts the trucks, as many as 500 a day rumbling in seven days a week, that tip soil down newly created ravines.
"Everyone in my village has a plan to move to the city," says Liu, 42, a former farmer. "If you try hard, you can achieve it; me, too, if I earn enough money."
He says the attraction of living in a city is infrastructure, a better environment and more government benefits though China's household registration system, which divides people into rural and urban residents, would continue to deny his family urban social benefits even after years as city dwellers.
Liu seems not to consider what the nearby city of Lanzhou has become. Ugly, congested and heavily polluted, it is broadly representative of much of Chinese urban life. A January fun run was postponed this year amid runners' complaints of having to choke their way through the course.
All cars must remain off the roads one day a week to combat smog and gridlock. Taxi driver Zhang Ruijun readily accepts the restriction however ineffective it appears.
"Our city is simply too polluted," says Zhang, 30, who is confident Lanzhou New City will attract migrants from across the province.
The massive tide of building nationwide is possible because China has a "different economic logic," than free-market economies, Miller says. Instead of relying on market forces to determine where to expand, "local governments in China have the power to move people, e.g. into a new university district," he says.
China requires environmental reviews of such projects; it just doesn't enforce them. Authorities allowed the Lanzhou New City project to begin in October before its mandatory environmental impact assessment report was approved.
Li Ding, a professor of human geography at Lanzhou University, is investigating the project with his students. He fears the development will drain the Yellow River of water that is badly needed for farms and people downstream. Short-term dust storms and long-term landslides are risks as well, says Li, but the developer and officials are reluctant to provide data on the project's impact.
Most locals dismiss environmental worries.
At the upscale Guofang Baihuo department store, where Gucci ties retail for $255, Luo Xiaolin, 34, who runs a construction firm with her husband, sounds pleased with her city's speedier growth in recent years after it long lagged its eastern counterparts.
"But air pollution and traffic are getting worse as living conditions have improved so more people have money to buy cars," she says.
Before climbing back into his excavator, now 75 yards below where he began digging two months ago, operator Yang Shuanglou shares the urban dreams fueled by his $640 monthly wage.
"We want to move to a city. The living conditions will be better there, and I may get a better job," says Yang, 27, whose wife lives in a north Gansu village. "We will move within 10 years. Maybe I am building our future home here."


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• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
The fact that it took British police days to quell rioting and looting in London's streets – and that it continues elsewhere – has many British asking why the police are so reluctant to turn to more aggressive tactics.
While police brought much of London under control overnight Tuesday, residents wondered what took them so long, the Monitor reported today.
"It's good to see so many police on the streets, but where were they last night when everything was going off?" lawyer Samantha Jones, who lives in [Clapham Junction, in South London]. "People were definitely fearful last night about what happened and frightened. This area is normally really buzzy this time of night, but not tonight. I don't know whether they're still scared or intimidated by all the police but people seem to just want to go home … like me."
The British government has now authorized the use of water cannons and plastic and rubber bullets in quelling the riots (the latter of which has have never been officially used by police on the British mainland), but the permission comes several days after riots and looting turned parts of London into a smoldering husk – too late, according to many London residents.
Normal crowd control methods failed, Telegraph opinion editor Daniel Knowles writes, but no one seems to know what to do next.
One of the first questions that the Government has to answer is how do the police deal with riots like these? It seems quite clear that policing has, to some extent, failed. Overwhelmed by the numbers and speed of looters, officers seem to have given up on protecting property. Minimising violence is a good aim, but I think near enough every law abiding citizen is sickened at watching these children – and they do mostly seem to be teenagers – pillaging property like neanderthals.
According to Telegraph editorial writer Robert Colvile, the riots are shifting public opinion toward a more hardline approach to criminal justice.
Forget Ken Clarke and rehabilitation – the public are in hanging mood (to the extent that 33 per cent of those polled by YouGov want to see the police breaking out live ammunition). The papers, too, are baying for blood. The very lack of political motivation behind the riots, and the naked greed on display, means that sympathy is in very short supply.
As of midday Wednesday, more than 3,100 people had "liked" the Facebook page "London Riots – Bring in the rubber bullets."
In a separate article, The Telegraph reports that the latest polls indicate that 65 percent of the public supports the use of rubber bullets and 90 percent believe water cannons should be used. Seventy-seven percent said they would like to see the army deployed in the streets and 82 percent want night curfews. Extreme measures – the use of tasers and tear gas – were supported by more than 70 percent of those polled.
The use of rubber and plastic bullets is a big deal, if it happens – British police are normally unarmed, according to Bloomberg. When dealing with angry crowds, British police usually aim to contain them until they dissipate. The most common tactic is something called "kettling," in which police surround the crowd to prevent it from growing or moving and gradually allow members of the crowd to leave.
The tactic, used successfully during last year's student protests, was ineffective this time around. The crowds were too large and fast.
Guardian columnist Duncan Campbell took a look at the Met's options for confronting rioters. Many observers have cited the use of water cannons and rubber and plastic bullets in Northern Ireland as proof that they are a good option on the mainland, but Mr. Campbell questions whether the Met should be emulating the controversial tactics used in Northern Ireland.
Again, this is used in Northern Ireland and credited with dispersing crowds without fatalities. The Met's deputy assistant commissioner, Steve Kavanagh, has said that baton rounds – plastic bullets – could now be used: "If we need to, we will do so." But shots to the head from close range can kill. Again, as with water cannon, the police would struggle to get officers trained in the use of them to the scenes of violence. One problem is that both water cannon and plastic bullets might merely heighten the levels of excitement for the committed rioter and looter. And is Northern Ireland really an example of how to keep the peace?
The key question for those who discourage harsher tactics is one of proportion. "Imagine the reaction if a police officer shot a baton round at an unarmed teenager who had stolen designer gear under his arms... or sausage rolls?" a BBC reporter asks.
There is no comparison between the situation in Northern Ireland and the riots currently sweeping London and other cities in Britain, Sir Hugh Orde, the former chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and now president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, told the Guardian.
"I do not think it would be sensible in any way shape or form to deploy water cannon or baton rounds in London. Baton rounds are very serious bits of equipment. I would only deploy them in life-threatening situations. What is happening in London is not an insurgency that is going to topple the country. There are 8 million people in London and it is a tiny proportion doing this. They are gangs of looters and criminals and although it is concerning it has to be kept in proportion," Sir Orde said.
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text:
Knoxville, Tenn. – Sophomore Jarnell Stokes exerted his power on both ends of the court to lift the Vols to a dramatic 54-53 victory over Alabama on Saturday afternoon. Tennessee (10-8, 2-4 SEC) ended the Tide's four-game win streak and dropped Bama to 12-7 overall and 4-2 in the league.
Stokes posted his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. He adroitly defended Alabama's last opportunity with a chance to win the game as he guarded Trevor Lacey until the game clock expired as Tennessee captured a much-needed victory.
McRae's runner in the lane put the Vols ahead for good at 52-50 with 57.7 left in regulation.
Alabama's Rodney Cooper missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 47.2 left as Stokes grabbed his 18th rebound of the game. Trae Golden was fouled and made two free throws with 31.4 left on the clock for a two possession advantage, 54-50.
Bama's Trevor Releford came back with a 3-pointer with 18.5 left cutting it back to 54-53.
Golden went back to the line with 15.4 left and missed as Alabama got the rebound.
Lacey had a chance to win the game for Alabama as he was defended by Stokes. He drove to the basket and no foul was called with Stokes attempting to draw a charge with his hands in the air.
Releford led the Tide with 18 points. Trevor Lacey (11) and Cooper (10) also scored in double-figures.
The Vols took their first lead since 2-0 on a Stokes layup with 3:22 left in the second half, at 48-47.
On the next Alabama possession, Stokes stole the ball from Andrew Steele then pump faked and hit a jumper as the shot clock expired for a 50-47 Vols' lead with 2:27 left.
Lacey answered with a 3-pointer with 1:56 left to deadlock the game at 50.
The Vols hung tight with the Tide throughout the second half, standing within seven points for the first 16-plus minutes before Stokes gave the Vols a lead.
McRae knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:47 left to cut the deficit to 46-42. Richardson's jumper cut it to three at 47-44 with five minutes left. McRae cut the margin to one at 47-46 with 4:07 remaining.
The Vols defense held an opponent to less than 60 points for the ninth time this season. The shooting defense was stellar late in each half. Tennessee kept Alabama without a field goal for the final 5:10 of the first half and to just two field goals for the final 9:04 of the second half.
Tennessee scored the first seven points of the second half to tie the game at 26 on a layup by Kenny Hall two minutes into the stanza. Alabama quickly regained the lead and held it until 3:22 left in regulation.
The Vols trailed Alabama, 25-19 at halftime thanks to McRae's first points of the game on a last-second runner. Releford led all scorers with 10 at intermission.
Alabama took a 21-13 lead on a 3-pointer with Cooper with six minutes left in the first half. The Tide finished a 7-0 run on a layup by Moussa Gueye a minute later for a 10-point edge.
The Vols started just 2-of-12 from the floor and trailed 10-5 eight minutes into the action.
Saturday's game was part of NABC Coaches vs. Cancer weekend. UT head coach Cuonzo Martin and his staff wore "Suits and Sneakers" as part of the annual recognition. A cancer survivor, Martin had his professional playing career cut short due to a bout with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He received his last treatment April 20, 1998, and is now in full remission.
The Vols return to action with their third game in six days on Tuesday as Tennessee welcomes Vanderbilt for a 6:00 PM tip-off.
Courtesy UT Media Relations


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The D.C. Council wants doctors to be able to prescribe medical marijuana to any patient they think would benefit from it.
Currently, medical marijuana can only be prescribed in the District of Columbia to people suffering from a short list of conditions, including AIDS.
The Washington Post (http://tinyurl.com/m7h2gzw ) reports that all 13 councilmembers have pledged to support a bill that would eliminate that list and leave decisions about medical marijuana up to doctors.
Medical marijuana has been available in the District since last year, but just 400 patients have been approved for its use. Councilmember Yvette Alexander, who chairs the council's health committee, says the program needs to be expanded to benefit more residents.
Earlier this year, the council decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Monday, August 16, 2010
Flames of War?
So I've been looking into Flames of War lately simply because I LOVE World War II. I'm such a WWII buff that when I went to Europe and visited Normandy, I knew more about the history and events than our tour guide. If I ever move to Europe, I would probably consider being a guide.. I just have to learn a couple of languages first.
Right, so how does this tie into minis? Well.. for one.. I got confused to all hell when I first started doing research on the game. I come from the GW's line of wargaming so I'm spoiled by army books and codexes. Yeah.. there's no such thing in Flames of War. In order for you to build an army list, you must first choose the era that you want to play in (early, mid, late war) and then choose a campaign book to build your army from. This pretty much means you have to have a good idea of what you wanted to play. There's 4 main factions in this game: Germans, Russians, Americans and the British. There's also sub-factions within these main factions like the Finnish and the Canadians; but aside from a few special rules and minis, they don't really add too much.
Personally, if I was planning to play this game, I would go late war and go Germans. That's when their soldiers are the most veteran and when the technology of the game is the most advanced. If you like big tanks, die-hard troops and earth-shaking artillery that can rock the field, late war is the place to be. From a historical standpoint, it makes perfect sense too! The Germans are mostly on the retreat with Allies gaining air superiority and better priced units (to show the economy advantage). The Russians are pressing hard on the Eastern Front and things are pretty intense on both fronts. I don't know enough about the game to say anything about the balance just yet.
For anyone who wants to get involved, I would imagine that you need to know what you wanted to play. An example of this would be: I want to play.. Armored Rifle Company, Russian Tank Company, Germans with a mixed arms approach with both Infantry and Tanks, Paratroopers, Mass artillery, Tanks + artillery..etc. Once you got that, you need to hunt down the campaign that has that army. For a non-WWII buff, you probably need to do some asking around on the official forums so those guys there can point you to the right direction.
With that being said, how exactly do you make a army list in FoW?
1. Pick out the Era you want to play in.
2. Pick out a campaign book that has the army you want to play.
3. Construct a army list with the list requirements.
For me: Late War, Germans with Tiger Tanks and a strong army list that can take on all-comers. I used a few pdfs found on the FoW main website, the Cobra campaign book and the Villers-Bocage book to make my two army lists. The first is just Wittmann + Tiger tanks and the second one is more balanced:
101.SS Schwere
Wittmann = 350
Tiger 2iC = 240
2x Tigers = 480
2x Tigers = 480
3x Squads of Motorized Scouts = 200
Company HQ + Shreck = 80
3x Panzergrenadier Squads (SMG + Faust) = 250
3x Panzergrenadier Squads (SMG + Faust) = 250
2x MG Sections = 155
2x Pak40s = 135
3x Nebels = 150
2x Tigers = 480
Now that my army list is done, I need to read up on the rules. For some reason, the rules look a lot more complicated than GW's games. They make sense from a historical game design standpoint. A veteran unit will hit a non-trained conscript a lot easier.. a Confident soldier will make his motivation roll more frequently than a "reluctant" soldier.. or if you penetrate the hull of a Tiger tank, you have to roll to see if the shell detonates or goes right through by rolling for firepower values. You know, stuff like that.
It's a little daunting at first since so much info is thrown in your face. No wonder why the starter set has like 2 German tanks and 3 Allied tanks and that's all you get (plus mini-rulebook). They don't want to scare you away with all the crazy infantry rules (the assault phase is incredibly complicated imo). I think at the end of the day, I'm stilling standing between the fence. On one side, the game is cool because it's WWII and I love the German Army.. but on the other side, I have inflexible lists (something I'm not used to), a less popular game and complicated rules. Any help?
13 comments:
- Big Jim said...
Trust me, for WWII wargaming FOW is very simple and uncomplicated.
So don't worry, the system is elegant and really only slightly more complicated than GW games, but in a good way. 40k would be a much better system if they stole a few things from FOW.
The assault phase in FOW is awesome;
1 Declare your target.
2 The target makes their defensive fire (if they score 5 hits you are pinned and unable to assault.)
3 Roll to hit in the assault, remove enemy casualties. Defender attacks back, remove you casualties.
4 The loser (side with the most dead) makes a motivation test. If they pass fight another assault round steps 3-4, if they fail they route.
It is awesome you fight until someone runs, or is destroyed. The are no combat scrums mid table clogging up the game.
Flames of War is plenty popular and has a thriving community. Hell they round out the top three of tabletop wargaming with GW and PP quite nicely.
- August 16, 2010 at 6:38 PM
- Joshua said...
FOW actually makes sense. Unlike in the future where there is only war, these measly human troops actually know the ranges of there weapons. Who knew? You can measure anything whenever you want. Fantasy 8th finally went this way. Its just dumb not to. You will love it and once you play FOW for a bit you will wonder why you play 40K.
FOW rules as stated above are elegant and efficient. There are very few rules questions. They are written in a clear manner and easily understandable. Not much wiggle rule for interpretation. Unlike GW (Brits speak the kings English but cant write clear rules. WTF?!#)The New Zealanders that created this game took everything GW does wrong and made it right.
I still play 40K. Eldar FTW! However I prefer FOW Germans Midwar and Latewar. Its just a much more fun game. Did I mention FOW rules make sense?
- August 16, 2010 at 7:29 PM
- HERO said...
The only thing that I thought was really weird is that one team with 5 guys modeled on it only shoots once and has 1 "wound". That was a bit of a stretch in terms of aesthetics.
- August 16, 2010 at 10:46 PM
- Big Jim said...
That type of basing is typical in non-skirmish historical games. At least all infantry in FOW have a 3+ save so they are resilient. Shooting rates of fire are varied most re dependant on whether they move or not, almost all infantry have an ROF of 1 when moving.
For example SS panzergrenadiers have an ROF of 3 when stationary and ROF of 1 if they move.
- August 16, 2010 at 10:56 PM
- HERO said...
How do tanks fair against infantry in cover? I would imagine the tank would just miss because of all the modifiers and gone to ground? That would make infantry lists overall better than Tank lists right?
- August 17, 2010 at 12:30 PM
- Joshua said...
Tanks are pretty mean against infantry. After all Tanks were invented primarily to take on infantry. Example was the Sherman.
That aside, infantry are very resilient but they need anti tank weapons to really reliably take on tanks. So standard infantry have an AT value of 2. Tanks have a top armor of 1 standard. So in assault infantry will bail a tank on a 1 out of 6 chance. Not so great.
However, tanks usually will have to drive up close to infantry to unload on them but if you infantry is dug in, and in cover they are hard to dislodge. Just like real like infantry. Tough to dislodge once dug in.
The list depends on who is playing. It is a very different play style, infantry companies and tank companies. Also both play differently during the missions in the back of the book. Tank Komps usually attack and infantry komps usually defend.
In my opinion tanks are not better then infantry companies. Both have certain advantages.
- August 17, 2010 at 4:29 PM
- HERO said...
How do you think my first list (the one with Wittmann) will work? I haven't actually played a game yet, but I'm thinking it'll work quite nice. The second list I know will perform well because it's a really balanced list with a lot of things I can do.
- August 17, 2010 at 6:05 PM
- Big Jim said...
The first list is all about finesse, it will either win big or lose big. It is the nature of the Tiger company list.
The second list is ace, very similar to my LAH list; I have mortars instead of MG's.
- August 17, 2010 at 10:38 PM
- HERO said...
Is there a reason why you chose to go with extra Mortars instead of MGs? And can I attach a unlimited amount of units to my PzGrens? I was planning to attach 1x HMG and Pak40 to each. What is the norm to play at? If it's 1750, what would you add to bump the 1.SS list up?
- August 17, 2010 at 10:50 PM
- Taylor said...
Mortars to me are mandatory. You need artillery regardless of what type of company you are running. Any hit from artillery auto pins infantry. Smoke bombardment on tanks makes em move and lowers their rate of fire making it more difficult to soften up a defensive position.
I have learned a lot by signing up to the forums on the FOW site. There are some good discussions there about tactics for the various companies.
- August 18, 2010 at 5:28 PM
- HERO said...
How do Mortars fare compared to HMG?
- August 18, 2010 at 5:31 PM
- Joshua said...
Mortars are good against infantry and tanks. Smoke for tanks. HMG do nothing against tanks.
- August 18, 2010 at 5:53 PM
Mortars are the infantererymans best friends in that they give both smoke capacity and a way to pin enemy infantry, which is essential when you are about to assault. Smoke to limit defensive fires since you only see 15vm through it and to force tanks to move. Mortars also has a increased chance to range in which are very useful. Machineguns are invaluable against masses of enemy infantry buth are very vulnerable since they save as a gun team 5+. They are best used attached to combat platoons where they can hide among their fellows or dug in in good positions. Dug in troops are a pain to dig out and since tanks usually attacks they have to contend against it a lot. Some loose rules for building lists is to not use short infantery squads, expect subpar results for short platoons. Try to have one artillery element for smoke and one element for digging out dugin troops with 4+ or better firepower. Scouts are invaluable for tank lists since they can remove gone to ground and limit placement of ambushes. AA is also a very good idea in heavy tank lists since your biggest fear is airsupport and having to assault enginners or sappers. well thats some basic tips. Its a very deep game once you get into it. I recomend you take a look at some of the articles in http://www.flamesofwarcommand.com as well.
- August 20, 2010 at 8:52 AM


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It was not an easy accomplishment — I'd spent a day waiting in the Minnesota heat before I could board my plane, and I was a burnt out frazzled mess by the time I got wedged into my slot in the flying tin can, and then I spent most of the flight in a sweating, mildly nauseated lump. This was not a good start to the trip. But now I'm in my hotel in Köln, I forked over the exorbitant fee for the internet (which isn't very reliable), and took a shower…a long hot shower. I'm feeling pretty good now.
At some point, I shall have to emerge from my restful nest and forage. Germans have beer and food, right?


text:
Michael Kors releases limited edition sneaker for Facebook fans
Here on Long Island we love our hometown boy Michael Kors, but we're not the only ones.
Kors has gathered a whopping 5 million Facebook fans, and the Merrick-bred designer is celebrating with one of spring's must-have trends — a bold new pair of sneakers.
Fresh prints and wedges have transformed sneakers from sporty to fashion-forward this season, with Kors on the forefront (he released his second collection in March).
To thank his Facebook fans, he has designed a high-top graphic zebra print version with silvertone hardware, releasing only 500 pairs that will be sold through the Michael Kors Facebook page and at five Steve Madden stores worldwide for $275.
The only place they are carried in the U.S. is the Rockefeller Center store in Manhattan, and customers must provide sales associates with a special password, found only on Facebook.
Will you be one of the few people rocking these wild shoes? Tweet a photo of your look using hashtag #MK500, and include @NinaShopsNY so we can check it out, too.


text:
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Feed Hungry Every Sunday
October 6, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Sunday, repeating indefinitely
You can't go bed satiated while your neighbor is hungry.
Join Us and Forward Humanity Volunteers to help make 100 food packets for the hungry every Sunday 10am to 12pm at Downtown Islamic Center.


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ROCK HILL, South Carolina – March 23, 2011 – 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) announced today that it plans to present at the Maxim Group Growth Conference on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 9:30 AM EDT at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, NY. Damon Gregoire, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will update investors on the operational and strategic progress the company is making.
Investors are invited to follow the real-time audio webcast of the presentation that will be available on 3D Systems' website under the Investor Relations section at investor.3dsystems.com.
About 3D Systems Corporation
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D content-to-print solutions including 3D printers, print materials and on-demand custom parts services for professionals and consumers alike. The company also provides creative content development, design productivity tools and curation services and downloads. Its expertly integrated solutions replace, displace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, communicate, prototype and produce functional parts, empowering its customers to create with confidence.
More information on the company is available at www.3DSystems.com.
To experience 3D Systems' entire range of 3D content-to-print products and services please visit www.printin3D.com, production3dprinters.com, www.zcorp.com, www.toptobottomdental.com, www.quickparts.com, www.3Dproparts.com, www.bitsfrombytes.com, www.cubify.com, www.The3dStudio.com, www.alibre.com, www.freedomofcreation.com, www.botmill.com, www.print3d.com, www.sycode.com, blog.3dsystems.com, or via email at [email protected].


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Purpose of Lesson:
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the concept of photosynthesis to the class, gather information about prior knowledge that the students have, and provide connections with real life.
Major Strategies to Watch for:
1. Self assessed discussion strategy using sentence starters to ensure depth and participation.
2. Circle Map for Brainstorming and Evaluation of strength of conviction.
3. Frayer model for understanding a concept at a deep level.
Learning Goal: Discover how photosynthesis plays a role in our lives.
Opening Question: Where does the mass of a tree come from?
Students record their opening question on their learning goal sheet and are ready to start class 3 min after the bell has rung. I reward students who get started early with ROCK STAR SCIENTIST tickets.
Follow the links to learn more about the beginning of class strategies and ROCK STAR scientist tickets.
I start each unit with a pre-assessment to open up the student thinking and help uncover misconceptions. This allows be to modify my teaching, compact curriculum, form appropriate groups, and measure growth. By far the best formative probes I've found are by Page Keeley. She's written several books of probes including Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4.
These two probes, "Giant Sequoia Tree," and "Plants in the Dark and Light," are to elicit student understanding of photosynthesis and sunlight. I generally don't do both of the probes on the same day, but I'm putting them both in this section to show two different probes that could be used to tease out ideas.
In "Plants in the Dark and Light," students are given a situation with a plant that is put in the light and another one put in the dark. Students are asked to choose between four statements that predict the outcome of the experiment. Then students are asked to explain their thinking. This probe will indicate whether students are connecting sunlight with growth. In the student response, the student's answer indicates that they have correctly connected plant growth with sun.
In "Giant Sequoia Tree" the students are asked to decide what makes up the wood and leaves matter, listing items for students to choose from. This probe uncovers whether students understand that the mass of the tree comes from the carbon dioxide in the air.
In the student response, she choose the answer sunlight, indicated several misconceptions. She might think that sunlight has mass and cannot yet identify mass and energy. Also, she did not choose any other items.
These responses tell me that the students are not ready for this material to be compacted and while they have a strong connection with photosynthesis and sunlight, there is work to be done on the concept of matter, mass, and chemical reactions.
The purpose of this section is to get students interested in learning the subject. This is especially important for topics like photosynthesis because it has a "sciency" name AND students already think they know it!
For this opening I ask the students to discus photosynthesis using our sentence starters,
I walk around listening to the discussions and prompting students to use the sentence starters.
After we have had the discussion, I show this video.
I like to stop this video at different points to emphasize certain aspects. For example, I'll stop the video after the narrator proves that the mass could not come from the soil. I ask the kids to raise their hand if that was their prediction and then ask them to make a new prediction. In this way, genuine engagement builds throughout the video until the students are begging to know where the mass of the tree came from.
The purpose of this section is to pre-assess student knowledge and to give all students an understanding of the word "Photosynthesis."
I like to do this using a Circle map. This is a Thinking Map, designed to help students brainstorm within a framework. I have students draw a circle in their notebooks. Then they put in everything they know or think they know about photosynthesis. I ask students to put an exclamation mark by items they are very sure about, a period by items they are comfortable with and a question mark by items that are guesses. This is a wonderful way to not only get student information but also quickly get how solidly the students are holding onto ideas. It also gives permission for students to put down their guesses. This is essential for perfectionists who often won't write anything down if they aren't 100% sure of it.
This is a circle drawing showing student thinking. I was surprised by the items the students put down. In particular, it seemed clear that this student had a passion for learning about the ocean and was making all sorts of connections that were interesting.
Once we have done the circle maps and shared them with our partners, I ask students to take a note card and get ready to make a Frayer Model. Even though this is not the first Frayer Model we have made, I still make a picture on the board.
Below is a screencast of how I teach a Frayer Model. This is not the first Frayer Model of the year, so I wouldn't necessarily do a full focus lesson. But if students are struggling, it would be worth adding in some modeling.
Students then work with me to make the Frayer for Photosynthesis. Generally, I guide the thinking on the definition and the characteristics and let students guide the thinking on the examples and the non-examples. This ensures that students have the right information on their resource while still opening the class up to collaborative discussion.
At the end of the class students hand in their Frayer Models as a piece of evidence of understanding. They also make a wonderful display in the classroom!
The purpose of this section is to try to make the learning personal to the students.
I ask this question, "Now that we remember the word photosynthesis and have seen a video about photosynthesis, how does photosynthesis relate to you? Why are we studying this?
Again, we use the sentence starters;
When students are done, I have them self assess their discussion using our checklist.
_____ I stayed on topic
_____ I used the sentence starters.
_____ I listened and responded to my partner.
_____ I made connections to the real world.
The students record their score on their Student Learning Trackers.
When we have done that, I poll a few students to find out why they think photosynthesis is important to them. After listening to all the answers I make sure to make the point, "If you ate food today...then you relied on photosynthesis. So if eating is important to you, you should care about this process."
Closing Statement: "We have started understand the concept of photosynthesis. I hope when you look around at trees today you have some new thoughts about where they come from."
Closing Question: "Why do you think it is so surprising to think that most of the mass of a tree comes from carbon dioxide?"
Closure depends greatly on timing and is not as easy to plan in advance as opening. You can find more information about how I manage closure here.


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- spending time with loved ones
- sunshine - rain so doesnt!
- sitting on top of a mountain taking in its surroundings, beauty and majest or watching the ocean (being in the nature actually)
- being creative
- traveling
- great meal in good company
- a good cup of coffee
- discovering someting beautiful
- taking photos
- laughing till my stomach hurts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
9 comments:
- avant garde design said...
hey!! thanks for tagging me, i'll get to thinking of my 10 things too :) i was catching up on some of your posts, your pictures are lovely and your blog header is exquisite! i love the super up-close shot. also, your weekly roundup is beautiful as usual :) i believe that the story you told about your grandfather below was one of the sweetest things i've heard in a while, so true, so true!!
- February 23, 2010 at 7:13 PM
- nathalie et cetera said...
nice list! and about our necklaces and visiting Anairam, it's a deal! ;)
- February 23, 2010 at 8:23 PM
- jane said...
i wouldn´t change a thing. your list is perfect:) thanks for thinking of me! kisses!
- February 23, 2010 at 11:31 PM
- Cindy said...
i love the idea of adding them all together - traveling to a new mountain on a beautiful sunny day with a loved one, resting at the top with a cup of coffee and something delicious, a camera and laughing because you weren't sure you'd make it to the top or how you'll get down! i'll play, thanks for tagging me! xo, c
- February 24, 2010 at 12:04 AM
- Line said...
Thanks to you I will play very soon, I love your answers!!!
- February 24, 2010 at 5:28 AM
- Valentina Harper said...
*LOVE* your happy list!
- February 24, 2010 at 6:55 PM
- painted fish studio said...
is it crazy that i've been working too much this week, and am so hating winter, that i cannot think of things that make me happy? except for sleeping in? i'll try to think of some more. :)
- February 25, 2010 at 3:58 AM
- Anairam said...
Thanks for tagging me! I'll make a little list and post it over the weekend ... oh, goodness, there might be more than 10 because many things make me happy. Hey - are you and Nathalie coming to visit me? Yippeee!
- February 25, 2010 at 5:17 PM
- Jesse said...
Thanks for the tag! I'll get onto my list soon. (I love yours, it immediately started me thinking.)
- March 1, 2010 at 9:58 AM


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The struggling Smash, which NBC is moving to Saturdays starting April 6, will close out its second (and likely final) season in late May or early June by sending the main characters to the Tony Awards. A trip to Broadway's big night "was part of the pitch that got me the job," says executive producer Josh Safran, who took over as showrunner this season. "It's an event that doesn't necessarily require you to be nominated to be there. People attend, perform and present awards. And there is a song that involves the entire lead cast."
Some of the talent will be up for awards. "I've been around people when they received nominations," Safran says, "so that was something that was important to capture: rewarded and dashed hopes."
These Tonys, shot at Manhattan's Marriott Marquis Hotel, will feature a slew of Broadway stars appearing as themselves: Rosie O'Donnell (Grease), Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu), Ron Rifkin (Cabaret), Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens), Lillias White (The Life), Marin Mazzie (Spamalot) and choreographer-director Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes). "It's a pretty eclectic group," says Safran, who also welcomes back theater legend Bernadette Peters as Ivy's mother.
Despite the unlikelihood of a third Smash season, the finale will lay the groundwork for future storylines. "Not everything is wrapped up," Safran says. "But the episode could also serve as a series finale should it need to."


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Praise for Marie Lu's New York Times bestseller LEGEND:
From USA TODAY:
"Marie Lu's dystopian novel is a Legend in the making."
From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:
"Fine writing and excellent execution. Sequel, please!"
From THE NEW YORK TIMES:
"Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it."
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
"An action-packed love story full of inventive details."
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
"Lu's debut is a stunner. . . raises hopes high for the sequels to come. "
STARRED REVIEW from KIRKUS REVIEWS:
"A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles. This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes."
STARRED REVIEW from BOOKLIST:
"[D]elicious details keep pages turning . . . you've got the makings for a potent sequel."
STARRED REVIEW from VOYA:
"A fast-paced blend of action and science fiction (with only a hint of potential romance) means that this one will likely appeal to male and female readers alike. Debut author Lu has managed a great feat—emulating a highly successful young adult series while staying true to her own voice. Legend will give Hunger Games fans something worthwhile to read."
STARRED REVIEW from LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION:
"This book stands out . . ."
FROM KAMI GARCIA, New York Times bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures trilogy
"A romantic thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is what it seems—Legend is impossible to put down and even harder to forget."
FROM SARAH REES BRENNAN, author of The Demon Lexicon trilogy
"A compelling dystopic world, with diverse characters, high tension and political intrigue. [If] you liked the Hunger Games, you'll love this."
Don't miss the highly-anticipated sequel, PRODIGY!
Featured on ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S MUST-LIST!
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
"Marie Lu has beaten the curse with Prodigy. . . it has all the chivalry of Robin Hood and all the shine and grime of Blade Runner . . . The well-drawn worlds, political undercurrents and the believability of the characters make it all feel fresh . . . Lu proves that a Book 2 needn't play second fiddle, providing intrigue and deep pleasure all its own."
From THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS:
". . . clear your calendar to allow yourself the luxury of reading this book in one or two sittings. You will be shaken . . ."
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
"Lu opts for a high simmer of intrigue in her sequel to Legend…taut and insightful."
STARRED REVIEW from SHELF AWARENESS:
"Stunning follow-up to Legend . . . The thrilling action and futuristic settings are sure to please fans of Divergent."


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A TOWNSVILLE toddler found a nest of eggs in his yard and took them into his bedroom only to have them hatch out a clutch of one of the world's most venomous species of snakes.
Kyle Cumming's mother Donna Sim received the shock of her life when she went to open her three-year-old son's bedroom wardrobe on Monday.
Inside was a takeaway container filled with seven squirming baby snakes, later identified to be eastern brown snakes - regarded as the world's second-deadliest species behind the inland taipan.
Kyle had found the eggs in his yard several weeks ago, and asked his mum for a container to place them into.
Ms Sim said she didn't think any more of it until she had discovered the container in her son's wardrobe, full of hatchlings.
Fortunately, Kyle had clamped the lid of the container down firmly, and the snakes had not yet grown large enough to push it off and escape.
"I was pretty shocked, particularly because I don't like snakes," Ms Sim said.
She and her son took the container to Billabong Sanctuary, where rangers contacted local wildlife carers to release the reptiles back into the wild.
Kyle's older sister Shannon Sim, 22, said that her brother loved all animals, and enjoyed following the adventures of one of his heroes, survival expert Bear Grylls.
Kyle has since been given a stiff talking to about the dangers of picking up snakes.
"He's a real country boy," Shannon said. "He was a bit sorry to see them go. He wanted to keep them."
Eastern brown snakes are extremely aggressive and their venom is responsible for most lethal snake bites recorded in Australia.
North Queensland Wildlife Care reptile co-ordinator Trish Prendergast said Kyle was lucky he did not get bitten.
"He is extremely lucky that his mother found them before he opened up the container and played with them," she said.
"Otherwise he may not be with us today."
Townsville Bulletin
Originally published asMum found snakes in toddler's wardrobe


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President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors at 17 Herbert Place, Dublin 2
As Guidance Counsellor, Teacher , National PRO, IGC and Now President, of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors my Aims and Objectives are as follows:
To reverse the cuts to the Guidance & Counselling service and restore ex-quota status
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Grow up: Young rapper needs time
Black Market
The Wall
Strong Quality Music
I first met Black Market a few months back while hanging out down at the 91.9 station. I was there to support some friends of mine who were debuting their new EP on the Boombox, Charlottesville's late night hip-hop show.
Black Market and his crew were all there plugging his new LP, The Wall. His manager/label owner was also present handing out flyers and promotional samplers of the album. I was a nobody to most of the people in the room. By that I mean to them I was not a player in this rap game.
After receiving a sampler and flyer, I was pretty eager to meet this guy. When the round of cordial greetings came to me, I was shocked to see that Black Market was the slight young kid standing in the corner with his hat and head low. When I shook his hand, he barely glanced up to make eye contact. The vibe was less than inviting.
I quickly turned away, unimpressed by his demeanor, and moved my attention to other things (among which picking my cuticles was a high priority).
After the session I hopped in my car and popped in the sampler. The first track had a nice party vibe. The production was solid. I could see that this was intended to be the first radio single. The track loop was a bit repetitive, but for the most part club tracks are supposed to be that way. Black Market's rhymes were well thought out and flowed nicely over the staccato beat. He didn't spit anything terribly impressive, but I was interested to hear more.
Market's manager slipped me a copy of the full length later. I had a long drive, so I popped in the CD. The intro cut was an annoying minute-plus of Black Market talking about how his time had come. All the while his narrative was sprinkled with sound effects– a kind of pseudo-Jay Z introduction. I skipped it.
As a matter of fact, a minute into the next three tracks prompted me to skip them also. I did stop at the Illustrious-produced "The #1 Contender," a battle track that served some witty punch lines. The next track, "I Know Now," was pretty weak. I was getting discouraged.
"Daily Bread" came next, a minimalist track with some bounce. Aside from the cheesy synth strings brought in mid-way through the song, it had some flare.
Market's lyrics seem more focused and less derivative of other commercial rappers. My favorite cut is probably the title track, coincidentally produced by Illustrious. I used a sample from Jeremy Storch's "I Feel a New Shadow Now," made famous as the intro music to DJ Shadow's groundbreaking Endtroducing album.
Nice touch. The album ended the same way it began– with a self-indulgent outro.
I listened to the album a few more times before I shelved it. Each listen became more enjoyable, but I still wanted more from Black Market. There's nothing daring about The Wall. It pretty much sticks to the standard "here's a rap record" formula.
With a little more maturity and life experience, Black Market could do well. Until then, there are other albums I would rather listen to.
Black Market


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- WiFi
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Surrounded by a lush garden, Restel De Fer is a 5-minute walk from Lake Garda. This 15th-century property offers functional rooms and apartments with a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi and free private parking. Rooms are decorated in a Mediterranean style with wrought-iron beds, and include a flat-screen TV and private bathroom. Apartments feature a living area with kitchenette and balcony, and are located in the annex building just across the road. The restaurant opens upon request and offers Italian and regional specialties, including locally produced cheese, fish from the lake, and wine from the hotel's cellar. Breakfast is served every day, including sweet and savory food, both hot and cold. The on-site parking is monitored with CCTV. Guests can relax in the large garden, furnished with sun loungers. Free bicycles are provided for exploring Riva del Garda, 0.6 mi away.


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Less than a year after signing a four-year deal with the Giants that could have been worth $28 million, Terrell Thomas has agreed to a new one-year contract with the team for substantially less money. The old contract, like his last three right anterior cruciate ligaments, has been torn up and replaced.
Thomas will attempt to return from a third career ACL surgery in 2013. He missed the last two seasons with back-to-back preseason injuries to the right knee and has not played in a regular-season game since the 2010 finale.
"It's been a long two years," he said Monday. "It's definitely been a test of my will."
Thomas was due a $6-million roster bonus this spring, a provision the Giants negotiated into last year's contract to protect themselves against injuries such as the one Thomas suffered in the first days of the 2012 training camp. They had no intention of paying that, but they wanted to keep him. Thus the new deal.
Thomas said his rehab is going well in Pensacola, Fla., and last week he began running on the ground without any pain or swelling.
As for the position he plays in 2013, that depends on how well his comeback goes. General manager Jerry Reese said in a radio interview shortly after the 2012 season that Thomas might have to consider a move to safety to stay in the league.
"Obviously, my physical play translates into being a safety," Thomas said.
But Thomas said he spoke with Reese, Tom Coughlin and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell Monday and that they envision him as a cornerback who could move to safety if the situation warrants a switch.
"At this point, I don't care if they move me to kicker," Thomas said. "I just want to play football."
Diehl pleads guilty to DWI
Tackle David Diehl pleaded guilty Monday morning in Queens Criminal Court to charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and impaired driving last June, according to a release from the Queens District Attorney's office.
The release said Diehl bounced his black BMW off several parked cars on an Astoria street after watching a Euro Cup soccer match at a bar. Prosecutors said his blood-alcohol level at the time was .182 and he could have faced up to a year in jail.
The release said the charges will be conditionally discharged if Diehl completes two drunken- driving programs, pays $1,200 in restitution fees to the owners of the cars he hit and stays out of trouble for the next 90 days. He will have to wear a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) bracelet during that time and is not allowed to drive or apply for a driver's license for the next six months.


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From the mailbag:
Mr Girardot,
Just wanted to let you know that the fate of Christine Collins has been solved. Collins is listed in the death index under Christin Collins. This linked her name to a Kathleen Collins in the social security death index. Collins indicated that this was an alias she used after the high profile trial. The time period fits and I'm fairly certain it is her. Collins died on 12/8/1964. There is also an interesting back story. At one point in time, she was staying with James C. Borton in 1930. Borton took in Collins because he and her father were members of the Knights of Pythias. She also spent sometime in Oakland Californa in the early 1930's, with friends they met when the family was in Hawaii. At one point in time she took a telephone number under an assumed name as well. As it turns out, her sister, at one point in time, was listed on a passenger manifest as visiting Hong Kong in 1930, in the midst of the events involving her son. She is listed under race as Octoroon. Even in my work as an Archivist, I have never come acrossed that term. It's a guess, but I believe that Aimee Dunne was of Chinese Origin, which I also thought was an interesting note.
I'm planning on taking the research further and write a book. I've spent too much time learning about this family, so I need to justify it somehow!
Chris Garmire
California State Archives


text:
Friday, 6 November 2009
Chanel holiday Eyeliner Duo in Celadon-Lame
This is a heavily applied dry swatch
This swatch is what you get used wet (you can bearly see the sparkle in the green now I have used it more).
9 comments:
I hate it when they put on overlay's, its so dissapointing once that top layer is gone!ReplyDelete
They look really nice used wet though!
absolutely gorgeous!!!ReplyDelete
I'm with Jo, I find overlays pointless. I'd much rather see the colour I'm getting. They do look nice used wet though.ReplyDelete
I agree about the pointelss overlays, but I really like the look of this due - especially love the look of the grey dry swatch - its a lovely shade xReplyDelete
Hello Jobetterdays,ReplyDelete
I'm sure Chanel have done this in the past with quite a few things, it is annoying, guess there is something to be said about looking at testers after they have been used a few times ! Thanks for your comment
Hi Whit,
I am really liking the green, its quite a high impact shade used wet. Thanks for visiting.
Hello Grace,
I think in future I should check online before hand to find out if its just an overlay. Glad I like the true colours or I would be really miffed ! x
Hi Mizzworthy,
I think its a very easy to wear duo, I bet lots of people will buy it in the store though thinking its all sparkly. Thanks
Actually, I like both versions, dry and wet. Used dry they look like pretty wearable shades, but when they're wet, oh my, they rock! Can you please do an EOTD or rather an EOTN, as I think that wet they'd be lovely on a night out... (though I doubt you get out much after dark with your little RBR lipstick destroyer, hehe!) xxReplyDelete
Hi Anna,ReplyDelete
I'll try and do a look with it as soon as possible, getting a good picture of it will be another matter :) Night out, I don't think I have been on a night out since he was born, how sad is that ! x
I love this combination....I have a Chanel black and sparkly grey duo and wear it all the time. They're gorgeous textures and perfect for flat-lining.ReplyDelete
Hi Bristishbeautyblogger,ReplyDelete
I do think it will sell really well, and I agree the texture is really good. Thanks for visiting :)


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If I have a button control on a window, say MyButton, and I want to change its position to the left by a fixed amount from its current position. In pseudo terms:
Naturally I thought using a GetWindowRect()/SetWindowPos() combo would be the way, but in classic winApi fashion, Windows has gotten everything mixed up again: apparently SetWindowPos operates on client co-ordinates (upper left of parent window is origin) whereas GetWindowRect operates on screen co-ordinates.Code:MyButton.x = MyButton.x + amount;
So what function(s) would I use to get MyButton's current x position and increase by a certain amount?
I've even tried compensating for the difference between client and screen coordinates by subtracting the button's left value by its window's left value to try to obtain its relative client coordinates, but alas its not as easy as this... I mean c'mon... how hard is it to make a GetWindowPos function to complement SetWindowPos' use of client co-ordinates.


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Michael Robertson's latest quixotic venture has much in common with his earlier adventures in entrepreneurship, such as MP3.com, his Linux distro, VoIP service and locker music.
These have divided opinion, you might say; they're viewed either as fabulously "disruptive" innovations, or solutions looking for a problem to fix that end up as spectacularly ill-judged wastes of everyone's time.
They've actually always been a bit of both, although since MP3.com, they've tended towards the latter rather than the former. And since Robertson stomps in where others fear to tread, all have generated huge income for lawyers – the real winners in each case.
Robertson describes his latest, DAR.fm, as a "TiVo for radio". It caches the world's radio stations and puts them in the cloud – where they become searchable on-demand streams. It's still at the experimental stage – feedback is welcome. As you might expect, Robertson has no licences, arguing that no licence is needed (in the US) to record radio. He told us, via email:
This specific issue has been litigated in the US when Cablevision launched its RS-DVR (remote storage). Media companies sued them alleging copyright infringement. The courts found that Cablevision wasn't doing any copying even though they design, built and warehoused the servers in their office. Instead they found that the users were doing the recording. This was the Cartoon Network v Cablevision case. A month ago Cablevision launched the commercial version of this service.
The web UI is barebones. Dar.fm uses the client software that has been built for Robertson's cloud music service MP3tunes. Which means Airband for iPhone or iPad; clients for Android, Palm and Windows Phone; and embedded software in net radios and TVs. There are no frills – no discovery or social features – and there are some odd categorical errors. The legendary diva Monica Lynch of freeform radio station WFMU finds herself in the "talk radio" section, for example. While I doubt anyone is more deserving of their own chat show, it isn't actually a talk show.
So what value does Dar.fm create? If you're already using a client-side radio recorder, such as Radioshift, then the answer is none. How about convenience? Admittedly, once you've set up your TiVo-like choices, you don't have to return to them, or leave the computer on – but it is still an extra set of hoops to jump through. And the content still buffers, as all internet radio does.
The greater problem is that radio is not TV. While TV has its sprinkling of "must-watch shows", radio is an ambient medium and most of it is "consumed" as a background activity. Most of it is designed to be in one ear and out the other – and there is nothing wrong with that, it can still be great radio. The broadcasters already know what their "must-listen" shows are, and they know the value of them – most have been available as on-demand as podcasts for years. And the broadcasters know the value of these – which in some cases are more famous than the station that produces them. These shows are a vital link to getting to know their audience, so they're not going to cede that information to a third-party that doesn't offer something fantastic in return.
So for Dar.fm to succeed it has to offer something quite unique to the broadcasters. What might this be? A common infrastructure that lowers their transaction costs might be one – but it isn't a problem that needs a solution at the moment – sticking a podcast on the web isn't that expensive, and Google provides the search and discovery. It's hard to see what "problem" Dar.fm, or something like it, might be trying to "solve".
But I might be wrong... You can find out for yourself here. ®
The first mention of a "TiVo for Radio" at El Reg pops up 11 years ago – in this report.


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How Great Was Churchill?
Winston's War: Churchill, 1940–1945
Code word "Cromwell"—the warning that German invasion was imminent—was communicated to British army units on September 5, 1940. The 130th Infantry Brigade of the 43rd (Wessex) Division, in which I was serving, was rushed to the southeast coast to take up positions in and around Dover, the British port nearest to occupied France. Our division was said, after the losses at Dunkirk, to be the only fully equipped division in England, but most of us had no experience of war, and in training we had fired only our World War I rifles; there was no ammunition for practice with mortars or antitank weapons. A likely beach for a German landing, St. Margaret's Bay, a crescent of sand to the east of Dover, was defended by some two hundred Dorset soldiers of my old battalion. (I had just become the brigade intelligence officer because I was fluent in French and German.) I visited them often and found them enthusiastic and full of confidence. "Jerry going to get a nasty shock if he tries to land here," they said.
At the end of the war I read the German invasion plan, Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion). St. Margaret's Bay was one of the main landing beaches all right—heavy air and sea bombardment, parachute troops behind the beach, amphibious and armored units from the sea, followed by infantry divisions would descend on our two hundred faithful defenders with their ancient rifles. Even in 1940 we might have foreseen at least some of this nightmare for ourselves and quailed at the grotesque imbalance of forces, but fortunately Winston Churchill had captured our imaginations. That growling, indomitable voice on the radio had told us that this was our finest hour. In the absence of adequate numbers, armament, experience, or training, his words were our best, perhaps our only, defense. Luckily we did not, in the end, have to put it to the test of resisting a German invasion. Although it was impossible at that time to imagine how we might win the war, it was inconceivable to us that we should lose it. That too was part of the Churchill effect.
Of Winston Churchill at this time Max Hastings writes:
His supreme achievement in 1940 was to mobilise Britain's warriors, to shame into silence its doubters, and to stir the passions of the nation, so that for a season the British people faced the world united and exalted. The "Dunkirk spirit" was not spontaneous. It was created by the rhetoric and bearing of one man, displaying powers that will define political leadership for the rest of time.
Hastings's Winston's War: Churchill, 1940–1945 is a magnificent achievement. After the vast number of works on Churchill that have appeared in the last sixty-five…
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Knowledge Management – Closing the gap between theory and practice
1. Knowledge Management – Where do we stand?
Knowledge management (KM) has, in the meantime, been accepted and has grown since the beginning in the field of management. One finds very different approaches of corporate knowledge management such as process oriented knowledge management, theme oriented knowledge management (e.g. concentration on CRM, SCM et al.), knowledge management as synonym to organised learning or innovation management, technical oriented knowledge management (i.e. focusing on the use of information systems to support storing or distributing knowledge). The different perspectives make it considerably harder to measure resp. evaluate the success of knowledge management – here understood as a cross divisional function within companies.
The feedback from management about KM in practice often brings up disappointment and reports about project failures. Besides, there are often false or unrealistic expectations towards knowledge management. Therefore scholars have started to systematically research the preconditions of success and to develop methods to analyse strengths and weaknesses. In the past, there were no doubts on the usefulness of KM activities, but in a time of tight budgets, pure argumentation is not enough. The investigation of usability and efficiency of KM activities, sometimes called performance measuring, is becoming more and more important.
From the perspective of science, knowledge management, today, is a very heterogeneous area in which ideas from different fields are integrated. According to the field of reference the subject can be technically understood (e.g. use of Wikis or information portals), seen as responsibility of personal development (e.g. promoting the exchange of knowledge through changing the organisational culture), but also reduced to the application of Data Mining and Business‑Intelligence technologies (acquiring knowledge from databases).
Until now, in traditional approaches of knowledge management, it was hardly or not at all taken into consideration that knowledge is actually necessary for all human activities. In the most cases, it is considered natural that it should be available or that its availability was assured through another agent (e.g. acquisition of employees with a particular qualification or through training of new employees). A closer look at this situation reveals that there is no clear line between what is taken for granted or where the necessary knowledge can be acquired without difficulty and the specific "knowledge" through which knowledge management could be actively steered. Consequently a deficit resp. a blind spot results in knowledge management which could be avoided through a broader view. It should be noted that knowledge management is definitely a duty of the management, and the most important requirement for success lies in the definition of clear goals and requirements, combined with pre‑determined personal responsibility. Knowledge management is then useful for the whole organisation as well as for each employee.
The number of all possibly relevant areas of knowledge, information, skills etc. naturally exceeds the possibilities of a conscious and active management. There will always be areas in a company, in which one has to trust that the co‑worker already has or will have the ability to acquire the needed knowledge. For the scholars, it is important to define the borders between knowledge and learning forms which are considered as taken for granted and the ones in which active management is required. The task of finding the borders has naturally to do with the identification of strategic relevant knowledge (or better areas of knowledge) and up to now, has not been sufficiently clarified.
The necessity of a systematic knowledge management is hardly questioned within organizations. The knowledge of companies as well as their members is considered as one of the main factors influencing the innovation capabilities and the economic performance of organizations. However it has to be repeated that it appears that organizations are often unsatisfied with their knowledge management outcomes. This may be caused by the fact that established knowledge management measurement models and established evaluation models respectively are still missing. But it may be more likely that existing approaches and instruments still need to be improved. Especially in economic hard times, which often lead to decreasing budgets, knowledge managers and CKOs respectively are confronted with a growing pressure to provide evidence that expenditures in knowledge management are justified.
2. The selected papers
How can organizations tailor, use, and extend techniques and tools from knowledge management for improving their business practices and processes?
Building upon existing work on knowledge management (KM) and organizational learning, the conference promoted interdisciplinary approaches from several disciplines. Continuing the success of the ECKM conference series since 2000, the 2011 conference held at the University of Passau on 1‑2 September 2011 provided an international communication forum bringing together academia and industry for discussing the progress made and addressing the challenges faced by continuous learning in knowledge‑intensive organizations. The programme included nine streams with more than 130 papers focusing on various areas of KM. As in the previous conferences, business applications were the most important field, but other emerging areas were also well represented. There was a good balance between the technical contributions and sociological, organisational, and psychological research. In some cases, the presentations focused on very specific aspect (from knowledge sharing to KM measurement), which also testifies that the research has started to focus on detailed problems.
This special issue is a selection of the best papers presented at the 11th edition of the European Conference on Knowledge Management (ECKM). The following papers have been selected due to their relevance for the advancement of the discipline:
2.1 Xiaoyan Bai, David White and David Sundaram: Contextual Adaptive Knowledge Visualization Environments
As an essential component of knowledge management systems, visualizations assist in creating, transferring and sharing knowledge in a wide range of contexts where knowledge workers need to explore, manage and get insights from tremendous volumes of data. Knowledge visualization context may incorporate any information in regard to the decisional problem context within which visualizations are applied, the visualization profiles of knowledge workers as well as their intended purposes. To address the contextual complexities, visualization systems to support knowledge management need to provide flexible support for the creation, manipulation, transformation and improvement of visualization solutions. With CAVE (Contextual Adaptive Visualization Environment) a flexible knowledge visualization system for better aiding knowledge creation, transfer and sharing has been designed and implemented.
2.2 Zoltán Gaál, Lajos Szabó, Nóra Obermayer‑Kovács and Anikó Csepregi: Middle Managers' Maturity of Knowledge Sharing: Investigation of Middle Managers Working at Medium‑ and Large‑sized Enterprises
Since middle managers have an important position within the organization and play a significant role in the knowledge sharing process, the authors focus on the knowledge sharing of middle managers who work at medium and large‑sized enterprises in Hungary. A new method of how to measure middle managers' maturity of knowledge sharing is presented. Between 2007 and 2010 an empirical survey was conducted and 400 middle managers in SMEs interviewed. The main influence factors identified are the availability among middle managers, the availability among the middle managers and their subordinates, the usefulness of knowledge among middle managers and the usefulness of knowledge among the middle managers and their subordinates.
2.3 Markus Haag and Yanqing Duan: Understanding Personal Knowledge Development in Online Learning Environments: An Instrument for Measuring Externalisation, Combination and Internalisation
The authors investigate personal knowledge development in online learning environments using the perspective of a model adapted from the SECI model. The SECI model, which was originally designed to describe organisational knowledge creation and conversion, was adapted to conceptualise personal knowledge development in online learning at the individual level (the so‑called EC‑I model). A measurement instrument based on a structural equation model has been developed and applied on data collected through an online survey, in which online learners report on their experiences of personal knowledge development in online learning environments.
2.4 Dan Paulin and Kaj Suneson: Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Barriers – Three Blurry Terms in KM
As the discipline is still missing a common understanding of main terms three of them are picked up and discussed in detail, namely knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing and knowledge barriers. Knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing are sometimes used synonymously or are considered to have overlapping content. Several authors have pointed out this confusion while other authors have attempted to clarify the differences and define the terms. Knowledge barriers as a term seem to have a partly more obvious content although the borders between knowledge barriers and connecting terms, such as 'barriers to knowledge sharing', seem to blur discussions and views. This paper concludes by highlighting the effects on the terms when two different knowledge perspectives, knowledge as an object (or the K‑O view) and knowledge as a subjective contextual construction (or the K‑SCC view) are applied. The clarifications are supported by examples from companies in different industries.
2.5 Virginia Maracine, Luca Iandoli, Emil Scarlat and Adriana Sarah Nica: Knowledge use and Sharing into a Medical Community of Practice; the Role of Virtual Agents (Knowbots)
The article presents the results of a research project aiming to capture the changes that a medical organization specialized in rehabilitation (the National Institute of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine from Bucharest, Romania ‑ INRMFB) has to undertake for converting its classical structure into a new, knowledge‑oriented one. This transition generates new issues in knowledge creation and sharing processes, related to the particularities of the new organizational forms. The methodological basis is a Social Network Analysis (SNA). The critical aspects and areas of improvements (e.g. knowledge needs, knowledge bottlenecks, structural determinants of inefficiency or of poor performance) where identified and the functional specifications defined.
2.6 Ciara Heavin and Frederic Adam: Characterising the Knowledge Approach of a Firm: An Investigation of Knowledge Activities in Five Software SMEs
An organisation's ability to successfully compete in a changing market place is depending from its ability to manage what it knows. Sometimes it is argued that due to their size, knowledge management (KM) is not a concern for smaller organisations. As we can see this is not true in the current economic situation. Therefore a study was carried out in order to classify the knowledge activities (KAs) of a Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in terms of the type and extent to which knowledge is managed. The output from this study provides insight into how SMEs are motivated to deal with knowledge as a mean of achieving their organisational objectives.
2.7 Jan Pawlowski and Markus Bick: The Global Knowledge Management Framework: Towards a Theory for Knowledge Management in Globally Distributed Settings
This article introduces the Global Knowledge Management Framework (GKMF) which describes components and influence factors of knowledge management in globally distributed settings. The framework identifies the key aspects when designing knowledge management processes and systems and can be used for two main purposes. On the one hand, it guides development processes by providing a solution space and success factors for decision makers as well as implementers. On the other hand, it is a reference for researchers to compare research in the field by providing a common set of context descriptions as well as aspects influencing the success of knowledge management solutions. The application of the framework is demonstrated in two scenarios.
3. Signals from the 11th ECKM: KM on the way to a cumulative research tradition
Going back to the introductory statements and linking them to the main results from the conference, several questions arise. Are we focusing the essential aspects? Are we taking the right measures to solve practical problems? How can we make sure that KM works at all in practice?
After more than 10 years of ECKM and more than 20 years of KM the discussion about the future of this research field already has been initiated in the editorial of a previous special issue of EJKM (Vol 8, Jan 2010) edited by Ettore Bolisani and Enrico Scarso. Three major findings where indicated which are summarized and the progress reconsidered.
- First, there may be a sort of "identity" problem. Today, many researchers and practitioners declare they work in the field of KM. But can we say that KM is a well‑defined disciplinary area in the management sciences, with established objects, boundaries, and methods? Or is it just a different way to see topics that are also considered in other areas and fields? This suspicion comes from the fact that knowledge is a pervasive term that tends to be used substantially in all the branches of management, economics, organisation science, but also psychology, sociology, computer sciences etc. …. This clearly raises a question of definition: to institutionalise KM as a discipline, the characteristics of KM, its typical research objects, methods and foundational references, should be clarified and "declared".
KM is still an open discipline and scholars still differ about the basic functions of knowledge management. There are many "schools of thoughts" or convictions which can be irritating for practitioners as one is looking for a clear solution to an existing problem. The challenge is to consolidate competing models and concepts as well as further developing them into practically usable tools. This means that a considerable demand for discussion is needed among scholars because these different basic positions don't allow any holistic insights and lead to a confusion of results by the use of the same terminology with different meanings. A first step might be the foundation of IAKM (the International Association of KM) which has been initiated at the Passau conference and intends to raise the quality of the research outcome as well as a common definition of the basics. At the moment, unfortunately, the wheel is reinvented too often.
- What are the scientific approaches that are the most appropriate to study KM? And is this question relevant, or useless? As our small selection of papers clearly demonstrates, diverging methods are often used by different researchers, which clearly reflect the broad coverage of KM topics. Case‑studies and surveys are still important for those that study organisational or sociological aspects, while mathematical and logical approaches (including semantics and ontologies) are especially used by people that study computer applications applied to KM. …. This is clearly a rich toolbox, but in our opinion, the question is not just to identify the "most appropriate" method out of these, but rather to reflect on the comparative usefulness and applicability of each of them to the various research situations and objects. This is directly connected with the particular interpretation of the notion of "knowledge" that each study adopts.
The whole field of information systems research had an intensive discussion of rigor vs. relevance as the guiding research principle. What was seen as contradictory in the beginning is meanwhile no longer in contrast to each other. As we know, the use of formal models is often the reason for a contrast between the "hard" sciences (mostly based on mathematical models) and the human and social sciences that deal with more elusive and ambiguous objects. In the case of KM, things are more complicated because this is by nature a multidisciplinary field, where researchers pick their methods and research objects from different disciplines and areas. Despite of the complexity which has to be considered there is no doubt about the need of a sound research design and suitable research methods on a high level. Both are still missing in many studies and publications which reduces the acceptance and the value of the results within the scientific community. In addition to that longitudinal studies would be valuable in order to find out if the situation or assumptions change over time.
- A third question is particularly relevant for practitioners. Is KM really becoming an established component of the managerial practice?
Knowledge management is a rather new and fast developing scientific discipline, which originally came out of the real needs of companies to properly manage knowledge assets as unique value‑adding economic resource in high‑volatile technology‑enabled global environment. KM is intended to support enterprises to acquire and communicate knowledge among employees, to preserve the knowledge of key employees, to handle information overload and (re‑) gain competitive advantages. The feedback from companies on the one hand shows that KM meanwhile is well established but on the other hand a clear and accountable contribution to the success of a business is missing. It is evidenced by several studies that there is no doubt about the importance of systematic KM activities but also that most managers are highly unsatisfied with the contribution so far.
This critical review two years after the reflection by Ettore Bolisani and Enrico Scarso shows that the discipline faces major challenges on its way to an acknowledged discipline. A few more topics have been identified in the meantime which are prolonging the list. Especially SMEs which have to cope with a lack of financial resources are increasingly dependent of knowledge, skills and commitment of each individual employee. KM provides systematic models, procedures and instruments to cope with change but most of them apply only to bigger companies. The peculiarities of KM in SMEs need to be investigated more intensive. This is important, since these peculiarities imply a different way of managing knowledge compared to the demands of large enterprises. A challenge is furthermore the management of knowledge flows across the boundaries of companies including global knowledge management (ie. KM within globally acting companies). There is also an abundance of instruments to perform a valid diagnosis of KM activities within companies. Also the question remains of the usefulness of the existing instruments and the results they yield, e.g. whether the results could be used to outline or guide the way of shaping KM by proposing solutions or instruments. It is at least from a scientific point of view questionable, whether the usefulness of most of the instruments is overridden by the efforts of its utilization or not.
At the first glance this critical remarks can be seen rather pessimistic but a closer look at scientific progress shows a similar begin and similar problems in most new fields. The unsolved problems are stimulating and encouraging especially for younger scholars and open a wide field for engagement. Two recommendations as a result from the discussions during the conference could guide the next years of research efforts:
- Firstly, contributing to a cumulative research tradition by grounding the research activities on sound theories and commonly accepted research methods
- and secondly, investing in the empirical validation of (the numerous existing) models and methods not in the creation of new ones!
Franz Lehner
University of Passau
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