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Toronto, the largest city in Canada, is mulling the possibility of not responding to private alarms, citing a false alarm rate that looks bad even within that context.
According to a report from the Toronto Star, just 300 of the 20,000 private alarm calls Toronto police responded to in 2012 turned out to be legitimate. As a result, an internal police steering committee is reviewing the cost-savings that could be reaped by scaling back on alarm response (among other services), the report said.
By doing so, the committee estimates the police force could realize $613,222 in savings, according to the report. That amounts to 10,960 officer hours.
Additionally, the committee recommended police stop taking reports on lost or stolen property whose value does not exceed $500.
From a law enforcement perspective, it's sensible to do away with writing redundant reports for lost property, particularly when other institutions are better suited to deal with such events. But what could a non-response policy portend for alarm companies who would then have to provide private response services themselves? Not only do companies stand to incur the costs associated with this; they also stand to lose what many in the industry view as the most vital element of the value proposition of an alarm system—the guarantee of police response in the event of a legitimate alarm.
False alarms (and what to do about them) remain among the most polarizing issues in the alarm industry today. It continues to define, and sometimes roil, the relationship between private alarm companies and law enforcement.
So what's can be done? The theories about how to mitigate false alarms tend to diverge and dovetail, making the issue especially complex and difficult to navigate, much less reach a conclusion on. Some believe a clear and properly enforced ordinance, bolstered by measures such as cross-zoning and enhanced call verification, will do the trick, with fines for offending alarms helping to offset the losses. Others say private response is the inevitable long-term solution.
Others still, such as PPVAR, believe the relationship between law enforcement and the industry can and should remain intact so long as the alarm installed base evolves technologically and municipalities move toward a verified response approach (that's not to say the industry is in full agreement over what constitutes a verified alarm). The organization also espouses new video verification standards.
The issue continues to be a fraught one, with no definite solution in sight. To be sure, many cities have made great strides with false alarm reduction. But cases such as Toronto are a resounding reminder that there's room for improvement.
It was big news last summer when Provo, Utah-based Vivint opened a new 400-employee sales center in Liberty Lake, Wash., suburb of Spokane. But now, barely a year later, Vivint is closing that center, the company says.
Starr Fowler, Vivint's VP of human resources, provided this statement: "It has been a pleasure to be part of the Liberty Lake community, which has hosted one of Vivint's sales centers for the past year. Due to a reallocation of resources, the Vivint Liberty Lake office will close on June 27, 2014. At that time, all employees are eligible to receive severance, and some employees will be offered the opportunity to relocate to Provo, UT. If of interest, employees are encouraged to apply for other positions with Vivint, and their application will be considered. Vivint remains committed to providing world-class customer service to its more than 800,000 customers across North America."
It's not clear exactly why Vivint is reallocating resources away from the center. According to reports from Washington state media, it's also unclear whether Vivint ever reached its planned goal of hiring 400 employees.
The new center was billed as part of the home automation/ home security company's plan to diversify its sales channel by increasing inside sales. Vivint has been known primarily as a door-knocking company. Vivint has said the Liberty Lake center was its second inside sales center and its first outside of Utah.
Vivint received a $150,000 incentive to open the Liberty Lake center from an economic development fund managed by the Washington governor's office, according to The Spokesman-Review.
Why the change in plans? I'm going to try to learn more from Vivint execs.
In two separate, but related transactions, Securitas is getting into electronic security and Iverify is nearly doubling in size and adding new capabilities.
Guarding giant Securitas is making a concerted move into electronic security and "integrated guarding" with the purchase, announced June 2, of a 24 percent stake in remote monitoring firm Iverify. In a related move also announced Monday, Iverify bought 100 percent of the shares of commercial security and fire company TransAlarm. Iverify is the Charlotte, N.C.-based full-service security company noted for its "high-touch remote security monitoring" offering. Sean Forrest recently joined the company as its CEO.
Securitas has offered Iverify services to some of its customers for the past couple of years, Jim McNulty, EVP of Securitas USA told me. "We liked what we saw," he said.
"We had our toe in the pool, now we're jumping into the pool," he said. Using Iverify, Securitas plans to roll out "integrated guarding services" across the country. Integrated guarding is a mix of traditional guarding, mobile and remote monitoring services. Securitas has 100,000 employees, 400 offices and does $3 billion in revenue annually.
This will update Securitas' offering, McNulty said, so it can "leverage traditional onsite guarding with mobile and remote services—to give customers a more efficient and higher value security offering."
In the second transaction, Iverify bought TransAlarm, which is based in Burnsville, Minn., just outside the Twin Cities. Now, with the goal of really boosting their national accounts business, the two companies are merging. Sean Forrest will be CEO of the combined company and current Trans Alarm CEO, Steve Champeau will become president.
Trans Alarm has 120 employees, combined with Iverify, there will be more than 300 employees.
Like Iverify, Trans Alarm has a UL-listed 5 diamond certified central station. It has branch offices in Nebraska, Northern Wisconsin and Wyoming. It also has deeper capabilities in traditional security offerings such as intrusion, access control, CCTV than Iverify. On top of that, it has a network of installers located across the U.S. What it does not have, Forrest told me, "is the high touch remote video security monitoring that Iverify has. Conversely, Iverify didn't offer the other services in a big way and didn't offer fire at all."
"This gives us a full spectrum to offer customers and significantly improves what we have to offer. The commonality between the two companies is that we're both very customer-service focused," Forrest said.
While Iverify bought 100 percent share of Trans Alarm, this is a merger of the two companies both Forrest and Champeau told me.
"We're going to become one company. That's a key step for us," Forrest said. Sales and service will be cross-trained and "both companies will focus on a single point of contact, rather than branch delivery [approach taken by other companies]," Forrest said. This is not a fold-in purchase, he said. All offices and operations will be retained.
Forrest declined to give revenue or RMR figures. He did say: "Both companies have been growing at a rapid rate and we expect, on a combined basis, that that growth will be accelerated."
Both Iverify and Trans Alarm have customers in the national retail, property management and transportation verticals.
Champeau said said that Trans Alarm has sold and installed Iverify technology even before the deal was announced. He looks forward to "getting into additional markets that we haven't pursued previously [with the Iverify technology]."
McNulty is equally excited about the capabilities of the combined companies, noting that "they complement each other. Their combined offering will be a "good vehicle [for Securitas] to further the whole idea of integrated guarding." He likes the fact that the combined company will have redundant monitoring capabilities. He is also excited about the "vetted, capable, trained and qualified installers that Trans Alarm brings."
The offering of integrated guard services will be a "company-wide effort. … We're going to roll it out all over the place."
Securitas put this together this venture with Driehaus Private Equity, the majority owner of IVerify since 2006. Driehaus is a co-investor with Securitas in the deal. The PrivateBank provided Iverify with debt financing. Raymond James & Associate advised Trans Alarm.
In the modern security environment, there's no shortage of relatively new, tech-savvy companies intent on revising the traditional alarm monitoring business model. That some of these upstart companies, such as Cambridge, Mass.-based SimpliSafe, are now attracting serious outside investment interest is a development that bears watching.
SimpliSafe, which provides wireless security systems and professional monitoring services without long-term contracts, recently partnered with Sequoia, a prominent venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, to raise $57 million. On its website, the company claims to have 100,000 customers.
SimpliSafe describes itself as a "disruptive tech company working to help people live safely," while touting its in-house maxim that "being safe should be simple."
Interestingly enough, SimpliSafe doesn't fit perfectly into the DIY/MIY mold; it's really more of a hybrid between those types of systems and more traditional security units. A Wall Street Journal blog noted that a SimpliSafe system with sensors and other burglary protection components, along with a hardware package, typically costs about $260. The company also offers monitoring services for $14.99 per month, but doesn't require customers to purchase them.
In a company blog, Chad Laurans, CEO of SimpliSafe, said the following: "We've eliminated unnecessary middlemen, so we can pass the savings onto our customers and pour our resources into product innovation and customer service."
Down the road, one of the biggest threats to central station RMR could be the proliferation of increasingly sophisticated DIY/MIY systems that unite ease of use and installation with competitive pricing models. As of yet, there's no clear writing on the wall that says central station RMR will suffer the effects of "disintermediation" at the hands of innovative MIY products. But a $57 million infusion is no small sum for the security industry. It goes without saying that an investment of this scale can be transformative from a product development standpoint.
It will be interesting to see if this pared down version of security and alarm monitoring indeed proves to be disruptive, and if so, how the monitoring industry responds to the challenge.
Recent news reports say that Google may buy startup Dropcam, which makes video cameras that stream video to a user's computer or cellphone, as a way to get into home security. And The Financial Times has reported that Apple is soon expected to make a "big play" into the smart home, launching a new software platform that will allow users to control security systems and home features such as lights directly from their iPhones.
Should security companies be worried? Not really, according to a report today from Imperial Capital, a New York-based full-service investment bank.
If the Dropcam report turns out to be true, it would mean Google is adding a security component on the heels of its entrance into home automation with its recent $3.2 billion purchase of Nest Labs, maker of smart thermostats and smoke alarms.
But the report, authored by Jeff Kessler, Imperial Capital's managing director of institutional research, said it doesn't believe the Dropcam purchase would have a negative impact on security companies or other pure play home automation companies, like Control4.
The reason, it says, is that "security companies generally are not participants in the do-it-yourself (DIY) market and do not target particular groups that may be interested in such products (e.g., college students, young professionals living in high rises)." Also, the report said, although "Dropcam could be a good entry product for those that do not understand or are not familiar with security products, it does not replace the security, home automation, and customer service capabilities which the likes of ADT or Control4 provide, and nor do we believe that it wants to."
What about the potential Apple smart home/security play?
The report says: "We wonder if Apple will open up its "big play" to allow a broad base of installers, service, and responders to interact with it, or will it be another closed end system, in which the homeowner, or more likely the apartment owner, can check on what is going on at home on an Apple iPhone, and then have the responsibility of "making the call" to police or health responders based on what they have just seen on the iPhone. Another uncertainty is if the police would trust this system, or would law enforcement be more likely to respond to a more familiar source that has verified the same incident."
The report summarized by saying that while the new developments are exciting and will be particularly attractive to those who don't own homes, the lack of professional monitoring is a drawback.
"Remember, these monitoring stations (to be accredited) have to show that their average time to make a decision to dispatch or not to dispatch is less that 30-35 seconds, have tremendous redundancy, and can typically be trusted. We simply do not believe that Apple users will get that service."
In fact, the report says that these DIY products could indirectly help professional security companies by introducing a younger generation to the idea of home security/home automation, which could lead those customers to "potentially switch to a larger, more powerful, and more comprehensive platform in the out years."
Alarm.com, a leading provider of interactive security services, also weighed in to me on the new developments involving Google and Apple.
That Vienna, Va.-based company stressed that security is the backbone of the smart home and noted that professional monitoring is a key differentiator, but said security companies need to make sure homeowners know that.
"The key purchase driver for home automation is security. We see this in both consumer surveys and purchasing trends," Alarm.com said, in a statement.
Also, Alarm.com said, the announcements "validate the popularity of a growing range of connected devices and services. Security dealers should tap into this underlying consumer demand by aggressively marketing and selling a complete range of connected home technologies with professionally monitored security at its core."
Samsung Techwin America's EVP Frank De Fina announced May 28 that he is leaving Samsung for personal reasons.
"As of June 2, I will no longer be there. I made the decision on my own, the departure is amicable," he said. A replacement has yet to be named, though De Fina said there are "a couple of obvious potential choices. There is a very capable management team there."
De Fina joined Samsung in February 2010, and said he is proud of how far Samsung has come in the security industry since then. "Five years ago we didn't even appear on the IMS [Research, now part of IHS] list [of top IP camera providers]," he said. "This year our business grew over 75 percent." And he expects to "move up a couple of notches on the IHS list."
De Fina, who has "retired" twice before, said he is not even going to say he's retiring now. He is simply "taking a breather" and will likely return to the industry, perhaps in a consulting role.
Asked about the biggest challenges getting Samsung up to speed, he said "building the brand and credibility in the security space."
"I will take credit for organizing a great team," De Fina said. "But the credit for building the business goes to [that team]," he added.
"I'm leaving Samsung in much better shape [than when I arrived] and the team is spectacular," he said.
Before Samsung, De Fina was the long time president of Panasonic Systems. He retired from Panasonic Systems in 2008 to run Paul Reed Smith Guitars for two years before joining Samsung.
De Fina can play guitar in case you didn't know. Here's a video that my former colleague Sam took at the PSA-TEC jam a few years ago. Scroll down to the video; it features Paul Michael Nathan on harmonica, Frank De Fina on guitar, Daved Levine on bass, and Jerry Cordasco on drums.
The biggest opportunities in the security industry? De Fina said he did lots of research during a recent month-long tour of the Silicon Valley. "I spoke to big name companies [Google, Yahoo, others] and asked them what their [security] concerns are. "They look at us [the security industry] as a bit naive" in terms of cyber security. They also are concerned about the physical security of some critical infrastructure in this country such as data centers and cell towers, De Fina said.
De Fina identified the biggest challenge for integrators as shrinking margins. He recommends that integrators "pay attention to solving the problems that are not so easy to solve ... to reinvent themselves to mimic the growth opportunities I mentioned earlier."
De Fina is vice chairman of the Security Industry Association Board of Directors Executive Committee.
He was instrumental in the establishment of a security degree program that will be launched in 2015 at Mercer Country Community College.
He also holds positions in the International Biometrics Industry Association (IBIA) and is a board member of the Paley Center for Media (formerly Museum of Television and Radio) as well as a member of the board of the New York Friar's Club Foundation.
The PERS market has become somewhat notorious for its lack of acquisition activity, a surprising reality given the demographic trends in America that appear to favor such a market.
Many industry watchers on the private equity side attribute the lack of acquisitions to valuations that have yet to ripen. Some hold that as churn decreases, generating longer average account lives, outside investment is bound to pick up. With greater scale and higher multiples, the acquisitions will follow.
Enter Stonehenge Growth Equity Partners, a Tampa-based private equity firm that recently invested an undisclosed amount in MobileHelp, a mobile PERS provider based in Boca Raton, Fla.,—this according to multiple reports, including an article form the Tampa Business Journal.
Stonehenge summarizes its investment strategy on its website, noting that it typically invests in growth stage businesses and "aims to catalyze rapid growth of companies in up-and-coming markets." The firm also says its typical investment size is between $1 and $5 million, and that it typically targets companies that have at least $3 million in revenue and are profitable.
Like many investment firms, Stonehenge likes the recurring revenue business model.
No question, then, that MobileHelp fits many of the firm's ideal investment characteristics. Henry Edmonds, president of The Edmonds Group, an investment bank in St. Louis, said it's very good news that private equity investors are supporting PERS businesses. He added that it's unsurprising Stonehenge chose to invest in MobileHelp, which Edmonds characterized as a "leading provider of mobile PERS solutions," that has distinguished itself in an increasingly competitive market.
"I think we'll see a lot more of this as people get beyond the early stage and nascent products and once they've established a niche in the industry as MobileHelp has done," Edmonds said. "I think it will be likely that these kinds of companies will attract new capital, because it's an exciting space."
He described the PERS and mobile PERS market as "the wild wild west," in a certain sense, because there are a lot of products currently vying for attention.
"But if you can rise above the fray as MobileHelp has done, it's a great opportunity because of all the current and expected growth in mobile PERS and mobile security," Edmonds said.
I'll be following up on this story in the coming days. I plan to piece together an article about the implications of this investment, bringing together the perspectives of MobileHelp, Stonehenge, and others on the private equity side who've been monitoring the PERS valuation market for some time now.
Professional security companies proudly point to the good service they give consumers as an important differentiator between them and their giant cableco and telecom competitors. And a new consumer satisfaction survey suggests they don't have to worry about losing that edge to the Cable Guy anytime soon—because it shows new dips for Time Warner Cable and Comcast, and AT&T and DIRECTV don't fare too well, either.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index released its annual measure of the communications industries this week. The ACSI report measures consumer satisfaction in such categories as Internet service providers (ISPs), subscription TV service, fixed-line and wireless telephone service, computer software and cellphones, according to a news release. Ratings are done on a 100-point scale.
"Customer satisfaction is deteriorating for all of the largest pay TV providers. Viewers are much more dissatisfied with cable TV service than fiber optic and satellite service (60 vs. 68). Though both companies drop in customer satisfaction, DIRECTV (-4 percent) and AT&T (-3 percent) are tied for the lead with ACSI scores of 69. Verizon Communications FiOS (68) and DISH Network (67) follow."
AT&T's and DIRECTV's dips in customer satisfaction are of particular note because I just wrote about how AT&T's $48.5 billion plan to buy DIRECTV could impact Digital Life—AT&T home security/home automation offering—and the security industry.
Hmmm…a dip in customer satisfaction regarding any part of those companies' businesses doesn't seem like a positive—especially if they want to bundle services!
There's also a $45 billion pending deal for Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable. Both of those companies have home security/home automation offerings but they're not making customers very happy, at least when it comes to TV and Internet service, according to ACSI.
"Cable giants Comcast and Time Warner Cable have the most dissatisfied customers. Comcast falls 5 percent to 60, while Time Warner registers the biggest loss and plunges 7 percent to 56, its lowest score to date," the news release said.
The release also has a prepared statement from David VanAmburg, ACSI director: "Comcast and Time Warner assert their proposed merger will not reduce competition because there is little overlap in their service territories. Still, it's a concern whenever two poor-performing service providers combine operations. ACSI data consistently show that mergers in service industries usually result in lower customer satisfaction, at least in the short term. It's hard to see how combining two negatives will be a positive for consumers."
Customers also aren't happy with their Internet service from such providers, according to ACSI.
"High prices, slow data transmission and unreliable service drag satisfaction to record lows, as customers have few alternatives beyond the largest Internet service providers. Customer satisfaction with ISPs drops 3.1 percent to 63, the lowest score in the Index, the release said.
"At an ACSI score of 71,Verizon's FiOS Internet service continues to lead the category, surpassing AT&T, CenturyLink and the aggregate of other smaller broadband providers, all at 65," according to the release. "Cable-company-controlled ISPs languish at the bottom of the rankings again. Cox Communications is the best of these and stays above the industry average despite a 6 percent fall to 64. Customers rate Comcast (-8 percent to 57) and Time Warner Cable (-14 percent to 54) even lower for Internet service than for their TV service. In both industries, the two providers have the weakest customer satisfaction."
However, customers are happy with their cellphones. That rating is "up for a second straight year, rising 2.6 percent to a new all-time high ACSI score of 78."
The release said, "Steady growth in the use of smartphones, which have much higher levels of customer satisfaction, helps drive the overall industry gain. However, as data usage increases, costs to access overloaded networks are high, leaving customer satisfaction with wireless service providers stagnant at an ACSI score of 72."
ACSI found that, "among wireless phone providers, Verizon Wireless separates from the pack after climbing 3 percent to 75. T-Mobile (69), Sprint (68) and AT&T Mobility (68) are tightly grouped behind. As smartphone adoption continues to grow, network demands increase along with costs to the consumer, each contributing to stagnant customer satisfaction."
Also interesting were the ACSI POTS ratings. "Customer satisfaction with fixed-line telephone service dips 1.4 percent to an ACSI score of 73, but remains the most satisfying of all types of telecommunications. However, the score is due to shrinking landline usage. As more households abandon fixed-line service for cell phones, the customers that remain tend to be the most satisfied," the release said.
I spoke with John Chigos, CEO of license plate recognition provider PlateSmart, which bills itself as the only "software only LPR solution."
It's a newer company that got its start at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa. "That was our beta," Chigos said.
Chigos officially introduced the product to the market in 2013 and it's now deployed in locations such as the Port of Tamp, Florida hospitals, a large fashion house (for use at its distribution points, in traffic safety monitoring applications, and college campuses.
The 20-employee firm, based in Oldmar, Fla., is privately held. It has "growth equity from [undisclosed] VCs, and will continue to do that until we reach sufficient size to continue growth internally," Chigos explained. The company is in growth mode right now, Chigos said, "bringing on additional sales and marketing people as well as increasing our development staff."
Unlike the LPR "hardware/software solutions," Chigos said he envisioned an open platform that would work with all kinds of hardware and software. PlateSmart is ONVIF compliant, works with Exacq, OnSSI and other VMS providers and it has relationships with a number of analog and IP camera providers including Pelco, Panasonic, Samsung and Axis.
Chigos says PlateSmart can "use existing equipment and [end users] get more robust analytics."
Because no hardware is involved, customization is quick, he said.
PlateSmart offers a mobile application, designed for law enforcement, and a fixed-location platform called ARES. The next step will be to offer Platesmart in a cloud-based SaaS form, making it affordable smaller organizations, and also giving installers a new revenue stream.
In addition, PlateSmart can read "jurisdictional data … it can recognize the state, province or country and provide that data with the plate-read," which provides more data and accuracy for the end user, he said.
It can also read the color of the vehicle, which can help determine if a car has the correct license plate.
PlateSmart's basic package is two cameras but it can easily scale to a couple hundred cameras, he said.
What about privacy concerns? Chigos said that "LPR does not provided the information many people believe it provides. Our technology carries out the process of [identifying vehicles of interest] for law enforcement …it's not for enforcement on the other side of the equation [ie.] who's running a red light."
He describes PlateSmart technology as "speeding up the process [of identifying vehicles] that law enforcement and security have done visually for decades."
Furthermore, he says "we never touch, see, or handle the [license plate] data. Only the end user of the technology can see or act on the data."
Companies that get involved with LP data, particularly selling that data, are the ones that cause legitimate privacy concerns, he said.
Chigos quoted research group IHS, saying the worldwide market for LPR is estimated to be $600 million today and is projected to grow to $1 billion by 2018.
"Applications for LPR are growing everyday," Chigos said. "It's going to be a mainstay of security in this country because it delivers information in real time."
ADT has invested $25 million in a new partnership with Life360, a provider of location-based services and family networking technology that has more than 33 million customers, ADT announced this week. The partnership is expected to lead to cobranded mPERS solutions and also "provide a valuable lead generation source for ADT," the company said.
During a discussion of ADT's disappointing Q1 results earlier this year, CEO Naren Gursahaney cited some "lead generation challenges," the company had been having and said ADT planned to expand its lead generation activities in response.
On May 13, ADT announced the Life360 partnership, which it said will "enable the development of innovative, cobranded mobile security applications to provide greater safety and security services to families." According to a news release, ADT is taking a minority ownership stake in the company, "through a $25 million investment, leading a $50 million Series C financing for Life360. The investment forges a mutually beneficial bond for the two companies to work together to advance personal security solutions available to the more than 33 million families who use Life360."
Arthur Orduña, senior vice president and chief innovation officer for ADT, said the partnership allows ADT to expand security outside the home. "Today, ADT provides security and monitoring solutions for families wherever they are. This partnership with Life360 fits within our innovation strategy to reinvent the idea of 'security' for our increasingly mobile lifestyles. It's a perfect pairing as ADT and Life360 are both leaders in their categories that share a very similar vision and mission – to provide peace of mind to families," Orduña said in a prepared statement.
The release said the two companies plan to release a new codeveloped mobile application in late 2014. The new mobile app "will integrate features from ADT Chaperone, an existing 'on-the-go' personal security offering from ADT. The upcoming mobile application from ADT and Life360 will provide direct access to ADT's 24/7 monitoring centers that can connect users to police, fire and emergency medical responders," the release said.
According to Orduña's statement, "Soon every family will be able to use the app to meet their unique needs, whether it's providing a chaperone for a child walking home from school and verifying they reached their destination, or knowing to arm the home's security system when the house is vacant."
The app will be free. Also, the release said, "and upgraded security features from ADT will be available at a nominal monthly subscription fee."
Chris Hulls, Life360 founder and chief executive officer, issued a statement saying: "Mobile is at the center of the connected home, and given security is a critical element for today's families, our integration with ADT offers customers the value of one of the world's largest security and home automation providers, plus the connectivity of the largest family network."
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Risk Assessment
Step 1 - Hazard Identification
Step 1 - Hazard Identification: To identify the types of adverse health effects that can be caused by exposure to some agent in question, and to characterize the quality and weight of evidence supporting this identification.
Hazard Identification is the process of determining whether exposure to a stressor can cause an increase in the incidence of specific adverse health effects (e.g., cancer, birth defects) and whether the adverse health effect is likely to occur in humans. In the case of chemical stressors, the process examines the available scientific data for a given chemical (or group of chemicals) and develops a weight of evidence to characterize the link between the negative effects and the chemical agent.
Exposure to a stressor may generate many different adverse effects in a human: diseases, formation of tumors, reproductive defects, death, or other effects.
Sources of Data
Statistically controlled clinical studies on humans provide the best evidence linking a stressor, often a chemical, to a resulting effect. However, such studies are frequently not available since there are significant ethical concerns associated with human testing of environmental hazards.
Epidemiological studies involve a statistical evaluation of human populations to examine whether there is an association between exposure to a stressor and a human health effect. The advantage of these studies is that they involve humans while their weakness results from generally not having accurate exposure information and the difficulty of teasing out the effects of multiple stressors.
When data from human studies are unavailable, data from animal studies (rats, mice, rabbits, monkeys, dogs, etc) are relied on to draw inference about the potential hazard to humans. Animal studies can be designed, controlled, and conducted to address specific gaps in knowledge, but there are uncertainties associated with extrapolating results from animal subjects to humans.
Key Components of Hazard Identification
A wide variety of studies and analysis are used to support a hazard identification analysis.
- Toxicokinetics considers how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and eliminates specific chemicals.
- Toxicodynamics focus on the effects that chemicals have on the human body. Models based on these studies can describe mechanisms by which a chemical may impact human health, thus providing insights into the possible effects of a chemical.
When assessing a chemical for potential carcinogenic behavior, current EPA practice is to focus on analysis of a mode of action. Mode of action is a sequence of key events and processes, starting with interaction of an agent and a cell, proceeding through operational and anatomical changes, and resulting in cancer formation. A given agent may work by more than one mode of action, both at different tumor sites as well as at the same site. Analysis of mode of action is based on physical, chemical, and biological information that helps to explain key events in an agent's influence on tumor development.
A key component of hazard characterization involves evaluating the weight of evidence regarding a chemical's potential to cause adverse human health effects. The weight of evidence narrative may include some standard 'descriptors' that signify certain qualitative threshold levels of evidence or confidence have been met, such as 'Carcinogenic to humans' or 'Suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential'.
More specific information on hazard assessment approaches can be found in the specific risk assessment guidelines relevant for the specific kind of effect being considered.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nb: infants must be under the age of 2 and
children must be under the age of 12 at the time of
The Hotel les Lans is a friendly, family-run hotel with an excellent reputation for its cuisine. It is located in the small hamlet of Les Prodains, between Morzine and Avoriaz, at the foot of the Prodains cable car and the World Cup Downhill run. The cable car gives direct access to the Avoriaz ski area, where ski lessons are taken, and runs until around 9pm each evening. The centre of Morzine is approximately 15 minutes ride on the ski bus which runs every 15 mins from 8am to 7pm, or a short taxi ride. The hotel offers a high standard of comfort with charming, pine clad rooms.
For 2 people on half board sharing a twin room with private shower and WC. Twin and triple rooms with bath and balcony and quad rooms with twin beds and bunk beds in an alcove (suitable for 2 adults and 2 children) are available for a supplement. All bedrooms have cable TV.
Iglu acts as a travel agent for disclosed principals/tour operators, further details
of which will be made available at the time of booking. Your holiday contract will
be bound by the tour operators terms and conditions.
Prices are shown for a basic room or unit, can be subject to change and are indicative
until time of booking. Please call on 020 8544 7114 for prices for other travel
and room options for this property.
Prices shown are per person per week based on maximum occupancy. Descriptions and
quality ratings are provided by the Tour Operator (or one of the Tour Operators
where similar holidays are offered by more than one supplier). We reserve the right
to make minor adjustments to the description or rating based on staff and customer
feedback. For payments by credit card, a 2.5% credit card charge (4% for AMEX) will
be added to your invoice. If you pay by a UK issued debit card, there is no charge.
All bookings are subject to a £5 per person Passenger Admin Fee charged by Iglu.com.


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An attention-getting way to open or close your show!
Start by showing the empty narrow cylinder, and place it on a table (or even hold it in your hands). At your command, you lift the tube and INSTANTLY a LARGE and SHOWY bouquet of flowers appears! Stunning! And yes, it's THAT FAST!
Another way to present this flower miracle is to show a single pretty flower (not included, but you can use any flower, real or artificial), and place it into the cyclinder. When you lift the cyclinder, the single flower has magically transformed into the full bouquet of colorful flowers!
This flashy and impressive trick is extremely easy to perform, and shows up well at a distance. It can be performed at close range as well, or even surrounded! Best of all, it sets up quickly and easily.
Wonderful way to add color to your show- and make it look bigger! Produce the botania at the start of your show, and leave it out on a side table throughout the show. Looks great!Propose with style! Attach the engagement ring to the center of the botania. As she watches, drop a single flower into the tube. Lift the tube, and the flower has changed to a big bouquet of flowers- with the ring in the middle!
Deluxe Botania trick (full botania, cover tube, base)printed instructionsSee the FREE video below with ideas on how to combine your flower tricks!


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Reasons to Visit Missoula this Fall and Winter
Just because the weather gets a little colder soon, doesn't mean that Missoula and Western Montana close the blinds and hibernate for the winter. In fact, the opposite is true. There is just as much to enjoy about our fair city when the snow flies, as when the sun shines 20 hours a day


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To the west of the Monte Rosà, Europe's second highest mountain, lies the Gressoney Valley, part of the Monte Rosà ski area of over 150kms of piste covering three valleys. Its Alpine location means Gressoney is one of the most scenic resorts in the Aosta Valley with views of Mont Blanc, the Monte Rosà glacier, the Matterhorn and the Gran Paradiso. The Gressoney valley has several ski areas: Weissmatten, St. Jean, La Trinité and Stafal.
Gressoney has some of the best skiing in the Monterosa. Snow reliability is very good, thanks to the high altitude and machines. There is a great terrain for intermediates, while better skiers have access to the excellent off-piste at Alagna.
Great place went at New Year last year, bit low on snow so the links over the top were not open, so had to go to... read full
With plenty of snow, this is a great resort. Managed 210km in a week, despite snow and wind (according to the on... read full
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"I was so impressed with the way Laura handled my initial call that as soon as I got home I decided to forget all of the other agents and companies and call her straight back and book the holiday. Thank you again Iglu for being so user friendly and more importantly thank you to Laura for being such an asset to your company and the sales profession."


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Comments On Dec 03, 2014:Install was pretty easy and they look great on the bike. Definitely recommend. Only recommendation, buy washers to use as spacers for clearance if needed.
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Comments On Jan 17, 2014:Love this highway bar / engine guard. It looks great on the bike and bolted up in about 15 minutes. Next up, auxiliary pegs for the longer rides.
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Comments On May 08, 2013:Exact Fit. About ten minuits to install.
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Comments On May 02, 2013:real nice fit, excellent chrome great price ,fast shipand super easy install . only slight drawback is the threaded rod for the top mount is just a little short (you need to really squeeze HARD to get the nuts on , but other than that it's a perfect buy ! I would definatly recomend this to anyone that wants a reasonably priced highway bar/ engine guard !
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Comments On Nov 26, 2012:the bars look great and work very well. would recommend to any one
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Comments On Jul 26, 2012:Exactly what I was expecting. Looks great on my bike!!
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Comments On Mar 16, 2012:Searched many websites looking for best price on quality Highway Bars for my Aero 750 before I found Jake Wilson site. Jake Wilson offers the same Cobra bar as others for $30 under the next best price with "Free Shipping". Hard to beat in today's market. Received within delivery time promised and was fully satisfied with quality of the item. Great buying experience!!
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Comments On Aug 26, 2011:The cobra bar is well made and arrived within 3 days even though they are ?oversized.? After reviewing the instructions and a quick trip to the internet for translation of the instructions and some actual photos, I had the highway bar on my vulcan 900 within 30 mins. Excellent customer service and delivery. Best price on the net for this highway bar.
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Comments On Apr 20, 2011:Awesome product!! A good buy for my Boulevard c50T,Installed the freeway bars with my brother in 10 mins..Very happy, looks sooo good,makes my bike look hot!!Now all i need is some foot pegs,I Will definately buy from jakewilson again.
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In Bangladesh, 87% of the population doesn't have a bank account – but 55% have a mobile phone. Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited saw this as a huge opportunity. They created a mobile banking solution that could work with high-end and low-end devices and seamlessly handle millions of concurrent transactions. It took them 6 months to implement – and in one year, their mobile solution covered 90% of the country's geographic area and helped the bank acquire 300,000 new customers – many of whom had never had a bank account before.* Here's how they did it.
Read how Deutsche Postbank and SAP co-developed a payments engine that helped Deutsche Postbank build a competitive advantage in low-cost payment processing and enabled it to offer outsourced transaction services to other banks.
How is the largest bank in South Africa becoming more customer-centric? With core banking and mobility solutions from SAP. See how Standard Bank is using the solutions to offer an innovative, easy-to-use mobile banking channel to the country's 10 million unbanked.
Find out how one of Canada's top mortgage lenders is using SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (BW) on SAP HANA to generate reports 5 to 10 times faster – and achieve data storage savings of 70% – for improved cross- and up-selling opportunities with its customers.*
Want to learn more about SAP for Banking?
Learn how Standard Bank South Africa is using the SAP Sybase Unwired Platform to offer an innovative, compelling mobile banking experience.Watch the 4-minute video ›
Find out how DBBL gave its rural Bangladesh customers convenient mobile money management – using a low-cost transaction methodology.Watch the 3-minute video ›
Hear how Nedbank is automating reporting processes and boosting data accuracy – using our business planning and consolidation software.Watch the 2-minute video ›
Access our full list to see more customer testimonials and success stories for your industry.Find more stories ›
*All implementation results are for informational purposes only and the examples provided while based on actual SAP customers' experiences do not represent commitments or guarantees by SAP and/or its partners. Actual pricing, costs, and implementation results may vary, based on customer-specific requirements and needs. The only warranties for SAP products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.


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Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
When it comes to your health, timing is everything
Get the facts on fish and the kinds of seafood that are safe to conceive while pregnant.
Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.
Your guide to safely exercising throughout your 40 weeks.
The surprising benefits of getting busy


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Saturday, May 13, 2006
The whiff of fascism in the air
Sandy Levinson
In tomorrow's New York Times, David Brooks's column is titled (presumably not by him) "From Freedom to Authority." The general thesis is that "we're moving from what you might call loose conservatism to tight conservatism. We're seeing a conservatism that emphasizes freedom give way to a conservatism that emphasizes authority." The most remarkable sentences are the following:
Agreed: many of the disasters that have befallen this country in the last eight years would not have happened if Clinton had resigned.
Somewhere in the Secret Service archives there is a whole series of emails from me to whitehouse.gov laying out the reasons why he should resign, which I began to send as soon as it came out that he had lied to a grand jury.
That struck me, immediately, as a fundamental and unforgiveable blow against the separation of powers and the constitutional form of government.
Oddly enough, Clinton never replied to my emails.
And now, of course, we have a president who thwarts the judiciary not out of some temporary one-off lawyerly dodging on the witness stand, but from a settled ideology of contempt for the other branches of government.
Yup, it's fascism-lite, so far, and gaining in strength. And while Clinton now looks like small potatoes in comparison to Bush's crimes, I wish that both left and right had laid down a marker during that event that a president who lies to Congress or the Judiciary is an ex-president. We should have forced him out.
President Gore would have received an even bigger majority in 2000 than he did.
I think your blame Clinton first last and always mindset betrays you. Your pretence that the number of votes mattered in the 2000 elections seems quaint given what we know now.
"What people wanted post-9/11 was Giuliani-ism on a global scale"
As a New Yorker and a supporter of Giuliani pre-9/11 I have to respectfully disagree.
There is a huge difference between "cracking down on squeegee men and mob bosses" and "trampling over the privacy rights, or at least the privacy concerns, of law-abiding citizens."
If you want the local equivalent of the Bush-Cheney-Hayden style of benevolent dictator, then look not to Rudy Giuliani but rather to Michael Bloomberg, who is a far more paternalistic, patronizing --and totally out of control -- philosopher-king mayor than Giuliani ever was.
Clinton's impeachment was not an attack on Clinton, but an attack on impeachment. The GOP wanted to blunt a weapon that had, in living memory, been threatened or used exclusively against them -- Watergate, Iran-Contra.
If they had actually gotten Clinton, that would have been langniappe.
Making a joke out of impeachment was the real goal. If the GOP succeeded in doing that, then they could act with impunity when next in the White House.
Which is exactly what is happening today.
The president daily shreds the Constitution, and anyone who so much as mentions impeachment is laughed out of the room.
Mission accomplished.
With regard to learning about Carl Schmitt, there are two possibilities. The first is to read Schmitt himself, which is less of an ordeal than is the case for most German theorists, though there are definitely some opaque passages. Probably his most important book is Political Theology, just republished in a very good edition by the University of Chicago Press. Two other books are very much worth reading, The Concept of the Political and The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy, both available in good paperback editions (by Chicago and Duke, respectively). Or, there is a superb introduction to his thought by William Scheurman, titled Carl Schmitt.
Schmitt is most definitely not someone to be embraced lightly, if at all. My argument is that he is perhaps the best theoretical guide to what seems to be taking place right now, NOT that he is someone to be particularly commended. He was, after all, the most important academic apologist for the rise of Hitler, But that does not mean that he isn't worth reading and thinking long and hard about, alas.
As someone wary about Giulani-ism, the suggestion Bloomberg is somehow comparable to Bush and co., well that seems to me absurd.
But, G. was what we were looking for on 9/11. Along with major snowstorms, that sort of thing brought out the best in him. He got sick, so could not run for senator, which is good ... the man simply is not senator material in my view. Not his forte.
As to Clinton. I thought a serious investigation was proper, though some fellow travellers were rather angry I suggested it. I don't think resignation was appropriate: for what? Being a cad? We knew that when he was elected. Caveat emptor. He did go too far and his weaknesses were tragic. But, sadly, predictable.
But, his opposition went off the deep end. A core were true believers, the rest (the same who let Bush get away w murder now, the "reasonable" sorts) cynical sorts who let them drag the country down with them.
If they did force Clinton out, the backlash might have been good in the end. But, the precedent dangerous. Also, Gore was tainted by the whole affair with problems himself.
After the fact conclusions seem risky.
I think P. J. O'Rourke said it best about Guiliani after 9/11: "Sometimes it's handy to have a paranoid in power."
I think the more relevant writings from '30's Germany are Otto Kircheimer's. His "Weimar ... And Then What?" is really good. It's in Burin and Shell's anthology of his work.
Kircheimer is indeed relevant. I earlier mentioned Bill Scheurman's excellent short volume on Schmitt. His first book, From the Norm to the Exception (MIT Press) is a superb study of Schmitt, Kircheimer, and Franz Neumann.Post a Comment
Books by Balkinization Bloggers
Stephen M. Griffin, Broken Trust: Dysfunctional Government and Constitutional Reform (University Press of Kansas, 2015)
Frank Pasquale, The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information (Harvard University Press, 2015)
Bruce Ackerman, We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution (Harvard University Press, 2014)
Balkinization Symposium on We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution
Joseph Fishkin, Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equal Opportunity (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Mark A. Graber, A New Introduction to American Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press, 2013)
John Mikhail, Elements of Moral Cognition: Rawls' Linguistic Analogy and the Cognitive Science of Moral and Legal Judgment (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Gerard N. Magliocca, American Founding Son: John Bingham and the Invention of the Fourteenth Amendment (New York University Press, 2013)
Stephen M. Griffin, Long Wars and the Constitution (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Andrew Koppelman, The Tough Luck Constitution and the Assault on Health Care Reform (Oxford University Press, 2013)
James E. Fleming and Linda C. McClain, Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Balkinization Symposium on Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues
Andrew Koppelman, Defending American Religious Neutrality (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Failing Law Schools (University of Chicago Press, 2012)
Sanford Levinson, Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Linda C. McClain and Joanna L. Grossman, Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women's Equal Citizenship (Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Mary Dudziak, War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Jack M. Balkin, Living Originalism (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Jason Mazzone, Copyfraud and Other Abuses of Intellectual Property Law (Stanford University Press, 2011)
Richard W. Garnett and Andrew Koppelman, First Amendment Stories, (Foundation Press 2011)
Jack M. Balkin, Constitutional Redemption: Political Faith in an Unjust World (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Gerard Magliocca, The Tragedy of William Jennings Bryan: Constitutional Law and the Politics of Backlash (Yale University Press, 2011)
Bernard Harcourt, The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Bruce Ackerman, The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Balkinization Symposium on The Decline and Fall of the American Republic
Ian Ayres. Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done (Bantam Books, 2010)
Mark Tushnet, Why the Constitution Matters (Yale University Press 2010)
Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff: Lifecycle Investing: A New, Safe, and Audacious Way to Improve the Performance of Your Retirement Portfolio (Basic Books, 2010)
Jack M. Balkin, The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (2d Edition, Sybil Creek Press 2009)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Beyond the Formalist-Realist Divide: The Role of Politics in Judging (Princeton University Press 2009)
Andrew Koppelman and Tobias Barrington Wolff, A Right to Discriminate?: How the Case of Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale Warped the Law of Free Association (Yale University Press 2009)
Jack M. Balkin and Reva B. Siegel, The Constitution in 2020 (Oxford University Press 2009)
Heather K. Gerken, The Democracy Index: Why Our Election System Is Failing and How to Fix It (Princeton University Press 2009)
Mary Dudziak, Exporting American Dreams: Thurgood Marshall's African Journey (Oxford University Press 2008)
David Luban, Legal Ethics and Human Dignity (Cambridge Univ. Press 2007)
Ian Ayres, Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-By-Numbers is the New Way to be Smart (Bantam 2007)
Jack M. Balkin, James Grimmelmann, Eddan Katz, Nimrod Kozlovski, Shlomit Wagman and Tal Zarsky, eds., Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment (N.Y.U. Press 2007)
Jack M. Balkin and Beth Simone Noveck, The State of Play: Law, Games, and Virtual Worlds (N.Y.U. Press 2006)
Andrew Koppelman, Same Sex, Different States: When Same-Sex Marriages Cross State Lines (Yale University Press 2006)
Brian Tamanaha, Law as a Means to an End (Cambridge University Press 2006)
Sanford Levinson, Our Undemocratic Constitution (Oxford University Press 2006)
Mark Graber, Dred Scott and the Problem of Constitutional Evil (Cambridge University Press 2006)
Jack M. Balkin, ed., What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said (N.Y.U. Press 2005)
Sanford Levinson, ed., Torture: A Collection (Oxford University Press 2004)
Balkin.com homepage
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Hey all, just throwing a gratuitous pic of Dougal up there because we got a letter that there's a shelter in New Hampshire that could use some help.
The Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire recently took charge of 49 rabbits and 6 cats in their area, and as you might imagine, they could use some help in finding home for these animals, or donations to take care of them.
So! If you can donate, visit their website, or if you're looking for a pet, you can visit their page on Petango to see who's up for adoption (note, they've named some of the buns after states: that's not the location they're in). There's a very short news story about the surrender of the pets here.
I know it's after the holidays and money's just generally tight all around, but you can donate any amount, and every bit helps. Thanks!


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Pesticide Action Network North America is endowed with the commitments and capabilities of its staff of scientists, campaigners, writers, interns and support specialists. Here you can get contact information for and learn a little about some of the people behind PAN's work for pesticide reform.
Clint Boerner
Medha Chandra
Devika Ghai
Judy Hatcher
Brian Hill
Lex Horan
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman
Sharmila Kanagalingam
Susan Kegley
Sara Knight
Emily Marquez
Johnnae Nardone
Andrew Olsen
Margaret Reeves
Emma Rappaport
Kristin Schafer
Stephen Scholl-Buckwald
Leticia Tirrez
Paul Towers
Chela Vazquez
Linda Wells
Brenda J. Willoughby
Clint Boerner
Information Technology Manager
DigitalVideo, Berkeley City College, Berkeley, California
Clint had over 20 years experience as a network technician, webmaster and consultant, specializing in Mac systems, prior to joining PAN in 2006. He served as network coordinator for Vista College in Berkeley, consultant to the advertising and publishing industries, and as webmaster, network administrator, and a contributing writer at macHOME magazine. Clint maintains PAN's computing systems, network, cloud computing and telecommunications services.
Medha Chandra
Campaign Coordinator
Ph.D., Environment and Social Justice, University College London
Medha has 16 years experience in urban design, environmental protection, international development and social justice work in India, the UK, and in the U.S. Before moving to the U.S., Medha worked on environmental conflict and justice issues in India and the UK, focusing on low income urban and peri-urban communities. At PAN North America, Medha leads a team focused on international and domestic pesticide campaigns, and is the coordinator of PAN International's Working Group on Pesticides and Corporations. Medha has written for academic as well as NGO publications. She is trilingual in Bengali, English and Hindi.
Devika Ghai
Organizer and Partners Program Coordinator
B.A., Economics, Whittier College
Devika grew up on a small farm in Northern India where her parents continue to grow most of their own food using traditional ecological farming practices. Upon moving to the U.S. she was appalled and mobilized as she learned about food waste, and the health and livelihood harms inherent in our global agricultural system. As a student, Devika organized and led campus workers' rights and ecological sustainability initiatives, helping to build strong multi-racial alliances around these and other social and environmental justice campaigns. She interned with PAN in summer 2010, joined the staff in 2011 and became an Organizer and International Campaign Coordinator in 2012; she currently leads PAN issue drives on corporate control and food democracy and coordinates PAN's interns and Partners Program (organizational allies). Devika identifies as Desi/Indian/South Asian and is bilingual in Hindi and English.
Judy Hatcher
Executive Director
B.A., Linguistics, Northwestern University
Judy joined PAN in June 2012. Since 1981, she has worked as a grant maker, a program manager, a consultant and a trainer for social justice groups all over the country. Previous employers include National People's Action, Amnesty International USA, the Funding Exchange, the Crossroads Fund, the Community Resource Exchange and the Center for Community Change. She was a consultant with the Grantsmanship Center and the Women of Color Fundraising Institute, among other organizations. Most recently, Judy served as Director of Programs, then Executive Director, of the Environmental Support Center, which helped build the capacity of environmental justice and advocacy organizations around the country through grants and other resources. Judy currently serves on the boards of directors of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the national progressive foundation RESIST. Since moving to Oakland, she's been happily volunteering at the East Bay Meditation Center.
Brian Hill
Consulting Analyst
Ph.D., Physics, Harvard University
Brian served PAN as a staff scientist and as the science department director from September 2004 to November 2009. Before joining PAN, Brian was working in the Energy Analysis Department of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Prior to that he was a software engineer, including working at NeXT and Apple on the development of Mac OS X. His doctoral and post-doctoral research in physics included Monte Carlo calculations of the properties of particles known as "heavy mesons." At PAN, Brian has done technical analyses and software development for PAN's PesticideInfo website and its What's On My Food? software, and analyses of environmental modeling. He regularly engaged U.S. EPA and California Department of Pesticide Regulation processes, particularly on fumigants, in order to improve protections for health and the environment. As a consulting analyst, he continues to do technical analyses, data updates and software enhancements for PesticideInfo and What's On My Food?.
Lex Horan
B.A., African American Studies and Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Wesleyan University
Lex joined PAN as Organizer in the summer of 2013. He comes to PAN with experience in multiple social justice movements—including student-labor solidarity work, organizing against mass incarceration, and building community power with transgender youth—that have deeply shaped him as an organizer. In 2013, he participated in the Anne Braden Anti-Racist Training Program, where he was trained in histories and strategies of anti-racist movement building. Lex was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and currently lives in Minneapolis. He is proficient in Spanish.
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman
Senior Scientist
Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman is a senior scientist and director of the Grassroots Science Program at PAN. Before joining PAN in 1996, Marcia worked in Asia and Africa for 14 years. She developed farmer field schools in ecological pest management, sustainable agriculture and community-based rural development projects in Southeast Asia, and women's health, literacy and resource conservation projects on the Thai-Cambodian and Somali-Ethiopian borders. Marcia holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University and a B.A. in Women's Studies from Yale University. She has written extensively on the ecological, social and political dimensions of food and agriculture and was a lead author of the UN-sponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development.
Sharmila Kanagalingam
Development Director
B.A., Public Relations & Political Science, Western Michigan University
Sharmila — Mila — joined PAN as Development Director in 2014. Her nonprofit career, mostly in fundraising and communications, spans almost 17 years in a range of social justice and environmental issues including public health, domestic violence, international environmental justice and wildlife protection. Mila is Malaysian, was educated in England and the United States, and considers herself a global citizen. She is excited to take PAN to new and creative heights through donor communities all over the world, an endeavor she sees as urgent due to PAN's unique work crafting relevant solutions to the most trying global concerns of our time – from climate change and food democracy to public health and human rights. Mila unequivocally calls Penang, Malaysia (in the Global South) and Oakland, California (in the Global North) among the best places in the world to live and work.
Susan Kegley
Consulting Scientist
Ph.D., Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Postdoctoral in Organometallic Chemistry, Colorado State University and University of California, Berkeley
Susan served as a senior scientist at PAN from 1998-2009, and continues as Consulting Scientist. Before joining PAN, Susan taught at Middlebury and Williams Colleges, where she began doing environmental research on PCB-contaminated soils. She moved to UC Berkeley in 1992 and developed an Environmental Chemistry course focused on methods to evaluate environmental contamination, including pesticides and heavy metals. Susan directed PAN's Science Department from 2002 to 2007, during which time she oversaw development of the PAN Pesticide Database, www.pesticideinfo.org; our program of technical engagement with pesticide regulatory agencies; and our environmental monitoring program, for which she developed PAN's Pesticide Drift Catcher air monitoring device. Her current work focuses on the science and policy related to airborne pesticides. Susan is Principal and CEO of Pesticide Research Institute.
Sara Knight
Communications Director
M.A., Media Studies, New College of California
Before joining PAN in 2011, Sara spent four years working with a public opinion research firm helping to craft winning communications and campaign strategies for progressive candidates and ballot measures. She has written about policy and environmental issues for several outlets, including YES! Magazine and Earth Island Journal. During graduate school, her studies focused on environmental journalism and effective uses of media for social change, culminating in a multi-media Master's thesis on food politics and the corporatization of our food systems. At PAN, Sara leads the Communications team, driving the organization's message development, digital engagement and communications strategy
Emily Marquez
Staff Scientist
Ph.D., Biology, Boston University
Emily began studying reptiles as an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, working on effects of sex steroids on sex determination and development in snakes, turtles, and lizards. While in graduate school at Boston University, she studied live-bearing snakes and wrote her thesis on the impact of contaminated soil on expression of genes that play a role in reproduction, using turtles as a model. Emily's research background is in comparative endocrinology, reproductive development and endocrine disruption. Before joining PAN in 2012, Emily briefly did postdoctoral research projects at UC Davis and UC Berkeley. She has also volunteered at the nonprofit Bikes Not Bombs, teaching bike mechanics to youth from the Boston area. Emily manages PAN's Grassroots Science Program, including community monitoring of air and water for pesticide exposure. She co-authored PAN's report on children and pesticides: A Generation in Jeopardy (2012).
Johnnae Nardone
Communications Associate
B.A., Economics, University of California, Irvine; graduate studies, University of Utah
Johnnae joined PAN in 2013 with more than five years of communications and outreach experience. While working on her masters in communication, she developed a communications plan to increase student engagement with the University of Utah's sustainability office. Prior to graduate school she worked with the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity facilitating increased funder engagement on climate change and energy issues. Johnnae works with the Communications team and PAN staff in developing digital content and managing social media outreach.
Andrew Olsen
Web Producer
B.A., English Literature, University of South Florida
Andrew originally joined PAN in 2009. Previously, he spent five years as the Public Affairs Specialist with The San Francisco Foundation and led the drive in developing their CMS website. After a year as the Web Manager with the Taproot Foundation, Andrew is back at PAN, bringing 14 years of experience in developing websites and writing copy, with an emphasis on nonprofit organizations. Andrew is responsible for maintaining and upgrading PAN's websites, and engaging online communities. His extensive travels have allowed him to interact with and experience a great variety of cultures around the globe. Andrew is based in Nicragua and speaks conversational Spanish.
Emma is the 2015 Summer Agroecology Intern, and comes to PAN with experience on organic vegetable, dairy, and livestock farms in France, Switzerland, the U.S., and Sri Lanka. She was drawn to PAN's international activism on behalf of frontline communities affected by pesticides, including farmworkers, rural people, and indigenous groups, and PAN's work to publicize sustainable and beneficial alternatives to pesticides. Emma graduated in 2014 with a BA in history from Carleton College and is interested in learning about farming cultures across the world. She is working on a series of farmer interviews for the "Stories from the Field" series, focusing on the policy, technical, and financial support that is essential to successfully implementing agroecological practices.
Margaret Reeves
Senior Scientist
Ph.D., Agricultural Ecology, University of Michigan; Postdoctoral in Agronomy, Ohio State
Before joining PAN in 1996, Margaret spent most of nine years in Central America, teaching and conducting research in tropical agricultural ecology. She worked with university colleagues and NGOs to improve productivity of low-input ecologically sound agricultural methods. Margaret has published her work in Spanish and English in professional and educational journals as well as popular venues. Since the early 1980s, she has worked in support of farmworker rights and has been a member of New World Agriculture and Ecology Group. At PAN, Margaret focuses on environmental health and justice, particularly farmworker health and safety. Margaret speaks Spanish.
Kristin Schafer
Program & Policy Director
M.A., Social Change and Development, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Before joining PAN in 1996, Kristin worked for the World Resources Institute's Sustainable Agriculture program, as a communications specialist for the U.S. EPA, and as an agro-forestry extension officer with the Peace Corps in Kenya. Prior to becoming Program and Policy Director, Kristin was PAN's Campaigns Department Director. She coordinated the international persistent organic pollutants (POPs) campaign under the Stockholm Convention for several years, as well as PAN's campaign to phase out methyl bromide under the Montreal Protocol. Kristin has been lead author on several PAN North America reports, including Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in our Bodies and Corporate Accountability (2004) and Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply (2005) and co-authored A Generation in Jeopardy (2012). She also authored several studies on methyl bromide, including a pamphlet in Spanish for farmworkers on methyl bromide hazards, and two reports for the U.N. Environment Programme designed to help developing nations phase out this hazardous fumigant. Kristin speaks conversational Spanish.
Steve Scholl-Buckwald
Chief Financial Officer
Ph.D., History and American Studies, Indiana University
From 1969 to 1985, Steve taught and served as a dean at Ohio Wesleyan University and John F. Kennedy University in California. From 1985 to 1991, he and his partner owned and operated a restaurant in Davis, California, and he worked in restaurants and organic foods retailing in the Bay Area. He served as co-director and/or managing director of PAN from 1991 to 2012. Today, Steve's responsibilities as CFO include finance and operations, and he serves on the executive committee for Californians for Pesticide Reform, of which PAN North America is a founder and primary fiscal sponsor. He has also served as treasurer on the boards of the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First) and Earth Share of California.
Leticia Tirrez
Office Manager
Leticia was born, raised and graduated from high school in Mexico, moving to San Francisco in 1973. Her previous work experience includes nursing and manufacturing. Before coming to PAN as receptionist in June 2002, she completed a computer and office skills training program, and she has been Office Manager since 2004. Leticia is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Paul Towers
Organizing and Media Director
B.S., Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, University of California, Davis
Paul joined PAN in summer 2011 bringing more than eight years experience in community organizing, fundraising and organizational development with environmental, health and social justice organizations. Before coming to PAN, he directed Pesticide Watch and Pesticide Watch Education Fund, sister California organizations dedicated to reducing pesticide use and promoting healthy farming. Previously, Paul was a community organizer with New England-based Toxics Action Center, and he is a graduate of Green Corps, the field school for environmental organizing. Paul's media background comes from serving as Public Affairs and General Manager of KDVS-FM and as a co-founder of Common Frequency, a media justice nonprofit. At PAN, Paul provides support to partner organizations and communities, coordinates the Organizing Hub, and acts as primary contact for print media, television and radio. Paul is based in Sacramento. He speaks conversational Spanish.
Chela Vazquez
Campaign Coordinator
Ph.D., Environmental Science, Ohio State University
Chela coordinates international campaigns, working primarily from the PAN Asia and the Pacific office in Penang, Malaysia. Before coming to PAN, Chela worked as a community organizer and development coordinator with Centro Campesino, a farmworker organization in Minnesota focused on labor justice, youth leadership, health promotion and immigration reform. She has done international campaigning as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and received campaigning and media training through the Organizing Apprenticeship Project, Center for Third World Organizing, Institute for Justice, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, and Progressive Technology Project. She serves on the boards of the Minnesota Water Alliance and the Women's Environmental Institute, and on the environmental justice grantmaking committee of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. Chela is from Ecuador and bilingual in English and Spanish.
Linda Wells
Associate Director of Organizing
B.A., Political Sciences & Global Development, Grinnell College
Linda joined PAN in winter 2011, bringing nearly a decade of organizing experience with environmental and economic justice issues. Before PAN, Linda's environmental work focused on protecting endangered ecosystems through marketplace campaigns with ForestEthics. Linda is also a co-founder of the nationwide Hand in Hand — the domestic employers association, which seeks to create fair working conditions for domestic workers. As part of her dedication to strong multiracial movements for justice, Linda has served on the leadership team of the Catalyst Project's Anne Braden training program for white social justice activists; and she is a graduate of Green Corps, the field school for environmental organizing. Linda is a fourth-generation Iowan from Davenport. She is based in Minneapolis and provides support to PAN partner organizations and communities, particularly in Iowa and Minnesota, as well as helping to lead PAN's organizing staff. Linda speaks conversational Spanish.
Brenda J. Willoughby
Staff Accountant, Database Administrator and Desktop Publisher
B.A., Biology and Spanish, Manchester College
From 1990 to 1993, Brenda volunteered full-time with Brethren Volunteer Service, working two years with the Church of the Brethren Latin American/Caribbean Office in Elgin, Illinois, then with PAN, assisting with Regional Coordination and doing research for the PAN international Dirty Dozen Pesticides campaign. She was hired as the office manager and bookkeeper in April 1993. Today, Brenda administers our constituent relationship managment system, provides desktop publishing and design services for PAN and Californians for Pesticide Reform, and is our staff accountant.
Nikta Akhavan
Development Intern
Nikta interned in the Development department at PANNA from December 2012-April 2013. "Working at PAN was my first experience in a 'real' office, and I really enjoyed all that I learned both about nonprofit fundraising and about PAN's program work, which prepared me for where I am today."
Today, Nikta works at Prevention Institute, where she supports their work in improving access to healthy eating and physical activity to create healthier and more equitable communities.
Janice Bae
Agroecology Intern
UC Berkeley
Janice interned with PAN September 2014-May 2015 and worked on our agroecology and chlorpyrifos campaigns. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in conservation and research studies with a concentration in environmental health and agroecology. Her interest in these subjects brought her to PAN and we're excited to see where they take her next.
Alicia Gaitan
Summer Fellow
Alicia is a rising sophomore at Kalamazoo College, where she is pursuing Anthropology & Sociology majors. She has been a long-time participant in Girls, Inc. and is now involved in a host of social justice issues on her campus through MECha de Kzoo and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. She has worked to organize spaces for students of color on campus, and participated in actions for the 43 missing Ayotzinapa students and for Black Lives Matter. She is also involved with Hermanas Unidas de Kzoo, Women of Color Alliance, and NaKed Music and Culture Magazine. Alicia is proficient in Spanish.
Emily Harden
Human Rights Intern
Emily Harden was a Human Rights Intern at PAN from June of 2013 until May of 2014. As an MA student studying Human Rights Education at the University of San Francisco, Emily came to PAN with a strong interest in both corporate accountability and the intersection of human rights and environmental rights. While at PAN, she researched points of leverage to hold agrichemical corporations accountable for human rights violations in the United States. In addition, Emily worked with colleagues at PAN and Dr. Thomas Kerns of the Environment and Human Rights Advisory in Yachats, Oregon to develop a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA/P) that would raise public awareness of the relationship between pesticide exposure and human rights.
Today, Emily works full-time as an IRB Coordinator at the Office for the Protection of Human Subjects at UC Berkeley.
Olivier Hirschler
Agroecology Intern
Agricultural Development from AgroParis Tech
Olivier interned full-tiime in PAN's Grassroots Science program from April through November 2014, bringing a degree in Agricultural Development from AgroParis Tech. During his studies, he specialized in agroecology and participated in research on biological control at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2013, he studied a region of Guadeloupe, where the past use of the organophosphate pesticide chlordecone has had long-term effects on people's health, the economy, and the environment. Today, Olivier works with Plan Ecophyto, the French action plan to cut the nationwide use of pesticides by 50% in the space of ten years.
Shira is a rising senior at Vassar College, majoring in Science, Technology and Society, a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the technical and social dimensions of science and technology. She is also working towards a minor in Computer Science. Shira recently studied abroad in Vietnam, Morocco and Bolivia in the fall of 2014, under a program that focused on climate change, environmental policy, and economic development. Shira hails from Jakarta, Indonesia and Manila, Philippines.
Dawna Knapp
Organizing Intern
Dawna interned at PANNA from July of 2011 to July of 2012. She worked on our multi-year, high-profile campaign to protect public health by eliminating methyl iodide from US agriculture. With Dawna's leadership, the Safe Strawberries campaign employed creative tactics including a "mock fumigation" on the streets of San Francisco as well as on the steps of the State Capitol building; met with key decisionmakers and legislators; and was eventually successful in forcing this toxic fumigant off the market.
Today, Dawna works on the Local Entities Outreach Systems team at the Sierra Club in San Francisco.
Tia Lebherz
Organizing Intern
UC Santa Cruz
After graduating from University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Tia launched her organizing career as an intern at PANNA working as the Executive Assistant and Campaigns Assistant on the Safe Strawberries Campaign. After an action-packed 11 months at PAN, Tia went on to successfully complete Green Corps, the Field School for Environmental Organizing. During her time there she worked extensively in the Midwest, organizing on campaigns for clean energy and fair food.
Today, Tia is the Northern California Organizer for Food & Water Watch. Based in Oakland, she works to engage activists and hold elected officials accountable on a range of issues across the region including fracking, water privatization, and food issues including factory farms and genetic engineering.
Starlyn Robinson
Research Intern
Starlyn interned at PANNA in the summer of 2010. During her time here, she worked on an environmental justice report examining the racial and socio-economic implications of using methyl iodide as a soil fumigant in California. Upon examining the areas of use in the state of California, a disturbing pattern became evident: the heaviest usage of methyl iodide would be concentrated in areas with heavier percentages of minorities. Starlyn also contributed to the development of an organic foods pledge for local stores and merchants.
Today, Starlyn is working towards her Masters in Natural Resources and plans to continue working towards all forms of environmental equity.
Cassandra Solis
Summer Fellow
Cassandra is a rising senior at Kalamazoo College, where she will be finishing her English and Ethnic Studies majors along with her minor in Anthropology/Sociology. Cassandra has gained a magnitude of experience through social justice work on campus, as well as off-campus. Her focus has been aimed at the retention of students of color at Kalamazoo College through actions in demand of an Ethnic Studies program to the implementation of an Intercultural Center. She plans on pursuing a law degree and work on civil rights law to protect communities of color, especially undocumented workers. Cassandra is from Chicago, IL and is proficient in Spanish.
Elise Tam
Development Intern
UC Berkeley
Elise is a student at University of California, Berkeley studying Cognitive Science. She had previously worked as a research assistant for the organization called The Living New Deal, which aims to preserve New Deal art and architecture. Later, Elise wanted more experience with nonprofits and joined PAN as a Development Intern during the summer before her fourth year at UC Berkeley.
Mikenna Wolff
Organizing Intern
University of Denver
Mikenna joined PAN in 2014 as an organizing intern after graduating from the University of Denver. She studied ecology throughout school with a particular interest in plant-insect interactions.


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Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said he prioritized adding classroom space in his newly proposed $1.55 billion Capital Improvements Program for fiscal years 2015 to 2020.
"We are bursting at the seams," he said Monday at Highland Elementary School in Silver Spring, which is at maximum capacity.
Starr said the school system needs $2.2 billion to cover all of its capital improvement needs for the six-year period. He is proposing a $1.55 billion program, he said, because the county is currently facing "fiscal restraints" and the school system is not getting the funding it deserves from the state.
The proposed program is about $184 million higher than the current program, which covers fiscal years 2013 to 2018.
Starr said the program addresses the school system's ongoing, significant enrollment growth with a recommendation for 14 new classroom addition projects. The plan also maintains schedules for other, previously approved capacity projects, including five new schools.
Since 2007, he said, the school system has grown by 14,000 students; another 11,000 are expected over the next six years.
Even if the program were fully funded, Starr said, 13 school clusters are expected to be over capacity in fiscal 2020. Fifteen school clusters in the system are over capacity this fiscal year.
Most of the school system's growth has occurred in elementary schools, he said.
Of the 14 classroom addition projects, 12 are proposed for elementary schools.
Starr recommended five addition projects at elementary schools in the Downcounty Consortium, an area that he said has faced the county's largest growth in the last six years.
"While the growth is most dramatic in the DCC, we're also seeing enormous elementary enrollment growth across the district," he said.
The downcounty elementary schools with planned addition projects include: Brookhaven, Glen Haven, Kemp Mill, Sargent Shriver and Highland.
The other schools where addition projects are planned include Ashburton, Lucy V. Barnsley, Burtonsville, Diamond, Kensington-Parkwood, Christa McAuliffe and Judith Resnik elementary schools; North Bethesda Middle School; and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.
Other previously approved elementary- and secondary-school capacity projects are scheduled to stay on target in the program. The projects include classroom additions; new elementary schools to serve the Clarksburg, Northwest and Richard Montgomery clusters; and new middle schools to serve the Clarksburg/Damascus and Bethesda-Chevy Chase clusters.
About $725 million — or about 47 percent — is recommended for "revitalizations/expansions."
"The schools built in the '60s and '70s, the ones we're replacing now, were not built to last," Starr said. "We see that across the county and renovating them is not cost efficient."
Starr said the recommended plan includes more than two dozen such projects, adding about 118 classrooms throughout the system.
The plan, however, pushes back the timeline of 20 of those projects.
Elementary school projects would see a one-year delay. Middle and high school projects would see a two-year delay.
"We know that so many of our school communities are impacted by the delay," Starr said. "They've been waiting for many years for their aging schools to be replaced."
The plan proposes that six revitalization/expansion projects continue with their current completion dates. They include Bel Pre, Candlewood and Rock Creed Forest elementary schools; Wheaton and Seneca Valley high schools; and the Thomas Edison High School of Technology.
If the state provides more funding, Starr said, it may be possible for some projects to return to their original schedule.
The recommended program also directs about $283 million toward systemic projects that include security upgrades and HVAC, roof and door replacements.
Starr said it's "starting to show" that the school system has not put budgeted enough in recent years for infrastructure needs.
"We've been skimping on that because we've had to fund so many other things," he said.
Starr said he is asking for an increase of $28 million in both fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2016 to put toward the school system's backlog of HVAC replacement projects. He added that further investments will need to be made "down the road."
About $155 million was recommended for technology modernization projects such as new computers.
The county school board is scheduled hold a work session on the plan Nov. 7 and two public hearings on Nov. 11 and 14 before it is expected to approve Starr's request Nov. 18.
The program request then moves to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and the County Council.
School board President Christopher S. Barclay said the work session will mark a chance for the board to start asking questions.
"Capacity is the biggest issue that we have," Barclay said. "We have got to figure out how to address this."
Highland Elementary Principal Scott Steffan said the addition planned for his school in the proposed program hopefully will enable the school to accommodate its students without needing to add portable classrooms.
"I don't have an open space anywhere. We've really felt the impact (of enrollment growth) this year," he said. "For us to have the addition is tremendous."
Lynne Harris — vice president for legislation for the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations — said her son attends Highland View Elementary School in Silver Spring, which is scheduled to undergo an expansion project but at an undetermined time.
While she is disappointed as a Highland View parent that her school will not see construction soon, she said, she sees that there are needs at every school and the school system's capital budget requires "tough choices."
Harris said the school system needs state funds more proportionate to the number of students it serves.
Montgomery County students are getting a good education, Harris said, but the school system has to figure out where to put the growing number of students.
"What are we going to do?" she said. "Put them on the roof?"


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IMLS Press Contacts
Kevin O'Connell, firstname.lastname@example.com
Mamie Bittner, email@example.com
Washington, DC—IMLS Director Susan Hildreth is pleased to announce two recent appointments.
Antoine Dotson has been named Human Resources Director and Stephanie Burwell has been named Chief Information Officer.
Dotson joined IMLS in December 2007 as the Senior HR Specialist and was promoted to Deputy HR Director in August 2009. Prior to joining IMLS, he served as Senior HR Consultant at the Department of Interior, National Business Center, where he provided HR services to other federal agencies in the Washington, DC area. Dotson has over 21 years of federal service in the area of human resources operations, recruitment, employee relations, policy and planning, conflict resolution, and negotiations.
Burwell has been with IMLS since 2007, previously serving as the agency's Operations Manager before being promoted to Deputy Chief Information Officer. As CIO, she is responsible for overseeing the Agency's Network, IT Support Services, IT Security program, Section 508 compliance, and IT Asset Management. She is also responsible for planning and budgeting for the acquisition, migration, and maintenance of all IMLS hardware and software. Prior to joining IMLS, Burwell was an Operations Manager at the Federal Maritime Commission and the Technical Assistance Center lead at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Her experience there included managing daily operations and addressing all customer service inquiries.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.


text: Hi all, I have searched GIMP.org site, Google, and GIMP groups on Flickr along with the boards here and haven't found anything on GIMP for WinXP 32bit ver related to what I am experiencing. Opened gimp.org/windows/ in Firefox 5.0 and downloaded the gimp-2.6.11-i686-setup-1 and gimp-help-2-2.6.0-en-setup files. Launched the setup file first, went with default install option and did not run after install, then installed the help file and rebooted my PC. Tried to Open GIMP on after restart and only got 1/2 second splash screen and nothing. I have downloaded the file from the GIMP.org site again (under a different name) and re-installed from the new file, same results. No errors or error messages experienced, no popups or anything. Monitoring Task Manager during program execution and the file shows up for 1/2 second and goes away, system memory and CPU activity do not abnormally spike and no system performance impacts were observed. Opening CMD and opening GIMP-2.6 results in the same, opening GIMP-console-2.6 and the command CMD window hangs, can't type anything after that the cursor just blinks under the command line. GIMP path is as follows: C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\bin PC set up is as follows, Toshiba Satellite M55-S139 (5 or 6 years old), New Samsung HM160 150Gb HDD formatted in NTFS with 77.3GB free space. Intel Celeron M 1.6Gb CPU with 2GB RAM installed, 256Mb RAM shared with ATI video card, and 3.84Gb page file defined under Advanced Performance Options Tab in Virtual Mem Option (CPU and Mem usages set to program priority). Video is an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M with latest drivers and ATI software installed, no conflicts or issues in Device Manager. Windows XP Pro SP3 with all hotfixes and updates installed. System is running McAfee AV plus updated and current. Other software running is Smart Defrag 2, Windows Desktop search, and Logitech wireless mouse utility. I have seen issues with Win 7 for both 32 bit and 64 bit but am not sure if the same resolution, downloading and overwriting some dll files, will apply to an XP 32bit environment. I have used GIMP before in college on Linux (Suse) boxes but that was 10 years ago. What would cause GIMP to shut down 1/2 second after exe is executed? If there were missing files wouldn't I get an error message or program error pop up? I have tried rebooting, reinstalling, and command line options for starting the program and it still acts the same. What solution is available and should I try the unstable 2.7 version on such an old PC and Windows platform?


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After having taken a longish break from FaithWriters, I'm happy to say that I'm back. I'd love to revive this forum--I had a lot of fun with it a few years ago, and it seems as if it was helpful to a few people. I'd love some ideas from you on possible topics for future lessons, or questions about writing that you'd like answered. Take a look through the things I've already covered for an idea of the sort of lessons that work in this forum. I'm fine with re-visiting a previous topic, and I'd like to focus each lesson on one particular skill or writing technique.
Expect the first lesson soon--perhaps within a week or so. The more ideas I get, the sooner a lesson is likely to appear.
So--ideas, please!
(In the meantime, if you're on Facebook, feel free to "like" the Superior Editing Services page, where I give writing tips several times a week).


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Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), also known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano, bass, guitar, harpsichord and the autoharp. Khan''s debut album, Fur and Gold, released in 2006, peaked at number forty-eight on the UK Album Chart and was shortlisted for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2008, Khan received two BRIT Award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female Solo Artist. Khan''s second album, Two Suns, released in 2009, reached number five on the UK Album Chart and number seventeen on the Irish Album Chart. It produced her first UK top forty single, "Daniel", and was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize. Khan was nominated for Best Female Solo Artist at 2010 BRIT Awards.
This area is intended for discussion only. If you have a question about your order, or require customer service you can get in touch via our Customer Service Area. Comments enquiring about existing orders, including personal details, or with questions will be deleted.


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I've found a new old program that I like a lot; CustomBar. A 18 pixels toolbar, placed down low (see pic) in full width.
"One little bar can control your music player, display system information, generate menus of shortcuts to your applications, provide quick access to online resources such as search engines, and much more."
However, some features are missing: There is no tooltip on mouseover - what program is behind the right most icon, at the picture? There is no context menu on right click - not at the toolbar and not at the icons. And it will only support WinAmp media player, not my RealPlayer or WMP. And there is no version 1.1 yet, even though it was 'pre-announced' in January. So maybe this little twenty dollar LizardSoft could-be-great-program will never be finished.
DO YOU KNOW of any program like this?


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